Relaxing getaway!
Anthem of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern
9 Night Bermuda & Eastern Caribbean (Cape Liberty Roundtrip)
Sail date: June 16, 2016
Ship: Anthem of the Seas
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 10543
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 8 years ago
Review summary
We had a very nice time on-board the sip. I do prefer the larger ships like the Oasis. This ship was very good though. I felt there were too many restaurants and that broke up the ship too much because they were all over. We only used the complimentary restaurants as I feel I've paid enough to be there, all the food should be included. I might have thought about the extra charge restaurants but felt they were over priced and the quality food we had in the Grande, Silk, Chic and American Icon grille was very good. The Grande and Silk were our favorites. Made all our reservations before we sailed.
We did have the soda beverage package and that worked well for us. Yes the machines were down for maintenance periodically and I heard several people complain, but I don't think they knew how to work the machines or were just miserable people anyway. We went to a bar for a soda refill when the machines were being recalibrated. Not a big deal.
The shops onboard were definitely designed for people of a much higher income than ours. There were specialty shops for Tom Ford, Bvlgary, Cartier and Hublot which are way out of my league. I wish there was more shopping for the average person. Many of the deals in the center area seemed overpriced for cheap products.
We did go to the shows. Very nice productions. Spectra and We Will Rock You were very entertaining as was Draw the Line Aerosmith band, comedian Phil Tag and Greg London. We went to see The Gift but I didn't care for it. My biggest disappointment was when Royal Caribbean e-mailed me 3 days prior to set sail to inform me they changed the dates the shows would be held on. That messed up some of my dinner reservations and we couldn't dine at the Grande one last time. We also enjoyed the shows the crew had like Name that Tune.
We went on Rip Cord and North Star. Made reservations before we sailed. They were fun. I didn't see any rock climbing cause it was way too windy.
When we were at sea, we spent most of our pool time in the Solarium. Quiet area with no kids screaming. The hot tubs were too hot for me and that's OK. The pools are more my taste.
We did the Hamilton shopping and sightseeing excursion. I was very disappointed with this $65. each, water taxi ride from the ship to the shopping area of Hamilton. There was no sight seeing tour, very little was pointed out in our water taxi ride over or back. We got into Hamilton about 45 minutes before the stores opened and so our group walked around in the rain. We took another excursion in San Juan to see the Old Forts of San Juan. We had an excellent tour guide who knew all the details and was very informative.
Getting on and off the ship was easy when we were in ports. Checking in at Bayonne was the easiest fastest boarding I've ever had. Then getting off was equally a snap. We took an 8:30 departure time, they escorted us to the gangway, we found our luggage, went through customs and we were in the bus area in less than 15 minutes. 5 stars to the staff in Bayonne. Overall it was a great vacation.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
Plan you trip before you sail. Make those dinner, show, excursion, and activity i.e. Rip Cord and NorthStar reservations well in advance. I believe Royal Caribbean lets you start 60 days before you set sail. Beat the crowd and get the times you want. You can always change them when you need to.
Ports of call
Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)
Traveler Photos
18 Comments
nurselife 8 years ago
CheerMom15 8 years ago
SueWaller 8 years ago
CheerMom15 8 years ago
SuePitz 8 years ago