Anthem of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our second cruise overall and the second cruise with RC. The appeal of this particular cruise was very much the ship, and we had eagerly anticipated and saved for the experience of a lifetime (we are all into new technology and gadgets).
Coming form Denmark, the travel to Southampton was not the easiest, as there are no direct flights. We ended up travelling via Hamburg in Germany to Heathrow and then onwards with the National Express coach to Southampton. Arriving the night before, we stayed at the Novotel Southampton, which is very conveniently located within walking distance to the cruise port. The convient location had been discovered by many others, and despite the hotel being located in the same cul-de-sac as Ibis and Ibis Budget, it was absolutely packed the night we stayed. Beware that the breakfast buffet is below par.
Having done all the paperwork, including uploading of photographs, the entire embarkation process was extremely smooth. We handed in our luggage to the porters outside and were greeted by a young lady with an ipad, who registered us very quickly (no need to queue up at all). Going through security was equally expedient, and we found ourselves onboard well before lunch - and offered a glass of champagne by staff.
Cabin Review
Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Spacious, clean and well laid out. Bathroom was beautiful, and the shower large with a glass door. The stateroom can be paired with 7164 - unfortunately this meant a lot of noise from the neighbours through the door (teenagers left alone in their stateroom and partying late). The flat screen TV mainly showed RCCL channels (onboard shopping, dining, activities etc.) and very little else (4-5 English speaking channels, mainly news and sport).
Throughout our cruise the exterior wall was making a lot of noise - on the final sea day before disembarking, and following many visits to Guest Services, this was finally identified as construction problems, and fixed with screws and silicone glue by two maintenance workers.
Port Reviews
Southampton
We stayed a few days after the cruise to do some shopping. Very good shops, but the city itself is not made for pedestrians.
Gibraltar
Most shops geared towards tourists, i.e. very little authentic feel. We took the cable car to the top of the rock (arranged it ourselves) - an excellent view and a lot of monkeys. We recommend going early! The cable car got very busy.
Malaga
Loved the city - beautiful and authentic, even though it is the capital of the region.
Nice
The actual stop was a tender at Villesfranche-sur-Mer. It did take some time to get of, and once in the town, we went straight for the train station and a trip to Nice. Nice is beautiful, but we had very limited time to explore, as the tender boats stopped early.
Palma de Mallorca (Majorca)
Beautiful city, but a hassle that we had to go by bus from the dock. The bus took 20 minutes and only had one stop, which meant a lot of walking, if you wanted to see something else, and either a taxi ride or another long walk (back to the bus collection) to get back to the ship.
Ibiza
A shuttle bus was the only option to get into town. We went, walked around for 60 minutes and left again. In hindsight, we should have done and excursion to a beach, as this was the only way to enjoy the island.
Seville
The town is within walking distance of the port. Absolutely beautiful and welcoming towards tourists. We strayed a bit from the painted tourist paths and visited the local market.