Anthem is spectacular!

Anthem of the Seas Cruise Review to Canada, New England, New York

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 53

Overall rating:

4.7 out of 5
Verified Review
Anthem of the Seas

9 Night Canada & New England (Cape Liberty Roundtrip)

Sail date: October 12, 2017

Ship: Anthem of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 11519

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 6 years ago

Review summary

This is an excellent ship to travel on, especially since it is so new. Even an inside cabin seemed large enough, particularly with the virtual balcony. Staff is phenomenal.

Embarkation

3 out of 5
very long, slow lines

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5
food was delicious, especially in the main dining room; Windjammer was always very crowded with few tables open--maybe they should release some of the empty tables in the closed-off, "platinum" or "suite" passengers only section at busy times so the rest of us don't have to wander around looking for a table..

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
we did bumper cars which was lots of fun; there should be a disclaimer about folks with medical conditions (especially bad backs) though. Also did the North Star which was fantastic--highly recommend! We loved the Solarium too; very clean, and although crowded on at-sea days, we always found deck chairs.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
Highest quality talent we have ever seen on 30+ cruises over the years. Some folks thought it was too edgy but we loved everything we saw.

Children's Programs

no kids along

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Would give 10 stars if we could. The staff, particularly Fernando our cabin steward, Amar and Ivan our waiters in Silk and American Icon restaurants went out of their way to be helpful, friendly, and most of all highly professional. They are one of the main reasons we loved this cruise. We were also impressed by the rest of the staff in the restaurants, Guest Relations, and everywhere else.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5
Everything was perfect. Cabin was laid out so well we had extra space, for the first time ever. Decor, cleanliness and general layout were all great.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Very comfortable, even for an inside. Spotless thanks to Fernando. The virtual balcony is a terrific addition.

Ship tip

Except for the few "formal" nights it is very casual. People wore jeans, shorts, sneakers to the main dining room many nights, so dressy clothes are not needed.

Ports of call

Cape Liberty (Bayonne), New Jersey

4 out of 5
fine but hard to get to other than by Uber

Boston, Massachusetts

5 out of 5
hop-on, hop-off bus was fine; did not need to pay extra for an excursion

Bar Harbor, Maine

5 out of 5
lovely with lots of cute shops; met up with friends so no excursion

Portland, Maine

5 out of 5
no excursion but loved it

Halifax, Nova Scotia

5 out of 5
shared a van with 3 other passengers to Peggy's Cove--highly recommend going this way--much cheaper and more personalized. For example, our driver took us to a local restaurant on the way back for lobster rolls and waited patiently for us.

Saint John, New Brunswick

4 out of 5
No excursion booked, and when we got off the ship all the prices were tied into Royal Caribbean. We walked around which was fine, but it's a shame there is no competition or chance to travel around independently.

Disembarkation

3 out of 5
As in the embarcation, there were long, slow lines. We thought it was because of Customs but those lines moved quickly enough.
Was this review helpful? 53

2 Comments

Other reviews of this sailing