We picked this cruise for a few reasons like short travel distince to departure city, activities to two tween girls, and what seemed like a pretty good price. Silly me didn't do enough research before I booked, and after reading some bad reviews, I worried I'd made a serious mistake.

I'm amazed that people can have such different perspectives of the same or similar experiences, so the main thing I learned is I had to sail on Anthem of the Seas to really judge for myself.

My main fear was the size of the ship and the number of passengers. So many reviews I read complained about excessive crowds, long waits, and sold-out activities. While all of that is certainly possible, it's also completely avoidable with careful planning. Read more