Anthem of the Seas is a very nice ship with a great crew and a great itinerary. Royal Caribben does everything they can to give you an experience that you would like to come back and experience again. Sometimes Mother Nature blesses you with beautiful weather and smooth seas, this time She didn't come through the way we would have liked, but we have many wonderful memories.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
What could be easier than driving by the baggage drop off and opening your trunk. Bags unloaded it is off to the parking garage and grabbing your carry on luggage. Into the terminal with your set-sail pass and take a seat until the ship has been cleared by customs. We were up the gangway and relaxing in Two70 in no time.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Didn't do any specialty dining. We made MyTime dining reservations ahead of time and had a very positive experience. Every night we chose to dine in the main dining room we showed up 10 minutes early and were taken to a table immediately. Had great wait staff, took care of our drink orders, would bring an extra appetizer and even an extra lobster tail. Really enjoyed the Solarium Bistro for breakfast each morning as it was 3 decks up from our cabin. Also had lunch there on days it was offered. Also enjoyed Windjammer for a couple lunches and evenings when we got back late from a shore excursion or depending on when we went to a show in the theater. Only time the Windjammer was crazy was on disembarkation day. We found the fresh fruit to be outstanding with so much good cheese. I normally headed to the grill for just the right sized steak with grilled peppers and onions.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
Solarium was really nice for the cool gray days to lift your spirits and make you think you were in the tropics. The NorthStar was fun, wasn't adventurous enough to attempt some of the other activities for the younger set.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The shows we saw in the Royal Theater were very professional, the performers put everything into their singing and dancing and we really enjoyed their shows.
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Our room steward, Iketut, was the most pleasant person. He acted like we were the only ones on the cruise that he was taking care of. Every request was cheerfully met, even a laundry order. Main dining room wait staff in American Icon were so attentive. Wait staff supervisors always came around to see if there was anything else they could do for us. This was also true of the Windjammer staff, enjoyed talking to so many of the staff and learning about where they are from and how they came about working for Royal Caribbean. Carmi was usually there to greet and make sure guests washed their hands before entering the Windjammer.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
I've seen some comments about this class of ship and it wasn't as nice as some of the other classes. You have to keep in mind this ship was designed for itineraries that may not necessarily be warm and tropical all the time. I found the Anthem to be very comfortable, clean and attractive. Not as much outdoor space as some, but very functional.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Room was very comfortable, 2 wardrobes, safe, nice size shower, lots of drawers, vanity/desk, couch, refrigerator. Balcony was nice sized, unfortunately our weather and time out doing excursions we didn't use it very much.
Cool gray day, didn't dampen being able to see the Bush compound by driving by and from the boat ride. Learned about lobstering and had a lobster roll and the best chowder I've ever had in Kennebunkport. Looked like it would have been fun to do some shopping, but no time.
Our favorite excursion. Did the Intimate tour of Acadia National Park on a 14 passenger bus, sunny skies, colorful leaves. Finished with a lobster roll, a piece of blueberry pie with blueberry ice cream on the wharf. More time for shopping would have topped off the day.
Shopping in the terminal building was really nice and prices were really good. Did the Titanic experience with the museum and a trip through the city and out to the cemetery to visit the resting site that has been so lovingly taken care of by the gracious people of Halifax.
A cold rainy day, not really that much to see. Maybe we picked the wrong excursion, guide was really nice and gave a lot of information about their weather, way of life, etc.
What can you say, everyone is trying to get some breakfast in a limited number of venues, then you take your carry on luggage and go to a designated area and wait for your baggage claim number to be called. Then you wait in line to head down the gangway, pass through customs and grab your luggage. Just imagine over 4,000 people trying to get off a ship and over 4,000 people arriving to try to get on the ship. Best feeling in the world is when you are in your car with your luggage and you're heading out of the parking garage.
We sailed the same itinerary on Anthem in August. This was our second time on her (we went her inaugural year in 2015). Beautiful ship and wonderful crew. You could do a lot or not much which makes it nice. The only issue was the price for drink packages especially if you don’t drink a lot to make up for the expense. We were blessed with beautiful weather and seas as smooth as glass. A dream vacation for this lighthouse lover.
We honeymoon'd on Anthem in 2o15 when she was new to the seas, beautiful ship and cafe two70is truly Amazing. We used to get a beef roll and sit in those huge tall armchairs as we sailed out of port and just watch the Sea behind us. Blissful. The best feeling in the world 💖🌏🛳
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