This was a getaway cruise for my wife and I, we left the kids at home for this one. 😁 Neither one of us has ever been to Bermuda, and this seemed like a great chance to try out a ship in our back yard as well as visit this island.
Originally booked in a balcony, but a BOGO60 sale put the upgrade to a Junior Suite within reach and I grabbed it. Wouldn't do this every time, but for the special occasion and with only one cabin to pay for, it was totally worth the splurge. Absolutely loved having access to Coastal Kitchen, even if it was only for dinner.
The ship itself is really nice; on-board entertainment was a little hit-or-miss, with two of the three headline shows absolutely fantastic, but the third a total dud for us. Similar experience with the other entertainers in the pub and bar venues. Activities like North Star are a nice addition to the regular fare offered in the rest of the fleet, which due to some mobility limits I just can't do.
Absolutely loved Bermuda, and can't wait to visit there again! Everyone is really nice, and the whole island is clean and safe. My wife and I walked from downtown St. George to Tobacco Bay Beach and were never once worried about running into someone threatening, or getting hit by a car on the narrow roads, or anything like that.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We had a Junior Suite and were able to take advantage of the suites-only priority checkin line. Nice and fast, we got from the garage to the ship in about 20 minutes.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
As Junior Suite guests, we had access to Coastal Kitchen for dinner every night. It blows the regular main dining room menu out of the water! Never had a bad meal there, and couldn't understand why it wasn't busier every night. We ate at 7 each night, which is an in-between hour, but we couldn't believe there weren't more suite guests taking advantage of this great restaurant that's included with the fare!
The rest of the ship's food offerings were just OK; we ate in Cafe Two70 for breakfast all but one morning, to avoid the crowds, and it was good if repetitive. Only one breakfast in MDR, might as well have eaten in the Windjammer for the difference in food quality. Speaking of the Windjammer... food there was good. Nothing outstanding, but everything was served hot and there were good options the couple of times we went there. I like the omelet I had prepared in WJ better than the one I got in the MDR.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Did North Star twice, definitely better when in port and there's something to see besides the ocean. Took part in trivia for the first time and had fun meeting some new people while playing the game..
Entertainment
4 out of 5
The Gift was just not enjoyable for us, we actually left halfway through! Nothing against the performers or the quality of the production, it was all the music selections and how they tried to fit some really mismatched songs together in order to tell the story.
Also saw The Las Vegas Tenors (headliner act). They were good performers, but their set was clearly intended for an older crowd. I'm in my late 40s, so you know if I'm saying that then they were singing some seriously old songs. Would have just liked it if they mixed it up a little better and made it more evenly oldies and newer stuff.
On the plus side -- Spectra's Cabaret and We Will Rock were both absolutely fantastic! Sit where they have the sofas located and you'll have a prime view of the stages, and also be where the cast all walks past at various points in the show.
Live band in the Music Hall, The Royal Swedes, were good and played just about every night. The live acts in the Pub and Schooner Bar were OK, but the Schooner Bar had the guy amped so loud that you couldn't talk with anyone while you were there, and it was even bleeding into the main theater while I was trying to watch the shows there!
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our cabin attendant, Allen, was great the entire trip. Always checking to see if we needed anything, and left the room in great shape each day.
Our waiter in Coastal Kitchen, Amar, was also fantastic and made every dinner a great experience. Our head waiter, whose name I've unfortunately forgotten and didn't write down, was also wonderful. He stopped by every night, asked how our day was, and would talk with us as time allowed about this and that.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Very nice ship, only real complaint is The Via / The Royal Esplanade and the poor crowd flow there, especially when sales are happening in the corridor. Absolutely spotless ship, still new enough to say it's in stellar shape. Small detail, but loved the balcony door and how easily it could be opened; compared the door on Freedom, it was light as air!
Absolutely loved this island! Didn't book any excursions with Royal, the day and a half is more than enough to just go on your own and take advantage of the inexpensive public transportation. Visited St. George, Tobacco Bay Beach, The Crystal Caves, Swizzle Inn, and Horseshoe Bay Beach.
@balonyboy, I had my travel agent switch my booking to the Spa Jr Suite upgrade when a BOGO60 sale came out a month or so after the original booking. It brought the price much closer to the balcony, enough so that I was comfortable paying the extra (~$500 more for the two of us).
This was most definitely not a visit from the upgrade fairy.
Glad you enjoyed Bermuda like my family has. It is one of the few tropical islands that does it right. Very expensive, but that is because they pay well. Therefore residents don't live in poverty. Hmmm, island residents who don't need to commit crimes on visitors or sell drugs to live life. A novel idea. Glad you enjoyed Anthem. She is a beauty. We also had the experience of a Jr spa suite. It was awesome. I think most who rate Bermuda and Anthem, agree with us😉. Which puts us in great company!
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