Lryoon
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Posts posted by Lryoon
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6 hours ago, betatke1480 said:
So now that I'm back home and had some time to reflect, wanted to recap the cruise and the last day.
For debarkation, we had to have our bags ready by 7am for the porter to come get them from the room. We would not be leaving the ship until 9, so this was annoying to have to get up early, especially since on Anthem they came and got us and the bags at the same time. I have a feeling this is a Port Miami issue though.
We did have breakfast delivered to our room in the morning, and then we met Smitha on the Promenade to have her walk us off the ship. Unfortunately, Port Miami does not allow the Genies onto the lower level, so she took us to the elevator and we said our goodbyes. She apologized that she couldn't take us farther, as she knows other Ports the Genies can escort all the way to the CBP line. Getting through customs was easy with Facial Recognition, although I am slightly concerned of where this information comes from, but that's a conspiracy theory for another day. Once outside, it was an absolute nightmare trying to get transportation. RC offered an airport transfer to FLL for $30pp, and in hindsight I wish we would have taken it as we got hit with surge pricing on Uber. I tried Lyft as it would have been 1/3 the price, but we had 5 people, and the "XL" vehicles they kept trying to send us were far from XL. Eventually we got a ride and made it to the airport safe and sound.
Now for the recap:
As Abby and I were breaking this cruise down, we're not sure how to feel about it. Overall, this experience was probably a 7 out of 10. The problem is that we are used to RC cruises being a 7 on the low point with spikes of 10+. So this was a "good" cruise, but not "great". Even our non-SC cruises always have multiple memorable "wow" moments or crew members, but this was just kind of flat across the board.
Our last two cruises have been group cruises, so perhaps that's tainted our thoughts a little. Plus this one we had the in-laws, so that added some stress. And there was nothing overall negative on this cruise, just not the large number of WOW moments.
Kids:
AO Staff was amazing, and there was never a long line to drop off or pickup. Virginia really liked the new AO layout. She also loved the new Splashaway Bay. She was really bummed she couldn't do the big water slides. She missed that they didn't have Pajama night on the last night. We also missed the "talent show" that they used to do on Oasis. She had a great experience with the Ice Show.
Entertainment:
We did not do the headliner show, comedy, or Cats. The main production show was pretty good. The dancing and acrobatics were better than the singing. The Ice Show is always amazing, and Virginia had a great time riding in the Swan. Aqua80 is also fantastic. That was the main reason we booked the ATS room because Virginia loved it and we wanted to watch it several times. I think we saw it 5 times, and it was great each time. The other musicians around the ship were fine, nothing spectacular. The cruise director was fine, nothing great or terrible, which is how I like my CD.
Food:
Room service was hit or miss. A lot of errors or delays. Smitha told us she'd had several issues and asked that we mention them so that perhaps they would be taken more seriously. Giovanni's took forever, almost 2 hours. 150CP was excellent as always. I was surprised at the lack of options in the WJ. There were half as many stations available as what we just had on Freedom, and the only thing I can think is that they make it smaller since there are so many other options to eat. Playmakers was good, and never appeared super crowded, showing the difference in demographic. The buffalo chicken crunch roll was my favorite item eaten on this cruise, it was fantastic. The campfire cookie is also very good. El Loco Fresh was also fantastic. The guac is really good. We never made it there for breakfast, and I wish we would have. Izumi is always good, and we had a great experience on both the Sushi side and Hibachi. Johnny Rockets was good as usual. Portside is also a good addition. The turkey leg was my favorite item, and the wings would be better without so much sauce. The mac and cheese could use help, but the beans and cornbread were great. Also, FRESH ICED TEA!!!!!
Genie:
Smitha was super friendly and personable, and got more so as the week went on. We finally started seeing some of her personality on day 6 and wish we would have seen it earlier in the cruise. I do feel like the experience was more of a "personal concierge" than a Genie though. There wasn't the WOW experience, but I feel like that was more a factor of how much physical ground they have to cover. I also believe she had some other difficult families. While I can understand this, from a selfish perspective, that shouldn't detract from my experience. I feel like she was hindered by RC policy and decisions. I can't imagine having to cover rooms so far from each other. It did confirm that we had such a great experience with Shane on Anthem.
Room:
We love the room for being able to watch Aqua80 all the time. We also loved that Virginia had her own room. However, it definitely felt dated and not as high-end as the loft on Anthem. It felt more like a large "standard" room. Maybe the loft allows for more special feeling, but we are looking forward to the UPS on Oasis in a couple of years. The fact that my head hit the ceiling in the shower was disappointing, and the bathrooms didn't have the large, opulent feel of those on Anthem.
Crew:
All of the crew were friendly, but there were no rock stars like we've had on every other cruise. Our stateroom attendant was very nice, but you can tell the difference between loft attendants and standard attendants. The manager in Portside was excellent.
Overall:
We had a good cruise, it was definitely relaxing and enjoyable, we just miss those super memorable moments. Our cabin attendant making a towel animal with Virginia was super heartwarming, but that was about the only standout moment. I love this itinerary with only 3 ports, but I'll be glad to not do it for a while. Falmouth seems like a waste, and we were pretty bummed with El Cozumeleno.
Now we are looking forward to Ovation in June with a bunch of cruise friends. We missed all of you on this cruise!
Thanks for following along, I hope everyone enjoyed.
All of the things you mention on your recap makes me nervous for my sc I booked for november. Our experience on anthem was good and most of it because our genie was very present and visible with us and most downfalls happened when she wasnt around. She truly made the experience for us.
I'm really hoping things change and get better because if we dont have a spotless trip it might be hard to convince hubby
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On 2/11/2020 at 4:23 PM, Lovetocruise2002 said:
Haha. I have a theory on that one. Ask me in November over some Patron shots and I will share.
Who do you have??? Curious mind want to know lol
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2 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:
I thank and blame @WAAAYTOOO for this! LOL! All I could hear was her telling me, "DO NOT SURRENDER THOSE BAGS!" I probably looked and sounded crazy last year. I feel better about next month at Terminal A because I know my way around the suite boarding already from last July.
@Pookie It looks like your cruise is off to a great start! I love those tumblers with the anchor on them! Maybe you can drop a hint to Izzy that I love them.
What's the significance of the book (50 States 5000 Ideas) on the stand by the mirror? Was the from something that you noted on your survey?
I feel like I'm the one that's going to be fighting off the porters while I wrangle 2 kids when I go because well my husband is too nice though i did threaten him that if he let our bags go to anyone aside a star porter hed end up with a VERY angry wife lol
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2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:
Nothing wrong with the tower. It’s just a LOT of food.
Haha ok. I was thinking something went wrong lol
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9 hours ago, Karannk said:
I really like her. I feel that the formality that some folks mention is just mistaken professionalism. She will do what you ask, but seems reluctant to outright state her personal opinion - in favor of guest preferences. If you listen closely to her, she is spot on. So, we’ve been following her recommendations and having a great time. She’s really taken excellent care of us. It’s our first time in SC, so I wouldn’t know if it’s supposed to be any different than what we’ve experienced. But I also can’t imagine what else she could be doing.
Thank you! This is super helpful!
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2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:
Wow, you are brave, indeed. One round with the Seafood tower ended with "never again".....for us.
Here's hoping your food is warm and the balcony is cool.
What was wrong with the tower? Just want to know as we were thinking ordering chops to our room one night
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2 hours ago, Karannk said:
A few more things about Day 2
Our room steward is really on it with the laundry! We brought a collapsible hamper and set it up under the stairs on the first floor of our suite. This hamper was emptied THREE times yesterday. The clothes taken in the morning were returned right before dinner.
We saw the Gift last night. Yen had reserved our seats in the first row of the upper section. Not sure how else to describe the seating. It was a nice unobstructed view. And there is a “snack ledge” to rest your popcorn and drinks! They had to stop the show twice due to technical difficulties. Something went wrong with the harness. The storyline is loose, but it was visually appealing.
Today is Day 3: North Star, iFly, sushi class, and Wonderland dinner are planned.
How do you like yen?? I keep reading shes literally and wont anticipate and go.above and beyond. We have her in a few weeka
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@WAAAYTOOO did you find that Yen was good at thinking out of the box and being creative? Basically going above and beyond what you ask. I've seen a lot that she is very literal so she does everything you ask for efficiently and shes super sweet but I haven't seen much on her going above an beyond
Anthem of the Seas 3/8/20 – 3/15/20 - Star Class Cruise
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Just read your blog and i miss tgis so much. Cant agree more Yen was amazing on the Anthem and how great she is!! I cant wait to read your next blog whenever that may be!