Overall we had a good time. Could have been a great trip if not for the itinerary changes and tendering problems. The weather from Hawaii to Victoria was not the greatest, causing everyone to stay inside for most of the 5 sea days.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Long line for security check
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
Specialty restaurants were great. Chops and Jamie's Italian had excellent food and service.
Main dining room food and service were lacking the first few nights, but improved after some complaints on the mid cruise comment forms.
We avoided the Windjammer buffet as much as possible so we did not have to deal with the crowds. Food there was average at best.
We preferred eating breakfast at 270 or the main dining restaurants if we were early enough.
Onboard Activities
3 out of 5
Did I-fly and bumper cars. I-fly is fun the first time around, but loses some luster the more times you do it. Bumper cars are always fun, if you can avoid long lines to get on.
The pools and hot tubs in the solarium are the best.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Main production shows, Long, Live, Legs, Pixels, and The Beautiful Dream are good, but if you have sailed on The Anthem of the Seas before, Pixels and The Beautiful Dream are basically the same shows as Spectra's Cabaret, and The Gift. I'm not sure what Royal Caribbean is trying to do here by having the same shows with different names. Needless to say, I was not happy when I found this out, after having sailed on Anthem 4 times previously, and was looking forward to seeing different shows.
The comedian and the singers were okay. They did have a pickpocket artist on stage one night who was very entertaining.
The Lucy Dobro Band was great in the Music Hall. The Kicks were good also, but have a limited set of music that they play.
Children's Programs
We had only adults in our group.
Service and Staff
4 out of 5
Our room steward, Nino, was excellent. We did not have to ask for anything. A plus rating.
Bar service was great at times, and slow at others depending on demand.
Our main dining room waiters were good, but I've had better on other ships.
Some staff members were always friendly and cheerful such as Coleen at the 270 breakfast restaurant, but others acted like they had been on the ship way too long and were indifferent.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
We love the Quantum class ships' design. The décor on the Anthem of the Seas is much more pleasing to the eye than this ship however.
The common areas were kept clean, but there was some hair buildup in the filter areas of some of the hot tubs, and the staff was slow to clear tables at eating venues.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
The only complaint with the cabin was the mattress of the bed, but that is a personal preference. Most cruise ship beds and I do not get along well.
The cabin was clean and had a great midship location.
Ship tip
Try to eat at a specialty restaurant or at the Solarium Bistro a couple of times during the cruise to break up the monotany of the menus at the main dining restaurants.
Lots of things to do here, and the scenery is fantastic. We were here for five days before the cruise, and explored at our leisure with a rental car. We covered the whole island in our time here, and took a day to fly to Kauai where we again rented a car and explored the whole island from dusk to dawn. The canyon on Kauai's west side is spectacular!
Were planning to use the two days to see Haleakala and the road to Hana, but due to the ships tendering delays, we had to change our plans. We used a rental car to go to Haleakala the first afternoon and evening. The scenery from the volcano's summit is breathtaking, especially near sunset. Dress warmly, the temperature drops around 20 or more degrees Fahrenheit at the summit.
The second day, we could not get off the ship early enough to do the road to Hana without worrying about getting back to the ship on time. We opted to go to the north side of the island and see the sea turtles which come onto the beach there to bask in the sun. After that we explored one of the numerous parks on the island.
The time in this port was also cut short, but we still had time to take in the Butchart Gardens. Again we rented a car and went on our own. The gardens were in full bloom and amazing. I highly recommend this as a destination.
We drove by the Craigdarroch Castle on our way back, but did not have time to go in and see the interior.
The last stop on our trip. We rented a car at the cruise ship terminal since our flight was not until 4 PM. We drove around the city and stopped at Stanley Park. It was okay but nothing spectacular. Dropped the car off at the airport, and caught our flight home.
Luggage pickup was a complete disaster! There was no organization, luggage was not placed in the correct locations after leaving the ship, and no one seemed to know what was going on.
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