Great cruise on the Anthem!

Anthem of the Seas Cruise Review

Cruises: 7+ cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 61

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5
Anthem of the Seas

14 Night Mediterranean Beaches & Cities (Southampton Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 14, 2022

Ship: Anthem of the Seas

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 2 years ago

Review summary

Good to be back to cruising! First time since 2019.

Embarkation

5 out of 5
Quickest embarkation ever! Parked car early, smooth moving straight through checks and straight onboard.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
MDR food generally ok but nothing stand out. Great waiters. Wonderland an interesting experience but had to wait outside for 30 minutes despite having booked. Chops Grille good but such a shame that the view out is of the lifeboats. Chef’s Table disappointing- 3 out of 5 courses were fish, steak very chewy (and husband’s was sent back as undercooked, 2nd one still undercooked), waiter was great with explaining everything. Johnny Rocket burgers not as good as Windjammer.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5
Was looking forward to using the Solarium but it was always way too busy and way too hot ! Enjoyed series of enrichment lectures about the workings of the brain. Bumper cars were fun! Did the North Star both in port and at sea.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
We Will Rock You was amazing! The band in particular were incredible musicians.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5
Room steward was brilliant- saw him every day, room always clean and he always checked if there was anything else we needed. Waiters in MDR were excellent- often a wait for food as they seemed to have to go a long way to get it but they were very friendly and attentive. 2 excellent bar staff in Boleros who got to know our regular drinks. Online disappointment was how the long wait at Wonderland was handled.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5
Took a while to get used to the layout- we are used to Independence and Navigator with the one main straight promenade. Bathrooms generally clean. Tables in Windjammer generally cleared and cleaned pretty quickly.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Great balcony cabin on Deck 8 midship. Good size. Not too far from lifts either end. Quiet corridor.

Ports of call

Ibiza, Balearic Islands

5 out of 5
Got shuttle bus then walked around to admire the amazing yachts then up into the old town through the lovely narrow streets. Didn’t go all the way to the top but far enough up for some lovely views

Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands

4 out of 5
Did a mainly walking tour. Tour guide walked really fast all the time and it was difficult to keep up! Was really looking forward to visiting the cathedral as we had seen it a few times before from a distance but wasn’t much wowed by the inside.

Valencia, Spain

4 out of 5
Coach and walking tour (really hot!) with lunch included (very nice) and a lovely trip on the lake.

Malaga, Spain

4 out of 5
A chance just to walk to the beach to enjoy the sunshine and swim- the sea was freezing!

Lisbon, Portugal

5 out of 5
Did an amazing tuk tuk tour with a brilliant guide. As it was an overnighter, we walk out to the Time Out food hall to drink and eat in the evening - an incredible place with amazing vibes but sooo busy!!

Barcelona, Spain

4 out of 5
Love Barcelona. We walked, then sat on the beach and enjoyed watching the games between the beach sellers and the police! Walked up Las Ramblas for drinks and food and found that our favourite tapas bar has now gone.

Gibraltar (U.K.)

4 out of 5
Did short excursion (to Spanish border and to the lighthouse at the other end) with tea (very pleasant) then did some duty free shopping

Disembarkation

4 out of 5
Long queues but moved reasonably quickly. Baggage reclaim not too chaotic!
Was this review helpful? 25

7 Comments

tavo6    2 years ago

Thanks for your review glad you enjoyed your cruise 🚢

Gwbigdog    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise

AuntPinkie    2 years ago

Appreciate your detailed review. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

javawoody    2 years ago

Thanks for sharing

MrsHFQ    2 years ago

Cruise1st Like you, we booked the Anthem back in 2019. I’m sure you’ll have a great time! We looked after the ship well for all the next cruisers!

Cruise1st    2 years ago

Hope you looked after the ship for me, like you it's been a long time coming booked Anthem way back in 2019 and eventually getting on-board in just under two weeks. We did squeeze in an MSC round the UK cruise last year ( worst cruise line ever) and a fabulous Celebrity cruise back in April this year.

WhippetMum    2 years ago

Thanks for your feedback