LIVE from Anthem of the Seas Transatlantic October 2022

[Sunshine3601]

On 10/19/2022 at 11:01 AM, chucknmarilyn said:

I did not know this! Is this an extra perk just on this Anthem sailing?

I think they are giving this perk since it is TA crossing.   I have never seen it on any of our Anthem sailings.

[Sunshine3601]

22 minutes ago, bnaselli said:

Hello.  I was wondering if you Anthem cruisers could help with a place for cruise critic people to meet on sea days.  Do you think the Two70 at 2:00 would work?  Thank you,  Barbara

Loving hearing about your TA.  We are on next Oct. 15th 2023 TA.

270 would be a perfect place to meet.   2 pm should be good as you would avoid the lunch crowd

[laurieal]

2 hours ago, bnaselli said:

Hello.  I was wondering if you Anthem cruisers could help with a place for cruise critic people to meet on sea days.  Do you think the Two70 at 2:00 would work?  Thank you,  Barbara

Loving hearing about your TA.  We are on next Oct. 15th 2023 TA.

Two70 could have some activity planned around that time on sea days that could make it more difficult to find some seats. I’ve seen it packed in the afternoon when there is trivia. 
 

Maybe the upper level (Deck 4) of Music Hall could be another potential location for meetups if Two70 is too busy. Is there’s an activity in Music Hall I think it’s usually on the lower level. 

[LATTELOVE]

5 hours ago, laurieal said:

Day 5 

 

Hello from the Music Hall!

 

According to the captain, we were supposed to arrive in Ponta Delgada around 11:00, so I was surprised to see how close we were when I got to the Solarium around 8:30. Clearly we would be arriving early. 

 

The Solarium was particularly quiet at that time and there were plenty of loungers available, probably because people were getting ready to go ashore and didn’t need to reserve a spot for the day. I sat at what has now become my usual table and I watched as we made our arrival. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Must be cold or port day,

too lonely here. 

[bnaselli]

59 minutes ago, laurieal said:

Two70 could have some activity planned around that time on sea days that could make it more difficult to find some seats. I’ve seen it packed in the afternoon when there is trivia. 
 

Maybe the upper level (Deck 4) of Music Hall could be another potential location for meetups if Two70 is too busy. Is there’s an activity in Music Hall I think it’s usually on the lower level. 

Thank you both so much for the info.  Cruise Critic people are so helpful!

[LATTELOVE]

5 hours ago, laurieal said:

Day 5 - continued

 

More pictures from my day in Ponta Delgada. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very beautiful pictures from Ponta Delgada.

Thank you!

[Another_Critic]

7 hours ago, LATTELOVE said:

Must be cold or port day,

too lonely here. 

As @laurieal stated "The Solarium was particularly quiet at that time and there were plenty of loungers available, probably because people were getting ready to go ashore and didn’t need to reserve a spot for the day. "

 

Regardless, the solarium on Quantum class is enclosed and heated, which usually means the solarium is packed on a cold day.

[perfect match]

Great review, @laurieal! I just found you and am now caught up. I’ll be following along on the rest of your cruise. 

[laurieal]

16 hours ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I think they are giving this perk since it is TA crossing.   I have never seen it on any of our Anthem sailings.

Someone mentioned that I could be to lessen the load on the coffee machine in the Diamond Lounge, which would make sense since the crossing tend to be heavy on C&A members. 

[laurieal]

Day 6

 

Hello from Two70!

 

I felt like doing things different that morning, so after my usual stop at the Diamond Lounge for a coffee, I went to the dining room instead. The Esplanade was eerily quiet and I started wondering if I had missed a big party the night before. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[laurieal]

Day 6 - continued

 

Breakfast was in American Icon. Since I had had a disappointing French toast experience the morning before, I decided to order that. It was thick and fluffy and cinnamony and very yummy.   The only thing missing was real maple syrup.
 

 

 

 

I have a friend who travels with her own small bottle and while I’m afraid it would turn into a big suitcase mess, I’m starting to think it could be worth it. Does anyone else travel with a food item from home because they can’t find it on cruise ships? My father vows he will bring his own peanut butter jar the next time he cruises and I’ve been someone with a Marmite jar. 

 

The sun was out and I decided to head outside to work on my review. Deck 15 was closed due to the wind, so I thought I would sit at one of the tables close to the Sky Bar. 

 

 

I changed my mind. Forget about the brand new water park on the Icon, this was the place for water thrills. I spent a hilarious morning writing and watching people get too close to take pictures and get drenched. 

[laurieal]

Day 6 - continued

 

After that, it was an entire afternoon of trivia and Strawberry Fields in the Music Hall. First was Harry Potter trivia, then Famous Couples.
 

 

 

 

Trivia is hard work, so I took advantage of a break to get an afternoon snack of Sorrento’s Pizza, chocolate chip cookies and a cappuccino. That gave me all the energy I needed for the last trivia of the day: Friends. 

 

 

 

 

Having failed to win any prizes, I retired to my stateroom to get ready for the evening. Things were starting to get a bit darker on my virtual balcony. 

 

[laurieal]

Day 6 - continued

 

I went to the first showing of The Gift, which took me by surprise by hitting me right in the feels. I do love a good redemption arc and I enjoyed the show a lot. 

 

After the show, I headed straight to Wonderland for my reservation. I had tried Wonderland for the first time on my Wonder sailing and I had booked it on the Anthem knowing full well that there wouldn’t be any Mad Hatter theatre, which for me was a plus as I find dinner theatre a bit awkward when dining solo. If you’ve only been to Wonderland on Oasis class ships, keep in mind that the experience will be different on Anthem (and I assume other Quantum class ships). 

 

 

 

 

 

[laurieal]

Day 6 - continued

 

Since I had been to Wonderland before, I told my waiter some of the things I had tried and wasn’t too keen to have again, but otherwise I gave home carte blanche. I started things off with a White Rabbit-Rita, which I didn’t really enjoy this time. 

 

For the appetizers, my waiter brought a couple of Purple Potted Shrimps, some Liquid Lobster and Liquid Truffle Mushroom Risotto, a Wonton Soup, and a Citrus Sea. The risotto, wonton soup and citrus sea were all new to me and I enjoyed them a lot, especially the Citrus Sea. As for the other appetizers I had tried before, they were as good as I remembered. I could easily go to Wonderland for a full meal of those little bites. 

 

 

 

 

 

For my main, I wanted to try something different from the last time, but someone at the table next to be ordered the pork and one look at that crackling changed my mind. It was as good as I remembered, but I could only manage about half of the portion. 

 

 

For dessert, there was only one option in my mind: the Forbidden Apple. That raspberry mousse is so light and fluffy and not too sweet that I was able to eat the whole thing despite feeling quite full. To me, that’s the perfect dessert and the best one I’ve had on a Royal Caribbean ship. 

 

 

[laurieal]

Day 6 - continued

 

I was heading for my stateroom, but I noticed that Perry Grant was playing at the Schooner Bar. A few people on this thread have mentioned him, someone even said they plan their cruises to see him play, so I had to stay for a bit and watch some of his show. 
 

 

There wasn’t one available seat in the Schooner Bar and as soon as someone got up to leave someone else would swoop down and grab their seat like it was a parking spot on Black Friday. 

 

Although it wasn’t really my style of music, I had a really nice time at his show and I found myself laughing a lot. If I have the opportunity to see more of his act, I would love to. He seemed like he had a lot of props and I only saw him use one of them, so I’m curious about those. Also, I need to know where I can get one of those sparkly jackets with the tentacles on the shoulders. 

 

After that, I went back to my stateroom where a new friend was waiting for me as well as the usual nighttime void on my virtual balcony. 
 

 

[laurieal]

Day 6 Compass

 

 

 

 

[FionaMG]

3 minutes ago, laurieal said:

Day 6 - continued

 

I was heading for my stateroom, but I noticed that Perry Grant was playing at the Schooner Bar. A few people on this thread have mentioned him, someone even said they plan their cruises to see him play, so I had to stay for a bit and watch some of his show. 
 

 

 

Haha, this is exactly the same spot that we would stand and watch a few minutes of his show as we made our way to bed in the evening. We saw him use quite a lot of his props on one evening as someone present was having a birthday and he brought her up to the piano and involved her in his show, using his props as he went along. 

 

If we had realised sooner what a great entertainer he is, we would have made a point of seeing more of him especially on the nights when there was nothing that appealed in the main theatre.

 

If you don't mind the aside, and because it may be of use/interest to other readers, our cabin (6560) was on the next floor up from the Schooner Bar and right by the stairs. Although we could hear the entire performance from outside the cabin, you couldn't hear it at all from inside once the door was closed, so excellent soundproofing. 

[bobmacliberty]

I just found this thread and am all caught up.  Loving it so far.  We were recently on Quantum and Ovation, and it's interesting to see what's different and what's the same.  I'm also enjoying your story telling style. 

 

Having recently done a Live review myself, I know how difficult it can be to create posts on a mobile device (or are you using a laptop??).  As far as long posts vs. short posts, do whatever is easiest for you.  I will enjoy consuming it in whatever form you want to post it.

[fair-winds39]

4 hours ago, laurieal said:

Day 6 - continued

 

I was heading for my stateroom, but I noticed that Perry Grant was playing at the Schooner Bar. A few people on this thread have mentioned him, someone even said they plan their cruises to see him play, so I had to stay for a bit and watch some of his show. 
 

 

There wasn’t one available seat in the Schooner Bar and as soon as someone got up to leave someone else would swoop down and grab their seat like it was a parking spot on Black Friday. 

 

Although it wasn’t really my style of music, I had a really nice time at his show and I found myself laughing a lot. If I have the opportunity to see more of his act, I would love to. He seemed like he had a lot of props and I only saw him use one of them, so I’m curious about those. Also, I need to know where I can get one of those sparkly jackets with the tentacles on the shoulders. 

 

After that, I went back to my stateroom where a new friend was waiting for me as well as the usual nighttime void on my virtual balcony. 
 

 

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.

 

[Royalnina]

Yeaaaaahhhh, I found it! So happy that you are doing another Live review and it‘s so cool to follow you along. As we didn‘t do Anthem yet, do they have a real bakery in the front of the Windjammer? They did have this on Quantum, when we sailed her and it was awesome to wait for the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies 😃 and I would guess that‘s definitely your thing. 

[LATTELOVE]

7 hours ago, laurieal said:

Day 6 - continued

 

Breakfast was in American Icon. Since I had had a disappointing French toast experience the morning before, I decided to order that. It was thick and fluffy and cinnamony and very yummy.   The only thing missing was real maple syrup.
 

 

 

 

I have a friend who travels with her own small bottle and while I’m afraid it would turn into a big suitcase mess, I’m starting to think it could be worth it. Does anyone else travel with a food item from home because they can’t find it on cruise ships? My father vows he will bring his own peanut butter jar the next time he cruises and I’ve been someone with a Marmite jar. 

 

The sun was out and I decided to head outside to work on my review. Deck 15 was closed due to the wind, so I thought I would sit at one of the tables close to the Sky Bar. 

 

 

I changed my mind. Forget about the brand new water park on the Icon, this was the place for water thrills. I spent a hilarious morning writing and watching people get too close to take pictures and get drenched. 

That looks wild.  I guess the boat is really rocking.  🙂

[njkruzer]

On 10/23/2022 at 5:37 PM, LATTELOVE said:

That looks wild.  I guess the boat is really rocking.  🙂

It was but thankfully now sailing smoothly.  Did cheers with the officers lunch today.  Miss when the officers used to actually join us at your table for lunch.  Hopefully it will return. 

 

Dinner at Chef's Table last night and went very well.  Very good at giving us substitutes for items we couldn't eat.  Wine flowed. Nice company. 

 

Today it's sunny and smooth sailing.

[lulabelle]

Enjoying your review very much.  We sail the Anthem every  winter. This January will be our first time back since covid.  Great crew and dining. Do you know if Perry be on the Anthem in January?  Thanks 

[Seville2Cabo]

On 10/18/2022 at 5:49 AM, little britain said:

They should have Fevertree in Vintages… they know us Brits like our g&t! 

For diet tonic, ask for gin and mineral water. Add a few drops of soda stream diet tonic concentrate 

 

We do this in Mexico when we can’t find diet tonic. 

[shepherdqueen]

I am enjoying your review very much.  I am glad you enjoyed Wonderland - that was definitely our highlight of this ship when we were on her in 2017.  And, thank you for the photos of your virtual balcony.