silenttuba

I noticed this, too, and I think I am going to go through Walgreens to get my test; their website specifically says they offer free tests for travel, and since the local Walgreens and CVS are across the street from one another, it makes no real difference to me.

You do need the cup to use the Freestyle machines, correct? I ask because the Freestyle machines have more options, especially sugar free (the wife and I have the soda package booked for our Anthem cruise next month).

Where in NJ are you? Is taking a cab/ride share to and from the port a feasible option? I priced it out, and from where I am in Essex County, it’s a $30ish ride each way; much cheaper than parking!

Sounds like your husband and I would get along…I’m a HUGE Weird Al fan (will be seeing him in concert twice this year), and I also love magic shows, haha. so, there are no complimentary iFly slots at all anymore? My wife will be disappointed, as she wanted to give it a try, but I doubt she will for $50.

Personally, if they decided to bump gratuities from $14.50 to $15 (similar to what NCL has done), I wouldn’t have a problem with it. No one wants to pay more, but if anything is going to go up, I’d rather it be the money that goes directly to the crew than anything else.

I can’t speak to what’s normal and why isn’t, but I can tell you that my wife and I will be on Anthem in April, and we’ll both be first time cruisers. For us, it was a combination of factors that led to us booking; being vaxxed + boosted, as well as having gotten covid over Christmas and having it be fairly mild, plus her having a milestone birthday last week, we decided to do something special.

I enjoyed your posts, and look forward to a wrap up post; my wife and I are sailing on Anthem in April, and it’s the first cruise either of us have ever been on, and we might be obsessing just a little bit, lol.

JetBlue is *nothing* like Spirit. You won't have any issues at all.

Wife’s passport delivered on Thursday, the 17th. Mine came yesterday (Saturday), the 19th. Both applications were sent out on 1/27, so 21 days for hers, 23 for mine. Really happy to have them already, because we check in for our cruise on Thursday! on a side note, has anyone else gotten a “next generation” passport? My wife got the normal one, but mine is a new type, with a hard plastic ID page, and a bunch of new security features. Didn’t even know that was a thing!

I've only been to St. John once (not on a cruise), but Trunk Bay was one of the most incredible beaches I've ever been to. Perfect if you like snorkeling; there's a trail with informational plaques underwater. Definitely worth checking out!

So, I'm curious...I live close enough to the terminal that I can take a Lyft/Uber for about $30 each way (20-30 minutes travel time). Is there any reason to park rather than take a cab?

Shipped today, expected delivery by Saturday, 2/19. We'll be out of town this weekend, so it should be waiting for me when I get home on Sunday!

Lost my old passport, so I had to reapply. Wife sent hers in for renewal. Expedited service (not shipping) for both. Both sent in on Jan. 27. Mine is "In Process" as of Feb. 8th, hers as of Feb. 9th. We sail on April 10th, so I feel pretty confident that we'll get them in plenty of time.

I don't think it's fair to call Invite watches a "scam", they are what they are; cheap watches. I have an Invite "Pro Diver" mechanical watch that I've had for years, picked up on Amazon for about $90. I like it. I got it because I think mechanical watches are cool, but didn't really want to spend a ton of money. I've had it for about 7 years, wearing it daily for much of that time. It keeps decent time, and looks nice (it's a clone of a Rolex Submarine). I don't regret buying it, and I certainly think I've gotten my money's worth from it at this point. And if I'm honest, I probably would feel the same way even if I had paid $150. It's not fancy, but it's a solid watch. I recently got an Apple Watch and have been wearing that, but for the cruise, I will probably wear my Invicta.

As a first time cruiser (sailing on Anthem April 10), I'm curious what the advantages are to checking in 45 (or 30, or whatever it is) days before the trip? Also, will I be able to check in if I don't have my passport yet (my wife and I both had to renew, and should get our new ones by mid-March)?

Excellent, exactly what I wanted to hear, thank you!

Hi all, My wife and I have booked our first ever cruise, on Anthem of the Seas, leaving on April 10. Our trip includes a day at CocoCay. There is an excursion available called "Snorkeling at Your Leisure", but from the description, it sounds like this is just snorkel rental. Is that the case? Would I be able to go snorkeling if I just Brough my own equipment? For $35, I'd rather just buy my own, if that's possible. Thanks in advance!