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ANTHEM: Dec 16-23 2016. Is it true what they say in the reviews? Here's what I think!

HLR

By HLR,
in Royal Caribbean International

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HLR

HLR

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Anthem of the Seas December 16th – 23rd 2016

 

Note: Of course these are my experiences and points of view. I read many reviews and threads on CruiseCritic pre-cruise. These reviews and threads enabled me to keep an eye out for possible problems & snafus and when encountered gave me the ability to not react with anything but a laugh, instead of the possibility of getting VERY annoyed. [see NorthStar and Your Account below]

 

Embarkation: I arrived too early. So I sat in the mall parking lot across from the pier entrance road on rt 440 for 20 minutes. At 10 am I drove to the pier to stand in a possible line of cars for my 10:30 am arrival time. I pulled directly to the front and dropped off my luggage, parked in the covered garage and proceeded to the terminal where I was checked in and through security at 10:20 am. I was seated and we waited until 10:50 am when boarding began and onto the ship we were!

 

I toured around and found myself at the SeaPlex and right onto the bumper cars! FUN! I knocked one thing off the bucket list within 20 minutes of being on the ship!

 

This is a big ship! And a Beautiful Ship! I loved the size of the ship! I loved the décor and elegance and technology.

 

What I didn’t love was that you never ran into the same people over and over to develop friendships like on a 120,000 ton ship or smaller. On the third night I ran into a couple I knew casually and who I didn’t know would be on this sailing. We chatted a wee bit and said we’ll see you later. I never ran into them again!

 

So…Is it true what the reviews say? Here’s what I say!

 

Fellow Passengers: Reviews have repeatedly said the ship is full of rude New Yorkers.

 

This sailing was just different than any I sailed on from the East coast. These were not your typical New Yorkers/New Jersey[ans]…this was an International Mediterranean type passenger list. This is my 19th cruise of which four were in Europe. It felt like a Mediterranean cruise: South Americans, British, Asian, Mexican, Israelis…the list goes on. And very well behaved children!

 

Shows: The Production value of all the shows was Excellent! I am in the theatre and these productions had 100% and more of what I would demand of any Broadway production. The performances by the singers and dancers was no exception in every production…not a missed vocal note or dance step.

 

1. We Will Rock You: Great Performances…I guess I just don’t know as much of Queen’s music as I thought. One hour would have been fine.

 

2. The Gift: Amazing stage craft, lighting, effects, costumes, choreography, vocal talent…what else can I praise?

 

The Music: What I found disappointing was that touted as an original work…where was the original music? Why was there not an original score for this show, but music pulled from all over the map of music’s history?

 

The Plot: Who writes these things and why was there a train? It was a GREAT train! It was a GREAT production number with the dancers dancing around the train…but why was there a train? How can they invest so much time and money and no one said “Why is there a train?”. The fact that I am going on and on about a train at all... And if my son grows up hating me all I have to do is buy him a bicycle and he’ll love me? Who writes these things.

 

HOWEVER… having opened with: Amazing stage craft, lighting, effects, costumes, choreography, vocal talent…what else can I praise? I thought it was totally worth 1 hour of my time to see it a second time almost as a theatre class assignment to study and revel in the artistry [though not the plot] of a visually and technically wonderful production.

 

3. Spectra’s Cabaret: What was that? Visually amazing...but...

 

Dining: On Par with the average "Big 7" cruises. Above average free coffee!

 

The Windjammer Buffet was good. Not great…but good.

 

1. My take on why people are disappointed is that the demand for food is so great they send out platter after platter so fast of this and skillets of that: No garnishing or layer of purple kale and carved vegetable flowers on each platter.

 

2. For people who say “The food is always cold”: no it’s not. If it is by the time you get to your table...then that is your fault.

 

3. Were there many dish laden dirty tables? YES The staff was clearing and clearing…there just was not enough staff.

 

Main Dining Rooms [My Time] I had a choice of American Icon and Silk dining rooms both with the same menu each night. Food was very good, always arrived hot. Service also very good, though the standard waiting…and sometimes wondering “Is the next course coming soon?”

 

Solarium Bistro: A nice respite from the MDR. It was quiet and there was no waiting for courses to arrive except your entrée. And it was brought as soon as ready since you got your appetizers yourself from a lovely small buffet. I paid a $10 premium for Lamb Chops and I’d do it again!

 

Jamie’s: Wonderful! Delicious food, when I ordered the lamb chops rare they were rare! Great Tiramisu and cutest Italian waiter.

 

La Patisserie: Very disappointing compared to other ships. There was always an abundance of little sandwiches which were tasty, but looked sloppy and just pilled on platters. There were never more than two choices of desserts and two different cookies. Delicious, but again just pilled on platters looking very sloppy. I remember on Enchantment of the Seas there was a large selection of really great free pastries at the Latitude’s Coffee Bar. Hmmm…

 

Café 270: Decent paninis and pasta salads…but the same every day. [They list Papaya Salad on the board and there is a sign in front of the container…but it was green beans; every day. I was looking forward to that one] Great space to eat in…but the hype was better the product.

 

Coffee: This ship had the BEST free coffee I have ever had on a ship! I ALWAYS buy my coffee and espresso drinks on board, but this time I did not feel the need to spend a dime on coffee.

 

Dining Reservations: I had made all my dining reservations 2 months before sailing.

 

I was solo with MDR reservations every night except the two specialty nights. I could not adhere to my reservation times twice due to [the ship’s] schedule changes. When I arrived I took turns requesting which dining room to eat in and was always seated immediately.

 

1. I had a coupon for a specialty restaurant which I used with no problem the first night at Jamie’s. Excellent food and service!

 

2. I had a reservation for the Solarium Bistro on day three at 9:30 pm to correspond with returning from Universal Studios on the ship’s excursion at 8:30 pm. When I got to my room there was a message saying that though my reservation was made for 9:30 pm, they close at 9 pm. But they’d be happy to see me anytime between 6 and 9 pm. The website offered me 9:30 pm: Why? If they close at 9? Mystifying!

 

3. I read all the time that the first day you can go to the Main Dining Room and ask to see the week’s menus so you can plan your specialty restaurant visits. When I did this the girl at the podium hadn’t a clue what I was talking about. She called over a supervisor who also had no clue what I was asking. He finally took my room number and said he would ask the chef for them and have them for me when I arrived for dinner that night. I opted to go to Jamie’s that first night and abandoned the menu search.

 

Activity Reservation Systems: The first day at sea was rough and ALL my activities were canceled: iFly, NorthStar and The Gift.

 

1. I was able to rebook iFly for the last sea day by using the IQ App.

 

2. The gift was automatically rebooked for the next night.

 

3. I was not able to rebook NorthStar and waited and gave up three times in the stand-by line due to the way they were handling it. The line problem? If people showed up a ½ an hour EARLY for their reservation they would put them right in the line instead of saying “Great! You’re early! You’ll go up right on time for your reservation your time!” and letting standby people who’d been waiting an hour go on. People were pissed! The last night at 7 pm it was dark and there were very high winds…and I had a hunch that I should walk by and I was right. I said “room for one more?” and the fellow put me right in line and we went right up.

 

The Staff: Though I rarely saw my cabin steward after the first day he was bright and funny and wonderful. I ALWAYS had a full bucket of ice, my room was serviced late morning and completely cleaned with turn down service while at dinner. Exactly like a good hotel.

 

I did not encounter any surly or depressed staff members as reviews have complained about…though they do seem happier on Carnival [Yes I said it! I sail on Carnival too!] It does seem that staff know their job and their job only. Some could not direct me when asked where a particular venue was and once I was sent in the wrong direction. Or they had to find a manager to answer a question and the manager was no help either. Oh well.

 

Cabin: One of the nicest I have ever had!

 

1. Balcony 11650 D6 [smaller balcony]. Well, that is what it said on every paper and online…”Smaller Balcony”…but it was a BIGGER balcony! It was one of the cabins edging one of the bump outs in the middle of the ship. [That is why I chose it].

 

2. There was so much storage I hung my clean clothes in one closet and after I wore them I moved them to the other. Granted there was just me…but there was a lot of storage.

 

3. The best bathroom ever! The rounded glass enclosed shower with rounded glass door: Excellent! Never a drop of water on the bathroom floor. Soap and toiletries included!

 

4. Great HD TV accessing your account and ships activities and personal schedule, etc.

 

Your Account: I saw a thread that said “Check your Account! There will be charges for things you didn’t buy!” TRUE! But I didn’t get upset and I thank the person who [i thought was a nut] for posting the thread. It saved me from the surprise of the charge and the seed in my mind of a trip to guest services was already planted.

 

The Bogus Charge you ask? Though it was not on the printed bill at my door in the morning, a charge labeled “Mini-Bar” for $12.76 appeared on my bill moments before I was to leave the room to debark at 7:40 am. How can this be? There Is No Mini-Bar! My Fridge Was Empty! A trip to Guest Services was mandated and after being asked a few questions the charge was promptly removed. [No…it was not for bottled water…you skeptics, you!]

 

Debarkation: I left my cabin at 7:40 am and as mentioned went to Guest Services where there was no line at all. My self-debarkation was at 8 am and though I said to the guard at 7:45 am that I early, was granted exit to the gangway. I went right to customs, paid for my parking and got in my car. I was home at 8:20 am! [i live 10 minutes away in Jersey City]

 

Sailing in the winter from New York: Um….didn’t mind the first cold day: So much of the ship to see and it was exciting as it got warmer. However it was a bummer the last two days as you couldn’t go outside to go in the pool then lie in the sun. You could go in the warm covered pools of the Solarium [FANTASTIC SPACE!] and the adjacent covered pool…but it’s not the same as being “in the sun”.

 

Oh! This ship has real plants! Not the plastic ones you find on every other ship…REAL PLANTS!

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Emortal

Emortal

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Thanks for sharing, great review! I'm really surprised to read so many reports of improper/fraudulent mini bar charges lately. RCCL should really get it sorted before a lawyer notices the frequency of this issue.

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gaylemh

gaylemh

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Posted (edited)
Anthem of the Seas December 16th – 23rd 2016

 

Note: Of course these are my experiences and points of view. I read many reviews and threads on CruiseCritic pre-cruise. These reviews and threads enabled me to keep an eye out for possible problems & snafus and when encountered gave me the ability to not react with anything but a laugh, instead of the possibility of getting VERY annoyed. [see NorthStar and Your Account below]

 

Embarkation: I arrived too early. So I sat in the mall parking lot across from the pier entrance road on rt 440 for 20 minutes. At 10 am I drove to the pier to stand in a possible line of cars for my 10:30 am arrival time. I pulled directly to the front and dropped off my luggage, parked in the covered garage and proceeded to the terminal where I was checked in and through security at 10:20 am. I was seated and we waited until 10:50 am when boarding began and onto the ship we were!

 

I toured around and found myself at the SeaPlex and right onto the bumper cars! FUN! I knocked one thing off the bucket list within 20 minutes of being on the ship!

 

This is a big ship! And a Beautiful Ship! I loved the size of the ship! I loved the décor and elegance and technology.

 

What I didn’t love was that you never ran into the same people over and over to develop friendships like on a 120,000 ton ship or smaller. On the third night I ran into a couple I knew casually and who I didn’t know would be on this sailing. We chatted a wee bit and said we’ll see you later. I never ran into them again!

 

So…Is it true what the reviews say? Here’s what I say!

 

Fellow Passengers: Reviews have repeatedly said the ship is full of rude New Yorkers.

 

This sailing was just different than any I sailed on from the East coast. These were not your typical New Yorkers/New Jersey[ans]…this was an International Mediterranean type passenger list. This is my 19th cruise of which four were in Europe. It felt like a Mediterranean cruise: South Americans, British, Asian, Mexican, Israelis…the list goes on. And very well behaved children!

 

Shows: The Production value of all the shows was Excellent! I am in the theatre and these productions had 100% and more of what I would demand of any Broadway production. The performances by the singers and dancers was no exception in every production…not a missed vocal note or dance step.

 

1. We Will Rock You: Great Performances…I guess I just don’t know as much of Queen’s music as I thought. One hour would have been fine.

 

2. The Gift: Amazing stage craft, lighting, effects, costumes, choreography, vocal talent…what else can I praise?

 

The Music: What I found disappointing was that touted as an original work…where was the original music? Why was there not an original score for this show, but music pulled from all over the map of music’s history?

 

The Plot: Who writes these things and why was there a train? It was a GREAT train! It was a GREAT production number with the dancers dancing around the train…but why was there a train? How can they invest so much time and money and no one said “Why is there a train?”. The fact that I am going on and on about a train at all... And if my son grows up hating me all I have to do is buy him a bicycle and he’ll love me? Who writes these things.

 

HOWEVER… having opened with: Amazing stage craft, lighting, effects, costumes, choreography, vocal talent…what else can I praise? I thought it was totally worth 1 hour of my time to see it a second time almost as a theatre class assignment to study and revel in the artistry [though not the plot] of a visually and technically wonderful production.

 

3. Spectra’s Cabaret: What was that? Visually amazing...but...

 

Dining: On Par with the average "Big 7" cruises. Above average free coffee!

 

The Windjammer Buffet was good. Not great…but good.

 

1. My take on why people are disappointed is that the demand for food is so great they send out platter after platter so fast of this and skillets of that: No garnishing or layer of purple kale and carved vegetable flowers on each platter.

 

2. For people who say “The food is always cold”: no it’s not. If it is by the time you get to your table...then that is your fault.

 

3. Were there many dish laden dirty tables? YES The staff was clearing and clearing…there just was not enough staff.

 

Main Dining Rooms [My Time] I had a choice of American Icon and Silk dining rooms both with the same menu each night. Food was very good, always arrived hot. Service also very good, though the standard waiting…and sometimes wondering “Is the next course coming soon?”

 

Solarium Bistro: A nice respite from the MDR. It was quiet and there was no waiting for courses to arrive except your entrée. And it was brought as soon as ready since you got your appetizers yourself from a lovely small buffet. I paid a $10 premium for Lamb Chops and I’d do it again!

 

Jamie’s: Wonderful! Delicious food, when I ordered the lamb chops rare they were rare! Great Tiramisu and cutest Italian waiter.

 

La Patisserie: Very disappointing compared to other ships. There was always an abundance of little sandwiches which were tasty, but looked sloppy and just pilled on platters. There were never more than two choices of desserts and two different cookies. Delicious, but again just pilled on platters looking very sloppy. I remember on Enchantment of the Seas there was a large selection of really great free pastries at the Latitude’s Coffee Bar. Hmmm…

 

Café 270: Decent paninis and pasta salads…but the same every day. [They list Papaya Salad on the board and there is a sign in front of the container…but it was green beans; every day. I was looking forward to that one] Great space to eat in…but the hype was better the product.

 

Coffee: This ship had the BEST free coffee I have ever had on a ship! I ALWAYS buy my coffee and espresso drinks on board, but this time I did not feel the need to spend a dime on coffee.

 

Dining Reservations: I had made all my dining reservations 2 months before sailing.

 

I was solo with MDR reservations every night except the two specialty nights. I could not adhere to my reservation times twice due to [the ship’s] schedule changes. When I arrived I took turns requesting which dining room to eat in and was always seated immediately.

 

1. I had a coupon for a specialty restaurant which I used with no problem the first night at Jamie’s. Excellent food and service!

 

2. I had a reservation for the Solarium Bistro on day three at 9:30 pm to correspond with returning from Universal Studios on the ship’s excursion at 8:30 pm. When I got to my room there was a message saying that though my reservation was made for 9:30 pm, they close at 9 pm. But they’d be happy to see me anytime between 6 and 9 pm. The website offered me 9:30 pm: Why? If they close at 9? Mystifying!

 

3. I read all the time that the first day you can go to the Main Dining Room and ask to see the week’s menus so you can plan your specialty restaurant visits. When I did this the girl at the podium hadn’t a clue what I was talking about. She called over a supervisor who also had no clue what I was asking. He finally took my room number and said he would ask the chef for them and have them for me when I arrived for dinner that night. I opted to go to Jamie’s that first night and abandoned the menu search.

 

Activity Reservation Systems: The first day at sea was rough and ALL my activities were canceled: iFly, NorthStar and The Gift.

 

1. I was able to rebook iFly for the last sea day by using the IQ App.

 

2. The gift was automatically rebooked for the next night.

 

3. I was not able to rebook NorthStar and waited and gave up three times in the stand-by line due to the way they were handling it. The line problem? If people showed up a ½ an hour EARLY for their reservation they would put them right in the line instead of saying “Great! You’re early! You’ll go up right on time for your reservation your time!” and letting standby people who’d been waiting an hour go on. People were pissed! The last night at 7 pm it was dark and there were very high winds…and I had a hunch that I should walk by and I was right. I said “room for one more?” and the fellow put me right in line and we went right up.

 

The Staff: Though I rarely saw my cabin steward after the first day he was bright and funny and wonderful. I ALWAYS had a full bucket of ice, my room was serviced late morning and completely cleaned with turn down service while at dinner. Exactly like a good hotel.

 

I did not encounter any surly or depressed staff members as reviews have complained about…though they do seem happier on Carnival [Yes I said it! I sail on Carnival too!] It does seem that staff know their job and their job only. Some could not direct me when asked where a particular venue was and once I was sent in the wrong direction. Or they had to find a manager to answer a question and the manager was no help either. Oh well.

 

Cabin: One of the nicest I have ever had!

 

1. Balcony 11650 D6 [smaller balcony]. Well, that is what it said on every paper and online…”Smaller Balcony”…but it was a BIGGER balcony! It was one of the cabins edging one of the bump outs in the middle of the ship. [That is why I chose it].

 

2. There was so much storage I hung my clean clothes in one closet and after I wore them I moved them to the other. Granted there was just me…but there was a lot of storage.

 

3. The best bathroom ever! The rounded glass enclosed shower with rounded glass door: Excellent! Never a drop of water on the bathroom floor. Soap and toiletries included!

 

4. Great HD TV accessing your account and ships activities and personal schedule, etc.

 

Your Account: I saw a thread that said “Check your Account! There will be charges for things you didn’t buy!” TRUE! But I didn’t get upset and I thank the person who [i thought was a nut] for posting the thread. It saved me from the surprise of the charge and the seed in my mind of a trip to guest services was already planted.

 

The Bogus Charge you ask? Though it was not on the printed bill at my door in the morning, a charge labeled “Mini-Bar” for $12.76 appeared on my bill moments before I was to leave the room to debark at 7:40 am. How can this be? There Is No Mini-Bar! My Fridge Was Empty! A trip to Guest Services was mandated and after being asked a few questions the charge was promptly removed. [No…it was not for bottled water…you skeptics, you!]

 

Debarkation: I left my cabin at 7:40 am and as mentioned went to Guest Services where there was no line at all. My self-debarkation was at 8 am and though I said to the guard at 7:45 am that I early, was granted exit to the gangway. I went right to customs, paid for my parking and got in my car. I was home at 8:20 am! [i live 10 minutes away in Jersey City]

 

Sailing in the winter from New York: Um….didn’t mind the first cold day: So much of the ship to see and it was exciting as it got warmer. However it was a bummer the last two days as you couldn’t go outside to go in the pool then lie in the sun. You could go in the warm covered pools of the Solarium [FANTASTIC SPACE!] and the adjacent covered pool…but it’s not the same as being “in the sun”.

 

Oh! This ship has real plants! Not the plastic ones you find on every other ship…REAL PLANTS!

 

I sail solo also. So far I've always known people that are also sailing, and make plans to have dinner with them. I have a couple of cruises that I won't know anyone before I board and was wondering with MTD do they ask if you would like to sit with others?

 

I also agree with you about The Gift. Cast was wonderful, but when I left, I was trying to figure out what I just saw. I also though it was a very depressing story for a cruise ship, even though it was supposedly a happy ending.

Edited by gaylemh
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BillOh Holiday Sharing Rare

BillOh

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What I didn’t love was that you never ran into the same people over and over to develop friendships like on a 120,000 ton ship or smaller. On the third night I ran into a couple I knew casually and who I didn’t know would be on this sailing. We chatted a wee bit and said we’ll see you later. I never ran into them again!

 

Lots of interesting observations. I too also keep Cruise Critic in my thoughts while cruising, and still having a good time. You are the first with this observation. I am a people watcher and on the slightly larger Oasis class I've noted seeing the same people over and over again. However, as we were in line for customs are my last Oasis cruise I noted thousands of people that I never saw during the cruise. One of the things that I think helps these big ships avoid feeling crowded is there is so much to do and I'm only interested in about 1/3rd of it. The things I am not interested in draw people away from things I am interested in, so it keeps people spread out.

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TeeRick

TeeRick

Posted
Posted
Anthem of the Seas December 16th – 23rd 2016

 

Note: Of course these are my experiences and points of view. I read many reviews and threads on CruiseCritic pre-cruise. These reviews and threads enabled me to keep an eye out for possible problems & snafus and when encountered gave me the ability to not react with anything but a laugh, instead of the possibility of getting VERY annoyed. [see NorthStar and Your Account below]

 

Embarkation: I arrived too early. So I sat in the mall parking lot across from the pier entrance road on rt 440 for 20 minutes. At 10 am I drove to the pier to stand in a possible line of cars for my 10:30 am arrival time. I pulled directly to the front and dropped off my luggage, parked in the covered garage and proceeded to the terminal where I was checked in and through security at 10:20 am. I was seated and we waited until 10:50 am when boarding began and onto the ship we were!

 

I toured around and found myself at the SeaPlex and right onto the bumper cars! FUN! I knocked one thing off the bucket list within 20 minutes of being on the ship!

 

This is a big ship! And a Beautiful Ship! I loved the size of the ship! I loved the décor and elegance and technology.

 

What I didn’t love was that you never ran into the same people over and over to develop friendships like on a 120,000 ton ship or smaller. On the third night I ran into a couple I knew casually and who I didn’t know would be on this sailing. We chatted a wee bit and said we’ll see you later. I never ran into them again!

 

So…Is it true what the reviews say? Here’s what I say!

 

Fellow Passengers: Reviews have repeatedly said the ship is full of rude New Yorkers.

 

This sailing was just different than any I sailed on from the East coast. These were not your typical New Yorkers/New Jersey[ans]…this was an International Mediterranean type passenger list. This is my 19th cruise of which four were in Europe. It felt like a Mediterranean cruise: South Americans, British, Asian, Mexican, Israelis…the list goes on. And very well behaved children!

 

Shows: The Production value of all the shows was Excellent! I am in the theatre and these productions had 100% and more of what I would demand of any Broadway production. The performances by the singers and dancers was no exception in every production…not a missed vocal note or dance step.

 

1. We Will Rock You: Great Performances…I guess I just don’t know as much of Queen’s music as I thought. One hour would have been fine.

 

2. The Gift: Amazing stage craft, lighting, effects, costumes, choreography, vocal talent…what else can I praise?

 

The Music: What I found disappointing was that touted as an original work…where was the original music? Why was there not an original score for this show, but music pulled from all over the map of music’s history?

 

The Plot: Who writes these things and why was there a train? It was a GREAT train! It was a GREAT production number with the dancers dancing around the train…but why was there a train? How can they invest so much time and money and no one said “Why is there a train?”. The fact that I am going on and on about a train at all... And if my son grows up hating me all I have to do is buy him a bicycle and he’ll love me? Who writes these things.

 

HOWEVER… having opened with: Amazing stage craft, lighting, effects, costumes, choreography, vocal talent…what else can I praise? I thought it was totally worth 1 hour of my time to see it a second time almost as a theatre class assignment to study and revel in the artistry [though not the plot] of a visually and technically wonderful production.

 

3. Spectra’s Cabaret: What was that? Visually amazing...but...

 

Dining: On Par with the average "Big 7" cruises. Above average free coffee!

 

The Windjammer Buffet was good. Not great…but good.

 

1. My take on why people are disappointed is that the demand for food is so great they send out platter after platter so fast of this and skillets of that: No garnishing or layer of purple kale and carved vegetable flowers on each platter.

 

2. For people who say “The food is always cold”: no it’s not. If it is by the time you get to your table...then that is your fault.

 

3. Were there many dish laden dirty tables? YES The staff was clearing and clearing…there just was not enough staff.

 

Main Dining Rooms [My Time] I had a choice of American Icon and Silk dining rooms both with the same menu each night. Food was very good, always arrived hot. Service also very good, though the standard waiting…and sometimes wondering “Is the next course coming soon?”

 

Solarium Bistro: A nice respite from the MDR. It was quiet and there was no waiting for courses to arrive except your entrée. And it was brought as soon as ready since you got your appetizers yourself from a lovely small buffet. I paid a $10 premium for Lamb Chops and I’d do it again!

 

Jamie’s: Wonderful! Delicious food, when I ordered the lamb chops rare they were rare! Great Tiramisu and cutest Italian waiter.

 

La Patisserie: Very disappointing compared to other ships. There was always an abundance of little sandwiches which were tasty, but looked sloppy and just pilled on platters. There were never more than two choices of desserts and two different cookies. Delicious, but again just pilled on platters looking very sloppy. I remember on Enchantment of the Seas there was a large selection of really great free pastries at the Latitude’s Coffee Bar. Hmmm…

 

Café 270: Decent paninis and pasta salads…but the same every day. [They list Papaya Salad on the board and there is a sign in front of the container…but it was green beans; every day. I was looking forward to that one] Great space to eat in…but the hype was better the product.

 

Coffee: This ship had the BEST free coffee I have ever had on a ship! I ALWAYS buy my coffee and espresso drinks on board, but this time I did not feel the need to spend a dime on coffee.

 

Dining Reservations: I had made all my dining reservations 2 months before sailing.

 

I was solo with MDR reservations every night except the two specialty nights. I could not adhere to my reservation times twice due to [the ship’s] schedule changes. When I arrived I took turns requesting which dining room to eat in and was always seated immediately.

 

1. I had a coupon for a specialty restaurant which I used with no problem the first night at Jamie’s. Excellent food and service!

 

2. I had a reservation for the Solarium Bistro on day three at 9:30 pm to correspond with returning from Universal Studios on the ship’s excursion at 8:30 pm. When I got to my room there was a message saying that though my reservation was made for 9:30 pm, they close at 9 pm. But they’d be happy to see me anytime between 6 and 9 pm. The website offered me 9:30 pm: Why? If they close at 9? Mystifying!

 

3. I read all the time that the first day you can go to the Main Dining Room and ask to see the week’s menus so you can plan your specialty restaurant visits. When I did this the girl at the podium hadn’t a clue what I was talking about. She called over a supervisor who also had no clue what I was asking. He finally took my room number and said he would ask the chef for them and have them for me when I arrived for dinner that night. I opted to go to Jamie’s that first night and abandoned the menu search.

 

Activity Reservation Systems: The first day at sea was rough and ALL my activities were canceled: iFly, NorthStar and The Gift.

 

1. I was able to rebook iFly for the last sea day by using the IQ App.

 

2. The gift was automatically rebooked for the next night.

 

3. I was not able to rebook NorthStar and waited and gave up three times in the stand-by line due to the way they were handling it. The line problem? If people showed up a ½ an hour EARLY for their reservation they would put them right in the line instead of saying “Great! You’re early! You’ll go up right on time for your reservation your time!” and letting standby people who’d been waiting an hour go on. People were pissed! The last night at 7 pm it was dark and there were very high winds…and I had a hunch that I should walk by and I was right. I said “room for one more?” and the fellow put me right in line and we went right up.

 

The Staff: Though I rarely saw my cabin steward after the first day he was bright and funny and wonderful. I ALWAYS had a full bucket of ice, my room was serviced late morning and completely cleaned with turn down service while at dinner. Exactly like a good hotel.

 

I did not encounter any surly or depressed staff members as reviews have complained about…though they do seem happier on Carnival [Yes I said it! I sail on Carnival too!] It does seem that staff know their job and their job only. Some could not direct me when asked where a particular venue was and once I was sent in the wrong direction. Or they had to find a manager to answer a question and the manager was no help either. Oh well.

 

Cabin: One of the nicest I have ever had!

 

1. Balcony 11650 D6 [smaller balcony]. Well, that is what it said on every paper and online…”Smaller Balcony”…but it was a BIGGER balcony! It was one of the cabins edging one of the bump outs in the middle of the ship. [That is why I chose it].

 

2. There was so much storage I hung my clean clothes in one closet and after I wore them I moved them to the other. Granted there was just me…but there was a lot of storage.

 

3. The best bathroom ever! The rounded glass enclosed shower with rounded glass door: Excellent! Never a drop of water on the bathroom floor. Soap and toiletries included!

 

4. Great HD TV accessing your account and ships activities and personal schedule, etc.

 

Your Account: I saw a thread that said “Check your Account! There will be charges for things you didn’t buy!” TRUE! But I didn’t get upset and I thank the person who [i thought was a nut] for posting the thread. It saved me from the surprise of the charge and the seed in my mind of a trip to guest services was already planted.

 

The Bogus Charge you ask? Though it was not on the printed bill at my door in the morning, a charge labeled “Mini-Bar” for $12.76 appeared on my bill moments before I was to leave the room to debark at 7:40 am. How can this be? There Is No Mini-Bar! My Fridge Was Empty! A trip to Guest Services was mandated and after being asked a few questions the charge was promptly removed. [No…it was not for bottled water…you skeptics, you!]

 

Debarkation: I left my cabin at 7:40 am and as mentioned went to Guest Services where there was no line at all. My self-debarkation was at 8 am and though I said to the guard at 7:45 am that I early, was granted exit to the gangway. I went right to customs, paid for my parking and got in my car. I was home at 8:20 am! [i live 10 minutes away in Jersey City]

 

Sailing in the winter from New York: Um….didn’t mind the first cold day: So much of the ship to see and it was exciting as it got warmer. However it was a bummer the last two days as you couldn’t go outside to go in the pool then lie in the sun. You could go in the warm covered pools of the Solarium [FANTASTIC SPACE!] and the adjacent covered pool…but it’s not the same as being “in the sun”.

 

Oh! This ship has real plants! Not the plastic ones you find on every other ship…REAL PLANTS!

 

Thanks for the excellent review. As a very recent passenger on Anthem (Nov27-Dec 9) I agree with almost everything you summarized. Interesting in checking my emailed bill just now I do have the infamous bogus mini-bar charge of $12.57 - perhaps too late to do anything about it. We really liked the Gift and We Will Rock You. We could not really get into Spectra's Cabaret (What was that? lol). We found Windjammer impossible to get a seat most of the time so we went to Cafe 270 or Solarium Bistro for breakfast or lunch. Removed the stress completely. Love those roast beef sandwiches in Cafe 270! We thought the staff overall was great and the service excellent.

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HLR

HLR

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I sail solo also. So far I've always known people that are also sailing, and make plans to have dinner with them. I have a couple of cruises that I won't know anyone before I board and was wondering with MTD do they ask if you would like to sit with others?

 

I also agree with you about The Gift. Cast was wonderful, but when I left, I was trying to figure out what I just saw. I also though it was a very depressing story for a cruise ship, even though it was supposedly a happy ending.

 

Hi Gaylemh!

 

I ate lunch in the Grand one afternoon and was asked if I would like to join another party at a larger table...but at dinner I was never asked. I think it is run like a "Land based" venue at dinner.

 

But maybe you could ask when you get to the podium?

 

Howard

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HLR

HLR

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Great review. Thanks for posting. Complainers always like to post about their miserable time. So glad you enjoyed your cruise and didn't let the little things ruin it for you.

 

Hey Debshomespun,

 

As I said the way I avoided some of the complainers pitfalls...was having read about their pitfalls! And as someone else in some thread or another said "This is cruise CRITIC after all!" LOL! [And I almost never "LOL"!]

 

I really think that the ship is just a tad understaffed. But maybe they just don't have any more crew cabins to rectify the problem.

 

Howard

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HLR

HLR

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Loved your review!

 

I loved the lamb chops in Jamie's and when I sail solo again in March, I'm planning on eating in Solarium Bistro and trying their lamb chops, too!

 

The lamb chops in Jamie's & the Solarium Bistro were the same I think [style, seasoning,etc] and excellent! The lamb chops in the MDR on the last evening were very good...though not seasoned as well...they were cut thicker actually, but not as good as the previous two. I was spoiled by then!

 

Howard

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Croozin Soozin

Croozin Soozin

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Do you have to pay for the little sandwiches and desserts in la patisserie

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

Yes, the food in La Patisserie has a charge, but across the way is the Cafe Promenade and Sorrento's where you can get food with no charge.

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

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Loved your review!

 

I loved the lamb chops in Jamie's and when I sail solo again in March, I'm planning on eating in Solarium Bistro and trying their lamb chops, too!

 

I have had both.

 

My experience:

 

Lamb chops in Jamie's = excellent

 

Lamb chops in Solarium Bistro = inedible

 

YMMV

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Croozin Soozin

Croozin Soozin

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I have had both.

 

My experience:

 

Lamb chops in Jamie's = excellent

 

Lamb chops in Solarium Bistro = inedible

 

YMMV

 

Good to know! I'm thinking of going to SB just for the appetizers a few times when I'm solo. Some of that stuff was so good I could definitely make a meal of it! I may not try the lamb chops after all in SB! :) But definitely baklava for dessert!

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