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Navigator of the Seas

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Anthem of the Seas

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Transatlantic 2022

Kusadasi

Could have added an extra port or two . We had one day at sea between both Halifax and Boston and Boston and Newark when it's only 8 hours direct. Could have added Lisbon or Vigo.

Entertainment not that great, they spent $6 million on the two 70 theatre rotating tv screens when they could have made the dance floor twice as big. The Esplanade poor set of shops mainly jewelry and watches. No stores for general products like Tylenol. Have to go to medical Bay at a charge of$144 to get a prescription for Tylenol and then pay $40 for the pills. Do not book a ' next cruise' for $100 just to get $50 on board credit . You get one chance to change you booking , if you need to change again then you lose the $100 plus they charge a penalty of$100 for cancelling the previous cruise just a rip off.

Chips grill was ok but not much better than the windjammer, Jamie's Italian was pretty poor good was cold and not worth the $. Pretty boring ship unless you like to disco at 1am. Taxis are charging $75 to go to EWR Uber for 49. Cruise would be better on a multi port itinerary

Not the best itinerary

This cruise was actually chosen and booked by my wife and was part of a package which included 12 nights on board followed by 3 nights in a Room Only hotel and flights back to the UK.

This is our second cruise this year and fourth since the re-start after covid and hopefully the last where we need a test.

Given that we would be boarding on a Monday and needed a test we travelled down from Nottingham to Southampton on the Saturday. We tried our best to avoid crowds but our train to London was packed, so was the tube to Waterloo and also the train to Southampton. We had a test booked for 1800 and got the results back during dinner that night. This was the point where we now could start to enjoy the holiday as we now knew we could travel.

I understand the reasons for tests, but as a result of needing a test we had not booked anything special for this cruise as we were not expecting to get on the ship given the obstacles put in our way.

We have stayed in many hotels in Southampton and then paid around £5 to £10 for a taxi to the port. This time my wife found a Ibis closer to the port than before and close to the testing centre. Strangely we found people with RCL tags taking their cases to the ship on foot. When our taxi dropped us off and wanted £15 to go 300 yards I found our why. I never realised before that you can carry your own luggage into the docks. This is OK if you are young and fit and the weather is with you.

Anyway, cruise no. 24 with RCL and our 3rd on the Anthem. This ship is not either of our favourites, but let me assure you that there is absolutely nothing wrong with this wonderful ship which is now 7 years old and still looks great.

We had a inside virtual balcony on the 11th floor in the centre of the ship close to the rear/aft lifts. This was recommended to us by my wife's travel agent as one of the best cabins for this type of crossing due to the sway in high waves (and was not wrong!)

The room was so good that I went to guest services and asked them to cancel the Royal Up as my cases had now arrived and my wife was unpacking and did not want to move. We had bid $100.00 for a Balcony Guarantee and was told that the ship was only half full but would have to wait until after 1630 before being notified if our bid was excepted, to which I replied if the cases come first then we will cancel - and they did and we did!.

In fact this is the first cruise ever where I spent nothing. I did have a on-board credit and this was used for a trip to Peggy's Cover. My wife even came away $19 better off after a win in the casino. I first ever too!

So here we go, leaving Southampton on time and being invited to a C&A sailaway in the Solarium. Straight away we got to meet some really nice people and the free drinks kept coming and coming. In fact my wife and I counted 13 glasses of champagne and we still had our 5 free drinks with being Diamond+.

Now here's another first, not only had we got our 5 drinks per day loaded on our sea pass card, but they were also adding one special coffee per day to it too.

On our first night we went to the main dining room and got a table in Silk and managed to get in for My Time dining at 1815 instead of 1845 by asking nicely. The food was top notch and the waiters (which we kept all cruise) were really great. Just one thing here, and I am not sure who's fault this is, but we asked for a coffee at the end of the meal and when I checked my app (this is where it comes in handy) I found they had used one of my 5 drinks vouchers instead of the free coffee. I trip to guest services straight after sorted that and we then found we could use the free coffee voucher at the La Patisserie and have a massive Starbucks type drink there during the day instead. We made sure we asked them to use the free coffee voucher and they did and we never had any further issues with the drinks.

There was plenty to do on the ship. However they were repairing/painting the floor in the sea plex area so this meant the bumper cars were not running for a few days. Then we started to hit slightly stormy weather and main pools were drained mid cruise. There were a couple of days where you could sit outside in the North Star bar and this was one of the first cruises where we actually managed to get a bed there due to being only half full.

The entertainment was a bit of a mixed bag. We had a cruise director called Mario who used to be on the old Splendor some years back. I did not see much of him around the ship during the day. This is always one of my issues, I always think the best cruise directors are the ones that get involved with the guests at every opportunity and not just come on stage at night and pretend to be your best friend. Maybe some sort of covid rules still aplpied?

The Beatles Celebration were on board and were still there from our last cruise on this ship in September 2021. 

My wife is not a big fan of the Beatles, but did watch them a couple of times as they are very very good at what they do.

There were a couple of comedians who were above average - not a lot to joke about these days is there!

I went to see We Will Rock You and and the Gift in the main theatre. Seen them before, but nothing better to do at the time. Spectra's Cabaret was on in 270 at the back. A different actor from before but very very good. In fact we went back and watched it again later in the cruise. 

BTW Diamond+ and Pinnacle get reserved seating in both the Theatre and 270. In both cases they are upstairs in the middle of the balcony. Perfect in 270 to watch Spectra as the performers pop up all over the place. Not too good in the Theatre if you want to enjoy the sound and energy of a band, but OK if you want to make a quick escape.

The first port of call was a Azores. It was hit and miss as to weather this was going to be skipped due to the bad weather. Luckily we docked and it was absolutely fine. We did not do a tour but just had a few hours walk around the main town and then got back on.

A few days later we docked in Halifax. We went on our tour to Peggy's Cove. This was booked using our on-board spend so was a kind of freebie. We had been before 7 years ago so was looking forward to it. There was a bit of fog so visibility was not too good. It did clear from time and time and we did get some great pictures of the lighthouse. We also had a nice Lobster sandwich which cost $30.00 (they took US dollars which I had lots of at the old rate before the pound dropped!).

After a sea day we arrived in Boston. There was a bit of paperwork needed for this port. The weather here was great. We had been before but only as a final destination, so now were able to walk off the ship and made our way to the Tea Rooms. From there we walked across the common and went to the pub which was used for exteriors in Cheers. We went inside and found it nothing like the TV series, but there is a mock up TV set bar upstairs. We sat downstairs and had a pint of local ale and some lunch. Came to about $60.00 but was worth it.

Finally last stop Bayonne. Well what can I say. Not changed a bit since last time. This is a port that is designed for US citizens who drive and park up and not for tourists of any kind.

I know people who had booked the shuttle for $70 to an airport only to be told it was cancelled at the last minute.

I had tried all types of things before such as Taxis to Newark Airport and then AM Trak trains to NYC. Even Taxi's to Staten Island and then ferry over for free. 

However I had decided to do what I have done for some time and managed to convince some lucky cruise to join us and do the same.

That is to wait in line for a Taxi (up to an hour) and go to the New Jersey Light Transit stop in Bayonne. Costs approx $12.00 per group.

Then get a ticket for $2.25 and go to Hoboken. Walk around the station and go down to the PATH station and pay another $2.75 and take the train to 33rd Street near Macy's. It takes less than an hour and is cheaper than a TAxi unless there are six of you in your group.

Getting off the ship was easy as we took our own cases off and got off around 0830ish.

There was no customs check and no long cues. I guess the paperwork for the Boston port was enough?

The cruise was a good one. the 12 days went fairly slowly and there was always a quiz or a show to watch. We spent at least an hour every night in Vintages Wine Bar having some new drink and meeting some really great and funny people.

It was nice to see things back to some sort of normal. A few people wore masks and I suspect they were staying on for the next cruise and did not want to fail a test and get kicked off - which is exactly why we have not done any back to backs.

The cabin was a good size for an interior and the virtual balcony was perfect. The bathroom was a good size, which is why I think my wife was happy to stay and not up-grade in the end.

I think after 12 days we were ready to get off, this seems to be a good length for a cruise. 7 days or less is way too short and 14 can sometimes become a drag depending on the ports.

I would like to thank Royal for a wonderful holiday and for all the perks they provide us with time and time again. I really don't believe you could get this kind of quality anywhere else. 

BTW I have just checked and we got the double points for this cruise. Getting closer to Pinnacle, but will be happy to get to 340 so I can get a free meal at Chops!

We booked this cruise pre-Covid and did a Lift and Switch twice before finally making it onboard the Anthem of the Seas (or Hem of the Seas according to what the neon lights I viewed from my hotel nearby in the early morning hours of embarkation day spelled). We had an enjoyable, relaxing trip from Europe back to the USA, enjoying good food, great service, and fun activities to partake in onboard. Anthem is a nice ship- large but still manageable in terms of finding your way around and discovering favorite places to relax or workout.

Embarkation

We stayed at the Moxy Southampton prior to boarding. It was an easy walk with our luggage to the port. We were sent a message by Royal to stick to our scheduled time, however, we did go on a little early and it was fine. The process was simple and quick. After checking our paperwork (including negative Covid test results), we went onboard. We met up with the helpful staff taking care of VOOM and got set up. Our cabins were ready earlier than expected, so we went to our cabin to drop off our luggage and grab lunch in the Solarium Bistro.  We toured the spa facilities, but as there are only a few stations (an infrared sauna, steam room, heated tiled lounge seats, and a shower) I decided not to buy a pass. There is no therapy pool onboard Anthem which is a disappointment. 

Cabin

We had a hump cabin with a double deep balcony which we loved. Great views. Very spacious, lots of closet space, and nice set up. Only complaint was the noise from inconsiderate guests talking in the hallway while returning to their cabins (once after 2 am) and kids running up and down the hallways at night. Unfortunately, this is commonplace onboard both cruise ships as well as hotels. People feel that since they are on vacation, they can do whatever they want (that, and the fact that many people- young and old alike- are hard of hearing and shout rather than talk to one another).

Food

Windjammer is pretty much the same onboard every Royal cruise ship. The main dining room is not what is used to be, however, a few special dishes were offered, such as Baked Alaska, and Cherries Jubilee (with the tiniest scoop of ice cream I have ever been served), and more elaborate mains on formal night. The pumpkin soup was great! DH and I did not try the speciality restaurants other than Johnny Rockets, which is actually a Johnny Rockets Express. Our onion rings were tempura battered- very confusing- better suited for tempura night in the Windjammer than JR. The cheese fries had a runny fake like cheese spread squirted on it. On Navigator of the Seas, I had noticed that the salad and apple pie seemed typical of what was served in the dining room, but the fries and onion rings were just like you ordered in a typical JR back home, but this JR really is not JR at all. My advice, either go with an authentic JR experience or just do away with JR all together on Anthem. I never returned to use my coupon for the ice cream shakes, much preferring to indulge in the delicious ice cream cones served adjacent to the pool every day instead.

And speaking of Windjammer, considering all of the Brits onboard, I was surprised to find no afternoon tea (although an unannounced tea is quietly served at 3:30 every day with scones, sauces (typically used for ice cream toppings) and whipped cream (again, usually used with ice cream). There was clotted cream available on the first night- that's it. It never appeared again. Oddly, the chocolate chip scones served that first night were covered in strawberry sauce, topped with whipped cream, and served as a dessert. Very strange. It appears that the crew has no idea what a real tea experience is.

The pizza served on deck four was fine- nothing special, but always fresh and hot (and you can order a whole pie if you want). I enjoyed the Solarium Bistro no matter the time of day.

Entertainment

Entertainment was good. The shows were very well done, with talented singers and dancers. There were a variety of other performers which of course vary from cruise to cruise. Loved the Beatles music. Also very much enjoyed HUSH on the last night in which we got to dance with our headphones on to a wide variety of music, starting with disco. Not everyone gasped the concept that you are suppose to lip sync to the music- I heard a number of "singers" out there. The noise reduction could have been better, but DH and I had a great time rocking out. It was also a great opportunity to pick your own spot away from everyone else and practice social distancing while having a blast.

Bumper cars were fun, but I suggest if you want to avoid being hit sideways and slammed into the railings, stay in the middle away from the sides. If you have back or neck problems, you should probably pass.

Highlights

We enjoyed the ports and Royal offered a variety of excursions. You could also head out on your own if you wanted to, and a number of people did. There were informative talks regarding shore excursions, but little was mentioned in regards to the ports themselves. In the age of smart phones, everyone apparently is expected to do their own research and the days of being given maps are gone. The staff was great. We enjoyed our professional team in the MDR. Sheenagh should be promoted to cruise director, IMO. The young man who sang and played Ukulele and guitar in the Windjammer in the morning should be given the opportunity to teach Ukulele to interested passengers on sea days. We were taught to play a few songs on the Ukulele on a Hawaiian cruise and even performed the pieces to fellow passengers in the theater one afternoon. It was a lot of fun. He deserves an opportunity to spread his wings. 

Opportunities

In general, most information was given out in a clear and timely manner. I would suggest giving out a bit more information on ports, activities, weather, and raffles. We had a party celebrating the introduction of Icon of the Seas, with prizes to be won, but passengers were confused as to how to enter for the drawing. The staff in guest services didn't know, and the party was underway before the announcement was made that everyone on the passenger list was automatically enrolled. No big deal, but a few signs placed here and there would have helped. The Solarium was very crowded on sea days. People brought their owns clips from home to attach to their towels in order to claim their spot, then walked away for who knows how long. I was not interested in laying around all day, thankfully, but plenty of disappointed people were wandering around trying to find an open chair. This has been mentioned by other cruisers on numerous ships, so nothing new. My advice is to look around to find other less populated areas. On cold days, while the Solarium was crowded, the outdoor pools and spas were much less busy.

Disembarkation

We took the excursion to JFK via NYC. We were a half an hour late leaving so our only stop was at the WTC Memorial. There was a Royal employee there helping out, but her attention was focused on only one couple with a lot of luggage, so unfortunately, it took awhile to get everyone onboard the bus. Passengers not knowing which terminal they were to be dropped off at also slowed the process. Royal should have helped everyone find out that necessary information while we were waiting around in the theater. The time saved probably would have allowed us one more stop somewhere in Manhattan. 

Final Thoughts

Royal caters to middle class passengers and does a great job of presenting a product that appeals to a wide variety of passengers. I was surprised by the number of young children, even babies, on this TA. In the past, longer European cruises and Transatlantic cruises seemed to draw an older crowd (which they still do) with few children, but for this cruise, there were passengers of all ages. There are many areas on the ship in which you can find peace and quiet if that is what you are looking for; you can also keep busy from noon to night as well. Overall, DH and I had a fantastic cruise, with the pluses outweighing the negatives.

Relaxing TA 

I have never written a cruise review before but there seems to be some huge variations in what people experienced i felt it only fair to forward our experiences.

Our party consisted of my wife and I who have done about 10 cruises over the last 10 years (5 previously with RC), my step daughter and 7 year old grandaughter (no previous cruise experience).

Embarkation was reasonably quick as my grandaughter needed a wheelchair to get onboard, she has a disability which limits her mobility but she does not use a wheelchair continually. I had previously entered all details on the computer and pre printed the sea passes. It was about 1.30pm when we got on the ship and we were told our rooms were ready and our cards and wristbands (used on the ship to open staterooms and access some services) were in our rooms. On arrival at our rooms, they were connected, there were no cards for my stepdaughters room and the interconnecting door was locked, our steward Dodi, had gone for break and would not be back until 3pm so we made a trip to customer services and joined the queue, there was a queue there most of the time. We were issued with a replacement card and got into the room. There was no luggage so we all went exploring, our first impression was fantastic and I often heard a WOW! from my Step daughter and Grandaughter.

We sorted out our drinks packages, You can now have different packages for each passenger which I thought was useful, my stepdaughter and grandaughter had the Royal replenish packs, (soft drinks, non alcoholic cocktails, water and speciality coffees. my wife and I had the Premium package which included all the spirits, beers, wines, cocktails and soft drinks. I found out later that this included top shelf drinks including Malt whisky and wines and beers of a higher value than the select package. As for value for money it probably worked out better to have the package than not but this will vary according to what you drink and how much? I will mention here the lack of waiters in the bars and public rooms and more often than I have experienced before I found myself queuing for the drinks! This is a problem most reviewers have highlighted and they need to resolve it soon. 

Dining

We dined in Chic on the first night and thoroughly enjoyed it, good food and good service, staff were very good with my grandaughter, in fact we found that every where we went, staff were excellent with her and us. Other dining venues were not as good as Chic and in particular American Icon and Silk were both a let down for food and service. We had purchased a deal for $80 per person where we could dine in Jamies, Chops grille and Wonderland and all three were very good for food and service, the best for me was Wonderland where if you allow yourself to go with the flow you experience some wonderful dishes selected by the table staff with more than enough food being served for everyones taste. The windjammer was always busy, rarely finding an empty cleared table, the food offered was varied but as the cruise progressed one or two items began disappearing, Alpen went after day 4 ?? On Disembarkation morning we walked in at about 7am and turned around and walked out, sheer chaos, no tables, no breakfast!!! 

Childrens Menu

All complimentary dining venues had a childrens menu but they all lacked variety and imagination, chicken nuggets again mum???

Childrens clubs

My Grandaughter used the club for 7 year olds and enjoyed the activities, we did have some movement due to weather on a few days and as the club is situated on deck 12 forward, there were a lot of children feeling ill! We also felt that the team were unable to respond to changing weather conditions that restricted the use of some activities  

Entertainment

We saw all three shows, We will rock you, The Gift and Spectras all were first class, technically, visually and musically, well done. Spectras was in delivered in 270, this area is amazing, with a huge backdrop, moving screens and moving stage platforms people were appearing and disappearing from all over the stage, brilliant.

On the subject of entertainment I think I should mention Luke the cruise director, he was mostly seen on TV in our stateroom, rarely putting in an appearance around the ship. we did see him at one or two of the shows but we are use to the cruise director and his team being highly visible around the ship, this was not our experience. When there was a quiz for example a member of the team would appear 5 mins before it started and would disappear 5 minutes after the quiz never to be seen again.

Shops

The usual shops were on the ship, jewelry, watches and clothes, all expensive ($180 for a shirt?) they did do the usual sale type stalls for the cheaper goods and there was a shop selling RC promotion items and daily consumables like toothpaste, plasters etc. there was also cigarettes, which you could take away and smoke, and alcohol which you could buy but not get until the end of the cruise???

The ship

Is fantastic, its huge, its awesome, its different. worth a mention, 270 brilliant place for shows, relaxing and food, breakfast and lunch. North star, due to cancellation through bad weather when it was open there was a queue, our queue was two and a half hours but it was worth it, excellent views of the ship, will be better in destination ports. Seaplex a multipurpose activity area, we went on the bumper cars, reliving my childhood, great. I-fly is fantastic, my step daughter and grandaughter both tried and enjoyed it, whilst there appears to be no upper age limit some of the older people I saw try it struggled and one was badly injured! Bionic bar, fantastic great fun to watch as it doesnt always go to plan, brilliant idea. Johnny Rockets has been reduced to a tiny open fronted burger bar, no dancing staff as seen on other cruise ships. Schooner bar was often my haven, good music, good waitress (Maria) and Malt whisky, ideal. 

The Captain, Captain Claus gave regular reports over the tannoy and give a weather and progress report on the TV every day, during the bad weather he gave regular updates and reassured passengers who were worrying about our situation, we met him once and he had a picture with my grandaughter.

Summary

We all enjoyed the cruise, we did not let the shortcomings we found spoil our cruise and enjoyed as many amenities as possible. Its not a ship I think I will go on again, but never say never. 

NOTE TO ROYAL CARRIBEAN

Sort out staffing of public areas and reduce queues everywhere, I dont go on holiday to queue!

Disembarkation 

This was a fiasco, whether this was the ships fault or the custom and immigration staff, or both I dont know. We were treated like cattle and queued for four hours finally getting through immigration at 12.30.

A Different Way to Cruise

I have been a loyal Royal Caribbean cruiser for over a decade.  This was my first transatlantic sailing and my first sailing on a Quantum-class vessel.  I had read reviews and had spoken with others who had cruised on Quantum when she was based in New Jersey but nothing could have prepared me for the most fantastic week aboard Anthem of the Seas.

I flew to London Heathrow from Newark on Virgin Atlantic and arrived the day before the cruise.  I stayed at the Hilton Heathrow Terminal 5 Hotel and hired a car through Discover the South to take me to Southampton on departure morning.  All were first class experiences.

Upon arrival at Southampton just before 11:00 I left my luggage with a porter and went inside to check in.  I was directed to go directly to the security area with my SetSail Pass in hand and then moved quickly through because of my Loyalty tier.  Somehow, though, I had missed a step in the process as my SetSail Pass had not had a green stamp placed on it.  So I sat in the area right before embarkation photos were being taken and was checked in by a mobile agent with her iPad.  I was then allowed to pass through, had embarkation photos taken and then I was on the ship by 11:30.

I went to Windjammer after realizing that rooms would not be ready for another two hours  and had a nice lunch.  Of course, it seemed that most of the ship had the same idea, but I found a table in the extreme aft area.  I found the selection to be appropriately varied with something for everyone.  I was glad that the quality here was maintained throughout the sailing as I ate here for breakfast most mornings, lunch a few times, and dinner once.  Special shout out to Executive Sous Chef Jon who was manning the pasta station one afternoon and not only prepared my food but brought it to my table personally when it was ready.

I dined at Chic, Grande, Coastal Kitchen, American Icon Grill, Silk, Jamie's Italian, and Chops Grille.  All of my waitstaff were top notch, very friendly, and very accommodating when we informed them of any shows/activities we had planned for after dinner.  Even when I ordered three starters and they were brought out one at a time I still had ample time to enjoy the delicious choices and still get to an activity I had scheduled with plenty of time.

The entertainment was first-rate from "We Will Rock You" to "The Gift" to "Spectra's Cabaret" to the the Headliners and guest musicians.  The different venues each had unique charms, but my favorite was Two70 by far.  Neither words nor still photos can describe this space adequately, but my best description for those who have sailed Radiance class and Oasis class ships is Safari Club (on Jewel) multplied by Aqua Theater and then add a healthy dose of anabolic steroids.  I also loved the Music Hall especially when it turned into the late night party area (kudos to DJ 5AM for finding the Biker's Shuffle!).

Activities during the day were plentiful and it was impossible to ever be bored given all that was happening.  I had fun reliving one of my favorite childhood amusement park activities by driving the Bumper Cars.  North Star was well worth the two-hour wait on the last full day which was the only day with completely clear skies -- what a terrific vantage point!  I did not do iFly, but my cousin did and said it was a thrilling adventure.

Of course, we had a full North Atlantic ocean crossing experience complete with 25 foot ocean swells on days 3 and 4 and hurricane-force winds on day 5 which postponed several activities until later in the week, but no shipwide activity had to be cancelled.  Cruise Director Luke and Captain Claus kept us informed continually as to what we had sailed through and what to expect as we sailed on.  Both were reassuring and comforting thoughout the rough seas.  We were treated to an extra treat when we arrived in New York harbor, sailing under the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge up to the Statue of Liberty at 4 AM with a nice celebratory outdoor deck party heralding Anthem's arrival in her new homeport (I loved the champagne at 4:30 after being awake all night long!).

If there was one area that clearly did not go as smoothly as possible, it was disembarkation.  As near as I can piece together multiple factors created a ripple effect which was felt down the line as the day progressed -- the Coast Guard had to inspect the vessel, buses did not arrive as expected for the large number of people who needed to make the earliest flights, and Immigration had to process significantly more non-US citizens than US citizens (who numbered only 800 out of the 4000 plus guests).  I was Tag number 40 with a posted departure time of 8:15 and did not actually emerge from the terminal until 11:40.

So in summary, I thoroughly enjoyed myself on this cruise.  I look forward to sailing Anthem on a more traditional cruise itinerary hopefully with the rest of my extended family.  Great job, Royal Caribbean!

Simply Awesome Transatlantic Crossing

Where do i begin? From the chaos of not organising the coaches effectively taking us to / from the ship, to failing to top up the soft drinks for days on certain machines, to failing to clean slippery spills in a restaurant completely when the ship was about to enter severe weather (and causing at least one serious avoidable fall), to the captain not caring / understanding that food should either be served hot or chilled (not luke warm), the basic standards simply aren't there!

Which is such a shame, because the vast majority of the ships crew that interact with the passengers are friendly, attentive, knowledgeable and willing to go above and beyond to make your trip excellent.

Let me clarify the food issue. Myself and many passengers were grumbling that food items were not hot (despite being under heat lamps. If it's veg not an issue, however this was happening with chicken! I noticed that a particular chicken dish was luke warm. I mentioned it to the manager. He tested the temperature with his finger on a piece of chicken, and agreed that it was not hot, and hence couldn't be served. However, they did not remove the tray with all the other pieces of chicken which were also unfit!

This is unforgivable, especially as they mention everywhere in the restaurants, that the food should be hot to be served! I also confirmed this with a chef in one of the other onboard restaurants, so the staff do know that it shouldn't  be like this!

I asked to discuss my fall and the food issues with the captain on eight attempts, however each time, whilst they stated i was allowed to speak to the captain, they refused to arrange a meet! Indeed it was only by pure chance that i caught the captain and spoke to him!

I was staggered that the captain showed no concern that the food may well be served against food safety standards, and stated to me that "chicken can be served luke warm as long as it was cooked previously"!!!

Considering the captain is responsible for the welfare of all passengers and crew under his command, i would have thought he should be aware of basic food safety standards - i am and i am not involved in the food industry - and a chef onboard confirmed i was right!

For a captain to show no real concern for food safety, even if you accept he doesn't have to be aware of basic food safety standards, again it is unforgivable to not care about the food safety!

But perhaps it is more important for the captain to stand for pictures, and cosy up to the expensive cabin passengers, than care for passengers he knew suffered a physical injury cause by his staff's incompetence!

Avoid like the plague.

How an outbreak of food poisoning DIDN'T happen is a miracle!

We are avid RC cruisers, only 3 of our last 12 (2013- present) have been on a different line. 

Pretty new ship but after only 6 months the cabins are pretty dirty already. Hallway carpeting looks 3 years old. 

Bad weather that is no one's fault HOWEVER the cruise director, Luke, has done nothing to create extra things to do while pools and hot tubs are closed. Limited live music, shows being rescheduled and nothing to take their place. 

Movies are on the outside screen and yet that deck is not usable due to cold and wind. 

Internet doesn't work properly, TV stations aren't working and when they do the Captain forgets how to turn off the PA properly and leaves it on mute so there is no TV sound. 

Now, I will says that the "We will rock you" show was fabulous even though the theater was like a sauna. 

Dining is ok. New venues but the food is only decent not great. And the staff is ridiculously rude because you have new people each and every meal. They have no reason to invest in you as you don't tip them. 

Room service menu is a joke and the few decent things are all at a COST now. 

The Seaplex Dog House is horrid. Like the worst 7-11 hotdog you can imagine. 

Johnny Rockets has only 2 booths for seating and is open air. Very poor planning. To add insult to injury it's a la carte and tiny cold stale portions.  

Sorrentos pizza is ok but bland. No spices just plain tomato sauce. 

Two70 grill is good but it's hard to find a seat to eat after you get your food. :(

Overall I think RC's new ship is a dud. The Agony of the Seas is what I will call it. 

Will never sail the Quantum class again and will avoid all transatlantic crossings on RC. They just do not know how to adapt when weather changes their schedule. So many truly miserable people on board. Griping everywhere you turn. 

Also, adult solarium is beautiful 3 level area BUT it's all enclosed so it's hot as hades! No where to enjoy sun or get a breath of fresh air. 

And no more cruises with Cruise Dud / Direcor Luke ever again either.  Never knew a cruise director could ruin a cruise but they sure can. 

Done with RC for the foreseeable future as well and we have 60+ nights sailing with them. Sad that they just don't care anymore.

AGONY not Anthem of the Seas!

We were very excited about our transatlantic cruise when we arrived at check in we were asked to sit in a section with no explanation. I asked some staff and they did not know it was a very long wait and not the best start. Once on board our stateroom on deck 9 was nice  with a small balcony.

The ship's art work is lovely and interesting. The shops are very expensive but only stock a small range of everyday items. The pool areas etc are nice and clean. The signage on the ship could be better to find the spa etc can be confusing and depends on which set of lifts you use.

The ship feels rather over crowded and it can be difficult to find some where nice to sit and read.

The food was good in the restaurants but never hot. In the Windjammer there was a lot of variety but never hot and a bit like school dinners.  How ever the meat from the carvery was very nice and melted in your mouth. The Windjammer was also very crowded so tried different places for breakfast which were better but still very busy. 

The weather was not good so a lot of the shows and activities were cancelled due to the weather which was understandable but I would have thought that the Cruise Director could have arranged something else. The shows were very good when they were rescheduled.

The staff Mohammed our stateroom attendant was very nice, polite and understanding and the stateroom was keep very clean and tidy.

The staff seemed very tired and in some areas like the Windjammer there were never enough staff to ask for a glass of wine or coffee. Some staff can be very short I asked for a bottle of water and the reply I received was I can only give you one I replied that's all I have asked for. 

Reception staff are very helpful but again there was a very long wait as the queue was so long.

Due to the bad weather when activities like the bumper cars and northern star opened again we had two hours queues.

I was very surprised that the movies were still being shown outside as the wind and the cold made them impossible to watch.

The fitness and swimming areas were very good but again the gym was very crowded.

There were quite a lot of people ill on the voyage due to the bad weather and the ship moving about so much. The captain gave frequent updates as a lot of people were worried especially when the power was lost and there were no lights in the cabin.

All in all first cruise with the R.C. and think it will be my last as I prefer the service, food etc I receive from the other operator I normally sail with.

Disappointed

Embarkation was a breeze, but only because we were in a Jr. Suite and were able to skip the long lines. I believe being a US citizen (despite leaving from the UK), also made check-in faster. Since we completed everything online prior to departure, we spent only 2 minutes at the counter (no staff with iPads as previously described). Curb side to our cabin in 30 minutes.. the security line was long. 

Once onboard we were immediately impressed by the updated decor, technology and artwork. Our excited was immediately let down upon meeting our stateroom attendant. This was our first time in a Junior Suite, but certainly not our first cruise. He was the worst attendant we have had yet. We brought a bottle of champagne for sail-away, and when we asked for an ice bucket we were told he was "busy with a whole hallway and would get it eventually." We were also told in our first encounter that "just because we didn't see him, didn't mean he wasn't working." My friend and I both have blue collar jobs, we certainly understand the high demands placed on employees, however, I thought that was completely inappropriate for our first meeting. Junior suites pay higher gratuities, but we barely received minimum service. We never received our ice bucket for sail away, despite there being 3 hours between our request and the event. We never received a true "turn down" service. Our cruise compass was left on our bed with nothing else; no towel animals or anything. One night we even returned from dinner to find our door completely open after dropping off the papers. Finally, on day 4, we were asked if we took a bottle of gin from our mini-bar, which we did not. We were never charged or anything, but were told "maybe it was the previous guests." Seemed a bit odd to have not check that 4 days into a cruise. 

Stateroom attendant aside, the junior suite was great. Well laid out, plenty of storage, and large balcony. However, the continuous, loud noises from toilets flushing was less than ideal. There was also an intermittent, but strong smell of sewage from the toilet room. Wifi was almost not existent in the room, despite having a strong, fast signal in the main areas of the ship. 

The weather was less than ideal for this crossing. We received multiple (and I do mean multiple, long winded updates) from Captain Claus. He kept ensuring the weather would improve, but with each passing hour, it was apparent we were in it for the long hall. We drove right into the heart of a "pressure system." Think giant red blob on a radar map. I have been diverted to sunny skies in the Caribbean, but no attempt was made to do so this trip, despite having the entire Atlantic Ocean to work with. Cruise staff so kindly referred to the ship as the "vomit comet."  Awesome. Shows and entertainment options were cancelled (understandably so), however, no replacements were provided. Movies were only shown outside on the pool screen even though it was raining, with hurricane force winds and 40 degrees temps outside. We were very disappointed with the entertainment staff. The weather undoubtable lowered everyone's spirits, and by the time the weather improved on day 6, many passengers shameless flaunted their "diamond status" to attract the few waiters and waitresses back to their table. When available, iFly was awesome, north star was as expected, and bumper cars were awesome! One thing not to be missed was the puzzle break room: so fun! 

Dining was average to excellent. Windjammer was good with plenty of options, but was always crowed except for late dinners. Cafe 270 was great for a small breakfast or lunch, and had great desserts. Only went to Divinely Decadence once for breakfast; it was okay. American Icon was great with the exception of front door staff and officers who were witnessed on more than occasion berating staff for not being fast enough, yet offering no help to fix the matter. Grande was nice, didn't have the best waiter, but food was good. Coastal Kitchen was awesome. So happy we were able to go there. 

We chose to self disembark. The disembark line started forming at 0500. This was not surprising since the only thing done to celebrate this "inaugural sailing" was a 0200 deck party the last night. It took customs over an hour to clear the ship, but left the ship at 0620 and were in a taxi by 0640. 

In summary, we were disappointed with the activities selection and average service. I don't think we will be doing a northern transatlantic in the near future, however it was an affordable option to travel on Royal's newest ship.

Average at Best

We are Diamond members and stockholders, however will not go on this cruise ship again!

Pros: 1. Very good food. 2. Room service good. Diamond Lounge was good.

Cons: 1. Supposed to leave ship on debarkation at 8:15 a.m. finally got off at approx. 4 hours later. Stood in line to disembark for approx 2 of those hours! Many people had canes and a few wheelchairs, however, no assistance to help (water,etc.. At the gate checkout, a lady (in her 50s) was rude to all, telling us to "hurry - hurry" and waved her hands to indicate this. I felt like a member of a cattle herd!

2. No newspaper on ship. 

3. Laundry charge (none before for Diamond members on other ships of RCL(1-bag).

4. Internet instructions were not clear ( needed help from friend who used a diff. method to get on the internet.

5. Charged for hamburgers at poolside area (none before on other RCL ships).

6. Problems getting their people on room phone.

7, $14.95 to print a boarding pass for returning airline (too expensive).

8. Confiscated a small tool in my check on baggage which had a small knife on it. (Later at dinner they gave me a big streak knife-----go figure!!!

Nice Ship, Good Food...However!

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