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Periscopes & Pictures: Anthem of the Seas June 11 – 16, 2016

Madison81
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Madison81

Madison81

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Periscopes & Pictures: Anthem of the Seas June 11 – 16, 2016

AKA Our “Bermuda Before Boot Camp” Cruise

 

Welcome to my live Periscope and picture journal for our cruise to Bermuda on the Anthem of the Seas, June 11 – 16, 2016. I hope you will enjoy sailing along with me as I head back to one of my favorite places :)

 

Along with me on this cruise are my twin 18-year-old nephews Steven & Sean. This cruise is a combination high school graduation present for both boys as well as a going away to boot camp present for Steven, who leaves for Parris Island, SC to enter the Marines in a couple weeks, and Sean, who will enter boot camp later this year. This will be their first cruise or big vacation trip.

 

A sad side note to our trip…My husband was originally supposed to be cruising with us, in fact this cruise was his idea. He has to stay home for work at the last minute so we have cancelled his cruise and were able to change things around :(. This may make for an even more interesting report as I cruise alone with two 18yr olds for the first time :eek:. As my brother said, “Good thing you bought a drink package!” Actually they are great guys who have great manners and I'm really looking forward to it now that the disappointment of my DH not being able to come has worn off a bit.

 

We live in southeastern Massachusetts. I will pick Steven & Sean up at T.F. Greene airport in Providence, RI on Thursday, two days before the cruise. The boys live in Merritt Island, Florida, just a couple miles from Port Canaveral. When we booked this cruise it didn’t work out for my DH & I to go to Florida for a cruise right now so they are coming north to us…just a bit more travel to get on their first cruise ship then they had thought when watching the cruise ships go in and out at Jetty Park near their home :D

 

Friday morning we will drive down to Bayonne, NJ from our home in Massachusetts at about 11am, a 3.5-hour drive, and stay at the Courtyard Newark Liberty International Airport hotel near the airport in Newark. In the past my husband and I have driven down the morning of the cruise but I didn’t want to push my luck with traffic. It will be nice not to have to get up so early the morning of the cruise, although I never sleep much the night before anyway for some reason...

 

I thought I’d start this review a few days early in case there is anything that anyone would like me to find out or photograph for them on the cruise - please be reasonable. I was fortunate to meet Radio on our first cruise to Bermuda (Explorer, 9/2010) and we enjoyed comparing cameras and photos in the cigar lounge. He gave me some pointers for my first photo review that I have used since, and so my reviews are photo heavy and will include cruise compasses, menus, and other paperwork I can find. I also plan, Voom willing, to do a lot of scopes from the ship. My username is SeaSetter. Just be warned that some scopes may be late at night or very early morning sunrises (I don’t sleep much on cruises, LOL) so adjust your notifications or sound accordingly.

Edited by CC Help Michell
corrected date per author request
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Madison81

Madison81

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OK so I'm not starting off too well...I put the wrong date :eek: I have written to cruise critic to hopefully get it corrected.

 

It should read June 11-16, 2016. I think when I wrote it in word yesterday I was autocorrected to yesterday's date and didn't notice.

 

Edited by Madison81
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Madison81

Madison81

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BIG THANKS to CruiseCritic for correcting the date in the subject of the thread for me!!!

 

Following...... Have a fantastic time!

Thanks!

 

I'll be sailing and following. Love to see different perspectives.

 

Great, I do too. Hope to see you on board!

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pharaoh

pharaoh

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Glad to have you along Celisse. I hope I can do as good of a job as you and Kat, I really enjoyed your Allure review and scopes!

 

 

 

Oh thank you, but my review is horrible (and unfinished sigh) but the scopes were really fun! I have been enjoying everyone else's, but they're giving me cruise withdrawal! [emoji23]

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scottygirl

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Following along. I am interested in whether you can really get an IFly reservation on board. I was only able to book one online. I am assuming that because it's only a 5 night cruise with the same # of people as a 9 night cruise that there is naturally less availability. Thanks!

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Madison81

Madison81

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Have a great cruise! I'm looking forward to your reports.

 

Please take care of the ship since we come aboard after your cruise!:D

 

Thanks & Will do! I've been following scopes of Anthem this week and it has helped pass the last few days before we board :)

 

On her in Oct-Nov. I eagerly await all you have to say and photograph. Can you tell me what shows you pre-booked and what times and days you had to choose from? Did you pre-book anything else?

 

The 3 shows to book were We Will Rock You, The Gift, and Spectra's Cabaret. I only booked WWRY. My husband doesn't really like to make reservations so we compromise and I book a couple things with the rest just winging it. Each of the shows had several showings at different times/days but I can't remember what they were, sorry.

 

I would go in the planner to look for you but yesterday the show reservations that everyone had made on the ship were changed to different dates or times by Royal. We were informed in an email. Since I had only booked the 1 show the changes didn't effect me much and in fact the time I have for the show now is much better for us. Others in our roll call are having to redo all their dinner reservations because some show times are now in the middle of their dining.

 

The only other thing I booked ahead was the iFly. I would have booked North Star but the only time available was when we will be in Bermuda and on an excursion. I will book it when onboard or stand in the waiting line.

 

Oh thank you, but my review is horrible (and unfinished sigh) but the scopes were really fun! I have been enjoying everyone else's, but they're giving me cruise withdrawal! [emoji23]

 

Hey, now you can relive your cruise while finishing up the review to help with the cruise withdrawal :):)

 

Have a great trip. We are sailing in November. I'll be interested in your thoughts about the dining, not so much the food as the rotation of dining rooms.

 

Thanks! We have dynamic dining choice and plan to eat in the dining room some nights and Windjammer or in Bermuda the others so we will not be doing the whole rotation. I know we will be eating at American Icon and The Grande at the least and will let you know what we think.

 

Following along. Thanks for doing a LIVE review of the Anthem.

 

Great! Hope you enjoy it as much as we will :D

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Madison81

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Following along. I am interested in whether you can really get an IFly reservation on board. I was only able to book one online. I am assuming that because it's only a 5 night cruise with the same # of people as a 9 night cruise that there is naturally less availability. Thanks!

 

I also booked online and hopefully will be able to answer your question because we are going to try to do it at least once more by booking on board too. I've read of lots of people doing so. Will let you know.

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Madison81

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I have a busy day planned today as this is the last day I have to run errands, tidy up the house, pick up any last minute items for our trip, and most importantly pick out which cameras to take, make sure batteries are charged, and that I have the charger and lots of SD cards packed.

 

Later this afternoon I will meet with the vet intern who will be coming to my house twice a day to give one of my cats his insulin shot. I was really fortunate to find her so I don’t need to have the cat stay at the veterinary hospital while we are gone. Even though Frank is now staying home for work he just can’t bring himself to give the injections so I didn’t cancel her.

 

TIP: Have a pad of paper and a pen, or cell phone with notes app, on your nightstand table when you go to sleep the nights before the cruise. It is amazing what you remember that you forgot to pack (like underwear :eek:) or put on your list of things that you have to do before leaving (like heading to the bank for $1 bills for tips) when you can’t sleep due to excitement!

 

Edited by Madison81
typo
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dedosr

dedosr

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I also booked online and hopefully will be able to answer your question because we are going to try to do it at least once more by booking on board too. I've read of lots of people doing so. Will let you know.

 

Will be on the Anthem in July. We booked I Fly for all 8 of us on line. When we were on the Quantum, we also booked on line, and wanted to do it a second time by booking on board. After our first I Fly, the next day we went to book a second time. They saw in the system we already did it once, so they would not make us another reservation so as to leave that spot open for someone who has not done it yet, which is the right thing to do. However, he did say that if I wanted to hang out there at check in, I could go a second time by taking the spot of a "no show". I said thanks because I had other things to do.

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dedosr

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TIP: Have a pad of paper and a pen, or cell phone with notes app, on your nightstand table when you go to sleep the nights before the cruise. It is amazing what you remember that you forgot to pack (like underwear :eek:) or put on your list of things that you have to do before leaving (like heading to the bank for $1 bills for tips) when you can’t sleep due to excitement!

 

 

 

Speaking of a "notepad and Pen", bring them on the cruise. They no longer provide them. At least on our Quantum cruise! We asked our stateroom attendant to get us a pen and paper pad,(I always take my own but needed more) After two days he gave us 1 and apologized it took so long. He said they no longer have them for guests, and he gave me one from the crew quarters area.

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