The cruise overall was amazing. The best part of the itinerary was Coco Cay. What a long way Coco Cay has come. Service was I really great and for the most part friendly. The ship was clean, modern, comfortable, and efficient. You can definitely get lost in the ship, but the app really helps you figure out where you are. Captain Ban and his crew also successfully navigated the rough seas for our cruise due to a low pressure system off the east coast. It might have been a rough ride back from Nassau, but it was overall an enjoyable one. The only thing I would complain about is the noise in stateroom 13646. It is right below the Coastal Kitchen and can get quite loud at night when you’re trying to sleep. The vistas, room attendant, and spacious balcony were the highlights. Anytime I left the room, the room was magically cleaned and new towels were stashed in the room. I can’t wait to sail on the Anthem again! Read Less

Just returned from a week-long cruise from Newark. We had some rough seas on the first and last days but overall it was a great time. Our junior suite was beautiful. We ate at a table of 8 and it was by far the best group I have ever sat with. The food was outstanding, although the Tilapia one night was a bit overcooked. Our wait staff Eliza and Reagan and our porter Milton were helpful and professional. The comedian Mike Pace's shows were absolutely hilarious. The other shows -- the Gift and We Will Rock You -- were OK. There was no shortage of things to do. This was my third RC cruise. I've also been on Freedom and Harmony. As far as the Anthem goes, it's in the middle -- a little nicer than Freedom, not quite as nice as Harmony. It helped that my wonderful cruise companion was a lifelong friend on her first cruise -- it wouldn't have been half the cruise without her -- and I actually left the cruise up money in the casino. We met family at Port Canaveral for lunch and an afternoon at Cocoa Beach, so that livened up what might have otherwise been a lame port of call. The weather at CocoCay was perfect. We did the Deluxe Sailing excusion in Bahamas, and it was worth every penny and then some. Highly recommend. Overall, it was one of the best weeks of my life. Read Less

I chose this cruise due to the great price I got on a Studio Balcony and the fact that it was a 4 hour drive to port rather than a flight to Florida. The multitude of indoor venues/pools was also inviting considering it was a winter sailing out of New Jersey. This was my first Royal Caribbean cruise as I had only sailed on Norwegian prior. Both cruise lines have their pros and cons. The number of pools/whirlpools both indoor and outdoor was a definitely plus for me and is the main reason I am giving Royal another chance despite some negative aspects. Room Quality: As a solo traveler, I love that Quantum class ships have Studio Balconies. It was great having the balcony and the room/bathroom was perfect size for just me. The bed was very hard though (common complaint) which led to lack of sleep. I will make sure to ask for more padding next time. My room attendant was great and always visible during the daytime. Service: Some of the service level was lacking compared to Norwegian. While my room attendant and MDR waiters were fantastic, many of the bartenders across the ship acted like they did not want to be there. Exceptions where Schooner bar staff and Susie in Boleros. Also, the method RCCL l uses to ring up drinks really slows things down. This isn't the staff's fault but RCCL needs to streamline this better. Food: The food on Anthem is what made me really consider whether I wanted to give RCCL another try. While the MDR food was decent and mostly good, some of the staple MDR dishes were lacking. For example, the French Onion soup should have been called "French Bread Soup" as there was only one tiny piece of onion and a big chunk of bread. The biggest disappointment however was the Windjammer. What a mess. Poor daily variety, lukewarm to cold food, and much of the food was bland, hard, or overcooked. Also ,the way it is organized is a mess. I gave it a couple tries and it was the same every time. Bad. I ate lunch and breakfast at Solarium Bistro a couple times and despite being described at having "better" options, it has literally the same things as Windjammer but downscaled (since when are hot dogs and hamburgers a "better" option???) Cafe 270 was good for a quick lunch and Sorrentos had very good, hot pizza. Drinks; I had the Ultimate Beverage Package and it was worth it. It is so easy to get your money's worth, especially pre-booking during a sale. And since the free coffee was not too good aboard, it was nice being able to get specialty coffees anytime. Drink quality was good but I felt the variety of specialty cocktails was limited compared to NCL. Entertainment: I thought entertainment was great and there was always something going on. This ship has a lot of large venues to use for different shows which was great. We Will Rock You was fantastic and I loved every minute of it. Spectra's Cabaret was really weird and made no sense to me. Hated it, but others I was with really enjoyed it. I didn't see The Gift. As for the comedians, Stephen (lastname?) was terrible. I walked out during his adult show. Not funny at all. The ventriloquist was absolutely hilarious. I would watch him again any day. The other comedian Rondell was also great. I missed his adult show though which made me sad. Finally, Matt Yee's shows were not to be missed. While each one was a bit repetitive, you didn't care because his audience interaction was absolutely hilarious. Hope to see him again one day. Pools/decks: I loved the different pool options onboard. Laying on the sun decks during warm port days was great, despite some people not understanding basic decency and boundaries. Get to the solarium/indoor pool early on sea days otherwise no seats. Ports: I only got off the ship at CoCoCay. I went to the Oasis pool and found a lounger close to the swimup bar. It was the most relaxing day. Great drink selections at the bar. The only complaint was that the pool was a bit cold but it still felt nice after laying in the hot Caribbean sun. FInally, the buffet on CoCoCay was OUTSTANDING. Awesome burgers, sandwiches, and an epic taco station. I am still thinking about it. Why can't the Windjammer be anywhere as good? Read Less

this was our first time on royal Caribbean. we ussally sail on celebrity. this was my 9 th cruise. and my wifes 12 th. dropping off our luggage and getting on the ship was a breeze. very well organized. our balcony cabin was clean , with ample storage. and the bed was very comfortable. my wife and I don't nit pick on things , because nothing is ever perfect no matter what cruise you are on. the food in the main dining room was good, but I think celebrity is a step above. . service the first night was a little slow, but that seems to be the norm. I must say that the ship has so many activities, especially at night. there is always something you can be doing. the music hall is a great venue. we will rock you is not to be missed. it was wonderful. we both were never on a ship this big. we always found a place to sit and eat at the wind jammer café. we ate at chops one night, it was a wonderful dining experience. great service and the food was outstanding. all in all, it was a great cruise. and I would recommend it. like I mentioned earlier, I tend not to nit pick on things that are not perfect. that's why I didn't mention any of them. Read Less

I enjoyed the role of grandparent to a 4 year old on his (and his parents') first cruise - what's not to like about a week-long sleepover. Connected balcony cabins on deck 10, lots of kids on board and a great kid's club. Many things worked really well, but I did find myself comparing RCI with my favorite Celebrity. Ship - huge, so many amenities. But why do you have to charge for so many things? Cabin - just great. Pleasing colors, comfortable, plenty of storage, nice balcony and bathroom. Dining - Celebrity wins by so much. Why do you have to pay for so many venues? Why isn't the food better? For example, why do you have the same boring breakfast buffet day after day, and repeat it in the Solarium bistro where you could sneak in a healthy "adults only" variety of foods? Entertainment and activities - pretty awesome. Thank you to the Ocean Adventure - great staff, lots for the kids. Good shows and music all over the ship. Service - we had a fabulous room attendant, and good service everywhere. Ports and shore excursions - sailing from NJ in winter doesn't get you much in the way of warm weather. But CocoCay was a perfect day, and the Kennedy Space Center was great. Read Less

2/15/20 sailing. As many others have said--easiest check in EVER. We arrived at the port at 11:55 AM and was ON the ship by 12:35. That included unloading, parking, walking to terminal, check in. We self disembarked and that was easy as well, will do that always for now on. Just don't pack too much. I carried on 8 sodas and a bottle of wine. DH had a 6 pack of water (we should have brought a 12 pack). Everything goes through an X ray machine, no one did a search of the carry on bags. The ship is very nice. Biggest one we have been on and first time RCI. I used the gym each day--there are a lot of treadmills, ellypticals, bikes and classes were going on each morning. Also a lot of weight lifting machines. Hand washing was a big priority and there are wash stations outside Windjammer as well as the employees with hand gel saying, "washy washy".. Food was good in the Jammer, lots of options and there was always space to sit down. Main dining...food was very good here too. We had wonderful service, just felt bad for our asst. waiter as his dad passed away and he took one night off. :( The choices on the main menu seemed to be largely the same each night with a couple items swapped out. Not complaining though, I did not cook, or clean, etc. It was all delicious. We did not try a specialty restaurant. Shows. As per other reviews... Spectras Cabaret was bizarre. It just was. "The Gift"--I had NO IDEA what it was all about. My kids all did theater, I can generally follow a story line. Not so much on this one. We will Rock You--to me was OK... our friends enjoyed it. Certainly go to the shows--the actors are doing a good job ... My husband loved the astronomy speaker they had on this cruise. He did 4 one hour sessions , I went to one and he was very good (Paul Cirillo). Bands. House bands are excellent. There is a lot of opportunity to listen to music, dance, etc. Solarium--great place for adults to hang out in. All covered for the cold weather cruise--nice trees, lots of loungers, a pool and hot tubs. Also a bar... We tried the bumper cars, that was fun... the Sportsplex was always busy with basketball players and other organized activities. The Hot dog place... DH loves Hotdogs, but this place was disappointing to him. He said the dogs in the jammer were better... Sausage looked gross. And he threw it out. North Star. Be sure to reserve a time before your cruise. We waited until on board, and a couple days in, and times were limited. It was fun, even in rocky seas as we were on the way back to NJ. You did not feel the rocking when you were up there. Nice views of the ship. Not scary at all. Be kind to others and rotate around the ride so you can get a view from different angles... Pizza shop had tasty pizza. there is a cafe by Two70 that has nice sandwiches and salads. Gift shops on board... the only thing I bought were 2 bottles of Captain Morgan for $24. Total deal. They had a T shirt sale 2/20 bucks on the last days of the cruise. Ports: Cape Canaveral. My sister picked us up and we spent the day at Cocoa Beach at another friend's condo. Best port stop for all of us we thought. Nice day at the ocean. Nassau. Been there 3 times now. We had some drinks at a back alley pub somewhere... then found a taxi driver to drive us around the island a bit. We all heard 45 dollars a couple for 1.5 hours. Marvin drove us through residential areas, we saw the college, beaches farther out from the port and also he drove us over into Atlantis area. They did not like that we were there and asked us to leave. (Guests only)... When he dropped us off, price was 45 dollars per PERSON.... (there were 4 of us), so we paid that but could swear he said 45/couple. What are you going to do? We paid. Coco Cay: Nice time here, we went to Chill beach and got a row of loungers and relaxed. DH and I rode the tram just to see a little more of the Island. Quite the place. I snorkeled--but saw just a few fish and sea grass. Some of the fish were quite big. I did not go too far out from shore. I brought my own mask and snorkel tube. I did not wear a life jacket or flippers. The food on CoCo Cay is very organized and plentiful. There are desserts, ice cream, fruit, burgers, chicken, hotdogs, tacos.. All included. We did NOT do the water park area. We did swim in the pool. Swim up bar was crowded with people. My friends did not want to partake in that, so I didn't either..:( There are a lot of activities offered throughout the day and evening. It is all in what you want to do. I did a 70's dance class...lots of fun. The "scrapbook" event is just offering packages to buy, which I did, 10 bucks for papers and stickers. I am using them already. She did have paper and crayons and glitter if you wanted to create something ... Photos. They are there to take as many pictures of you as you will allow. I bought one picture (20 dollars 8 x 10). There are different packages and everything is digital. No more pawing through all sorts of photos looking for yours. Stateroom: Ours was an interior with a virtual balcony which was cool. Lots of storage space, everything was clean, but I always wipe the place down with Lysol wipes anyway. Room attendant Ferdie was efficient and kept my ice supply up. (I had purchased a bottle of rum for the room and 4 Cokes--all for $45...:0 We did not get the drink package because both people in the room have to buy it and DH does not drink that much. So, it was not worth it. We just paid $9.43 total for each Bud Light (16 oz), and a mixed drink was around 13 dollars. Much cheaper that way for us. Galley tour: They come around and ask if you want to go on a galley tour. we paid 40 bucks each for that... It is cool to see the galley and see what goes on back there, so we were glad we saw it. It was hard to hear our tour guide. They follow that up with a champagne brunch included in the price. I would definitely go on the Anthem again. Service was very good, everyone was polite--guests as well as staff. I would also co on Carnival again, having never had a bad experience on that line. Read Less

We'd sailed Princess and Norwegian before, but this was our first Royal cruise. Food The food and service was better on Princess (I still dream of how the most simple dishes like fettucine alfredo were somehow mind-blowing!), but Royal's main dining room food was decent enough we'd sail with them again. The Windjammers Buffet was especially ample and fresh -- and we are not typically "Buffet people." (With kids, you make concessions!) The service was a little slow in the main dining areas for breakfast and lunch, though the wait staff was very friendly, professional, and accommodating at all times. Waits were not very long, but if you plan on making reservations while on board, you can run into a few snags -- you'll never get through to customer service by phone, many reservations are all booked up, and the app system does not always work if you need to make/break a reservations. Dining highlights included the mushroom soup, hashbrowns, baklava, mussels, and lobster tail night. I'd read negative reviews of Sorrento's pizza, but we ate there soooo many times. We're from Buffalo, land of amazing pizza, and it was good enough for us. Compared to other cruise lines, the specialty dining is a bit nickel-and-dimey. The drink package was well worth it, though I didn't use it for the "specialty coffee" as much as I thought I would, since the coffee lines were super long and apparently, a caramel macchiato is conveniently considered "food." The ability to use the dining/drink package on Coco Cay was incredible and generous -- what a perk! Other cruise lines would be wise to follow suit. Entertainment Sadly, we missed the "We Will Rock You" show (AND its rescheduled time) due to wild rocking waves on the way back home. "Spectra's Cabaret" was interesting and had a few decent numbers. The plot for "The Gift" was confusing at times, but overall it was tantalizing with moving sets, Broadway caliber music/dance numbers, and cool BMX tricks. The arcade area was lacking, with not much for the little ones to do and a lot of the machines out of order. Bumper cars are for people 42 inches tall AND at least five years of age... that was not immediately clear to us... our 4-year-old wall tall enough but not old enough, which was quite a melt-down of disappointment for him! Karaoke did not have great song selection and booked solid within the first 10 minutes. Many of the adult entertainment options were at an extra charge, so we didn't have much to do after dropping the kids off at the Kids Club. We had really looked forward to the on-board library for kids' bedtime story books... but there was literally nothing for children and the adult selections were little to be desired as well. There were a few puzzles and a chess set there if you're so inclined. We did like the Two70 Club and visited the upper balcony for movies, watching "Abominable" and "Maleficient 2" there. We liked the music playing around the ship -- the kids called the main concourse "the dance party." We went to the official "family dance party" -- the kids liked the glow sticks, but there was hardly room to dance in the tiny Two70 (they should've had it at Sea Plex!) and the music was horrrrrrible (like YMCA/disco/wedding DJ horrible); the entertainment was fresher aboard Norwegian. Ports In Florida, we rode the airboats and went to a wild animal preserve. I can't recommend this excursion enough! We saw so many gators! We'd taken a similar excursion with Norwegian nine years ago and saw zero gators on the tour. The hosts were super friendly and informative. You feel like you're flying on board the airboat. It's a birdwatcher's dream with roseatte spoonbills, herons, egrets, and other large feathered creatures. You'll even spot cows grazing in the marshes. If you're considering Nassau's Blue Lagoon Island DON'T DO IT. This excursion was a nightmare. Perhaps if you're booking the dolphin or sea lion or ray encounter, it would be worthwhile, but we booked the "Deluxe Beach Break" for a peaceful ocean day with the kids. As soon as we got off the ferry, we stepped into disorganized chaos with no signs or personnel to tell us where our "reserved hammock and beach chairs" were located. Spoiler alert - there IS no hammock, and beach chairs are first come, first served! We eventually hiked across the whole island and managed to find the last one available (in full sun). According to the bartender, there were 5,000 people on this tiny island. FIVE THOUSAND! We had come here for the dolphin tour nine years ago and it was simply the dolphin/sea lion preserve with a small hotdog stand. Now it's all built up, but lacks proper planning to provide a decent experience. I waited 45 minutes for a beer at the bar. People were ordering fancy blender drinks and a-la-carte food ahead of me. The staff waited for the food to be made and brought out before processing the next drink order -- unreal! I finally abandoned the line without a beer and went to another bar, where I waited "just 20 minutes." At least there - people weren't ordering food! We waited until a bit later to eat because the place was completely swarmed upon disembarkation.Good luck if you arrive hungry. The buffet was mediocre at best and left me feeling like I'd just paid $95 for a lukewarm burger and dry rice. My husband suspects the chicken gave him food poisoning. So now, frustration is in full swing, I wanted time in the ocean. You have to walk out pretty far into the crowded zone near the inflatable aquatic park to find water waist-deep. You might see one or two fish, but there isn't much to see. The kids enjoyed looking for shells, but I wouldn't say it's a good beach for shelling by any stretch of the imagination. The description implied the aquatic park was included in the deluxe ticket -- IT'S NOT. You also need to pay $20 per person for the mandatory life preserver! The kids were super disappointed, but who wants to pay another $80 for us to go over there after paying $360 for a ferry and a lousy lunch? We took the first jam-packed double-decker ferry back to the ship as soon as we could. It was the worst vacation day I'd ever had! Coco Cay, on the other hand, was a well-managed, first-rate experience. The perfect day we had from start to finish made up for all the hassle of traveling with two young children. We didn't pay for any of the excursions, instead "winging it" with the free attractions. Music performances greet you off the boat and there are signs and staff members there to direct you wherever you want to go. We walked everywhere easily, but there are trams if you want a ride as well. The kids played on the pirate ship right off the dock and the neighboring water playground for about a half hour. Then we headed to Chill Island to spend the day in sand and surf. Everyone was nice, pointing us to an open umbrella chair. We saw so many crabs, iguanas, and fish swimming near the rocks -- it was cool! The buffet was streamlined for efficiency with no waits. You could choose burgers, hot dogs, chicken, salads, or tacos. It was all fresh and stocked. We found a table with ease and watched the local chickens run around. We didn't eat at Captain Jack's, but we heard the wings and fries were really good. The bar lines were short and the mixed drinks were very tasty even if you're not a mixed drink sort of person. Sea Days Next time perhaps we'll take a spring sailing instead. The sea days were cold, rainy, blustery in February. We had one day where we could enjoy the outdoor pool and splash pad area. The kids loved it! The big TV was cool, but it's hard to find a spot to sit and watch a movie on such a huge ship. Shopping We didn't do much shopping on board. However, I will say this - if you are a lady in need of feminine hygiene products, you are doomed! You'll find the most rudimentary Tampax and paper-thin light liners. Service We got to know the staff of the Princess ship better, but the staff on Royal was dedicated. It's nice having the same waiters in the main dining room. We didn't see our room steward much, but he was busy keeping the room clean while we were away, so that was good. They delighted the kids with towel and napkin animals. If you need any service by phone, forget about it. If you manage to get through by phone at all, expect a long wait and no solution to your issues, whether it's the internet not working or trying to book a reservation. The guest services lines were pretty much always long too. Read Less

Coming in from Toronto, Canada this cruise was a whole new experience. Usually we use the southern Florida ports like Ft. Lauderdale or Miami but we wanted to try something different. It was five of us all together, my wife and I and our 3 adult ages 17-23 daughters. One daughter was on a reading week break from university which made our decision for this cruise. We stayed pre-cruise one night at the Hilton Newark Airport. Nice clean hotel, good service and great little bar area for some Valentines day cocktails and food! The next day we took the shuttle from Unipark services I highly recommend them. No way an Uber XL could have taken all five us with luggage to the port. We also arranged for them to take us from the port to the Airport when we disembarked and that went smoothly was well. Arriving at the cruise port around 11:00 am was smooth hardly any traffic because it was a Sunday. After dropping off our luggage at the porters we headed into the terminal. It was a little chaotic. They were doing a little pre-screening for the coronovirus, basically asking us if we had travelled to China or been in contact with anyone from there and if we were felling unwell. No to all and we were on our way. I think we were on the ship in half and hour total. We headed to the Solarium right away and just relaxed. We had lunch in the Solarium Bistro and that was fine and plentiful. No crowds either. After Lunch we headed to our cabins our key cards were there. We were mid-ship 9580 and 9574 Balcony cabins. Excellent vantage point as we could use the Forward or Aft elevator equally or the stairs most of the time for exercise. The cabins are genius in there design for space. There was no problem for all our clothes and luggage. Our bed was right by the balcony which I liked. Our cabin attendant Dwayne introduced himself and he was excellent. Luggage arrived right after the Mustard Drill and we unpacked and got ready for the sail away under the Verrezano Bridge. Back into our winter gear so unreal to do this and on top of Deck 14 for the sail away. But first a real treat, the Captain was able to get special permission to cruise right by the Statue of Liberty twice! He went by it once and then stopped turned the ship around on a dime in the tight harbour and then went by it again. It was a great experience seeing the Statue of Liberty so close and in the sunset. After this we proceeded to the Verrezano bridge and whooped and hollared as we went underneath it. There were a lot of people on this cruise ship with President's week. It took a while to get used to it but there a lot of spaces to go and explore and do so it wasn't that bad. Unfortunately if you wanted a chair at the Solarium you had to be there at 6:00 am from what I saw. I saw some enforcement from the staff on some chair hogs but not enough from my perspective. But no matter I'm not really a pool person I just looked forward to the warm weather and it did come. The second cruise day was sunny and warm and most people were outside. The ship opened up now. I couldn't complain about the weather all our port days were sunny and warm average 84 degrees. We did the Kayak adventure in port canaveral. That was fun. The Blue Lagoon Stingray experience and Beach day. And of course Perfect day at Coco Cay. All beautiful days sunny and warm. And a few sunburns to go with it! There was a bit of disorganization for the Blue Lagoon excursion but staff were helpful in straightening out our wrist bands for the Blue Lagoon. Entertainment on the ship was second to none. As usual Royal exceeds here. We will rock you, the comics and headliners were all excellent. Not a big fan of Aerosmith but the cover band was ok. Royal Swedes were good as well. It was all good. No complaints there. The dining was excellent I think all our meals were fantastic. The staff and service were all good. I really think this made our trip. We didn't end up doing any specialty restaurants because the dining room was excellent. We didn't do the drink package as my wife and I are not huge drinkers but we did enjoy our cocktails at Bolero's and the Schooner bar as well as the Solarium bar for the most part. Those that did the drink package and you know who you are I don't miss those hangovers! We had so much fun on the bumper cars, iFly and Northstar it was truly amazing to do this at sea. Overall my family had a great time. From singing the Canadian National anthem at Matt Yee's first show OY! to line dancing in the Royal promenade it was a very memorable vacation and we were sad to get off the ship. It was a great time by all! Read Less

unexpectedly wonderful cruise experience from embarkation to coming back in nyc. we set sail and saw Statue of Liberty & passing under Verrazano bridge, onboard food & drink was just unlimited plus choices, we did 2 specialty resto Wonderland & chops grille delicious, thumbs up waiters Juan (Wonderland)& Jay (chops). We hung out by sorrento as they make Fresh pizzas & the coke freestyle machine is nearby as well as cafe promenade with the coffee, cookies & cakes. windjammer buffet is a go to for bfast/lunch/dinner they had whole suckling pig the meat was tender and skin crunchy. What an Experience on bumper cars, ifly, flowrider & northstar on port day in Canaveral. phenomenal dinner service in mdr Chic by John & Elias food was amazing! Shows were ok Spectra, & bcoz of waves only experienced a bit of queen’s We will rock you. Cabin was clean & slept soundly ‘cept for waves day 2 & day 6 or around the Carolinas or Louisiana area. Bahamas had conch fritters & rum cake, swim cabbage beach, Cococay was perfect for swimming, lounging, pool bar party, food was awesome with tasty tacos, Soft serve icecream, no need for tender as it has own dock. Purell everywhere. Rccl anthem staff runs things smoothly, rccl also does awesome in providing support&care to families with kids on the spectrum (autism of the seas) Read Less

Our teenaged son has gazed longingly at Royal Caribbean ships whenever we've been in the same port. He was thrilled by the size and variety of activities he could see. As a gift to him, we purchased a holiday cruise on Anthem of the Seas since the port was easy to reach and the date worked for his school vacations. The Anthem is a big ship. We logged thousands of steps each day just getting from the elevator/stairway lobby in the middle of the ship to our room in the aft. This is the first ship I've been on (my 8th cruise) which had only two banks of elevators. It was really inconvenient and we often wished for better access to the rear of the ship. Our cabin was a balcony on deck 9. The layout was good, though with the sofa bed open we struggled to get to the balcony. Closet space was adequate and decor is pleasant. The balcony was very nice - we liked having the footstools (which we could see are not available on other RCCL ships). My husband found the bed too hard and complained that it hurt his back. I didn't mind it. The bathroom is small but fine for one person. Sharing it between three of us was somewhat of a challenge. Little things made it harder, such as a hook design that dumped towels on the floor whenever they were brushed up against. Public areas in the ship were attractive. The layout of the main public decks (4 and 5) was confusing as they are divided into two zones (The Royal Promenade an the Via) but telling those apart was difficult. It took us longer to learn the layout of this ship than we have before. The various bars and entertainment spaces were comfortable. One thing Royal does really well is moving large numbers of people around. Though our sailing was nearly full, the ship rarely felt crowded and we almost always had a choice of places to sit. Getting on and off the ship was a breeze - the best we've ever seen. Kudos to Royal for that. The one place we had consistent issues with crowds was the jogging track. As it winds in between other activities it was often blocked and walking and/or jogging was frustrating. We wished for the dedicated promenade decks we've had on other ships. The Anthem has a lot of activities suited for active families. Our teen made friends immediately and went off with his posse every day. My husband and I were not really interested in bumper cars or scavenger hunts so many of the activities were wasted on us. I think for the many families on board these choices were great. For us, the lack of alternative adult programming was a disappointment. We did enjoy the lectures on astronomy given on sea days by an amateur astronomer from New Jersey. The evening entertainment was a real disappointment to us. We saw the three shows done by cruise performers and thought all three were weak. The Gift is visually stunning with great costumes and sets. But the plot, such as it is, was almost impossible to follow and the characters were so undeveloped we often couldn't tell them apart. Spectra's Cabaret had lots of interesting acrobatics, but they were done in the dark which may have created a mood but it left us wondering what was happening. We Will Rock You, like The Gift, had good sets and costumes but felt like it had been cut down, badly, from a longer show. I should note that the performers seemed very talented - it was the material they were given that was the problem. On top of all of that, the shows were all very loud. And each was introduced by Mercedes, the cruise director, who screamed every word she said every time we saw her. There were three guest entertainers on the cruise, all comedians of a sort. The best of the bunch was ventriloquist Ronn Lucas who did a funny show that featured a great bit using a guest in a dummy mask. We really enjoyed that show. Impressionist Jeff Tracta was a mix. Some of his observations on pop culture were cute but when he ventured into political commentary it left us very uncomfortable. We spoke the next day with some other guests who said they also felt the political humor was inappropriate. The final night Steven Thomas did a tired set of jokes about his wife, his in laws and farting that were just not funny. The biggest disappointment on the cruise for us was the food and the overall dining experience. This was the one place where it was obvious that Royal had thousands of people on board. The main dining rooms were crowded and service felt rushed. We were surprised to see that the menus changed only slightly each night, so that we had few new items to choose from. Most of the entrees were under seasoned and uninteresting. The Windjammer, though not overly crowded, felt more like a school cafeteria than a buffet. It was clear that the staff prepped for meals well in advance. The fresh vegetables often looked tired - wilted or discolored. The entrees were a broad mix - these too repeated several times in the cruise. It was the first cruise I've been on where I was sure we were getting leftovers. Worst of all were the desserts. With the exceptions of the cookies, we almost never had anything good for dessert. We did try one specialty restaurant - Jaime's Italian. There the service and food were much better. But for $170 for three people, one would hope so. On other cruise lines specialty restaurants charge an additional fee - with the idea that you've paid for your meals in your ticket but a small extra fee will give you an extra special meal. On Royal we paid for our meals in the ticket, then spent twice what we would have on land for a meal that was better but not as good as we could have had on land for less. Overall the staff were pleasant and friendly. Our cabin steward did the minimum. The ship was not as clean as others we've been on but it was good enough. We had the usual mix ups with guest services. One thing that confounded us was the Royal App. As the cruise went o it was less and less accurate. We felt like there was no on on board who could update it so it just became useless. Which is a shame as it could have been very helpful. We stopped at Port Canaveral and Nassau, both of which we've visited before. Our third stop was Coco Cay. That was really nice. Royal has done a great job developing the island. We were there along with Mariner of the Seas and it still didn't feel crowded. Our son liked the water park and we enjoyed stretching out in the beach chairs and swimming in the sea. The Anthem has lots of strengths as a ship and I think for many people it would be a great fit. It was not the right ship for us but it could be a perfect fit for others. Read Less

The trip to hell and back! Electric extension cord was promised to us,at noon, we needed for medical equipment didnt come until midnight Heater broken froze over night They blamed balcony door handle not closed then finally next day tech came and fixed it he had to clean out the equipment. Sink was clogged. Not enough hangers in state room. We requested coffee and Breakfast room service, we put tag out to com at 8am, THEY came at 6 am on the 1st morning woke us up and also called. In Florida no breakfast came even though we left tag out night before. Called room service and on hold for so long no one picked up we gave up Food finally came we we were gone. Not enough bar waiters Lagoon trip very disorganized Had to inquire about where was our group and then found out we needed wristbands had to go to the back of the line then the guy never gave us our lunch tickets On the blue lagoon boat the restroom was out of order.! Spoke with guest services and he took some notes and will have someone get back to me they offered us 20 % off. For that excursion. The coco cay island is geared for kids, no adult only beach, so be aware of screaming kids all day. Machines broken in fitness center. The balcony glass was dirty, i had to clean it myself. Otherwise they left a very bad taste Read Less

We booked this cruise for myself, wife and 6 year old daughter. The itinerary was the main factor in booking this cruise as we wanted to explore perfect day and take the little one swimming with dolphins in the Bahamas. We flew into Newark airport the night before the cruise and stayed in a hotel. The following morning was sat in breakfast when the ship popped up on the news. Some passengers had flu like symptoms and were being sent for tests, the rest disembarked. We had no news from RCL so assumed boarding was as stated. Arrived at the terminal and was then told no boarding till Saturday. Back to the Hotel to check back in. Had emails from RCL waiting for test results and would delay boarding till sat (Email confirming) Checked out again sat morning and waited for a further update from RCL. Update came through sat afternoon no boarding till Monday and stated their compensation package. Stayed in a different hotel as ours was full. Test results came back from the CDC late Sat night and we could board Sunday and Monday, however we would now be sailing to Bermuda. Having never been and unable to get flights back to the UK we decided to stay. Compensation package. $200 per night hotel costs, 50% cruise fair back as on-board credit (refundable any unspent), 50% future cruise credit. Got a shuttle to the port, dropped off and onto the ship within 30mins. Room we had an obstructive Balcony on deck 6, the bottom 1/4 of the balcony was the top of a life boat but didn't affect the views. Revised Itinerary Monday: Left NY sailed up the river past the statue of liberty and then did a 180 and sailed back past and out to sea. Tuesday: At Sea Wed: Bermuda Thur: Bermuda till 3pm Fri: At sea The ship is modern, clean and the staff very friendly. The IFLY experience (Free, yes, I know!!!!) was fun and my 6-year-old daughter is a natural. The Iplex, bumper cars and roller-skating (Also free) was also great fun. We tried a couple of the shows but not really our cup of tea, especially with children, bit too long tbh. The evening entertainment was limited but again due to the coronavirus scare I am guessing the acts were last minute. Food only went to windjammer for the little one who can have what she wants. Food was tasty and the staff/head chef very helpful and friendly. Being English I do enjoy chatting cricket with the Indian staff (England current world champions). Always find the main restaurants repetitive. The speciality restaurants I always find expensive on RCL so avoided. Drinks package for the little one was amazing, and she got her money's worth, just watch for the E numbers!!!! lol The indoor pool was a god send as the weather at sea was a cloudy or wet, with some rocking going on. We had dolphins booked for Bahamas and looked for dolphins in Bermuda. RCL offered a package for $370!!!!!! Got off the ship at Bermuda and a 5-minute walk we arrived at dolphin quest, $175 thank you very much. Daughter loved it and was shaking with excitement. I cannot stress to people go to dolphin quest and enjoy the animals and friendly staff. Bermuda: Gorgeous place with friendly people. Weather was 20c but felt hotter with blue skies. Enjoyed our time here, the dockyard and museum are well worth a visit and you get in free if you go to dolphin quest. Over all the cruise was ok. I didn't like the ship as much as the Oasis and Independence, just seemed more to do on these ships rather than the Anthem. The boardwalk area, was small, reminded me a little of the older P&O ships. Personally, I think adults will like this ship more than families. Yes, there are kids' clubs, but I like to spend time with my children on holidays and enjoy the shows, ship, destinations together. I will cruise RCL again, but not on the Anthem. Newark airport, I found the Passport control staff rude. As a military man I understand the need for firmness but even so you can be polite with it. I nearly lost it with one individual but bit my tongue as I wanted to get into the country. On departure quick and easy through the airport, but word of warning to UK flyers on BA. The terminal once you go through security is small 1 shop and food is obscene expensive!! complete daylight robbery. I would not use Newark airport again TBH. Final note. 1 week later and RCL have refunded 50% of the cruise fare and our hotels cost. Good work RCL. Read Less

This was our first ever cruise to celebrate our 25th Anniversary and it was absolutely amazing We left from New Jersey New York, and as this was our first ever we were a bit nervous but everything is so well organised we felt completely at ease with the embarkation Everything about the ship was great, brilliant staff who worked so hard and was so friendly Very clean ship Food was excellent and plenty of choice, the waters and waitress couldn’t do enough for you Our stateroom was very clean and spacious Brilliant entertainment especially: We Will Rock you and Spectre Cabaret The island we stopped at were San Juan Porto Rico, St Martins, Antigua and St Kitts we loved getting of the ship to browse through the shops We went on one excursion to St Martin beach which was so well organised and absolutely everything we wanted As this was our first ever cruise we were absolutely delighted and would definitely recommended to out friends Read Less

The ship common areas are too small for amount of passengers lineups for every thing even if you have reservations ,bars small and noisy can not here performers because of back ground noise seats in theater very low hard on back also Royal Caribbean caters to some of their clients with holding seats for shows and closing off venues for their use only, leaving the mass of great unwashed to fend for them selves . Food is good but all the really excellent meals are the restaurants that you have to pay extra for and who started this policy of paying extra to eat on cruise ship . Service was very spotty some was great other not so much,pools are a joke size is too small for amount of people on ship. Tours booked through ship where a disaster always waiting for someone and never on time to start if people can not get there so sad you missed it . Would not go on this ship again Read Less

We enjoyed our cruise very much the ship was beautiful and spotless. The ship had thousands of passengers but we never felt overcrowding even at the pool. We had no complaints about the dining--the food was not restricted--one could eat at different locations and times--all day and all evening. No dressing up unless desired. We had an inside cabin that was well appointed more spacious an expected. We thought the virtual balcony was a waste of resources and kept the drapes closed. We had no complaints about the service and really were not interested in the activities. Our only complaints were about the entertainment and TV. The lounge and pool entertainment was very good. We thought the three productions on stage were awful and boring. We and many other walked out early. The TV as too limited with pay movies old, mostly unknown and overpriced. Technically the TV lacked closed caption and had no place to access a headphone or audio. The people in charge forgot all someone who has limited hearing or a situation where only one person wants to watch TV. The shore excursions are redundant and depending on personal opinion--staying on the ship might be a better choice. Embarkation and departure were OK and we would go on this cruise again. Read Less

Booked this cruise as love royals attitude to cruising, but was a little disappointed with my experience on this ship, my travel agent found this cruise for us, didn't realise at the time that my favourite nights were no more, i loved formal nights, a time to dress your best along with most other passengers, the dress your best night was not the same as as a lot of passengers seem as bothered ,the ship itself seemed more rocky and vibrated a lot which we never experienced on other ships maybe due overhaul,it was very clean and well cared for which is evidence all round the ship, our cabin was a fare size plenty of room for 2 and lots of storage space, shower room was spacious enough for what we used it for, the virtual balcony gave the illusion of daylight in room so thought it was a great addition, dining rooms are all decorated differently and we loved American icon best for décor, felt more relaxing, all the entertainment round ship is well performed from spectre to we will rock you, but above all our favourite was The Royal Swedes the best group we have listened to in a long time, lead singer could practically sing anything, and thought nothing of letting any passenger that wanted to sing have a go, will certainly be looking out for them in future, service was spot on never waited long for anything and bar staff even knew what we wanted after first order amazing, we never had excursions as we like to do our own thing, especially with itinerary we were on got of more or less near beaches and shops, disembarking was fast and easy only problem we had was our pick up wasn't till 11 o'clock asked night before if somewhere to wait in terminal till our lift arrived as we had to be off ship by 8 o'clock was told there was, but there wasn't we had to sit outside in the cold till a fellow passenger told us there was a warming bus we can sit in to keep warm, I was so cold by this time, so was grateful to them apart from that cruise was good Read Less

We took this cruise because we wanted to leave out of the New York area and having sailed on the Anthem several years earlier we would do it again. What a difference in the dining experience. We had the anytime dining and since we reserved the times getting a table went fairly smoothly. The wait staff on the most part was friendly. The food was far below what it had been on prior cruise with RCL. It was tasteless and cold. Portions were small, same amount of shrimp on an entree dish as in the shrimp cocktail. Seasoning was forgotten on most dishes. I am not a foodie on any level and yet found it difficult to find something to choose. The choices were repetitive and quality was not there. The meal felt rushed, I suppose by ordering appetizers the entree and desert all at once is a timesaver but when the desert comes before your coffee not a good sign. The other item that seemed out of the ordinary was available items not on menu but had to be asked for. The menu listed chocolate vanilla and strawberry for the ice cream. Two days into the cruise i noticed someone having sherbet and asked the waiter about it and said you have to ask for alternate choices. What was funny was told there was no pistachio after the waiter said it was available, all of a sudden on the last evening the pistachio ice cream appeared obviously air lifted in. The Windjammer was not any better repetitive options as well as hidden items. You had to ask for certain cereals which was kept under the counter, a fellow passenger pointed that out to me. On the positive side the crew was friendly and tried to make our cruise a wonderful experience. The ship is well maintained but some of the chairs and couches could use some freshening up as they appeared to be showing their age. Entertainment staff seemed less then enthusiastic and made it seem that the trivia contests, which were always well attended, was something to be rushed through and gotten over with. Two of the shows were the same as four years ago and need to be updated. Did not go on any excursions having been to these islands on past cruises. Overall value for the money spent but you get what you pay for. Read Less

Warning: Do not cruise from Bayonne in January during school break (to be safe, avoid the entire month of January) unless you want around 40% of your fellow passengers to be unsupervised teenagers, children, and their parents. Here is some of what we saw: - teens playing soccer in the hallways - kids running over people trying to exit the elevator - kids throwing tantrums in main dining room and crawling around the restaurant floor in pajamas - kids crying and kicking the walls in their stateroom at 10pm - teenage make out sessions in the Solarium after dark - kids attending '18 and over' events (adult comedian, silent dance party, the Quest). RC staff refused to enforce any of the '18 and over' rules - kids and teens making so much noise that you could not hear or enjoy the entertainers - parents refusing to remove disruptive children from entertainment or dining venues - toddlers on the dance floor in the Music Hall at 10pm (adults had to avoid tripping over them while dancing) - kids sitting at the bars Read Less

Let me begin by saying we had a very good time on our cruise and there were may outstanding and memorable experiences on this cruise. The "problems" I will note in this review are most definitely "First World Problems" and even the world "problem" may be too extreme. And yet, for the price paid ($12,769.30 for two people), I feel there was a justifiable expectation of excellence. Our previous cruise in Star Class on Anthem's sister ship Ovation was outstanding and so we ponied up the additional ~$8,000 to move up from a Grand Suite to a Grand Loft and Star Class. Star Class is where you get a Royal Genie and, since there are fewer than 10 Star Class suites on board, get outstanding, exclusive service. (See my review of that cruise, "Cruising with a Genie! - The Star Suite Experience") Turns out that the Star Class experience on Anthem was world's away from the experience we enjoyed on Ovation. It is possible that we simply had a mundane Royal Genie or it is possible that Royal Caribbean has not established a consistent product or communicated the Star Class program effectively across the fleet. Regardless, the experience was very uneven and definitely less than what we expected based on our previous experience. Our Genie did everything we asked for but was really not proactive and we often felt we were bothering him with our requests. After a couple of days we stopped asked for many things. The general ship staff was excellent but many areas of the ship were unaware of and unprepared to provide that next level service one might expect of Star Class. As a small example; on Ovation when we wanted to partake in the bumper cars there was a clearly posted sign at the front of the line for Star Class. All we had to do was walk over and the staff operating the event immediately put as in first. We didn't even have to show our cards as virtually all of the staff knew who the Star Class passengers were (There can typically only be 20 - 30 Star Class on this class ship). On Anthem there was no such sign. When walked over the people who were waiting in line were giving us dirty looks - which I completely understand - because there was no signage to help explain the situation. Furthermore, the staff operating the event gave us a hard time on one occasion - even after we showed them our card. Turns out they were evidently unaware of Star Class. To be fair, there was some truly excellent service on board Anthem. Coastal Kitchen has been a fantastic upgrade for all of Royal Caribbean's suite guests. The staff there, led by the amazing Assistant Maitre D' Jacob Abraham, were beyond first class. They were great for all guests but provided an even greater level of customized meals and service for the Star Class passengers. I also want to shout out to Hemant Kumar, Jr. Sous Chef, who went so far above and beyond to provide amazing customized meals - always showing the greatest attention and customer service. In general, as has been our experience on virtually all of our cruises on Royal Caribbean ships, the staff was very good, very customer focused and very friendly. If we had only been in a regular Grand Suite we would have been VERY happy with the service across the board. Embarkation was great! This was probably the most Star Class like part of the entire cruise. Zero waiting in line. Someone immediately came to us, got our luggage and escorted us to get refreshments while our luggage was scanned and our papers processed. Debarkation was ok. We did get walked past the long lines but the luggage area was a bit chaotic and there was less assistance - but we got through reasonably enough. The entertainment on board was very very good. The Royal Caribbean house performers were great. (The drummer was simply amazing). The shows and headliners were first rate. Our Grand Loft Suite 10724 was a beautiful and very functional room - but it showed a lot of wear and all suites at the back of Anthem have a gremlin.... BEWARE: Anthem of the Seas has a strange vibration issue at the back of the ship and the ship seems to be more sensitive to rough seas than others we have been on! We cruise Anthem's sister ship, Ovation, across the Tasman Sea and back with far less movement than Anthem had going down the Eastern Seaboard. It's possible that we just had really rough seas. What I struggle to understand is the VERY heavy vibration that occurred at the back of the ship during rough weather. This was so bad that it tossed us around in bed. We were told that this had to so with cavitation of the propellers when the waves hit the ship just right. Perhaps, but I have never experienced anything like this before. I wonder if Anthem sustained some damage when it was thrown around so violently during a Nor'easter a few years back? There was also a thunderstorm like growl that often accompanied the vibrations. I will try to upload a video clip of this (it may be too large to attach). We have heard that Anthem is going in for some work and refreshing soon. It needs it. There was torn upholstery, seat cushion, worn carpet and worn away paint all over the place. Royal Caribbean does do a good job of keeping their ships clean and maintained (as opposed to refreshed) and Anthem was no exception. Very clean, very well maintained. Our ports and shore excursions were generally good - with the exception of San Juan. I have no idea why Royal Caribbean insists on going there so often. It is really not a good port, the people are not particularly inviting, it feels unsafe and the excursions are lack luster. Create Your Own Perfume on St. Maarten was surprisingly good! Just a really fun activity and managed really well. Antigua Beach Extravaganza was far to overcrowded and waves were dangerously harsh. Several people were injured while we were there - including a broken ankle. Let's Make Chocolate in St. Lucia was also fun and well done. Sadly our chocolate didn't come our very good - but that's hardly the fault of the excursion. Basseterre by Segway was one of the better Segway tours. They let us run the Segways and not just follow the leader at a slow pace. We will continue to cruise on Royal Caribbean and their sister cruise line, Celebrity, but I doubt we will go the extra mile to book Star Class. Just too much money to risk a repeat of this experience. I would like to end with a general shout out the the Royal Caribbean crew members. I know that every week they have a new set of passengers. No sooner have they finished off a cruise and the experience of closing out a group of passengers when another group comes on board. Yet, they make it feel all brand new every time - like this is just the newest and most exciting day! Read Less

They will tell you your insect bites are from the area where you dock, give you cream and pills for any allergic reaction but KNOW THE SIGNS OF BEDBUGS BITES (whelps, small bites in a row). Cruise lines are known for bedbugs in fact. If you value your health don’t travel on this ship. When we got off, another group on the same day. Hardly enough time to rid the ship of an infestation. The theaters, couch in the room and outside furniture also have bedbugs. I had a suite so I paid a LOT of money to be a meal to their insects for 11 days. They even go so far as inspecting the room to tell you there’s nothing there. This will work for a day or 2 but the bugs are in the room full force again after that and you will have the bug bites to prove it. Do your own bedbug detection and insist they correct the problem because once you’re on the ship you won’t be able to get off for a day or 2 and there’s no sense going to another bedbug-room on the ship. The food was impeccable as usual with any cruise with many varieties of food for everyone. No matter what type of diet, there was food to fit your appetite. Getting of the ship went very quickly, minutes in fact and I wound up waiting for my ride for an hour. This was my 3rd time on this ship and the excursions weren’t attractive since I’d been to most of the ports. I didn’t get off at 2 of the ports as a result and the ship didn’t got to Antigua, St. John as scheduled. I attended stretch and abs classes. The fitness instructor arrived late, ended the classes early and didn’t demonstrate or do the exercises with the class. What a waste of time this was! My onboard experience was poor overall after suffering bedbug bites during my time on board as I was scratching and experiencing pain from the adverse reaction to the insect feasting on my body. Public restrooms were clean as seen by the eye. I didn’t make a habit of using them considering my unfortunate experience with bedbugs, I didn’t want to catch anything else. I went to my room instead for the majority of my time on the ship. I suspect the theater is also riddled with bedbugs too. I felt something crawling on my ankle but couldn’t tell what it was because it was dark. The staff was very courteous and friendly.my stateroom attendant, waiters, greeters and shop personnel were amazing and set the atmosphere of excitement for the times we were at sea. Given the amount of money I paid for this (I had a suite), there weren’t a lot of perks. I was told I’d have a bathrobe to use but the only way I got it was to call housekeeping and expected a tip for bringing it. No matter what the cost, a person’s health is at stake due to the unsanitary presence of bedbugs. With the money they’re charging they can surely afford to provide the guests the peace of mind of being insect free on their luxury liner. Read Less

We sailed out of Cape Liberty, NJ on Dec. 28th, 2019, at 3:00 PM for an eight day cruise. We returned on Jan. 5th, 2020 to the same port at 6:00 AM. We had three ports of call; Cape, Nassau, Bahamas and Royals own Island "Perfect Day". We are long time fans of this Cruise Line. This was are 8th cruise in the last 15 years. Our last on the line was just three years ago. Historically, we would tell everyone who would listen what a great deal vacationing with Royal Caribbean was. We even carry their VISA awards card. So we have a history to compare this cruise to. First; they have changed their business model and not for the good. They now are pushing the drink packages on you. We discussed this option before leaving and not being big drinkers decided against it. We arrived the day of departure and I ordered a double vodka, with club. The cost for this drink was $19.00, which included an auto applied 18% gratuity. In the past the drinks on board had been priced pretty much the same as any on shore restaurant. So we buy the drink package for the week. The cost of the drink packages amounted to $531.00 per person. Or, as the sell the package, just $66.38 per day. Given that your really on the ship only seven days and eight nights this figure jumps to $75.86 per day. Again invoice states your gratuities for bar, restaurant, etc. are included in your fare, they add 18% to cover your bar bill in your drink package... The only shore excursion was to Cape Canaveral unfortunately it was booked full. We took the bus to Coco Beach. It was a rather windy day and not really a beach day. The food on this trip was not up to the past experiences. We found the portions to be small and the meal was just OK. Perfect Day Island is well done; they charge 12 service fee on any purchases. Our son really enjoyed the water park. We ate at both Chops Steak House and The Italian restaurants.On past cruises Royal gave you a credit for the dining room meal that you were passing on for the different dining experience. A credit is no longer being given. The price of the two restaurants was about what you would pay for an up scale city outing. We thought both restaurants were good but not great. Service was good, waiters were friendly. Read Less

BAYONNE easier than going to NY but a BIG mistake so sorry I took this cruise' 1 bar of soap in cabin. No tissues towards end of cruise. Towels thread bare. Sheets & pillow cases used & ripped Put bath towels under pillows to plump them up Mattress uncomfortable & next door cabin when they closed the door hard, my room shook No one cared..I got "I'm sorry" from main office for every complaint I had.& 15% off next cruise… NEVER on RC again. Wasted time on the phone pouring my heart out & absolutely nothing was done about all the tipping I did to get things that should have come w/the cabin. RC got so cheap even w/food. My table had 3 lobster tails one night for dinner..they were inferior..& the size of my little finger. A gal in Customer Service could not even remember my name...called me Cheryl..then Rouse & sent me to the wrong cabin 3x. Even the final statement I got someone elses. Read Less

We've sailed RC before, and this ship 2x, and knew we'd have great service and lots of fun. We took our 15 and 16 year old daughters and they had a blast since there were tons of teens on board. We met up with cruise friends and enjoyed each and every day. Getting on board and leaving the last day was super quick and easy. Well done. We had the drink package and wish we knew that Starbucks and other special drinks, like fresh squeezed orange juice, were part of the package. They don't make that clear anywhere. We found out late int he trip. We skipped the water park and all the lines at Coco Cay - the rides were mobbed. Even with 2 ships on the island we had plenty of beach chairs and decent bar service. Our tip is to go all the way to the far end of the island, Chill Beach near the construction barriers was practically empty for us all day. We were close to food, which was great and had lots of options, and we enjoyed the gorgeous pool and swim up bar. When it comes to parties beyond NYE on the promenade deck don't expect much. They tried to do a sail away party from Nassau and it was lacking compared to other ships. Hardly anyone came, the music was just a bunch of line dances led by the crew with little guest participation, it was a dud to say the least. The shows... "The Gift" was good though the story was hard to follow. "Spectras Cabaret" had a lot of early departures - people came, gave it 10 mins, and left. "We Will Rock You" was great - though some felt it was a little long (the finale is fabulous!!!). We caught the second half of the "Quest" and wish we knew how fun it would be - we'd have gone for the whole event. I went to the gym and found it average - nothing special. Totally packed the first few days and then yo'd get room on the weights in the afternoons. You will find lots of people who never go to a gym there the first few days giving it a try, they however do not understand gym etiquette and don't clean up after themselves and hog the equipment. Wish there was more room for free weights. We will be back on Royal Caribbean...next time, Europe. Read Less

This was our second time on Anthem. I remembered the beds were uncomfortable the first time but this time, I ended up after three nights of sleeping in them, getting horrific back spasms that have continued. When I asked guest services for some sort of help, they were able to put extra bed comforters on top of the mattresses and that helped a little but not much. I went to the spa, desperate for help. They recommended acupuncture which cost $200! Not sure it made a difference. I called the medical office and they said I should take pain medicine. That wasn't helping, so I called again a couple days later and they said I had just missed the morning clinic and would have to wait 5 hours before the evening clinic started. I just spent the rest of the cruise sitting or in bed. A huge disappointment since we are normally walking all around the ports and/or the ship. We tried the bumper cars but the line was entirely too long. Got us discouraged from trying to do the other events in the sea Plex. Did not want to roller skate with a helmet and knee pads either. The food in the main dining room was okay but the specialty restaurants were much much better. The room attendant was nice but not as detail-oriented by any means as we had experienced in the past. I will say, it's very efficient getting on and off the ship so that is nice. We love the solarium and 270 is really cool. The shows are great as well. We planned this Cruise almost a year in advance. I had been finishing up my doctoral degree and was really looking forward to time with my kids and my husband. Unfortunately, I had to leave them in Nassa because the back spasms were so bad and then spent the rest of the next three days mostly in bed. Read Less

Sailed 5 times and Second Sailing on the Anthem this year and they made a very big change to App Since My last Sailing in April. For one they took away any Msg or IMsg service without notifying anyone. It will now cost you at least the min data package and with a family of 20 for the new Year Cruise we could of dished out over $2000 dollars for 8 days. They said there testing a new app on 3 other ships, but why they took something away before it was ready. Every Day there are to many announcements for passengers to contact guest services I was even woken at 5 am with announcements for passenger to contact the guest services. If they had Msg App they could just txt them. Pool side entertainment without the passengers being the entertainment is almost none during day time. Boat Band once played at pool deck for 20 min took 15 rest then played 20 more then left. Big Pool Screen TV repeats same cat dog video every 20 min Every Day, Every day. Only when Passengers are involved (sexy man, Belly Flop) is there entertainment Staff don't even try. There is no Party atmosphere around pool as you find on NCL, Disney Don't now why. April school break is coming and there is always more kids then adults maybe try and change something Get a DJ for pool side. Get back Chive tv. "The Gift" show no one understands and to long with people walking out during performance. I only went to the show for some new passengers and they asked me what was going on I could not tell them as I have never figured it out and until they said they had enough. Read Less