Anthem of the Seas Review

4.5 / 5.0
2,871 reviews

RCI Is The New NCL (Which is Bad News)

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Anthem of the Seas
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nr_clark
6-10 Cruises • Age 30s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
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Additional details

Sail Date: Dec 2016
Cabin: Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Tuba Scupture - December Theme
Galley at Night in December
Lunch Room Service - Anthem of the Seas
Deck 9, Room 254 (ocean side)

A mixed review of my spouse's and my experience on Anthem in Dec 2016, plus a few tips for you (especially on the food). We’ve sailed on Princess, Holland America, RCL, and most recently NCL (Gem). This is our TL;DR review, but you can just scroll down to the conclusion if you don't want to read it all.

EMBARKATION: As gold members, embarkation was smooth and easy even though we were late 1hr from our scheduled boarding time of 12-12:30PM. The rep lady checking us in with the iPad said the best time for everybody to check in anyway was between 2:00-2:30PM, because the crowds are so low by then.

SHIP: The Anthem was as Big as it was Beautiful, but felt overwhelming or like a can of sardines sometimes. Even the public restrooms were gorgeous, but still, there was cramped space for everyone at many occasions. There were plenty of nooks to feel more seclusion/retreat, but you had to go out of your way to get away from the crowds.

Cabin Review

Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony

Cabin D7

Deck 9 balcony was good for us, no noisy deck above or below us, mid-ship, and high enough not to see the boat tenders below. It was SO worth the money because we spend so much time in our stateroom, whereas inside and even window cabins make us start to feel claustrophobic after a day or so. The bed was soft, the balcony had space to dine al-fresco, and plus we really liked the layout and shower. The walls were well-insulated from the sound of the neighbors and the hallway. No complaints really.

Port Reviews

Bayonne (Cape Liberty)

Cape Liberty was hard to get to for our first time. The road doesn't have clear indicating sign as far as which road to turn into that leads to the port. Once that is over and done with, the embarkation is very smooth and no fuss. The rep mentioned to us to come at 2-2:30PM next time for the smoothest embarkation process (due to low traffic). Disembarkation is the reason for the 1-star rating: It was disorganized and took almost 2hrs to get out of the ship! Don't these guys do this for a living, on a regular basis..? It was improvised at best.

Port Canaveral (Orlando)

An overpriced tourist trap. Nice weather though (if you're there on a good day). You don't even have enough time to get the full experience at the theme parks. Why bother? Luckily the ship was nice enough for us not to want to get off....

Nassau

Nice souvenirs and shops in a market available right off the dock. We got an excellent conch for a good price. Very nice people, on top of it. If you need a taxi, there's a reliable company named Ride Bahamas (they have an app I think). They're partnering with Uber to make a trustworthy taxi service on the island. Also, if you travel in a large group, you can negotiate a cheaper fare per person.

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