Anthem of the Seas Review

Great Ship, but Disappointing Cruise

Review for the Bahamas Cruise on Anthem of the Seas
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jkjjpc
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

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Additional details

Sail Date: Dec 2015
Cabin: Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Traveled with children

We chose this cruise since it did not require us to fly to reach the embarkation port, it included a "day" in Orlando and a "day" at Atlantis for our 13-year old son, and the fact that the Anthem is RCI's newest ship and we have had good experiences on the Oasis and Allure.

Overall, the ship was beautiful, but we missed some of the features from the Oasis class that have been left out of the Quantum class ships and did not find the replacement venues that appealing. The Northstar ride was fun, but once you've done it there is little reason to do it again. So, it has more "marketing" value than true value to add to the cruise experience. Our son enjoyed the Seaplex with the bumper cars and ping pong/Xbox areas, but he never had a chance to roller skate since the times it is offered and restrictions on number of participants make it challenging to participate. The gymnastics in the Seaplex is also mostly a marketing gimmick since it is only offered a couple of times during the cruise and then only a very small number of guests can participate. The rock climbing wall was rarely open, probably due to high winds caused the need for the ship to go near top speed for 4 days to cover the long distances to reach Florida and the Bahamas from NYC. Plus, the rock climbing wall is on the starboard side of the ship, not the rear like on Oasis class, so it is more impacted by winds.

We missed the ice skating rink and skating shows, but the cruise director explained that he found the Seaplex more versatile for all day use. We really missed the Crown Lounge on the top deck. That is a great place on Oasis class ships for a pre-dinner drink or a late-night drink/dessert with entertainment. On Anthem the only bars with a view are outdoors and were not the same for relaxation at night (particularly on a cruise that leaves from NYC in the winter).

Cabin Review

Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony

Cabin D4

We had connecting balcony cabins (11286 and 11288). The cabins were very similar to those on the Oasis/Allure. There was plenty of storage. The beds were comfortable and each had a sofa (not a sofa bed). The balconies seemed larger than on the Oasis class ships with two chairs with footstools and a small table on each. We had the steward open the balcony doors, so that made it even larger. Plus, the 11288 cabin is at a place on the ship where the rooms start to "jut" out more, so it had a larger balcony as it made the transition. That was a nice bonus. The baths were very nice, excellent water pressure in the showers.

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