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Regular people cruising - Anthem of the Seas Feb 20-27, 2022


Mrs. Regular

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Hiya! Welcome! We are 25 days away from our long awaited family adventure on this ship and itinerary. Way back in June 2019 we decided to take our family on a cruise for a big vacation. We normally don't take large trips as a family for several reasons - budget, schedules, sports, etc. - but we have done 1 trip each to Disney World and Disneyland as well as some spouse getaways without the kiddos to Europe and Hawaii. Otherwise we stick to our local staycations to ski areas in the northeast and Jersey shore beaches. The opportunity came up to take the family on a vacation during President's week 2021, so I worked on booking it super fast. We had booked a balcony for my husband and me and the teens across the hall in an interior virtual balcony cabin. We all know what happened next. We tried to rebook twice only to be canceled, lifted and shifted, FCC, you name it. We waited two years and finally decided to try again once the restart had been going for a while and we knew we would feel comfortable with the current protocols and requirements. So I called my TA and we booked this sailing. The price was really good at the time and we got some discounts through promotions so we decided to bring the kids over to our side and got 2 connecting balcony cabins on deck 8. 

Researching and reading the trip reports on RCB have been fun and a great way to take a look at the ship and what it has to offer. This community is super knowledgeable! But I noticed the vast majority of them are in suite class and above, which is not our bag. If it's yours, great. Live your best life! But there isn't much from other perspectives out there. As I mention in the title, this will be a report about regular people taking a cruise. No stars, no skies, no Genies - just two good old rooms without much fanfare. No Coastal Kitchen, UDP, no Beach Club. Just some fun extras on Coco Cay and a couple beverage packages. There will much Main Dining and Windjammer food appearances, and all the shows and entertainment we can handle.

So here's who we are:

  • Me! I'm Nikki. Wife to J (aka Husband) and step-mom to SK1 and SK2. I work at a university and love all things Disney, ballet, figure skating, cooking, books, and beaches. I thrive in hot weather so I hope to catch some really warm days this week. The northeast is bitterly cold right now! This will be my second cruise with RCC and first time on a huge ship like Anthem.
  • J (aka Husband). Dad to SK1 and SK2. Works in IT. Loves all things winter and snow sports. Very kindly allows me to drag him to hot places occasionally. This is also his second cruise with RCC and first time on a huge ship like Anthem.
  • SK1 (step-kid 1). 16 year old girl, loves all things theatre & dance. Super extroverted, can't wait to meet other kids on this trip and be lifelong SnapChat friends. Never been on a vacation like this before.
  • SK2 (step-kid 2). 14 year old guy, obsessed with sports. Baseball is life. Also excels at basketball and is eager to play pickup games at any time. Looking forward to eating a lot of pizza and going to the gym. Never been on a vacation like this before.

Here's what we have planned:

  • Driving from home to the port in Bayonne. I'll already be in NYC for an unrelated trip so I'll meet Husband and the kiddos there. We have a 1 p.m. checkin time.
  • Day 2 - cruising. We will explore the ship and scope out opportunities for fun in the SeaPlex, see shows, do trivia, relax in pools and Solarium, etc.
  • Day 3 - Port Canaveral. We are leaving Bayonne later than 3 p.m. so this pushes back our arrival time in Florida to 3 p.m. this day. Have Space Center Shuttle and free time booked through Royal. As of now they are saying the excursion will still happen but remains to be seen. If the Space Center is only open until 5 p.m. I don't see how this can still be feasible. Husband had been looking forward to this so we may have to save it for another trip.
  • Day 4 - Coco Cay. We did splurge a little here and took advantage of Black Friday sales. We booked a Day Bed at Breezy Bay and Thrill Waterpark tickets for all 4 of us. 
  • Day 5 - Nassau. We have the Reef Snorkel excursion booked through Royal.
  • Days 6-7 cruising. Much of a day 2 repeat here, nothing special booked except doing what we want.
  • Day 8 - debarkation and driving home. We will be in no hurry to leave and will request the highest luggage tag numbers possible. Best way to avoid a 4 hour drive with cranky, sleep deprived teens.

Other stuff:

Husband and I have deluxe beverage package, kiddos have Refreshment. I ordered champagne and strawberries for our room to celebrate surviving one heck of a time these past 2 years as well as celebrate all the things we achieved personally and professionally that we had to keep low-key at home in 2020 and 2021. I also hope to book at Next Cruise a trip for my 40th birthday in summer 2023 while onboard. 

We are all checked in and at-home tests arrived a couple weeks ago (so glad I ordered them early!). Now all we need is to stay healthy for the next 3.5 weeks, God willing. Hope to post some other updates as we approach the final countdown later. Please feel free to comment away and give your best tips for cruising with fickle teens, husbands who don't like temperatures north of 65 degrees, and any Port Canaveral backups in case KSC won't work out. We are in port from 3pm-9 pm. Staying on the ship or getting off just long enough to connect back to data plans (because we are evil parents and only bought internet for us and no we are NOT sharing the password with teens - get off your phone!) might be all we need anyway.

Thanks for reading!

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@dancernl.....congrats on your upcoming cruise on Anthem with the family.  Sounds like you have a great trip planned on a fantastic ship.

We did the same itinerary with our kids on Anthem a couple of months BEFORE Covid hit.  They were 20 (daughter) and 17 (son)) at the time.  We were in a balcony cabin, and the kids in a virtual balcony down the hall.  FWIW, they liked our room better.  We went to Kennedy Space Center but have also been to Ron Jon's Surf Shop on another trip.  

Best wishes for a great trip and feel free to ask me anything about kid related activities (our son loved the Seaplex for basketball) or the ship itself.

Stay safe!

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19 hours ago, dancernl said:
  • SK2 (step-kid 2). 14 year old guy, obsessed with sports. Baseball is life. Also excels at basketball and is eager to play pickup games at any time. Looking forward to eating a lot of pizza and going to the gym. Never been on a vacation like this before.

Hi @dancernl 😊

I have Anthem booked for September, also in a run-of-the-mill cabin, so will be following your blog with interest. Hope you have a great time.

As a gym-goer myself, normally the age for unaccompanied gym use on board is 16, so your SK2 may need to have an adult with him. That said, ever since Royal began introducing paid stuff like foot analyses, the instructors have been conspicuous by their absence (that's a whole other rant) so you might never see one. Also, if he's a big lad, which he probably is if basketball is his thing, and clearly knows what he's doing, chances are they wouldn't say anything anyway, but just so you're aware. The gyms on board are fantastic so I'm sure he'll love it.

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13 hours ago, Va4fam said:

@dancernl.....congrats on your upcoming cruise on Anthem with the family.  Sounds like you have a great trip planned on a fantastic ship.

We did the same itinerary with our kids on Anthem a couple of months BEFORE Covid hit.  They were 20 (daughter) and 17 (son)) at the time.  We were in a balcony cabin, and the kids in a virtual balcony down the hall.  FWIW, they liked our room better.  We went to Kennedy Space Center but have also been to Ron Jon's Surf Shop on another trip.  

Best wishes for a great trip and feel free to ask me anything about kid related activities (our son loved the Seaplex for basketball) or the ship itself.

Stay safe!

Thank you! We can't wait. We are looking forward to taking the divider out between the rooms so we have one big balcony. Husband already has it on his wish list to order room service for breakfast and eat on the balcony together once we are in warm enough weather. I don't know if KSC will work out, I have yet to hear from Royal about changes to the excursion given our new later arrival at PC. I'll post updates once I have them and then consider alternatives if needed. If we are able to cruise again in summer 2023 it will likely be on this itinerary again so we will have another chance to go.

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2 hours ago, FionaMG said:

Hi @dancernl 😊

I have Anthem booked for September, also in a run-of-the-mill cabin, so will be following your blog with interest. Hope you have a great time.

As a gym-goer myself, normally the age for unaccompanied gym use on board is 16, so your SK2 may need to have an adult with him. That said, ever since Royal began introducing paid stuff like foot analyses, the instructors have been conspicuous by their absence (that's a whole other rant) so you might never see one. Also, if he's a big lad, which he probably is if basketball is his thing, and clearly knows what he's doing, chances are they wouldn't say anything anyway, but just so you're aware. The gyms on board are fantastic so I'm sure he'll love it.

Another Regular! Welcome 🙂 Thanks for the info on the gym, I appreciate it. Hopefully his app will allow him to reserve a time. If not, I'll go with him. I'm a fitness instructor in my spare time so I will also be going to the gym in between feedings. He is 14 but looks 20! He isn't into classes so I imagine he'll be on the rowing machines and lifting weights.

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Yay, another commoner! 😆 Following!

We did Anthem 2 months ago (pre-Omicron). We're a little different (2 adults, 3 kids under 6, one nanny), but you might get some mileage out of my  live-blog, check out the last page for some post-mortem cruise tips:

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/26535-6-person-family-trip-on-anthem-of-the-seas-5-december-2021

From an iFly/North Star standpoint: set an alarm for 7:55am every day and hit the Royal app at 8:00am precisely to book the complimentary times, they fill up fast!

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22 minutes ago, dancernl said:

Another Regular! Welcome 🙂 Thanks for the info on the gym, I appreciate it. Hopefully his app will allow him to reserve a time. If not, I'll go with him. I'm a fitness instructor in my spare time so I will also be going to the gym in between feedings. He is 14 but looks 20! He isn't into classes so I imagine he'll be on the rowing machines and lifting weights.

I will become a Sky or Star when I win the lottery! 😂

Since you mentioned rowing machines, another "just so you're aware" is that there tend not to be many rowing machines in the gyms on Royal's ships; the most I've ever seen on any given ship is two, although that said I have not been on Anthem so I could be wrong as far as that ship is concerned. They have dozens of treadmills, cross-trainers and bikes though, and the free weights and machines are pretty decent.

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2 hours ago, MattG said:

Yay, another commoner! 😆 Following!

We did Anthem 2 months ago (pre-Omicron). We're a little different (2 adults, 3 kids under 6, one nanny), but you might get some mileage out of my  live-blog, check out the last page for some post-mortem cruise tips:

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/26535-6-person-family-trip-on-anthem-of-the-seas-5-december-2021

From an iFly/North Star standpoint: set an alarm for 7:55am every day and hit the Royal app at 8:00am precisely to book the complimentary times, they fill up fast!

I'm so glad you're here! I just read your report yesterday. It was so helpful and I will go back for reference over the next 3 weeks, I'm sure. I am going to really try for complimentary times. I think Husband is the only one keen for the iFly, I want to do North Star and don't mind at all if it's in port. SK2 and Husband want to do Flow Rider but I don't anticipate any issues there.

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Looking forward to your review on Anthem.  This is the one ship we keep trying to get on.  Had it booked March 2020 but of course didn't make it.  Almost got on her in Dec but had to cancel a few days before.  And have a couple bookings this year, next one in March but most likely not going to make it due to being Canadian and border rules.  Like you have been to Disney World and Disneyland once...cruises and Disney are our other favorite holidays and have plans to return to WDW this summer.

Also like you, we stick with non-suite rooms.  Will get 2 balcony rooms if we can but sometimes all four of us in one, or 2 interiors.  I love hearing of others experiences in those fancy suites but don't think that'll ever be us.  We actually enjoy the MDR, and it's nice to have the same waiter.

In March 2020 we had Kennedy Space Center booked. Have heard it's great.  Too bad about your hours as not enough time (same thing on our upcoming March cruise).

You must be counting down now.  Stay healthy, and look forward to following along.  Anthem looks amazing.

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1 hour ago, WannaCruise said:

Looking forward to your review on Anthem.  This is the one ship we keep trying to get on.  Had it booked March 2020 but of course didn't make it.  Almost got on her in Dec but had to cancel a few days before.  And have a couple bookings this year, next one in March but most likely not going to make it due to being Canadian and border rules.  Like you have been to Disney World and Disneyland once...cruises and Disney are our other favorite holidays and have plans to return to WDW this summer.

Also like you, we stick with non-suite rooms.  Will get 2 balcony rooms if we can but sometimes all four of us in one, or 2 interiors.  I love hearing of others experiences in those fancy suites but don't think that'll ever be us.  We actually enjoy the MDR, and it's nice to have the same waiter.

In March 2020 we had Kennedy Space Center booked. Have heard it's great.  Too bad about your hours as not enough time (same thing on our upcoming March cruise).

You must be counting down now.  Stay healthy, and look forward to following along.  Anthem looks amazing.

Thank you! There have been so many disappointments about plans (today included, I just had to cancel ticket to New York City Ballet next weekend and I'm devastated), I really need this one to go off without a hitch. I'm honestly feeling really tapped out with being flexible and then having to pretend to be ok with it. 

I think at most we'd ever book would be a Jr suite (or the cheapest sky class suite if we ever hit it big), just for the double points if we ever want to get out of lowly Gold status. But really, a balcony and a beverage package is all I need to be happy! On Oasis and Quantum class ships I can't imagine I'd spend much time in the room so all the bells and whistles that come with a suite are lost on us right now. I'm not the sleep-in type at the moment, I want to get out and explore. Maybe when we are looking for a different kind of cruise experience or want a more exclusive "ship within a ship" type of vacation we will consider a Loft or something like that. We are also the Value resort at Disney kind of people so I feel like we're on brand with our regular people vacation style 🙂

We also liked being in the MDR for the consistency in wait staff! On our Mediterranean cruise the staff were fantastic and always had our favorite drinks on the table when we arrived, after night 2 didn't even ask us for refills and after dinner coffees they just magically appeared. I felt like they knew what we wanted to eat better than we did some times. I think in the future we may dabble with a 3 night dining package as a treat. 

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4 hours ago, dancernl said:

Thank you! There have been so many disappointments about plans (today included, I just had to cancel ticket to New York City Ballet next weekend and I'm devastated), I really need this one to go off without a hitch. I'm honestly feeling really tapped out with being flexible and then having to pretend to be ok with it. 

I think at most we'd ever book would be a Jr suite (or the cheapest sky class suite if we ever hit it big), just for the double points if we ever want to get out of lowly Gold status. But really, a balcony and a beverage package is all I need to be happy! On Oasis and Quantum class ships I can't imagine I'd spend much time in the room so all the bells and whistles that come with a suite are lost on us right now. I'm not the sleep-in type at the moment, I want to get out and explore. Maybe when we are looking for a different kind of cruise experience or want a more exclusive "ship within a ship" type of vacation we will consider a Loft or something like that. We are also the Value resort at Disney kind of people so I feel like we're on brand with our regular people vacation style 🙂

We also liked being in the MDR for the consistency in wait staff! On our Mediterranean cruise the staff were fantastic and always had our favorite drinks on the table when we arrived, after night 2 didn't even ask us for refills and after dinner coffees they just magically appeared. I felt like they knew what we wanted to eat better than we did some times. I think in the future we may dabble with a 3 night dining package as a treat. 

Totally understand.  It's sooo disappointing when you are looking forward to something and you have to cancel (sorry about the ballet).  And the cruises lost. Your step kids are similar ages to our kids and I feel like there aren't many trips left with special family time.

Same with the staterooms.  DH and I did stay in a JS once as we got a great deal on Adventure.  The extra space was really nice, but also spend more time out and about, so we feel the same.  The beverage package is a nice treat. DH and I have purchased it for our next two Anthem options as a gift for all the cruise we've missed.

Yes, it's nice how the waiters learn what you like and always try to please.  

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HI! I'm sailing on the same cruise with my son(16) and sister (they're first time cruisers). This is actually almost the exact sailing I did 2 years ago, the same week, just before COVID shut the world down. THAT was my first cruise...and I went solo! It was an 8 night sailing from Cape Liberty down to Port Canaveral and Nassau and Perfect Day At Cococay. And it was absolutely MARVELOUS!!! I'm an introvert and I enjoy solo getaways so I was fine with that part. The shocker was that I enjoyed it so much being that it was my first cruise and I am a self-proclaimed aquaphobe. LOL. I can't float. I can't swim. I'm terrified of water. I can get in the water, as long as it doesn't go past my chin with my feet planted firmly on the bottom, LOL. I'm a lost cause, trust me. Siblings and I took swim lessons growing up - I flunked terribly. I don't even like being splashed. My dad has a bunch of swim trophies from high school...My mom is a decent swimmer. BUT this girl got on that ship and never looked back. Best 8 days I've ever spent by myself. 

Anywho, it's a great sailing. A bit chilly the first couple of days but I'll take chilly on a beautiful cruise ship over these dirty mounds of snow here in NY anyday! I'm also crazy about hot weather, so anything that takes me to a tropical location, I'm all for! I love the beach, the sand, the sun, and a good Bahama Mama or Goombay Smash! 

We also have the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle excursion booked through Royal...I didn't realize they close at 5pm though - so I may consider canceling that reservation. When I did this sailing before, I booked the shuttle over to Universal Resort Orlando and did a solo day there - single rider lines were my saving grace! Had a great time and did pretty much everything I wanted to do there before having to catch the shuttle back to the port. I've been looking at other things in the vicinity of Port Canaveral and finding the experiences I know my son would love are closed or have reduced hours due to COVID...The reduced hours wouldn't be so bad if we were still getting into port by noon, but now that we won't be there until 3pm, options are super limited.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip!! I'm so tired of counting down, LOL. LET'S GO ALREADY! 

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11 hours ago, DaniGyrl82 said:

HI! I'm sailing on the same cruise with my son(16) and sister (they're first time cruisers). This is actually almost the exact sailing I did 2 years ago, the same week, just before COVID shut the world down. THAT was my first cruise...and I went solo! It was an 8 night sailing from Cape Liberty down to Port Canaveral and Nassau and Perfect Day At Cococay. And it was absolutely MARVELOUS!!! I'm an introvert and I enjoy solo getaways so I was fine with that part. The shocker was that I enjoyed it so much being that it was my first cruise and I am a self-proclaimed aquaphobe. LOL. I can't float. I can't swim. I'm terrified of water. I can get in the water, as long as it doesn't go past my chin with my feet planted firmly on the bottom, LOL. I'm a lost cause, trust me. Siblings and I took swim lessons growing up - I flunked terribly. I don't even like being splashed. My dad has a bunch of swim trophies from high school...My mom is a decent swimmer. BUT this girl got on that ship and never looked back. Best 8 days I've ever spent by myself. 

Anywho, it's a great sailing. A bit chilly the first couple of days but I'll take chilly on a beautiful cruise ship over these dirty mounds of snow here in NY anyday! I'm also crazy about hot weather, so anything that takes me to a tropical location, I'm all for! I love the beach, the sand, the sun, and a good Bahama Mama or Goombay Smash! 

We also have the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle excursion booked through Royal...I didn't realize they close at 5pm though - so I may consider canceling that reservation. When I did this sailing before, I booked the shuttle over to Universal Resort Orlando and did a solo day there - single rider lines were my saving grace! Had a great time and did pretty much everything I wanted to do there before having to catch the shuttle back to the port. I've been looking at other things in the vicinity of Port Canaveral and finding the experiences I know my son would love are closed or have reduced hours due to COVID...The reduced hours wouldn't be so bad if we were still getting into port by noon, but now that we won't be there until 3pm, options are super limited.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful trip!! I'm so tired of counting down, LOL. LET'S GO ALREADY! 

Hello, fellow sailor! I am SO READY TO GO especially with this winter storm hitting us up in the I81 corridor tonight.  Only 16 days to go!

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2 weeks from today we will be enjoying our first full day at sea! I can almost feel the sun on my face already. It was a heck of a wintery weekend here in the northeast, I got a foot+ of snow at my house Friday. Once it passed Saturday I drove down to NYC (got to go to the ballet after all) and it was COLD! 

A few planning developments and breaking news: just about every Port Canaveral excursion but 4 have been cancelled. I got the email last night. So no Kennedy Space Center, which not only was I looking forward to seeing it but also torturing teens on forced family fun. Sometimes I thrive in evil step-mother mode. 

I am striking out big time trying to come up with a Plan B. I can't convince Husband to stay on board, since he thinks we have too many sea days on this itinerary already he wants to be on terra firma *insert eye-rolls here*. Not much is open past 5 p.m. and we have 5:30 p.m. dinner seating so we have approximately 60-90 minutes to get off the ship to do something. We will not be going to dinner on land - we already paid for dinner on the ship! We tried looking into jet ski rental for SK2 but the minimum age is either 16 or 18 so he's too young. Even though here in NYS we have lakes everywhere and he knows how to drive them solo and safely so that's going to be a bummer. I'd love to find a place close by to see if there are any Manatees around. Or, maybe we just get off and stay at the port and I'll let Husband realize for himself it's not worth it and maybe he will turn right back around! At most all I can envision is taking an Uber down the road to Cocoa Beach. 

While I was in the City this weekend I had to figure out a travel plan for our departure day. I will be in NYC that weekend for an unrelated trip (again to see NYCB, I'm obsessed) and Husband is driving to NJ with the SK's. I've been researching and asking around in the FB roll call group on preferred ways to get from mid-town to Bayonne. Most recommend Uber, taxi, light rail to Jersey City and then Uber or Taxi. All sounds expensive but sometimes it can't be helped. Well, I think I will do NONE OF THOSE, lol. I discovered the ferries this weekend that go from various points in NJ to the West Side and back. They are cheap, schedules are frequent, and Husband can pick me up in NJ on his way down to Bayonne. BINGO WINGO problem solved. I'll grab the noon ferry from 39th over to Weehawken and Husband will swing by and pick me up. From there it's another 15-20 minutes to the cruise port.

Now to start packing!

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I did this same cruise back in 2018. It was an 8 night back then so we got to PC early in the AM. Its a shame that they took that extra day out. The space center really is a great place to go, and perfect for torturing the teenagers. Do what you can to get Ifly and the North Star in, those are really fun experiences. Make sure you are topside for sail away, going under the bridge is an interesting perspective. Have a great cruise!! We are sailing the same week, but Oasis out of Florida. We are crazy and driving from Albany NY all the way down. I too am ready to get away from the cold and snow for a bit.

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22 hours ago, dancernl said:

So no Kennedy Space Center, which not only was I looking forward to seeing it but also torturing teens on forced family fun

I'm really frustrated by the arrival times of Oasis/Anthem from NJ into Port Canaveral. The earliest i've seen is 12:00pm, and we normally do dinner at 5:30pm. It makes it very hard get in a worthwhile visit to KSC. Our last trip on Anthem departed late, so we didn't arrive until 2:00pm, so KSC was a bust. 

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On 2/7/2022 at 11:59 AM, dancernl said:

I am striking out big time trying to come up with a Plan B. I can't convince Husband to stay on board, since he thinks we have too many sea days on this itinerary already he wants to be on terra firma *insert eye-rolls here*. Not much is open past 5 p.m. and we have 5:30 p.m. dinner seating so we have approximately 60-90 minutes to get off the ship to do something.

It may not be too interesting, but the Exploration Tower is right at the port. The exhibits are closed but the 7th floor observation deck is open and admission is currently free. You can go up and get a high up view of the port and see all the way to Kennedy Space Center.  https://www.explorationtower.com/

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Thanks everyone for the suggestions. We're sad this port stop seems like a waste of time. If the main point is a resupply and crew/entertainment exchange, I wish they would just call it as such and not have guests disembark for very little pay off. Passengers are charged tax and port fees and most don't even recommend getting off? It's frustrating.

We've done some more research and spoke with some friends that recommend going down to Cocoa Beach to kill some time. We will likely wander around the Ron Jon shop, walk the piers, window shop, and then head back to the ship for a later Windjammer dinner. 

11 days to go!

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Looking forward to it! I agree, most blogging perspectives here seem to be suite class and above. From the first 10 blogs at the time of the comment, 7 are confirmed suites, 2 were not and one I couldn’t determine yet. A suite experience is nice to read every now and then, but I do like to read about experiences that will be similar to my own. 

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Hi @dancernl, thanks for posting a blog for the "normies"! I've splurged on a JS once (my first Anthem sailing to Bermuda, link in my signature), and the rest of my sailings are in balcony cabins (including my second trip on Anthem to Bermuda, link also in my signature). Even our big upcoming 2-week trip in the Mediterranean is in a pair of aft balconies; I'd rather save the money for the excursions that I'll be on almost every day, than a cabin I'll barely be seeing!

Definitely make a point to go to the Schooner Bar when they have live music. You can sometimes catch the performers from We Will Rock You playing there, although I don't know if the guitarist who was there on my last sailing was kept on after the Covid shutdown.

Sorry to hear about the cancellation of KSC and trouble finding anything worth doing in Port Canaveral. That really is ridiculous that they don't just change the day to a technical stop at that point.

If you find that you like this kind of sailing out of NJ, you may want to take a gander at Anthem's 11- and 12-night sailings to the Southern Caribbean. I've been eyeing these for a long time as a nice way to break up the winter doldrums and get to someplace warmer for the better part of two weeks. And the price for balcony cabins on these sailings is very reasonable, often right around $100 per night before taxes. It's a lot of sea days at the start and end (3 on each side, IIRC), but in between it's basically nothing but port days. Nice mix of time to enjoy the ship and time to enjoy the islands.

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On 2/9/2022 at 11:03 AM, Eddy said:

I have been on ships that have stopped at this port  4 times since Dec .  I would not recommend any excursion period . The staff at the excursion desk agree. Too many disappointments/ cancellations. Lack of time . 

SK1 is in a SnapChat group with other teens on this sailing and all of them are saying "don't bother getting off" so now she's annoyed with us that we are making her get off the ship. Teenagers - gotta love them.

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On 2/12/2022 at 9:00 PM, Vanessa77 said:

Looking forward to it! I agree, most blogging perspectives here seem to be suite class and above. From the first 10 blogs at the time of the comment, 7 are confirmed suites, 2 were not and one I couldn’t determine yet. A suite experience is nice to read every now and then, but I do like to read about experiences that will be similar to my own. 

Welcome! I am certainly not anti-suite, but yes it's nice to read about regular rooms. I will include lots of pictures when I get back!

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23 hours ago, JLMoran said:

Hi @dancernl, thanks for posting a blog for the "normies"! I've splurged on a JS once (my first Anthem sailing to Bermuda, link in my signature), and the rest of my sailings are in balcony cabins (including my second trip on Anthem to Bermuda, link also in my signature). Even our big upcoming 2-week trip in the Mediterranean is in a pair of aft balconies; I'd rather save the money for the excursions that I'll be on almost every day, than a cabin I'll barely be seeing!

Definitely make a point to go to the Schooner Bar when they have live music. You can sometimes catch the performers from We Will Rock You playing there, although I don't know if the guitarist who was there on my last sailing was kept on after the Covid shutdown.

Sorry to hear about the cancellation of KSC and trouble finding anything worth doing in Port Canaveral. That really is ridiculous that they don't just change the day to a technical stop at that point.

If you find that you like this kind of sailing out of NJ, you may want to take a gander at Anthem's 11- and 12-night sailings to the Southern Caribbean. I've been eyeing these for a long time as a nice way to break up the winter doldrums and get to someplace warmer for the better part of two weeks. And the price for balcony cabins on these sailings is very reasonable, often right around $100 per night before taxes. It's a lot of sea days at the start and end (3 on each side, IIRC), but in between it's basically nothing but port days. Nice mix of time to enjoy the ship and time to enjoy the islands.

I have read many of your reports, love them! 

I do hope to take longer sailings when our kids are much older and Husband and I accrue more vacation for those 11 or 12 nighters. We'd love to to a Transatlantic! Cruising from NYC is so convenient for us and it's nice there are good options year round from this port. 

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We are SINGLE DIGIT DANCING today as we celebrate 6 days to embarkation. A couple extra updates:

  • We have decided to get off the ship in Port Canaveral and go to Cocoa Beach for a few hours. The weather is looking nice to walk around, check out the beach, the boardwalk and pier. Dinner may or may not be in the MDR at our usual time, we will see. To our amazement, SK1 was super bummed when we told her SKC can no longer happen. The kids she knows who are also on this sailing are not getting off the ship now and she's annoyed we will be dragging her away from them. Oh teenagers.
  • We ordered our last odds and ends online and they should all be delivered to our house today and tomorrow. Bonine, lanyards, magnetic hooks, extra sunscreen, etc.
  • I've started packing! I love that driving to the port means no limits on the number of bags. So far I'm at a small suitcase, my beach bag and a backpack.
  • Perusing the app I've taken to looking at dining menus. We may be splitting up for dinner most nights as I have silly teenagers who don't like to veer from their tried and true dishes they like. I have one that doesn't eat pasta, one that does, one that will eat pizza or chicken nuggets their whole lives and one who would love nothing more than sushi for every meal. So while Husband and I enjoy the MDR, we may just send the kiddos to the Windjammer or Sorrento's so we can enjoy our meals with wine and not whining. 

I'm excited but trying not to get too excited because there is still a major test to pass and thine name is COVID. To our knowledge, Husband and I have neve caught it but both kids had mild cases of Omicron in early January. They have been exempt from all testing at school as a result so we really have no idea what news Friday will bring when we do our proctored home tests. Please send us all the good vibes this week so we can board the ship.

Hopefully my next check in will be us in our rooms on the Anthem!

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Two sleeps to go! I just did my home test this morning before leaving for NYC, but I won't breathe easier until Husband and the SKs do theirs after school today. 1/4 of the way there though. 

Tonight and tomorrow I am hanging with my sister in Manhattan to see Six on Broadway tonight and 2 shows of New York City Ballet tomorrow. I'll share some pics and a quick review of my travel from Manhattan to the port on Sunday. 

Let's GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

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21 hours ago, jejojoju said:

Following along! My husband anI and our two kids (7 and 2) will be on Anthem in 30 days! This only feeds my excitement! 

Hope I can provide some insight! Anything specific you’re curious about? I won’t know anything about Adventure Ocean or kids clubs but happy to help however I can.

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We are onboard! Smooth check in process but there have been some hiccups onboard. Connecting to Voom is not working great and I’m having issues with the app and ship wifi. Im sure we will get it sorted out! Rooms were ready around 1:30, we love our staterooms and looking forward to meeting our attendant. Currently enjoying some food in the Windjammie and sail away is in about 2 hours.

 

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6 hours ago, dancernl said:

Connecting to Voom is not working great and I’m having issues with the app and ship wifi

If you have an iPhone, go into your Settings -> WiFi -> (onboard WiFi network name) and DISABLE “Private Wi-Fi Address”. This made my connection much more reliable with the WiFi and app.

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