Anthem of the Seas LIVE 1/9

[EllieinNJ]

We did a ship tour by bus today.  Took the shuttle with no wait time.  One right after another.  When we got to the terminal was surprised it was one big cluster f.  Everyone was herded together like cattle.  No separation between tours.  You were lucky to hear if your tour was called.  Very disorganized.

 

The tour itself was a snooze.  It was Barbados Coast to Coast.  Three boring stops.  Very little scenery. 

[Zeashore]

15 hours ago, Denise W said:

Sorry I messed up the quote. The mountain to the far left in the first photo is a volcano that spewed ash as we were traveling past. It is in Montserrat, and you can see the ash forming a cloud up above.

Nice pic - thanks!  Sure beats the weather back home! Enjoy 😃

[PiperHolliday]

Yesterday, after returning to the ship, we went to bumper cars. We were the only people there, so it was just the three of us and some crew members got in to make it more fun. They just let us go until we felt like stopping. 

 

We were also in 270 for a snack right before that and a young woman was rehearsing Spectra's role with some stage crew. Not sure if she's the understudy or if Terry has left us. 

[toad455]

In general, bumper cars have no wait except for one morning. I rode them 4 times this morning. They're running 9am-11:30am the remaining days.

[CPT Trips]

17 hours ago, Biker19 said:

That was true only for about the first hour or so, you could walk later. 

Aha. We were off early for a shorex. 

[Biker19]

Just now, CPT Trips said:

Aha. We were off early for a shorex. 

Even later, some opted to use the shuttle bus instead of walking, even if sometimes it was slower. 

[PiperHolliday]

We went to Chops again for dinner last night. We had a lot of repeat dishes, so I did not take many photos. The filet was flavourful and perfectly cooked, just like last time. The ribeye was cooked just right but lacked flavor. The creamed spinach and mushrooms were good but could have been better as far as seasoning. Again, sorry for the dark photos. They keep it too dark in there, even for the dark ambiance they're going for. I have 20/20 vision and relatively young eyes and it's annoying. 

 

Tuna Tartare. This was good!

 

Rack of Lamb. Cooked perfectly but bland.

 

Apple Pie. 

 

I think we have all concluded that Chops isn't worth the $54 per person that they charge. Of course, that can change based on ship and who's in the kitchen. And your personal expectations and preferences. 

[toad455]

Noon-ish on a gorgeous sea day. Seats around the outdoor pool are taken, but there's plenty around the indoor pool and up on deck 15.

 

 

[mosherrskl]

It’s back above zero here in Syracuse.  Enjoy.  Snow for tonight and tomorrow.

[toad455]

Football Sunday by the pool!

[toad455]

FYI, North Star is now free from the remainder of the cruise. Never saw it moving on the early sea days when it was $20 per person.

[PiperHolliday]

We went to breakfast this morning at Windjammer and it was good. The omelet station is usually a good bet. I was happy to see they had Bhurji and I had that on garlic rice. The rice needed a bit of work but overall was good. I always like the Crispy bacon and hash browns, they've been good every time. And with the beverage package, I'm always getting the fresh squeezed OJ. They had "avocado toast" on offer this morning but it was a slice of untoasted bread with guacamole spread on it. I'm really missing good, fresh produce. 

 

The outdoor pool scene on this ship isn't for me. I hate the TV. I prefer not to have people yelling around me at a football game while I'm trying to relax. And everyone is on top of each other. But the Solarium is enclosed and stuffy. It also seems that this ship in particular doesn't have the outdoor pool facilities necessary for the amount of cabins on the ship. I understand it's suitable for cooler weather because that's where she's homeported (Bayonne and Portsmouth) but once you get to the Caribbean, it's a miss. These things obviously do not bother a lot of people, it's just not my preference. 

[PiperHolliday]

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that we talked to guest services about port fees and taxes being refunded but they're in the dark. They said they're waiting on HQ to tell them anything. I didn't think it was such a complicated feat to do, as I've anyways had them refunded same day for a missed port on other lines. 

[Jerseygirl1416]

26 minutes ago, PiperHolliday said:

 

The outdoor pool scene on this ship isn't for me. I hate the TV. I prefer not to have people yelling around me at a football game while I'm trying to relax. And everyone is on top of each other. But the Solarium is enclosed and stuffy. It also seems that this ship in particular doesn't have the outdoor pool facilities necessary for the amount of cabins on the ship. I understand it's suitable for cooler weather because that's where she's homeported (Bayonne and Portsmouth) but once you get to the Caribbean, it's a miss. These things obviously do not bother a lot of people, it's just not my preference. 

It wasn’t for me either. The only outdoor pool feels very closed in and definitely not enough outdoor deck space for a warm weather cruise. I’m sailing this class ship to Alaska next fall which I think will be ok for me but if there’s warm sunny weather I’m in a lounger in the sunshine and this class ship doesn’t do it for me. 

[gc]

3 hours ago, toad455 said:

FYI, North Star is now free from the remainder of the cruise. Never saw it moving on the early sea days when it was $20 per person.

Maybe you guys could team up and use your power of persuasion and get them to open up the skating!! since you got  wacked with 8 sea days.

[toad455]

33 minutes ago, gc said:

Maybe you guys could team up and use your power of persuasion and get them to open up the skating!! since you got  wacked with 8 sea days.

 

Assuming they're not doing it due to social distancing. There's enough to do anyways and it's been too nice to be inside during the afternoon.

[PiperHolliday]

Just a bit later, with the strength of the sun diminished a bit, the Solarium felt great. We relocated there and have been having a great time. It's empty and the wait staff here keep the drinks coming, even without asking. I've switch to wine only and not even bothering with the sugar water cocktails. This is our happy place today. 

 

[LATTELOVE]

Are they still doing the captains Q and A

at 270??

[MadamGorgeous]

48 minutes ago, PiperHolliday said:

Just a bit later, with the strength of the sun diminished a bit, the Solarium felt great. We relocated there and have been having a great time. It's empty and the wait staff here keep the drinks coming, even without asking. I've switch to wine only and not even bothering with the sugar water cocktails. This is our happy place today. 

 

This really captures a warm, calm vibe and everything I love about cruising.  Relaxing with a nice glass of wine while the sun gets lower, then going back to take a little buzz nap before getting ready and putting something pretty on for a nice dinner and relaxing evening.
Beautiful photo ❤️

[sammylou]

On 1/11/2022 at 5:29 AM, PiperHolliday said:

Our new itinerary:

What was your original itinerary please, how many ports have you lost?

[aphrodite6528]

9 hours ago, PiperHolliday said:

 Not sure if she's the understudy or if Terry has left us. 

Saw Terry hanging out on the deck aft twice today. Still around if not performing.

[PiperHolliday]

12 minutes ago, aphrodite6528 said:

Saw Terry hanging out on the deck aft twice today. Still around if not performing.

 

We popped into the performance of Spectra tonight and he's still performing! Phew! I don't think the show would be the same without him. 

[toad455]

13 hours ago, sammylou said:

What was your original itinerary please, how many ports have you lost?

 

Wed- San Juan (4pm-10pm) CXLD

Thur- St. Maarten (10am-7pm)

Fri- St. Kitts(8am-5pm) CXLD

Sat- Barbados(9:30am-5pm)

Sun- Antigua(9am-5pm)

 

[BND]

12 hours ago, PiperHolliday said:

 

We popped into the performance of Spectra tonight and he's still performing! Phew! I don't think the show would be the same without him. 

We've seen it twice on two separate cruises and Terry was on both times.  Definitely a unique personality.

[PiperHolliday]

We did the North Star yesterday. It was kind of cool, but I wouldn't bother doing it again. It's just not that interesting for me. There's a lot of movement when you're up there, so you'll work those balance muscles. It's not the greatest design for getting good pictures - similar to the pods on the London Eye, there's just too much reflection from the curve. I can never get a good photo from that thing, either.