# Anthem of the Seas out of Cape Liberty, NJ



## tnshsms

Two questions:

1. How early can you get off the ship and make it to a flight at EWR (Newark)? AA just changed our flight from a 12:45 flight to an 11 am flight. 

2. Is it best to use a car service from port to EWR (like Dial 7) or a taxi?  I want the easiest and quickest way...which I know is not always the cheapest.  I'm ok with that if I can make my flight. 


Thanks!!


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## HappilyEverAfter80

tnshsms said:


> Two questions:
> 
> 1. How early can you get off the ship and make it to a flight at EWR (Newark)? AA just changed our flight from a 12:45 flight to an 11 am flight.
> 
> 2. Is it best to use a car service from port to EWR (like Dial 7) or a taxi?  I want the easiest and quickest way...which I know is not always the cheapest.  I'm ok with that if I can make my flight.
> 
> 
> Thanks!!



I am looking to possibly book Anthem out of NYC and I'm finding more info on it over on the cruise critic forum.
You can try to ask there?
I don't know for sure but the 11 am flight sounds like a tight squeeze.


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## KashasMom

If you do an early walk-off with your own luggage you should be able to make an 11:00 flight. It's about 20 minutes to the airport. Take a taxi.


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## mevelandry

I would love to read your review (and infos) when you come back.

To be honest, I have sailed on the DCL Dream twice and I am about to sail on the Wonder and as we are starting to compare ships to do a Bermuda cruise in 2018 (comparing the Anthem and the Breakaway) I am SHOCKED to see what the Anthem (and most RCCL ships) has compared to the DCL Dream and I don't understand why DCL still has the best reviews... On paper, RCCL beats them easily. And I don't really believe the "best service" hype because we have received a very similar service (if not better) on the Carnival Victory.

For the price difference, it has a lot to offer. So, please... I would love to know what you thought about the Anthem.


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## tnshsms

mevelandry said:


> I would love to read your review (and infos) when you come back.
> 
> To be honest, I have sailed on the DCL Dream twice and I am about to sail on the Wonder and as we are starting to compare ships to do a Bermuda cruise in 2018 (comparing the Anthem and the Breakaway) I am SHOCKED to see what the Anthem (and most RCCL ships) has compared to the DCL Dream and I don't understand why DCL still has the best reviews... On paper, RCCL beats them easily. And I don't really believe the "best service" hype because we have received a very similar service (if not better) on the Carnival Victory.
> 
> For the price difference, it has a lot to offer. So, please... I would love to know what you thought about the Anthem.




I will be writing one for sure but we don't go until the middle of May.   But I totally understand where you are coming from.  Its kind of why we booked it really.  Our DD loves Disney and its why we've sailed it 4 times on all 4 ships. But now that she's 8...almost 9 for our RCL cruise its time to see what everyone else has to offer and see if she's just as happy on RCL as she is on DCL.  We've never been to either NYC or Bermuda so we are excited for both.  And yes, this trip is a little less than half our 7 day Fantasy we looked at.  Granted its 2 days less but it was still surprising!


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## ljcrochet

I just got off the anthem.  Had an amazing time. This was my 11th cruise but not my favorite.  Lots of little touches missing.  With that said we are booked for a 5 day to Bermuda.  

It was very easy getting off the ship. We were home in Long Island before 9am, but we are platinum crown and anchor members so had luggage  number 9.  
You can carry your own luggage off the ship to get off quicker.


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## HappilyEverAfter80

tnshsms said:


> I will be writing one for sure but we don't go until the middle of May.   But I totally understand where you are coming from.  Its kind of why we booked it really.  Our DD loves Disney and its why we've sailed it 4 times on all 4 ships. But now that she's 8...almost 9 for our RCL cruise its time to see what everyone else has to offer and see if she's just as happy on RCL as she is on DCL.  We've never been to either NYC or Bermuda so we are excited for both.  And yes, this trip is a little less than half our 7 day Fantasy we looked at.  Granted its 2 days less but it was still surprising!



We are looking to book the May 20th Bermuda, is this by chance the cruise you are going on? We have a hold on and can't decide, so scared to book outside of Disney!!!!
We can only squeeze in a shorter cruise though and with the May long weekend the timing is perfect, not to mention we can easily drive to NYC!


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## mevelandry

tnshsms said:


> I will be writing one for sure but we don't go until the middle of May.   But I totally understand where you are coming from.  Its kind of why we booked it really.  Our DD loves Disney and its why we've sailed it 4 times on all 4 ships. But now that she's 8...almost 9 for our RCL cruise its time to see what everyone else has to offer and see if she's just as happy on RCL as she is on DCL.  We've never been to either NYC or Bermuda so we are excited for both.  And yes, this trip is a little less than half our 7 day Fantasy we looked at.  Granted its 2 days less but it was still surprising!



Nice! I've been to NYC seven times and I am going again in June... I'm madly in love with Manhattan. I think you'll love it as there are something for everybody over there.


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## mevelandry

ljcrochet said:


> I just got off the anthem.  Had an amazing time. This was my 11th cruise but not my favorite.  Lots of little touches missing.  With that said we are booked for a 5 day to Bermuda.
> 
> It was very easy getting off the ship. We were home in Long Island before 9am, but we are platinum crown and anchor members so had luggage  number 9.
> You can carry your own luggage off the ship to get off quicker.



What would be the little touches missing?


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## Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL

tnshsms said:


> I will be writing one for sure but we don't go until the middle of May.   But I totally understand where you are coming from.  Its kind of why we booked it really.  Our DD loves Disney and its why we've sailed it 4 times on all 4 ships. But now that she's 8...almost 9 for our RCL cruise its time to see what everyone else has to offer and see if she's just as happy on RCL as she is on DCL.  We've never been to either NYC or Bermuda so we are excited for both.  And yes, this trip is a little less than half our 7 day Fantasy we looked at.  Granted its 2 days less but it was still surprising!


I'm looking forward to your review!  Just booked Anthem of the Seas for February 2018.  It's such a loooong way away.  Never sailed on Anthem before and only sailed once on RC but that was nearly 20 years ago.


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## mevelandry

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> We are looking to book the May 20th Bermuda, is this by chance the cruise you are going on? We have a hold on and can't decide, so scared to book outside of Disney!!!!
> We can only squeeze in a shorter cruise though and with the May long weekend the timing is perfect, not to mention we can easily drive to NYC!



You should give it a try.

I went through the same kind of fear when I booked the Carnival Victory for a Bahamian cruise and I have to say: We loved our Carnival cruise! While I like the classic look and the «looking brand new» of the DCL Dream, there are activities that we ended up liking just as much as DCL (like the included buffet and counters and the broadway-style shows, even though there were not Disney) and things that we actually enjoyed more, like the comedy shows and the dining room food.

My advice is: don't go there looking for Disney. Expect that it's not going to be like Disney. Take a lot of info and then you'll know pretty much what to expect and then... let life surprise you.


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## ljcrochet

mevelandry said:


> What would be the little touches missing?


Most were so minor, I wouldn't have even notice if we did do a smaller RCCL last February. 

Had to get our own coffee at windjammer for breakfast. 
Waiter for dinner got annoyed at my daughter for ordering more than one meal for dinner. Then head waiter tried to give them children's menus. Last year we never saw the kids menu. 
At lunch in MDR, did ask about dessert.  When I ordered the dessert, the rest of the people at the table had to be oh I didn't know we have to order dessert now.
Did the sushi making class both trips.  Last year included soup and a drink.  My daughter was given a virgin strawberry daiquiri.  Chef had helpers which moved class along. This year no helps, no soup or daiquiri.
Daughter was excited for basketball court, but since it was part of seaplex it wasn't open a lot. 
Seaplex schedule not published unless you went into seaplex, even then it wasn't always correct. DH and dd did a family bball tournament.  Supposed to use whole seaplex, but because lots of people were, they did half court. Other half was open for soccer I think.  This mean they started to run out of time, I think it was around  16 teams.  First 8-10 teams played a 4 minute game. Rest did one shot won. Same thing in the follow up rounds. 
People star lining up for bumper cars about 45 minutes before it starts. So figure 45 minute wait.  It is a lot of fun but not worth the wait. ( we did it 3 times)
Rock climbing staff wasn't as friendly as on other rccl ships
When we went to disembark at end of cruise, dd card said see guest services. Could not get off ship with out.  The girls have their own cabin but don't have charging privileges. Any tips not covered by their obc was supposed to go to our card. It did not.  DD's card was  charged for her sushi making class.   It would have been nice to know this when we where waiting to get off the ship.  
This was first cruise that I had to go to guest services twice during the cruise to get errors off our account.  

We had a great time.  We did book on harmony for next year, and have anthem booked again for a 5 night to Bermuda.  

Make sure you reserve your shows, North Star and ifly in advance.


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## HappilyEverAfter80

ljcrochet said:


> Most were so minor, I wouldn't have even notice if we did do a smaller RCCL last February.
> 
> Had to get our own coffee at windjammer for breakfast.
> Waiter for dinner got annoyed at my daughter for ordering more than one meal for dinner. Then head waiter tried to give them children's menus. Last year we never saw the kids menu.
> At lunch in MDR, did ask about dessert.  When I ordered the dessert, the rest of the people at the table had to be oh I didn't know we have to order dessert now.
> Did the sushi making class both trips.  Last year included soup and a drink.  My daughter was given a virgin strawberry daiquiri.  Chef had helpers which moved class along. This year no helps, no soup or daiquiri.
> Daughter was excited for basketball court, but since it was part of seaplex it wasn't open a lot.
> Seaplex schedule not published unless you went into seaplex, even then it wasn't always correct. DH and dd did a family bball tournament.  Supposed to use whole seaplex, but because lots of people were, they did half court. Other half was open for soccer I think.  This mean they started to run out of time, I think it was around  16 teams.  First 8-10 teams played a 4 minute game. Rest did one shot won. Same thing in the follow up rounds.
> People star lining up for bumper cars about 45 minutes before it starts. So figure 45 minute wait.  It is a lot of fun but not worth the wait. ( we did it 3 times)
> Rock climbing staff wasn't as friendly as on other rccl ships
> When we went to disembark at end of cruise, dd card said see guest services. Could not get off ship with out.  The girls have their own cabin but don't have charging privileges. Any tips not covered by their obc was supposed to go to our card. It did not.  DD's card was  charged for her sushi making class.   It would have been nice to know this when we where waiting to get off the ship.
> This was first cruise that I had to go to guest services twice during the cruise to get errors off our account.
> 
> We had a great time.  We did book on harmony for next year, and have anthem booked again for a 5 night to Bermuda.
> 
> Make sure you reserve your shows, North Star and ifly in advance.



What month did you cruise on the Anthem? Was it a school break?  I'm just wondering if the 45 minute wait for bumper cars is the norm???
I'm also confused by your first point above.. "Had to get our own coffee at windjammer for breakfast".  Don't you have to get your own coffee at Cabanas on the Disney cruise?
I don't mean that as a snarky remark, just wondering what you mean.
We are seriously considering booking Anthem for a 5 night cruise to Bermuda to try it.  I would prefer to go on an Oasis class ship, but our schedule in May won't allow it.


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## Denise W

I cruised on Anthem in October for 12 days in the western caribbean. I didn't write a trip report, but will answer any questions you may have. I have also sailed on Disney 7 times, so can compare and contrast things you may ask.

Denise


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## Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL

Denise W said:


> I cruised on Anthem in October for 12 days in the western caribbean. I didn't write a trip report, but will answer any questions you may have. I have also sailed on Disney 7 times, so can compare and contrast things you may ask.
> 
> Denise


Thanks for the offer!

-How soon can I make reservations for shows, specialty restaurants, and onboard activities like ifly and Northstar?  I've read conflicting reports some say 90 days before embarkation. 

-Are there any reservations that are particularly difficult to get? Do I have to be online to make these reservations the minute they become available?  What would you say is the "BOG" or "CRT" equivalent on the ship? LOL. 

-We're traveling with DD10 and DS3.  Would like to take advantage of the children's on-board activities any maybe squeeze a date night in for DW and myself.  Do the kids clubs fill up quickly?

TIA!


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## HappilyEverAfter80

Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL said:


> Thanks for the offer!
> 
> -How soon can I make reservations for shows, specialty restaurants, and onboard activities like ifly and Northstar?  I've read conflicting reports some say 90 days before embarkation.
> 
> -Are there any reservations that are particularly difficult to get? Do I have to be online to make these reservations the minute they become available?  What would you say is the "BOG" or "CRT" equivalent on the ship? LOL.
> 
> -We're traveling with DD10 and DS3.  Would like to take advantage of the children's on-board activities any maybe squeeze a date night in for DW and myself.  Do the kids clubs fill up quickly?
> 
> TIA!



Thanks for asking the questions! Mine are pretty much the same 

I am also wondering about the general "vibe" on the ship.  I know it's not Disney, but do you feel like you are on a really nice and fun ship?

We are looking to go at the end of May, and I'm a little worried that we wouldn't be able to get reservations for the North Star or the sky diving simulator...


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## Denise W

Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL said:


> Thanks for the offer!
> 
> -How soon can I make reservations for shows, specialty restaurants, and onboard activities like ifly and Northstar?  I've read conflicting reports some say 90 days before embarkation.
> 
> -Are there any reservations that are particularly difficult to get? Do I have to be online to make these reservations the minute they become available?  What would you say is the "BOG" or "CRT" equivalent on the ship? LOL.
> 
> -We're traveling with DD10 and DS3.  Would like to take advantage of the children's on-board activities any maybe squeeze a date night in for DW and myself.  Do the kids clubs fill up quickly?
> 
> TIA!


The first thing I did was join the meet and great thread for my particular cruise on cruise critic. I followed that thread and would find out when people could book things.
It appears RCCL does not open things online at the same time for each cruise, so you have to check often. As soon as I saw something open, I would book it. I ended up booking the major shows, the Ripcord (sky diving simulation) and the Northstar prior to the cruise. We also booked early dining (at the time you had the choice of fixed doning or my time. If you are in my time dining I would suggest you go online prior to the cruise and book a time for each day. It is much easier to change the time when you get on board than trying to get a reservation if you wait.

We were in a suite, so were able to eat in the suite dining room (Coastal Kitchen) 3 meals a day, but we only ate there a few times during the cruise. We also didn't need to reserve the shows, as there was special seating for suite guests. Since we were on a long cruise, the main shows were repeated a few times, so it was easy for everyone to get into them. We enjoyed all of them, and also enjoyed a lot of the varied entertainment all over the ship.

We had no kids with us, but visited the kids clubs and they looked fantastic. The Seaplex area is a great place for tweens and teens. It is huge and has video games along the sides. The main area rotates between bumper cars, soccer, basketball, circus training, and possibly more.

We had no trouble booking the italian specialty restaurant once we got on board. You can see your accpunt and book reservations on your tv in your room.
Denise


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## Denise W

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Thanks for asking the questions! Mine are pretty much the same
> 
> I am also wondering about the general "vibe" on the ship.  I know it's not Disney, but do you feel like you are on a really nice and fun ship?
> 
> We are looking to go at the end of May, and I'm a little worried that we wouldn't be able to get reservations for the North Star or the sky diving simulator...


The vibe of the ship for us was elegant and fun. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Remember, Disney was very late getting into the cruise business. I was on the sixth cruise of the original ship the Magic, and it took Disney a long time to correct their mistakes and bring their quality up to where they are now. RCCL has been cruising a lot longer. 

As I advised above, check your cruise online every few days and go to the emtertainment area to see if it allows you to book the Ripcord (Ifly) and Northstar. If you can't book anything online, wait until you get onboard and go to the entertainment desk to try and book them then. My husband did Ripcord and he actually only "flew" for 60 seconds. There is a lot of training in your group and then waiting your turn to get in the tube. It is fun, but short. The Northstar is nice, but you are only up for about 10-15 minutes. We booked it for a port day, so we would have something to look at besides the water!

Denise


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## Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL

Denise W said:


> The first thing I did was join the meet and great thread for my particular cruise on cruise critic. I followed that thread and would find out when people could book things.
> It appears RCCL does not open things online at the same time for each cruise, so you have to check often. As soon as I saw something open, I would book it. I ended up booking the major shows, the Ripcord (sky diving simulation) and the Northstar prior to the cruise. We also booked early dining (at the time you had the choice of fixed doning or my time. If you are in my time dining I would suggest you go online prior to the cruise and book a time for each day. It is much easier to change the time when you get on board than trying to get a reservation if you wait.
> 
> We were in a suite, so were able to eat in the suite dining room (Coastal Kitchen) 3 meals a day, but we only ate there a few times during the cruise. We also didn't need to reserve the shows, as there was special seating for suite guests. Since we were on a long cruise, the main shows were repeated a few times, so it was easy for everyone to get into them. We enjoyed all of them, and also enjoyed a lot of the varied entertainment all over the ship.
> 
> We had no kids with us, but visited the kids clubs and they looked fantastic. The Seaplex area is a great place for tweens and teens. It is huge and has video games along the sides. The main area rotates between bumper cars, soccer, basketball, circus training, and possibly more.
> 
> We had no trouble booking the italian specialty restaurant once we got on board. You can see your accpunt and book reservations on your tv in your room.
> Denise


All great info!  Thank you!  I'm going to track down the meet and greet thread for our cruise. We're sailing Feb./2018 so plenty of time to learn the "ins and outs". Thank you again for all the great info.


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## Denise W

Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL said:


> All great info!  Thank you!  I'm going to track down the meet and greet thread for our cruise. We're sailing Feb./2018 so plenty of time to learn the "ins and outs". Thank you again for all the great info.


You are welcome, and if you have any other questions, please let me know.
Denise


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## DizneyNutz

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> We are looking to book the May 20th Bermuda, is this by chance the cruise you are going on? We have a hold on and can't decide, so scared to book outside of Disney!!!!
> We can only squeeze in a shorter cruise though and with the May long weekend the timing is perfect, not to mention we can easily drive to NYC!



We were Disney Cruise snobs.  We'd done a Carnival cruise and my wife said, never again.  I talked her in to a Disney cruise and it was game on.  After eight Disney cruises we ventured in to RCCL.  We thought the service, food, etc., was comparable, our Central Park balcony was great and we really enjoyed ourselves.  We have since (our cruise was in Jan) booked an October cruise with our Grandson AND jumped on a last minute Bermuda/Boston cruise.


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## HappilyEverAfter80

Denise W said:


> The vibe of the ship for us was elegant and fun. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. Remember, Disney was very late getting into the cruise business. I was on the sixth cruise of the original ship the Magic, and it took Disney a long time to correct their mistakes and bring their quality up to where they are now. RCCL has been cruising a lot longer.
> 
> As I advised above, check your cruise online every few days and go to the emtertainment area to see if it allows you to book the Ripcord (Ifly) and Northstar. If you can't book anything online, wait until you get onboard and go to the entertainment desk to try and book them then. My husband did Ripcord and he actually only "flew" for 60 seconds. There is a lot of training in your group and then waiting your turn to get in the tube. It is fun, but short. The Northstar is nice, but you are only up for about 10-15 minutes. We booked it for a port day, so we would have something to look at besides the water!
> 
> Denise



Well if we book this (and I think we will tomorrow) then it will be fairly last minute as the cruise is May 20th.
Hence my worry we won't be able to book stuff. I know the North Star or iFly is not something that lasts a long time or that we'd do more than once but if we are going on the Anthem I want to try what is unique to that ship.... great advice trying to book it for when in port! This cruise only goes to Bermuda (overnight stop) so hopefully there will be time.

Are you able to book the main attractions more than once?
Did you try the bumper cars, was the wait always long?
What else would you recommend we try? Whether restaurant or whatever.
Oh and do they have the "good morning" room service as they do on Disney? You know, the door hanger that you fill out for a specific time in the morning to have coffee delivered?

Thanks for letting us know kids clubs look great.  My DS would be going there for sure.

Thanks in advance for all the replies!

Edited to add (ask  If we wanted to book another royal cruise again once on board, do you do that on a specific day, do you know if there are perks to doing that?
I really hope to try the Oasis class too (I think) if we like the Anthem.


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## ljcrochet

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> What month did you cruise on the Anthem? Was it a school break?  I'm just wondering if the 45 minute wait for bumper cars is the norm???
> I'm also confused by your first point above.. "Had to get our own coffee at windjammer for breakfast".  Don't you have to get your own coffee at Cabanas on the Disney cruise?
> I don't mean that as a snarky remark, just wondering what you mean.
> We are seriously considering booking Anthem for a 5 night cruise to Bermuda to try it.  I would prefer to go on an Oasis class ship, but our schedule in May won't allow it.


It was a school break. I think there was 1500 kids on board. 
This was my third RCCL during February break week. One was pre kid, other was last year on Grandeur.  Last year we ate breakfast in windjammer almost every morning, there was always a crew member pushing around a coffee / juice cart.  


HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Thanks for asking the questions! Mine are pretty much the same
> 
> I am also wondering about the general "vibe" on the ship.  I know it's not Disney, but do you feel like you are on a really nice and fun ship?
> 
> We are looking to go at the end of May, and I'm a little worried that we wouldn't be able to get reservations for the North Star or the sky diving simulator...


When you book the cruise, reserve North Star and I fly. Also double check around final payment date since people's plan change.


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## Denise W

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Well if we book this (and I think we will tomorrow) then it will be fairly last minute as the cruise is May 20th.
> Hence my worry we won't be able to book stuff. I know the North Star or iFly is not something that lasts a long time or that we'd do more than once but if we are going on the Anthem I want to try what is unique to that ship.... great advice trying to book it for when in port! This cruise only goes to Bermuda (overnight stop) so hopefully there will be time.
> 
> Are you able to book the main attractions more than once?
> Did you try the bumper cars, was the wait always long?
> What else would you recommend we try? Whether restaurant or whatever.
> Oh and do they have the "good morning" room service as they do on Disney? You know, the door hanger that you fill out for a specific time in the morning to have coffee delivered?
> 
> Thanks for letting us know kids clubs look great.  My DS would be going there for sure.
> 
> Thanks in advance for all the replies!
> 
> Edited to add (ask  If we wanted to book another royal cruise again once on board, do you do that on a specific day, do you know if there are perks to doing that?
> I really hope to try the Oasis class too (I think) if we like the Anthem.


None of the shows we went to were full, so I am sure we could have reserved more. Since your cruise is the one to Bermuda, it is a shorter length, and I don't know if they repeat the shows, there might not be enough time. We will Rock You is about 2 hours long. The other two are about 45 minutes long. One of those is held in 270, the gorgeous area at the back of the ship. It doesn't hold as many people, so that one can get full. Head upstairs and you should find seats.

We didn't try the bumper cars, but they restrict you to I think 15 minutes, so even if there is a line, the wait should not be too bad. There were very few children on our cruise so it might not be representative of thenone you are on.

We didn't order coffee to the room in the morning, but I know it was available. There was a menu in our room but I didn't really look at it.

All the specialty restaurants looked great. There were also 4 main dining rooms that were all gorgeous. We ate at the specialty restaurant, Jamies Italian, and it was excellent. If they offer a special for a few of thenspecialty restaurants, do it if you can.

We were in a 2 bedroom suite which we shared with another couple. The only way we could have afforded it was because we booked it on board Brilliance of the Seas a year before. You definitely save money by booking on board. Go to the next cruise desk and make an appointment to meet with them. Do that the first day to get an appointment.

From what I have read, Quantum class is different from Oasis class ships, so don't try to compare. We plan to try Oasis class next. 
Denise


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## HappilyEverAfter80

Denise W said:


> None of the shows we went to were full, so I am sure we could have reserved more. Since your cruise is the one to Bermuda, it is a shorter length, and I don't know if they repeat the shows, there might not be enough time. We will Rock You is about 2 hours long. The other two are about 45 minutes long. One of those is held in 270, the gorgeous area at the back of the ship. It doesn't hold as many people, so that one can get full. Head upstairs and you should find seats.
> 
> We didn't try the bumper cars, but they restrict you to I think 15 minutes, so even if there is a line, the wait should not be too bad. There were very few children on our cruise so it might not be representative of thenone you are on.
> 
> We didn't order coffee to the room in the morning, but I know it was available. There was a menu in our room but I didn't really look at it.
> 
> All the specialty restaurants looked great. There were also 4 main dining rooms that were all gorgeous. We ate at the specialty restaurant, Jamies Italian, and it was excellent. If they offer a special for a few of thenspecialty restaurants, do it if you can.
> 
> We were in a 2 bedroom suite which we shared with another couple. The only way we could have afforded it was because we booked it on board Brilliance of the Seas a year before. You definitely save money by booking on board. Go to the next cruise desk and make an appointment to meet with them. Do that the first day to get an appointment.
> 
> From what I have read, Quantum class is different from Oasis class ships, so don't try to compare. We plan to try Oasis class next.
> Denise



Thank you! I read last June's Bermuda  cruise compass and it did list We will rock you every day...

I initially really preferred to book one of the Oasis class ships.. but now the more I read about the Anthem the more I think it looks pretty awesome.


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## Denise W

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Thank you! I read last June's Bermuda  cruise compass and it did list We will rock you every day...
> 
> I initially really preferred to book one of the Oasis class ships.. but now the more I read about the Anthem the more I think it looks pretty awesome.


The ship is gorgeous. 270 is a bar/lounge/theater at the rear of the ship with huge tall windows that give you a 270 degree view. The library is upstairs off the balcony. There is a small cafe that serves (free) meals right at the entrance to 270, so is a great alternative to lunch at Windjammer. They had soups, salads and sandwiches, plus lots of yummy desserts. We ate lunch there several times and it is so peaceful to sit in 270 and gaze out at the water.

Another amazing area is the adult Solarium. It is enclosed and has an adults only pool. The pool is not good for swimming, as it is made of multiple little areas, but it is wonderful for relaxing. There are also a few hot tubs. There is another inside pool, an outside pool, and a kids pool area. I know our cruise wasn't sold out, but I never saw a venue totally filled.

If you like fresh baked cookies, check out Windjammer, right as you enter it. There is a baked goods area and we got there just as they took cookies out of the oven. They were great!

Denise


----------



## tnshsms

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> We are looking to book the May 20th Bermuda, is this by chance the cruise you are going on? We have a hold on and can't decide, so scared to book outside of Disney!!!!
> We can only squeeze in a shorter cruise though and with the May long weekend the timing is perfect, not to mention we can easily drive to NYC!



Yes!  That's the one we'll be on.   I too liked that it would be a shorter cruise to try out since it had been 11 years since our last RCL.


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

Denise W said:


> The ship is gorgeous. 270 is a bar/lounge/theater at the rear of the ship with huge tall windows that give you a 270 degree view. The library is upstairs off the balcony. There is a small cafe that serves (free) meals right at the entrance to 270, so is a great alternative to lunch at Windjammer. They had soups, salads and sandwiches, plus lots of yummy desserts. We ate lunch there several times and it is so peaceful to sit in 270 and gaze out at the water.
> 
> Anither amazing area is the adult Solarium. It is enclosed and has an adults only pool. The pool is not good for swimming, as it is made of multiple little areas, but it is wonderful for relaxing. There are also a few hot tubs. There is another inside pool, an outside pool, amd a kids pool area. I know our cruise wasn't sold out, but I never saw a venue totally filled.
> 
> If you like fresh baked cookies, check out Windjammer, right as you enter it. There is a baked goods area and we got there just as they took cookies out of the oven. They were great!
> 
> Denise



Thanks for all the info!


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

tnshsms said:


> Yes!  That's the one we'll be on.   I too liked that it would be a shorter cruise to try out since it had been 11 years since our last RCL.


Yes it's perfect for us as well. We have only done Disney last 2.5 years, we have gone on 4 of them. 
I'm about to book it, I think... lol 
I keep going between this and a 5 night Mexico same dates. I feel like this is our opportunity to try Royal Caribbean. I think DS8 will love the Anthem and we have also never been to Bermuda.


----------



## tnshsms

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Yes it's perfect for us as well. We have only done Disney last 2.5 years, we have gone on 4 of them.
> I'm about to book it, I think... lol
> I keep going between this and a 5 night Mexico same dates. I feel like this is our opportunity to try Royal Caribbean. I think DS8 will love the Anthem and we have also never been to Bermuda.



I feel like we are kindred spirits!  We too have only done disney and have been on all 4 ships and we also have an 8yo...but a girl.


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

tnshsms said:


> I feel like we are kindred spirits!  We too have only done disney and have been on all 4 ships and we also have an 8yo...but a girl.



We have taken 4 Disney cruises, 2 on the Fantasy and 2 on the Magic. We definitely want to go back and try the Wonder too, but I have been wanting to try Oasis, Allure or Harmony.  I'm less sure about the Anthem but again feel like this 5 nighter would be a good way to try out Royal. 
Did you book any of the shows or activities yet? 
When we put our cruise on hold they asked if we want to do our time dining or fixed time.  So different from DCL!


----------



## mevelandry

DizneyNutz said:


> We were Disney Cruise snobs.  We'd done a Carnival cruise and my wife said, never again.  I talked her in to a Disney cruise and it was game on.  After eight Disney cruises we ventured in to RCCL.  We thought the service, food, etc., was comparable, our Central Park balcony was great and we really enjoyed ourselves.  We have since (our cruise was in Jan) booked an October cruise with our Grandson AND jumped on a last minute Bermuda/Boston cruise.



Not gonna lie, I like to hear that. DH and I had cruised DCL twice when an accident made a big hole in our budget. We decided to try Carnival because it was not expensive. We loved it. So if RCCL is better that Carnival, I think it will do a good job for us in the future!


----------



## tnshsms

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> We have taken 4 Disney cruises, 2 on the Fantasy and 2 on the Magic. We definitely want to go back and try the Wonder too, but I have been wanting to try Oasis, Allure or Harmony.  I'm less sure about the Anthem but again feel like this 5 nighter would be a good way to try out Royal.
> Did you book any of the shows or activities yet?
> When we put our cruise on hold they asked if we want to do our time dining or fixed time.  So different from DCL!




I have only booked the Spectra's one as we don't really plan to see any others since I've read their not really kid appropriate.  And we have booked ifly and north star.  We also booked Jamie's at this point too since we have my time dining.   It's gonna be all different for sure!


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

tnshsms said:


> I have only booked the Spectra's one as we don't really plan to see any others since I've read their not really kid appropriate.  And we have booked ifly and north star.  We also booked Jamie's at this point too since we have my time dining.   It's gonna be all different for sure!



Well... We booked the May 20th cruise!!! Excited and nervous all at once. 
Also only booked the Spectra for the same reason.  DH and I could go see We Will Rock You by ourselves, but both of us dislike Queen. 
Unfortunately both North Star and iFly isn't available to book online so I'm assuming this means all the online spots were taken.  I really hope we will be able to get on when we board, as these were one of the main reasons we booked Anthem.  DS would be very disappointed.  I was afraid this may be the case if we book late (somewhat we booked 75 days out) but hopeful more will open up or that it will be easy to book once we board.
We also have My Time Dining and I'm confused why in the cruise planner it's telling me I can still reserve the complimentary restaurants. I thought the whole point of My Time is to just show up when you want and where you want to eat?
Anyway... as you can see we are totally confused at this point, but will figure it out! I feel like the first time we went to Disney World


----------



## mevelandry

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Well... We booked the May 20th cruise!!! Excited and nervous all at once.
> Also only booked the Spectra for the same reason.  DH and I could go see We Will Rock You by ourselves, but both of us dislike Queen.
> Unfortunately both North Star and iFly isn't available to book online so I'm assuming this means all the online spots were taken.  I really hope we will be able to get on when we board, as these were one of the main reasons we booked Anthem.  DS would be very disappointed.  I was afraid this may be the case if we book late (somewhat we booked 75 days out) but hopeful more will open up or that it will be easy to book once we board.
> We also have My Time Dining and I'm confused why in the cruise planner it's telling me I can still reserve the complimentary restaurants. I thought the whole point of My Time is to just show up when you want and where you want to eat?
> Anyway... as you can see we are totally confused at this point, but will figure it out! I feel like the first time we went to Disney World



Please come back for a review (and pictures!).


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

mevelandry said:


> Please come back for a review (and pictures!).


Will do! I plan to do take a lot of pictures and making notes for fellow DIS'ers


----------



## tnshsms

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Well... We booked the May 20th cruise!!! Excited and nervous all at once.
> Also only booked the Spectra for the same reason.  DH and I could go see We Will Rock You by ourselves, but both of us dislike Queen.
> Unfortunately both North Star and iFly isn't available to book online so I'm assuming this means all the online spots were taken.  I really hope we will be able to get on when we board, as these were one of the main reasons we booked Anthem.  DS would be very disappointed.  I was afraid this may be the case if we book late (somewhat we booked 75 days out) but hopeful more will open up or that it will be easy to book once we board.
> We also have My Time Dining and I'm confused why in the cruise planner it's telling me I can still reserve the complimentary restaurants. I thought the whole point of My Time is to just show up when you want and where you want to eat?
> Anyway... as you can see we are totally confused at this point, but will figure it out! I feel like the first time we went to Disney World



I've read that ifly and North Star both have spots open for people who didn't get it online so I'd make those ressies as soon as you get on!  

I don't know if i get the My Time Dining either.  I think the reason you can make a reservation is because if you don't then you wait for a table just like you would at a restaurant at home.  But you can make a ressie to eat when you want and not just the standard two sittings.  I did reserve one of the complementary restaurants but it doesn't say which one...like I couldn't choose so who knows what we'll get or if I did it right! Although it seems Windjammer has better food than some of the restaurants so we may never eat in one of those main dining rooms.


----------



## poosiegirl

Keep checking everyday for reservations for iFly and Northstar!  I missed when they became available for booking online and was able to snag some about two weeks before the cruise.  I checked 3-4 times a day and all of a sudden there was an opening (for those and the bungalow I wanted on CoCo Cay).  I've also heard if you go directly tp the theater they are making reservations there upon embarkation, so if you get on board early enough you might be able to get them there.  Northstar also had open hours the first day where you could just line up.  Try to do that in port - as our reservation (on a sea day) got cancelled due to wind.

We just got off Sunday, so I'm happy to answer any questions!  We had a great time and are looking forward to booking for 2019 - although we are thinking about going out of Florida or San Juan to get to the southern ports.  This was our 5th Royal cruise (2nd with kids).


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

poosiegirl said:


> Keep checking everyday for reservations for iFly and Northstar!  I missed when they became available for booking online and was able to snag some about two weeks before the cruise.  I checked 3-4 times a day and all of a sudden there was an opening (for those and the bungalow I wanted on CoCo Cay).  I've also heard if you go directly tp the theater they are making reservations there upon embarkation, so if you get on board early enough you might be able to get them there.  Northstar also had open hours the first day where you could just line up.  Try to do that in port - as our reservation (on a sea day) got cancelled due to wind.
> 
> We just got off Sunday, so I'm happy to answer any questions!  We had a great time and are looking forward to booking for 2019 - although we are thinking about going out of Florida or San Juan to get to the southern ports.  This was our 5th Royal cruise (2nd with kids).



I feel like I've hijacked OP's
thread by now, sorry about that! Hopefully though this is helping others too.

Thanks so much Poosiegirl this gives me hope about North Star and iFly.
I am really hoping they hold out on some reservations for onboard bookings.
Our sailing has 2 days in port (overnight Bermuda) no Coco Cay.
This is our first Royal Caribbean after 4 Disney cruises.  If we like it I want to try the Oasis class next.
I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.
Did your kids like the Adventure Ocean and did you find they combined the Explores and Voyagers groups? Did lots of kids take part in the late night party (10 pm to 2am)?
Also, my understanding is Adventure ocean takes the kids to windjammer  cafe for dinner if the kids are in their care. Did you happen to take advantage of this?

I also have a question about My Time Dining (if you did it).
Did you make advance reservations for the complimentary restaurants or did you just show up?
I was also wondering if you purchased any drink packages or the coffee card?
Do you have any idea how much domestic draft beer costs in the bars?
My Cruise Planner has some specials right now on the ultimate drink package 20% off @ $48 a day.  They also have 30% off internet.  But it says you have to get the internet for the duration of cruise, and we would only need it for a couple of days.. maybe.
Just wondering if it's worth purchasing in advance.
 Thank you so much for answering anything you can


----------



## tnshsms

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> I feel like I've hijacked OP's
> thread by now, sorry about that! Hopefully though this is helping others too.
> 
> Thanks so much Poosiegirl this gives me hope about North Star and iFly.
> I am really hoping they hold out on some reservations for onboard bookings.
> Our sailing has 2 days in port (overnight Bermuda) no Coco Cay.
> This is our first Royal Caribbean after 4 Disney cruises.  If we like it I want to try the Oasis class next.
> I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.
> Did your kids like the Adventure Ocean and did you find they combined the Explores and Voyagers groups? Did lots of kids take part in the late night party (10 pm to 2am)?
> Also, my understanding is Adventure ocean takes the kids to windjammer  cafe for dinner if the kids are in their care. Did you happen to take advantage of this?
> 
> I also have a question about My Time Dining (if you did it).
> Did you make advance reservations for the complimentary restaurants or did you just show up?
> I was also wondering if you purchased any drink packages or the coffee card?
> Do you have any idea how much domestic draft beer costs in the bars?
> My Cruise Planner has some specials right now on the ultimate drink package 20% off @ $48 a day.  They also have 30% off internet.  But it says you have to get the internet for the duration of cruise, and we would only need it for a couple of days.. maybe.
> Just wondering if it's worth purchasing in advance.
> Thank you so much for answering anything you can




It's Ok....I want to know that stuff too!!  

I might just add how did you get from port to airport?  I debate on the best way to do that.


----------



## poosiegirl

Just keep checking for the North Star and iFly.   Try to get North Star on a port day or when you're closer to Bermuda, they ran iFly in windier conditions than North Star.

My kids loved Adventure Ocean!  They're 6 and 8, so both were Explorers and the groups were kept separate every time we were there.  My kids typically went to one session per day usually the morning or evening one.  We didn't use the late night party because mine were done by 10pm, they were actually done sooner but if we picked them up early it would not have been pretty.  Although quite a few times there were a bunch of kids staying after 10.  We didn't take advantage of the Adventure dining but it was listed in kids Compass every day.  My kids loved the main dining room - we had traditional early seating as we really like having the same wait staff every night.

We each had a drink package - I just had the soda package (I may or may not have a diet coke problem), my husband had the ultimate package and my parents had the refreshment package.  My dad and husband liked getting the better coffee.  And my husband used his a couple times to get my daughter a non-alcoholic daiquiri or myself a drink by the pool.  We also like being able to get bottled water- came in handy at the theater with the kids and for excursions.  We pre- purchased the packages at home when they had a sale.

We didn't purchase the internet because one of our port was Cape Canaveral and we knew we'd get a cell signal there and the rest of the time we liked being disconnected.  I kept my phone in airplane mode and used it as a clock in the cabin, my husband kept his in the safe except when we left the ship.

Happy to help!  Let me know if you have more questions!


----------



## ljcrochet

My  11 years didn't check out the kids club once on anthem. There was always something going on.
DH and I had the drink package .  We booked really early for our cruise, I don't remember what we paid a day for it,  but  I know it was worth it.  A glass of wine with dinner is$10.62, with the tip.  Most nights at dinner I had 2 glasses of wine.  Plus a drink or 2 by the pool.  
My girls loved getting mocktails from the bionic bar. 

If you have iPhones, we discover that having phones in airplane mode and on royal wifi, iMessages went through ( but not pictures).  I was also able to read my aol emails.


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

poosiegirl said:


> Just keep checking for the North Star and iFly.   Try to get North Star on a port day or when you're closer to Bermuda, they ran iFly in windier conditions than North Star.
> 
> My kids loved Adventure Ocean!  They're 6 and 8, so both were Explorers and the groups were kept separate every time we were there.  My kids typically went to one session per day usually the morning or evening one.  We didn't use the late night party because mine were done by 10pm, they were actually done sooner but if we picked them up early it would not have been pretty.  Although quite a few times there were a bunch of kids staying after 10.  We didn't take advantage of the Adventure dining but it was listed in kids Compass every day.  My kids loved the main dining room - we had traditional early seating as we really like having the same wait staff every night.
> 
> We each had a drink package - I just had the soda package (I may or may not have a diet coke problem), my husband had the ultimate package and my parents had the refreshment package.  My dad and husband liked getting the better coffee.  And my husband used his a couple times to get my daughter a non-alcoholic daiquiri or myself a drink by the pool.  We also like being able to get bottled water- came in handy at the theater with the kids and for excursions.  We pre- purchased the packages at home when they had a sale.
> 
> We didn't purchase the internet because one of our port was Cape Canaveral and we knew we'd get a cell signal there and the rest of the time we liked being disconnected.  I kept my phone in airplane mode and used it as a clock in the cabin, my husband kept his in the safe except when we left the ship.
> 
> Happy to help!  Let me know if you have more questions!



Thank you so much for your insight! So glad to hear your kids loved Adventure Ocean. 
Silly question... but did you get weighed before going on the North Star?
I will try for a day we are in port but if we can't get any advance reservations we will be happy with whatever we can get.

Did you also try the bumper cars? Another thing DS is really interested in, hope the wait isn't an hour to get on!

One other question... Do they sell Royal Caribbean logo lanyards in the terminal or once on board? I don't think I want to purchase the WOWbands but would like a lanyard to put my SeaPass on...
I do have some Disney ones but wouldn't mind getting a RCI one...


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

ljcrochet said:


> My  11 years didn't check out the kids club once on anthem. There was always something going on.
> DH and I had the drink package .  We booked really early for our cruise, I don't remember what we paid a day for it,  but  I know it was worth it.  A glass of wine with dinner is$10.62, with the tip.  Most nights at dinner I had 2 glasses of wine.  Plus a drink or 2 by the pool.
> My girls loved getting mocktails from the bionic bar.
> 
> If you have iPhones, we discover that having phones in airplane mode and on royal wifi, iMessages went through ( but not pictures).  I was also able to read my aol emails.



Thanks for the tip, I don't think we will buy the internet, even at 30% off that's $12 (one device) and really we will only have 2 sea days.  We never get the internet package on Disney and live...
Both DH and I have iphones.

The drink package (alcohol, pop, freshed squeezed juices, specialty coffees, bottled water) is $48 pp right now (on sale), I believe it's $55 with gratuity per day. 
I don't think DH and I would drink $55 worth of booze on Disney cruise line, I would normally have 3 drinks of the day, some days a couple of beers. DH would have a few beers. But the drinks/ beer on DCL was cheaper from what I understand.  The drink of the day was like $4.80 and beer was $6. DH likes draft beer, actually I do too when I drink beer.
The more I think about it, the more the package sounds pretty good for what it includes.
We were initially thinking of getting 2 soda packages and buying the coffee card and bottled water package.. but might be better off buying the 2 all inclusive drink packages...
Do you remember how much draft beer was on board and if they had bud light?  Thanks


----------



## poosiegirl

We didn't actually get to ride on North Star.  I heard the weigh, but I don't know for sure.  I think it's more a total weight per pod not individual that they are worried about. They do have a height check before you get into line, so keep that in mind if you have any short kiddos.

We did bumper cars three times.  Twice in morning and once in the afternoon.  For the morning if the time was listed at 9:30 we would try to head to the SeaPlex at 9.  They started by 9:10-9:15 both times and we were done by 9:30-9:45ish.  Make sure you take your DS's SeaPass card they were checking all the kids to make sure they were either old enough to drive or ride.

They sell lanyards all over the place including in the terminal before you board.  Keep in mind since these SeaPass cards have the RFID chips in them they can't be hole-punched so it'll be the lanyard with the little plastic pouch on the end.  We got WOW bands because we were in a Jnuior Suite - my husband loved it and wore it all the time (except you can't use it to get on or off the ship) my kids and I preferred the cards (and we love Disney's magic bands)!  I carried a small wristlet that held my card, chapstick and small camera in it.  The kids will get an Adventure Ocean lanyard at the end of the week - at least mine did during their last session.


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

I'm also wondering if you guys booked another cruise on board?


----------



## poosiegirl

We didn't and are kicking ourselves about it.  We want to go again in Spring 2019 and should have done a dummy booking for 2018 and then switched it.  Oh well I guess there's always next time!


----------



## ljcrochet

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Silly question... but did you get weighed before going on the North Star?
> I will try for a day we are in port but if we can't get any advance reservations we will be happy with whatever we can get.


They did not weigh for north star but did weigh everyone for ifly..


HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Did you also try the bumper cars? Another thing DS is really interested in, hope the wait isn't an hour to get on!


We did bumper cars 3 times.  We did it on embarkation day with a small wait.  Then on a sea day, probably waited about 40 minutes.  
Third time was at sea pled for bball tournament, noticed people lining up, so got in line. Only  issue with that was, sea was rocky so they announced check back in hour for bumper cars. Said going to do a sports event.  I went to get sneakers while DH and girls stayed in line.  By the time I got back they were loading cars to start the bumber cars.  So it started late.



HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> Do you remember how much draft beer was on board and if they had bud light? Thanks


Sorry didn't have beer.  There wasn't a cheap drink of the day like on other ships. It seemed that most drinks were $12-13 plus the tip. It was so nice not having to think about if we wanted a drink or not. 


HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> I'm also wondering if you guys booked another cruise on board?


We did but most likely going to change it.  I will say if you think you are going to book on board price out before hand.  We booked harmony.  Went back  next day since DH decided he likes the smaller ships and wanted to cruise out of San Juan.  No clue what prices she gave us, but it wasn't the same as the ones we found after we got home. 

I will say we booked on board the last 3 times , every booking was changed without an issue.  We booked grandeur while on board enchantment. We booked a jr suite which we switched to 2 inside cabins for less than cost of jr suite.  
While on grandeur booked Allue.  Switched allue for anthem.  Kept same booking number and booking date.  
Great perk of on board booking is lower deposit.  $200 instead of $1000 I was getting when I was pricing.  
I'm most likely going to switch harmony booking to Alaska in 2018.  Thinking of doing Route 66 in the spring instead of a cruise.


----------



## tnshsms

Did anyone roller skate?  Mine is super excited about that option......


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

DS has never been on roller skates but has done rollerblading, plus he is very good on ice skates. So he should be ok on the roller skates and he is also super excited about it!
That and bumper cars and North Star.


----------



## ljcrochet

tnshsms said:


> Did anyone roller skate?  Mine is super excited about that option......


We had fun roller skating. It was our 3 helmet day.  We did ifly, rock climbing and roller skating in the same day.


----------



## cherokeemamma

I have friends that are cruising on the Anthem in June, they have only cruised with Disney before (same for my family). I told her I would try and find some info on here for her and this thread has been great. I have a question...it may be a silly one, but please remember I am clueless. Is there a charge for things like the rock climbing, iFly, bumper cars, North Star? If so, do you know an approx fee?

Also, we live in GA. I am assuming there is shuttle services to Newark airport from port. Any idea of the fee? There will four adults and luggage.

Thanks so much for you help!


----------



## ljcrochet

There is no fee for the activities you listed.  They say they charge a no show charge for North Star and ifly. 
If you are booked I'm sure you can price out shuttle on royal site.   Make sure you book ifly, North Star and shows in advance.


----------



## poosiegirl

fI believe that For iFly you get one "flight" free and then you can pay for additional flights after that.  Getting multiple reservations could be tricky though. Bumper cars, trapeze school, roller skating, North Star are all free and you can go as many times as you want.  We drove to the port but I'm pretty sure there are multiple options getting from the airport to cruise port, private shuttles may or may not be cheaper than a Royal Caribbean shuttle.


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

ljcrochet said:


> My  11 years didn't check out the kids club once on anthem. There was always something going on.
> DH and I had the drink package .  We booked really early for our cruise, I don't remember what we paid a day for it,  but  I know it was worth it.  A glass of wine with dinner is$10.62, with the tip.  Most nights at dinner I had 2 glasses of wine.  Plus a drink or 2 by the pool.
> My girls loved getting mocktails from the bionic bar.
> 
> If you have iPhones, we discover that having phones in airplane mode and on royal wifi, iMessages went through ( but not pictures).  I was also able to read my aol emails.



One more question about the drink package if you don't mind... were you able to use it right on embarkation day?
I was looking at Carnival's website and saw it says you can't activate their drink packages first day while still in New York due to NY port laws. Do you know anything about that? I can't find anything on the RCI website.
If we buy the drink package I'd like to be able to use it right away when we board...


----------



## ljcrochet

I had a chocolate martini in hand by 12:30.  You can definitely use it in port.


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

ljcrochet said:


> I had a chocolate martini in hand by 12:30.  You can definitely use it in port.


Oooh... chocolate martini.... Thanks!


----------



## sweetpee_1993

I just got off Anthem on Sunday.

I wasn't weighed for North Star.  Our iFly on the last sea day got cancelled because of seas & wind.  Not a big deal since we have iFly here where we live. 

I didn't roller skate because of the helmet requirement.  Just no. 

Bumper cars were FUN.

Go watch the dodgeball tournament.  That was interesting.

Didn't get a drink package because I traveled with a friend who doesn't drink.  Knew I wouldn't drink the $400 worth.  Budgeted $200.  Spent $164.50.  Drink prices are higher than Disney for sure.  On Disney my favorite glass of Moët Ice is $18.  On Royal it's $27 plus tip.  Not happening.  I can get the bottle at home for $65.  I did bring a case of water onboard with me.  That was nice to have.

Loooooved the VOOM internet.  Loved.  Was able to stay in touch with my grown sons & hubby.  Had a FaceTime voice call with my mom once. 

We rebooked Harmony for October!

Any questions, lemme know!


----------



## HappilyEverAfter80

sweetpee_1993 said:


> I just got off Anthem on Sunday.
> 
> I wasn't weighed for North Star.  Our iFly on the last sea day got cancelled because of seas & wind.  Not a big deal since we have iFly here where we live.
> 
> I didn't roller skate because of the helmet requirement.  Just no.
> 
> Bumper cars were FUN.
> 
> Go watch the dodgeball tournament.  That was interesting.
> 
> Didn't get a drink package because I traveled with a friend who doesn't drink.  Knew I wouldn't drink the $400 worth.  Budgeted $200.  Spent $164.50.  Drink prices are higher than Disney for sure.  On Disney my favorite glass of Moët Ice is $18.  On Royal it's $27 plus tip.  Not happening.  I can get the bottle at home for $65.  I did bring a case of water onboard with me.  That was nice to have.
> 
> Loooooved the VOOM internet.  Loved.  Was able to stay in touch with my grown sons & hubby.  Had a FaceTime voice call with my mom once.
> 
> We rebooked Harmony for October!
> 
> Any questions, lemme know!



I take it you had a good time if you booked Harmony? If we like the Anthem we want to book a cruise on the Oasis class as well.  Our Anthem cruise is towards the end of May.
$166 is very good for a bar bill, was that for 7 days?
... We are still trying to figure this drink package out. It's on sale right now at $48 pp. I figure if we each have a couple of sodas, specialty coffee or two and a few drinks each, bottled water... we save? I don't know. It would be super convenient though. 
Just wondering... did they say anything about bringing bottled water on? I'm assuming it was in your carry-on?
Anyway hope you had a great cruise!


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## HappilyEverAfter80

For those of you that just cruised on Anthem, do you have a picture of the current soda souvenir cup you get with the drink package?


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## sweetpee_1993

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> For those of you that just cruised on Anthem, do you have a picture of the current soda souvenir cup you get with the drink package?


It looked like this one:







There's  clear top with a little slider opening that you can either drink from or insert a straw.


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## sweetpee_1993

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> I take it you had a good time if you booked Harmony? If we like the Anthem we want to book a cruise on the Oasis class as well.  Our Anthem cruise is towards the end of May.
> $166 is very good for a bar bill, was that for 7 days?
> ... We are still trying to figure this drink package out. It's on sale right now at $48 pp. I figure if we each have a couple of sodas, specialty coffee or two and a few drinks each, bottled water... we save? I don't know. It would be super convenient though.
> Just wondering... did they say anything about bringing bottled water on? I'm assuming it was in your carry-on?
> Anyway hope you had a great cruise!


We had a great time.  Loved it.

Yep.  7 days.  That was a total of like 10 drinks.  Royal's drinks are more expensive than Disney's.  Bottles of water are $2-$3 each.  The cocktails are around $13 +/- plus an 18% tip.  I did find a 2 for $10 draft at the bar in Two70 but the only option is Heineken.  There's usually like an hour several days during the trip they do $1 mimosas at the casino bar.  I saw 2 for 1 basic margaritas in the afternoon at Boleros a couple times, too.  Watch the Compass for those specials.  I never planned on drinking much at all.  My friend I sailed with doesn't drink at all.  Not my usual 5+ daily.  I don't drink soda at all so the soda cup would've been useless for me.  

You can bring a case of water.  Just tape up the case to reinforce it, tape a luggage tag to it, and send it with your other checked bags with the porters.  They take them.  My case was delivered to my room.  

The beverage package absolutely is more of a convenience thing than anything.  I had it on my first Royal cruise (Allure in 2013) and we loved it.  Hubby & I definitely enjoyed just drinking whatever, gathering bottles of water for our fridge, etc.


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## DisneyAlly

Hello!  I am a newbie to RCI and I am so glad to find this thread.  We booked July 1st Anthem of the Seas and I am just starting to look at excursions and activities. Compared to DCL, I am feeling a bit lost. It seems harder to find information I need.  I am able to book character breakfast but I do not see any IFly, NorthStar or any show  listings. Does this mean I missed the boat?


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## HappilyEverAfter80

DisneyAlly said:


> Hello!  I am a newbie to RCI and I am so glad to find this thread.  We booked July 1st Anthem of the Seas and I am just starting to look at excursions and activities. Compared to DCL, I am feeling a bit lost. It seems harder to find information I need.  I am able to book character breakfast but I do not see any IFly, NorthStar or any show  listings. Does this mean I missed the boat?


We booked our Anthem cruise exactly 75 days out and the iFly and North Star were both booked up, in my cruise planner it says " online reservations are not available, check on board". Is this the message you are getting or is it simply not in your cruise planner at all? If it's not listed, then it may get added at a later date. Just keep checking. As for all the shows, I had no problems choosing those.
It sounds like maybe for your sailing they didn't add them to your cruise planner yet.
If you are planning to buy a drink package, check in your cruise planner for discounts. Same for internet and some spa services. All were on sale for 20-30% off for our cruise.


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## DisneyAlly

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> We booked our Anthem cruise exactly 75 days out and the iFly and North Star were both booked up, in my cruise planner it says " online reservations are not available, check on board". Is this the message you are getting or is it simply not in your cruise planner at all? If it's not listed, then it may get added at a later date. Just keep checking. As for all the shows, I had no problems choosing those.
> It sounds like maybe for your sailing they didn't add them to your cruise planner yet.
> If you are planning to buy a drink package, check in your cruise planner for discounts. Same for internet and some spa services. All were on sale for 20-30% off for our cruise.


We do not see the activities listed at all in the planner. There is hope for us then. Thank you HappilyEverAfter!  I do see the drink package at 20% off. Tempted...


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## tnshsms

HappilyEverAfter80 said:


> I am looking to possibly book Anthem out of NYC and I'm finding more info on it over on the cruise critic forum.
> You can try to ask there?
> I don't know for sure but the 11 am flight sounds like a tight squeeze.




Have you found the cruise critic meet up for our cruise yet?  Since I know that you and I are on the same one, I was curious if you found the group over there....


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## HappilyEverAfter80

tnshsms said:


> Have you found the cruise critic meet up for our cruise yet?  Since I know that you and I are on the same one, I was curious if you found the group over there....


Funny you mention this, I was just recently on Cruise Critic looking to see if there is a group. There is, May 20 Anthem of the Seas meet-up, but I haven't read the thread yet. I've been on Cruise Critic for a while but haven't really posted there, more of a lurker 
I also downloaded the app Ship Mate and there is a group there. Just not sure if a meet-up has been/will be organized. I was planning to look into it later


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## HappilyEverAfter80

tnshsms said:


> Have you found the cruise critic meet up for our cruise yet?  Since I know that you and I are on the same one, I was curious if you found the group over there....


Haha just noticed you are on that roll call already
Well I just joined, but doesn't seem to be too busy...


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