cruisestuff

Headed out for our mani/pedi and just got this message from a dear friend of mine who is trying to get together:

Proof that even in real life the cruise addiction is evident ?

Hmm...Maybe Anthem and Symphony in Star Class? ?
A girl can dream....lol

Have a great and safe vacation!
 
@WannaCruise, for what it is worth, we sailed Anthem in March of 2016 and had no issues at all. The first and last day and a half were cool, but everything else including the Atlantic Ocean was fine. Think positively and happy sailing!

T-4 days until our dog sled takes us from our igloo to NYC. (In the words of @Matt).
I have never so desperately needed a cruise until now. The month of June has been beyond busy and emotionally draining. Between organizing a grad trip, saying goodbye and graduating a group of Grade 8 students that I have taught multiple times since they were in Grade 2, changing work locations, and the usual home chaos, all I want to do is sit on the balcony and watch the waves.  
Because of the craziness of this month, I have barely had time to plan properly for this cruise. It’s a good thing that we have done Anthem before.  In the next few days, the “to-do” list includes:
1. Mani/Pedi with my girls tomorrow.
2. Do laundry.
3. Pack.
4. Do more laundry. 
5. Clean my house. 
6. Finish packing. 
Will start in the morning as I am past tired at this point.
 

I am so glad you booked this cruise (and did not cancel it like a certain photographer)!! It will be great getting to finally meet you after years of knowing you online.  
I think you made the right call moving your pre-cruise hotel to Manhattan. I think you summed up the pros/cons of Jersey vs NYC (minus the smell) but having easy access to the city will be fantastic.

I will be following, oh wait I'll be on board with you, lol.
@twangster I don't think @Lovetocruise2002 , could handle you and Matt together on the same cruise ship, it would be like the OK Corral.

Who’s Going?
The usual crew:  Hubby, our 2 girls, D10 & D12 (a month shy of 11 &13), and myself.
Flight
Our plan is to fly from DTW to EWR two days before.  Since it is our summer vacation and we are not pressed for time, we are taking an extra day to take our girls around Manhattan the day before the cruise.
Pre-Cruise Stay
I tossed around the idea of staying in Manhattan because the pre-cruise meet up is there but then we decided to book Embassy Suites again in Elizabeth, NJ.  A few friends from our group cruise are also staying there.  At the last minute, and by that, I mean only 3 weeks ago, it dawned on me that I overlooked a very important point.  We booked a one-day tour with Viator for NYC that leaves from Times Square.  I realized that going into NYC on a Wednesday morning from NJ would be a bit of a problem with rush hour.  Not wanting to stress about being stuck in traffic or risk missing our tour, we went ahead, and canceled Embassy Suites and our stay now is at... 

the Intercontinental New York Times Square! 
We realize that this adds a bit more cost and travel time on embarkation morning, but our girls are so excited to stay in Manhattan and we are steps away from the pre-cruise meet up and our tour pick up point.  The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages.
Itinerary
This 9-night sailing takes us to Bermuda, St. Maarten, San Juan, and Labadee.  We have no real plans for this sailing other than relaxing.  June was such a busy month for all of us.  I am simply burnt out and looking forward to sitting and staring out at the open waters. 
In Bermuda, we booked the Bermuda Island Drive By Minibus Tour through Royal.  In San Juan, we plan to walk around for a bit on our own.  Lastly, for St. Maarten and Labadee, we may not even get off the ship.  Hubby and I will be back at these same ports (minus Bermuda) in a few weeks on Symphony and it’s better to visit “That Yoda Guy” without the kids.
Cabin
We are booked in the exact same cabin category as last cruise.  Formerly a Family Junior Suite (FJ), it has now been re-categorized as a J3.  This cabin makes the most sense for our family as it has the pullman bed and 1 ½ bath.  This time around, we grabbed one on Deck 8 instead of 9 in hopes that it might be slightly better for motion.  Not sure if it will make much of a difference.  See my 2018 live blog for pics of this cabin. 
Pre-Cruise thoughts
-    First Group Cruise!  So excited!  Need I say more?!
-    Because it is a Group Cruise and our kids have started venturing out on their own, we grabbed the VOOM for 3 devices plan this time.  This way, we will be able to contact D12 anytime if needed, especially if we split up from them for group activities.
-    This is also my way of giving Anthem a second chance.  As noted in my previous Anthem blog, there were two things I really did not enjoy about the previous cruise.  One was that crowds did not flow well throughout the ship.  The second was that I vowed to never sail from NJ again in the colder months as it was not enjoyable for us.  We will see if sailing in July makes a difference.
-    Finally, my disclaimer is that this blog may not follow my usual style.  I can’t even promise how “live” it will be this time around.  And there will be many things I may not post to avoid being redundant from my last one.

-    Once again, in the spirit of a live blog, please do not hesitate to ask any questions.  I will do my best to find out whatever I can for you.

-    When responding to a post with a series of pictures, please do not include the pictures in your reply.  It just makes for easier scrolling.

-    Lastly, I will do my best to bring the cruise to you LIVE through Periscope – you can follow me @LoveToCruise2002.
 

Looking forward to following along!  It's been forever since I've cruised...

Pre-cruise report:

Sailing:  March 9-17, 2018, Anthem of the Seas, 8 Night Bahamas cruise
 
Sailing with:   Hubby and daughters, ages 11 and 9, who I will refer to as D1 and D2 from this point onward.
 
Flying from: DTW to EWR via Delta.  
 
Pre-cruise hotel:  Embassy Suites in Elizabeth, NJ.  
We chose this hotel based on several factors.  When travelling with the kids, I like to look for hotels that provide a complimentary breakfast.  It is one less thing to worry about.  Also, this hotel came highly recommended by another site that I like, EatSleepCruise.com for value, space, and ease of getting to the port.  Also, being the hotel/cruise snob that I am, this was one of the few in the area that looked relatively clean and modern.
 
The itinerary is as follows:
Day 1 – Cape Liberty, NJ
Day 2 and 3 – At Sea
Day 4 – Port Canaveral
Day 5 – Coco Cay
Day 6 – Nassau
Day 7 & 8 – At Sea
Day 9 – Cape Liberty, NJ

We booked the Kennedy Space Center guided tour through RC shore excursions.  Got a great rate on it during the Cruise planner Christmas sale.  At Coco Cay, we have the Aqua Park and Slide combo purchased for the kids.  And Hubby and D2 are going to do the Blue Lagoon Dolphin Encounter in Nassau.
We are lazy cruisers.  The ship is often our destination.  So, going on 3 excursions (only two for D1 and I) is actually quite the splurge for us.
 
Cabin:  
Unless the last-minute upgrade fairy strikes it’s going to be a Family Junior Suite (FJ) this time around.  Initially, we went with 2 connecting balconies, but then KSF came up in November and we switched it to the FJ so that I could get my dinners in CK.  Picking a cabin with our kids is a bit more difficult.  No one sleeps well when the girls share a bed so we needed a room that has a Pullman or can accommodate a rollaway.  Also, with 2 girls and myself, a 2nd bathroom is becoming a necessity.  So, the FJ fit those requirements as it has 1 ½ baths, and we have one on Deck 9 that has an additional Pullman.  
Our plan was to book the FJ and then wait for the 45-60 day price drop (as I have seen on many sailings) and upgrade to a full suite.  However, this was one of the few times that this did not work out. The price did drop around the 60 day mark, however, KSF ended by then so it was not worth it to upgrade.
 
Random Pre-cruise thoughts:
-    It’s our first time:
•    Bringing our kids on RC.  We have sailed DCL with them 3 times in the past.  
•    In a Junior suite.  We’ve done interiors, ocean view, regular balconies, and full suites but never Sea class.
•    Sailing Quantum Class.  As many of you know, I am a huge Oasis class fan.  I also tend to favour the newer and bigger ships.  However, Hubby does not like to sail the same ship twice in a short time span.  That’s where Anthem fit the bill.  It also worked out nicely that this sailing just made the cut off date for KSF.  I must admit that I do feel some apprehension about this sailing.  As a creature of habit, I will miss my morning coffee and nightly strolls in Central Park and the amazing shows in the Aqua Theater.  In addition, sailing out of NJ in March makes me a bit nervous.  The weather and seas are always up in the air and sailing out of cold weather (and snow now, thanks to Nor'easter) doesn't quite sit well with me.
•    Doing a Live Blog!  I can’t say enough how much I love this RC Blog community and how much I have learned and benefited from all of you.  I see this as a way of contributing back.
-    We plan to eat most of our dinners in Coastal Kitchen.  We were able to make reservations in the Cruise Planner this time.  This option became available in the Cruise Planner around 170 days out.  Disappeared for a while and then came back again.  When we sailed on Harmony, we had to wait until we got the Concierge email or book on board.  Going from what others have reported on other boards, it seems that you can make reservations ahead of time on Quantum class ships but not Oasis class.  We also made reservations for dinner at Jamie’s for one night.  The pasta was calling, and we could not turn away.
-    We purchased VOOM for 2 devices.  Too bad for the kids but @twangster saved the day for them.
-    All other entertainment reservations (shows, iFly, North Star) have been made.  These all showed up in the Cruise Planner about 160 days out.
-    This cruise sold out over a month ago.  It reached the ¾ lifeboat capacity back in November!  It’s March break in Ontario and according CC roll call and FB pages for this sailing there will be lots of kids and many Toronto Maple Leafs fans!  Hubby will be in good company!
-    The teacher in me is hoping that this can be an interactive live blog. Meaning, if there is anything you would like me to find out please do not hesitate to ask away.  I will do my best to check back regularly and find out for you.
-    Lastly, I will likely be doing most of my blogging from my phone, so if you are replying to something that has pics attached, please do not include the pics in your reply.  Thanks!  ?
 

Cruising with Greatness – Anthem Group Cruise – July 4-13, 2019
Anthem of the Seas the Reboot (aka Anthem, The Lite Edition).

For those of you who have been around for a while, you know that we cruised Anthem back in 2018.  For a more in-depth blog of Anthem, check out my blog from March 2018.
This is going to be the “Lite Edition” for several reasons.  I wasn’t even going to blog this cruise as I am not sure how much more I can add to it that would be different from my previous one or the ones that @twangster, @JLMoran, @SweetPea, or @TheHobbys have done.  And…it’s my first Group Cruise!  I might be just a tad busier than usual.  However, the conclusion that I came to is that it would be irresponsible and inconsiderate of me to not blog it because it was the blogs and scopes from last year’s Royal Caribbean Blog Alaska GC that finally pushed me into booking this one.  Again, the best part of live blogs is learning from each other and to pay it forward.
Let’s back up the story a bit on how this cruise came about for us.  I saw this GC as soon as @Matt announced it back in the Fall of 2017.  The itinerary stood out right away for me as it was 9-night sailing that goes to Bermuda (we have never been).  To make it even better, the dates for this GC landed on dates that were actually doable for me.  However, during that time, I was more focused on securing my Symphony July 2019 booking and with both cruises in July, only weeks apart, I decided it wasn’t going to be possible for Anthem. 
In March 2018, we sailed Anthem, and I had very mixed feelings on that sailing with the ship itself.  I usually enjoy most cruises we go on, but Anthem did not sit well with me.  You can see my initial thoughts of Anthem in my previous Anthem blog. 
Fast forward to June 2018, the RC Blog gang went to Alaska, and it looked like so much fun that I truly wanted to try out a GC myself.  Many of you know that I am teacher and my vacation dates are not flexible.  To have the Anthem GC fall over our summer break was an opportunity that I felt I could not let pass.
Booking this cruise was essentially embracing the true YOLO spirit.  As far as our (I mean Hubby’s) bank account goes, booking this one and Symphony to sail in the same month was not wise and made for a very expensive April!  On the bright side, this is going to be our shortest dry dock ever between cruises!  This is the cruise that we probably should not have booked but could not turn it down for the reasons already listed and the best reason of all…Who can possibly turn down an opportunity to meet “Mr. YOLO Book It!” himself?  True Greatness?  Our Fearless Leader? Obviously not us!  So here it goes…

Few of Royal's original ships have actually been scrapped.  They just get sold to smaller cruise lines which want them.  Of course, the names get changed along the way (sometimes multiple times).  There's a wiki on Royal's fleet that lists the current status of all ships.
There are some VERY old ships still in service.  It's more a matter of whether any company can still operate them at profit once they've aged and need more frequent repairs.  I'm sure it will be decades before Oasis leaves Royal.

Eventually all ships will leave the fleet, even the Icon class decades from now.  It's never a matter of "if" but when.  
Radiance class still has several potential years of service for destinations best served with smaller ships.
Vision class is still around because at the moment they can operate at profit.  Royal is a business and as long as a ship is in the black why would they get rid of it?
 

Same thing happened to me... I re-entered it and they gave me the DBP for $18/day... just kidding! Too soon? ?
Seriously, yes it happened to me too this past weekend and it seems fine now.

You will have no problem finding a seat by the beach or pool. There is a ton of seating.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/04/22/spotted-stowaway-piano-player-anthem-of-the-seas
Blog post is about Anthem but same deal on Harmony, Navigator, Mariner, Symphony, etc...

I just noticed for my sailing it's usually 75.81 CAD a day and it was just posted for 23.94 a day (so we booked it). Will RC honour this if it was some sort of error on their end?  Has anyone ever encountered something like this before?

The heart of the issue:

This weather front is moving, sliding left to right and would have been on top of the airport right as we flew into the area.  As the pilot put it, no sense taking off only to be placed into a holding pattern waiting for the slow moving storm to roll through.  
fly.faa.gov conformed the pilots claims.

The result:
Status: Cancelled

While I did look to see what other airlines might offer, the reality is there was no way to reach the ship in time.

No apology needed. I'm sure you deal with this all the time and it gets very frustrating. Although I eat meat, once in awhile,  I will go "vegetarian" for a meal or two. In that case I can usually find something that I would want to eat or just head to my go to place, a great local vegetarian Indian restaurant near us. That being said, I'm sure looking at the menus you provided, I would not be happy with a weeks worth of the same choices. 
Good luck and happy cruising!

I get this statement and agree whole heartedly. I do the same. I don't mean to be combative. It seems like you are unhappy and might have been for awhile with the situation. If this is correct, why do you continue to cruise on RCCL, as you show at least 3 more RC cruises coming up? It seems like other cruise lines might be better suited for your life style. If RCCL isn't willing or able to suit your needs, then they deserve to lose you as a customer.
Have you ever tried contacting someone at RCCL either before the cruise or once on board with your concerns? You can't be alone. Just because something isn't on the menu doesn't mean they couldn't provide you with a meal that you would enjoy. 
Whatever happens, I hope you find a resolution to your liking and enjoy your upcoming cruises. 

I know! If you go west of the Hudson River in neighboring counties or states, they put yellow mustard on hamburgers... even fast food chains... yuck! 
We always have to ask first!

It's funny, when family and friends visit from out of state, they all want pizza, bagels (most actually take some back!) and a meal at a diner during their visit. They also want Carvel soft-serve ice cream if they don't have one where they live! ☺️
All pizza is good in my book... even had the real thing in Chicago a couple of times (my employer is based in Chicago). Delicious! ?

Ouch! 

And the biggest egos and opinions! ?

It's on! LOL!
We have the best pizza, bagels and diners! ?

There's also the Carnival Fantasy (and I believe Carnival has a whole class of ships named Fantasy)