Stvr California

Four negative Antigen tests means we are cleared to sail!!!!!!  
Even better news is my brand new bright blue Speedo just got dropped off by the FedEx man.  
We are beyond relieved.        About the Covid tests, not the Speedo.
One step at a time though.  We still need to get across the country via two flights.  
We did not splurge for the Hot Tub room, but in a YouTube video of the room i saw it has a big set of binoculars on the balcony😂

Four negative Antigen tests means we are cleared to sail!!!!!!  
Even better news is my brand new bright blue Speedo just got dropped off by the FedEx man.  
We are beyond relieved.        About the Covid tests, not the Speedo.
One step at a time though.  We still need to get across the country via two flights.  
We did not splurge for the Hot Tub room, but in a YouTube video of the room i saw it has a big set of binoculars on the balcony😂

Four negative Antigen tests means we are cleared to sail!!!!!!  
Even better news is my brand new bright blue Speedo just got dropped off by the FedEx man.  
We are beyond relieved.        About the Covid tests, not the Speedo.
One step at a time though.  We still need to get across the country via two flights.  
We did not splurge for the Hot Tub room, but in a YouTube video of the room i saw it has a big set of binoculars on the balcony😂

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

Four negative Antigen tests means we are cleared to sail!!!!!!  
Even better news is my brand new bright blue Speedo just got dropped off by the FedEx man.  
We are beyond relieved.        About the Covid tests, not the Speedo.
One step at a time though.  We still need to get across the country via two flights.  
We did not splurge for the Hot Tub room, but in a YouTube video of the room i saw it has a big set of binoculars on the balcony😂

Four negative Antigen tests means we are cleared to sail!!!!!!  
Even better news is my brand new bright blue Speedo just got dropped off by the FedEx man.  
We are beyond relieved.        About the Covid tests, not the Speedo.
One step at a time though.  We still need to get across the country via two flights.  
We did not splurge for the Hot Tub room, but in a YouTube video of the room i saw it has a big set of binoculars on the balcony😂

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

442 days ago, when we booked a 2-bedroom suite on the Allure of the seas for a New Year's Eve cruise it seemed a forgone conclusion the Corona virus would be in the rear-view mirror.  Our family of 4 from the central valley of California (We live near the almond farmer but don't know him) would have no worries except if we remembered to pack the sunscreen.  Enter Omicron.
Determined to feel the sweet embrace of the Caribbean Sun in January, we have decided to embrace the chaos and do what it takes to make it to the WindJemmEEEER cafe, also the Filet Mignon at Costal Kitchen on day one. 
Tomorrow morning, we get our antigen tests done to determine our Covid status and assuming we pass next we need two flight crews to transport us first from Sacramento to San Diego and then from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. 

FINAL POST RECAP!
INTRO:
Anthem is a gorgeous ship - there's class and elegance in the interior design throughout. I can't stress enough how impressed I was with the design. Two70, the Windjammer, the Via are all amazing spaces. I loved the size - it was big, but the largest single spaces I can think of are SeaPlex and the Main Theatre. Everything else is 100-200 people in capacity, so it was great to have so many individual, unique venues to go to. Even with the smaller venues, I never felt cramped, or as if something had to be scaled down to fit on the ship. Everything felt sized right. The only time I felt a little cramped was during AO pickup/drop-off, the spaces are a bit small, and the low-ish ceiling doesn't help. 
ACTIVITIES:
I had hesitations going into this cruise that we wouldn't be leaving any family activities on the table - that is to say, we're doing everything we can find that's family friendly. Reflecting back, we did everything we could, and didn't skip anything. Checking pre-COVID Cruise Compasses, there are definitely activities that are missing (Bellyflop Contest, Sexiest Man, Roller Skating, Trapeze, etc) that we would definitely take advantage of, but are COVID casualties either due to lack of staffing or COVID protocols. We sincerely hope these come back around the summertime!
I definitely wanted to do complimentary iFly, complimentary North Star, and FlowRider, and due to scheduling, never got a chance to do any of them. FlowRider's boogie-boarding was either right at AO pickup, or in the afternoon when we had the kids. I would have loved to see an early morning boogie-boarding session!
As for iFly/North Star, complimentary times were only when in port, and released at 8am each day. If you weren't on the ball at 8am, you missed out. I ended up paying for the extended experience on North Star, but was disappointed in the lack of availability. I would have loved to book this in advance, or even been put in a lottery and been told when to come back (I can plan that better with kids!)
Bumper Cars, dance classes, trivia were all a blast. I can't think of an activity that we didn't enjoy!
ADVENTURE OCEAN:
As a family with three kids under 6, we really needed Adventure Ocean to pull through, and boy did it! Each time we picked the kids up, they didn't want to leave, and were eager to go back every time. Mad props to all the counselors and staff, they really do an amazing job! We're looking forward to the amplified AO on Oasis!
STATEROOM:
We did two connecting interior staterooms, and it was fantastic. Our nanny and youngest were in one room, and myself, the wife, and two oldest in the second room. Plenty of storage to go around (even some unused). We're tempted to try a Family Stateroom on Oasis, but are concerned about storage and a single bathroom. Our stateroom attendant (Raj) was personable, helpful, and fantastic at his job. 
DINING:
Windjammer was great for breakfast and lunch, nothing remarkable. It was occasionally hard to find seating, but not impossible.
On our previous cruise on the Grandeur, we had a fantastic MDR experience, so we weren't really interested in specialty dining. 
Main Dining had hits and misses this cruise - the hits were high (french onion soup, baked cod, lamb shank, short ribs, apple blossom dessert, cheesecake), the lows were low (multiple over-cooked steaks, the garlic tiger prawns were bland and mealy).  Overall a positive food experience in MDR. Our middle child got mac & cheese and a banana split every night and didn't have a care in the world! Our oldest was the adventurous one, switching between adult and kids menus each night. 
The MDR staff was the best part of this entire trip. Our waiter Jodie connected with my wife instantly, and together they ran our table like a swiss watch. Jodie would effortlessly switch between assertive (clearing plates, resetting place settings, keeping time ensure we could make a show), and deferential. She was always level-headed, a calm, quiet voice with a smile behind the mask. For one week she made dinner with three kids so painless. Her assistant waiter, Demis, was interacted with the kids every night, being the bearer of strawberries for each kid, and checking in with each one multiple times throughout the night. As parents, we finally felt like we could relax and enjoy dinner every night. 
Due to the hit-and-miss of the MDR menu, halfway through the cruise I asked the wife if she'd be open to specialty dining, and she said yes. When I told her about the UDP and the price I found it for, she was sold instantly. Looks like UDP is in our future 🙂
Chef's Table, as always, was impeccable. 
SHOWS:
The two oldest loved all of the shows - the youngest was hit-and-miss, usually depending on the showtime as we got closer to bedtime. "Frankie and the Dreamers" was good. I really enjoyed "Spectra's Cabaret". We didn't care for "We Will Rock You". We didn't see any of the late night shows.
Really looking forward the ice show and Aqua 80s on Oasis. 
POOLS:
The water was a LITTLE on the cold side all around, but the kids didn't mind. Our oldest won't stop talking about the "tornado" pool being her favorite (the mini lazy river). The wave pool for the kids doesn't really have any waves unless the ship is rocking, otherwise it's just a big wading pool. The "swim diaper area" is really too small and not stimulating enough for our 2-year-old, and that's the only pool he's allowed in. This was one of my wife's greatest complaints: How do we keep the family together when this is the ONLY pool our youngest is allowed to play in? All of the pools and hot tubs were great, and the kids loved them.
We spent minimal time in the solarium, mostly because it was had a heavy chorine smell, and was crowded almost all of the time. We almost always found an open hot tub by the outdoor pool
TIPS FOR NEXT TIME:
Leave the Yeti tumblers at home - you brought them to keep the drinks cold, but in reality you're finishing the drink before the ice melts 😄 Magnet hooks are KING! The wife got a 6-pack of 25lb magnets, and I got a 10-pack of 100lb magnets. We used them CONSTANTLY - hanging up clothes for the next day, hanging bathing suits in the bathroom to try.  I brought two wall-hanging shoe organizers, and they worked great to keep little stuff off the floor and desk: hairbands, hair brush, Kindle, phones, chargers, all the kids shoes/flip-flops, jewelry. We just hung it with the 100lb magnet hooks. Keep using the duffels for packing - when empty, they nest into each other and disappear under the bed. Use the biggest one for dirty laundry throughout the week.  Pack more underwear. Seriously, like double it.  Don't go hard on the drink package on Day 1. Trying to sleep while your body is adjusting to the rocking of the ship AND metabolizing alcohol just doesn't mix.  Downloading MANY of Daniel Tiger and Sesame Street onto the iPad got you through several mornings and naptimes. Download more episodes than you think you'll need.  The internet package was a savior at dinner when the youngest wouldn't sit still. Definitely doing Surf & Stream again.  Surf & Stream for one device was plenty for us - we just shuffled around and "took over/kicked off" the last device.  Thanks for reading! 
 

Neither. They have some flown in fresh every morning, direct from Maine. They'll keep in a cooler for several days if they don't sell as many as expected each night.

Last year we ate at the Mosquito Cafe on 14th.  I recommend the Shrimp and Grits. What a beautiful city! 

Funny end note to this thread.  Look what I randomly found at a second hand store for $5. 

Funny end note to this thread.  Look what I randomly found at a second hand store for $5. 

Thanks to all who replied.  Viking Serenade is probably the ship.  

Are you thinking of the SS Azure Seas?  That was our first ever cruise...Out of Cali.  Here is an old link to some discussion on it.  
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/177415-ss-azure-seas/
 

I did an Ensenada run in the mid-90s on Viking Serenade. Is that what you're thinking of?

Ditto on Viking Serenade from LA during that time frame. Have also Vision on the left coast but I think that was from San Diego
Hagar (the very) Horrible?

Our last cruise was Feb 7 when we took my MIL on her first cruise for her birthday.  She had a couple hard years (FIL passed away, couldn't get her house sold, moving), and we really wanted this trip to be special for her. The crew really went above and beyond to make her birthday special, but my favorite memory is of her and the kids playing in the pool at Paradise Beach in Cozumel

 
On second thought, it may be when the kids and I went to the bird aviary in Costa Maya, and came back to DH and my MIL waiting for us at Cantina Latina.