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Tips for first RCL Family Cruise


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Hi All,

My family and I (2 adults, 2 kids: 10 and 13 years old) are setting sail on the Anthem of the Seas on 8/10 heading to Bermuda.

This is our first family cruise.  My wife and I took a short Carnival Cruise 6 years ago, but we are very new to cruising....and especially RCL.

We have watched tons of youtube videos about the ship and understand most of the amenities/entertainment, but I wanted to get some "insider" tips/info from users of this forum that might help us!

We did purchase 3 specialty dining meals (plus 1 free from our cruise travel agent) and we plan to go to Horseshoe Beach on the second port day, but have no other solid plans right now.

All shared info and tips is MUCH appreciated!!!

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Just relax and have fun, don't try and/or think you have to do everything. This is what I've seen stress people out the most. 

When you board the ship there will be a kiosk for specialty dinning reservations, check on your first night and then make your other reservations for the other nights you have.

Use the first day to explore the ship, get something to eat and then relax, besides Windjammer for lunch the first day try other places less crowded like Café 270

If your kids are going to the teen club what I have heard is to go to the first night so they can make connections then instead of later. My kids are grown so I don't know.

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Windjammer is not 24/7.  They will be open during set breakfast, lunch, and dinner hours.  Cafe 270 is a small eatery at the back of the ship which will have even more limited hours.

The Esplanade will have Sorrentos which is pizza and that's open late as well as Cafe Promenade which has sandwiches/cookies and small items.  Cafe Promenade will be 24 hours.

The Coca-Cola FreeStyle machines are available in Windjammer and in Sorrentos.  They need the souvenir cups that come with the drink packages.

Complimentary coffee, hot tea, and water will be available at Cafe Promenade and Cafe 270.  Windjammer will also have coffee, iced tea, flavored waters available when they are open.

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Windjammer is not 24/7, they close "late-ish" but not really late at night. Hours of operation will be posted in your daily Cruise Compass.

Cafe 270 is a smaller "grab and go" place, with a small selection of sandwiches, hot options like grilled 3-cheese on brioche, some pasta options, etc. They have a soda machine there (not Freestyle) and a coffee kiosk where you can get a cappuccino or latte, regular coffee, and a selection of spiked coffees (up-charge without the Deluxe package). They're also open for breakfast, with a basic menu of hot and cold options; my wife and I went there most mornings as it was so quiet and the Two70 lounge has chairs by the windows at the back for watching the ocean and ship's wake.

Windjammer has the much larger variety of food and beverage options, including its own full bar. You'll just need to be ready to navigate the crowds while getting your food and have someone watch your table while others go to get firsts or seconds (or thirds...). A nice difference of the WJ on Anthem vs. other classes of ships is the outside dining area all the way at the back. Not a lot of tables, but we liked eating there on day 2 lunch when the weather had warmed up (we sailed in October).

 

As far as general tips for Anthem go:

I will definitely say that on a short 5-night sailing like you'll be on, you will not be able to see and do everything on the ship. You only have two sea days and embarkation day to explore and try stuff out. I learned this the hard way last year and was feeling major burnout by the end. Figure that you'll be able to do just one big thing each day -- see a headliner show, do iFly, etc. -- and apart from that take it easy. Wander around at night and see what catches your eye in the different venues; maybe the live band in the Music Hall or the performer in the Pub, maybe you'll find yourself wanting to relax in the hot tubs in the Solarium or outside pool area.

Speaking of the Solarium -- In August it may be HOT in there. The space is fully glass-enclosed and has no windows that open to the outside, so you may find it more comfortable in the indoor family pool area or just going to the outdoor pool. And when you are in the Solarium, if you go all the way to the port side on the lower level next to the whirlpools, there is a door that goes out onto one of the bridge wings. There is a button by that door you can push to get access; it will not open using the handle. Great place for sailaway or enjoying the view. Another button on the outside opens the door to get back in.

The Royal IQ app is actually reasonably useful for making reservations for specialty dining, shows, North Star / iFly, etc. If you haven't yet booked all the reservations for these things, you can have the app downloaded before you board and then use it after boarding to make whatever reservations are still available.

If you're planning to see Spectra's Cabaret or We Will Rock You, go there at least 30 minutes early to be sure you get good seats. For Spectra, the best seats are the couches along the first carpeted ring that surrounds the stage area. The performers go and walk along that ring at a couple of points, and you get a great up-close of them all; if you take seats closer to the stage you won't be able to see them without craning your neck around.

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Thanks for all the great replies, a few questions:

We chose the earliest check-in time available (12:30pm), if we show up to the terminal when they open (10:30am) is there a good chance we can get on earlier than 12:30pm?

What's the quickest way to choose/change your specialty dining reservations once onboard?  Where can I find a list of the specialty dining restaurants ACTUALLY available on the Anthem? When I visit the RCL wesbite, it seems to show me ALL specialty dining spots across all ships.

The RCL app that was recommended when I checked in on RCL.com says that its not supported for Anthem of the Seas?  Why recommend it if it is not supported?

I made reservations for "The Gift" and "We will rock you", but it says that "Spectra cabaret" reservation must be made onboard... does this mean it might already be fully booked?

Is Coastal Kitchen not accessible to "regular" guests?

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5 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

We chose the earliest check-in time available (12:30pm), if we show up to the terminal when they open (10:30am) is there a good chance we can get on earlier than 12:30pm?

What's the quickest way to choose/change your specialty dining reservations once onboard?  Where can I find a list of the specialty dining restaurants ACTUALLY available on the Anthem? When I visit the RCL wesbite, it seems to show me ALL specialty dining spots across all ships.

 

Arrive early and get onboard as soon as you can. No need to wait for "your" check in time.

Best place to get info on what specialty restaurants are available on any given ship is to check the deck plans.

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7 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

We chose the earliest check-in time available (12:30pm), if we show up to the terminal when they open (10:30am) is there a good chance we can get on earlier than 12:30pm?

If you search this blog, you'll see a lot of people mention that check-in times are merely a "suggestion". We've been able to board as early as 11:00 after an approx. 10:30 arrival.

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27 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

The RCL app that was recommended when I checked in on RCL.com says that its not supported for Anthem of the Seas?  Why recommend it if it is not supported?

I made reservations for "The Gift" and "We will rock you", but it says that "Spectra cabaret" reservation must be made onboard... does this mean it might already be fully booked?

Is Coastal Kitchen not accessible to "regular" guests?

@xanman2112  Welcome to the RCB forums.

Just my opinion: I would skip the app (it's useless), and skip the wifi.  We find that just unplugging (if you can) results in a more relaxing vacation.  Unless you are taking pictures, leave your phone in the room...

I am booked on Oct 24th and just this week made reservations for Gift, Rock You, and Cabaret.  Yes, maybe the on-line reservations are full.  Just book on the ship on your first day.

I know Coastal Kitchen is not for me!  I'm cheap!  I believe your room must be a Suite (not Jr) or you must be Pinnacle status with Crown & Anchor.

I also like the 3N Dining package.  Make sure you try Chops!  You will need to book reservations for your 3NDP on the ship - you can't do it on-line.

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55 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

We chose the earliest check-in time available (12:30pm), if we show up to the terminal when they open (10:30am) is there a good chance we can get on earlier than 12:30pm?

The check-in times are merely suggestions at US embarkation points.  It's a bit of a crowd control but they will not look at it and you can get there as soon as the terminal opens and board once the ship has cleared.  From recent sailings it seems that traffic backs on the two-lane road to the port so if you want to be among the first onto the ship you may want to aim for a 10am arrival at the port if possible.

55 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

Where can I find a list of the specialty dining restaurants ACTUALLY available on the Anthem?

Anthem has dining options:

Complimentary

  • Cafe 270 (Deck 5 Aft) - breakfast/lunch
  • Windjammer buffet (Deck 14 aft) - breakfast/lunch/dinner
  • Solarium Bistro (Deck 14 solarium) - breakfast/lunch/dinner ** Reservations recommended for dinner
  • Sorrentos pizza (Deck 4 mid) - open to 3am
  • SeaPlex Doghouse (Deck 15 aft, upper level of SeaPlex) - afternoon
  • Chic/Grande/American Icon/Silk is all the main dining room for dinner service.  They will have breakfast and sea day lunch service in The American Icon.
  • Coastal Kitchen (Deck 14 aft) - breakfast/lunch/dinner ** Only for suite guests and Pinnacle Crown & Anchor (loyalty program) members **

Specialty (cover charge per person)

  • Jaime's Italian (Deck 5 aft) - lunch (days vary)/dinner
  • Chops Grille (Deck 5 fwd) - lunch (days vary)/dinner
  • Wonderland (Deck 5 mid) - dinner

Ala Carte (pay for what you order)

  • Brass & Bock (Deck 4 mid) - snacks at the pub
  • La Patisserie (Deck 4 mid) - dessert snacks and specialty coffee
  • Johnny Rockets (Deck 14 mid/pool deck) - hamburgers/fries/shakes
  • Vintages (Deck 4 mid) - tapas
  • Izumi sushi (Deck 5 mid) - lunch (days vary)/dinner ** Reservations needed, menu is ala carte

Room service is a flat $7.95 + 18% gratuity so you can order as much as you want for that price when you place an order.  During breakfast there is a limited complimentary menu for room service that has coffee, pastries, oatmeal, cereals, fruits but the hot items such as eggs and bacon have the $7.95 per order charge.

55 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

The RCL app that was recommended when I checked in on RCL.com says that its not supported for Anthem of the Seas?  Why recommend it if it is not supported?

Anthem of the Seas uses the RoyalIQ app.  That's the one that you want to download for Anthem.  Royal's website is really only known for being consistently inconsistent when it comes to a lot of things.

55 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

it says that "Spectra cabaret" reservation must be made onboard... does this mean it might already be fully booked?

It means that right now all of the reservations that they allocated for booking online ahead of the sailing that they have released right now have been booked.  They do hold back a lot of times for people to book onboard, so if it doesn't open up before you sail just do it when you first get on the ship.  There should be an activities desk or kiosk where you can book shows and other activities to help you with this.  Many people book cruises and don't realize that they can reserve these things ahead of time, so they hold back plenty of spots in all timeslots to accommodate for this.

55 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

Is Coastal Kitchen not accessible to "regular" guests?

Coastal Kitchen is only for those that are in the room category of a Grand Suite or above.  They do allow people in Jr. Suites to book for dinner if there is availability.  Also Pinnacle Crown & Anchor (loyalty program) members are allowed to dine there.

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Thanks again for all the great feedback!

Question on the ala carte specialty dining.  All 4 of us have 4 nights of specialty dining and we love sushi and are definitely going to Izumi.  So I understand we each get a $35/pp credit... so a total of $140 for the family.  I assume RCL doesn't care if my daughter eats $15 of sushi and the rest of eat $40 of sushi each? 

Also, I got the Deluxe beverage pkg. Not that I expect to down drinks every 5 mins (at least not without forgetting my cruise completely), but is there a limit to how many drinks you can get in a certain time period?  For example, let's say I want an mixed drink and a bottle of water at the same time.  Will they let me get both at the same time, or do I need to wait?

Also, I downloaded the IQ app, but it looks like I can't do much with it until I'm on the ship.  Still very bummed the main RCL app doesn't work for Anthem!

 

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3 minutes ago, xanman2112 said:

Thanks again for all the great feedback!

Question on the ala carte specialty dining.  All 4 of us have 4 nights of specialty dining and we love sushi and are definitely going to Izumi.  So I understand we each get a $35/pp credit... so a total of $140 for the family.  I assume RCL doesn't care if my daughter eats $15 of sushi and the rest of eat $40 of sushi each? 

Also, I got the Deluxe beverage pkg. Not that I expect to down drinks every 5 mins (at least not without forgetting my cruise completely), but is there a limit to how many drinks you can get in a certain time period?  For example, let's say I want an mixed drink and a bottle of water at the same time.  Will they let me get both at the same time, or do I need to wait?

Also, I downloaded the IQ app, but it looks like I can't do much with it until I'm on the ship.  Still very bummed the main RCL app doesn't work for Anthem!

 

To the best of my knowledge, they won't care who actually eats what at Izumi.

There is no time limit on drinks but you can only get one at a time per person with a drink package.  That's the official rule, but in practice, most bartenders only enforce it on alcoholic drinks so yes you should usually be able to get a mixed drink and bottle of water at the same time.  If you want to order mixed drinks for you and your wife at the same time, you would need to bring both cards with you (or go together).

The Royal IQ App was the first app and when it came out, it only supported the newest ships (including Anthem).  They decided they could make a better app and they started by releasing it for the older ships so that every ship would have something.  Eventually, they will retire Royal IQ and convert Anthem to the newer app but not before your cruise.

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15 hours ago, xanman2112 said:

So I understand we each get a $35/pp credit... so a total of $140 for the family.  I assume RCL doesn't care if my daughter eats $15 of sushi and the rest of eat $40 of sushi each? 

This is how they handle the ala carte restaurants.  If you decide you want to do Izumi sushi for one of your specialty meals, you will each get a $35 credit..so for the total bill they will take off $140.  Knowing this, I would consider taking advantage of that and ordering up to the limit and letting the table sample some of the menu offerings you may not have tried if you had to pay out of pocket. 

15 hours ago, xanman2112 said:

Also, I got the Deluxe beverage pkg. Not that I expect to down drinks every 5 mins (at least not without forgetting my cruise completely), but is there a limit to how many drinks you can get in a certain time period?  For example, let's say I want an mixed drink and a bottle of water at the same time.  Will they let me get both at the same time, or do I need to wait?

No time limit between drinks, meaning that you could effectively grab a beer at one bar and immediately go to another bar and get another beer.   But you can only order one beer at a bar at a time with your SeaPass.  Like mentioned by @Atlantix2000 you can order more than one alcohol drink at a time if you have the other person's SeaPass as well.  I've never had an issue with the deluxe drink package with ordering a soda or getting a bottle of water when I order the alcoholic drink.  In fact, I try to make that a practice to stay hydrated and keep ahead of a potential hangover.

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