Jump to content

6-person family trip on Anthem of the Seas - 5 December 2021


MattG

Recommended Posts

WHO:

  • Myself (mid-30s M)

  • Wife (mid-30s F)

  • Nanny (early 20s F)

  • Kids (5F, 3.5F, 2M)

 

WHAT:

  • Cruising on Anthem!

  • Two (2) connecting interior staterooms (2U and 4U)

  • One (1) Deluxe Beverage Package

  • Chef’s Table for two (2) (me and Wife)

  • No cabanas, no excursions

  • Other than Chef’s Table, no specialty dining (MDR and Windjammer all the way!)

 

WHERE: 

  • Day 1: Port Bayonne, NJ

  • Day 2: Sea Day

  • Day 3: Port Canaveral (not sure of gantry is 12pm or 2pm)

  • Day 4: Nassau, Bahamas

  • Day 5: Coco Cay

  • Day 6: Sea Day

  • Day 7: Sea Day

 

WHEN:

  • 5 December (Sunday) through 12 December (Sunday)

 

HOW: 

  • Driving from Maryland the morning of embarkation (11:30am check-in)

 

WHY: 

  • I will try (and fail) to keep this brief. I’m a Disney Parks nut. I love planning, logistics, fast passes, dining, touring plans, and everything that goes into a Disney Parks trip. My first cruise was 2015 on Grandeur out of Baltimore, 7-night to Bermuda. I had never considered a cruise beforehand, but it was an invite from the Wife’s extended family. About 2 months out, I started researching cruising the same way I researched a Disney trip, and I was hooked on cruising. I started looking at cruise compasses to get an idea of activities, dining, etc. Fast forward to the cruise, and it completely changed my life. Looking back, I’m really glad my first experience was on Grandeur, because I’ll likely never sail on something that small/old again! 🙂

  • Not long after that cruise, we found out about another life-changing event: a baby! The next several years zoomed by: a blur of babies, jobs, houses, etc. 

  • When the Wife and I hit our 5-year anniversary (2020), we decided to do an adult Disney trip - just the two of us. Unfortunately, COVID hit and 2 months before our flights was when quarantine struck, parks shut down, and we’re dead in the water. 

  • This past summer (2021), we (Me, Wife, 3 kids) took a trip to Florida with the Wife’s extended family. It was hard. 3 kids, one condo, no car, limited things to do in walking distance. We had the beach and a pool, but during COVID times, there’s not much else. We cooked, we kept the kid entertained, but It’s not something we’d do again. 

  • When we got back, we needed a REAL vacation - what about our adults-only Disney trip? Perfect! I worked on a plan for flights, hotel, food…only to find out everything was at a premium price. None of my tricks were working. For everyone following Disney, you know they took advantage of COVID to restructure FastPasses (Genie+), Annual Passes, pretty much everything. Our 2-person 72-hour trip was becoming WAY more expensive than we wanted. Thus begins disillusionment with Disney, but now I need a new hobby…

  • Back to the drawing board: What’s something the whole family can do, that includes activities, but we don’t need a car, don’t have to cook, or don't have to worry about groceries? The Wife says, “What about a cruise?”. After some quick pricing, it turns out 6 people for 7 days on Anthem isn’t much more than 2 people for 3 days in Disney. We locked in a date (same date as our failed Disney trip), and I’ve been following everyone’s adventures here ever since!

This has been an incredible community to be a part of, and I can’t wait to give back! We’re already (loosely) planning another cruise in October 2022 - same route, but on Oasis, and having another family join us!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 DAYS OUT!

 

Looking into testing options. Even though we get 72 hours on the testing, PCR turnaround is making me anxious, so we're looking at rapid tests. Taking @Matt's advice and looking at CVS, the closest one to us that does rapid tests is 45 minutes away from home. Not great. Our pediatrician also offers rapids, but will not test without symptoms. 

There are two pediatric urgent care centers that offer rapid testing for both kids and their parent/guardian, one being 5 minutes away. This may be our best option. Unfortunately, you can only book appointments 2 days out. As we embark on a Sunday, the plan that's shaping up now is to book everyone (adults and kids) for rapid tests on Friday after school, hopefully having results before dinner. Starting tomorrow, i'm also going to book a few backup appointments at CVS on Saturday afternoon in the event one of the rapid tests comes back invalid. 

"Why not use the Binax rapid tests?" well, for two reasons: 1) We have to take the kids to get tested in-person anyway, so why not have the adults tested a the same time and have insurance pick up the cost, and 2) cost - three tests for three adults is $100, and the reliability hasn't been bulletproof, so I need another backup test (two for $70). If insurance will cover all of our testing and we can get it all done at the same time, i'd much rather put that $170 towards something else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, wannabecruiseexpert said:

Is Walgreens an option for you? I know you can't schedule 2 weeks ahead like CVS but if you have a local one doing rapid, it may be worth looking into.

Just checked Walgreens - there are none that do rapid tests in a 1 hour (!) radius of us. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

The ID-NOW one that says 24 hour turnaround is accepted by Royal. You may want to consider that one.

Yep, this is the one I saw as well - there's no Walgreens within a 1 hour drive of us that also offers ID-NOW (or any) rapid test, it's all PCR. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 DAYS OUT! 
 

Like clockwork, we received emails from Royal Caribbean to book our Boarding Day PCR Test for our littles. It took about 20 seconds per child, super easy.

Here’s the contents of the email for those interested:

 


Dear Guest,

 
As promised, we’re reaching out with details about scheduling your boarding day PCR test for COVID-19, which will be conducted in the terminal by our medical services partner, BioReference Labs, for guests between the ages of 2 to 11. All unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 are required to take a boarding day PCR test during check-in (plus, a debarkation antigen test, which we’ll share more details onboard.) It's important to register for your boarding day PCR test as soon as possible to avoid delays in your check-in process. If you're vaccinated, please do notcomplete this registration for yourself. However, you may have received this email because you'll need to register the guest below as they are between the ages of 2 to 11 and are unvaccinated.  Lastly, please note, the above boarding day PCR test is in addition to the pre-cruise PCR test for COVID-19 that guests 2 to 11 years old are required to bring a negative test result for, which must be taken 3 days before sailing and before arriving to the terminal. 
 

(insert guest-specific reservation details here)

Register for your test

  • Each guest must use their unique Reference ID listed above when registering with BioReference Labs. If someone in your travelling party has not received an email including a unique Reference ID, please contact us at 954-628-9290 or 1 (800) 256-6649.
  • Parents, you’ll need to register for your children using your child’s unique Reference ID.
  • Issues registering for your boarding day PCR test for COVID-19? Contact us at 954-628-9290 or 1 (800) 256-6649.
  • Click here to register with BioReference Labs to schedule your PCR test for COVID-19. 
Boarding day
  • Testing is being held at the cruise terminal, where you’ll check-in.
  • All unvaccinated guests ages 2 to 11 will be required to take this test in order to board. Guests under 2 years of age and vaccinated guests will not be tested at the terminal.
  • It’s important that you show up exactly at your selected check-in time. Otherwise, you may be asked to return at a later time.
  • If you're feeling unwell, please stay home and contact us at 954-628-9290 or 1 (800) 256-6649. We will gladly work with you to reschedule or refund your cruise.
After your test
  • Our testing partner, BioReference Labs, will provide your results via email.
    • Please note, your results will also be shared with Royal Caribbean International. 
  • If your result is negative and you’re approved to sail, we’ll look forward to welcoming you onboard!
  • If your result is positive or inconclusive, a pier agent will share next steps with you. Rest assured, we will take care of you.

And remember, please stay safe – it's important to continue wearing your mask, keeping a safe distance from others, washing your hands often, etc.

We’re looking forward to seeing you onboard!
 
Sincerely, 
 
Royal Caribbean International
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

FIVE DAYS OUT!

Our oldest just got her second COVID shot (woohoo!), unfortunately she doesn’t qualify as “fully vaccinated” until our last cruise day. Ah well, just means we have to cruise again! We’ve been watching the current Anthem sailing in the app to try and gauge when new activities and shows are added, so we can make sure we reserve in time (and start roughing in when we need to fill downtime with the kids)

 

PRE-CRUISE PLANNER: All three adults took advantage of the “Black Friday-ish” deals in the Cruise Planner: Cancelled the DBP and re-booked DBP+VOOM, netting us Surf+Stream for $10/day (by far the best price I’ve seen), massage for me and the wife, hair appointments for the wife and 20F, and 20F set herself up with a manicure AND a killer discount for Thrill Waterpark ($38!). Super jealous. 

 

COVID TESTS: I booked mine as a CVS rapid test (as per @Matt’s suggestion) for Friday. Tomorrow, I’m going to book rapid tests for everyone else at a local pediatric urgent care that offers pre-travel rapid tests (they only allow bookings up to 2 days out). I have a backup rapid test scheduled at CVS on Saturday. Should be covered all around. 

 

PACKING: I’ve already started collecting everything for my own packing, and over the weekend did mountains of laundry so we’d have enough for the kids to get through this week as well as cruise week. The plan is to pack a few very large duffel bags that can fold up and disappear in the stateroom, as opposed to a bunch of bulky rollaway luggage.

 

PRE-CHECKIN: All done, except for the last-minute health screenings. All of it was super easy, including the photographs of the vaccination records. 

 

ARRIVAL: Two of us have an 11:30am check-in, the other four have a 12:00pm check-in. Going to try to arrive around 11am and see if they’ll let us in a tad early to accommodate the 3x pre-departure COVID tests. Bringing lots of snacks and activities, and hope all the testing goes smoothly!

 

ON-BOARD: Once on-board, we’re going to try to grab lunch at Windjammer before Adventure Ocean opens for check-in. We’re also going to try and book out as many activities as we can (Flowrider, Ripcord, shows if they’re open) as we’ve heard they fill up fast (sometimes before embarkation is complete!)

 

Don’t really feel comfortable planning out much else prior to boarding…I’ll let you know if anything changes!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 DAYS OUT!

COVID TESTS: Okay, wake-up call to everyone: HAVE A BACKUP PLAN FOR TESTING! If you’re doing Binax tests, have a pharmacy rapid backup, and vice-versa. If you have kids who can’t do the Binax tests, have a backup appointment reserved. God forbid your primary test falls through (missed appointment, invalid result) and you can’t cruise!

We booked rapid tests at a local pediatric urgent care that offers rapid tests for kids and parents, to be tested at the 2-day mark. On a whim, a friend says they’ve had great luck with another pediatric urgent care (PM Pediatrics) that can do 24-hour PCR turnaround (well, in before 3pm, results by 10pm - after 3pm means 10pm the next day) so we book those as backups. 

At our primary appointment time, we all roll up and we’re told there’s a FOUR HOUR WAIT. No less than 10 minutes after we find this out, our backup appointment calls us and says “uh, we’re really slow right now, you just want to come in now?” We haul ass over, get swabbed, and the six of us are in-and-out in 10 minutes. PM Pediatrics SAVES THE DAY!

PACKING: Man, packing for three kids is exhausting! All credit goes to the wife, who individually packed each day’s clothes into gallon ziploc bags, so we can just pull out clothes and not have to deal with piles and piles. We’re also packing everything in duffels so they can break down and nest and we can tuck it in the corner/under the bed and not have a bunch of boxy rolling luggage. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 DAY OUT!

COVID TESTS: Test results came in just before 10pm - all six are negative! Printing them out now and putting them with passports and hard copies of the Set Sail pass (great advice, so we’re not fumbling with phones).

Up and early tomorrow for the 3-ish hour drive to Bayonne - first check-in time is 11:30am. 🛳

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, MattG said:

1 DAY OUT!

COVID TESTS: Test results came in just before 10pm - all six are negative! Printing them out now and putting them with passports and hard copies of the Set Sail pass (great advice, so we’re not fumbling with phones).

Up and early tomorrow for the 3-ish hour drive to Bayonne - first check-in time is 11:30am. 🛳

Woohoo!!! I'm almost as excited for your cruise as you are! Have fun! 😀

Link to comment
Share on other sites

EMBARKATION DAY!

 

Drive up was uneventful. All reports about Bayonne’s ease is true: porter drop-off was painless, as was parking in the garage. As we walked up to the terminal, we heard an employee say passengers could enter regardless of arrival time (not sure if that remains true throughout the day), and people with kids can enter. 
 

We entered a line for kids to be tested, and first stop was a table to validate negative tests (no passports, no set sail passes). Kids to be tested received a sticker. Next stop was security (painless), then onto test registration. Everyone received a sheet to hand to the tester. All three kids were tested simultaneously. Third stop was a table to validate set sail passes and reaffirm the pre-board health questions. After that was an escort to the post-testing waiting area. Note: all bathroom breaks require an escort, so plan accordingly! Also, bring snacks and activities!

 

now we’re just waiting for test results…

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Onboard! All negative tests from the kids. We watched the muster drill while waiting for test results, and when we got onboard, went straight to the muster station for the last step. 
 

Lunch at Windjammer, then staterooms were ready. Unpacking now before heading to Adventure Ocean for registration. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Can’t sleep, I think I’m still getting my sea legs 😆 we’re an interior room, mid-ship, mid-deck and this boat is shimmying! Not wildly listing, but towels are swaying in the bathroom. I’m also a light sleeper, so there’s a lot of new sensory input that might take a day or two for my brain to adjust. 

timeline from yesterday:

11:30am arrival, immediate admittance 

12:00pm COVID test for kids (minor wait)

12:45pm test results were in (AT&T signal is strong)

1:05pm in the windjammer 

 

Lunch at the Windjammer was busy! Entrance is on the right side (opposite Coastal Kitchen), and everyone found something they liked. Adventure Ocran wasn’t quite opened yet at 2pm, so we hit up the staterooms, which we’re ready! Found all of our luggage up and down the hallway, and rapidly unpacked. By then, AO was open  We were told to go to the older kids room on Deck 12 to register, then to Royal Babies to sign up for times  12 hours per kid limit for now. All the kids were eager to check it out, so we signed up for a morning session for tomorrow.

After that was a few laps around the ship to get familiar, then back to the rooms to prep for dinner in MDR. Our youngest fell asleep in the late afternoon stroll, so we carried him down to MDR where he stirred and found his home in the bread basket  🤣 Day 1 menu was…okay.  I was still full from the WJ, so I noshed on some apps.  Wife and I got the “Maryland-style” crab cake - I put it in quotes because there’s nothing “‘Maryland” about it.  The butternut squash soup was heavy on the chicken broth, and the steak was tough. Salmon was good, salad was fresh. 
 

After dinner, the wife and I had a stroll and checked out Majority Rules in the Music Hall.  Pretty chill, quiet evening. Let’s see if I can get a few more hours sleep!

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, MattG said:

Can’t sleep, I think I’m still getting my sea legs 😆 we’re an interior room, mid-ship, mid-deck and this boat is shimmying! Not wildly listing, but towels are swaying in the bathroom. I’m also a light sleeper, so there’s a lot of new sensory input that might take a day or two for my brain to adjust. 

timeline from yesterday:

11:30am arrival, immediate admittance 

12:00pm COVID test for kids (minor wait)

12:45pm test results were in (AT&T signal is strong)

1:05pm in the windjammer 

 

Lunch at the Windjammer was busy! Entrance is on the right side (opposite Coastal Kitchen), and everyone found something they liked. Adventure Ocran wasn’t quite opened yet at 2pm, so we hit up the staterooms, which we’re ready! Found all of our luggage up and down the hallway, and rapidly unpacked. By then, AO was open  We were told to go to the older kids room on Deck 12 to register, then to Royal Babies to sign up for times  12 hours per kid limit for now. All the kids were eager to check it out, so we signed up for a morning session for tomorrow.

After that was a few laps around the ship to get familiar, then back to the rooms to prep for dinner in MDR. Our youngest fell asleep in the late afternoon stroll, so we carried him down to MDR where he stirred and found his home in the bread basket  🤣 Day 1 menu was…okay.  I was still full from the WJ, so I noshed on some apps.  Wife and I got the “Maryland-style” crab cake - I put it in quotes because there’s nothing “‘Maryland” about it.  The butternut squash soup was heavy on the chicken broth, and the steak was tough. Salmon was good, salad was fresh. 
 

After dinner, the wife and I had a stroll and checked out Majority Rules in the Music Hall.  Pretty chill, quiet evening. Let’s see if I can get a few more hours sleep!

 

 

 

Going on our first cruise ever in March on Anthem, so following your Day-to-day updates! Appreciate you sharing your story! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 2, PART 1:

Kids were up around 6:15am, got everyone dressed and hit up the Windjammer as they opened. Plenty of breakfast options available for everyone! We wrapped up breakfast around 8:30am, and as AO doesn’t open until 9am, went out the back of Windjammer to enjoy the view. As mentioned by many others, there are extra tables out here that are great to use when the weather’s not too cold (this morning was still a bit chilly and windy). We went up the stairs and scoped out the FlowRider, iFly, and the climbing wall. From there, we stuck our heads into the SeaPlex and checked out the first round of bumper cars until we realized AO was open! We hustled to the opposite side of the ship, and dropped the girls off in Aquanauts, and the boy off in Royal Babies. Both were very clean hand-offs, as all the kids were eager to go and play. 

After drop-off, the wife and I hit up the Fitness Center for a bit. All the equipment is pretty nice, plenty of variety for weights, cardio, yoga, etc. We did a mix of cardio and strength to try and offset what will be a lot of cocktails and ice cream 🤣. With some time left in our AO window, we went back, changed to bathing suits, and scoped out the hot tubs. We first checked out the Solarium, and while it’s warm, it’s a bit loud (lots of glass to reflect noise) and has a heavy chlorine smell. Moving back to the indoor pool is better, but the hot tubs were full. We ended up in a hot tub by the outdoor pool near the pool bar, which was one of the only hot tubs with a “lip” to store your towel, phone, etc. After about 30 minutes, I decided to check out the 11am FlowRider boogie boarding session. I ended up arriving a little late, and a line had formed. The staff were generous with time, as each person got about 4-5 minutes to practice bogey-boarding, no hands, knees, etc. I left the line after 30 minutes of watching to meet up with the wife, and go claim the kids from AO. 

AO pickup went very smoothly, the staff gave great updates on the kids, especially the little one (last diaper change, temperament, snacks). ALL of them want to go back (the littlest kept tugging back to the entrance saying “PLAY! PLAY!”), so we re-booked again for tomorrow morning. 

Lunch was back at the Windjammer, we got a table again towards the back. Everyone was worn out, but ate well. I volunteered to take the little one back to the room for a nap while the wife and nanny took the girls to the pool. Reports back from the pool was “the outdoor pool was too windy, and the indoor pool water was cold, like the heater wasn’t on”. The girls tried the hot tub, but deemed it too hot. Everyone came back to change and are out getting ice cream. The wife and nanny have some hair appointments tonight at the spa before formal night, so I’ll be on kid duty for a few hours. Should have another report with the rest of the day later tonight.

Random thoughts:

- Internet is working well, occasionally slow. Nothing to fret over. 

- Magnetic walls in the staterooms are a GODSEND! We got some “100lb” magnet hooks and two hanging shoe organizers just to manage all the little stuff that accumulates (coupes, remotes, masks, bracelets, bingo dabbers). Do yourself a favor and get a 10-pack of magnet hooks, even if you don’t think you have a need for them - you will find one by Day 2!

- We packed everything in duffel bags, and that was a great choice - we just nested them inside each other and stuffed them under the bed. 

- The wife, brilliant as always, pre-packaged the kids clothes by day in ziploc bags, and that’s been a game changer as well. Dirty clothes go in one of the duffels we’ve assigned for laundry, otherwise they’re still in their bags until the right day. 

- If your in an interior room, a nightlight or two wouldn’t hurt!

- North Star is exclusively “extended experience” during sea days ($29). No slots are opening up for the normal experience until day-of, I’m guessing that will be port days. 

- iFly appointments are also extended experience ($49), with normal experience not available today. There’s a small window for tomorrow during port, but that’s already booked up. I think they’re rationing it out. 

- Staff has been great. Main Dining Room last night was a little slow on service, not sure if that’s the norm or just day 1 jitters. 

- Virtual balcony has been hit-and-miss. The feed in both rooms gets a green, pixelated “flash” every now and then, which is super distracting in the middle of the night. We do pull the curtains closed, but it bleeds through a little. I only noticed it because I was awake anyway, but maybe it will be nicer when in port. 

- There’s a SpaceX rocket launch from the Cape at 1am when we depart back to NJ (Thursday morning, I think), with the flight path just north of the Caribbean. Gonna try and stick it out and stay up for that one!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, MattG said:

 

 Wife and I got the “Maryland-style” crab cake - I put it in quotes because there’s nothing “‘Maryland” about it.  

 

I noticed that we also have "Maryland-style" crab cakes on the MDR menu the first night--and we're sailing out of Baltimore. I thought that took some real chutzpah!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, MattG said:

Wife and I got the “Maryland-style” crab cake - I put it in quotes because there’s nothing “‘Maryland” about it.

 

54 minutes ago, _Quinn_ said:

I noticed that we also have "Maryland-style" crab cakes on the MDR menu the first night--and we're sailing out of Baltimore. I thought that took some real chutzpah!

I love those Maryland-style crab cakes. Clearly, I need to find a "real" one to try. What's the difference? I'm guessing the real deal must be a superior experience? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, FionaMG said:

 

I love those Maryland-style crab cakes. Clearly, I need to find a "real" one to try. What's the difference? I'm guessing the real deal must be a superior experience? 

Well, @FionaMG, I'm a Virginian transplanted from Texas so I'm not technically allowed an opinion. But I'd say big lumps of fresh crab, as little binder as possible, and Old Bay (but not too much). Look up Faidley's in Baltimore, but I'm sure @MattG won't be afraid to set me straight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, _Quinn_ said:

I noticed that we also have "Maryland-style" crab cakes on the MDR menu the first night--and we're sailing out of Baltimore. I thought that took some real chutzpah!

Yeah, I’m sure it’s a corporate menu across the entire fleet - if they just called it a “crab cake”, I’d give it a pass. But don’t embarrass my state!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, FionaMG said:

 

I love those Maryland-style crab cakes. Clearly, I need to find a "real" one to try. What's the difference? I'm guessing the real deal must be a superior experience? 

It’s night and day. A true Maryland crab cake isn’t a patty, it’s a baseball-sized entree with jumbo lump crab meat, very little filler, and broiled (not fried) with a mayo binder. It’s rich, but light at the same time. Asking “who has the best crab cake?” In Maryland is like asking “who has the best pizza in New York”.  12 people will give 12 different answers. 


if you’re ever in the Baltimore/Annapolis area, it’s worth going out of your way to get a proper crab cake. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 2, Part 2

As nap time wrapped up, the wife and nanny had hair appointments for formal night. I took the three kids to explore Two70, as we hadn’t been there yet. 

There are parts of this ship that are drop-dead gorgeous. One of the main ones is the Via. When you come around the elevator bank on Deck 5 Aft and hit that cherry blossom corridor facing the Via, it’s breathtaking every single time. We walked down the Via, past Hublot, Jamie’s and Vintages, and into Cafe Two70. We picked up a few melon cups and cookies and I let the kids roam around Two70.

This venue is another area that strikes me as well played. We haven’t seen Spectra’s Cabaret yet (tomorrow night), but when the venue is just a normal seating area, the views are gorgeous, this seating is plentiful, and the ambiance is great. 

After some Two70 acclimation, our oldest was getting itchy about wanting to “do something”. This has been my biggest fear going into this cruise - a lack of directly-engaging activities. We went to the SeaPlex, where it was set up half pickle ball/half basketball, and the kids weaved in and out of the basketball players (almost getting hit a few times) before we ducked out and headed upstairs to the alcoves. All the video game stations were shut off, and the only real active area was the ping-pong tables. This area is in desperate need of a re-purposing - I really like how other Quantum-class ships have Playmakers up here, and this should be a near-term retrofit for Anthem. Next was dinner prep, then off to Chic/MDR. 

Wow, Night 2 was total redemption for MDR! Staff was MUCH more attentive, food came out at a much quicker cadence, and all the kids stayed engaged. Our middle child was starting to burn out (she’s broken out of her naps, but still can’t do a day with a LOT packed into it). All the MDR food was on-point tonight, and was the service. Our server (Jodie) remembered all the kids and their orders from last night, and really made an effort to engage. As parents, the effort makes a difference!

After dinner, we stuck it out until 8pm to see the juggling show in the main theatre, Pete Matthews. Solid, well-rehearsed, kid-friendly act with a twist - he built up several adult-level jokes to a punchline, but stopped short and let the momentum take it to where the adults got the joke, but the kids had no idea. Halfway through our middle child lost what little sanity she had left (due to exhaustion) and we exited and left the rest of the family to finish up the show. When everyone got back, they said the rest of the show was really good, and highly recommended. 

After everyone went to bed, I wandered a bit - through the Esplanade, through the casino, just to continue to get my bearings. I wandered back to Two70 and caught the last part of Spectra’s Cabaret. I’ve heard reviews that it’s a bit haphazard, the plot isn’t firmed up, and I can see where that idea comes from. Granted, I only caught the last 15 minutes (starting where the drummer enters on the lift), but the show could use some massaging. We’re scheduled to see it Day 4 after dinner, and today’s scouting definitely helped ID some good seats for tomorrow!

After Spectra, I headed up to Deck 15 (above the pool deck) and man, is it windy! Monday Night Football was on the big screen, and I watched a few minutes of it before retiring. Off to Day 3!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, MattG said:

 

- Staff has been great. Main Dining Room last night was a little slow on service, not sure if that’s the norm or just day 1 jitters. 

 

 

Yeah, that is pretty normal for a cruise... Day 1 MDR is a bit of a mess.  I've pretty much noticed that on every cruise, on multiple cruise lines.  Not entirely sure why that is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 3 (PORT CANAVERAL, FL)

I’ve been sleeping much better the past few nights, I think Day 1 was a combination of “testing out the drink package” and getting my sea legs 🤣 First thing this morning was a coffee for the wife from the Patisserie (the only place I know of that does Starbucks onboard). She said it “tastes like home”, so that’s good! Breakfast at the Windjammer - everybody’s finding something new every day - the menu for breakfast doesn’t rotate, but there’s enough variety! Each day we end by going out the back of Windjammer and up the steps to the Flowrider, and each day the weather gets a LITTLE warmer, it was in the low 70s today. Tomorrow we might to breakfast out here if it’s not too busy. A walk around the track to burn some time before Adventure Ocean opens, and man, the wind really does WHIP around those corners! Some of us were leaning into the wind! 

Another seamless drop-off at Adventure Ocean. All three kids can’t wait to go back every day. For the Aquanauts (3-5), each session has a theme: Day 2 Morning was food/cooking, Day 3 Morning is camping. The staff has a chart that shows the themes for each session if you want to coordinate with your child’s interests - I’ll upload one in another post. 

After drop-off, I made a solid attempt at some of the more intense activities: 

  • FlowRider: the morning sessions are all “stand-up surfing”, where the same three people rotate through. There boogie boarding sessions are all late morning and afternoon, when we have the kids. I wish they would rotate and have some of the boogie boarding sessions first thing.
  • Climbing Wall: closed due to wind. 
  • IFly: I am having the hardest time booking the complimentary times. Every time I go in, they’re sold out. I check multiple times per day, as they seem to be staggering the release of the times, but oh well. My wish here is some sort of guaranteed lottery in the Pre-Cruise Planner: I don’t care what time I get to fly, but put me in a lotto and tell me when to come back. Trying to remember to go into the app only to be repeatedly disappointed isn’t fun. I know they’re trying to get you to pay for the “extended experience”, but this is annoying. 
  • North Star: Another hard time booking complimentary times, same as iFly. Something we also didn’t realize is there’s a height restriction, so our youngest two can’t join even if we were able to book a time. It isn’t “all ages” 😞 This is something I may just pay the $30 for and knock out myself, because it’s something I really can’t do anywhere else in the world. 

We haven’t been getting paper copies of the Cruise Compass, and I haven’t seen anything about departure surveys or COVID tests, so I went to check with Guest Services. They pointed me to a QR code on the (wait for it) Cruise Compass for both items. When I said “We haven’t been receiving the Cruise Compass”, they said “Oh, yeah, we don’t supply them to all rooms, only when asked”. I paused and waited for the crew member to see the dilemma, but after a few seconds I scanned and bookmarked both QR codes for future use. 

Next was a brief stop at the hot tubs before Adventure Ocean pickup. Another raving review - This is a definite winner! We were told 12 hours max (so 4x 3-hour sessions for us), with the possibility of opening up more on Day 4. We’ll ask on Day 4 pickup if that’s the case this cruise. 

We decided to try lunch at the two70 Cafe because there was Bingo in two70 at 12pm, and my oldest was itching to play. By the time we made it there, we realized it was only one cash prize game, and they stopped selling tickets. Another disappointment. We ended up getting food from two70 and eating at Vintages, while our littlest roamed around the Via snacking on potato chips and Kummelweick rolls. 

The wife took the two youngest back to the cabin for an attempted nap while the oldest, myself, and the nanny went to the “Fit and Fun Dance Class” in SeaPlex. We got there and lined up, and while the class WAS really fun, her shyness kicked in REAL fast and she wanted NOTHING to do with the dancing! We stayed another 15 minutes or so, before leaving and wandering until the 2pm Scavenger Hunt. 

We made our way to the Music Hall for the Scavenger Hunt, and were given a sheet of paper with a line for each letter of the alphabet. We had twenty minutes to find an object that started with each letter. The oldest LOVED this! We didn’t go too far, mainly decks 4 and 5, the Esplanade, and the Via, before getting 21/26 and heading back. A few teams beat us to 26/26, but it was a lot of fun. 

Back to the cabin for a quick change into bathing suits, and we went up to the pool deck. We rotated around from the H20 Zone, Outdoor Pool, the “tornado” pool (it’s like the world’s smallest lazy river), and the indoor pool. It was at this time we were arriving at Port Canaveral, and the space nerd in me wanted to try and find LC-39, the VAB, and the SpaceX fleet docked in Port Canaveral. Unfortunately we only got a little ways into the port, but I did briefly spot GO Navigator, as well as the Falcon 9 booster that arrived earlier this morning. 

After pool time, we headed back to the room to get ready for dinner. The Main Dining staff have really gotten into their groove, and are ON POINT working with kids! Within a minute of sitting down, each kid has a fruit cup and some strawberries while we get a chance to look at the menu. Tonight’s food was pretty good (not as good as last night), but still excellent. We’re holding off on specialty dining because 1) expense, and 2) we don’t to get too spoiled 🙂 Dinner was cut a little short due to a reservation for bumper cars! I took the oldest up to SeaPlex and we did two rounds of bumper cars while the wife and nanny took the other kids to get seats for the “Frankie and the Dreamers” show in the Main Theatre. After bumper cars, we joined them and all six of us had a really entertaining time. 

Back to the room for bed for all of us, we’re starting to get wiped out!

Tomorrow is Nassau, but we’re staying on the ship (unvax’d kids). 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, Coachkev24 said:

@MattG sounds like so far your Anthem experience has been great!! This just makes me more excited for March!!

It has been solid so far!  There isn’t much I feel we’re “leaving on the table” - that is, we’re doing every activity that’s available to us that includes the kids, but I feel like there could be a little more. It could be COVID limiting those options, it could be this ship itself being geared for ages 10+ (my unofficial rating), etc. I remember seeing MANY more kid-friendly options in a 2019 Anthem Cruise Compass. We brought a “Mary Poppins” bag of activities that we haven’t opened yet, and that may come out on the sea days after CocoCay. 

I’m VERY excited for our possible Oasis trip in October 2022 - Splashaway Bay, three pools, Perfect Storm, Ultimate Abyss, AquaTheater, Studio B, the amplified Adventure Ocean, the Boardwalk, Central Park - All things I can see our kids participating in. There’s a lot here on Anthem, but our kids can’t do. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/7/2021 at 10:08 AM, karl_nj said:

 

Yeah, that is pretty normal for a cruise... Day 1 MDR is a bit of a mess.  I've pretty much noticed that on every cruise, on multiple cruise lines.  Not entirely sure why that is.

Oh yeah, definitely. Day 2 and Day 3 have been GREAT, and the staff has 100% got the rhythm down. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

33 minutes ago, WannaCruise said:

Really enjoying your review.  Just over 2 weeks for us.

Wondering if it's also hard to get the "pay" times for iFly and North Star?  Obviously we'll try for the complimentary but do want to be able to try these so hoping the pay sessions aren't hard to get too.

Looking in the app, the “pay” times for iFly and North Star are plentiful. I doubt you will have issues booking either one throughout your cruise. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

DAY 4 (NASSAU) - PART ONE

We’re getting into a good rhythm now - breakfast in Windjammer, drop off at AO. The wife did a little bit of work this morning, posting up between the Via and Two70 (next to Vintages) before a massage this morning. I got her connected to the internet, then went off to the gym, and finally got on the rock wall and did two climbs before coming back to write yesterday’s live blog. Then it was off to AO for pickup. 

When we left New Jersey, it was 29 degrees. What a shock to walk outside to the hot, humid, Caribbean air! Our whole family is fair-skinned, and the sun just feels closer to us when we’re in Florida/Caribbean. 

Lunch at Windjammer again, and then we took everyone back to the cabin to reset and figure out the afternoon. The nanny wanted to take a quick stroll around the port, and our oldest wanted to go back to the pools. I took up nap duty (AO really wipes out our youngest and middle). I took another crack at iFly and North Star signups (no bueno), and decided to sign up the kids for their disembarkation COVID tests. 

Guys, there has to be an easier way to do this. The signups are through TrustOne, and you have to register and create an account for *each child*. Username AND password. Then once you have the account, you pick a test time. The only ones open were Day 7 (last day), from 8am to 10:30am. We picked 8:30am, squeezing it right between breakfast and AO. I completely respect the need to test unvaccinated kids, but the signup process has GOT to be easier. Why can’t I call a number, give them my stateroom number and number of kids, and lock it in? It took me probably 5-10 minutes per kid. Also factor in the WiFi was really slow, so that contributed a lot of the time. It was just so many steps. 

During nap time were the crew emergency drills. They’re interesting to listen to, except the emergency tones. Luckily (or unluckily?) our kids slept through both the emergency and embarkation tones. I’m glad our kids are heavy sleepers, but I think I’m the only one in our group that would wake up at the tones!

After nap time, we’re off for trivia and a pre-dinner cocktail before MDR, then Spectra’s Cabaret in Two70. Tomorrow is Coco Cay!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MID-CRUSE RANDOM THOUGHTS: 

  • Adventure Ocean is the real star of this 3-kid cruise. They truly give the adults time to relax, the kids go in eager to play, and come out exhausted but excited by the activities they’ve done. Any parent knows that if your kid is exhausted by lunch time, they had a good morning. Because we still have one (occasionally two) that nap, we haven’t done the afternoon sessions, and the evening sessions are too late for our kids (usually in bed at home by 7:30, or with us on the cruise seeing a show). 
  • One of my concerns about Anthem was the lack of young kid (6 and under) activities, and it’s ringing true. North Star has a height restriction, as does FlowRider and bumper cars. Climbing has an age limit. The inside pool has a wading pool, and the outside pool has the “tornado” and a small zero entry pool, but that’s it. We’re really itching for a Splashaway Bay, here. 
  • The housekeeping and MDR staff are absolutely fantastic. Very personable, very attentive, but not in-your-face or overbearing. Two reasons we wanted a cruise vacations as 1) we don’t have to worry about our room, and 2) we don’t have to worry about food. In both of those cases, the staff has stepped up and taken the burden off of us parents for a week, and it’s appreciated (and tip appropriately!)
  • A mid-ship cabin makes it real easy to get anywhere on the ship (and back) in minutes. The only place that really feels out of the way is Two70 - cabin to elevator to floor 5, then through the Via, then past Vintages, past the cafe, THEN you’re in Two70. 
  • The Main Dining menu has been more hits than misses. The kids have no complaints, the adults have had some great meals, and some so-so meals. Nothing has ever been so bad as to send back, though the wife got the NY strip on night 1 that was over-done, but it seemed like a fluke. 
  • Magnetic walls in the stateroom are a godsend! Combined with a shoe organizer, it’s keeping everything off the floor. 
  • The wife got a 6-pack of different color drawstring bags, and everyone puts their own items in it. Super smart, very helpful!
  • Special on laundry service today, $24.99 per bag (normally $34.99). We passed. 
  • Two connecting cabins opens up the space so much. Highly recommended! Also means you don’t force everyone to get a drink package 😄 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...