We had a great ri,e the foodmusic, food and staff were great I would like to acknowledge our cabin attendent Melvin he was aoways above and beyound expectations we were on deck 12 cabin 278 Our dininf room staff were tremendous We were in the geand Our head wairter was Rahesh he was awesoe the best head wairee we have ever had our waiter was Terry from Mauritius he was awesome. our assostant waiter was Atchawadeefrom Thialand she was great. In the theathre Himanshu took care of me above and beyond This was the best cruise I have been on The shows were great The group the Royal swedes were tremwndous so talented and sweet. The chops grille was great However Jamies Italiam was less then adequate They did nit serve enough Italian food. The Guest services were always very helpful. The solarium and the soarium cafe were wonderful. Bollares night club allowed very young children late at night and I found that in appropiate Loved the music hall 270 was awesome! Thank you Read Less

We cruised out of Bayonne because it is only about 2 hours from our home. Embarkation was quick and organized and we were through security and on the boat within 15 minutes. Our room was ready by 1pm. We had a balcony room on the 7th floor that had a pull-out couch (we traveled with our 4 year old) and plenty of storage. Our room steward was always friendly and efficient. They work so hard. We mostly ate at the Windjammer because it was the easiest option with a young child. Breakfast was delicious everyday. Dinner was hit or miss but there was so many options, we were always able to find something. We did eat in the MDR twice for dinner and the food was great both times. I do wish there were more options for snacks during off times. We went on the North Star on the last sea day of our cruise. It was cold and grey outside. I would definitely recommend trying to do this during one of the port days - I’m sure it would have been a much more enjoyable experience had we done that. We went to 2 shows - Spectras Caberet and We Will Rock You. We Will Rock You was excellent. A previous reviewer of the ship said this show was x-rated. That is not the case at all. There were a few sexual innuendos but nothing too bad at all. We brought our 4 year old and never felt that it was too inappropriate. He says this show was his favorite part of the cruise! With over 4000 people on board - the ship rarely felt crowded. The only time we really noticed the crowds were on the warm sea days where there didn’t seem to be enough chairs to go around. There were a ton of kids on board - many more than I had expected and it seemed many were left unsupervised which was a little off putting. We loved all 3 ports.. Port Canaveral - we went to Magic kingdom for the day and used Royal Caribbean’s transfer. I was worried we wouldn’t have enough time in the park (7 hours) but we were able to get on all the rides we wanted to and had a really great day. Nassau - we went to Blue Lagoon Island for the day. Beautiful Island but I felt the excursion was a bit too short. It was supposed to be 5 hours but things seems a bit disorganized at the pier which cut it down to 4 hours. We had booked a sting ray encounter which was cancelled unfortunately. Since it was cancellled, we were issued a full refund for the day so we ended up getting to experience this day for free. The boat ride to and from blue lagoon island is really pretty - you can’t beat the pretty blue water! Coco Cay - this was our favorite stop. This island is so pretty. The construction is nowhere near complete and I was a bit worried about the construction noises/view but you don’t even remember it’s there within a few minutes. We walked all the way to the far end island (by the floating bar). You can walk all the out into the ocean - maybe 1/3 mile and see lots of fish swimming all around you. Later in the afternoon, when the tide started to come in, we started seeing a lot of reef sharks and large manta rays swimming all around us in the open water. Probably one of the. coolest things I’ve ever experienced. IF your ship isn’t able to stop hear due to the weather - please know that it’s for your safety. It was a relatively calm day when we went and getting on and off the tender was pretty scary. At one point, the bridge that you walk on to get to the tender rocked so hard that the people on it almost fell off! We didn’t utilize the kids club at all but a lot of other families did and they seemed much more relaxed than us! Next time, I think we’ll try it out. We had to go to guest services twice (not for issues with the ship or for complaints) and there wasn’t a line either time and the people working that department were very helpful. All in all, it was a great vacation! We can’t wait to book our next cruise! Read Less

Great features on this ship. Solarium is beautiful as is 270. Enjoyed our time on this ship. Ifly was so much fun and Northstar has great views. Chops filet mignon was excellent. Jaime's was good and waiter was excellent. Music hall is a great space but seating upstairs is not so great. Embarkment and disembark are very fast and easy. Elevators were much more efficient this sailing. Pizza in sorrento is good. Love that they added small buffet to main dining for breakfast and lunch. Great idea. 270 is also nice for breakfast and lunch. Tried solarium Bistro for Dinner one night and food was very good. Dont be scared of reservations required. We showed up and were seated without reservations not crowded at all. You chose a dinner from menu but appetizer and dessert are buffet. Solarium is a good place for sail away especially in cold weather. Try Anthem it's a great ship. Read Less

We took the Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas out of Bayonne, NJ on 23 February 2019. We have cruised on Holland America, Celebrity and Norwegian before. It was a family reunion type trip for us (10 in our party) with about half being their first cruise ever. We had 2 adjoining cabins on deck 11 and 2 separated cabins on deck 8; all the cabins were about midship to prevent seasickness problems. We just kept the spare room key card in the slot so the air conditioning and lights were on whenever we needed them to be. Unlike previous passengers, that was not a problem on this trip. Cabin: Our cabin attendant was friendly and did his job. He only made towel art 3 times during our cruise (whereas our other cruises it was nightly). My cabin had 2 adults and 2 children so it was a little tight at night when the couch was converted into a double sleeping surface but the children didn't complain about it. I asked for extra blankets (the cabin was kept on the cool side for my DH but I get too cold to sleep at that temperature) and that was accommodated with no problem. The bathroom comes with 2 "gentle soaps" to wash your hands/body. In the shower, a 2-in-1 shampoo dispenser is attached to the wall. Our shower door didn't seal completely so we always had to use a used towel to soak up the extra water on the floor (even though there is a drain in the shower as well as next to the toilet). Unfortunately there isn't much of an air vent so the windows definitely fog up after a shower and if anyone stinks up the bathroom, it's going to take a while for the stink to go away. Our room had a balcony with 2 chairs, 2 footstools and a little round table. There isn't much to look at on this trip (Bayonne to Cape Canaveral, FL to Nassau, Bahamas to Cococay and back) but it was still nice to go out on your own balcony to take in the air. Layout: There are 16 decks. Most of the activities we participated on are on decks 14-16 or decks 3-5. I tried to fight the gaining of pounds by walking up and down stairs instead of taking the elevators. But I also took the elevators when I was just too tired (or my feet hurt). I honestly can't decide whether deck 8 or 11 would have been better for all the activities we did since you have to go up and down a lot from either place. Our cabin didn't feel the ups and down of the swells as much as when we were in the front or back of the ship (which was quite noticeable sometimes) but by being in the middle of the ship, you always had to walk a while to get to the elevators or stairs. Dining: First day on board we ate lunch at the Solarium and also had reservations there for dinner. Both were good meals and it's quieter eating here than in the Windjammer. But the Solarium space itself is for adults 18 and older so you do get some looks when you have children around (mine were 11, 12 and 14 on this trip). My immediate family are night owls so we tended to eat breakfast in the Windjammer (has the longest hours) but the early birds said food is good in the TwoSeventy and Solarium and it's MUCH quieter in those locations but selection is less. Breakfast in the Windjammer was my family's favorite meal overall. If you like crepes, there's a crepe station in the furthest back spot of the Windjammer as well as gluten free omelet station (I guess the more special omelet station). Lunch in the Windjammer is hit and miss as to what's good. TwoSeventy has already made sandwiches and Cafe Promenade does that too. Pizza at Sorrento's is wonderful but the sides there are cold (just a warning). Another review said the cookies at Cafe Promenade are awesome but I think the pizza next door was better. I had a voucher for Johnny Rockets so we tried that out. I would not have paid for what they gave us (hamburger had gristle in it; fries at Windjammer are so much better!) If you get a Johnny Rockets voucher, beware that it does not include milkshakes (the only benefit of eating there instead of other places!!) I also had vouchers for 2 for specialty restaurants. Unfortunately it wasn't until after I went to my reservation that I discovered Izumi's (sushi) is not included in the specialty restaurants. But they were good enough to cancel that reservation without any problem. We tried Chops (steakhouse atmosphere, dark wood, dark lighting) and the food was excellent. We also tried Wonderland which is an "experience restaurant". Prepare for a 2 hour meal (but if you're really tight on time, it can be done in about 90 minutes). The food was good there too and it was definitely an experience. The forks and spoons are funky, the food portions will fill you by the end of the meal. The setting is intimate (dark lighting); there are tables for 2 as well as a long rectangular table that sits a lot more. After the first night, we arranged to have a set dining time of 5:30pm at Chic (since it was tough to get 10 people together otherwise). The food was wonderful for the most part; our servers were good (assistant was better than the head waiter). For those who never cruised before, a hint for your selections; if you can't decide between appetizers, main courses or desserts, you can get both or as many of them as you like. I looked like a pig ordering my meals because I would often get 3 appetizers and a couple desserts but I was also getting them to share with my kids (they were first time cruisers). If after you try something and you really like it, you can ask your servers if you can get more of it (sometimes they can get more, sometimes they can't). While I did sign up my youngest for the children's club, he refused to go. Since the whole point was to spend time with family, I let him hang out with the extended family instead. My older two tried a teen activity or two but for the most part, they all just played foosball, ping pong or soccer on their own rather than with the clubs. Entertainment: We saw The Gift. I understand why it gets such split reviews. The females in our group all cried while the males all came away with the remark "what was that all about!?!?" It's a love story but it's told in a very artsy, fartsy way and it doesn't become "clear" until almost the end (apparently only for the females does it become clear). Spectra's Cabaret was more of a spectacle of bizarreness. It was too loud (The Gift was also on the loud side) and strange. It was the cast's last performance (they had the new cast watching) so perhaps you will get a better performance than we did. We had rushed a previous dinner in order to make reservations for the North Star; since other reviews said Bohemian Rhapsody was on the long side and the last half hour was the best, we didn't rush to see it. Unfortunate since that was the best show of the 3. We almost couldn't find seats (we had to find separate seats since we went late). The one-night headliners that they had were very good. Most of the entertainment on the ship was too loud (I don't understand why they blasted it so that those who went into the room would suffer just to possibly draw people in from the outside) Disembarkation: We didn't have any timed excursions so there was no pressure to get off the ship by a certain time for any of the stops. Therefore, we didn't have any trouble getting off (well, except for my one child's card stopped working and we had to go to Guest Services to get a new card; then it didn't work coming back on and we had to get a new card AGAIN) Tips: Sign up for the Escape Room using the iRoyal app (if you have it) on the first day. We tried to sign up on day 3 and it was completely booked already (sigh). Otherwise, you can go to Shore Excursions or Guest Services to sign up on their iPads. Same goes for iFly and North Star. We had a collective brain fart and no one remembered to go to our iFly time slot so we missed out. North Star should be done during the day; we went at night and all you really see is the blue glow of the lights within North Star or you see the pool down below you. We were hoping to see the stars but the lights within are too bright to see out in the night. Rock climbing was fun; there are 3 lines you can climb. It's a first come-first serve. Depending on how many people there are, usually you climb up once (hit the bell at the top or in the middle) and then you have to get back in line to try the other ropes. If you fall off, you have to get back in line too. But if there's no one around (usually close to bad weather conditions) you can go multiple times in a row. The treadmills on the ship are okay but not high end gym level. So I ran on the running track outside (approximately 3 laps equals 1 mile). First time hardly anybody was out there since it was still cold, windy and misty. Once the sun came out, the running track gets filled with sunbathers and walkers. If you really want to run, I can tell you from experience that 12am-2am is a great time for having it to yourself. There is definitely a headwind and tail wind effect, especially at the front of the ship. In fact, the last day I ran up there, the winds were so blustery, the crew had closed off the front section of the ship on the running track. Also, they will close that level if the weather is bad (happened once to DH and once to me). I was surprised that the gym was full but never such that I had to wait to use equipment (I only went a couple times to the gym). I spent a lot of time in the casino. It wasn't as smoky as I feared it would be but it really depended on who was there. There were a couple nights the smokers made it smokier (I am not a smoker) and even though I was in the NS section, it just permeates the room. Most of the dealers are very nice and will help you learn how to play. There's one cash Texas Hold'em table. Get there by 9pm if you want to play or you can add your name to the waitlist. The Park West Art folks were also very friendly and knowledgeable. Champagne is offered at many of their auctions. The first night there were "free" alcohol samples being given and the line was nearly the size of the Esplanade area (too long for me). So go early if you want this one. There were 2 "Formal" nights. But the range of formal really ranged so don't worry too much about having a tux or suit. I even saw a nice shirt with jeans pass for formal. Read Less

We have always sailed with Royal Caribbean and look forward to our cruises. I enjoyed it more than Oasis and here’s why. There are a lot more places to hang out and relax outside of your room and the pool areas. Oasis had Central Park which was very limited. Anthem has Two70 there are shows and events there but it’s super comfortable to hang out in and has great views. Lots of places to sit both inside and outside. The staff was awesome and the ship was well maintained. The only exception being bathroom doors that were difficult to lock in public ladies rooms. The We Will Rock You was really good. There were a lot of activities going on for all ages. We had a balcony stateroom. It was one of the best layouts I’ve seen. Best for clothing storage-ample closets and drawers. We had an issue with air circulation and it was immediately resolved. I would definitely sail on Anthem again Read Less

My DW and I cruise out of Cape Liberty because of its convenience. We take Yankee Trails bus lines from Catskill, NY and you are at the pier in less than two and a half hours. We got into some Bayonne Friday traffic and the ride was a little longer than usual, but that happens We were traveling with three of my adult children, their spouses and three grandkids. My son in law was involved in a car accident in October so he was in a wheelchair at times. Let me tell you Royal Caribbean met us and took over getting him on the ship. Start to finish, we were on in 15 minutes. My DW and I were in a Junior Suite on deck 13(642), one daughter and family were in a Family Junior Suite on deck 9, and the other daughter didn’t have her kids and she and her husband were on 9 right next door. My son and his wife were on deck 7, in an virtual inside cabin. Our Cabin attendant was outstanding. No stone left unturned. We are pretty simple cruisers and don’t ask for much, but he was always thinking. The cabin was immaculate! A great big THANK YOU! Dining. In the main dining room we were seated at table 307, way in the back of The Grande,and it was great. A table for twelve (for our 11 member family) and the service couldn’t have been better. My three year old granddaughter hugged both headwaiter and assistant waiter, and thanked them for everything. I asked for savory bites (some of you know what they are) on the first night and we had them every time we were in the m d r. Day three we all ate at Jamie’s Italian and the staff in the restaurant made us all feel like family and we had an outstanding meal. Day five we all ate at Chops, they gave my family the room in the back reserved for select dining, and the meal was exquisite! All my kids did different things at the ports and went their own way, so I don’t have a lot to say on the ports. We have done those so many times. We stayed with the three year old on board and took her swimming (oh to love that inside pool), and found plenty to do on board with grandma and grandpa. We did go to the Kennedy Space Center while in Port Canaveral and took the guided tour and never saw the grandkids take more pictures. They loved it. Disembarkation was simple. Our bus was due around 10:15 am so we went to 270, had breakfast and waited until pretty close to last call (it was cold outside for the kids) and got through Customs rather quickly. I do love the facial recognition scanner Customs uses. So, to sum it all up, we had a fantastic cruise. The staff was outstanding, the food was delicious and the ship was...well, shipshape! We have been on Anthem three times. Upon disembarkation, we are Diamond! I wouldn’t hesitate to book Anthem, or any other Royal Caribbean ship (I do have a cruise booked on Celebrity Equinox in November), but we will be given Elite status across the board. Happy sailing! Read Less

This won't be a minute description. We have cruised enough to take the great with the not so great realistically. Despite some ups and downs (most of which were family related) we have already signed up to take the same cruise the same week next year. OK, the ship is showing a bit of wear and will need the minor refurb this fall before the major refurb next year. The ship was running at capacity, over 4000 passengers. We were told over 1600 kids were on the cruise, this being NYC area winter break week. It seemed like every single passenger we met was from Long Island. We are from upstate New York, so immersion in that culture was kind of fun (and often hilarious) for us. Two problematic areas of ship infrastructure: 1. Elevators - long waits most of the time. Some switches (call buttons, floor buttons etc) were inconsistent or just not working. Some cars out of service intermittantly throughout the cruise. Overall they worked well enough, but barely. 2. VOOM and the Q app for phones - On this sailing this service was a disaster. On debarkation day thousands of people were trying to download the app simultaneously (HINT: GET THE APP BEFORE YOU SAIL, just don't expect it to work until you are on board, if then only barely). Unfortunately many staff reservation systems are on the same network, so they were all non functioning until second day of the trip. Promotions from RCCL claiming you can stream over this system were false. There was not enough bandwidth ever to stream a You Tube video for example. This overload of the system might be due to all the kids on board? We were happy we booked a suite and got Drink Packages, since the suite related services saved the cruise for us. Really loved the Concierge Lounge, Sky Deck etc. Made it feel like what I imagine cruising was like in thirty or forty years ago - everything included. Read Less

For several years we wanted to go on a cruise with Royal Carbeen, the pictures, the beauty of the boats gave us confidence. It must not only be beautiful, but happy to satisfy us. the disastrous experience of our cruise brings us back to our first cruise 20 years ago. If I can summarize, wait in line, wait to go to the restaurant, even if we had a reservation, expect all the morning at least 15 minutes if we wanted an omelette, wait 45 minutes for the skate wheel or the auto tapping and what to say to come back tomorrow very cavalierly. The choice at the Windjammer Cafe buffet, the variance and taste was the worst of all the cruises we had. It was always very similar, and if we did not arrive at the reopening from 7:00 am or 3:30 pm, the hour goes on, unless it's fresh, dry and hard. For the late-night end, after 9:00 pm, not much, a chance that the Level 4 pizza was very good, but $ 6,000 to eat a slice of pizza at night, it was not térible. A chance we had a suite, you could eat at the costal kitchen, the exemplary service of the person (mainly Lina) and the excellent taste of the food. It is certain that the majority of the dishes had a Jamaican tendency (coming from the chief cook), but it was a pleasure for the mouth. Almost every night we ate there, it saved our cruise. For other meals a la carte (free) it's the same, it's the same menu with a different decort. We went for lunch, I think of the American icon, poor service, a 1st employee served the juice ... and stop there, after 10 minutes, no one came to see me, although I could easily count 20 people who work there in 10 seconds of observation. (I meant talking to each other and not working). So we decided to go to the small buffet of this restaurant, as dry as the big buffet. When we decided to leave, we had 11 plates to stack on our table (4 people at the table), and apart from the girl who was going to offer us juice, we did not exist. To end with the Windjammer Cafe buffet, there was not enough room to eat, we were still looking for several minutes to toruver a place and always had to leave a person to monitor the table. And the configuration is not efficient, it does not give a restaurant ordered to serve thousands of people. Another big disappointment, private island, cocokay, in all the internet sites, it shows us a park with wave pool and sled ... pay attention, it's a lie it does not exist yet, arriving on the ile, there was a poster, soon in 2019, or in 2018, or another in 2020. it is a fraudulent sale to make us believe that there will be all this, and that there is nothing, my boy of 15 years came expressly for the day in this island. In closing, the boat's employees did not look as happy as on the Holland America or Norwegian, after seeing a white-shirted team leader jostling a restaurant clerk and pulling him by the arm in the kitchens, I tell you, that the other employees gave more than one regime of terror on this boat than pleasure. Read Less

It was February break in the Northeast and the only appealing thing to cruising out of New Jersey in the middle of winter was the fact that we didn't have to fly. I had low expectations of an overcrowded ship with kids everyone, mediocre food, and so so entertainment. I was pleasantly surprised and had one of the best vacations ever! We were a group of 11 (4 moms and 7 kids ranging int ages 10-16). Debarkation was an absolute breeze. we arrived at the port around 10:30 and were on the ship by 11:00. Parking was no fuss easiness. The price was a little steep, but oh well. The ship is beautiful with something for everyone. The kids spent the majority of their time in the Seaplex playing basketball, soccer and air hockey (beware of the charge for air hockey games. The arcade charge showed up several times on my account). The moms spent the mornings running on the upper deck and the afternoons relaxing in the sun. We did my time dining and had really good meals each night! We rarely made reservations and typically had 8-10 people eating together at a time. I think the longest we waited for a table was 15 minutes. We had the deluxe beverage package and it was worth every penny. It included specialty coffees, milkshakes from Johnny Rockets, and top shelf liquors, great IPA's in the Irish Pub, espresso with baily's at dinner, etc.. It was great to be able to try different drinks and not worry about charging every single one to your onboard account. I loved the bracelets you could purchase for $5 from guest services that worked as your seapass card. No more looking around the room for my card! I just wore the bracelet the whole time. The entertainment was wonderful. Loved We Will Rock You. Had a blast at the Matt Yee adult sing along, enjoyed listening to the singer int he Irish Pub every night and laughed out loud at the comedians. The service everyone was incredible. The staff always took the extra step to make everything perfect. All in all, I would recommend this ship and look forward to sailing with RC again! Read Less

OK, here we go. This is a detailed review. We are experienced cruisers and have been on many ships on different lines over the past 30 years. RCCL is the one we cruised with the most and are Diamond status, so we’ve had great and not so great experiences over the years – in both regular rooms and suites. This is our second time on Anthem of the Seas (you can look at our previous review from 2016). Service We heard a few complains here and there, but that is expected on a ship this large. We found overall the service to be very good. There were issues in the past with a serious lack of poolside servers, but that has been fixed apparently as there plenty of servers around the pool areas and the other public venues on the ship. The crew is eager to please and waiters go out of their way to make you happy it seems. Even in the Windjammer where they have staff that will get you drinks and quickly clean up after you. Food OK this one is a mixed bag, and the main reason for the 3 star review. Our experience mimics similar experiences on other ships. I am going to break this down as to be clear about how we feel about each type of food service. Windjammer Buffet – This in my opinion is probably one of the best I have experienced out of every ship I’ve been on. The layout, the offerings and the quality are outstanding. Yes there were some duds, but overall it is very well done. Eggs Benedict, smoked salmon and all sorts of baked goods in the morning. Great fish, carved meats and Indian specialties for lunch and dinner. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and salads. Seating can be hard to come by at peak times, but there are great floor to ceiling windows for a view and a nice outdoor area in the rear of the buffet. Specialty Restaurants – We dined at Chops Steakhouse and Jamie’s Italian, so we will limit our comments to those two. Jamie’s is excellent. Go hungry – very, very hungry. Definitely start with the charcuterie plank. It’s a long plank of deliciousness. The Lamb Chops are also terrific (Note: I ordered them rare and they came medium-rare/borderline-medium, so order one step less done than you want). Chops Steakhouse was the other specialty restaurant we went too, and is also terrific. They now offer prime aged steaks. I had the bone-in rib-eye and my daughter and wife had the Branzino. We splurged and ordered the seafood tower. A little disappointed in it and probably not worth the expense. The lobster on it was so undercooked that it was basically raw. Same with a couple of the shrimp (the fact they were black outside and not pink should be a giveaway). The waiter though brought us a new platter of lobster and shrimp to make up for it (note: the last night of the cruise the windjammer has the Jonah crab claws, shrimp, clams, mussels, etc. so you can get most of the ingredients for the tower for free then and skip doing it at the restaurant). But overall experience is great and these restaurant do not rush you. So give yourself 2 hours or so dining to truly enjoy. Solarium Bistro – Probably the least known option, and the best kept secret. This is like a mini windjammer and specialty restaurant combined. There is no extra cost for this dining scene which has great lunch and dinner. We went one night for dinner and they have a great buffet appetizer/salad bar. Main courses are varied, but they have a few extra costs options as well. I ordered the Lamb Chops ($10) which were thick and really good. But as I mentioned earlier, order less cooked than you want it. Mine were ordered rare and came out medium. I was going to send them back, but they were still soft and juicy. I enjoyed them despite the wrong cooking temperature. We also ordered the Maine Lobster for extra cost. This was not worth it. It’s small and extremely overcooked. Desserts were again at the buffet station. Reservations are recommended as it is a smaller venue. But I recommend it, and it is a great alternative to the main dining rooms (see notes below) Main Dining Rooms – Ok, this is where I have some major issues. You have two options. 1) regular dining at a specific time with the same wait staff, which is the classic way cruise ships have done meals forever. Or 2) "My Time" dining, where you go eat whenever you want. You have different wait staff each night. We did My time dining. My Time replaced the “Dynamic Dining” that preceded it, and we had and loved in 2016. Dynamic dining let you choose from different restaurants with different food options, but there were staples in each dining room in case you didn’t want what they were offering. However, they did away with this and now you get the same food in every dining room. They added a few “extra cost” options, like Filet Mignon as well. We did not like this new experience and this is why. First you end up in the same restaurant each night without being able to experience the different look and feel of other options. Secondly, the food itself varied from pretty good to mediocre. My wife and daughter had two meals they did not really enjoy. My meals were good. Others I talked to said they couldn’t stand the food and only did specialty restaurants. Not sure I’d go that far, but after two mediocre meals we decided to forgo the main dining room and augment with the two specialty restaurants, Solarium Bistro and the Windjammer. But what really irked us was that the entire feeling of the meal is rushed. Normally, they would take your dinner order, then after come with a dessert menu. Didn’t matter what sort of dining experience it was. Now they give you one menu. On the left is appetizers, the middle has the main course and finally desserts on the right. And they expect you to order all three upfront. I’m sorry, but I’m on vacation. I refuse to be rushed through dinner because it’s more efficient for them to do it that way. If the food was out of this world it might be a more minor issue, but It worked fine for decades on every cruise I've ever been on the other way. I spoke to food service management twice about this. I hope RCCL changes this policy. Meanwhile I would recommend the specialty dining plan, even at the extra cost. The food and service are worth it, despite the minor issues we had. Activities/Facilities/nightlife The great thing about this ship is that during bad weather or winter sailings you can enjoy all sorts of indoor activities. There is an indoor family pool with child wading area, a solarium with multi-tiered pool and hot tubs for adults only (16 yo and up) and a large indoor seaplex with basketball, ping pong, gaming, bumper cars, roller skating, etc.. There is also a large outdoor pool and hot tubs and splash zone for the young ones. As with many cruises (on all cruise lines) people complained about lack of seating by the pools. We found this to be true. I take it with a grain of salt because it was a school vacation week, so there were 3x the kids and teens as usual, so the ship was packed. And I did see efforts by the ships pool crew to make sure there was no saving of seats. In fact if towels were left on seats too long, they were removed. There is also signage explaining this policy. So thank you RCCL for working on this issue. As for the bar areas, there were all sorts of cool lounges with entertainment. And let me tell you, RCCL reversed a trend towards less live music acts. This ship had at least 2-3 live music acts going at the same times around the ship. Boleros Latin themed bar had a great Latin band with dancing. The Schooner lounge featured live piano during the day and at night a comedic/singer Matt Yee. He packed the place. The pub had a singer/guitarist. And finally the Royal Swedes played in the Music Hall and other venues throughout the ship. These guys covered all sorts of rock, and they were one of the best bands I’ve seen on any ship. Of course there was also the ships reggae-themed band for poolside and even a Journey cover band that did shows (they were OK, I'll leave it at that). Overall music quality and options were great! The one thing we did notice is the live music seemed to end earlier than usual. By midnight most music was ending, and by 1AM the only music was the DJ/disco in the Music Hall. Previous cruises had the pub singer going to 1-2AM at least. But this is a minor complaint, because most nights we were pretty tired by midnight anyway. This could also just be because this cruise had a lot of families so they wanted to limit kids out and about late. Not sure. As for shows there are a couple full length shows, with our favorite being ‘We Will Rock You,” a somewhat odd Rock Opera featuring songs from Queen. The music alone is worth it though. There were also the typical offerings of comedians and other performers. The comedians we saw though were hilarious – especially the later adult shows. Overall RCCL and every other cruise line really have moved to a more A La Carte approach to cruising. More offerings for extra cost, drink packages, dining packages, special extra cost private island experiences, extra cost food items, “The Key” which give you some perks for boarding and show seating for extra money, etc.. As I see it, as long as the extra costs items give you a great product that’s fine, but it shouldn’t mean a lesser experience than normal for not taking that option – which I feel the main dining options have done. So overall the ship is great, music awesome and tons of dining options. And aside from the issues with main dining service, food quality and service was very good. Read Less