Jump to content

Anthem 11/25/17 - 7+12 B2B


twangster

Recommended Posts

3 minutes ago, twangster said:

Soon after a line of storms helped to wash the salt of the ship. I've never understood why people get upset when a last minute itinerary changes happens due to weather. It happens

Ditto. I wouldn't be happy to have to skip CocoCay, but I also get there's nothing RC can do about it either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Too bad about Coco Cay. Glad to hear you made the most of a disappointing situation. Why some people grumble and complain is beyond me because RC obviously doesn't control the weather. Loving the pics so far. You have inspired me to go out on deck more at night ? So goals for Anthem now are: WJ nightly recon thanks to @CGTLH and walking around the deck more at night. Your pics make Anthem look beautiful!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I ended up having an impromptu lunch yesterday with our Cruise and Entertainment Directors in two70.  They had been pretty busy coming up with activities since we missed our call on Coco Cay.  Dennis Charles has worked on all ships except Ovation over the past 30 years.  You can tell he loves his job and Royal Caribbean.

The Kummel Weck in cafe270 remains a favorite sandwich for lunch.  

two70 is a nice spot to hangout and there were families, singles reading books and couples snoozing.  There is a Library off the 2nd level of two70.   I'm waiting for some better pictures of two70 before going on too much about two70 but it is a great venue and unique to the Quantum class ships.

We arrived into Nassau around noon.  A classic photo many people take is the lighthouse on the barrier island that protects the harbor.  Lighting wasn't perfect today but I knew we would depart after sunset tomorrow so I captured it anyways:

ewtNZBy.jpg

It was very humid and had rained prior to our arrival and I was treated to a rainbow off my balcony. 

DWmFgyk.jpg

Sunset was around 5:20pm tonight.  This guy on the Flowrider was pretty good.  

HDCZfFd.jpg

We had three other ships in port with us and since we are spending the night here we watched all of them sail away one by one like a parade of ships.  First to depart was a Carnival ship.

M5LxS7r.jpg

Fyo0I66.jpg

The Disney Wonder which I sailed a long time ago.

iR6UXJW.jpg

Finally the Disney Dream.

39jDajF.jpg

I enjoy spending a night in port, it gives you an opportunity to see things from a different perspective.

qWnlu1j.jpg

gpeSAgr.jpg

DxvDmJg.jpg

Back to the ship for my 8:30pm My Time reservation.  This was my first trip to the MDR, deck 4 American Icon.

LbB3nL2.jpg

 had the Duck Breast, Caesar Salad and Roasted Veal Medallions.  It was a very good meal.  My wait staff Jimy and Nives were very good but you could tell they were also very busy.  

R3XAPJk.jpg

I didn't feel like a rich dessert so opted for some orange sherbet.

On my way back to my cabin I popped into the music hall to see a bit of 'Groovy Town' the 70's dance party:

n5bqD8r.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Day 5 - Nassau

I woke early while it was still dark out and spotted a couple ships in the distance lining up to arrive into port.

As the sun rose I could make out the familiar shape of an RCI ship in the distance.

5TxQG2n.jpg

As she entered the harbor I realized it's Majesty of the Seas who we met upon our arrival in Port Canaveral a few days ago.

YyTS12C.jpg

I'm trying to arrange a cruise on her but since she only does shorter cruises and I have to fly to Florida so I am struggling to find the right combination of ships and dates as I plan a 'Tour de Petite Ships'.

rXgILds.jpg

An NCL ship also arrived into port this morning.

I have a smile on my face today.  While many on board are waking up to the realization they only have two nights left, I still have two weeks.  :4_joy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, twangster said:

I have a smile on my face today.  While many on board are waking up to the realization they only have two nights left, I still have two weeks.  :4_joy:

Well if you run into the Disney Fanatsy on your second leg of your B2B I'll be on it so I won't be as jealous lol ?

Need to find a way to keep up with your live blog. Disney wifi on board is no where as good as VOOM. Thanks for all the pics so far!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, Sabrinaklai said:

Well if you run into the Disney Fanatsy on your second leg of your B2B I'll be on it so I won't be as jealous lol ?

Need to find a way to keep up with your live blog. Disney wifi on board is no where as good as VOOM. Thanks for all the pics so far!

Disney?  You do realize that this talk of cruising another line is like cheating on @Matt don't you?  :1_grinning:

Doesn't look like our paths will cross but enjoy your cruise!

5 minutes ago, Matt said:

Great photos! 

Did you end up getting off the ship in Nassau on day one of your visit there?

I only got off to take some pictures around the port area, never left the terminal.  Today though I plan to.  I'm letting the guests from the other ships enjoy the local vendors before I make my way down.   Watching the weather as I will be bringing my camera and lens with me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, twangster said:

Disney?  You do realize that this talk of cruising another line is like cheating on @Matt don't you?  :1_grinning:

Doesn't look like our paths will cross but enjoy your cruise!

I know!  I actually feel terrible lol.  I always feel weird when I am on another cruise line other than Royal.  It's our last Disney cruise this time.  Our money can go way further on Royal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After eating breakfast in the Windjammer I returned to my cabin to get ready to go ashore.  That's when the Captain called out "Abandon Ship!".  Just kidding.  They were exercising the lifeboats today part of a routine maintenance schedule to ensure everything is in top shape.  

beHw87B.jpg

S0lqpXc.jpg

9n4dMuH.jpg

Shortly after this I saw a wall of liquid sunshine coming our way so I delayed my departure.  Twenty minutes later back to sunshine.

l9Vj70D.jpg

Something I haven't done in a long time in Nassau is a horse drawn buggy ride.  It's $15 per person so I figured why not. Meet Elvis and his trusty steed.

hkUvHuq.jpg

Elvis provides a running dialogue on this tour.  He pointed out lot's of attorney offices.  An attorney is required to hide your money in the Bahamas he tells me so there are a lot of them.  Guns are illegal here.  Seven years if caught with one plus an additional year for each bullet.  This island has a population of 175,000 residents.  He points out various indigenous trees and historical buildings.  

yjK6Dqr.jpg

0Mirw3H.jpg

Back to the cruise port and straw market.  A lot of people have complained about the vendors in the straw market and I used to be one of them.  I avoided cruises with a stop in Nassau but that was based on an experience during a cruise here in 2000 and a lot has changed in 17 years.  I returned here on Grandeur this past August and I noticed the difference on that occasion.  In retrospect I shouldn't have avoided Nassau all this time, it's much better compared to 17 years ago and it is quite pleasant here.  The waters have a beautiful turquoise color.  Sure there are taxi drivers offering you are ride but a polite 'no thanks' and they let it go.   

5EXZNFO.jpg

In the corner is a tribute to the Bahamian Woman.

fsZpJAl.jpg

HmTVE9E.jpg

McDSHcZ.jpg

Since Majesty of the Seas is in port with us I thought I get a closer look.

TuxbDnW.jpg

Back to our ship.   This time in the daylight.

dsCB1sA.jpg

I booked Northstar for 5:30pm tonight hoping for a pretty sunset.  Until then I think I need a nap.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, twangster said:

A lot of people have complained about the vendors in the straw market and I used to be one of them.  I avoided cruises with a stop in Nassau but that was based on an experience during a cruise here in 2000 and a lot has changed in 17 years.

I have to tend to agree, I stopped as recently as 2012 and didn't want to go back, but just visited again this year in October and was surprised by what seemed like a new attitude towards tourist. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, twangster said:

It was very humid and had rained prior to our arrival and I was treated to a rainbow off my balcony. 

5a1eaf75debe6_AnthemNight4-2.jpg.9cb42e5c7b67fa84cb1b59c77b29bb87.jpg

This is definitely one of my favorite shots, along with your night photos of Anthem all lit up and pretty with nowhere to go. And you're really making me think I should spend the money on Moment's Super Fisheye 170º lens for my phone, along with the tele and wide angle lenses. I'm going to need a really good bonus this year to cover all these unexpected extra expenses... :4_joy:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yesterday was an action packed evening.  First my ride in Northstar.  

0zmpjwe.jpg

We boarded just as the sun was setting.

UyKPII4.jpg

Despite 15 people being in Northstar it was quite roomy.

Za3RFST.jpg

We slowly started rising.  It runs a pre-selected computer program, the operator didn't "drive" it, at least not on my ride.

DRkU2UV.jpg

qswyBt8.jpg

IZ9H4Tt.jpg

zF48fgC.jpg

5J6SGuQ.jpg

ebuMSih.jpg

Our ride over, we just waited for Northstar to dock.

bdJgiHp.jpg

After exiting there is a small viewing platform which is the highest you can visit on the ship (other than inside Northstar) so a few more pictures were in order.

k63HVgh.jpg

Y5l3PGw.jpg

L7hYmD7.jpg

It was a 10 minute ride and it started to rain just towards the end while we were almost back down to the ground but it only lasted a few seconds.

It goes by really fast and Northstar is very smooth.  With a camera up to my face for much of it I didn't even realize we had started our descent until we were almost fully back down.

With Northstar complete it was time for sail away. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had some pier runners tonight who delayed our departure just long enough so that NCL ship was the first out of port.  

CuqUs2C.jpg

She had a straight shot towards the mouth of the harbor so even before she was clear of the turning basin we began backing out and into the turning basin for our turn.  With the NCL ship gone I was able to capture Majesty of the Seas still tied up at the pier.

hhy4n29.jpg

FrOCuYG.jpg

Once clear of the harbor and our pilot off we quickly caught up with that NCL ship.  An inbound cruise ship, Princess I think and the NCL ship got very close to each other while we stayed a good bit East of both.  This was a good 15 miles off shore and I'm surprised their Captains would sail so close to each other at night.  Must have been quite a sight for the passengers of both.

YiQNNkS.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dinner tonight was in the My Time MDR Silk.  

I had cancelled my MTD reservation because it overlapped with Northstar.  The app was acting up and I couldn't make a dinner reservation with it.  I could have called or gone to guest services but I figured I'd just wing it and go without a reservation.  It took less than 10 minutes to get a table to myself at 7pm.

Wait staff tonight were Mustafa and Wanyi.  Both were friendly and efficient, but they were hopping.  Unlike the small ships where the wait staff can stop briefly and chat, MTD dining rooms are too busy for the staff to do that on Anthem.  It's one of the things I like about small ships.

Shortly after I took this photo the tables all around me filled up.

jh65XK6.jpg


jEWxA6L.jpg

Wedge salad and Chicken Parmigiana tonight.  

gYhvy3k.jpg

Food was great and brought out very quickly.  I was in and out in under 45 minutes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tonight's show was "We Will Rock You" in the main theater.  Given how quick the MDR was tonight I had time to run to Vintages for a glass of wine before the show.  

The show started off a bit slow for me and I was wondering what I got myself into.  As it progressed I began to warm up to it more and more.  Roughly halfway through I was really enjoying it and by the end I was on my feet applauding with the rest of the theater.  Don't miss it, especially if you like Rock and the music of Queen.

I plan to go again next cruise but from the upper level so I can see the band who sit in four boxes stage left and right on the second level and were hard to see from front and center.

lJsedgu.jpg

tj4YAKv.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the show I went to the pub for a few beer and overheard someone mention 'RED'.  If you've been on Harmony you may have experienced RED before.  It's a full club experience, music blaring, chest pounding club night with dancers popping up or down or swinging in the air from ropes.  It's not a 'show' but an interactive club experience.  

4zGDEqz.jpg

wjgClsL.jpg

They started to lower the blinds and I had been curious how they turn it windows into projection screens during full daylight so I took a picture of the shades coming down.

FK3pSQm.jpg

There is a double blind system over each window.  A light blocking shade in the middle of the frame and then a projection screen surface more flush with the inner surface.  The result is a projection surface that let's them do things like this:

sKq15B1.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

44 minutes ago, twangster said:

The show started off a bit slow for me and I was wondering what I got myself into.  As it progressed I began to warm up to it more and more. 

I had the same experience.  At first, I thought "I have no idea what's going on, but this is incredibly weird" but once Britney Spears came out, it started to make sense for me and then I really got into the show!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, twangster said:

Tonight's show was "We Will Rock You" in the main theater.  Given how quick the MDR was tonight I had time to run to Vintages for a glass of wine before the show.  

The show started off a bit slow for me and I was wondering what I got myself into.  As it progressed I began to warm up to it more and more.  Roughly halfway through I was really enjoying it and by the end I was on my feet applauding with the rest of the theater.  Don't miss it, especially if you like Rock and the music of Queen.

Question for you...or anyone else who has seen it...Is this show appropriate for children under 12?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Sabrinaklai said:

Question for you...or anyone else who has seen it...Is this show appropriate for children under 12?

The only thing I noted was some swear words like bit** and a**hole.  Not often, only a couple times.  Some adult oriented innuendo but nothing overt.  There were kids under 12 in the audience last night, quite a few actually.  I didn't note any warnings or suggestions that it is adult only. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, KLAconQueso said:

Man, I really need to book Anthem.

Leave it to @twangster and his pictures.  I was seriously thinking the same thing...  Fall 2019 group cruise?

 

1 minute ago, Matt said:

After reading this blog, I said same thing to my wife. 

Her response:
oWcf.gif

I know better than to do that.  Luckily at this point I can just tell my wife "hey, do you want to go on a cruise in (fill-in the date)?".  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, Boston Babe said:

so now @twangster first had me wanting to book Allure, now I have to book Anthem. I am going to go bankrupt if he keeps changing ships and blogs!! LOL  I hope after his next 12 days he's stateside awhile! LOL

Ha!  I think he said he booked Indy soon!  I'm safe for now.  Got Anthem and Indy booked already and I'm not into cameras. Phew!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I happened to be near the Northstar (ok I was at the Northstar bar) and saw they were light on passengers for a ride so I jumped on Northstar standby this afternoon.  I wanted to see what photography is like at sea from Northstar and learned a couple things.  I only had my fisheye lens with NO CPL.

Note the position of the sun.  More on that later.

TXxex1w.jpg

k5u3r6X.jpg

1nFtxzF.jpg

xnI6Zze.jpg

bSOih99.jpg

n41U5M1.jpg

Sun from aft causes even greater reflections in the glass that will appear in the photo.  I need to be aware of sun position next booking.

The curved nature of the gondola makes CPL filters less effective.  Especially with ultra wide angle lens.  However I think it would helped at least a little because reflections from inside Northstar onto the glass were pretty bad today.  A CPL filter and picking a time when the sun would be in front of the ship, or on a cloudy day might yield better results.

No problem with the A/C in Northstar, not hot at all.

DcD4Ydh.jpg

I still enjoyed the ride though.  It's a very unique experience.  Alaska 2019 on Ovation ...anyone in?

39ftXJ6.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Matt featured this topic

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...