Anthem of the Seas - Review - Southern Caribbean - Jan 28, 2018 - Feb 9, 2018

Congratulations on your retirement.

 

Even though we were booked for Harmony next winter, we booked Anthem for 2/3/19 also. You will hear how that came about later in the report.

 

 

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Great! Maybe we will run into each other on that cruise.

Aileen

:cool:

Tuesday 1/30/18 - At Sea - Continued

We walked around the ship a bit.

I posed in the chair outside Wonderland. I always want to take a picture with this chair, not sure why, but I just think it’s cute.

At 10am we went to the Sushi class in Izumi. This was so much fun. There were only 6 people in the class (the two of us plus four more people participating). We made several different types of sushi: Spicy Tuna Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, California Handroll, and Shrimp Sushi.

Below is the starting point (raw ingredients) that we were each given. We were also each given a bowl of rice, the seaweed paper, bamboo rolling mat, and plastic gloves. They also gave us glasses of water in case we were thirsty.

The teacher told stories as he instructed us on how to make the different pieces.

Scott with his California hand roll

The finished product

Tuesday 1/30/18 - At Sea - continued

Me showing off my completed plate:

Scott with his completed plate:

When we finished we all received certificates for completing the course. However, when they were first handed out I noticed that they had the wrong date listed so mentioned it. Scott laughed that only I would notice such a thing. They ended up reprinting all the certificates with the correct date.

Me with the teacher after the class

We weren’t hungry when we were done a little after 11 so they wrapped up our plates so we could bring it back to our cabin and put it in the refrigerator to eat later. Everyone in the class did the same. I was wondering why they held the class so early but I guess they want it all done so they can set up for lunch.

I like that the refrigerators in the cabin are empty when you get onboard and you can choose to order things to fill it if you want. We end up stocking it up since we usually have a few bottles of water in the cabin when we arrive (Diamond Plus water I think) and a can or two of coke (also Diamond Plus beverage I think). We will grab a bottle of water here and there to put in the refrigerator. We’ll also get a few cans of soda to keep in our refrigerator. We don’t go crazy with stocking it, but like to have a little there so we can easily grab a bottle of water on the way to the gym in the morning or have the soda handy for those late night room service snacks.

I’m not sure what made me check but this is when I realized that the walls in the cabin are not magnetic. I had these magnetic hooks with me that we have used on prior cruises but they didn’t work in this cabin.

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Tuesday 1/30/18 - At Sea - Continued

We went up to deck 14 and Scott got a cappuccino at the Windjammer Coffee Bar. It’s convenient that there are several places to get specialty coffee when you want one at various places on the ship. I usually get the same thing at the Patisserie, but specialty coffee is also available at the Windjammer coffee bar as well as the coffee bar in Cafe 270. There may be others but these are the ones I’ve noticed. I got a bottle of water at the Windjammer coffee bar while we were there.

We went up to the Suite Sun Deck to check it out. The chairs are still tied up since it’s windy out. The seas are not as rough today.

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We went down to the pool deck and walked around outside

The kiddie pool had nets over it

We went back to our cabin and hung out on the balcony for a little while.

We finally were hungry for our sushi so sat in the living room and ate the sushi using the coffee table. It was very good.

I read some of my book on the balcony and Scott went to the gym since he didn’t go this morning. I haven’t pulled out the Kindle yet, I’m still reading my old fashioned paper book.

Tuesday 1/30/18 - At Sea - Continued

I’m not sure what we did the rest of the afternoon but pretty quickly it was time for us to shower and get ready for dinner and the evening.

We stopped at the Concierge Lounge for a drink.

We had dinner in Coastal Kitchen

Today’s menu (not the classic side since that’s the same every day)

A bread basket is given to us each night with a tray of things to put on the bread. It’s a three slot dish with the bread toppings. One is usually a flavored butter, the others are usually a hummus and a tepanade. I forgot to get a picture of the dip tray.

Tuesday 1/30/18 - At Sea - Continued

For appetizers I had the braised beef gnocchi

Scott had the scallop carpaccio

For entree I had the Veal Cannelloni

Scott had the NY Strip Steak

They certainly like fava beans. They have appeared on several dishes already.

We both had soda - Sprite for me and Coke for Scott

Tuesday 1/30/18 - At Sea - Continued

We were brought the dessert menu

I had the ivory mousse

Scott had the chocolate napoleon

After dinner we went to the casino for a little while

Tuesday 1/30/18 - At Sea - Continued

We had reservations for Spectre’s Cabaret at 8:45 so went down about 8:25 and sat in the Suite Section. It’s nice not to have to fight for the limited number of seats in 270. We still had the same reaction to the show that we had the last time we saw it - it’s a bit out there. Some of the music is good but it is a bit odd.

We went back to the casino after Spectre’s Cabaret and played at the tables and poker slots.

At 11:30pm we saw the late night comedian, Paul Ogata. We both enjoyed the show.

Back at our cabin Scott was hungry so ordered room service. He ordered a burger, chicken tenders, fries, and chocolate chip cookies. It was delivered pretty quickly after ordering. I had a chicken tender and some fries and it was very good. I liked the cookies too. We nibbled on the cookies over a few days. I put them on the covered plate we had from the first day with the original cookies that were in our room. Since both the burger and the chicken tenders came with fries, he told them just one order of fries is fine, not two. They ended up sending an extra order of fries.

Is the Solarium open for breakfast and lunch? Do they serve it as a buffet with the ability to get made to order eggs/omletes?

MARAPRINCE

Is the Solarium open for breakfast and lunch? Do they serve it as a buffet with the ability to get made to order eggs/omletes?

 

MARAPRINCE

Hi.

We didn’t go to the Solarium Bistro this trip.

Friends in the group said they went the first day for lunch instead of the Windjammer and it was a buffet but less crowded.

They also went a few times for breakfast and mentioned the smaller less crowded buffet.

I don’t know about the made to order eggs/omelets.

Day 4 Compass and Planner

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Puerto Rico Map

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Wednesday 1/31/18 - Puerto Rico

We both went to the gym this morning around 6am when they opened.

My stop at the Patisserie is a very nice morning ritual. It’s been pretty empty when I stop by and often I ame the only person there.

After showering and getting dressed we went to Coastal Kitchen for breakfast.

I ordered the yogurt/granola since that’s what I normally have at home for breakfast and was in the mood for it. I forgot to take a picture of it.

But I also wanted to try the breakfast flat bread.

I ordered both and ate a little of each one.

Scott had pancakes, eggs, and sausage.

We are enjoying breakfast at Coastal Kitchen. It’s nice not dealing with crowds and being served breakfast. Last trip we had breakfast in the dining room a few times and liked that also.

We saw a note in the Compass that it was fill the laundry bag day so we filled the paper bag in the room. Our room steward came by and told us it’s the wrong bag and gave us the smaller plastic one to use. We moved the laundry to that bag. We were able to get a decent amount of clothes in there; just T Shirts, shorts, underwear, and socks. But a lot of them.

It’s finally sunny and warm out.

We sat out on the suite sun deck for a while. I can see how you can easily get spoiled with this perk. It was pretty empty up there with nice comfortable lounge chairs, towels available, a rainfall shower, etc. There isn’t a bar up there to get beverages but they have a water dispenser at the top of the stairs before you go out onto the deck.

We arrived in Puerto Rico about 3pm. We got off the ship and walked around a bit. We went to the Coach store but I didn’t find anything I wanted. We stopped at Barrachina to see if we saw anyone from the group but they weren’t there. We normally would eat dinner here as we’ve done the last few times we stopped in Puerto Rico, but after the recent hurricanes we were concerned about the food/water so didn’t.

Continuing to walk around we bought some T shirts for Scott, a post card, an ornament, etc. We also stopped in Walgreens near the ship and bought a few things. Walgreens was doing a booming business.

We were back on the ship a little after 5. We took a quick shower since were were sweaty from walking around Puerto Rico but we didn’t dress up tonight and stayed pretty casual.

Wednesday 1/31/18 - Puerto Rico - Continued

We stopped at the Concierge Lounge and ended up chatting with this woman who sat with us. Her husband came by a bit later. I think she was a travel agent trying to drum up business. She was asking about different trips and I’m a chatterbox so was telling her about some of our upcoming trips. She started asking me if I considered some other cruises she has done. Then she asked me if I used a travel agent and once I told her I have one that I’m friends with and have been using for a while, our conversation came to a pretty abrupt end.

We went to Coastal Kitchen around 6:30 for dinner. We met this nice couple, Vic and Brian, who were at the table next to us and we ended up chatting throughout dinner with them.

For appetizers I had the crab cake. I was asking about the seafood vouloute but when they told me it was a soup I decided against it.

Scott had the seafood vouloute and said it was very good. The presentation is nice, the bowl shows up with some stuff in it, then they pour the liquid in over it.

Wednesday 1/31/18 - Puerto Rico - Continued

For my entree I had the barramundi.

Scott had the salmon (from the everyday menu).

Rajiv wanted us to try the tortellini so he brought us a bowl of that to share too.

The dessert menu came out

For dessert I had the Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Scott had the Vacherin

We ended up switching desserts. While the chocolate cake was good it was super rich. I liked the light vacherin better.

We have the same waiter each day in Coastal Kitchen, Rajiv. He’s really good. He’s very personable, makes good suggestions, and steers us away from dishes he doesn’t think are that good. We enjoy that extra interaction.

Wednesday 1/31/18 - Puerto Rico - Continued

We were chatting with Vic and Brian about different types of cabins and they wanted to see the Grand Suite so we gave them a little cabin tour after dinner.

We missed the 8pm show since we were gabbing through dinner and then doing our little cabin tour, but that’s OK by us. We were having a lot of fun.

We walked around outside on the deck for a bit and I took a picture of Scott in the chair next to the life ring

We ran into Brenda and Charlie and another couple from the group so we all hung out in the Concierge Lounge for a bit. They weren’t serving anything at this time and there were only a few other people in there also just hanging out. Brenda, Charlie, and the other couple are all Diamond Plus so they are able to go to the Concierge Lounge; it’s not like we snuck them in.

Scott and I left at 10:30 to see the juggler show, Adam Kario. My original plan had us seeing the early juggler show and then the silent disco at 10:30. I assumed there would be another silent disco at some point during the rest of the cruise.

Back at our cabin we had another towel animal.

Scott wanted to go to the casino for a bit so he did that. He was back around 2am and wanted room service so ordered a few hot dogs. Again, I forgot to take a picture of the hot dogs from room service. But he’s still raving about them and telling everyone how good they are.

I really enjoy reading your posts. My husband and I were on this cruise also, and had a great time. It's so nice to be reliving it again through your pictures and posts.

Day 5 Compass and Planner

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St Maarten Map

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Thursday 2/1/18 - St Maarten

I went to the gym at 6am and Scott slept in today.

After my workout I stopped at the Patisserie for my iced white chocolate mocha and bottles of water.

I also stopped at Guest Services to ask about our cancelled “The Gift” show to see when it’s rescheduled. I was told tomorrow at 8:15 but it won’t show up on our calendar. Odd that it wasn’t more readily available to know when we were rescheduled for.

Back at the cabin, I showered and got dressed. Scott was already ready to go.

We went to Coastal Kitchen for breakfast.

Waffles weren’t on the menu but I saw someone at the next table eating them so asked if I could have waffles. It turns out they went to the Windjammer to get them and then arranged them nicely on the plate with some strawberry compote on the side. They were very good.

Scott stuck with his standby of French Toast. He really likes the French Toast here.

We added Brenda and Charlie to our dinner reservation at Coastal Kitchen tonight.

We arrived at St Maarten around 10am.

We took a few pictures when we got off the ship.

We walked to and around Philipsburg and were constantly harassed to buy things. I know they are struggling but that is very annoying and doesn’t make me want to buy what they are selling. We wanted to spend some money in town and buy a few things but the begging was hard to deal with.

Thursday 2/1/18 - St Maarten - Continued

We walked along the Boardwalk.

We went onto the Main Street and bought some T shirts for Scott, an ornament, a postcard, and some other little souvenirs.

Old Street looks pretty bad. The car that sits in the middle of the street is a mess. The Belgian Chocolate shop wasn’t there anymore. I was hoping to stock up on tons of goodies from there.

We walked back to the ship and were back on board by 1:30pm.

We are very sad over the devastation on the island. I guess it’s a bit of a catch 22. The island doesn’t really seem ready for visitors yet, but they want you there to bring some needed money to the island. I overheard some people that went to a beach and had a very nice time. We were still a bit leery of swimming here not knowing what may be floating around.

Thursday 2/1/18 - St Maarten - Continued

Once back on the ship, we dropped our purchases in the cabin and changed into our bathing suits.

We went up to the suite sundeck. It was very empty today. Even the regular pool deck was empty.

We would go up and down to go in the pool then back up to hang out on our lounge chairs.

That is Scott sort of waving from the pool - more like holding both his hands up than a real wave

I picked up some fruit from the Windjammer and we snacked on that at our lounge chairs.

We went up to our cabin to shower and change for the evening.

We stopped at the Concierge Lounge for a drink and some snacks before dinner. Scott likes the appetizers they have here. I tried a Lemon Drop drink that one of the people we were chatting with recommended. It was pretty good. I’m not a big drinker - usually just a froo froo drink. It can’t be strong or taste too much like alcohol.

We stopped outside on the way to Coastal Kitchen and took a picture of the sunset with a Yacht that was parked/docked next to the Anthem

Thursday 2/1/18 - St Maarten - Continued

We had dinner in Coastal Kitchen with Brenda and Charlie

For appetizer I had the grilled Octopus

Scott and Charlie both had the Tuna Tartar

Brenda had the Shrimp Cocktail.

Thursday 2/1/18 - St Maarten - Continued

For entrees both Charlie and I had the Short Rib. This was really good and not fatty at all. I like short rib but often it’s too fatty and I end up not enjoying it. This one was great.

Scott had the Flounder

I don’t remember what Brenda had but it must have been one of the same things since I don’t have a separate picture

Rajiv also brought us the pasta to share. Scott ended up really liking the pasta.

Thursday 2/1/18 - St Maarten - Continued

We were brought the dessert menu

I had the Ricotta Cheesecake

Scott had the Creme Brûlée

Charlie had the Coconut Custard

Brenda just wanted strawberry ice cream. Rajiv convinced her to try some of the sorbet which was a wine flavor but she didn’t like the sorbet.

It was so nice to have dinner with Brenda and Charlie. We don’t get to spend enough time with them. We are booked to go to a few beaches with them during the trip so that should be fun.

After dinner we showed Brenda and Charlie our cabin.

At 8:30 we went to watch Tony Tillman in the theater and enjoyed his show.

We went to the casino after. I stayed until about midnight and Scott stayed later.