Showing posts with label Cruisin'. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cruisin'. Show all posts

Sunday, December 22, 2024

Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas Tips for Your Singapore Cruise

ABBEY: Cruising is always a thrill for us, and this time, we set sail on Anthem of the Seas, our third Royal Caribbean ship after experiencing Mariner of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas. This journey was filled with surprises, memorable moments, and plenty of delightful discoveries.


We initially booked an interior stateroom, but thanks to a helpful suggestion from our agent, we upgraded to a balcony room for the same price. What a fantastic decision! Nothing beats the view of the endless ocean right from the comfort of your own space.


We arrived for check-in at 12 noon, thinking we were early birds—but it seems many fellow passengers had the same idea.


Lunch at Windjammer was our first stop, and while finding a table took some effort, we managed to secure one at the aft. The buffet selection was as tempting as ever, featuring pasta, roasted beef, burgers, and hotdogs. It was the perfect start to our culinary journey onboard.


After lunch, we headed to our stateroom, which was ready for us. Our room attendant, Joy, greeted us, though her demeanor was less enthusiastic than we might have hoped. Thankfully, our own excitement wasn’t dampened, and we were ready to make the most of the cruise ahead.


The live shows onboard were a highlight of our trip. We scored excellent seats for Spectra’s Cabaret and the electrifying We Will Rock You. The performances were top-notch, keeping us thoroughly entertained throughout.


For just $104 per person, we indulged in specialty dining at Jamie’s Italian and Wonderland. The package also included a Sip Tour, where we toured the galley to witness food preparation firsthand while enjoying free-flowing sparkling wine and brunch. It was an experience that satisfied both our curiosity and our taste buds.


For lighter meals, Sorrento’s and Café 270 became our go-to spots. Their cheese and pepperoni pizza slices, paninis, and burritos were quick, delicious options that kept us fueled for all the activities on board.


We kicked off our mornings with workouts—either at the gym or on the outdoor track with panoramic views. Afternoons were spent unwinding at the Solarium, where we alternated between the cold and hot pools, soaking in the serene atmosphere.


This cruise wasn’t just about the ship; it was about the shared experience with our siblings. From exploring the ship to savoring meals together, every moment was special.


Our time on Anthem of the Seas was nothing short of amazing. Whether it was the luxurious dining, thrilling entertainment, or simply the joy of being at sea, this cruise left us with memories to treasure forever.



Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas Tips for Your Singapore Cruise
Royal Caribbean Anthem of the Seas Tips for Your Singapore Cruise


WILL: Is Anthem of the Seas just another Royal Caribbean cruise for me and Abbey? Well, yes and no. Yes, it’s a different ship, but no, it’s part of the Quantum Class fleet—much like Quantum of the Seas, but without Laser Tag. However, this trip was entirely unique for us because we cruised with my siblings! Yay!

Instead of a detailed review, here are essential tips and reminders for your next cruise on Anthem of the Seas. Let’s go!!! 



10 Must-Know Tips for Your Anthem of the Seas Cruise

1.Pack Essentials
Don’t forget your toothbrush, toothpaste, and room slippers. These aren’t complimentary and are only available for purchase onboard—priced in USD!


2.Wait to Book Specialty Restaurants
Skip pre-booking specialty restaurants online. Once onboard, you’ll likely spot amazing deals. For example, we scored a package for Wonderland and Jamie’s Italian for just USD 105, down from USD 99 per restaurant. Bonus? A Sip Tour with unlimited champagne—cheers to that!


3.Reserve Shows Before Boarding
Plan ahead by booking your favorite shows three days before boarding. Yes, you can do this online beforehand! Don’t wait until you’re on the ship—popular shows fill up fast.


4.Coordinate Dinner with Show Schedules
Plan your dining schedule around showtimes so you don’t miss a second of the entertainment.


5.Follow Dress Codes for Activities
Love bumper cars? Wear closed-toe shoes. Slippers, Crocs, and sandals are not allowed, and they’re strict about it.


6.Seize the Sunshine for Rock Climbing
If it’s sunny and rock climbing is open, go for it! Rain can disrupt this activity, and you might regret missing out—like I did.


7.Avoid Booking Aft Cabins
Sensitive to motion? Avoid booking an aft cabin, even on higher floors. The waves are much more noticeable there.


8.Dining Tips

  • Bagel Lover: Start your day with fresh bagels at The Café @ Two70.
  • Calm and Cozy: Opt for Solaris for a serene dining experience.
  • Skip the Chaos: Avoid the Windjammer if crowds aren’t your thing. The main dining room is a wonderful alternative


9.Explore Seaplex
Seaplex is a haven for your inner child. Activities include bumper cars, basketball, football, and badminton. On the second floor, you’ll find table tennis and even Xbox gaming stations.


10.Bring Your Own Wine
Did you know you can bring a bottle of wine onboard? Take it to dinner or lunch, and the staff will happily open it for you. It’s a classy way to elevate your dining experience without spending extra.


One of the biggest highlights of Anthem of the Seas is the Broadway-style entertainment. With four unique shows during one cruise, you’re guaranteed unforgettable performances. The We Will Rock You is absolutely worth it! 


Anthem of the Seas truly lives up to Royal Caribbean’s promise of elevated experiences.


Don’t forget to bookmark this blog for your next sailing!


***
Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure 
(W) https://www.royalcaribbean.com



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Tuesday, April 20, 2021

World Dream Luxury Seacation Cruise To Nowhere | The Palace Suite and What To Expect

 ABBEY:

WILL: And we are still under travel restrictions! We saved money to roam around this year to celebrate our 10th anniversary but as we all know it ia pretty dangerous to travel outside country. 

Will we be depressed on this case and blame whoever we want because of this situation we are in? Of course not! So we diverted part of our travel savings in Singapore’s Cruise To Nowhere! And we did it with style of luxury. Yeahbah! 

As Abbey told in his video, we splurged in a tune of S$2074 inclusive of COVID-19 Swab Test, Gratuities and all. We booked it from Ms. Liezel of Luxury Tours and Travel. 

We are self-declare avid fan of different cruise ship, so what I can say with World Dream’s The Palace Suite and what should you expect: 
CHECK-IN & LOUNGES
    -You are prioritized on your check-ins and swab test. You will not do any legwork upon getting your travel pass. They will do it for you. 

ROOM 
    -The real estate in The Palace Suite comprises is really huge. It seems as huge as 2-3 regular rooms. You will have a spacious area for your clothes and a back-to-back working station and make-up desk. 
    -Queen size bed a sofa bed for your disposal. 
    -Your bathroom have seperate tub (daily replenish of bath salt) and shower. It features his and hers’ sink too. You’ll be provided a luxury brand toiletries from Italy the La Bottega. 
    -Mini Bar is complimentary and comprised of soda, sparkling water and even beer. Few nuts, chocolate and chips are at tge snack plate. They can replenish it for a fee. You can choose your coffee from Nespresso to instant. 

FOOD/DRINKS 
    -You are entitled for one set menu per specialty restaurant on your lunch or dinner. 
    -We had a free flow of drinks. But alcoholic drinks can be served until 930pm only. 
    -The Palace Lounge at Level 17 is open to serve until 2am. 

BUTLER 
    -Do not imagine that you will have “Alfred” of Batman. As we have experienced we over expect the Butler service maybe because it is how they advertised them. They can provide a free ship 

POOL/JACUZZI/GYM/SPA 
    -The Palace guests have their own pool, jacuzzi, gym, sauna and steam room located at Level 18. You need on book this. 

ENTERTAINMENT 
    -The Palace guests do not need to book this. They have priority access on the shows.

Is the The Palace Suite worth it? Of course YES! In the instant you stepped your foot at Marina Bay Cruise Centre, you will automatically feel that you are like a celebrity.. Haha1! There's is always someone assisting you and making you feel that you are their priority :) 

***
Luxury Travel and Tours
(F) https://www.facebook.com/LuxuryToursandTravel/
Look For: Liezel Balatbat 
(HP) 90678156

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure

ABBEY:
Activities
Still we haven’t left the “hotel at sea” as there are a lot things to do.

We did wall climbing and this time the belay is automatic. I managed to reached the top. Make sure not to climb when the sun is at its peak else you burn your hands.
Next is Flowrider. I was afraid I will get another fall like when I was on skates but good thing is you can ride the waves in your belly. Balancing is hard but I enjoyed it. Being hit and wiped out by a jet stream of water is also part of the fun.
Bump cars are also there. This is the time that you want to crash into a car. Remember to turn the wheel for continuous movement.
Next is Laser Tag. Our team lost but my consolation is that I was the top scorer. This is workout in itself.
They also have game consoles and table tennis.
All these activities are for free. You either just make a reservation or queue in line.

Room
Our room this time has no physical balcony but instead a virtual one. There’s something in the water at night that makes me feel that something would just grab me and no one will notice. Haha. The room has enough space to store our clothes for the whole trip. The bed is comfortable as well as the pillows and the sheets are clean. Our attendant really pays attention to our needs.

Ship
Quantum of the Seas is definitely bigger than our first cruise ship Mariner of the Seas. What I like is the Solarium; a serene place for adults where you can lounge or dip in the pools. Yup, no kids. Hehe. We got a chance to alight the ship at Port Penang and really had a good view its massive size. It has 15-16 decks. They removed the outdoor basketball court though. An indoor area was allocated for it as same as bump cars and laser tag.



Quantum of the Seas | First Revolutionary Cruise Ship - Singapore


Activities, Rooms and FREE Dining 


Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure 
Jamie’s Italian



Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure 
Wonderland

WILL: Royal Caribbean is not contented with their previous services. Well, they gave a huge effort to exceed every cruisers expectations. Bigger ship, high tech rooms, more exciting activities, and add up a fabulous entertainment. 


Let’s go with the bigger vessel. The quantum fleet is humongous. It has 17th floors. Floors that holds a room, restaurants, activity floors, pools and gym. 

How can I say high technology rooms. Because I do not like to look on a black emptiness every night outside through balcony’s glasd door. I requested Abbey for us stay at inner— stateroom. No windows. But this doesn’t stop Royal Caribbean ingenuity. They install a 72-inch tv beside the bed for  witness what us happening outside the ship. Well, I feel more comfortable on that. 

Quantum of the Seas do really have an array of activities. I enjoyed the bump car, laser tag (reservation needed), the Vitalis gym, Solaris’ (adult only area) jacuzzi, and quite diffucult wall climbing. For the Flowrider, I hated it. Tried once and I will not do it again. Haha! Put some hoops at the basketball court too. 

Please indulge in their complimentary restaurants. The Windjammer which is open from breakfast to dinner. Please look out for their juicy grilled porkchop. The Solaris Restaurant have the almost same food with the Windjammer but that place is quieter and serene. There’s a timing for the hotdog and ice cream booth. Do not miss those out. Main Restaurant’s waiters are absolutely cool. They will treat you like a king and queen. The menu changes every night and there’s a live entertainment by your very own waiters too. You want a sandwich for your lunch? Go to The Cafe @Two70. The best!  Italian cuisine? Sorrento's Pizza is open to serve you. Craving for sweet pastries? Cafe Promenade is there! Do not hold yourself. Just eat! You are in holiday! And it is FREE! 

Abbey and I decided to have our first dinner at Wonderland Restaurant. I can only describe it in one word.. WONDERFUL! Gosh! All the dishes are bursting with uncommon but delight flavours! Yummmm! The dinner costs us USD98 per pax. Please alot 2-hours to enjoy the magical presentation and explanation of dishes and it’s every bite. Haha. If you want to double up the serving, do not hesitate to request. They will sure give you another serving. 

Jamie’s Italian is present in most of malls in Singapore but someone told us that the food on board of Royal Caribbean tastes different. Oh gosh! We pigged out! Please watch the YouTube video of Abbey here. There’s a warm hospitality from the crew of Jamie’s. Everybody is checking on us if we are enjoying our time. Well, yes it is everybody because even the Sous Chef went to our table to see if everything is fine. The food? Delizioso!  

The shows are highlighted for Chinese speaking cruisers. Still acceptable as there’s only one language for smile and laughter. Oh! The performers are interacting more with the audiences. 

Bravo! Royal Caribbean! 5-days is not enough to enjoy all amenities in your ship! Of course! We will book and book and book again with Royal Caribbean on our next cruise!


***
Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure 
(W) https://www.royalcaribbean.com

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Royal Caribbean Singapore - Mariner of the Seas (February 2 - 6, 2015) Singapore - Port Klang - Langkawi

ABBEY: We've tried having vacation here, in foreign land, in the Philippines. Why not try the seas? Yes, a cruise vacation. I remember When the cruise ships docked in Harbourfront bay and daydreamed on being there. We have no idea which shipping line we'll go so we checked Royal Caribbean as advised by our housemate.

The budget that we set for the tour will only get us to ordinary room. Good thing that we saw their roadshow at Vivo City. For little over than 1500 SGD, you can stay for 5 days and 4 nights at a Deluxe OceanView Stateroom with balcony. Beside Singapore port, the cruise will also visit Port Klang and Langkawi in Malaysia. We got a room on deck 7.  This is an advantage for us as we can go down to Deck 5 (where the activity and party happens) or in Deck 11 for the buffet restaurants if the lifts were fully loaded.


Thanks to the crew who made this journey happier and more enjoyable.

Our Captain
Cruise Director
Rebecca - who became our tour guide on our first day
Linda - for organizing the entertainments for the entire sailing.
Mahrus and Angbao - who always delight our appetites during dinner and keep the water flowing to wash down the food.

Rooms for improvement?
1. Please have the flag of your crew's nationality be the background of their name plates. It would be easier which part of the world they represent. We got a hard time reading their nationality and have to look awkward whenever they see us checking their name plates.
2. Can the hotdogs also be a part of the room service menu?
3. Please announce or include in the cruise compass when the barbecue party will happen. We missed this. :)

Tips that I can part based on my experience.

1. Before entering the ship, you will be given a card which you can use in all the transactions in the ship. Be it going to your room or purchasing souvenir items. So do not lose this card.
2. You will be given two timings of choice to have a 3-course dinner and once you give your preferred time make sure that you'll not be late. Late comers will not be welcomed as the doors on the hall will be closed.
3. If you plan not to have short excursions upon arriving on the ports, then please plan your day on the ship. They have dance lessons (cha-cha), inline skating, mini golf, ice skating, wall climbing, bingo and casino.
4. Every evening, a presentation will be witnessed on the theatre like magic and variety shows. Who knows you can be a guest participant on one of them.
5. Street disco party and live band will be seen in the Promenade at Deck 5.
6. For chilling out with munchies, you can go to Cafe Promenade or the buffet restaurants.
7. There are also specialty restaurants but it is on top of the payment for your cruise fare. This also the same with wine or beers.
8. Lazy to come to the restaurant? Then have room service. They will always say that it will be delivered 30-45 minutes after your call but they will be knocking at your door after 10 minutes. :)
9. Ice cream, hotdogs, burgers, bread, pastries, fruits, and other food are overflowing. Make sure to have a taste on them but in moderation.
10. Appreciate the staff and commend them for their hard work. You can give them more gratuities aside from the one you already paid.












WILL: Eat..Sleep...Eat...Sleep!!! Who cares? We are in vacation. :) 


We dreamed, we planned and we achieved. A dream to reality. For only $1,538 (gratuities included) we got to stay at one of the finest cruising line known in the world. Thanks to Hazel of Chan Brothers who assisted us without fail in this booking. 

Here are some of the things that really caught my attention. 

Stateroom
We stayed at 7290 - Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony. The closet size is just fine, bed is so fluffy and clean, the tv is good to go and the bathroom is so cute. 

As usual they will provide you towels of three different sizes. You need a new one? Just leave the towel on the floor as they will replace it for you. Shampoo, bathroom tissues and facial tissues are readily available. Hairdryer is at the vanity table waiting to be switched on. 

What are the things you need to bring? Shampoo if you are weary to try other brands, toothbrush, toothpaste, slippers for inside the room. 

Everything inside the fridge if consumed will be charge to your room. So better call the room service for a hot water or cold drink.  

Food 
Next time we jump in to a cruise again. Abbey and will make a weigh-in. For a 5-day stay I know and I feel that I gained weight. I think their primary mission is to fattened up all of their guests. Haha! 

Windjammer is the restaurant at Deck 11. I ate here thrice for lunch. This is buffet, so eat-all-you-can..all-you-want. Haha! I love their pasta, white and red sauce is delightfully good. No seat reservation so be early for you to get a good view of the ocean. It is open for lunch from 11:45-3:00pm, 7:00-10:30am for breakfast and 6:30-9:00pm for dinner. 

Rhapsody in Blue Dining Room. Please check your cruise compass if they are serving breakfast or lunch for that day. But the dinner was always held here. Unlike the Windjammer, Rhapsody have a dress code even you are going there for breakfast. So please do not roll your eyes when you were not allowed to go inside because of what you wear.

You will surely love the ala-Titanic scene when you set your foot here in this part of the ship. 

This restaurant is fine dining. So expect a waiter and his helper to get your order. Bread and butter will be served to you before your three-course meal. Oh if one main course is not enough for you, you can get another plate of your choice without extra charge. 

Please take note that wines, sodas, beer and freshly-made juices are available with extra cost. 

Room Service
Get a nice breakfast in bed or midnight snack serve by room service. It is available for 24hours but US$3.95 will be billed for delivery from 12am-5:00am. My favorite in here is the gyoza and cheese pizza. 

Cafe Promenade
Of course located at Promenade. Open for 24 hours and ready to serve all the guests with light snacks. Breads, cake, pizza slices, non-stop flow of tea and brewed coffees are in here. 

Arctic Zone
Is it too hot at the pool deck of the ship? Why not take a few steps to get your vanilla or chocolate flavored ice cream. 11:30am-6:30pm open. So take a queue and taste the lovely ice cream of the Royal Caribbean. 

Dog House
Unlimited hotdog on stick or in bun? Get a chair and munch the hotdog of your choice in front of the big screen in the deck 11 pool area. 11:30-6:30pm is the availability of this hotdog haven. 

Specialty Dining is available like Johnny Rockets, Chops Grille and Giovanni's table for additional costs.  

Activities 
This is the reason why we never get out of the ship (except for sleeping all day haha). You can schedule a full pack day of activity inside this cruise ship. 

We hit their gym to sweat up some of the food we intake. We used their jacuzzi and awed by their clean and spacious sauna and steam bath. I love their wall climbing. I want to have a second round but I need to cover almost all activities of the ship so we move on at the basketball court. Golf, wind is against me and I just realised how Tiger Woods is really good in this sports. Hands-down to him. 

They have a board game/mahjong area. The ice in the ice skating rink is not fine as the others I got skate with. No wonder some of their performers in here have some failed landing. 

They have chacha lessons, handkerchief-folding sessions, bingo and casino. 3D movie is available in afternoons and 2D movies starts as early as 11am at screening room at deck 2. Karaoke is at Dragons Lair. 

Kindly check the opening of ice skates to guest at Studio B. Please be in pants ok? Or else you will blew away your chance to be on ice. 

Music performances are non-stop so check your cruise compass for the band or performers schedule. 

The Savoy Theatre caters concerts, magicians and buskers for you to get entertained. And before you kiss the night away, get merry at the parade, 70's party and pool deck party (which was canceled because of the rain). 

Are we going back for a cruise? Yes! Yes! Yes! We have a pleasant stay. A total relaxation and a good bonding time with my husband. 

We are officially one of the Royals of the World. See you again. Hopefully at the Oasis of the Sea.