LIVE from Anthem of the Seas Transatlantic October 2022

tfo2000 · October 27, 2022

On 10/25/2022 at 4:12 PM, laurieal said:

At one point, I had to go back to my stateroom and I saw something in there I bad never seen before… a ship!

In the afternoon, I went to the Perry Grant matinée, as did many people. The theatre wasn’t full, but it was a lot busier than the Name that Tune Live show from the day before. His style of humour really tickles me, so I enjoyed the show a lot.

After the show, I rushed to Name that 90s Tune, which is the only decade they’re doing on the ship that I can hope to do relatively well at. I teamed up with another girl who was also a youth in the 90s and I think we did quite well.

After Name that Tune, I was meeting my parents’ cruising friend who had been asking about me in the Diamond Lounge. We had been leaving each other messages during the day and had agreed to meet at Vintages before dinner for some Cosmos.

On the way, I recorded my heartbeat in the big art piece.

Laurieal, so good to meet you and am enjoying your reviews. I am fortunate to have followed Fiona’s sparkling review and then yours, as you both provided wonderful pictures and commentary. Perry performed for us late on our cruise, September 11-23 in the 270 Lounge. He tripped and fell on the stage during his show; we weren’t sure if it was part of his act at first. He was really sore, but professional that he is, he continued and finished the show in great pain. Hope he is feeling

better. I see that he is doing his matinee in the theatre and not 270.

laurieal · October 27, 2022

5 minutes ago, tfo2000 said:

Laurieal, so good to meet you and am enjoying your reviews. I am fortunate to have followed Fiona’s sparkling review and then yours, as you both provided wonderful pictures and commentary. Perry performed for us late on our cruise, September 11-23 in the 270 Lounge. He tripped and fell on the stage during his show; we weren’t sure if it was part of his act at first. He was really sore, but professional that he is, he continued and finished the show in great pain. Hope he is feeling

better. I see that he is doing his matinee in the theatre and not 270.

Yes, his matinée was in the theatre on this cruise. The rest of his performances have been in the Schooner Bar most evenings.

laurieal · October 27, 2022

Day 10 Compass

Royalnina · October 27, 2022

On 10/26/2022 at 4:13 PM, laurieal said:

Day 9 - continued

On my way back, I stopped at a place that had several food booths. Around half of them were closed (not sure if they only open on weekends or if they’re closed for the winter), but there was still some variety.

I grabbed a Beaver Tail because exercise, even a slow walk on an even terrain, should be rewarded.

The spot with all the food booths is very close to the meeting point for the Harbour Hopper, so when it was time to check-in I was only a couple of minutes away. Also, there were accessible public restrooms in the area, so really it was an ideal place for a short break.

I think there is only one of the Hoppers that’s accessible and once it arrived it took a while for them to get it ready as they have to remove a couple of benches for a wheelchair to fit in.

Then, they brought a lift similar to what they use to get me on trains when the platform is too low. It was pretty easy to get me up into the Hopper and secured.

Beavertails 🤩😍😍😍😍 I envy you

and the hopper tour looks really cool 👍

laurieal · October 27, 2022

1 minute ago, Royalnina said:

Beavertails 🤩😍😍😍😍 I envy you

and the hopper tour looks really cool 👍

I was thinking of you when I had it! 😉

laurieal · October 27, 2022

Day 10

I keep waking up earlier and earlier each morning. It’s like my body is training itself to go back to work next Tuesday and I am not here for it. My plan was to go straight down to Deck 5 for some coffee and breakfast at Café@Two70, but I was on autopilot and I found myself at the entrance of the Diamond Lounge.

Not one to argue with autopilot, I got a cappuccino that I brought to Deck 5. On the way, I snapped some pictures of the Esplanade’s storefronts.

Also, this guy. He’s my favourite portrait on the ship.

laurieal · October 27, 2022

Day 10 - continued

Two70 was still dark and empty. It was an ideal time to play the Two70 Expedition Game that’s in the app. To participate in the expedition, just find the Two70 section at the bottom of the app. It will show you a map with four different masks you need to find around the venue.

Once you find a mask, the app will prompt you to scan it. Then, you’ll have to complete an augmented reality task on your phone. If you are able to walk in a circle while pointing your phone in the same direction at the same time, you’ll probably be able to complete this without too many issues.

For me, it was a hot mess and I gave up after two masks. I did have a lot of fun exploring the different levels of Two70 while looking for the masks, though. I had already spotted a ramp behind the bar, so I went there first and I found an elevating platform that will take you to the very bottom of the venue.

You can operate the platform by yourself, but it will not work if the door isn’t completely closed. You may need to wiggle the door a bit to close it properly.

People were starting to come in for breakfast and I was getting tired of failing to spin around an augmented reality mountain, so I joined the breakfast bandwagon.

Edited October 27, 2022 by laurieal

laurieal · October 27, 2022

Day 10 - continued

I got a bacon and egg croissant and a yogurt parfait, which sounded like good, safe options. Sadly, they didn’t live up to my expectations. The yogurt had a strange texture and the croissant tasted like the slice of bread I’ve forgotten about and that’s been in my freezer for months. I hate wasting food, but I couldn’t finish.

They were doing stretches in Two70, so I worked on my review while watching other people exercice. Once it had gone 9:00, I rushed to NextCruise to finalize my booking I had put on hold the night before and make a new booking for the cruise after. I’m really looking forward to my first B2B, a new ship, and a bunch of new ports next year. Also very excited to visit Vancouver for the very first time. If anyone has any good Alaska tips, send them my way!

It had been very cold in Two70 and I felt like warming up, so I headed up to the indoor pool area. On the way, I could see that it was still very foggy outside.

I got to the indoor pool just in time for water aerobics, which officially made my morning a “watch people exercise around the ship” type of experience. I only wished I had a donut.

I finished writing my review for the previous day and by that time I felt quite warm. Someone from our group at Chef’s Table came by and asked why I wasn’t drinking. A very good question for which I really didn’t have a good answer. Really, why wasn’t I drinking? Feeling a bit puzzled, I headed for the bar.

The bartender remembered me from two days before and remembered I had asked for a Lava Flow, so he offered to make me something special. This time, he knew exactly who he was dealing with and he just reached for the alcohol. Good man.

I wish I could tell you what the drink was called, but I can tell you it was delicious and fruity.

laurieal · October 27, 2022

Day 10 - continued

Since I didn’t end up having much for breakfast, I thought I would start looking for lunch. I was on my way back to Café@Two70 for a kümmelweck sandwich when I remembered that the dining room had mozzarella sticks on their lunch menu. So I went for the dining room instead hoping they would be as good as they had been on the Wonder.

They were! Crispy, but not greasy, with good breading and a nice cheese pull when you bite into them. The sauce was nice, too.

For my main, I had the lasagna, which I thought was also delicious. I’m glad I decided to go to the dining room. It was a very good meal and I wish I had thought about going earlier in the cruise. Then, perhaps, I would have had more opportunities for mozzarella sticks.

In the afternoon, I went to the Cake Decorating Contest with the officers in Two70. Strangely, it seemed like everyone had a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips, which I swear is a recurring nightmare of mine. Salt and vinegar is the worst flavour of chips. Still, I wanted to know what was the source of all the bags of chips, so when I saw someone from our Chef’s Table group walk by with some chips, I had to inquire.

Apparently they keep the chips at the salad bar. The salad bar! Of all places! Of course I’m not going to see them if that’s where they’re hiding them. The cake decorating was about to start, so I would have to go chips hunting later. The decorating demonstration was hilarious and the officers put on a good show. I thought it was a nice touch that they served the same type of cake they had been decorating once it was over.

laurieal · October 27, 2022

Day 10 - continued

But I didn’t have time for cake. I went straight to the salad bar, which is a sentence I’ve never written in my life, and I asked about the chips. Apparently they were down to their last box of Cheese & Onion, so the lovely lady offered me two bags.

My father always says not to walk around with valuables, so I returned to my stateroom to drop off my chips and have a bit of a rest.

I was happy to finally catch the green sea monster that sometimes haunts my virtual balcony on camera.

I still had never checked out the Diamond Lounge in the evening, so that’s where I decided to start my evening. I met my parents’ cruise friend on the way and we had a drink together in the lounge. When he left, I sampled some of the food options they had there. Why am I just learning now that they have mozzarella sticks?!

laurieal · October 27, 2022

Day 10 - continued

I left after a couple of drinks when it was time for We Will Rock You in the Royal Theatre. It was so good!! I thought the vocals were very strong. The theatre was almost full and it looked like everyone was having a really good time singing along and clapping. A must see if you’re a fan of musical theatre. I might see it again if I can.

After the show, I went to the Schooner Bar where Perry Grant was performing. I saw most of his act and I was happy to see him use a lot of his props. He really cracks me up.

I didn’t stay for the whole show, but it was past 23:00 when I finally returned to my stateroom. It’s always a bit sad to set an alarm while on vacation, but that’s what I did to make sure I would be up on time for my immigration appointment.

Husky1987 · October 27, 2022

16 minutes ago, laurieal said:

Also very excited to visit Vancouver for the very first time. If anyone has any good Alaska tips, send them my way!

You'll love Alaska. And Vancouver is near the top of my favorite cities in the world list, if not #1...it's an amazing place to visit if you have time pre-cruise.

bobmacliberty · October 27, 2022

38 minutes ago, laurieal said:

I wish I could tell you what the drink was called, but I can tell you it was delicious and fruity.

Maybe it's a Mastercard? A Mastercard is half mango daquiri and half strawberry daquiri, and your picture doesn't look like it has enough strawberry in it, so maybe not.

Another_Critic · October 27, 2022

42 minutes ago, laurieal said:

I wish I could tell you what the drink was called, but I can tell you it was delicious and fruity.

Miami Vice? Pina Colada + Strawberry Daiquiri?

Another_Critic · October 27, 2022

39 minutes ago, laurieal said:

I left after a couple of drinks when it was time for We Will Rock You in the Royal Theatre. It was so good!! I thought the vocals were very strong. The theatre was almost full and it looked like everyone was having a really good time singing along and clapping. A must see if you’re a fan of musical theatre. I might see it again if I can.

I've been on Anthem 6 times and have seen WWRY 6 times. 🙂

I may have in popped in a few times on other performances.

DaniDanielle · October 27, 2022

Ten out of eleven cruises!! Even my husband joined me for WWRY.

kernow · October 28, 2022

Love WWRY, when we were on a cruise from Southampton last year we went to the theatre talk and they said there are several changes they make when the ship sails from the US compared to the UK. Can't remember them all but it was things like language. The one I really remember was the pants being a Union Jack in UK and US flag in the States. Just wondered which version they do on the TA where there is presumably a mix of nationalities?

laurieal · October 28, 2022

4 hours ago, kernow said:

Love WWRY, when we were on a cruise from Southampton last year we went to the theatre talk and they said there are several changes they make when the ship sails from the US compared to the UK. Can't remember them all but it was things like language. The one I really remember was the pants being a Union Jack in UK and US flag in the States. Just wondered which version they do on the TA where there is presumably a mix of nationalities?

I can confirm the pants were Union Jack.

laurieal · October 28, 2022

Day 11 Compass

laurieal · October 28, 2022

Day 11

Hello from Two70!

Day 11

It was immigration day and I had my appointment set at 8:30. A couple of days earlier we had received our ticket with our allotted number and some information about the immigration process.

As a Canadian, I only needed my passport and SeaPass card, but for the ESTA countries it seemed more complicated. On Day 10, the Daily Planner had showed they were having some assistance sessions for the I-94W form and it looked like some members of staff were also available to help on immigration morning.

My number was called at 8:30 and I was off the ship a little after 9:00. Most of that time in between was spent waiting in line through the Casino. Once I reached the immigration officer, he barely glanced at my passport.

I had been hoping there would be a shuttle to take us downtown, but if there was one I missed it completely. The HOHO seemed like it was a popular option, but the majority of their buses aren’t wheelchair accessible, so you need to contact them in advance and give them a clear schedule of when you want them to pick you up for every stop. I usually prefer more flexibility than that, so I passed.

Instead, I decided to roll to the Boston Commons, which Google told me would be a 45 minutes walk. It took me a bit longer than that, but I am geographically challenged and it took me a while to figure out where I was going in the cruise port area. Yes, even with Google Maps.

Once I reached Summer Street, it was a mostly flat, very entertaining, but slightly frustrating stroll. The slightly frustrating would be a recurring theme throughout the day. For such a big city, I was expecting the sidewalks to be in better condition. In the end, it wasn’t really a stroll and more like an obstacle course.

laurieal · October 28, 2022

Day 11 - continued

Despite my annoyance with the sidewalks, I really enjoyed my day in Boston and I would love to return one day. When I reached the Boston Commons Visitor Center, it was a bit before ten and a group was assembling to go on a tour.

My original plan was to grab a map and follow the Freedom Trail myself. My reasoning was that I couldn’t possibly get lost if I was following a clear path on the ground. Instead, I made the impulse decision to join the next tour.

The tour was $20 for 1:30 to 2:00 and it would take us to Faneuil Hall. I was told to look for someone dressed like a British person, which puzzled me a bit, but I took my ticket and went looking for someone dressed like one of the Spice Girls. What I did find was a British soldier from the 1700s. Close enough.

Here are some pictures from the tour.

laurieal · October 28, 2022

Day 11 - continued

Once at Faneuil Hall, I decided I would leave the Freedom Trail for the day and go to the Harborwalk to slowly make my way back to the ship.

It was probably a good idea in theory, but the wooden, very uneven surface of the Harborwalk was extremely unpleasant to navigate and at one point a girl needs to stop and ask why am I doing this to myself?

So I diverted and went down Atlantic Avenue instead. I missed my turn at one point and ended up a bit lost. I eventually made it to the cruise port area, in which I got properly lost and ended up creepily following a couple of people I recognized from the ship. In hindsight, I think they were as lost as I was.

Edited October 28, 2022 by laurieal

laurieal · October 28, 2022

Day 11 - continued

I eventually made it back to the ship. Tired, aching and hungry, I dragged myself up to Deck 14 for some food and an adult milkshake at Jonny Rockets. I got the Spicy Houston with some Bacon Cheese Fries and the Oreo shake with Jack Daniels. It was a very satisfying meal.

The weather was beautiful and sunny, albeit a bit windy, so I found a spot in the sun at the outdoor pool to work on my review. Soon, it was time for the ship to leave and I went up to Deck 15 to get a better view of us leaving Boston. It was a beautiful sailaway.

Once we were properly on our way, I went to the Solarium to warm up and get a Pineapple Guava Sangria. I played my video game for a while as I pondered what my next move would be. I had been hoping to see that evening’s showing of We Will Rock You, but I was exhausted and every part of my body that can feel pain was feeling pain. The one thing I really wanted to do was lie down, so that’s what I decided to do. Pretty sure I was fully asleep by 21:00.

reallyitsmema · October 28, 2022

You were in Boston on a beautiful day! It was very breezy but I love fall days like that. We had lots of rain and fog earlier this week, glad it cleared for your visit!

Boston is a great city to tour but the cobblestone, brick, wooden or crumbled surfaces can be a challenge for all. I can't imagine navigating them as you do. It is very easy to get a little lost since so much of the city isn't laid out in grids, it was designed by horse drawn carriages and cows many years ago. 😄 I worked in downtown Boston for almost 15 years and can still get a little turned around trying to find my way. 🙂

ValerieJo · October 28, 2022

1 hour ago, laurieal said:

Day 11 - continued

I eventually made it back to the ship. Tired, aching and hungry, I dragged myself up to Deck 14 for some food and an adult milkshake at Jonny Rockets. I got the Spicy Houston with some Bacon Cheese Fries and the Oreo shake with Jack Daniels. It was a very satisfying meal.

After well over 20+ cruises. Why have I never heard of a boozy shake from Johnny Rockets??? We are boarding Anthem in just over 3 weeks and this is #1 on my "must have" list. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Loving your review. 😄

LIVE from Anthem of the Seas Transatlantic October 2022

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