silenttuba

I just got back from a 7 day Bahamas cruise. We stayed on the ship for the most part during our port day in Port Canaveral, and had a half day excursion in Nassau, so spent a large part of the day on the ship that day, too. I don't really think there were activities that were unavailable, but there were less things being offered during the day (like trivia, game shows, etc). Pretty much everything else was open, and the port days were the only times when things like iFly and the NorthStar had complimentary sessions you could book.

The lamb tagine duo from the Solarium Bistro was definitely the best thing I had on my cruise last week. Absolutely delicious!

Had this on the first night on Anthem last week, and again with lunch in the MDR on the last night. So good!

Just got off Anthem. Last night we had dinner in the Windjammer for Indian night. The butter chicken was probably my favorite thing in the WJ all week!

I’m currently on Anthem of the Seas getting ready to head to dinner (8:00 PM seating time). It is just my wife and I, and we have been taking about an hour each night for dinner. And, I should add, my wife is a notoriously slow eater. Looking forward to lobster tails tonight!

Checking the weather for my cruise next week on Anthem, and it looks like there's gonna be some relatively strong wind the day we're at CocoCay, in the 15-20mph range. I know this was a bigger problem before they built the dock, but is there a chance that kind of wind will put the port stop in jeopardy? I'm hoping it won't, because that's the thing I'm most looking forward to!

Not particularly happy about this, but c’est la vie. Just gotta be sure to use hand sanitizer before getting food, and again before eating it.

I'm doing that same basic itinerary next weekend. From what I understand the stop on PC is more about taking on provisions (both for the ship and for CocoCay) than anything else.

Actually, looks like we’ll be at Terminal 1; Anthem is the only ship in port on April 12. https://www.portcanaveral.com/getattachment/Cruise/Cruise-Lines-Schedules/CPA-Website-Schedule-Apr-Jun.pdf.aspx?lang=en-US

Thanks for clarifying…looks like we’ll be docking on the other side of the port then. Still should be a short ride from there to the restaurants in the vicinity of terminal 1, right?

This comment just made me think of something, and I don't want to start a whole new threat to ask.... does anyone know what sweeteners are generally available on board? We prefer to use Splenda, and am just now wondering if I should bring some with us.

Hi all, Getting very excited for our Anthem of the Seas adventure in a few weeks! Initially was thinking we'd probably stay on the ship in Port Canaveral, but now it looks like we may be able to have an early dinner with some friends who live in the area that we haven't seen for a while, which is exciting! I want to stay close to the ship, as we won't have much time (dinner presumably at 5 or 6, with all aboard at 8:30). So while looking at the port on Google Maps, I see that there are several restaurants in the immediate area, even within walking distance, which would be great. My question is, any idea which terminal Anthem will be docking at when we visit Port Canaveral? If it's Terminal 1, we're in great shape. If not, I may have to coordinate with our friends, or figure out a cab to get us to where we need to go. Hoping we can make this work; I have a nagging paranoia about missing the ship!

Will be on Anthem in two weeks, in regular people class. Looking forward to reading about your experience!

We’re sailing on Anthem in two weeks, and we have opted not to book any specialty dining. The only restaurant I’d be interested in is Wonderland, but with my wife being most vegetarian, then specialty restaurants aren’t a great value for dollar for us.

So, after trying to get answers to my questions, I finally found a phone number for Blue Lagoon, so I called them. There are no later ferries, so it looks like there will only be a few hours on the island. It's a bit disappointing, but after watching some videos from Blue Lagoon, I think we're going to do it anyway. We haven't booked any animal encounters, but you can still see the dolphins, sea lions, and rays, so we thing it'll be worthwhile just for that!

Other illness, like norovirus, still exist, and *can* be spread through shared utensils and surfaces. Not having guests serve themselves is something that probably should have been done long before covid.

No. Most NAAT tests are not rapid; the most common NAAT test is a PCR test, which usually takes 2-3 days. The most common rapid test is an antigen test. If they'll take a rapid antigen test, there is absolutely no reason they wouldn't take a rapid NAAT test.

We're going on our first cruise in a few weeks, and we picked it because it coincided with my work schedule (I'm a teacher, so my vacation time is pre-determined), and it leaves from Bayonne so I can take a cab to the cruise port and not have to fly anywhere. That was a HUGE selling point, honestly.

See you there!

I sent an email to the folks at Blue Lagoon, and we report here in I hear back. Are you on the April 10th Anthem sailing?

I am definitely not an overpacker. Neither is my wife. I'm the guy who typically flies with only a carry-on bag, avoiding checking luggage whenever possible! For our cruise on April 10, it's a little different; I have no issue checking bags (especially since there will be ONE ship in port, no where else for our bags to go), so we'll be borrowing a larger suitcase in addition to our two small suitcases. I'm actually a bit overwhelmed at the thought of bringing THREE pairs of shoes with me (sneakers, crocs, and my black loafers for the MDR)!

United is the way to go when flying into/out of Newark. It’s a major hub for them, and they account for about 80% of the flights out of Newark. As a bonus, the United terminal (terminal C) at EWR is nice, where terminal A is…not.

My wife and I are cruising on Anthem in April. We have booked the Blue Lagoon Deluxe Beach Break for our day in Nassau. The Cruise Planner shows this as a 4 hour excursion. If it's a 30-40 minute ferry ride each way, does that mean we'd only end up with about 2-2.5 hours at the beach? Are we able to take a later ferry back to the ship? It seems a waste of time if we're going to be back by noon; our ship doesn't leave until 6:00! I'd like to be able to stay until around 2:00. Can anyone give me some more information about how long we'll actually get to spend there?

As a New Jersey native, I would say no. Right now, according to Google, that's a 45 minute drive, and it's nearly midnight with minimal traffic. I would say that is your minimum, best case scenario travel time. Its could easily take two hours, or more. Then you have to deal with security, and the lines at any of the airports around here can get very long...or you could breeze through. It's really the luck of the draw, and not predictable. I would not risk it. Newark is 20 minutes away, and you won't deal with anywhere close to the traffic you will going into the city. EDIT: Forgot to mention that your cab ride (assuming that's how you're getting to the airport) is going to likely cost 3x as much going to LaGuardia. you'll pay at least $20 in tolls alone.

Not to hijack the thread, but I saw something somewhere about per diem internet rates, is that a thing? The wife and I have decided not to get an internet package, and I'm actually looking forward to being disconnected for a bit, but we would like to check in with some folks late in the week if possible (gotta check with the cat sitters!), it would be great to pay for internet access for just one day (like Day 6 of a 7 day cruise).