Anthem of the Seas FlyCruise - Day 7: Bridgetown, Barbados | Journeys
Visiting Sunny Bridgetown, Along with some Stray Observations Onboard the Anthem
Shuttle Bus from Anthem of the Seas to the Bridgetown Cruise Terminal PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
We arrived slightly late, around 40 minutes behind schedule after we departed St. John’s late due to an injury-related medical emergency. Captain Tony came on the PA to share our latest schedules and what to expect for the day. We were in port with four other cruise ships! That makes five of us all visiting Bridgetown at the same time!
Here are some photos of the four other ships - Viking Sea, Britannia, Seabourn Odyssey and Royal Clipper.
Trying to Disembark & Shore Excursions
The Anthem was docked at a berth with around 10 minutes walk to the terminal, which meant many had to rely on the ferry buses provided by the port to get to the shore excursions assembly point in the cruise terminal. This led to long lines at the gangway earlier in the morning, though the crowd subsided quickly.
Due to COVID-19, all guests wishing to visit the island must book a Royal Caribbean shore excursion, or a ‘government-approved’ tour provided at the terminal. Independent departures into the island were not allowed. Hence, one of us actually booked the last minute tour available, “Barbados Beach and Shopping” for a quick 4-hour escape to Accra Beach. Along the way, we passed by Barbados’s Parliament, the Heroes Square and Independence Square, as well as George Washington’s House.
We relaxed at Accra Beach and shopped at the outlets there before heading back to the Anthem.
Staying Onboard
We managed to catch the Viking Sea departing. PHOTO: SINGAPORE CRUISE SOCIETY
One of us actually stayed aboard to enjoy a supposing ‘quiet ship’. Though many guests, who have visited Barbados many times over, decided to stay onboard with the same idea as we did. Even though it was a port day, the entertainment & sports team did a very good job scheduling activities throughout the day, keeping all entertained.
The North Star is chargeable during Sea Days, but when the ship is in port, it offers quick complimentary rides for all guests with a reservation. Even though the app said we could only try once per cruise, our old reservations were cleared yesterday (which was halfway mark through the cruise), and we could make new reservations again.
The Main Dining Room is open for Breakfast and Dinner during port days, while the Windjammer is the only place for you to visit for Lunch. You could also visit the other cafes or the Doghouse in SeaPlex for a quick bite.
The pools and lounges were busy, even on a port day, so if you are in a Sky/Star Class suite, don’t forget to make use of the Suite Sun Deck (accessible through Deck 15 Port Side Midship) to soak up the sun.
Evening Comedy
We made reservations for tonight's headliner, “Late Night Adult Comedy starring Richie Minervini”. Adult Comedy is something we do not occasionally get to enjoy on cruises departing out of Singapore, hence we decided to try it out. Though there were a few party poopers, everyone else enjoyed poking fun at various subjects, including the Captain and the cruise line!
Stray Observations
There were signs located around the ship to remind guests that each lift could accommodate only 6 people, or everyone in the same group. It didn’t occur to many guests, up till this few days where many were subconsciously following this rule, deciding to wait for the next one when there were already six inside the lift.
We also noticed that crew working the frontlines, like in the Windjammer and Guest Services, started to wear N95 masks below their normal, blue-colored crew masks. We are not sure the reason behind this, but we could only imagine how hard it is to work with two masks on. But all to protect everyone onboard.
Tomorrow is Day 8 and the Anthem of the Seas will arrive in Castries, St. Lucia in the morning.
Preamble: Anthem of the Seas 12 Night Southern Caribbean FlyCruise
Day 1: Embarkation at Cape Liberty
Day 5: Philipsburg, St Maarten
Day 7: Bridgetown, Barbados
A Note on Pandemic Travel
All international travels conducted by the Singapore Cruise Society will be done in accordance with prevailing health and border control measures of our home & the destination country. Our admins and staff have been advised and will follow a strict set of health guidelines set out based on current measures published by the cruise lines and local authorities.
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