Anthem of the Seas Review
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This was our 21st cruise and we chose this sailing because it went to Bermuda and the Caribbean. We had never been to Bermuda and after this sailing, we still have never been to Bermuda. The weather out of Bayonne was 52 degrees and overcast skies which was unseasonably cool for May. A little rocky out of Bayonne but to be expected. We arrive at Bermuda during a "monsoon" - very heavy rain and very high winds. Most of the excursions were cancelled and it was nearly impossible to walk on the pier. A few steps, and it was back to the ship. So much for Bermuda. The remainder of the sailing was smooth and uneventful.
This is our 1st time on the Anthem and it will be our last time on a Quantum class ship if the dining situation stays as it is. We order salt-free dinners and what came out of the kitchen was not fit to eat. The salmon was overcooked and the dry baked potatoes were undercooked. The steak was very thin and very overcooked. The chicken was overcooked and plopped on the plate as if I was in a poorly run diner. We ate in all of the dining rooms and were not pleased with any of them.
We ate in Wonderland (an upcharge of $49pp) and it was WONDERFUL. Don't let the menu turn you off. We are not adventurous when it comes to eating but we put our trust in the fabulous waiter who selected our food. The presentation was amazing and the taste was stupendous. I'd recommend splurging to try this restaurant out.
Cabin Review
The cabin was very well planned and contained more space for stuff than on any other ship we have been on. Because of my height (I'm short), I got soaked every time I used the sink. I was so happy to have a hair dryer to dry my clothes. We especially liked the space on top of the bed. We liked the ability to move the desk and make it a table that could easily move to the large sofa. The balcony was enormous which was lovely.
Port Reviews
Bayonne (Cape Liberty)
It took us 1 hour, 20 minutes to drive from Philly to the exit for the port and another full hour to drive what should have taken 10 minutes. You were not allow to bypass the luggage drop-off area to go directly to the parking garage. We were very capable of carrying our own luggage. The line was soooooooo long to drop luggage. We did not like agents holding laptops checking us in. We prefer to stand in a short line and check in with an agent at a counter.
King's Wharf
Pouring rain and very strong winds prevented us from walking more than a few steps on the pier before turning around and returning to the ship. We never saw Bermuda.
San Juan
Just did a little shopping here since it was about our 10th visit to San Juan.
Labadee
Labadee is always a nice port. We enjoyed the beach but we never found the vendor who has inner tubes to float in the Sea. The lunch was good but we had to wait in line for over 30 minutes and when we got to the front, we had to wait for burgers to be cooked. Most of the desserts were sparse. All of the cookies were gone. We were told we could try another location, but we were afraid that we would not be able to find an empty lounge chair so we stayed right where we were.