Anthem 11/25/17 - 7+12 B2B

[WAAAYTOOO]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

I took advantage of a laundry special for Diamond guests.  $10 off the normal price for a bag of 'wash and fold' laundry.  Since I'm doing 19 nights on this B2B I planned to do this and adjusted my packing accordingly.  Last night my laundry was returned to me fresh and clean.  I had thrown in a pair of long pants and a long sleeve shirt which aren't included in this special offer but they didn't charge me for them separately as the instructions stated they would.  I clearly noted the extra items willing and expecting to pay a few bucks more but it was all done for $25.  

Watch out for the little labels that they put on your laundry items.  They can be VERY sharp and irritating....I mean that literally.  They're like little knives.

[twangster]

Lunch today at Johnny Rockets.

They use an a'la carte menu as opposed to the flat rate I've seen on other ships.  My 'Route 66' and '1/2 Rings 7 1/2 Fries' came to $4.72 with gratutity.

Johnny Rockets is outdoors on the pool deck in a covered area near the aft main pool deck doors.  It has a unique view looking forward down the starboard side of the ship where you can look forward and see the bridge wing.

[twangster]

On 12/11/2017 at 11:49 AM, JLMoran said:

Thanks for the post about Vintages! That's definitely one area I plan to check out when I sail Freedom in March and Anthem next October. It's great to hear that they have selections not listed on the menu, at least on Anthem. Also good to hear that the servers know their stuff! I'm not at all a fan of Pinot or Cab, much prefer Malbec / Chianti / Zinfandel, so hopefully they'll have some good off-menu recommendations for the poor sods like me that don't get a lot of on-menu choices.

Here are the wines they have 'by the glass' tonight.  

 

[KathyC]

11 hours ago, twangster said:

One of my favorite places is Vintages,  a venue I visit nightly.  It's located off The VIA on your way to Two70° and being somewhat open it's a great spot to listen to the occasional musician they have such as Joyce from 'We Will Rock You' playing her acoustic guitar in The VIA some evenings.

Unlike Freedom the wine dispensers were stocked but I've never seen anyone use them.

We actually used them on Quantum; Vintages was one of our favorite places to hang out.  I still remember the wine we liked too: it was called Quantum!  LOL 

[Lovetocruise2002]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Lunch today at Johnny Rockets.

They use an a'la carte menu as opposed to the flat rate I've seen on other ships.  My 'Route 66' and '1/2 Rings 7 1/2 Fries' came to $4.72 with gratutity.

 

Having a debate with my husband over this menu.  Is this pricing cheaper than the Johnny Rockets on land?  I think it is, my husband thinks it's the same.  Out of reactions for the day but thanks for posting this.

[twangster]

Almost drunk post before going to bed.

I met some very nice people in various places tonight.  It started in the Diamond lounge.  I met some nice folks then moved over to the bar area as seating opened up and talked with some more nice folks who will be on my next Anthem cruise mid-January as well.  I warned them I'll likely forget their names and they jokingly promised to do the same (I'm bad with names).

Later in Michael's Pub at the bar I met more nice folks and as usual Suzie the bar manager kept us all happy. 

This is what I love about cruising - even solo, you meet all sorts of nice people. 

'We Will Rock You' was playing in the main theater and I'm glad I saw it for a second time.  For Sky/Star class guests, reserved seating is on deck 5 center upper balcony with great site lines.

Tonight we change our clocks back to Eastern time so we get the hour back that was stolen from us (in the Captain's words).

We've slowed a bit down to 20 kts.  I fear long pants during the day is soon upon us.  A tweet from a guest on Grandeur in Baltimore showed a cruise ship with snow on it.  What? Really?  I know someone on that ship so hopefully the snow melts soon during that cruise.  Also hoping they took the cruise ship snow quota for the year, otherwise I'll likely be in the Solarium hot tub watching it snow outside from this point forward. 

[twangster]

Last night I went back to "We Will Rock You".  This time I was in the upper balcony in the theater and I liked being able to see the band members who are located in cubby holes high up above and on each side of the stage.  I again enjoyed it and highly recommend not missing it. Reservations are used for this and some other shows on Anthem.

[twangster]

Day 11 - Sea Day

Anthem has a jogging/walking track on deck 15.  It's very popular in the morning and this morning we were treated to a beautiful sunrise as I walked laps waiting for the Windjammer to open. 

Its starting to cool off.  Ugh.  We are several hundred miles off the coast of Florida still speeding along at 23 knots.

[WAAAYTOOO]

The wake would seem to indicate that you are heading due west !  I'm sure that's an optical illusion.

[Traveler]

1 hour ago, twangster said:

Day 11 - Sea Day

Anthem has a jogging/walking track on deck 15.  It's very popular in the morning and this morning we were treated to a beautiful sunrise as I walked laps waiting for the Windjammer to open. 

Its starting to cool off.  Ugh.  We are several hundred miles off the coast of Florida still speeding along at 23 knots.

Yap ,we are one day from Florida and Its not a pool day yet .... 

9 am and the pool deck empty not even the chairs  hogs 

[Matt]

10 hours ago, twangster said:

'We Will Rock You' was playing in the main theater and I'm glad I saw it for a second time.  For Sky/Star class guests, reserved seating is on deck 5 center upper balcony with great site lines.

My wife was disappointed that the Sky class reserved seats are in that location.  In general, when you go to the theater, the best seats are always as close to stage and center as possible. If the balcony had been closer to stage, it might not have been such an issue.

[twangster]

34 minutes ago, Traveler said:

Yap ,we are one day from Florida and Its not a pool day yet .... 

9 am and the pool deck empty not even the chairs  hogs 

Our chair hogs have been busy in the solarium.  I just observed an interaction between two guests looking for a place to sit and security they flagged down as he walked past.  He in turn sought the solarium pool attendants who awkwardly listened with an uncertain expression on their face.  Another guest in the area added that no one has been near the hogged seats for a long time but nothing was done.  

It's not something I do, but If the crew are not going to enforce it you can't blame folks for doing it.   It will only stop if they start enforcing it consistently across the fleet.

52 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The wake would seem to indicate that you are heading due west !  I'm sure that's an optical illusion.

Our course is 318°, speed up to 23.5 knots.  We be flying for Quantum class.  Time to break out the water skis...

 

[Traveler]

It's should be simple to solve the chair hogs issue. 

On each chair attach  a   mechanical/digital timer which you need to reset every 15-20 minutes ... If the time past the chair is free , if someone wants to run every 15 minutes to reset it from 7 am I am ok that he will keep it ...

[KLA]

18 hours ago, twangster said:

Lunch today at Johnny Rockets.

They use an a'la carte menu as opposed to the flat rate I've seen on other ships.  My 'Route 66' and '1/2 Rings 7 1/2 Fries' came to $4.72 with gratutity.

I am rather concerned about the missing veggie burger from this menu!!! 

[JLMoran]

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Anthem has a jogging/walking track on deck 15.  It's very popular in the morning and this morning we were treated to a beautiful sunrise as I walked laps waiting for the Windjammer to open. 

Wow, it takes three laps to do 1 mile? I would have thought only two would be needed with such a massive ship!

 

Gorgeous sunrise photos you there that day, too!

[twangster]

Well it had to happen.  I knew it was coming.  That doesn't make it any easier.

This morning the cabin attendant dropped off the departure information sheet.

@Sabrinaklai was inquiring about this so I'm including it here.

[KathyC]

1 hour ago, JLMoran said:

Wow, it takes three laps to do 1 mile? I would have thought only two would be needed with such a massive ship!

 

Gorgeous sunrise photos you there that day, too!

Seriously, you'd think it would be two.  

In my opinion, one of the few things missing from the Quantum class ships is a covered jogging track.  For a ship built specifically to sail in colder temps, that is a miss. 

[twangster]

Let's talk Windjammer.

Located on deck 14 towards aft with entrances on port and starboard.  The Windjammer shares the starboard side entrance with the Coastal Kitchen, the suite restaurant. 

There is ample seating from what I've experienced

The food areas are central to all the seating and generally duplicated from one side to the other.

Near the Pan Asia section are omelette stations on each side during breakfast hours.

There are drink stations on both sides and in the rear sections as well.

The dessert stations are mixed into the seating near the windows on each side.

There is a coffee bar within the Windjammer.

There is also a regular bar on the starboard side where the fresh squeezed orange juice can be found (included with the deluxe drink package).

A feature I like is the outdoor Windjammer seating area aft.  I've eaten many meals out there.  They typically don't open the rear seating sections including the outdoor seating right when the WJ opens in the morning to reduce the footprint that the cleaning staff have to tend to but as crowds build those sections do open up.

Having spent 17 nights on the Anthem I am quite satisfied with the Windjammer for breakfast and lunch.  I've eaten dinner mostly in the MDR so I haven't visited the WJ in the evening.  I've never had an issue finding a table and the flow of traffic around the food serving areas has never been an issue.

[Matt]

You had me at "Windjammer"

[Lovetocruise2002]

I can't tell if it's the angle of the shots or does there seem to be less space between the food stations and the seating area?  It looks more narrow.

[Sweety]

Is that the red velvet cheesecake, seafood paella and ribs? I am very hungry.

[twangster]

Yes!  I suspect I may need to stop at a truck scale to weigh myself out of fear of breaking my regular bathroom scales at home.

 

42 minutes ago, Sabrinaklai said:

I can't tell if it's the angle of the shots or does there seem to be less space between the food stations and the seating area?  It looks more narrow.

I've never felt it to be too narrow so maybe it's just the camera angles.

 

[twangster]

Another unique feature of the Anthem of the Seas is the SeaPlex. 

This is fun for all ages but if you have kids or teenagers I can't see how they could possibly be bored with not only the activities but also the ambiance of the SeaPlex.  Located on deck 15 at the top of the ship it just screams fun!

It is a multi-use facility that offers bumper cars, roller skating and circus trapeze on a rotating scheduled basis.  There is also a basketball court available when circus trapeze is offered.

The second level has some seating to watch but also some extended areas that protrude from the sides and contain foosball, air hockey, ping pong and XBOX gaming areas.

If nothing else there are great views from the upper level.

The rotating schedule can be found on monitors around the SeaPlex which is worth taking a picture of on your phone.  While they list the times in the Cruise Compass I found it easier planning the next day or day after using the SeaPlex monitors.

Times vary based on cruise length and itinerary.  Here was our 12 night cruise schedule.

When the bumper cars aren't being used they get parked out of the way.

The SeaPlex is also where the Dog House can be found.

Its just a fun and cool place to hang out.

[rjac]

38 minutes ago, twangster said:

Another unique feature of the Anthem of the Seas is the SeaPlex. 

This is fun for all ages but if you have kids or teenagers I can't see how they could possibly be bored with not only the activities but also the ambiance of the SeaPlex.  Located on deck 15 at the top of the ship it just screams fun!

It is a multi-use facility that offers bumper cars, roller skating and circus trapeze on a rotating scheduled basis.  There is also a basketball court available when circus trapeze is offered.

The second level has some seating to watch but also some extended areas that protrude from the sides and contain foosball, air hockey, ping pong and XBOX gaming areas.

If nothing else there are great views from the upper level.

The rotating schedule can be found on monitors around the SeaPlex which is worth taking a picture of on your phone.  While they list the times in the Cruise Compass I found it easier planning the next day or day after using the SeaPlex monitors.

Times vary based on cruise length and itinerary.  Here was our 12 night cruise schedule.

When the bumper cars aren't being used they get parked out of the way.

The SeaPlex is also where the Dog House can be found.

Its just a fun and cool place to hang out.

Man, and the adults get stuck with the theater, shows, bars and a drink package! As my 8 year old grandson says "not fair". 

[KathyC]

Quantum didn't have the coffee bar; nice addition.  But what I don't see is the amazing bakery area that Quantum has.  We spent many a visit standing in front of the ovens, waiting for those hot cookies to come out and be transferred to the serving counter.   Hot cookies, yummmmm.  The chef would tell you what kind were baking, and would even hint as to when they'd be planning on baking other varieties.  The smells in that area alone were worth the wait, even if it wasn't one of our favorites baking. 

[twangster]

Day 12 - Sea Day

Yesterday the Captain updated his video on channel 40 regarding the weather and our modified course to avoid the worst parts of a storm.  We made our turn in the middle of the night and are now paralleling the North Carolina coast just off the outer banks.  As I write this I've noticed we are making the turn around the tip of NC and our heading is now due North.

The sea has an angry look to it and it's quite cold on deck.  Anthem is handling it quite well.  There is some small movements but I've never felt the need to grab a railing walking around this morning.  It's very windy and the deck 15 outer decks are closed this morning.  Given the cold and wind I don't imagine anyone would want to use them.  Hot tubs are open!  Hot tubs open include outdoor on the pool deck, the indoor pool area and in the Solarium.

I took some more pictures around the WJ this morning including the entrance to Coastal Kitchen as I think some folks here will be visiting it on future cruises.  I'm keeping an eye on fares for January and might try to upgrade but I'm quite happy in my current cabin so I'm not sure I can justify it.

On 12/12/2017 at 12:15 PM, Sabrinaklai said:

I can't tell if it's the angle of the shots or does there seem to be less space between the food stations and the seating area?  It looks more narrow.

Maybe these shots help.

 

On 12/12/2017 at 8:24 PM, KathyC said:

...  But what I don't see is the amazing bakery area that Quantum has.  We spent many a visit standing in front of the ovens, waiting for those hot cookies to come out and be transferred to the serving counter.   Hot cookies, yummmmm.  The chef would tell you what kind were baking, and would even hint as to when they'd be planning on baking other varieties.  The smells in that area alone were worth the wait, even if it wasn't one of our favorites baking. 

This bakery?  Yes this area does smell very good!  It's also the waffle station.  It's right beside the coffee bar.

 

[Matt]

The Windjammer on Quantum class has to be the best set up of any Windjammer. Tons of space, outdoor seating, variety of stations, etc.

[JLMoran]

Thanks for the Coastal Kitchen pic! Will be dining there on my October Bermuda cruise most nights, apart from whatever night we pick to try one specialty restaurant.

[Lovetocruise2002]

6 hours ago, twangster said:

 

I took some more pictures around the WJ this morning including the entrance to Coastal Kitchen as I think some folks here will be visiting it on future cruises.  I'm keeping an eye on fares for January and might try to upgrade but I'm quite happy in my current cabin so I'm not sure I can justify it.

 

I cannot wait to go back to Coastal Kitchen!  We already have our reservations there for all 8 nights!  I can think of a few reasons off the top of my head to justify it...filet mignon, pork belly, braised short ribs ? 86 more days!  Thanks for the pics!

[Matt]

7 hours ago, twangster said:

Hot tubs open include outdoor on the pool deck, the indoor pool area and in the Solarium.

Love there is an indoor pool option, plus the Solarium.

[twangster]

Last night they cancelled some shows due to the motion of the ship and not wanting to risk injuries.  They swapped in the comedian who also is on tonight.  In his words "Sure, throw the comedian out here, who cares if he gets hurt!".

Also last night I stopped by the pub to use my BOGO drink offer for two Brooklyn Lagers.  I timed this perfectly to occur just before Diamond happy hour.  I'm learning the ways of the Diamond...

I saw a good deal on a Liberty cruise in a few months so I stopped by Next Cruise.  No OBC offered when using a 'Going, going, gone' promo fare but for $389 pp I had to jump on it.  Those water slides on Liberty have been calling my name.  This will complete the Freedom class trilogy for me.  One more 7 - 9 nighter and I'll hit a glass block threshold on Symphony assuming this tradition continues.   Keeping an eye on Adventure to the ABC islands.

I went to see the Captains Corner this afternoon.  I learned some interesting facts.

When it comes to law, since this ship is flagged in the Bahamas, when it is in international waters it is technically a small piece of the Bahamas floating around so Bahamian law applies on board.  When it is in port or within the 12 mile territorial limits it is subject to laws of that country.  This is a simplification because there are many other factors such as public health codes of the U.S. and many other intricacies.  Learning all aspects of law at sea and in various ports is a big part of the Master's job and it takes quite a bit of experience and years to learn all of this.

Like Oasis class this ship manufacturers all water from the sea.  This includes drinking water, swimming pool water which is fresh water, etc.  Sea water for this purpose is only taken in at sea, never in a port.  The ship takes in on no fresh water from any port.  The decision to use fresh water in the pools was based on guest feedback.

The blue color of the lower hull was a marketing decision.  In the Captain's words "they wanted to make the ship look more white so they painted it blue".  He said it's a challenge because the sun causes paint to fade and trying to touch up various shades of blue over time is very difficult.  It was much more simple when the lower hull was white - they just painted it with more white.

The top speed of the ship is published to be 22 knots.  We've been doing almost 24 knots due to this modified route to avoid a storm.  At this speed we consume a gallon of fuel every 47 feet.  It is entirely the Captains authority to make a routing change of this nature.  He notifies Miami of his decision and he may use input from them but ultimately it's his call.

[twangster]

O M G its cold on the pool deck.  Alaska was warmer.

Seas have settled down and we've slowed to 18 knots.  We've passed the entrance to the Chesapeake.   

Another crummy iPhone pic of the sunset. 

And with that its time for a glass of red wine to warm me up.  Vintages here I come...

[twangster]

1 hour ago, Matt said:

Love there is an indoor pool option, plus the Solarium.

We had around 200 kids on this cruise.  Next cruise has over 1,200.  Thank goodness for the indoor pool as well as the Solarium.  

In a cold weather climate such as NYC it's perfect.

[KathyC]

@twangster the Quantum bakery was different.  I wish I had taken a picture of it.  Will hit Google tonight and see if I can find one.  :D 

Here are some pictures Matt took: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/quantum-of-the-seas/photos/windjammer 

[twangster]

I reluctantly packed earlier.  This time tomorrow I'll be trying to figure out what to eat, meaning I have to cook it myself.  Ugh.  

19 nights has passed so quickly.  Maybe I should have booked the next cruise too. I now know a longer cruise is right in my wheel house.  

Absolutely no regrets with 19 nights on Anthem.   

While I'll soon be on Indy I'm already looking forward to 9 nights on Anthem in January.  Many, but not all crew will be here then and that's awesome.  

I missed highlighting some areas of the ship in my photos, especially specialty dining.  I have the BOGO 2 dining booked for Anthem in January and just thinking about where I'll eat is already lifting my spirits. 

[Floski]

2 hours ago, twangster said:

O M G its cold on the pool deck.  Alaska was warmer.

Seas have settled down and we've slowed to 18 knots.  We've passed the entrance to the Chesapeake.   

Another crummy iPhone pic of the sunset. 

And with that its time for a glass of red wine to warm me up.  Vintages here I come...

Yeah, what an awful picture  

[Lovetocruise2002]

4 hours ago, twangster said:

I reluctantly packed earlier.  This time tomorrow I'll be trying to figure out what to eat, meaning I have to cook it myself.  Ugh.  

19 nights has passed so quickly.  Maybe I should have booked the next cruise too. I now know a longer cruise is right in my wheel house.  

Absolutely no regrets with 19 nights on Anthem.   

While I'll soon be on Indy I'm already looking forward to 9 nights on Anthem in January.  Many, but not all crew will be here then and that's awesome.  

I missed highlighting some areas of the ship in my photos, especially specialty dining.  I have the BOGO 2 dining booked for Anthem in January and just thinking about where I'll eat is already lifting my spirits. 

Once again @twangster thank you for an awesome live blog! It has been wonderful seeing this ship through your lens. Also thank you for all the helpful tips.  She is a beauty! Can't wait for the Indy one! ? I feel like we are all going to go into @twangster blog withdrawals once you stop this crazy pace but by the sounds of it that doesn't seem likely at this point ?

[Traveler]

7 hours ago, twangster said:

I reluctantly packed earlier.  This time tomorrow I'll be trying to figure out what to eat, meaning I have to cook it myself.  Ugh.  

19 nights has passed so quickly.  Maybe I should have booked the next cruise too. I now know a longer cruise is right in my wheel house.  

Absolutely no regrets with 19 nights on Anthem.   

While I'll soon be on Indy I'm already looking forward to 9 nights on Anthem in January.  Many, but not all crew will be here then and that's awesome.  

I missed highlighting some areas of the ship in my photos, especially specialty dining.  I have the BOGO 2 dining booked for Anthem in January and just thinking about where I'll eat is already lifting my spirits. 

Next maybe you can try back to back with Allure/Harmony  :-)  although you not sure the suitcase will go automatically between ships 

[twangster]

2 hours ago, Traveler said:

Next maybe you can try back to back with Allure/Harmony  :-)  although you not sure the suitcase will go automatically between ships 

I'm trying to put together a tour of small ships in the FL market.  Enchantment, Majesty and Empress that involves moving between cities.  Perhaps also riding on some others like Brilliance and Mariner post dry dock.  It's a lot more work trying to figure that schedule out.  Perhaps I can hitch a ride on Vision while I'm in Galveston this winter for Liberty.  Need to minimize hotel nights so that's a challenge - some of these ships share ports and aren't there on the same days.  Hotel stays and meals add up quickly.

Interesting B2B tidbit.  My C&A points from the 1st leg are being held until I complete this 2nd leg.  Since I board Indy in 7 days that could be a problem as I'm still showing Emerald.  I suppose I can try to argue my case with the loyalty ambassador on Indy but I was hoping the points would hit separately and I would be a normal Diamond when boarding Indy.   In this modern day of computing I wonder why it takes so long for C&A points to process.

It's 5am and I just visited guest services for a copy of my statement.  No lines :)

The RoyalIQ app and the 'My Account' features on the TV don't work on disembarking day and I wanted to make sure I had no unplanned charges on my account.  All good.

I saw the 1st self carry folks taking their luggage down.  I'm going to hang around my cabin a little bit longer.

FYI - Cape Liberty still uses the paper customs declaration form.  Port Everglades stopped using them earlier this year.  

[twangster]

One last dinner in the My Time MDR

The Iceberg wedge was fine but I wasn't impressed by the Steak Diane.  I had never tried it before and I'm not sure I will again.  

We passed under the bridge at 5:10am   

At 5:30am a line is forming near the aft elevator banks.   The self carry area is officially Two70 or the Royal Theater but i’ve seen other reports of queueing in this area.   I’m 5th in line and another 10-15 couples have lined up behind me as I write this.