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

[CravingaCruise]

4 hours ago, MattG said:

Thank you! I have to say, your live blog was what inspired me to start this one!  

Awww.  That warms my heart!  Thank you!

[MattG]

DAY 4 (NASSAU) - PART 2

After nap time, we got dressed for dinner at MDR. We got into 90’s Music trivia just before dinner time, and actually ended up nailing every single song! There were about 120 people playing, and there was a six-way tie for first place. There was a “song-off” that only one person ended up getting a fraction of the song name, so they won…pens! 

Main Dining tonight was on point. It’s not consistent, but we’ve always found something that someone likes. 

After dinner was Spectra’s Cabaret. The lower level is the “Everyone” level, with the balcony for fully vaccinated guests. I’m a bit disappointed at the layout of the “reserved for social distancing” signs - I feel they could have been more strategic in what they roped off to open up more seats and still maintain distance. For instance, there’s four rows in the “front and center” section, but the only Row 3 was open. We ended up finding seats on the far right (bar side), right up next to the stage. 

Our littlest (2 years old) was more interested in playing hide-and-seek during the show, so about 15 minutes in the wife pulled him and went on a different adventure. Our oldest two (5 and 3.5) were really into it. The seats we picked were really immersive, especially sitting right next to the main speaker stack (it was loud, but not painful). As the dancers/performers came by they all waved/interacted with the girls. 

I actually enjoyed Spectra’s Cabaret. It’s certainly a cabaret-style variety show, and the venue’s technology is used really well. Between the venue’s in-the-round seating, projection mapping, screens, and numerous lighting positions, the designers really have every opportunity to knock it out of the park. The greatest weakness for me was the vocal talent and their audio mix. Spectra was a great host, and but his vocals and the Harmony Sisters were tonally off. I’m sure the performers are very talented, so I have to chalk it up to their vocal parts and the mix. I think the vocals needed a bit more reverb/chorus to take some of the edge off the harshness of the parts. All that being said, everyone walked away really enjoying the show!

We snuck into David Klinkenberg’s set a few minutes late, and that was enjoyable too - not fantastic, but definitely kept the girls entertained. 

Tomorrow is Coco Cay! 

[MattG]

Hi everyone! 
 

Apologies for the delayed posts, we’ve been busy! I hope to get Day 5 and Day 6 written up this morning. 
 

if anyone has any photo requests, let me know and I’ll knock them out today! 

[MattG]

We’re a camera shy family, but here are some shots throughout the week (EDIT: no idea why some of the photos are rotated, they’re all normal in my camera roll): 

[WAAAYTOOO]

I have no interest whatsoever in any of the water slides on PDCC but I have always secretly wanted to go and play on the pirate ship just outside the water park.  That actually looks like fun. 

[MattG]

5 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I have no interest whatsoever in any of the water slides on PDCC but I have always secretly wanted to go and play on the pirate ship just outside the water park.  That actually looks like fun. 

There’s nothing stopping you! The littlest kids seem to have the most fun. Unfortunately, I think either needs TLC from maintenance, or some things have been toned down since the original release: 

• The spray from the water cannons is kinda weak: the ones on the ground can’t reach up into the ship, and the ones on the ship barely limp over the railing. It’s a lot different than what’s on the RC Press Center website from the original opening, where the water spray was MUCH stronger!
• There used to be a yellow slide from the far top lookout down to the main deck, that’s gone as well. 

[MattG]

DAY 5 - COCO CAY

I had high expectations for this day, and they were 100% exceeded!

Everyone slept in a bit later than normal, so we missed being the first ones off the gangway. After breakfast in the Windjammer, we made it off the ship around 8:30am. We headed straight to Chill Island, finding empty chairs next to the bandstand across from Chill Grill. The kids made it down to the water, and it was chilly! It was the kind of water you get used to after a few minutes. Each kid had a good time playing in the water while we settled in - the youngest piling sand on his legs (and learning you can’t rub your eyes when they’re sandy), the oldest going straight into the deeper parts of the water, and the middle one just wading into her ankles and walking the full length of the beach. Our nanny took advantage of the $48 Black Friday deal for Thrill Waterpark, and left to check out the slides.

Around 10am, we wandered over to Chill Grill and grabbed a banana, then over to Splashaway Bay. The oldest fell IN LOVE with the slides! She kept going up and doing the big, twisty slide. The water was still kind of chilly, which turned off the younger two. Our middle child didn’t like the slides at all (a combination of fear on the slide, and the cold water) and wanted nothing to do with Splashaway Bay. 

After a few rounds on the slide, we all went back to the beach and ended up getting a floating mat ($9). The oldest and I swam out to one of the nearby floating platforms to check out the snorklers. We hung out for a bit, then came back to find everyone else just enjoying the beach. It really is a fantastic place!

As Chill Grill opened at 11:30am, we grabbed some food and everyone found something they liked. We took it back to our chairs and ate. After lunch, the wife stayed with our youngest to attempt a nap, and I took the two oldest to Captain Jill’s Galleon (the pirate ship). They LOVED IT, especially the middle child (redemption for not liking Splashaway Bay). We spent an hour here, going up and down the slides, the steps, playing with the water guns. They quickly made friends with other kids and playing with the water cannons

After an hour or so, we did another pivot over to Splashaway Bay to give the oldest a few more runs on the water slides and to see if the middle would like it (she did not). After 5 or 6 runs on the slide, we went back to check with the wife. We swung by Chill Grill again to grab some watermelon and a brownie for each girl, and the youngest was asleep on the wife, who was reading a book (sleeping baby, and a book, on a beach? Happy wife!)

After the snack, we split up, with the oldest going with the nanny to Splashaway Bay, and I took the middle back to Captain Jill’s pirate ship. Another hour of laughter and playtime! I wanted to check out Oasis Lagoon, so we broke away from the pirate ship and wandered past Captain Jacks up to Oasis. Wow, what an amazing pool! We came in on the zero entry side, with the “party” side seemingly so far away. The middle child found the life jackets (the ones that have floaties on the arms, just like at home!) and immediately ran into the pool and made friends. 

There really is something for everyone on this island!

We spent another 45 minutes at the pool, before realizing we were 45 minutes away from “All-aboard” at 4:30pm. We made our way lazily back to Chill Island by leaving out the south size of Oasis Lagoon (near the pier with the jet skis) and walked back to the beach chairs. We wrangled all of our towels, sunblock, etc and trudged reluctantly back to the ship. 

For a family of six with three young kids, this island is perfection. We didn’t have to worry about food, drinks, chairs, umbrellas, taxis, etc. All we had to bring was ourselves and our towels. There was ALWAYS something to do, and there were definitely things we didn’t explore. The water was a little cool, but the air temperature was perfect for us. It never felt unbearably hot, and nobody was losing their mind over heat exhaustion. “Perfect Day” is no joke!

We didn’t have any plans for the evening, so we lazily made our way to MDR for dinner, and then back to the room for a little TV and bed. 

Tomorrow is a sea day!

[MattG]

Passenger count is 2789

[MattG]

DAY SIX - SEA DAY (two days late)

Adventure Ocean was fully booked this morning, so this was one day we HAD to have the kids. Ugh. Breakfast at Windjammer again, then we decided to check out the pools first thing. We traded our towels for new ones, and made our way outside. It was windy! And a little chilly! Our youngest was having fun running around terrorizing anyone he could find, our middle child wasn’t interested in the pool, and the oldest couldn’t stop vibrating because she wanted to get in so bad. I joined her in the “tornado” pool for a bit, doing laps and chasing her around. We then all migrated inside to the indoor pool which was a bit warmer and calmer. Everyone made their way to the wading pool, and had a good time splashing around. We did get a talking-to by staff that our youngest wasn’t allowed in any of indoor pools due to his swim diaper. When we asked “Well, what pool CAN he use?”, we were directed to the “swim diaper pool” outside in the H20 Zone, next to the “wave pool”. 

Guys. It’s a 10-foot diameter circle with a single water feature. This is great for crawlers or someone learning to walk, but for it to be the ONLY pool a 2-year old can use is kinda lame. I completely understand the need to “contain the poo”, but it’s 70 degrees outside, windy, and the water’s a bit tepid. Plus, the “wave pool” is closed, so to play here means splitting up the family because this isn’t big enough for all of us. I don’t understand the wading pool in the indoor area if it can’t be used by the kind of kids that wading pools are designed for? A fellow live blogger sent over photos of the swim diaper area on Oasis, and it’s much larger, has a water slide, etc. This was one thing that got my wife real worked up and will be a mention in the survey. 

After rotating through the pools a few times, we decided to do Main Dining for lunch, as we had Chef’s Table for dinner. We were directed to Silk (Deck 4 Port), and felt like we had the place to ourselves! Lunch was good, not great. Service was incredible, as always. 

After lunch, there was a line dancing class in the SeaPlex, so we all went up to try it out. The kids had ZERO interest in participating, but luckily the nets were down and Pickleball was set up on the other half. The wife did a few line dances while the kids roamed around SeaPlex playing with Pickleball, Fooseball, and some other activities. We hung around here long after the dance class ended, and basketball started. 

At 4:15pm, we headed back to the rooms to get ready for Chef’s Table. Trying to wrangle three kids under 6 is a chore for anyone, so room service it is! We LOVE that it’s a single flat fee, as we can order a mountain and guaranteed to have something everyone would love. We placed the order on the TV (a first for me), and about 5 minutes later we received a call to confirm the order. We left the nanny and the kids with activities, Daniel Tiger, and a “Good luck!”

Chef’s Table is a private room at the end of Chops, and the entrance to Chops is right next to the Schooner Bar. Dinner is at 5:30pm, and the “meetup time” was 5:15pm. We rolled up a hair past 5:20pm, and not seeing anyone in Schooner Bar, went straight into Chops. We were ID’d as Chef’s Table participants, handed champagne, and escorted to the Chef’s Table room where all but one of the 14 seats were filled. We took our seats, and (like every Chef’s Table), sat in sober silence until someone started talking. The folks across from us were very chatty, and we had a great time socializing with them while the rest of the room started to loosen up. 

We started off with (what I think is) the pull-apart garlic bread from Jamie’s, with a side of herb butter. Amazing! I did my best to save a piece for each course, because I’m a sucker for cleaning my plate with bread

First course was a scallop carpaccio:

Second course was a smoked tomato soup, which was heavenly! the smoke was perfect, and the soup was rich and creamy. The dish was served with just the bowl and “dry” ingredients, with the soup poured tableside. The bread really helped here:

 

Third course was a lobster salad with a mango-type vinaigrette:

Fourth course was a branzino, that I forgot to take a photo of. Sorry!

Fifth course was the largest, most perfectly cooked fillet mignon I had ever eaten. Guys, this thing was like a softball!

Sixth course was “The World”, which I think comes from Wonderland. I grabbed a video of the reveal:

 

This is the second time we’ve done Chef’s Table (last was 2015 on Grandeur), and every time, it’s been an incredible experience. The food is unique and tasty, the wine pairings are on point, but the social aspect is the absolute best part. It’s always a diverse crowd that chooses to do Chef’s Table, and the conversations only get better after each course (and glass of wine!). Our total experience from first seating to walking out was 2.5 hours. 

One of our table mates had a 1BR Grand Suite on the same deck, so we walked over to check it out, and are quite jealous of the bathrooms you all get in the suite level After that, it was off to bed. 

Tomorrow is our last sea day!

 

 

[MattG]

Day 7 (Sea Day) and Day 8 (Disembarkation) will come tomorrow, apologies for the delay. I also plan to post all the docs we received, including the full collection of Cruise Compasses, as well as a debrief (what worked, what didn’t)

[WAAAYTOOO]

11 hours ago, MattG said:

the social aspect is the absolute best part. It’s always a diverse crowd that chooses to do Chef’s Table, and the conversations only get better after each course (and glass of wine!).

Believe it or not, I am really not a particularly social person....and I am TERRIBLE at small talk....but this is also the aspect of the CT that I always enjoy.  I am about as far from a "foodie" as you can get so the food itself at the CT is largely wasted on me and there are very few wines that I actually enjoy...but I truly do enjoy the people that we meet doing the CT.  It's always surprising to me how much I end up enjoying the meal.

[MattG]

DAY 7 - SEA DAY

Another day, another Windjammer. Everyone's settling into their routines of yogurt, waffles, and omelets. The greatest dynamic during breakfast is finding an open table that seats six! It's too cold to sit out back, so we grab another booth by the window and enjoy the view. 

After breakfast, we take one more trip to Deck 11 and drop the kids off at Adventure Ocean. Never any complaints or objections, they run right in every time. Can't be beat!

I had a massage scheduled for the morning, so I headed up to Vitality. It was a 50-minute swedish massage, and while i've never had a bad massage, this one wasn't exceptional. The treatment room was a little chilly, and i'm actually used to the treatment bed being heated? This one wasn't. The masseuse was kind, but a bit firm in tone. The massage was straight forward, pressure was excellent, but overall it didn't feel personalized, it felt very cookie-cutter. Afterwards was the standard retail pitch for products. When I politely declined, I was escorted back to the hallway, and the masseuse disappeared. The whole experience lacked warmth. 

Anyway, time for a drink! At the recommendation of another guest, I finally grabbed a frozen Coco Loco...holy crap you guys, where has this been my whole trip!? It was REALLY good! Definitely getting more of those in my future. Since it was the last day and I missed iFly and North Star complementary experiences AGAIN, I finally bit the bullet and paid for a North Star Extended Experience. I was joined by one other person, and was able to grab some really great shots from above. The attendant said her favorite times to be on North Star are in port (though Bayonne is really boring), and in Alaska. I'll post those photos later tonight. 

After the North Star experience, I went back to the stateroom for the post-massage shower to clean off the oil, change, and go pick up the kids. We COMPLETELY forgot about their pre-departure COVID tests, and heard the announcement around 11:30am for any kids not tested, as well as B2B cruisers. We took the mid-ship elevator down to Deck 2, and we were the only guests there! When I booked the appointments, there were appointment times every 15 minutes, and 300 slots available per appointment time (none of them close to being full). I was asked for the QR codes from my appointments, which I found in one of the signup emails, and each child was linked to a test kit. The nurse proceeded to "boogie test" each kid, much to their chagrin ("I ALREADY DID THE BOOGIE TEST! WHY DO I HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN!?"), and we were in-and-out in 15 minutes. Painless!

I cajoled the wife into letting me play Bingo with the kids, so after the COVID tests, we made our way to Two70 for lunch and Bingo. I grabbed a Kummelweck with garlic mayo and gravy, and YES PLEASE, I'll have another! So good! We grabbed our lunch and Bingo cards, and went to the balcony so the littlest can run around and not disturb as many people. After a while Bingo started and the girls alternated finding and dabbing the numbers Although we did not win (and the girls were VERY disappointed), much fun was had by all. 

The wife took our youngest back to the room for a nap attempt, and the rest stayed in Two70. I finally figured out how to get Expedition Two70 to work in the Royal app! I showed it to the girls, and they immediately ran off to find the masks. Each one was a really neat activity (if not a bit buggy). We finished Expedition Two70 after about 40 minutes, and went back to the room to tag out the wife and let the girls head up to the pool deck for one last dip. My intention during nap duty was to write out Day 6 and start packing, but the little dude fought hard on the naps, and I didn't get around to writing OR packing! I did start labeling the luggage tags and organizing the Cruise Compasses to bring home to scan. After an hour, the nanny tagged in for nap duty, bringing the girls back to change, with the promise of a surprise. They quickly changed, and we went off to the pool deck, and up to Johnny Rockets and pointed to the milkshake sign. After many gleeful squeals, and I asked them "Okay, you both have to agree: Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, or Cookies & Cream?" They settled on vanilla, and we were able to split the milkshake into two cups. We walked to the inside pool bar and I grabbed another frozen Coco Loco. By the time my drink was ready, the bartender saw the girls cups almost empty, and he said "What's that, a milkshake? I'll make you a BETTER milkshake!" So he made two more, and the girls swapped cups for ANOTHER milkshake. I'm pretty sure this is a mutual game - the girls love to be spoiled, and the bartenders love to spoil kids.

With another hour to kill before dinner prep, we lazily made our way down to Two70 to say goodbye to my favorite venue. We wandered over to the bar to hand over our cups, and the bartender said "What's that, a milkshake? I'll make you a BETTER milkshake!". I had to wave him off twice, saying "If they have any more, they won't eat dinner!" I settled on taking a few bottles of water, and the girls ran into a few friends from Adventure Ocean. They all frolicked around Two70 while I was able to decompress with some of the other parents. 

Two70 is such a great space. 

After an hour of playing, we said goodbye to the kids, the parents, and the venue, and headed up for dinner prep. We made our way down to Chic for our last MDR meal. I ended up YOLOing the menu and getting three apps, an entree, and two desserts The wife grabbed the steak, which was comically overcooked (a repeat from Day 2). The head waiter noticed, asked if she ordered it that way, and apologetically took the plate back for a re-fire. Steak #2 arrived, and when the wife prodded it to check for doneness, the head waiter offered to cut and check, and Steak #2 was also overdone. We had a good laugh (what else are you going to do), and I joked "They're going to bring you another fillet from Chef's Table next..." Steak #3 came out, and it was cooked perfectly medium rare. The head waiter was very apologetic, and I'm sure choice words were provided to whoever was firing the steaks. 

Dinner was excellent, and stuffed, we headed back to the room to pack. We set the kids up with the iPad while the wife and I packed as best we could. One of the best choices we made was to pack in duffel bags, the largest being a laundry basket throughout the week. Once everyone changed into pajamas, we closed the big duffel and started packing toiletries, nightlights, Cruise Compasses, etc into the various duffels. We ended up finishing around 10pm, after the kids went to bed. 

Tomorrow is Day 8 - Disembarkation!

[Yesiamthere]

12 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Believe it or not, I am really not a particularly social person....and I am TERRIBLE at small talk....but this is also the aspect of the CT that I always enjoy.  I am about as far from a "foodie" as you can get so the food itself at the CT is largely wasted on me and there are very few wines that I actually enjoy...but I truly do enjoy the people that we meet doing the CT.  It's always surprising to me how much I end up enjoying the meal.

I’m terrible at small talk too, nor am I a “foodie.”  I cannot tell the difference between a hundred dollar bottle of wine vs a twenty dollar bottle of wine.  I’m passing (I think) on the Chef’s table (the whole family is going) on our genie cruise this February.  They are all excited, but I it sounds too painful to sit for three hours listening to a story about each food item before I can eat it.  Maybe, I’ll end up trying it, because of the whole bonding with my kiddos thing.    

[karl_nj]

On 12/12/2021 at 11:27 PM, MattG said:

 

Adventure Ocean was fully booked this morning, so this was one day we HAD to have the kids. Ugh. Breakfast at Windjammer again, then we decided to check out the pools first thing. We traded our towels for new ones, and made our way outside. It was windy! And a little chilly! Our youngest was having fun running around terrorizing anyone he could find, our middle child wasn’t interested in the pool, and the oldest couldn’t stop vibrating because she wanted to get in so bad. I joined her in the “tornado” pool for a bit, doing laps and chasing her around. We then all migrated inside to the indoor pool which was a bit warmer and calmer. Everyone made their way to the wading pool, and had a good time splashing around. We did get a talking-to by staff that our youngest wasn’t allowed in any of indoor pools due to his swim diaper. When we asked “Well, what pool CAN he use?”, we were directed to the “swim diaper pool” outside in the H20 Zone, next to the “wave pool”. 

Guys. It’s a 10-foot diameter circle with a single water feature. This is great for crawlers or someone learning to walk, but for it to be the ONLY pool a 2-year old can use is kinda lame. I completely understand the need to “contain the poo”, but it’s 70 degrees outside, windy, and the water’s a bit tepid. Plus, the “wave pool” is closed, so to play here means splitting up the family because this isn’t big enough for all of us. I don’t understand the wading pool in the indoor area if it can’t be used by the kind of kids that wading pools are designed for? A fellow live blogger sent over photos of the swim diaper area on Oasis, and it’s much larger, has a water slide, etc. This was one thing that got my wife real worked up and will be a mention in the survey. 

 

 

So I hesitate to post this, since I fear it makes me sound like an old curmudgeon (which isn't my intent) but hopefully it's not that bad.

My kids are older... a teen and an almost-teen.  I've been traveling via cruise ship with them for 14 years.  My youngest finished her second cruise before she turned age 2.

I would have killed for a "swim diaper pool" on a ship back then.  There was nothing.  Crazy people on "cruise critic" would post about bringing along a tiny inflatable pool so their kid could play in some water.  I'm still not clear on what you were supposed to do with the water once they kid was finished playing.

QM2 had an an area that, I think, i was supposed to be one.  But there was still a sign that basically said no swim diapers/potty trained kids only.  I kinda think that maybe someone screwed up the design and it used the same 'system' as the main pool nearby, but that is just a guess.

Anthem is one of the few ships (other than QM2) that has an indoor pool that kids are allowed to use.  Some ships have no indoor pool at all -- others, it's limited to 16+ (or 18+).  I was so excited when I realized we were going to have a ship sailing from NJ that had an indoor pool my kids could use.

However, i'm sure "survey comments" are one of the reasons ships now kids in swim diapers have any areas in which to play in water... and indoor pools that kids can use—so, yeah, it's probably worth mentioning in the survey.  And I do totally get your annoyance about the situation.  If cruise lines want families with young children on their ships, it's  something they need to continue to make progress on.

 

[MattG]

DAY 8: DISEMBARKATION

Today was the first day in a week to not wake up to the gentle rocking of the ship - more like shudders, shakes, shimmies, and ding-dongs over the intercom announcing our arrival back to reality. Everyone woke up at the same time, and it was disorienting and sad to look around our now-boring, plain, empty stateroom. A weeks worth of dirty laundry, accumulated AO projects, vaccine bracelets, Cruise Compasses, etc, all packed somewhere in the bowels of the ship waiting to be loaded onto the car for the drive home. 

We all got dressed in our last outfits of the trip, and crammed everything leftover into one more duffel bag. We made our way up to the Windjammer and found a table amongst the chaos. This is the busiest we've seen the Windjammer all week (which makes sense), and there's a palpably different energy - everyone's thrown off today. There's suitcases everywhere, and the rhythm is off. However, we still have our wonderful greeters with the guitar at the handwashing station ("washy washy, happy happy!"), and our friend at the first station that greets everyone with a two-handed wave and a "Good MORNING! WELCOME to wind-JAMMER!" 

We grab our breakfast and find a seat that overlooks the New York skyline. The PA system calls out luggage tag numbers that slowly increment to ours (30, 8:45am estimated departure). The announcer is ahead of schedule, but we limp through breakfast, an attempt to squeeze every minute out of this perfect vacation. 

Just as we wrap breakfast, the PA says "All luggage tags are now free to disembark", about 20 minutes ahead of schedule. We ensure we have all of our bags, and head towards the elevator, saying goodbye to all the helpers that made our week so effortless. Throughout the morning, I think about how unique embarkation day is for the crew - saying goodbye to friends you've made during the week, only to greet an entirely new passenger manifest in 3 hours time. Every stateroom is turned over, every inch of the ship cleaned and inspected, so it appears new and fresh to the next week's worth of passengers. Every person getting on the ship having the same experience we did when we boarded one week ago thinking "this is just for us...". I can't think of another vacation where we had such great, consistent staff every single day. To most of them, we're one table at MDR, or one set of staterooms on one cruise, but to us, we will remember them forever. 

As we hit Deck 5, I turn and take one last look down the Via, the same look that makes my heart skip a beat every time I see it. I hand out SeaPass cards to everyone one final time, and we zip through the check-out, onto the deck, and then the gangway. My wife says "I'm going to miss the rocking of the ship...", to which I immediately started jumping up down on the gangway to make it sway  We make our way back to the escalator, down the corridor usually used for suite guests during embarkation, and out to luggage pickup. We wrangle a porter to grab our mountain of bags, and head through what I guess is "Customs" - There are people with what look to be oversized, stand-up cameras with a small screen beneath showing what the camera sees. Each person in our party pauses, looks at the camera, and they get a green light. It literally takes 2-3 seconds per person, no passports needed. Whatever AI/ML they're using behind the scenes to ID each person is insane. No questions asked, we're through in 15 seconds, max.

I run up to get the car. We load the bags into the car, tip the porter, and head out of the garage. Parking was $175 for the week. 

We end up driving into NYC and hitting up the Bryant Park christmas shops, grab a pizza from Joe's in the Village, and haul ass down the turnpike headed home. Just as we leave NYC, in the distance, we see the Anthem one final time, the North Star extended up in the air like a hand waving one final goodbye. 

[MattG]

16 minutes ago, karl_nj said:

So I hesitate to post this, since I fear it makes me sound like an old curmudgeon (which isn't my intent) but hopefully it's not that bad.

It's all good, man. I appreciate all feedback!

19 minutes ago, karl_nj said:

Anthem is one of the few ships (other than QM2) that has an indoor pool that kids are allowed to use.  Some ships have no indoor pool at all -- others, it's limited to 16+ (or 18+).  I was so excited when I realized we were going to have a ship sailing from NJ that had an indoor pool my kids could use.

Our two oldest (3.5 and 5) took advantage of ALL of the pools, including the indoor pools! Our oldest loved the "tornado" pool next to the H20 Zone, it was her favorite! My main concern was the only pool our youngest (2) could use was outside, away from most of the other pools. Even though there's a wading pool next to the inside pool that he LOVED using with his sisters, and that's all we really wanted - a place all three could play together. 

20 minutes ago, karl_nj said:

However, i'm sure "survey comments" are one of the reasons ships now kids in swim diapers have any areas in which to play in water... and indoor pools that kids can use—so, yeah, it's probably worth mentioning in the survey.  And I do totally get your annoyance about the situation.  If cruise lines want families with young children on their ships, it's  something they need to continue to make progress on.

100% agree, and if you look at the later Quantum class ships (Ovation, Spectrum, Odyssey), or the amplified Oasis (basically any ship built after Anthem ), they all have Splashaway Bay and a much more elaborate kids pool area. This is one of the key reasons we're doing Oasis next fall. We certainly voiced this concern in our survey, and based on the most recent ships, they definitely listen! Here's hoping Anthem gets amplified in the next 5-7 years, we'd love to cruise on her again!

[WAAAYTOOO]

9 hours ago, Yesiamthere said:

I’m terrible at small talk too, nor am I a “foodie.”  I cannot tell the difference between a hundred dollar bottle of wine vs a twenty dollar bottle of wine.  I’m passing (I think) on the Chef’s table (the whole family is going) on our genie cruise this February.  They are all excited, but I it sounds too painful to sit for three hours listening to a story about each food item before I can eat it.  Maybe, I’ll end up trying it, because of the whole bonding with my kiddos thing.    

I totally sympathize.  I would encourage you to go this one time.  If you are really having a BAD time you can always excuse yourself but honestly, I don't think you will find that necessary.  As I said, I was very surprised that I could tolerate it much less enjoy it.  Try it once.  You don't ever have to do it again if you really don't enjoy it.  Especially since you are basically getting it for free (except for the $25 wine upcharge).  Of course, I realize nothing is free...but it's your one chance to try it out without much of a $$ cost.

[MattG]

Cruise Compass from the whole week - @Matt feel free to post on the main site's CC directory, just credit "Matt G".

AN-5Dec2021-CruiseCompass.pdf

Entertainment Schedule

AN-5Dec2021-Entertainment.pdf

 

@AshleyDillo @SpeedNoodles @Lovetocruise2002 

I can't seem to download/view these attachments - anything I need to do to fix it?

[D Alt]

9 hours ago, MattG said:

DAY 8: DISEMBARKATION

I run up to get the car. We load the bags into the car, tip the porter, and head out of the garage. Parking was $175 for the week. 

 

So even though you technically were parked in the lot for 8 days, they only charged 175?  so it's not 25 per day or was it discounted for the week? 

[MattG]

 

4 minutes ago, D Alt said:

So even though you technically were parked in the lot for 8 days, they only charged 175?  so it's not 25 per day or was it discounted for the week? 

I knew I took this picture for a reason!

[D Alt]

much better than 200. 

[MattG]

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! 

 

[D Alt]

did you have to go through "customs" on the return in Jersey?  I was wondering if i buy some alcohol in Nassau, will i have to declare it. probably only one bottle anyway. 

[MattG]

5 hours ago, D Alt said:

did you have to go through "customs" on the return in Jersey?  I was wondering if i buy some alcohol in Nassau, will i have to declare it. probably only one bottle anyway. 

We didn’t have to fill out any forms, or really do any kind of passport control. When we got off the ship, and got back into the terminal, we were routed down the same corridor that suite guests use during embarkation, turned  right, and we’re at our luggage pick up. We snagged a porter, and got all of our bags. We were then directed to a line that had a camera on a stick. Each person had to stop and smile for the camera for a moment, and that was the extent of our customs experience. We then went to our car and drove home. 

[fa-li]

On 12/15/2021 at 1:23 PM, MattG said:

 

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! 

 

 I love the way you wrote these tips to your future self! Many years ago, when my daughter was young, we did regular Disney trips.  I kept a notebook where I wrote to my "next trip self."  Reading through several years worth of these tips now is such a time capsule.  The days are long with little ones, but the years are short, and we don't remember everything.  Some day you will look back on these and wistfully hum the Daniel the Tiger theme.  (for me, it was Bear in the Big Blue house on a portable VHS player )

I've so enjoyed your upbeat report - thank you for taking us along!

 

[MyRCBlogPenName]

Excellent review/blog. Thank you so very much for this.
To clarify: AO did not have reservations available for you to choose for the week? You could only show up that morning and hope there were slots?

Thank you in advance!

[MattG]

11 hours ago, MyRCBlogPenName said:

Excellent review/blog. Thank you so very much for this.
To clarify: AO did not have reservations available for you to choose for the week? You could only show up that morning and hope there were slots?

Thank you in advance!

When we went in early December, we could book up to 12 hours of reservation time in advance (3-hour blocks) for the whole cruise, with the understanding that starting Day 4 more hours MAY become available (they did). 

We booked Day 2, 3 and 4 mornings on Day 1, and Day 6 and 7 mornings on Day 4 (I think)

 

@dancernljust got off Anthem, they may have more recent experience. 

[Mrs. Regular]

Thanks @mattg! Unfortunately I didn't have AO aged kids with me on my last trip so I can't answer this for you. Good luck!

[eroadz]

On 12/5/2021 at 2:37 PM, MattG said:

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. 

we got an email for the test from BioReference, in the email it stated only unvaccinated children but ours are vaccinated, do they still need to do the test??

[MattG]

@Matt and others have cruised recently with kids 5-12 who have been vaccinated, he may have a better idea of how to "flag" that your kids are vaccinated.

[Yesiamthere]

On 12/13/2021 at 11:04 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

Believe it or not, I am really not a particularly social person....and I am TERRIBLE at small talk....but this is also the aspect of the CT that I always enjoy.  I am about as far from a "foodie" as you can get so the food itself at the CT is largely wasted on me and there are very few wines that I actually enjoy...but I truly do enjoy the people that we meet doing the CT.  It's always surprising to me how much I end up enjoying the meal.

You sound just like me!  Small talk is hard for me, even though people would say I’m outgoing.   Chef’s table was a failure for all eleven at the table.  Ours lasted for four hours.  I’m just not that interested in hearing all about the dish I’m getting ready to eat.  But I can see a foodie and wine person totally enjoying the whole production.  

[WAAAYTOOO]

11 hours ago, Yesiamthere said:

 I’m just not that interested in hearing all about the dish I’m getting ready to eat. 

LOL.  I understand completely !

This is another reason that we quit going to the MDR (aside from the often dreadful food).  I know I will get some blow-back from some on this but I really do not enjoy it when the waiters try and make small talk with me.  I don't want to discuss how my day went, what I did, how beautiful the weather is (or isn't) or anything else, really.  I know they are just trying to do their job joyfully and some really enjoy interacting with them in this way.  GOOD FOR THEM.  I hope they get to continue to enjoy their interactions....but I truly do not.  I just want to order my food, have it brought to me HOT and leave me alone unless I need something.  I am never rude.  I just don't really enjoy this kind of interaction.  There seems to be less of this at the specialties.  My guess is they want to get you in and out and that's just fine with me !

[MattG]

25 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

LOL.  I understand completely !

This is another reason that we quit going to the MDR (aside from the often dreadful food).  I know I will get some blow-back from some on this but I really do not enjoy it when the waiters try and make small talk with me.  I don't want to discuss how my day went, what I did, how beautiful the weather is (or isn't) or anything else, really.  I know they are just trying to do their job joyfully and some really enjoy interacting with them in this way.  GOOD FOR THEM.  I hope they get to continue to enjoy their interactions....but I truly do not.  I just want to order my food, have it brought to me HOT and leave me alone unless I need something.  I am never rude.  I just don't really enjoy this kind of interaction.  There seems to be less of this at the specialties.  My guess is they want to get you in and out and that's just fine with me !

I understand this perspective 100%, and when i'm solo my interovert comes out in full force. 

However, to play the flip-side of this coin, some of the most memorable interactions i've had have been with my MDR wait staff. They were incredibly patient, kind, and playful while we were wrangling our three kids to dinner. Most people I know with multiple kids knows that eating out at dinner is a combination of wrangling, herding, bribing, coaxing, and cajoling. As I wrote in this blog, the MDR staff at our table made our meals effortless. By Day 3, our kids wanted to go to the MDR, sit nicely(!), and enjoy dinner. We could NOT have done this without the direct involvement of our MDR staff. 

We're doing UDP on our next cruise, and I can't wait to see how this plays out in specialty restaurants - I'm SO excited to try better food because, well, MDR food has its hits and misses. 

[Yesiamthere]

Our Genie figured out fast that we were not looking to be his “friend.”  Actually, he seemed a bit relieved.  Every night he met us at dinner where we gave him our snack and breakfast orders then he went on his way.  There’s always one room that wants the Genie’s attention constantly.  One Genie told me that he received a seven page letter with all their requests.  Seven pages.  I told our Genie before we cruised that we wanted to eat at 6pm every night and snacks in the room in the evening.  Preordered two birthday cakes and asked for early shows.  Told him we had one excursion but would leave ship each day at port to walk.  Bang, we were done!  

When we eat in the dining room hubby and I are a bit more chatty but immediately request a “faster” served dinner.  I’m done with my salad here comes the next course!