A fun week with the family on Thanksgiving!

I can't think of a better way to spend Thanksgiving week with family. The best part of the trip was no doubt the Anthem of the Seas itself. The shows at Cafe Two70 were jaw dropping experiences. The 3D Trolls movie was a pleasantly and unexpected surprise for my two girls. And when they are happy, so am I.

The one thing that really stood out from the otherwise great week was the dinner at Silk on the first night was a little disappointed. Three people in our party and two tables next to us all ordered the duck entrée and the meat was so dried that it was beyond edible. It was as if the dishes were cooked and then reheat again in the microwave for too long. The meat was dried and hardened beyond worst than meat jerky, it's like chewing pieces of leather. The other entrées were much better. The wait staffs did offered to get us another dish but we weren't in the mood to wait anymore. The only thing that redeem the night was the mochi dessert which was delightful and refreshing. And the Crème brûlée was excellent and consistent thru the whole trip. To be fair, we tried the duck again a few nights later and it was perfect. So maybe it's just an oversight on the kitchen on that night to reheat the duck for too long without checking. The salad bar at the Grande restaurant for lunches was a good idea, but probably best served if just let it be a self-service station instead of a staffed service. The line gets unnecessary long just waiting for the guy to toss and chop up the salad, seriously? Let the guests help themselves, we can manage what we like and the amount that we like and not take way more than necessary. And you only need 1 server behind the station to replenish and keep the area tidy. Win win for everyone in my opinion.

Overall, the dinning experience at the restaurants and the choice of menu items were excellent. The rotation of 4 regional different restaurants makes the whole dinning process both stimulating and exciting for the senses and our appetites. We also welcome the more relaxing atmosphere of the casual dinning experience. The staffs were friendly and helpful. We didn't have to wait too long for anything. The glasses were refilled frequently, and the bread basket was a great favorite among the kids. The Windjammer on the other hand might need to have more seatings to accommodate the influx of a big crowds during peak hours. The cleaning staffs were good and mostly fast at cleaning the tables, but no one offered us drinks except one time at breakfast. Not saying that the lines at the water stations were always long, and I am sure any server will be happy to bring us drinks if we asked, but it was nice to be offered so thank you so much for your kind gesture Ms. Blanca Frores. We were happy with the selections at the buffet and the excellent pastries. And the turkey rice congee on Black Friday morning was a big hit with our family. Love the great cakes on Thanksgiving night also. The all hour services at the Sorrento's was great. That was our favorite meet up area, and the pizza was superb.

iFly and everything in the Seaplex were awesome. Too bad the line for the bumper cars was always too long. The staffs were great at managing the crowd, the wall climb and the trapeze were great fun. We were not allow to use the North Star due to wind condition and that is something we really look forward to try for our next cruise. All the pools were great. The gym was so much bigger and more equipped than any of the other ships we have cruised before. Really enjoyed working out that extra serving of sweet from the night before.

We also really like our rooms. Love the shower with the glass door and the balcony. We have connected rooms and with our party of six, the kids enjoyed the extra space to roam between the two rooms. And our housekeeper Ivan kept everything in tip top shape, thank you Ivan.

Great entertaining shows all around, but our Cruise Director, Dru Pavlov, seems to be the most low key CD we had ever met on all of our cruising experiences. We most definitely preferred the more relaxed and civil vibe on the Royal Caribbean Cruise ships and thus avoided the rowdy frat house crowds on Carnivals, but a little more energy would have made our trip a truly unforgettable experience. Case in point, upon returning to our ship at Port Nassau, the Bahamas, the music emitting from the gangway of the Norwegian ship docked directly across from us was a stark contrast. The beat of the music was pulsating and the crews were happily bouncing and dancing with the rhythm welcoming people into the ship. For a brief moment, we were tempted to join them instead.

On the morning of arriving at Cococay, due to weather condition, tenders to shore were delayed which was totally understandable. But the ship could have done a better job of communicating the issues to the anxious crowds. 

Disembarkation was pleasant and orderly. Good job at the Bayonne Port terminal. Our luggage was on time and where they should be. The pick up area was a little chaotic but still so much better than the last time at the old loading area.

These seven days sure past fast. Can't wait to come back again, really soon.

Thank you Anthem of the Seas.