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BigBrust

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  1. Like
    BigBrust reacted to JLMoran in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Huh, usually that only happens when I'm on board and step up to the table. Right up until then it's on fire.
    I must have left some residual bad juju after my last visit. Sorry about that.
  2. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from Cez in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Just got off the Anthem of the Seas from our 11/2-11/9 trip for my daughter's Sweet 16 and our 20th Anniversary cruise.  It was a great cruise, lots of fun, and a lot to discuss.  i will start from the beginning.
    Embarkation Day- EASIEST embarkation we have had in 16 cruises.  We got to the port around 10:00 am.  By the time we got our bags out of the car, we were in the terminal at 10:15.  We got right up to an agent who checked our set sail passes and passports.  They had to retake my wife's picture, as well as my daughter's friends picture.  The whole process took about 5 minutes.  We were ushered to a seating area and told boarding would begin between 11-11:30.  At 10:35, they made an announcement that boarding will begin, and we were on the ship by 11am.  I went right to customer service to get an extra key made for our room and my daughter's room.  That took about 5 minutes.  I met the other 3 up in the Windjammer for lunch, and then we went off to explore the ship.  It is HUGE!  Well laid out and easy to navigate though.  Our luggage was at our room at 1pm, so we went an unpacked and got ready for the Muster station meetings at 2:30.  Our room, 11586, was a great room and great location mid ship.  Our group met at Chops Steakhouse.  The muster drill took all of about 20 minutes, very easy.  We then went and booked the IFly for Friday afternoon.  We took a nap and woke up in time to get ready for our 8pm dinner in Chic.  We did classic dining time so that the 4 of us could have a meeting place every night and sit and enjoy dinner together.  
    Sea Day-  Our day at sea started out uneventful- the weather was starting to warm up as we got down toward the Carolina's.  Then, we had to make a U-Turn for a Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation.  We went an hour and half northwest toward shore to meet up with the helicopter.  Apparently, someone fell from the 16th floor of the seaplex to the 15th floor and was in critical condition.  The captain was pushing 25 knots, and the boat was rocking.  The whole process took a couple of hours, but the rescue was successful.  We started back south toward Port Canaveral and all was well.  We enjoyed the day by the pool, walked through the promenade shops, etc.  The kids spent most of the day at the teen club and wandering around the ship.  
    I will continue later or tomorrow when I get more time!
  3. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from JLMoran in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Last 2 sea days- The first sea day back was beautiful- we laid out by the pool for most of the day.  Last sea day was cold and the water was a bit rough- it doesn't bother me at all, but the girls all took motion sickness meds and were fine.  We had another medical emergency the last night around 11pm.  They needed someone with type O- blood with a donor card to go to guest services immediately.  Not sure what happened that someone needed a blood transfusion at sea, but I am guessing thats what was happening.
    Debarkation- again, the fastest debarkation from a ship we have ever had.  We met for breakfast at 7, and were off the ship by 8.  No lines in the customs area at all.  I was home by 9:30.
    I will review the food, casino, and other services next
  4. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from JLMoran in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Food- I found the food to be good.  The windjammer got a little stale for breakfast by the 7th day, but that is to be expected.  The fresh squeezed OJ was great!  We ate lunch in the windjammer most days, except the last sea day we ate in the main dining room (American icon) and found the menu to be a nice change from the windjammer.  They also had a smaller buffet set up in the MDR at lunch.  MDR for dinner was great.  They had the staples of chicken, steak, etc every night, accompanied by a few different items every night.  The turkey dinner was very good, as was the prime rib.  the lobster was ok, not sure why people go ga ga over small lobster tails that are generally overcooked.  Our server, Lina was awesome!  Always gave us hints about the menu and the fish of the day.  The girls liked plain dinner rolls, so Lina always had a plate of rolls for them to start dinner.  My wife got a cheese plate before dinner every night after she ordered one the first night.  These are the touches I like about traditional dining times
  5. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from KristiZ in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Food- I found the food to be good.  The windjammer got a little stale for breakfast by the 7th day, but that is to be expected.  The fresh squeezed OJ was great!  We ate lunch in the windjammer most days, except the last sea day we ate in the main dining room (American icon) and found the menu to be a nice change from the windjammer.  They also had a smaller buffet set up in the MDR at lunch.  MDR for dinner was great.  They had the staples of chicken, steak, etc every night, accompanied by a few different items every night.  The turkey dinner was very good, as was the prime rib.  the lobster was ok, not sure why people go ga ga over small lobster tails that are generally overcooked.  Our server, Lina was awesome!  Always gave us hints about the menu and the fish of the day.  The girls liked plain dinner rolls, so Lina always had a plate of rolls for them to start dinner.  My wife got a cheese plate before dinner every night after she ordered one the first night.  These are the touches I like about traditional dining times
  6. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from JLMoran in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Just got off the Anthem of the Seas from our 11/2-11/9 trip for my daughter's Sweet 16 and our 20th Anniversary cruise.  It was a great cruise, lots of fun, and a lot to discuss.  i will start from the beginning.
    Embarkation Day- EASIEST embarkation we have had in 16 cruises.  We got to the port around 10:00 am.  By the time we got our bags out of the car, we were in the terminal at 10:15.  We got right up to an agent who checked our set sail passes and passports.  They had to retake my wife's picture, as well as my daughter's friends picture.  The whole process took about 5 minutes.  We were ushered to a seating area and told boarding would begin between 11-11:30.  At 10:35, they made an announcement that boarding will begin, and we were on the ship by 11am.  I went right to customer service to get an extra key made for our room and my daughter's room.  That took about 5 minutes.  I met the other 3 up in the Windjammer for lunch, and then we went off to explore the ship.  It is HUGE!  Well laid out and easy to navigate though.  Our luggage was at our room at 1pm, so we went an unpacked and got ready for the Muster station meetings at 2:30.  Our room, 11586, was a great room and great location mid ship.  Our group met at Chops Steakhouse.  The muster drill took all of about 20 minutes, very easy.  We then went and booked the IFly for Friday afternoon.  We took a nap and woke up in time to get ready for our 8pm dinner in Chic.  We did classic dining time so that the 4 of us could have a meeting place every night and sit and enjoy dinner together.  
    Sea Day-  Our day at sea started out uneventful- the weather was starting to warm up as we got down toward the Carolina's.  Then, we had to make a U-Turn for a Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation.  We went an hour and half northwest toward shore to meet up with the helicopter.  Apparently, someone fell from the 16th floor of the seaplex to the 15th floor and was in critical condition.  The captain was pushing 25 knots, and the boat was rocking.  The whole process took a couple of hours, but the rescue was successful.  We started back south toward Port Canaveral and all was well.  We enjoyed the day by the pool, walked through the promenade shops, etc.  The kids spent most of the day at the teen club and wandering around the ship.  
    I will continue later or tomorrow when I get more time!
  7. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from GeorgiaGirl85 in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Just got off the Anthem of the Seas from our 11/2-11/9 trip for my daughter's Sweet 16 and our 20th Anniversary cruise.  It was a great cruise, lots of fun, and a lot to discuss.  i will start from the beginning.
    Embarkation Day- EASIEST embarkation we have had in 16 cruises.  We got to the port around 10:00 am.  By the time we got our bags out of the car, we were in the terminal at 10:15.  We got right up to an agent who checked our set sail passes and passports.  They had to retake my wife's picture, as well as my daughter's friends picture.  The whole process took about 5 minutes.  We were ushered to a seating area and told boarding would begin between 11-11:30.  At 10:35, they made an announcement that boarding will begin, and we were on the ship by 11am.  I went right to customer service to get an extra key made for our room and my daughter's room.  That took about 5 minutes.  I met the other 3 up in the Windjammer for lunch, and then we went off to explore the ship.  It is HUGE!  Well laid out and easy to navigate though.  Our luggage was at our room at 1pm, so we went an unpacked and got ready for the Muster station meetings at 2:30.  Our room, 11586, was a great room and great location mid ship.  Our group met at Chops Steakhouse.  The muster drill took all of about 20 minutes, very easy.  We then went and booked the IFly for Friday afternoon.  We took a nap and woke up in time to get ready for our 8pm dinner in Chic.  We did classic dining time so that the 4 of us could have a meeting place every night and sit and enjoy dinner together.  
    Sea Day-  Our day at sea started out uneventful- the weather was starting to warm up as we got down toward the Carolina's.  Then, we had to make a U-Turn for a Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation.  We went an hour and half northwest toward shore to meet up with the helicopter.  Apparently, someone fell from the 16th floor of the seaplex to the 15th floor and was in critical condition.  The captain was pushing 25 knots, and the boat was rocking.  The whole process took a couple of hours, but the rescue was successful.  We started back south toward Port Canaveral and all was well.  We enjoyed the day by the pool, walked through the promenade shops, etc.  The kids spent most of the day at the teen club and wandering around the ship.  
    I will continue later or tomorrow when I get more time!
  8. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from CarlaB in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Just got off the Anthem of the Seas from our 11/2-11/9 trip for my daughter's Sweet 16 and our 20th Anniversary cruise.  It was a great cruise, lots of fun, and a lot to discuss.  i will start from the beginning.
    Embarkation Day- EASIEST embarkation we have had in 16 cruises.  We got to the port around 10:00 am.  By the time we got our bags out of the car, we were in the terminal at 10:15.  We got right up to an agent who checked our set sail passes and passports.  They had to retake my wife's picture, as well as my daughter's friends picture.  The whole process took about 5 minutes.  We were ushered to a seating area and told boarding would begin between 11-11:30.  At 10:35, they made an announcement that boarding will begin, and we were on the ship by 11am.  I went right to customer service to get an extra key made for our room and my daughter's room.  That took about 5 minutes.  I met the other 3 up in the Windjammer for lunch, and then we went off to explore the ship.  It is HUGE!  Well laid out and easy to navigate though.  Our luggage was at our room at 1pm, so we went an unpacked and got ready for the Muster station meetings at 2:30.  Our room, 11586, was a great room and great location mid ship.  Our group met at Chops Steakhouse.  The muster drill took all of about 20 minutes, very easy.  We then went and booked the IFly for Friday afternoon.  We took a nap and woke up in time to get ready for our 8pm dinner in Chic.  We did classic dining time so that the 4 of us could have a meeting place every night and sit and enjoy dinner together.  
    Sea Day-  Our day at sea started out uneventful- the weather was starting to warm up as we got down toward the Carolina's.  Then, we had to make a U-Turn for a Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation.  We went an hour and half northwest toward shore to meet up with the helicopter.  Apparently, someone fell from the 16th floor of the seaplex to the 15th floor and was in critical condition.  The captain was pushing 25 knots, and the boat was rocking.  The whole process took a couple of hours, but the rescue was successful.  We started back south toward Port Canaveral and all was well.  We enjoyed the day by the pool, walked through the promenade shops, etc.  The kids spent most of the day at the teen club and wandering around the ship.  
    I will continue later or tomorrow when I get more time!
  9. Love
    BigBrust got a reaction from WAAAYTOOO in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Just got off the Anthem of the Seas from our 11/2-11/9 trip for my daughter's Sweet 16 and our 20th Anniversary cruise.  It was a great cruise, lots of fun, and a lot to discuss.  i will start from the beginning.
    Embarkation Day- EASIEST embarkation we have had in 16 cruises.  We got to the port around 10:00 am.  By the time we got our bags out of the car, we were in the terminal at 10:15.  We got right up to an agent who checked our set sail passes and passports.  They had to retake my wife's picture, as well as my daughter's friends picture.  The whole process took about 5 minutes.  We were ushered to a seating area and told boarding would begin between 11-11:30.  At 10:35, they made an announcement that boarding will begin, and we were on the ship by 11am.  I went right to customer service to get an extra key made for our room and my daughter's room.  That took about 5 minutes.  I met the other 3 up in the Windjammer for lunch, and then we went off to explore the ship.  It is HUGE!  Well laid out and easy to navigate though.  Our luggage was at our room at 1pm, so we went an unpacked and got ready for the Muster station meetings at 2:30.  Our room, 11586, was a great room and great location mid ship.  Our group met at Chops Steakhouse.  The muster drill took all of about 20 minutes, very easy.  We then went and booked the IFly for Friday afternoon.  We took a nap and woke up in time to get ready for our 8pm dinner in Chic.  We did classic dining time so that the 4 of us could have a meeting place every night and sit and enjoy dinner together.  
    Sea Day-  Our day at sea started out uneventful- the weather was starting to warm up as we got down toward the Carolina's.  Then, we had to make a U-Turn for a Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation.  We went an hour and half northwest toward shore to meet up with the helicopter.  Apparently, someone fell from the 16th floor of the seaplex to the 15th floor and was in critical condition.  The captain was pushing 25 knots, and the boat was rocking.  The whole process took a couple of hours, but the rescue was successful.  We started back south toward Port Canaveral and all was well.  We enjoyed the day by the pool, walked through the promenade shops, etc.  The kids spent most of the day at the teen club and wandering around the ship.  
    I will continue later or tomorrow when I get more time!
  10. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from Neesa in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Just got off the Anthem of the Seas from our 11/2-11/9 trip for my daughter's Sweet 16 and our 20th Anniversary cruise.  It was a great cruise, lots of fun, and a lot to discuss.  i will start from the beginning.
    Embarkation Day- EASIEST embarkation we have had in 16 cruises.  We got to the port around 10:00 am.  By the time we got our bags out of the car, we were in the terminal at 10:15.  We got right up to an agent who checked our set sail passes and passports.  They had to retake my wife's picture, as well as my daughter's friends picture.  The whole process took about 5 minutes.  We were ushered to a seating area and told boarding would begin between 11-11:30.  At 10:35, they made an announcement that boarding will begin, and we were on the ship by 11am.  I went right to customer service to get an extra key made for our room and my daughter's room.  That took about 5 minutes.  I met the other 3 up in the Windjammer for lunch, and then we went off to explore the ship.  It is HUGE!  Well laid out and easy to navigate though.  Our luggage was at our room at 1pm, so we went an unpacked and got ready for the Muster station meetings at 2:30.  Our room, 11586, was a great room and great location mid ship.  Our group met at Chops Steakhouse.  The muster drill took all of about 20 minutes, very easy.  We then went and booked the IFly for Friday afternoon.  We took a nap and woke up in time to get ready for our 8pm dinner in Chic.  We did classic dining time so that the 4 of us could have a meeting place every night and sit and enjoy dinner together.  
    Sea Day-  Our day at sea started out uneventful- the weather was starting to warm up as we got down toward the Carolina's.  Then, we had to make a U-Turn for a Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation.  We went an hour and half northwest toward shore to meet up with the helicopter.  Apparently, someone fell from the 16th floor of the seaplex to the 15th floor and was in critical condition.  The captain was pushing 25 knots, and the boat was rocking.  The whole process took a couple of hours, but the rescue was successful.  We started back south toward Port Canaveral and all was well.  We enjoyed the day by the pool, walked through the promenade shops, etc.  The kids spent most of the day at the teen club and wandering around the ship.  
    I will continue later or tomorrow when I get more time!
  11. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from Va4fam in Anthem Bahamas Review   
    Just got off the Anthem of the Seas from our 11/2-11/9 trip for my daughter's Sweet 16 and our 20th Anniversary cruise.  It was a great cruise, lots of fun, and a lot to discuss.  i will start from the beginning.
    Embarkation Day- EASIEST embarkation we have had in 16 cruises.  We got to the port around 10:00 am.  By the time we got our bags out of the car, we were in the terminal at 10:15.  We got right up to an agent who checked our set sail passes and passports.  They had to retake my wife's picture, as well as my daughter's friends picture.  The whole process took about 5 minutes.  We were ushered to a seating area and told boarding would begin between 11-11:30.  At 10:35, they made an announcement that boarding will begin, and we were on the ship by 11am.  I went right to customer service to get an extra key made for our room and my daughter's room.  That took about 5 minutes.  I met the other 3 up in the Windjammer for lunch, and then we went off to explore the ship.  It is HUGE!  Well laid out and easy to navigate though.  Our luggage was at our room at 1pm, so we went an unpacked and got ready for the Muster station meetings at 2:30.  Our room, 11586, was a great room and great location mid ship.  Our group met at Chops Steakhouse.  The muster drill took all of about 20 minutes, very easy.  We then went and booked the IFly for Friday afternoon.  We took a nap and woke up in time to get ready for our 8pm dinner in Chic.  We did classic dining time so that the 4 of us could have a meeting place every night and sit and enjoy dinner together.  
    Sea Day-  Our day at sea started out uneventful- the weather was starting to warm up as we got down toward the Carolina's.  Then, we had to make a U-Turn for a Coast Guard Helicopter evacuation.  We went an hour and half northwest toward shore to meet up with the helicopter.  Apparently, someone fell from the 16th floor of the seaplex to the 15th floor and was in critical condition.  The captain was pushing 25 knots, and the boat was rocking.  The whole process took a couple of hours, but the rescue was successful.  We started back south toward Port Canaveral and all was well.  We enjoyed the day by the pool, walked through the promenade shops, etc.  The kids spent most of the day at the teen club and wandering around the ship.  
    I will continue later or tomorrow when I get more time!
  12. Like
    BigBrust reacted to FionaMG in cash account   
    Yes that's right. They actually shut down your seapass card when you reach the limit so you literally can't spend another dime after that! It's worth keeping tabs on your spending either by using the interactive TV in your stateroom or on the app, if the ship you are sailing on has it. That way, when you see you're getting close to the limit, you can pick a time to go to Guest Services that's not so busy, rather than waiting till the very last moment and perhaps encountering a long line.
    Also, expect to receive almost daily printed reminders in your stateroom and messages on your interactive TV, but you can basically ignore them. 
  13. Like
    BigBrust reacted to FionaMG in cash account   
    I don't know the answer to your specific question,  but if it's any help you don't actually have to deposit anything at check-in. You get $300 credit on cash accounts on short cruises and $500 on cruises of 7 or more nights before you have to pay anything. Payments on board would be made at Guest Services.
  14. Like
    BigBrust reacted to Flacruiser99 in GTY Assigned today   
    The connecting room is not a Issue on Anthem as the door is in the hall as you walk in.
  15. Like
    BigBrust reacted to Hagar in GTY Assigned today   
    586 does show a connecting room which can be an issue for some.
    The obstruction up on 11 is just the jigsaw pattern of the ships design which means you don't have a complete 180 degree panorama. Still a nice location though so hope you enjoy this nice ship. 
  16. Like
    BigBrust reacted to JLMoran in Changing to Pre-Paid gratuities   
    Nope, all of my cruises thus far have been with Royal. And each time, my TA assured me that I could pre-pay gratuities right up until 3 days before embarkation (basically the same day that Cruise Planner purchases get shut off). This was especially useful last year, when Royal was raising gratuities for bookings made after Jan 1, 2018, as it let me stay grandfathered in while scheduling the payment of those gratuities until the cruise was paid off and I could slot that in with my desired monthly hit to my credit card.
  17. Like
    BigBrust reacted to SPS in Changing to Pre-Paid gratuities   
    You'll have to call Royal Caribbean. They will gladly add them to your reservation.
    You'll then be sent an updated reservation showing them added.
  18. Like
    BigBrust reacted to Bakerette in Changing to Pre-Paid gratuities   
    I did the exact same thing as you did when I booked my first 3 cruise I selected not to pre-pay gratuities & then several months later I’ve decide to pre-pay gratuities so I tried to add the gratuities to the reservation myself but I did not see the option to add pre-paid gravities online so I had to call RC and give them my reservation # & told them that I would like to pre-pay gratuities.
    The only way to pre-pay gratuities after you have put a deposit down is to call RC & provide them with your reservation # & tell them that you would like to pre-pay the gratuities. 
  19. Like
    BigBrust reacted to JLMoran in Changing to Pre-Paid gratuities   
    If you use a travel agent, don't call Royal. Call your TA and let them know you want to pre-pay the gratuities. They'll process the reservation update and get the charge applied to your card.
    I've done this on every cruise I've booked with my TA, knowing full well I plan to pre-pay after I've passed final payment and hit a new billing cycle on the card. At that point it's just one extra monthly payment in the series I've been making since booking.
  20. Like
    BigBrust reacted to ChessE4 in Changing to Pre-Paid gratuities   
    And to followup on @JLMoran , if you purchase travel insurance initially (without prepaid gratuities), you won't raise your premiums unnecessarily.  Then when you do pre-pay gratuities, they aren't insured, but they won't need to be.  Have a great trip...
  21. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from SteveinSC in Cabin Assignment   
    Well the cruise is for my daughter’s sweet 16- she chose a cruise with a friend over a party- don’t blame her. I figured since we had to get 2 cabins I’d save a few bucks booking a gty balcony for both rooms. I honestly don’t care where we end up- I know it will be a balcony and I will be on vacation! 
  22. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from SteveinSC in Cabin Assignment   
    RobandAnna- I was also offered a Royal Up this week. I also thought it was a bit strange as well since I haven’t been assigned a cabin yet. Figured I would take my chances with what they give me and go from there. 
  23. Like
    BigBrust reacted to teddy in Cabin Assignment   
    We booked a GTY for the October 10th sailing on Vision.

    Our eDocs say Deck 7, but we have no room assignment.  Last week we received a Royal Up email....which we deleted. ?  We could have bid as low as $20 pp for an upgrade but we decided not to.  
     
    I don't expect to find out our room until we arrive at the port.  My wife thinks we'll know sooner.  Either way we don't care cause we will be on vacation.
  24. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from teddy in Cabin Assignment   
    Well the cruise is for my daughter’s sweet 16- she chose a cruise with a friend over a party- don’t blame her. I figured since we had to get 2 cabins I’d save a few bucks booking a gty balcony for both rooms. I honestly don’t care where we end up- I know it will be a balcony and I will be on vacation! 
  25. Like
    BigBrust got a reaction from Leafywing in Extra key card for cabin   
    I am in the same exact situation- interested to see what the responses are.
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