fair-winds39

I use my scooter all the time when we’re on a cruise. We just came off Anthem three weeks ago. We had a standard balcony cabin, bed near the balcony and I drove in and out of cabin with no problem. If it’s not in her cabin, she should ask steward for a doorstop if she is able to step off and open the door.

We were on Anthem March 12-19. We did MDR. After 27 cruises, only 3 with RCL, we found the food to be on par with other lines. We’re not foodies, but if something were lukewarm, or tasteless, we would just politely mention it to the waitstaff. All the meals we had on the Anthem were good. We were also able to order extra appetizers or desserts if we wanted.

We were on Anthem March 12-19. No, we did not get to Port Canaveral. We were credited though.

1. I’ve taken many cruises from NY and Baltimore in Feb. and Mar. In all those cruises, by the late afternoon of the second day, it was comfortable when sun was on balcony. This cruise was cool. The best day we had weather-wise was coco cay. We kept hoping for more sun and warmer, but it didn’t work. 2. Not good with navigation, but I’ guessing near the Carolinas. 3. I think there was a calypso band at pool. 4. Sat in Music Hall, but I think it was a DJ. We were on second level near bar and pool tables.

Enjoy!!

A little background…this cruise was a “sisters” cruise without spouses. We chose the Anthem of the Seas so we wouldn’t need to fly. We chose this time of year because one of us works at a school and could only cruise at Spring break. Between the four of us, we’ve done between 4 on up to 27 cruises. 2 of us had cruised with RCL before on the Empress and Grandeur of the Seas. We have also cruised with Celebrity, NCL, Cunard and Carnival. Embarkation was a breeze. Car Service dropped us off at about 11:15, we were through the terminal and on the ship by about 11:50. Muster, soon after we boarded, and in our cabins by 12:30. Standard Oceanview balconies were nice, our room steward was great, twice a day service. I use a mobility scooter, and have for the past 7 yrs. or so. No problem at all for me to actually drive into cabin, turn around, etc. I don’t require an accessible cabin. I also had no problem with elevators, except when we first boarded and were attempting to get to our stateroom. It was crowded as expected, so we didn’t mind waiting, and a few times if we had to go down to go up, or vice versa we did. No worries. One of us was on the Anthem before so she was able to direct us to the different areas of the ship and showed us around. We had traditional dining at 8:00 PM, and a table for 4. Our waiters were great. Food was very good, and I would say it was on par with most of the cruises I’ve been on. We aren’t real picky diners. I’ll put it this way, none of us sent anything back. We sometimes ordered a couple appetizers for the table to try. The Windjammer was good and we did the Dining Room twice; once for breakfast and once for lunch. We ordered Room Service for Continental Breakfast a couple times, and it was fine, just coffee, toast or bagel, or danish, and I used it again one day for lunch for a grilled cheese sandwich. It was okay. Shows; we did Spectra’s Cabaret and We Will Rock You; Spectra’s Cabaret was different and okay, and if you are a Queen fan, you’ll enjoy We Will Rock You; it was really good. We had reservations for Cabaret. We didn’t need reservations for WWRY, we just arrived 30 minutes early and got great seats. Due to engine problems we didn’t stop in Port Canaveral. Nassau was Nassau; 3 of us had been to Nassau before and got off and walked around. Weather wasn’t that great overall for this cruise. The best weather day we had was Coco Cay and two of us had been there before. We all sat at the beach, did a little shopping and took some pictures. I can’t speak about North Star, Rock Climbing, etc. We saw bumping cars, etc. but we didn’t spend much time in that area. The solarium was crowded one day, impossible to find a seat unless you arrived at 7 AM. It was busy in hot tubs too. Pool deck was crowded as well, especially when folks came back from Coco Cay. All in all it was a nice cruise. I wanted to try one of the larger ships and I found it to be a beautiful ship, easy to get around, crew was nice. Most times it didn’t seem like there were 4,000 some passengers and not sure how many children were onboard. Would we sail on a mega ship again, sure. I think it’s great for families, but for me, DH and me are geared a bit more toward the smaller ships, which will undoubtedly be a thing of the past, sooner, rather than later. Hey, times have changed since we began cruising, and It’s a good thing. Actually, I’m happy to sail with whichever cruise line gives me the best deal no matter what the size. I can try to answer any questions.Happy sailing.

Wow, I usually don’t pay much attention to reviews, but I can always find answers to cruise questions here, and don’t know why I’m doing it now, except that me and my 3 sisters are booked on Anthem for our “girls” cruise in March 2023. This will be my 26th cruise and 3rd with RCI. Maybe it’s because the trip is right around the corner, my previous Royal cruises were on small ships (Empress and Grandeur), and I’ve never had a bad cruise. Some of the things seemed trivial and have been happening with most cruise lines, post Covid. I understand that there will be shortages with crew even now, but I’m still feeling apprehensive about our Anthem cruise. Anyway, I hope we love the Anthem because I was hoping to book it or Oasis later this year for myself and DH.

Back in the early 90’s we were trying Carnival for the first time based on a recommendation from a relative. The Legend was leaving from NYC and it would be an easy commute to the pier for us. We (4 couples) decided to try it, but we were skeptical. Long story short, about 2 months before our cruise, DH got a call from Carnival rep, who asked if we, all 8 of us, would like a “free” upgrade from our standard balconies to suites, and the rep needed the answer right away. Since most of us had cruised before, DH said yes. 2 couples were upgraded to the wraparound suites, and the other two couples got the suites on either side of our wraparound suites. We weren’t skeptical after that, and most of us have made many more cruises with Carnival since that time.

Thanks very much.

We noticed when doing our online check-in that it states “Everyone will receive a wellness check before being cleared to board.” Is the Wellness Check just a review of our health questionnaire, or is it something in addition to the health questions? Thanks in advance.

We have mostly cruised with Carnival for the last 12 years and before that with Cunard, Celebrity, RCL, NCL, so we’ve been cruising for a long time. The Baltimore port was a big draw for us; no flying and we could drive to the port (1 1/2 hrs.). We like the smaller ships so the Carnival Pride was just right for us. In 2020 just before things closed down we decided to try RCL again on Grandeur of the Seas from Baltimore; it was very nice, but what made it great was we had a Junior Suite when we usually book traditional balconies. We felt the Grandeur was comparable to Carnival; food was about the same, we thought live music was a little better on Grandeur, staff were very friendly and helpful, loved Grandeur’s Solarium. We had no complaints. This year we are trying the Anthem of the Seas from Bayonne, to see if we might like the larger ship experience. The only other Royal ship we were on was the Empress of the Seas many years ago and that was also nice.

While I certainly agree that some folks operate their scooters in an unsafe manner, for me, I have had to stop abruptly when someone coming toward me in the opposite direction, has their head down, looking at their phone and if I didn’t stop, they would walk right into me. So it goes both ways.

There is a yellow lever on the back cover over top of the right tire that you either push forward or backward to be able to move the scooter in free mode without driving it. Not sure if I’m explaining it clearly.

I have taken my own scooter on 7 of our last cruises and usually book a standard balcony, with one exception. On a cruise on the Grandeur a few years ago, we chose a Jr. Suite and I had no problem bringing the scooter through the doorway, turning around inside the cabin, etc. I remove the armrests when I take it on a cruise. Since you will rent the scooter, I think the scooter companies use the same scooters that fit inside cabin. I think standard doorways are approx. 23” wide. It will be in your cabin when you board. One tip, if you are able to step off scooter…I use to drive the scooter into the cabin. It took some time lining it up, so now, I step off, put it in free moving mode, DH holds the door, and I easily steer it into the cabin.

Thank you very much. Glad you mentioned King. They seem to have a reliable history, and have been in business for a while. That’s who we will most likely use.

Thanks all. Nope, you’re right 1025cruise, scooter does not disqualify taking the train. Nothing to do with Acela, Regional, Amtrak, etc., but in this case, train would be problematic for us. If we 4 sisters were heading to NY for the day, absolutely no problem with scooter; the rail system is very accessible. However, when you need to first get from suburbs of Philly to 30th St. station with 4 suitcases, and a couple of small bags dragging behind, get to NY and then to Cape Liberty, that’s a lot of work. That’s why we hope we can find a reliable car service.

Thanks everyone. We can’t do the train because one of us depends on a mobility scooter which she needs to bring with her on the cruise.

Thank you.

I may have asked this before and if so, apologies in advance. We are a party of 4 cruising on the Anthem in 2023. We have never had to use a car service before for anything, so we are a bit skeptical when researching car/limo services for our ground transportation to the pier. Not sure about reviews or the reputations of some of the companies. If anyone from the Philadelphia area has used a car service, and could recommend a reliable company, or even advise us if you had the misfortune of hiring a car service that you would never use again, we would really appreciate it. Thank you.

Thank you. Wish they were leaving from Baltimore. Not looking forward to drive from Philly up the turnpike.

We will be dropping off a passenger who uses a mobility scooter at Cape Liberty cruise terminal. We have never cruised from that port and we will not be accompanying the 2 passengers, one of whom uses the scooter. Is there signage directing drivers where to go? I’m guessing we first drop off the luggage someplace, and then we drop off passengers at terminal in a different area? We won’t be parking, just dropping off. Any help or tips will be appreciated. Also posted on Disabled travel. Thank you.

We will be dropping off a passenger who uses a mobility scooter at Cape Liberty cruise terminal. We have never cruised from that port and we will not be accompanying the 2 passengers, one of whom uses the scooter. Is there signage directing drivers where to go? I’m guessing we first drop off the luggage, and then we drop off passengers at terminal in a different area? We won’t be parking, just dropping off. Any help or tips will be appreciated. Thank you.

Just really enjoying your review of Anthem. We are doing a “sisters” cruise in 2023 on the Anthem, and while this won’t be my first cruise, it will be my first on a larger ship. I appreciate the accessibility tips because one of us will be using a travel mobility scooter (me). We are four sisters and we booked 2 standard balconies. I’ve taken scooter on many cruises and the last time was on the Grandeur. The photos are fabulous and getting us very excited, especially for the specialty restaurants, entertainment, etc. Thanks for taking us along. Enjoy the remainder of your cruise.

I have taken my own scooter on 8 of our past cruises. On Carnival whenever trying to go to the showroom I have not seen any ”parking”areas for a scooter, or there are so few spaces, I didn’t get there soon enough. Even in the back of the theater, it’s very dark, so if I step off, and keep scooter next to me, someone may trip if they aren’t looking. I just came off Legend two weeks ago, and at that time and on prior cruises, I drive to our table, step off and waiter drives it away, returns my key and then returns the scooter after dinner. This trip was the only time in 27 cruises that I saw about 6 scooters parked outside of the MDR but they were tucked away in a space to the left of the entrance, well out of the way of guests. I’m guessing that’s where the waiters on the Legend store scooters during dinner. Just check with maitre’d when you board to see where your table is located and based on that, ask if you can park scooter yourself outside and walk to your table.

Well said, and I wholeheartedly agree about Serenity and other points. I could go on and on about some things I observed. It’s funny to us how much cruising has changed throughout the years; way different for sure. Sorry this cruise may have been your final CCL cruise. Hope you have a nice February cruise.