Anthem of the Seas Review
Cruising on the newest Royal Caribbean ship
Rating by category
Additional details
Our Anthem of the Seas cruise was among the first cruises of this ship after positioning to Southampton. We loved it!
We booked this 16-night cruise last year specifically to see what the new Anthem Class was going to offer. We had sailed aboard the Oasis Class ships before and wanted to try another new ship. Here are some highlights and a few criticisms:
Innovations. Innovations were immediately apparent from the dining options to the use of interactive technology everywhere on the ship. Apple and iPads ruled. It began in the on-boarding process where a delightful hostess pulled us aside and immediately processed us for our Sea Cards, including taking iPad photos. The automated observation dome (North Star) was impressive, as was the SeaPlex multi-purpose recreation area aft where the interior deck space transformed from roller rink to soccer/football pitch to gymnastics floor to bumper cars, all over the course of a day. Interactive MyCruise computer interfaces were scattered throughout the ship where you could reserve shows, make dining choices, select shore excursions, and more. There were a few bugs in the automated systems, including the computer logic program for the elevators, but all were solvable over time.
Cabin Review
Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Outstanding cabin and cabin service. Excellent starboard side views with no obstructions. The 12th deck is good because it is two decks below the overhand for the 14th deck (pools, recreation and Windjammer dining areas). There is a 13th deck on this ship. The overhang from deck 14 and the support stancheons create visibility issues for those cabins.
Port Reviews
Southampton
Weather was miserable for embarking but the process went smoothly. We had pre-tagged our bags and they were grabbed by porters as we exited our taxi. A security problem caused an almost-one hour delay in the terminal. Once that cleared, we moved fairly quickly. By chance, we were whisked into the Emerald/Diamond line where an attendant with iPad had us boarding with Sea Passes in hand within minutes.