JRA

Here is a photo of the decorations for the cabin.

We're celebrating our 20th anniversary on our February cruise and I'm ordering a personalized cruise magnet and a personalized set of pillow cases from etsy for our cabin. I figured we can keep the magnet on our fridge at home after the cruise and we can keep on using the pillow cases too.
 

My wife and I are doing our first cruise aboard Anthems Of The Sea for our 23 anniversary . I was just wondering if they offer anything special for couples celebrating anniversaries ?
Because it took a lot of convincing to get her to try a cruise id like to do anything to make it special so when we are back home maybe a second cruise can be booked . 
 

I decorated my parents door with a picture of their first date. Pictures of special events were place in an album in the room. We had special shirts made with the date of their wedding. We also had on the back because of that special day, our names, grandchildren and great grandchildren names were listed.
 
 

There is usually an option on the cruise planner to purchase the anniversary package which includes room decorations, pillow covers, a bottle of wine, some tasty treats and a door sign. I got this for my parents who were having their 50 anniversary a couple of years ago.
RCI did not not do anything special for their anniversary.

Any chance it Anthems of the sea Nov. 9 ??  We are on the cruise and have also got a accessible room for my son .
I wouldn't consider you having a accesible room a issue . Im sure you'll still be in some sort of recovery still and wouldn't you rather have the room you may need then changing and having problems during the cruise?
Great job on getting back on your feet !!! 

Thanks so much for posting this! We're on the exact cruise this Sunday so its really nice to get a feel for what to expect!

Hi @hsweat22 !
Here are all of the MDR (dinner) menus from my cruise last week on Allure (5/19/19-5/26/19)... Western Caribbean itinerary w/ formal evenings on MON and THU...
 
Day 1 (SUN)...
+
 
Day 2 (MON)... 1st Formal Evening...

 
Day 3 (TUE)...

 
Day 4 (WED)...

 
Day 5 (THU)... Second Formal Evening... Lobster night...

 
Day 6 (FRI)...

 
Day 7 (SAT)... final evening...

 

It's just a matter of time before passports are required for cruising.  You are wise to get them now.  

Leaving the country? Always have a passport.  The Bahamas, Bermuda, Mexico, Canada....all foreign countries.

USA passports are valid for 10 years, 5 years for those under the age of 16.

The GC is a 9-night cruise going south to Bermuda, Labadee, San Juan and more..so don't think they'll get to see the NE fireworks. 

If I recall this is a NE cruise, which is why we didn't join ( did that on Anthem 2 yrs ago....we are instead going on Adventure 7/12).  I want to say we hugged the coastline the 1st night up to Boston, so you maybe able to see fireworks off the coastline.  
I would probably give a little more time to get to the port.  NYC area puts on a huge firework display, and so does every beach on the Jersey shore, thus impo as someone that lived in NJ for decades, and still has family there, the traffic will be even be higher than usual on the NJ TPKE.   

We were on Anthem in January with 28 yo DD /(age ~ 5 mentally) who is also in a wheelchair -- CP -- can walk, but slowly, not for long distances, & not safe in crowds, so we use her chair most of the time.
1) The non Solarium pools have straight up & down staircases for access, so if he can't climb, it will be difficult, although I believe there are pool lifts, but we didn't utilize them.  The Solarium pools are shallow, with bench seats, but have shallow steps to climb down into them -- again, it depends on his abilities.  However, when I took my DD without DH, the lifeguards were very quick to help me (I also have mobility issues).  He would be allowed in the solarium as he is over 16. 
2) Port stops -- we had different ones (Southern Caribbean), & because the handicap accessible ones  are basically just bus tours, you will have to gauge how interesting that will be for all of you.  Our previous cruise (Adventure, last May) hit the spots you're going to, & our bus tour wasn't that enjoyable for me & DD, mainly because we ended up staying on the bus, since getting in & out was difficult for me. YMMV.  You can just choose to walk around Nassau -- there are several spots within a 1 mile radius of the port that are interesting -- but the streets are not too wheelchair friendly, and there are hilly areas, so again, it depends on what you want/are capable of doing with him.  
Coco Cay has the new Perfect Day options that weren't there when we went there, but there are sand wheelchairs that will get him around on the sand, and there are also little golf carts & a tram (I think) that will get you around so that you don't have to walk too much there.  We got a cabana, mainly to keep DD out of the sun, but there are shaded areas as well
3) There is plenty to do on the ship -- we took DD to the Gift (which didn't do anything for us  ), Spectra's Cabaret, which was the musical/acrobatic show that she loved, & We Will Rock You, which she enjoyed even though she couldn't follow the storyline, because she loves music.  We also took her to a few of the night time shows.  We had her tablet with movies on an SD card, so that was available to her when we wanted quiet time.  Didn't do the bumper cars or anything in the SeaPlex, because that's not her thing, although she did like the Dog House (hot dog /sausage place).  Also, while they are not marked on the website deck plans, there are several "family" restrooms which will help if only your wife is with him when he needs to use the restroom, or if it's just easier than using the handicap stall.  They are marked on the electronic deck plans on board.  I remember 1 on the pool deck (deck 14) & 1 in 270 (deck 5) for sure.
4) We took her up in North Star, & she loved that, as did we.  Definitely reserve a spot as soon as it opens up in your cruise planner.
5) The cabin doors are VERY heavy, and were just wide enough for her wheelchair to fit through, & hers is not terribly big, as we got it when she was 14 & she isn't that big even now.  If there are 2 adults, one to hold the door, & one to push (unless he pushes himself) it's ok,  but it's tough by yourself (although I managed to always find someone to help if I was alone). If you don't have an accessible room, that is something to consider. Also, the bathroom (again, unless accessible room) is a small step up from the main floor of the cabin, & the showers are fairly small, although you can request a shower stool if he needs that.  You can also request a toilet seat "booster" if it will be easier for him if the seat is raised. 
6) The staff was always very helpful & extremely accommodating to us, as were the passengers.  I always appreciate that, as it can be rough travelling with a handicapped person, & the offer of assistance, even when you might not need it, is very nice.
Hope this info helps, & that you all have a wonderful time!!

I have taken Anthem of the Seas twice with my Son who was 16 and the next year 17.  He is physically and developementally handicapped and used a wheelchair while on the trip.  We LOVED Anthem.  He can walk but is challenged.  One thing he did do twice was the iFly.  You would not believe how accomadation they where.  They lowered the fans and had two instuctors inside to assist him.  It scared me at first but brought tears to my eyes to see him have so much fun.  The bumper cars was a huge hit.  He went on many times.  The staff would wave us on to the front so he didn't wait in line for too long.  He loved all the movie charactors who walk around.  The North Star is accesible.  He loved all the shows and I would agree the Gift is not the most enjoyable.  The WindJammer is hard for us since we can't leave our Son and pushing a chair and holding plates is a challenge.  Book the Solarium Bisto for dinner.  Also go to the main dinning rooms for breakfast to take advantage of table service.  There is soooo much to do and see on the ship that there is no need to watch ipad movie for entertainment.  We didn't do Orlando excursions because of the length of time it takes to get there.  It's too long on a bus.  The Kennedy Space Centre was perfect.  The first time we did Gator Land.  AND you wouldn't believe they had a zip line there with a wheelchair set up.  Our Son ziplined OMG!!!  Bahamas we went to Blue Lagoon for the dolphin swim.  He did walk a short distance there, but I can't remember if that was by choice.  We also did a tour of Atlantis and that was great as well (all wheelchair accesible).  I highly recomment Anthem!

Hi KwEvans, our group decided to buy our own since I didn’t want to deal with a leaking facemask & would have time to proper fit, we can get hopefully one more use on our June HOTS cruise.  Dicks Sporting has Aqua Lung for $30 that included mask, footies &  mouthpiece all in a nice carrying bag that is 3 pounds. I figure we will just watch where the guide points for people that rented their gear go & go that way. I’ve read that wherever the orange boys are, and to find the sunken “ plane” are the hot spots. Oh  FYI , four sets take up an entire luggage suitcase bag.If you buy  white Speedo version, have shorter footies, so take a lot less room. 

If you haven't prepaid gratuity, it will be charged to your onboard account at $14.50 a day per person.  Personally, I would rather not have such a large bill at the end of the cruise, so we prepay the gratuity.  We tip in addition to the daily gratuity.  It isn't necessary or mandatory but if we like our stateroom attendant and how he/she deals with my slobs (aka kids) then we tip an extra $20.  Same with the wait staff.  Giving $1 for a drink will make sure you keep getting good service throughout the pool/bar and they will remember you the next day.  Once again, nothing mandatory but a nice gesture.
The chances of getting sea sick depend on the individual.  The ship is relatively stable but if mother nature creates big waves there is only so much that a ship can do.  My family is prone to motion sickness (cars, planes, ships) so I always have medicine packed.   Our cruise on Harmony saw some large swells which was tough for my 7 yo.  Most of the time we don't need it but I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

@JRA...he lk Just wine or champagne.  You are not allowed to carry on hard liquor.  JMPO they want it in the carry on bc every piece of luggage is screened prior to boarding.  They have a limitation on the amount.  It would be too difficult for them to now go back and say you had 2 bottles in your suitcase and 0 in carry on, so you are good to go.  By forcing it only on carry on they know you have hit the limit.
If you go on your cruise planner, I believe at the bottom of the internet and more they offer hard liquor and soda, such as a 375 ml bottle of Bacardi and a pack of coke to be delivered to your room.  I don't know how much it costs because we do the DBP.
I will say out of Cape Liberty they are strict regarding alcohol.  My brother refused to listen to me.  He tried to bring on 6 Yuengling beer bottles... he kept saying you see it is under 17 oz. and I only have 6.  I kept saying, YES, but they state only wine or champagne, or 12 17 oz of non-alcoholic beverages.  They confiscated it.  We laughed when we debarked.  They handed it back to him when he picked up his luggage.
One last thing I would do is talk to your TA.  You can upload pics for your sea pass, but they are very picky.  Has to be  sim.  to a passport pic.  You might want to ask since he is wheelchair bound if that will be an issue.
When we sailed on Anthem, our pics were rejected because it is suppose to be a white background.  The closest wall color to white in my house is ivory/light tan.  It is not a biggie at all.  Another thing we laughed about.  We traveled in a group of 10.  My husband and I were the only ones that had to get our pics done at the terminal.  We were also the 1st to be finished checking in.  Cape Liberty they do everything by tablet.  
 

I have sailed on Anthem.  He will be fine.  
1.  The bumper cars are free.  At the back of the sea plex is the hot dog stand.  He might like that.  They also have Johnny Rockets on the pool deck.
2. The arcade costs money, but you can buy it on your cruise planner, usually 20% off compared to buying on board.  The arcade is expensive
3. On the pool deck ( I believe Port side) is this huge giraffe.  I want to say 15 feet tall  If memory serves me it is on the port side by the bow.
4. If you go into the Solarium close to the starboard side there is a door.  If you go out there it is a little bridge that juts out.  Great view.
5. I can't recall exactly the directions, but up on the WJ level there is a small clear floor where you can look all the way down the ship to the Esplanade.@7 floors.  If you are doing a suite, Coastal Kitchen is on the same level as WJ.
6. For the sail away I would suggest you go to the helipad.  You will go under the Verrazano @20 mins after leaving the dock.  Anthem only clears it by about 30 feet.  The helipad is lower than the pool deck.  However, because of that it is not as crowded as the pool deck.  Due to being so close to clearing the bridge everybody goes up on the pool deck and it is very crowded, in some spots it is shoulder to shoulder.
7.  Do NOT go to see The Gift.  Trust me, as an adult it is hard enough to follow, and to me the volume was really loud.  We Will Rock You, is a great show if he likes Queen.  They have an upper tier and it is still a great area.  Hint: stay until after the cast takes their final bow.
8. The WJ is great on Anthem.  It has an outside eating area, which equates to not having to search for a table.
9.. The Bionic Bar is something he might find cool.  For most people it is a 1 and done, check the box, but he might find it entertaining to watch it for a few mins.
10. We always do Starboard balcony Bow on deck 12.  It is a haul from the elevators, but it is a cool balcony room because from your balcony you can see the bridge clearly.  So close you can watch them drink their coffee and they will waive to you if they see you watching them.  He may enjoy this.
11. Anthem has 3 pools.  The one in the middle is enclosed, just like the Solarium.  Unless it is a bad weather day, it is not as crowded as the outdoor pool, easier to navigate.  Plus, it is right next to the Solarium bistro which is open for lunch and very few passengers ever go there.  It has a nice selection, not WJ size, but still you won't go hungry.
12. They typically will play a movie at 7 for the younger age groups on the pool deck.  It is rarely crowded compared to what you will see in the middle of the day.  You might want to tie in your dinner reservations to coincide with being able to do this.  
13. I can't recall if NorthStar is handicap accessible, but if it is, make sure as soon as possible you book the earliest time.  NorthStar doesn't always go up.  If the wind is too high than it won't.  Reserving it for later on the cruise may mean you will never get to go up.  If you do early, and it doesn't go that day, you can always book as standby later on.
14. The 270 is a great place to have lunch.  Like the Solarium Bistro the selection is small, but there is where you will find the famous Kummelwreck.  It basically is soup, salad and sandwiches.  However, the cool thing is the 270 is all about the view.  It is floor to ceiling windows.  This is where the acrobatic show occurs.  If you time it right you will see them practice the show without music as you eat your lunch.  We ate lunch there @ noon, and they were practicing.  We stayed for an hr just watching it.  Luckily we did, bc our reservations for the show was night 4 and the water was so rocky, that they canceled the show that night, and the next night too.    
15. We did traditional dining in the MDR.  They have multiple MDRs. They are separated into My Time and traditional seatings.  IOWS, My time will go the MDR that only does My Time.  Traditional only goes to the one that does traditional.  We requested a table by the windows.  The table behind us had someone in a wheelchair and they had window seating too.  Ask your TA to request a window seating.  I want to say the early seating was @5:30.  We did late and I know that was 8.  We loved the MDR.  Food was not only great, but the service was spectacular.  I think in part was due to the fact we ate there every night, so the staff really got to know us.  IE, my cousin can only eat fish due to a medical reason, after day 2 since they knew this they would offer him off the menu items.  We were a group of 10, when we sat down they repeated the drinks we ordered the night prior and asked if we wanted them again that night.  We also like traditional because we feel that MTD always has larger crowds.  Traditional dining never feels packed, but it also might be because we are dining at 8.
16.  Anthem is like most hotels now.  You need to place a key card inside the room to operate the AC and lights.  You can override it by placing something like a loyalty card from your grocery store (credit card size) in the slot, at least that is what we did.  The AC will not operate in a balcony room if the sliding door is open, even if you have the key in that slot.
17.  If any of you have back issues and cannot sleep on a hard bed, find your cabin attendant on day 1.  Ask for a mattress topper or maybe 2 depending how soft you want it to be. You want to do it on day 1, because by day 2 many that had a poor nights sleep are now asking for toppers for night 2.
18. I can't recall, and maybe somebody here can answer, regarding the HDMI hook up on Anthem.  Some ships you can connect, some you can't because of how the tv is connected to the wall....in essence unable to get behind to the HDMI outlet.  Since he likes games, packing a PS4 and a few games will not take up a lot of room.
19. Spend the $$$ and get at least the refreshment package (@$20 pp).  We normally get the Deluxe (alcohol), but I believe the 20 pkg includes the same things, minus alcohol.  The souvenir cup of course, but you also get unlimited water bottles, fresh squeezed OJ, and milk shakes at Johnny Rockets (JR) without having to eat there.  The ice cream machine is on the pool deck (starboard) and it is hit or miss.  Plus, the line is usually long.  JR is on the same deck, but on the port side.  The freestyle machines not only have soda, and flavorings to add, but also Powerade, MinuteMaid juices and Dasani flavored water.  In the WJ they have a Seattle's Best where you can get your specialty coffee.  We typically will always go to the bar and ask for a bottle of water.  We take them back to the cabin and place it in the mini fridge.  We than take the ones we have accrued with us on our port days.  Saves us money.
20. If he is a people watcher... go and hang out at Sorrentos.  They have tables that are on the Esplanade.  I am not a fan of the pizza, but I do like the area, so does my hubby, especially since it is right next to the pub/bar where they have tvs showing whatever sport is playing.  We stay away from that area when they do what I call the sidewalk sale.  This is when they place tables out filled with shirts, watches, etc.  It is just too crowded.  This area is also where they sell popcorn. 
21. Check your daily compass for the Belly Flop.  It gets crowded, so you will want to be early to get a good view if this appeals to you.  
Finally, checking in at Cape Liberty is fast and efficient.  They have a multi level parking garage attached to the port.  By the time you park your car and walk onto the ship,  it has always been around 20 mins for us.  The real problem is getting to the parking your car. 1. NJTPKE can have traffic issues just like MD @ Baltimore or DC.  Plan accordingly.  We live in No VA (4 hr car ride) we always drive up the day prior.  2. The design of how you drop off luggage is poor impo.  It is a bottle neck and it can take 30 mins from the start where you come up to the port to when you drop off your luggage.  3. When you debark at the end of your cruise, you can pay for a porter at the terminal.  They will take your luggage to your car for you once you pick it up from the luggage area.  It is not necessarily faster, but this way you can go and get your car, drive it to the street level,  while your wife and son go at their pace and the porter brings the luggage behind them.   Like embarkation, I want to say it took us 20 mins from the time we walked off until we were pulling out of the parking garage.
Sorry for the novella, but I hope it helps and that your wife will now be really excited seeing all of the amazing things that Anthem has to offer.  I bet she might be so thrilled that she will want to book again on Anthem, but the next time to NE since you stated you usually go to the mountains.  Or maybe even try out the Oasis when she is there for a few short months in the summer of 2020.
 

@JRA  You do not need to buy any refreshment package.  You can get complimentary,coffee, tea, ice tea or lemonade.  
You are allowed 2 bottles of wine and 12 17 oz bottles of water/soda per cabin in your carry on.  Just remember it is in your carry on and so you will have to lug it around with you until your cabin opens.  Cabins open @1.   
NorthStar feels very little movement (swaying)  It is more like being on an elevator...slow rise and return.  It also does not swing over the side of the ship so you don't need to worry about that kind of fear of looking over the water from a high height.  It really just goes up over the pool deck.

Normally our vacation is a car trip to the mountians or something within a few hundred miles . My sons handicap as well as my own past  medical issues have ruled over any vacation . My health is fine now .
When you say "I think they are more "contained" with many things to do AND you can also just relax together" you nailed my thinking on the topic exactly!!!!  Knowing there will be great food (so i'm told) and a lot of things to do on the ship means something .
 Im looking forward to a  late night walk on the ship with a adult beverage and not a worry.

Honestly, anything you would normally do with him would work and then doing all the extra things too.  I think he'd have a good time. 
CocoCay will be nice.  After watching @Matt's videos from there over this past weekend (on Facebook), I see that there are lots of paved walkways, makes it easy access for wheelchair.   Not many people on these forums seem to like Nassau, but when we went we enjoyed walking around the town and just "shopping" and seeing a part of the world that isn't home. 
I think a cruise would be a wonderful vacation for you...just because I think they are more "contained" with many things to do AND you can also just relax together and enjoy each others company.
How do you usually vacation?  knowing what you usually do and what you usually like, could help in our helping you.

Are you from the NE?  It could be cold for the first 2 days and last 2 days of your cruise.  Not sure if traveling to Fl is an option for you.  
Anthem has the sea plex with go carts and x box games.  Every ship has an arcade.  I strongly suggest you read blogs about Anthem and look at the cruise planner for your unique situation.  
For FL, I’m assuming you are stopping at Cape Canaveral.  My kids are looking forward to seeing the space center.  
If you do decide to book, I would suggest making a booking with a refundable deposit.  Things happen and you may change your mind and that way you can cancel up to 90 days before your cruise and receive a full refund. 
 

I would imagine an iPad loaded with movies and games would be invaluable. In addition, an internet package so that he can browse YouTube