foodcritic Cruise Review on Anthem of the Seas on Jun 26, 2017

On the large ships, it is your choice to book or not to book, but if not, expect to stand in line for idly and North Star. I will be there with my reservations! The shows: if you do not prebook you can arrive 1/2 hour early, stand in line, and probably get a seat when all those reserved are seated.

I don't find the having to book shows dumb, on ships where you have 5,000 people or Oasis class 6,200 people it's the only way to have some kind of organization. We've done it several times and never have any issue. Takes 5 minutes to handle before you leave

why would that seem dumb when you have a ship of thousands of passengers that cannot possibly all fit into a theater at the same time? im sure if someone showed up and were turned away because there were no seats, there would be sonethinf else to complain about. besides, you don't HAVE to book. you can wait until the people who have booked are let in and a few minutes before Showtime they have general admission. personally, I like having a social itinerary, and change if necessary via iQ app (if availiable) or other means.

I am reading more and more about booking shows at home pre-cruise. Some hard seats to get it seems.