Where do I begin? My wife and I just returned from a six night sailing on Adventure of the Seas. This was her 12th cruise and my 10th. We've sailed NCL, RCI, Carnival and Celebrity. Of all the ships we've been on, Adventure is my favorite without a doubt. We booked this trip when we were on Enchantment last September. I was excited about trying a Vision class ship because it has all the amenities of the Freedom class ships but is slightly smaller. Adventure, as far as I'm concerned, is nearly perfect. It's beautiful and in great condition inside and out. We stayed at the Newark airport Doubletree which was ideal. Uber to the port cost us a total of $16.00 and it simply could not have been easier. We walked out of the Uber, through the terminal and were on the ship within 10 minutes. I thought Port Canaveral was easy but Bayonne is even more so. I figured out a few cruises ago that wearing swim trunks onto the ship means I can jump on the slides and the Flow Rider while everyone else is in the Windjammer. I got to spend nearly an hour by myself flow riding in the back of the ship before lunch! (I'm 50, BTW!) We had My Time Dining with a reservation each night at 5:15. Our MDR servers were Danny and Rudolfo - both terrific - and we enjoyed them more and more as the week went on. Food was very good. RCI's food isn't our favorite but it's very tasty and of course, I left more than full every night! Nicole at the check-in stand was delightful and started the dinner experience off on the right note every night. There was only one formal night on the cruise and although we brought clothes for it, we didn't feel like changing so we opted for dinner that night in the Windjammer. Speaking of the Windjammer, I have to say it was spacious and very well organized. I was a bit surprised that it closed relatively early each night but pizza and other tasty things were available 24/7 on the Promenade (another feature of the ship we loved). Overall, the Windjammer exceeded my expectations and the staff there was very accommodating. They have packed the space tight with tables and it was often crowded. Still, it was well organized. We happened to go upstairs one night only to stumble upon the chocolate fountain and dessert bar. They never advertised it but I guess we just got lucky. I probably consumed 5000 extra calories that night! I did use the fitness center each day and was pleased that it opened on time daily. Unlike other ships, it was never packed and the machines were in good condition. Our stateroom was 9307 and Kevin, our attendant, did an excellent job taking care of us. We seldom ran into him but he knew our names when we did. We have grown accustomed to interior cabins because the cost savings allow us to cruise more often. The room was cool and dark when we needed it to be. There isn't a lot of space but it had everything we needed. The bathroom was tiny but also provided us with everything we needed. Overall, we were very pleased with the room and our towel animals! Entertainment was very good. The singers were better than most and the variety of shows was strong. There were two comedians on the ship - one early and one late in the cruise. We attended the family friendly shows but not the adult versions because for us, that gets old quickly. The one show I did not care for was Impact. They are three dancers/singers who do a high energy show. The audience seemed to love them but that kind of entertainment just isn't my thing. The Adventure of the Seas band was excellent. Our ports of call were St. John, Bar Harbor and Halifax. In St. John we did the pink hop on hop off bus which was great. It was just enough and the drivers/narrators were excellent. Honestly, we weren't taken with the city but the cooler temperatures and length of our 90 minute tour were ideal. Bar Harbor is fantastic - but crowded. It was the only one of the three ports where we were with another ship - the Queen Mary 2. It made for a lot of people in a small space. We took an Olley's Trolley tour to the top of Mount Cadillac and the views were spectacular. The driver/narrator was excellent there as well. Some people raved about the tender boats and others complained because they were too big and it took a long time to board. For us, it wasn't an issue. I don't really mind tendering. It's an adventure in itself. We did schedule a RCI excursion to Peggy's Cove in Halifax. It was a 3.5 hour tour - most of which was spent on the bus. Our tour guide was excellent but with only 55 minutes to spend exploring Peggy's Cove (charming but a place I don't need to visit again) it was a long morning. The weather was nearly perfect with 65 degree temps throughout the entire voyage. The two things that surprised me about Adventure were no outdoor seating in the Windjammer and a greater degree of smoking on the pool deck in addition to the casino. However, overall, Adventure, with it's interior and exterior beauty, spectacular venues and outstanding staff made for one of our best cruises yet. Unlike many other ships on which we've sailed, the CD, Drew, was low key and excellent. So often CD's tend to be spotlight hungry and over the top. Drew was neither. Disembarkation was easier than embarkation! We prefer self assist and left our stateroom (sadly) at 7:16 a.m. We were off the ship in five minutes and at the Newark airport before 8:00 a.m.! Honestly, the ease and simplicity of the on and off process at Bayonne makes me want to find other sailings from the port. And it didn't hurt that we sailed passed the Statue of Liberty and under the Verrazzano bridge! All in all, I highly recommend Adventure of the Seas. I would sail her again tomorrow and will most certainly look for other cruises on Vision class ships. Read Less

Our first cruise on the Anthem!! This is our biggest ship we have been on and absolutely loved it! The style and decor is so wonderful! The pools are beautiful and the solarium so pretty! We had an ocean view balcony on deck 8 but would recommend higher as the life boats were just below. The stateroom has so much storage and modern decor. We loved wonderland but missed the grand feel of the main dining room with the smaller dining areas. The food was excellent in the windjammer- better than previous ships. We were only disappointed with Jamie Oliver’s dining and that we never met our stateroom attendant ! In the past they always come and introduce themselves. We loved the overnight stay in Bermuda and would definitely return there! Embarkation and debarkation were a breeze! Cruising out of the Cape Liberty port gave us a great extended trip in NYC! Read Less

Have taken many cruises over the years. With the exception of 2 cruises, we always cruised Royal Caribbean. After the last cruise, 2 years ago on the Anthem, we decided to try Celebrity. The service was 100% better! From the moment we went aboard, we received excellent service with a smile. It seems every employee is happy and walks around with a smile and kind word, If you ask them where something is, they take you there! One of the disappointments on our last RC cruise was not having enough staff to service the passengers. We had a drink package and it was an effort to get a drink! On Celebrity, we were asked numerous times by numerous staff if we needed a drink. This was at EVERY bar. In the Main dining room, you had a drink server, sommelier, waiter, asst waiter and maitre D. On the Anthem, our Asst waiter was actually making the drinks and they didn't arrive until after dinner came! Our first night in the Main dining room, we were not happy with the location of our table which was near the serving station. When we left, we asked if we could change. They said they were all reserved and they would try. We arrived in our room the next day and a note with our new table was listed. Food was really good in the dining room. The Oceanview Cafe had a great buffet, nice selection of food, tables cleaned quickly, and managers constantly overseeing the operation. I am not really a buffet person, but ate there quite often. We tried 2 Specialty Restaurants, Tuscan Grill and Qsine. Both excellent. Qsine was very interesting, an eclectic restaurant with various types of food. Order on an Ipad and let them know when you are full. We initially ordered too much and they stopped when we were finished. The cabin was very nice. We usually do inside, husband likes the darkness in the room. The bed was so comfortable, almost as good as the Marriott beds. The bathroom is very small, but I liked the rectangular shower better than the oval. Less shelves on the sink but it worked. The place was immaculate and our attendant had a great sense of timing when he came to clean. The Celebrity has an older population (40 plus) than the RC large ships (Allure) and very few kids, which was a plus. Not as many activities for them as the splashier ships. The layout of the ship is nice. The shops are all at one end, much classier than the other ships. No blocking the walk way with tables of sale items. Very relaxing cruise, we booked another for next year. Read Less

I chose this for the Bermuda cruise. Getting on the ship was easy. Luggage survived and was delivered on time. Upon first inspection everything seemed fine. We opened the mini bar and noticed that $110.00 worth of items missing and a half eaten piece of cake was in it. We contacted the cabin steward and he didn't seem to concerned. Placed a call to guest services and they sent two managers up. We asked for the mini bar to be emptied since we don't consume alcohol. They next morning the cabin steward confronted us about it stating he knew about the missing items. That was unnecessary! We purchased the premium non alcoholic Drink package. Getting more then one water that was cold was almost impossible. What smelled like raw sewage lingered around the ship during the 7 days. Keep a very close eye on charges. My husbands credit card had tips in it from the martini bar. We never went to the martini bar. All gratuities included with the package we purchased. We don't mind tipping. My husband has to use a mobility scooter and the entrance ways to a lot of the doors did not have little ramps. This caused the scooter to get stuck. We got concerned because the scooter starting making a loud clicking noise from the left rear wheel. Getting on and off the ship in Bermuda was a breeze. The food in the aft was buffet style and sub par. Select dining was okay except we had to sit 2 feet away from the couple next to us. We requested private dining. Didn't happen. On board entertainment was okay. The cruise director was very pleasant.The activities director was outstanding. They did a little update via the TV in the room everyday. Stateroom had plenty of space for our severe over packing. We booked a excursion prior to the trip. Checked the current info and charges on the TV and noticed that both of us had extra $54.00 dollars in credit. So we went to cruise services desk and asked why? They cancelled our excursion. Instead of putting the full amount back on my husband's credit card they split it down the middle. Upset about that . Proceeded back to the room and we had a voicemail stating it was cancelled. Kind of stung a bit since we already found out about it 45 minutes prior. This was our first cruise and a learning experience. It didn't help that a new building was being erected straight below our balcony in Bermuda. Do not rent the little electric orange cars next to clock tower mall. Disaster!!!!! Was not maintained or fully charged. Broke down. This happened to another couple late at night. One thing I need to add. Look at the phone in the state room before using it. Ours had something hard stuck all over the mouth piece. Nasty Read Less

We chose to sail on Summit for the fifth time, because we love the ship and we also love that it's not HUGE, and it sails from Cape Liberty and that is a port we can drive to, rather than fly. We have had four wonderful cruises on her in the past six years. Sometimes the drive from Philly to Bayonne has been a bit crazy due to road construction but this year it was as smooth as could be. We were early enough to secure a parking place in the parking garage, which was what I was hoping since we were leaving our fairly new car there for a week. However every time we have parked in cruise parking at Bayonne it has always been fine, whether in the garage or not. The only glitch with embarkation was that we were told by the stevedore when we dropped off our luggage, that we could not bring a case of bottled water onboard, even though we had a ship luggage tag on it. We have always done this in the past with no problem. He insisted it was a new rule, but that we could "carry on" the case of water. Well we weren't going to park and walk all the way to the terminal and then onboard carrying a case of water. I have a kidney condition which requires that I drink at least 64 oz of water/day, and while we did have the premium drink package, it's just been easier to have the bottled water in bulk available in our cabin. :( My husband put a few bottles in his carry on bag. Because we were booked in a suite we had almost no wait to check in, and before you knew it we were onboard, and given a glass of champagne. We were informed we could drop off our carry on bags at our suite and pick up our cabin keys there. We did this and headed to Luminae for lunch. The service in Luminae was excellent, as it has been on the prior two cruises. We were happy to see our waiter from last year there still too! The food was good but I was disappointed they didn't have the fried chicken and waffles we had the first day onboard last year. At dinner the first night we had excellent service as we did the entire cruise this time as well. The sommelier was very attentive and we never had to wait for anything. The food portions are sometimes a bit small, but for me they seemed very healthy and certainly filling. Desserts were extremely tasty (cheesecake, strawberry shortcake, and chocolate mousse cake are ones that we shared). Our cabin, a Sky Suite, was roomy and well laid out. We stayed in the same cabin the prior two years and it was exciting to see the changes from the "revolution!" We found the decor to be brighter and lovely. The bed was a big improvement and it was extremely luxurious and comfortable, as were the pillows. What was lacking was the amount of shelving, both in the bathroom and next to the desk. Several shelves have been removed for purposes of decor I guess. The wall next to the desk had two magazine racks; not very useful. Where the shelves used to be in the bathroom beside the commode, there was just a big empty rectangular space. Pretty, but not efficient with regard to space. The bathroom was MUCH brighter. However the shower seemed even harder to get into than before. The step up into the tub is as high as ever (we always bring a portable step stool to help getting in and out of the shower/tub), but there is a glass immoveable partition next to the commode which makes it impossible to turn the shower on without getting doused in the process. The shower curtain clung to the bather because it was in between two immoveable glass partitions. I venture to think some passengers might have trouble squeezing between these two immoveable glass partitions to get into the tub/shower. Also the fixtures in the tub/shower were difficult to adjust, and at one point one of the temperature control handles came off in my hand when I was attempting to adjust the temperature in the shower. We chose this stateroom mostly because of its oversized balcony. I had spent months looking forward to sitting in a lounge chair reading a book on this wonderful balcony. Unfortunately and to our surprise, the previous comfortable lounge furniture has been replaced with two stiff wood and metal upright chairs, a table (which was fine) and a love seat, with a cushion that seemed to absorb water. There were two concrete foot stools that were virtually impossible to move due to their weight. The second or third day we appealed to our butler and he got a lounge chair for me to use on our balcony. He told us he was going to leave it there for future guests, as it seemed like a good idea! Whomever redecorated the balconies apparently thought stiff wooden chairs would be great for lounging on a lovely balcony, rather than lounging as most passengers would enjoy on vacation. Hubby arranged for a surprise for me on our anniversary, and flowers were waiting after dinner, as well as rose petals on the bed and two towel swans facing each other, making a heart. VERY romantic! He had assistance on this from Rhiannon, one of the concierges in the Retreat (she was so helpful every day!). We ate in one Specialty Restaurant, the Tuscan Grille. It was super easy booking a reservation for that meal the night before on the Celebrity App. I loved that this was so easy and we could see what times were available. Saved so much time and effort, rather than calling, etc. The service in the Tuscan Grille was excellent. The food was delicious and the portions were large. The chicken (parmesan) was a very tough piece of chicken, but the sauce and eggplant parmesan were delicious. Not sure the meal was worth $90, but it was a nice diversion from Luminae where hubby got tired of the menu there. We didn't attend many shows. We saw some of the comedian and he was very talented (magician and hypnotist) and very entertaining. Did not attend any of the regular shows with the ship entertainment singers/dancers. The port shopping talk was very informative and lots of great prizes were given out there (there was a raffle). Also VIP shopping coupons could be picked up later for shopping in the port of Bermuda. We shopped at Kings Wharf and picked up some souvenirs. The Clocktower mall has a little bit of everything and is always fun, and not too large. I always get a piece of jewelry at the Crisson store there, and I bought some Bermudian perfume as well. Two days in port we ate lunch at the Frog and Onion restaurant, which is newly air-conditioned. The food and service was superb. On the third day in Bermuda we took the shore excursion to Horseshoe Bay. The service to and from was very efficient (air conditioned bus). Even though we have been to Horseshoe Bay several times, it never disappoints. I was glad we chose to go to HB on the last day in port because it was less crowded than usual, even though the Norwegian Escape was in port when we were. Such a beautiful beach. Clean; the water is stunning; the sand is cool and pink. There are changing rooms, restrooms, a burger restaurant and bar. You cannot go wrong at this beach for amenities. We rented two loungers and an umbrella and it was lovely. On the last day at sea we were invited to a special luncheon with the Captain and a few of his senior officers. Only a handful of couples were invited, and I'm not sure how we rated the invitation, lol. It was just amazing, intimate, and this captain and his crew are truly amazing dedicated people. Debarkation was seamless. Hubby got brought some breakfast to me from the Oceanview Cafe, and then we headed to the Retreat to wait to be called to disembark. Oh I forgot to mention, the Retreat has also been revolutionized, and it's lovely and has great service. Hubby missed the leather chairs and paneling, but I thought it looked peaceful and airy. Our only problems on this trip were getting the items we had pre-ordered (and paid for ahead of time) to be in our cabin when we set sail. NONE of the items we ordered (wine, rum, flowers) were delivered on sailing day, and when we inquired, nobody seemed to know anything about them. We had to complain numerous times but finally got the rum and the wine on the second and third days. After debarkation, we collected our car and luggage and were on our way home by mid-morning. A great trip. :) Another wonderful cruise for the memory books. Read Less

My new bride and I decided to take this cruise for our honeymoon. Check in and parking at the Bayonne terminal was SUPER easy! 30 minutes from leaving our car to in our room! We paid for a concierge balcony room, room 8108. We were VERY disappointing to see that our balcony was basically cut in half on a diagonal making it very small and very hard to have both of us on the balcony. We were also not very happy to see that celebrity did absolutely nothing to acknowledge that it was our honeymoon. Basically if you are going on your honeymoon, pick Royal Caribbean and not Celebrity. Other than that this cruise was SUPER relaxing! What made it different that Royal is there are not as many activities during sea days which leaves plenty of time for napping and chilling! The food was PHENOMENAL! Everything was cooked to par and met all of my expectations. We had Inocente and Suvingar as our wait staff the first night and had others other nights who were not even friendly, but we ended up requesting them for the remainder of the cruise. For my birthday we went to the Tuscan Grill in which we were treated like royalty! They served us TOO much delicious food that we couldn't even eat the birthday cake they gave us but they did room service it to the room for free! The late night pizza and cookies at the Oceanview cafe were the perfect midnight snacks! The ship itself is very beautiful and very clean! It is a smaller ship and it does get tight on deck 4 since the dining room, casino, and theater are all on the same floor and gets crowded to get from place to place. Elevators are hard to catch as well since they do one job at a time as opposed to stop floor by floor and are also usually packed. They also decide to clean the elevators when it is time for all the passengers to disembark at the ports so imagine thousands of people trying to use only two elevators.... The pools were very small and could only hold 20 people at a time. The solarium pool was closed often as well. Forget about finding a chair, it is NOT going to happen unless you wake up at 6AM to reserve a spot. They put signs out to not do that but people do it anyways. I recommend enjoying the solarium beach chairs and beach "pods" in the evening. It was very quiet, comfortable, and had nice relaxing spa music to relax you after a long day! I wish I had these chairs at home! Dan the cruise director is certainly a character and his sidekick Nacho was a joy to have on the ship! The evening entertainment was AWESOME!!! In the end, Bermuda was stunning and enjoyed our vacation! Read Less

We sailed on the Summit (about a year ago), the appearance/maintenance of the ship wasn't that good, but the crew and food preparation was excellent. Now after millions of dollars of upgrades, the ship almost looks like the Edge. We paid extra for Aqua Class, because we wanted fine dining, any time dining, and no waiting (like you have to do with Select Dining). Celebrity added additional rooms to Aqua, which has caused, some of the problems. Instead of what we expected, here's what we experienced: 1. Log wait times for a table, twice over an hour. They don't make you wait in line, like Select Dining, they give you a pager and send you to the Cellar Master Bar. Once they ran out of pagers. Having a pager doesn't make waiting any more fun!!!!!!!!!!! 2. Extremely slow service, from ordering your meal, to having the different courses arrive. Dinner took from 90 minutes to 2 hours, Breakfast was a little better, but not by much. When we ordered our meal, we started telling, just bring it out all together. That didn't help!! Don't forget, sometimes you had to wait, up to an hour to get inside!!!! 3. "Cold food" I believe "Hot Food" should be served hot!! 4 of my meals had to be returned, because of this. This occurred at Breakfast and dinner. 4. "Food Quality/Selection" Some times what they served wasn't what it was suppose to be, or the quality was so poor, it didn't taste right (i.e. Beef Wellington). 5 times (out of an 11 night cruise) I ordered off the Cosmopolitan Menu. 5. Improperly trained personnel (Maitre D), has to be the worst Maitre D we've ever had (38 Celebrity cruises). Here's some of the things he did: a) Charging Elite Plus members for their cappuccinos, there free for us! b) Refusing to put two tables together, so the 4 of us could sit together. c) Refusing to take special request orders. Celebrity has always has always allowed this, as long as they were given, a 24 hour notice. Room service wasn't any better!! For breakfast, I ordered two over medium eggs. What I got was two sunny side-up and they were raw in the center and cold (as well as the rest of the food). Tuscan Grill, because the Blu Restaurant had such slow service, I decided to go to the Elite Breakfast to get my hot chocolate. I placed my order and had to wait about 20 minutes, for a cup of hot chocolate. I could see into the kitchen from where I was sitting, so every time the door opened I could see inside. The waitress was standing with her arms crossed, leaning back against the counter. After about 15 minutes, I approached the Captain's Club hostess, she stated "she's getting it." I waited another 5 minutes, the waitress hasn't moved!!! I looked at the Captain's Club hostess, who this time went in and talked to the waitress. I saw the waitress finally turn around and start making my hot chocolate. All of these experiences are not what we've experienced from Celebrity in the past, or we wouldn't have sailed 38 times. If this is the new Celebrity experience, your not going to see another 38 cruises out of us!! Read Less

We celebrated my husband's birthday by taking this cruise. I purchased the birthday package where the room and door was decorated and included a picture frame and picture hanger as well as a cake and chocolate covered strawberries. The decorations were nice but due to all the other food on the ship the cake and strawberries went to waste. Probably best to save your money and bring your own decorations if you were to do this. The entertainment and crew were wonderful. Our cabin was inside on the seventh deck and very quiet there. We were in the front so very close to the entertainment venues. Our stateroom attendant was Lizbeth and she was terrific. The food was plentiful and I guess about average. There were some items that were exceptional (loved the roasted veggies in the Windjammer) and some that were lackluster (beef was tender but not much flavor in the dining room) but the wait staff were all very good. The Weather was not good for doing much on the outside decks but there were other options through out the ship. As with all cruises there were a lot of events where they are trying to sell you things. My husband and I found the price for 3 games of Bingo was more then we wanted to invest so we skipped on that. Lots of Trivia games and Karaoke. My favorite port of call was Bar Harbor, Maine but that was also the Port where we had the best weather. It was a quaint town that had lots to explore. Overall we would do it again....just maybe a week or two later in the year. Read Less

I booked this cruise as a birthday surprise for my wife because we had always heard that Royal Caribbean was better than Carnival, which we normally sailed on. Unfortunately, 'Adventure of the Seas' was not the adventure we wanted, with an extremely hard bed, little food variety/taste, and heavy smoking in the casino. Also, a change was made to our requested dining time, but Royal Caribbean didn't bother to notify me ahead of time, nor at time of check-in. Although the embark/debark process went smoothly, even with pierside power outage during debarkation. However, the poor conditions of the roadways (major potholes), open parking (garage was full), and dock area indicates that neither Royal Caribbean nor the state of New Jersey have decided to spend much on infrastructure. We decided to forego Windjammer upon embarkation and tried Johnny Rockets even though we had to pay for the food. Wait for food was excessive even though they knew they'd have a crowd, and even though the staff was apologetic, the food service managment should be more prepared. When we did try the Windjammer later in the afternoon, the food was cold and bland, and it didn't improve much over the course of the week. Dinner in the dining room was better, but there was a minimal change in the menu throughout the week. Our servers, Jose and Arico, were excellent, and attempted to provide us a personlized service as they ran between the several tables they were responsible for. Ashore, we enjoyed walking around both Bar Harbor and Halifax because they had a small-town feel and there was so much nearby to do/see, even without excersions. Although St. John was nice and there were some things close by the port, it was as conducive to wandering around and finding "local" things to do as the other two ports. Aboard ship, the entertainment was good, but the ship's orchestra was excellent. We really enjoyed hearing them play, and they even let one of the crew put on an Adele night with a program she developed. We normally enjoy sitting around the piano bar in the evening and sing along with everyone esle, but this ship's venue was open to a major passage fore/aft, so the number of people in a crowded area didn't help accoustics. We've already committed to a friend to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise again this winter, and we're hopeful that the next ship can redeem the cruise line in our minds or we'll move on permanently. Read Less

We sailed from Cape Liberty. The port was driving distance from our home. We had a 1230-1pm boarding time. We drove directly up to the porters and luggage crates albeit a line of cars the luggage drop off went pretty smoothly. The parking garage was on the right after the terminal. Parking for 9 days cost $198. The terminal was a bit crowded with a long line of passengers trying to get through security. Once passed the security you had another line for the cruise check in both seemed to take a bit of time. Since we are Emerald, the cruise only had 3 check-in stations, where Gold had at least 10+ stations and Diamond+ levels had 6 or more stations. The only nice part about being delayed in the terminal is that our cabin was ready once we boarded so we could drop off out carry on bags, go explore the ship and grab something to eat. The entertainment staff and CD were good. The production shows were the same as a previous sailing other then a few cast member changes. This is where I wish that Royal Caribbean switched up the shows every six months-12 months. There seemed to be a lot of passengers that have sailed with the Anthem of the Seas multiple times. The Headliner show and the comedian were excellent. The cover band Led Zeppagain was excellent and fun to listen to. Again, I wish there was more than one band that played in the Music Hall. The Music Hall seemed like a lot of wasted space. The 5th floor was very hard to view the main stage located on the 4th floor. There are 3 well worn pool tables located in this areas. The Schooner bar had excellent bar staff. There was nightly music and daily trivia played in this area. The Brass and Brock bar was also filled with excellent bar staff and live Acoustic singers. The Two 70 Lounge is one of its kind. The sound system, electronics and views were outstanding. The show Spectra was a unique experience as well. We had my time dining and had the same wait staff team every night for dinner. Their service was superb they went over and beyond our expectations. Food choices were plentiful. Everything tasted fine. One unique thing that has changed when ordering in the MDR. The waiter takes your appetizer, main course and dessert order and the same time. North Star and I-fly were neat experiences and must tries. Sign up in your cruise planner before you set sail. Bumper cars were hysterical. Watching adults of all ages laughing like they were kids again was fun. Being apart of the bumper car action was even better. Expect a little whiplash. The pool areas were as annoying as they usually are due to the chair hogs. I did not see any deck employees policing the area of this. With the bigger ships it seems like too many people and too little seating around the main outdoor pools. Bermuda was very windy so we just walked around the port on our own. We found a mini golf course overlooking the ocean and played for $15 pp. We booked the Maho Beach excursion in Saint Maarten. That was an experience seeing the planes land and take off so close to the beach. In San Juan we booked the bike excursion in which was a private tour by accident. We were lucky and the Shorex team allowed us to go. We rode around San Juan and the beach area for 8-9 miles. One hidden gem was an umbrella street not in the touristy area. In Labadee we rode Jet skis. I was little bummed my jet ski was not functioning properly. I didn't go as fast as I wanted to. On the last run, a better jet ski was brought out to me. I wish they listened to me on the first run when I told them the engine light was alarming. Disembarkation was very slow. Our deck number was called and then stood in line on the ship for a good 30 minutes. Customs on shore froze the line to lessen to number of passengers onshore going through customs terminal. It seemed a bit disorganized. All in all it was a great cruise and had good times. Read Less

I choose this ship because of the Itinerary. 3 days in Bermuda. The ship has been completely refurbished and not too big and easy to get around. And there were not many children. Food was fabulous. Tried all restaurants and my favorite is the Tuscan. I would highly recommend this for couples, singles and groups. I would not recommend this cruise for children. There is a children's club but not much else to do for them. Being in a suite level was really nice. You have your own suite restaurant, Retreat Lounge and Retreat Deck. We used these areas a lot. Service was great and staff were mostly very friendly. Our favorites are: Alexandra in the Retreat Lounge. Also David and Boom Boom in the Martini Bar. Rhiannon our Retreat Concierge. Carlos, our Butler. Silas, the bartender in the Retreat Lounge. It was a pleasant experience and I would highly recommend this ship for Bermuda. Read Less

Cruised with Royal Caribbean before and have had good experiences with them in the past. This is the first time on a larger ship and don’t really care for it. Embarkation went smoothly out of Bayonne. Had balcony cabin which was kept very clean and stateroom attendant was excellent. All the staff was excellent. Best bet for dining is the main dining room. Ship had great comedians. Pools and jacuzzis were always crowded but that’s to be expected. Our few excursions were very poor though. Was very rushed through Kennedy Space Center and Essential Nassau was also very rushed. Wasn’t able to book private cabana or beds for coco cay. They went too fast. Best time to utilize jacuzzis and pools in Solarium is port days or dinner time. We were unable to use our balcony on one day due to maintenance and the smell was very unpleasant. That’s my only complaint in regards to our room. I do feel like you get nickel and dimed a bit. Read Less

Anthem of the Seas 4/6/19-4/13/19 This was our first trip on Royal with 4 cruises with NCL and 4 cruises with CCL. I am 60 and DW is 52 and we live in northern Vermont. While my review will include comparisons with our other cruises I can say that hands down Anthem exceeded our expectations and is easily our favorite ship. When I compare Royal with other cruise lines I will make allowance for those things that are strictly Anthem, such as the shows. As some of you know I did have reservations about sailing on such a large ship after being stationed on an aircraft carrier in the Navy (and Anthem is bigger than that carrier) but I would say that I would sail on Anthem anytime the price is right. 4/6/19 Embarkation Day We left our hotel in Albany at 5:45 and boarded the Yankee Trails bus at 6:30 and the bus left on time at 7. There were no stops along the way to pick up extra passengers so we got to the port at 9:30 after a very relaxing ride. We waited for our luggage to be off-loaded and after the porters had it loaded we were cleared to leave the bus. We walked into the terminal at 9:50 and were checked in and sitting down in zone 8 by 10. Staff members came around handing out copies of the cruise compass and boarding started at 10:30. We started boarding at 11 and we were sitting in Two70 for lunch by 11:30. First impression of Anthem was definitely “WOW”. We made immediate use of our drink package and had two Royal Lemonades in hand by noon. Royal uses paper straws which can get soggy if you drink your drink too slowly. I had a Cuban pita pocket which had ham, pork, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard and DW had an avocado wrap with an avocado BLT salad. Food was tasty but my pita pocket was microwaved which made it a little chewy. Walked around Esplanade and stopped to by voom and surf for $19.99 a day (this package is needed for Facebook). Stopped at Brass and Bock Pub and Boleros for drinks in each venue. Cabins were ready at 1:30 so we went up and found our luggage already there. Our key cards were in the mail slot and we saw our cabin, 6142, for the first time. Nicely put together balcony cabin with lots of storage available (including two large storage areas over the head of the bed). We had the beds together but couldn’t visualize them being apart. Muster took place at 2:30 in the Royal Theater and went fairly well for muster drill. There are no life jackets in the cabin. After the drill we walked about for a bit and then went back to the cabin to freshen up for dinner. Our cabin steward was Ikomang. We were in the early seating in the Grande MDR and our wait team was Dominic, Bayyr and Maksim. We are assigned to a two top and it is close to the two top next to it, so we were able to converse with the couple at that table all week who are from Massachusetts and very nice. Bayyer offered to push the table together to make it a four top but there wasn’t that much separation and we decided to keep the tables as they were. I ordered the calamari and escargot, prime rib and crème bruelle. DW had mushroom soup, spaghetti Bolognese and chocolate cake. DW said it was the best spaghetti she’d ever had. I found the prime rib to be a little better than CCL’s, mostly because it was a thicker cut. DW mentioned to the waitstaff that she had a seafood allergy and couldn’t have iodized salt and from that point on one of the waiters would give her the next night’s menu at the conclusion of each meal so she could order it ahead of time, something neither NCL nor CCL did (yes, they would have if we had contacted special needs, but the waitstaff on each of those lines were each told the same thing and while they made sure to not let her order anything with seafood Royal took it a step further). Dinner took almost 2 hours but it was our fault, we were busy talking with our “table mates”. Walked around Esplanade after dinner then went to the Welcome Aboard show at 8:30. Dennis Charles is our CD and he told us that there were just over 4880 passengers with just under 900 kids. The comedian was okay (we enjoyed the next night’s adult show much better). We went to a show in Two70 that demonstrated all that venue had to offer and it was entertaining. We called it a night early and easily made the drink package worth it throughout the day and the drink waiters at the different venues did a good job of getting our drinks for us. A very good start to the cruise. General observations- the elevators have a plate in the floor with the day of the week that changes each day. The elevators have a button designated for the gangway so you didn’t have to remember what deck the gangway was on. For being such a large ship Anthem is easy to navigate and there are excellent maps to let you know where things are by the elevators. It’s hard to tell how large the ship is because sight lines are broken up so well. I was surprised to feel the ship moving because of the wind and waves, something I didn’t expect on a ship so large. The lights in the passageways dim and will brighten when motion is detected. A card needs to be put in the slot by the door to keep lights and AC on. The thermostat can’t be set lower than 68 degrees. Cabin has one standard plug by the bed, two in the vanity, two USB ports and one 220v plug. There is a low voltage plug in the bathroom for a shaver. 4/7/19 Sea Day I was up at 6 and had a nice shower. The shower is a bit smaller than what we have at home and of course the bathroom is cozy. I had to walk around a bit to find coffee because nothing was open until 7 except for Café Promenade, which is open 24 hours. It’s 41 degrees top side. Went to Windjammer when it opened and there are a good number of choices and lots of action stations. There are sinks at the entrance and you are expected to wash your hands before entering. Had some more coffee and grabbed a donut. Woke DW at 830 and went to the Solarium Bistro for breakfast. There is a nice buffet selection, including pre-made omelets and eggs benedict. We had a ten minute wait in line. Cruise Critic Meet and Mingle was at 10 in the Music Hall and we got there just as it was starting. Dennis said that he reads CC (and sometimes posts to correct misinformation, but he didn’t reveal his screen name) and a raffle was held for two backpacks with Royal stuff in them. There were light refreshments available and we had about 40-50 people there. We did a gift exchange and while I was talking to another couple from New England (who turned out to be two cabins from us) everyone split. Spent some time in the Solarium hot tubs and soaking pools. Went back to the cabin to change out of our wet things and then went to the Vet appreciation event in Two70. There were a good number of vets with wives there and even some none vets who showed up to show support. Dennis walked around the room to each vet and had them introduce themselves and tell where they’d been stationed. At the end of the event they played taps for those who never came home. The event lasted about an hour. Walked around a bit and made use of the Bionic Bar just for gins. We went to Brass and Bock and ordered a couple of Dublin Ice Teas. DW didn’t like hers so I took it back up to the bar and originally the bar tender said we had to wait ten minutes for another drink but once he understood that DW didn’t like the drink he took it and made her a screw driver. Went back to the cabin with a couple of drinks and enjoyed them on the balcony before getting ready for dinner, the first formal night. I ordered the shrimp cocktail (which are smaller than on CCL), duck l ’orange and cheesecake. DW had fruit plate, port shank, and carrot cake. Watched the captain introduce his officers on the Esplanade and chatted with HD Michael for a few minutes. We had reservations for The Gift this evening and thought it was an awesome show. Had few drinks in Boleros before heading to the adult comedy show in Royal Theater with Heath Harmison and he was hilarious. Back at the cabin we filled out the room service card for coffee to be delivered between 9 and 9:30 the next day. General observations- a sign at the Solarium Bistro advises that they have almond milk, soy milk and lactose free milk available on request (didn’t see this sign in other venues but don’t see why it wouldn’t be provided if asked for). The “do not disturb/please make up room” sign is magnetic and sticks on the door. At dinner we saw some shorts and some tuxes but more suits and business casual. 4.8.19 Port Canaveral I slept in until 6:15! Went down to solarium and perused the library since I didn’t bring any casual reading material with me. There were books in several languages available (English, Spanish and German were the ones I noticed). I found a Reader’s Digest from December 1962 and took that to read. Of course I had more coffee at Café Promenade. Back at the cabin I put my suit in for next day cleaning for $15 (less than what I pay at home). Room service called a couple of minutes before delivering our coffee and he was surprised when I gave him a tip. I had ordered two coffee and two decaf coffee and the carafes easily held 8 cups. The milk that I had ordered was in a glass and the half and half was in individual packets (on CCL the half and half is in a small pitcher). We went up to Windjammer for breakfast at by the time we arrived some items were getting scarce both because it was busy and it was close to the time when they transitioned from breakfast to lunch. After eating breakfast we watched some of the belly flop contest (ouch!) before getting ready for our excursion. We met in the Royal Theater for our excursion which was transportation to Universal. We left the theater at 12:10 and were underway on the bus by 12:30. We arrived at Universal and had to go through a security check point before entering. We had purchased one park tickets online before the cruise and chose to visit Islands of Adventure. We wanted to visit Hogsmeade and Jurassic Park so we did those two areas first and then worked our way back to the entrance. We had plenty of time to walk around and see everything but we didn’t do any of the rides, and most of them seemed to have wait times of around 45 minutes. We got back to the bus area at 6:50 and it left when it got full which was by 7. Got back to the ship around 7:50. Changed into swim wear with cover ups and then grabbed a bite to eat at Windjammer. This was our first evening meal at a buffet on any of our cruises and while it was tasty we still prefer the MDR it did the trick this night. Wait staff does come around asking if you want drinks so we grabbed a couple which were the only ones we had this day on our drink package. Went to the Solarium and soaked in a hot tub for a bit but the bar was closing when we arrived (around 9) and the pools were already closed down. 4.9.19 Coco Cay Up at 6:15 again and down to Café Promenade for my coffee. I chose this morning to walk around the ship to take pictures and got most of decks 4 and 5. Stopped by Guest Services to have a couple of erroneous charges from day 1 at Boleros removed which was done quickly and efficiently. Once DW was up we went up to Windjammer for breakfast and had two Captain’s Calls (spiked coffee) since it was Cruise-Thirty. Pulled into the Cay a little earlier than scheduled and we got off the ship at 10. Loved being able to use the pier. It took about 40 minutes to get from our cabin to the clam shell area. They had transportation available to take us over to South Beach. We grabbed the clam shell in the back row that was closest to the bar and had a good view of the water. The water was chilly at first but because it was so shallow it warmed up quickly. We lounged, drank Coco Locos and waded the day away. While wading we saw many fish, including rays and sharks. At one point we were 15 to 20 feet away from a 4-5 foot shark. We left our clam shell around 3 pm and did some shopping at the straw market before heading back onto the ship. Made it back to the cabin around 4 to prepare for dinner. We didn’t eat anything on Coco Cay because we had eaten a large breakfast. At dinner I at escargot, beef with Yorkshire pudding, and chocolate cake. DW had the onion soup, fried chicken and pastry puff. Had a few drinks after dinner while waiting for the show. Comedian/ventriloquist Ron Lucas performed and I remember watching him years ago and he is still very funny. Grabbed a couple of drinks to take back to the cabin since we have to be up early tomorrow for our excursion. Despite liberal applications of sun screen we both got burnt on Coco Cay (next time we’ll use lotion instead of spray). General observations- The crew and other passengers are friendly and the crew is always cleaning. I spoke to the concierge for the clam shells on the Cay and he said that they live on the island for a month at a time and then have one week off (he lives in Nassau). 4.10.19 Nassau Up at 6 again but DW had to get up with me for our excursion. We went up to the Windjammer for breakfast (it opened at 6:30 this morning). There were very few people so breakfast went quickly. We went to the theater at 7:30 to meet up for our sea lion encounter. We were off the ship by 8 and met up with Blue Lagoon hosts to receive our wrist bands for our encounter. There didn’t seem to be much organization but the process went smoothly and quickly. The boat ride to Blue Lagoon took about 30 minutes and the tender crew pointed out the rich people’s mansions (Oprah, Michael Jordan, Beyonce’, etc.) as we passed by and danced with us to pass the time. We arrived at Blue Lagoon around 9 and we were split into groups for our encounter with one group doing the water portion and our group doing the dry portion first. We posed for photos with Charlotte, a 7 year old female, who was a real character. After that we proceeded along the dock to our underwater platform (we were required to wear life vests anyway) for our encounter with Roxie, a 5 year old female. After our encounter we grabbed a couple of drinks and enjoyed people watching before heading to the photo shop for our pictures. We decided to get all of our pictures on a flash drive for $154 and it included a video of our encounter with Roxie (and a release so we can get the photos printed). Since we hadn’t eaten too big of a breakfast we grabbed a buffet lunch for $22 each and then boarded the tender back to the ship. Did some shopping at the stores inside the secure area before heading to Solarium for more hot tub time. Went to the cabin at 4:15 to get dressed for dinner. I had shrimp cocktail again (ordered two this time), chicken parmigiana and tres leche. DW had Caesar salad, chicken parm and crème bruelle. The chicken was served with mashed potatoes and ratatouille which seemed a bit odd. Back to the cabin to change and then grabbed a seat in the Music Hall. As had become our habit we tried different drinks on the menu and really liked Metalliquor. We watched karaoke and family feud. For family feud they handed out tickets to pick people to play but many didn’t respond to their number when it was called. Called it a night early. General observations- They have lifeguards on duty at all pools including the shallow ones in Solarium. Ship’s officers seem to be always present walking around, we have seen the captain several times and have spoken to the HD a couple of times. Discovered a food station all the way aft on Windjammer with outdoor seating that doesn’t seem to be too busy. Photographers aren’t as aggressive as on CCL and casual shots when leaving the ship on the pier are limited in number. Received only three towel animals during the week. The seats in Royal Theater aren’t very comfortable. 4.11.19 Sea Day Up early again and after grabbing coffee walked around decks 14, 15 and 16 taking pictures. After waking DW up we went to breakfast at Windjammer and then lounged around the pool deck, Solarium hot tub, etc. Our reservation for Northstar was at 1 so we went to that. It takes you up 300 feet above the water and from one side of the ship to the other (they get more people through that way versus taking the arm out all the way). Dropped the camera off at the cabin then went to We Will Rock You and what an awesome show! Then we went back to get ready for the second formal night. Luggage tags were in the cabin waiting for us for disembarkation day, a stark reminder that we weren’t going to be on the ship much longer. Had more photos taken before heading to dinner. I had caprese salad, lobster with rice and veggies, and molten cake. Asked for peanut butter on the side but they said they didn’t have it (had I known this I would have grabbed a couple packs of peanut butter from WJ). DW had the Caesar salad, grilled chicken breast and molten cake. The waiters did a parade. Desert was a little delayed and the ice cream was partly melted (and the cake was cooked too much so no “molten”). Did some shopping and then went to Two70 for Spectra’s Cabaret. My review- I actually dozed off a couple of times and DW and I agreed that the show took third place of the three main shows (The Gift and WWRY are a toss-up for first and second because we enjoyed both shows for different reasons). Stayed in Two70 for the show Red which is a dance party. Left there and caught the late night comedian, Steve Caouette, who was hilarious. General observations- many people have the Wow band and many have said that they have broken and needed to be replaced. When someone with a band ordered a drink they had to remove it in order to have it scanned. Johnny Rockets wasn’t open for breakfast on any day that I saw although I may have missed it. I had read on Cruise Critic that it was table service, you ordered your food and it was delivered to your table, but the signs indicated that you placed your order and picked it up at the counter. 4.12.19 Sea Day Up at 7 today (wow, I slept in!). The photo gallery (which has screens to view your pictures after scanning your cabin key) was closed and the casino was also closed (it opens at 8). After the casino opened I obtained a voucher from the cashier for $100 charged to my cabin for a $5 charge. I played the slots for 10 minutes which cost me $30 and I earned 10 points (you earn a cruise with 2,400 points). After DW woke up we went to Two70 for some spiked coffee (Cruise-Thirty) and watched the towel folding demonstration. Windjammer for lunch. We went to bingo and decided to play. They draw receipts to give out door prizes and I won a t-shirt and a bingo fish. We were one number away from winning the free cruise. Freshened up for dinner where I had coconut shrimp, New York strip, and apple pie a la mode. I forgot to note what DW had. The New York strip comes with a gravy that gives it a pot roast flavor so if you like your meat plain make sure that you tell them no gravy. Went back to the cabin and finished packing and put our luggage in the hall, then went to the farewell show in the theater. Quest was held in Two70 and this was followed by virtual fireworks. Our Quest team took third place and we agreed that Royal Quest was the second raciest we had attended, with NCL being the raciest and CCL the third. The virtual fireworks were pretty cool. 4.13.19 Disembarkation Day Up at 5:30 and last coffee at café promenade to go over the final bill. The drinks on the drink package were not reflected on the final bill although they did show up on the invoice displayed on the cabin TV. We are assigned zone 23 with our time for disembarkation between 8 and 8:30. We had our last breakfast in Windjammer and it wasn’t too crowded, surprisingly. Waiting areas for disembarkation are the theater and Two70 and the gangway is located mid-ship. Disembarkation started at 7:40 and our zone was called at 7:50 (up through zone 27). We hit the gangway at 8:05 after we used the restroom one last time. There is a machine in the terminal that takes your picture and compares it with what’s on file and as long as all is okay you don’t see a CBP officer. Closing thoughts- I know at one point that we ate at the Dog Shack but can’t remember exactly when, but the Coney Island I had and the Brat that DW had were very tasty. We definitely got our money’s worth with the drink package, even with only having one drink each on the day we were in Port Canaveral. When events let out of the theater there is a crowd of people waiting to use the elevators, etc. but this is to be expected. In comparing Royal to Carnival there are some minor differences. As I mentioned Anthem is far and away better than any other ship we’ve sailed due to her age (just turned 4), size, shows, etc. We found the activities (trivia, karaoke, family feud, Quest, etc.) to be comparable between all of the lines we sailed. The waiters did “dance” three nights but it was half-hearted and not really well done. The linens (towels, bedding) are comparable to CCL and NCL. CCL and NCL both have body wash in the shower, Royal uses bar soap. The food and service on Royal are a little better on Anthem then they were on CCL or NCL. Royal really impressed DW with how they handled her allergies and this made her feel special. We were favorably impressed with Royal and will definitely sail with them again whenever price and itinerary match up, but I am willing to spend a little more to sail with Royal. How much more? That remains to be seen. Read Less

My wife and I booked this “8 Night Bahamas” cruise in March of 2018 shortly before the work of the new Coco Cay was first announced. It was my second cruise ever, both have been with Royal Caribbean (we went on the Freedom of the Seas last February 2017 with our 2 children, my parents, and some friends from work), but this was our first cruise without our 2 children. Another plus side was that St. Patrick’s Day was occurring during our time on the ship which we thought was going to be very fun. We decided that we would get the beverage package this time and my wife was set to swim with dolphins so that was a "Must Happen." Then I selected the Kayak/Snorkel Combo in Coco Cay. Leading up to our cruise was hectic, we had a lot of unknowns going on throughout the year due to a waiting process for me for a job with a state law enforcement agency and my wife starting a new job herself. About a week before the cruise we were all set and knew for sure that it was all going to work out. However, then the email came in informing us that Coco Cay was no longer going to be a stop for us and we would be going to Miami instead. This turned our “8 Night Bahamas” cruise into a Florida cruise basically, due to us already having a stop in Port Canaveral. Getting onto the ship was VERY fast. We drove from Upstate NY to Newark, NJ the night before departure and stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Newark Airport. Our room was a park and go package so we were able to leave our vehicle at the hotel for the duration of the cruise for no additional cost. The morning of the cruise we simply took an Uber to the cruise port (left the hotel around 1050, got to the port around 1120), were dropped off, and went through the steps. I believe we were on the ship by 1130 and our room was in fact ready at 1300 as we were told with all of our bags already there. Our first few cruise days on the ship were fun. Exploring things to do, places to hang out at, bars to check out, etc. It was also a busy one because we had pre booked a time on the first day with the Ripcord skydive simulator and also purchased the 3 night dining package to try some of the specialty restaurants (we LOVE to try new food options). We bought the bracelet watch things to give us access to our room and also be used for drinks, it was about $4-$5 each. At the end of the cruise we both decided that we probably wouldn’t purchase them again. Getting off of the ship at ports you MUST HAVE your sea card so I usually carried them around with me anyway. The watches were mostly convenient if your hands were full trying to get into the room. With the 3 night dining package our first night was pre booked for us, the other nights we had to schedule. This was somewhat of a pain, the service member helping us just seem to be saying “Yes” to everything we wanted to do without looking into anything. So we booked all of our specialty dining the first day, for day 1, 2, and 3 (We changed the days eventually to space them out a couple of days later and it was fine and easy). Our first day we departed and went under the VZ Bridge which was VERY cool, definitely get to a top deck to see that, and it was great having an AMAZING view of the city while we went by. Later that day we were scheduled to do the Ripcord skydive simulator. THIS WAS AWESOME! I wish we scheduled more times throughout the cruise because we both had A LOT of fun but you only get 1 minute of flying time. I HIGHLY recommend scheduling this. Also, our first night dining was at Wonderland. We were not sure about this specialty dining restaurant. Prior to our cruise we read GREAT reviews but it seemed gimmicky. We figured it was our first night and that if it was bad, so what, and if it was good then great… IT WAS EPIC! Haha, Our waiter Vladan was awesome, made the dinner that much more enjoyable. The portions were small, but got bigger as you started from Appetizer to Entrée. I wish we did this again during our cruise. They had us select 3 dinners, which came with 3 appetizers, which came with 3 desserts. All were great, both of use were very satisfied at the end. Day 2 was more laid back, we checked out more areas of the ship, Two 70, Brass & Bock, the Solarium (we hung out for 3 hours) and then eventually made our way to dinner in the main dining hall. Dinner was good, it was formal night. One of our waitress seemed newer so she wasn’t very personable, and taking photos on this ship was weird. We planned to buy the photo package but towards the end decided not too. They made us do a lot of odd poses that we felt made the photos look cheesy. Day 3 was St. Patty’s Day, we had bought custom shirts before the cruise and I was very excited haha. We spent a good majority of the day at the Schooner Bar, met up with a GREAT couple and another GREAT family from a facebook group that was set up by some people we found prior to our cruise. Also, the Schooner bar has a lot of the trivia games and what not it is very convenient. On this day we also did the North Star which was great, and we tried lunch at one of the dining halls that was also enjoyable. We ended up checking out Brass & Bock for a while, they have a great selection of beer. I tend to enjoy IPAs and they have plenty. Also, Nazarii was our bartended, the guy is a savage. Works likes crazy, and is still super personable. He recommended beers, talked with us every chance he got, just a great guy, and worker. We ate at the main dining hall again this night and it was enjoyable. Day 4 was our stop in Port Canaveral. Gloomy day, but we figured get off the ship and check out some stuff. So we took a shuttle from the port into town and at lunch at this place called the Sandbar Sports Grill - it was good, they have great fish tacos. We also took time to go to some shops to get family members some things and then it began to rain so we went back to the ship and hung out in the Solarium again (about 4 hours). After we hit dinner at the main dining hall again and it was still good. Day 5… Miami… Gloomy… Rain… ALL DAY… SUPPOSED TO BE COCO CAY! It was a bummer to say the least. In all honesty, I wasn’t THAT upset about Coco Cay, some people were SUPER pissed - to the point it was ridiculous. My feeling was I was with my wife, away from work for a week. HOWEVER - I feel the way Royal Caribbean handled the change was very, VERY, poor. The only option they gave us was a free shuttle to and from the port to Bayside market place, and to and from South Beach. Our bummer with not being in Coco Cay was having the drink package that we could have used on the island and the fact that they would be serving us food. Now we got stuck in Miami on a rainy day - literally didn’t stop - And now had to spend more money on food if we didn’t eat on the ship, and drinks. I understand that we could have ate on the ship, but we just spent all of that time on it we just wanted to stretch our legs. We did take advantage of the shuttles and check out both areas. Bayside is literally a row of shops and South Beach was pointless due to no nice weather. I feel that Royal should have compensated us with on board credit maybe in the form of one day per person for the drink package and maybe one day per person to eat at one of their specialty restaurants. It is what it is, and like people pointed out it was raining there was probably raining in Coco Cay too haha. We made the best we could out of a lame option. This night we ate at our second specialty dining Chops Grille. It was OK - in our opinion NOT BETTER than Wonderland. However the mushroom soup we got was delicious and our steaks were cooked perfectly. Our dining experience was ruined a little though due to a couple behind us that came in MUCH later than we did. They must’ve been in a higher up suite compared to our balcony room because the maitre de cam in apologizing about a bottle of wine they ordered and stated that it was corrected once they saw their room number. Whatever their status was killed it because they ended up getting all of their food served before we were served ours. I don’t complain much about service but it was literally like we were forgotten about. Day 6 was Nassau Bahamas. THANK YOU! The sky cleared up, our excursion was to swim with dolphins at Blue Lagoon and it all went PERFECT! Blue Lagoon was great, almost literally its own private island. We took about a 30-45 minute tender boat to get there, totally worth it. The crew was great, they had drinks on board. Swimming with dolphins made my wife’s week, probably year haha. Sun was out - I got burned by it didn’t even care. We went back to the ship once the day there was over, showered, changed and went back into Nassau. Nassau is, not great. The little shops were already closed around 1700 even though we were still scheduled to be in port until 2200. We attempted a few stores on the first main street but didn’t do much else. I don’t like people bothering me on vacation so we ended up getting back to the ship around 1900. Dinner at the dining hall again was good and tonight was the RED Dance Party in Two 70. It was a little weird, Two 70 was PACKED but it was a bunch of people that came to sit and watch everyone that danced - a little weird. We went out for a few songs but headed out when it was over. The ship had some other surprises during though that was cool. Day 7 was a rough day at sea. The ship was ROCKING. We started the morning with the sushi rolling class which was fun, but my wife was bothered A LOT by the movement of the ship and she spent a lot of this day in the room. The night was the final formal night with prime rib and lobster tails for dinner - both delicious. Day 8 I got the call and accepted from the job I was waiting on in the morning before we tried lunch at Jamie’s Italian, so that was a great way to start the day. I liked it a lot - got stuck behind the same high class couple from Chops, but that was entertaining. However the food was good - again, nothing beat our experience at Wonderland. The weather was great so we tried to enjoy the upper pool areas a little. Much colder though so we hung out in the indoor pool area and then walked around some more. Two 70 had a Philharmonic music session that I liked, she wasn’t a fan, but Two 70 is a different entity of its own. That was our last dining night so we did Izumi. We liked it but we have a sushi place in our town that we a super biased towards so it was our best experience. HOWEVER I love Sapporo beer and they had it, that was awesome. Day 9 we got off the ship VERY fast, hopped in an Uber and headed back to the hotel to pick up our car. I have family that lives in Staten Island so we went there for a few hours and had lunch (Got some real pizza) prior to driving home. Read Less

I loved this ship everyone on it was so nice, The service was amazing! if you have never cruised RCC do it you will meet some cool people and have a blast. I loved st kits of the most beautiful islands I have been on. if you don't like to wait or want to have some nice extras I would say get the KEY it cost 19.99 a day if you get it on sale, other wise it 24.99 a day. I will get it every time I am on a RCC cruise I loved having wifi it was so nice being able to talk to my family while I was away, plus we got on the ship very fast and have a grate lunch at chops grill. I had the best meal of my life and wonderland the food looked great and tasted amazing! I only have one complaint and that is American icon the restaurant just doesn't run well the servers and good just takes a long time to eat, Silk is grate though Malcom dose a grate job the food was always timed right not to fast or slow. Read Less

This was my second cruise and my wife's 5th one. Starring with the good things about the cruise. We had the drinks package and it covered everything including Starbucks drinks, the wine by the bottle is discounted as they say. The bar staff were always polite and friendly. Our room (outside balcony) was amazing and very well maintained by Gabriel. We often took drinks back to the room as not a problem. The ship was maintained however needs some decor repairing. Now the bad parts. Royal Caribbean has changed from its formal dining to separate dining rooms. I found the menus to be the same at each of the restaurants and menus didn't change much. I found the staff to be unhelpful and times very rude. The main thing that really upset us both was when we had a genuine complaint and a serious complaint that could of endangered both of our lives and other people on a tour organised by royal Caribbean. I spoke with the main desk and explained my complaint however the said it was the excursions department that I needed to speak with. The next day I went to see them and was told by one of the staff, after explaining the seriousness of my complaint and health and safety of us and fellow cruise guests. Was told you are only getting 25% of your fee back. I asked to speak with the manager who took me to one side and said that's all your getting. I was amazed that how he spoke with me and hadn't even took into consideration the danger of what we was put through on our tour. So I said, you are not bothered are you and only bothered about the money. He replied that's all we are willing to give you and walked off. A manager of royal Caribbean. After that I realized over the next few days he was right, royal Caribbean constantly wanted to sell you something but didn't want to give anything back. I'm waiting for this particular tour to injure someone ( I do hope not ) but if it does, I will be the first to say. You didn't listen to your customers. So sad this one person has made our cruise a little upsetting. Good job the Knickerbocker in NYC knows how to do 5* Read Less

We arrived to the port early. We beat the traffic and had a minimal wait before being allowed on board. We had lunch booked for Jamie's at 1:00pm but switched it for noon when we got on board. I highly recommend this. Not only were we the only people in Jamie's, the food was delicious, and it beats how hectic the Windjammer can get the first day. It was a relaxing, fun way to kick off our trip and our waiter, Octavian was incredible. Our room was ready after our lunch and Muster drill shortly after that. The crew: I can't say enough about the crew on this ship. Everyone we encountered was friendly, helpful, hardworking, and nothing short of amazing. Our room steward, Edward, was wonderful. Very friendly. We chatted on occassion and loved bumping into him and other workers on the 12th floor! Such a great bunch of guys! Our waiter, Elizabeth, and assistant waiter, Deepak, were by far my favorite of any ship I've sailed on. Anyone would be lucky to be seated in their section. Very attentive and constantly went above and beyond to give us the best dining experience every night. Not only that but they were so friendly and genuine. Really awesome people. We didn't eat in the Windjammer often but when we did, I was constantly amazed and awed by how attentive the staff was. Please wash your hands before entering! Entertainment: Spectra's was our favorite. A very fun show to watch. We also really enjoyed Vocal Extreme and the comedians. WWRY wasn't my cup of tea, but a lot of people seemed to like it. And it's impressive and clear how hard the performers work to put on a show like that. Royal Swedes and DSB played on our ship. Unfortunately, unless you arrived pretty early, no seats were really available. We tried going once to these shows but gave up. They played often during the 12 nights but we decided to keep busy with other things. Too crowded and I didn't feel like arriving 30 minutes or more to an event to get a seat. Cruise Compass: We loved trivia. And they had it often. It wasn't always listed as trivia. Sometimes it would just say, staff activity. Some trivia was busier than others. We tried arriving about 10 minutes prior to get a seat. On occassion we had to stand but we still stayed. A few people had to be told to put their phones away while playing, we thought it was foolish that they were trying to cheat. Regardless it was a lot of fun. We even participated in the scavenger hunt. There was definitely a nice range of activities. We really only participated in trivia, a scavenger hunt, and some of the late night entertainment. The guitarist in the pub was outstanding! Cabin: We had an interior on deck 12. We found it to be large enough. We didn't spend much time there. Plenty of storage room. We didn't even use all the space given! And the beds and pillows were great. We have a soft bed at home and had no trouble with the firmness of the bed in our room. Food: We ate mostly in the MDR. Breakfast was great as was lunch. We didn't miss a dinner there. Minus our first lunch at Jamie's, we didn't eat in any other specialty dining areas. Food is delicious elsewhere so we didn't see the need. Dinner in the MDR was great. I'm a vegetarian and was pleased with the options. My boyfriend, a foodie and a meateater, had a wonderful experience every night. He always had positive things to say about the food and he ordered and tried quite a bit! We did the Solarium for breakfast on occassion. We found it less busy. Sure, there is a limited selection, but there was still more than enough to choose from. Solarium/Pool decks: I knew before going on the ship that the pool deck and solarium can get pretty busy. I was even worried about "the chair hogs" I heard so much about. The nice thing about the chair hogs though is they tend to stay away from the top deck. It was pretty easy finding a spot to relax on the top deck. Usually toward the front or back of the ship. And it's quieter in those places too! Chair hogs also tend to disappear from each location, even the solarium, starting around 4. Some nights we had the Solarium and even the hot tubs all to ourselves. We thought it was silly to get up early to fight over loungers and pillows. Why do that when you can get the whole place to yourself in the evening? It's still unfortunate that some people feel the need to stake their claim over a whole row of chairs, but we found it easy to find other, better places to relax. Any time of the day. The itinerary is great. I was bummed to hear that Barbados is getting taken off the same cruise next year. Beautiful islands. We loved them all. Overall the ship is beautiful, fun, and we can't wait to go back on her. We were worried about the crowds but it was never really a huge problem. Only disappointment was some of the passengers. Only a tiny few. But they seemed to have forgotten their manners. Niceness goes a long way and it's unfortunate that people forget this. We didn't let this damper our trip and we still can't stop thinking about the awesome time we had onboard and off! We didn't buy the beverage package and didn't see the need. We were more than satisfied by the tea, water, lemonade, fruit juices, and coffee available. Getting off and on the ship was an absolute breeze. No stress for 12 full days. The Anthem is great. Read Less

We chose this trip to celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary and as a winter getaway. I was a little concerned with our choice after reading some of the past reviews. After our experience I am happy to report there was nothing to worry about. The ship has many different areas to please different tastes unless you are entirely too picky. We chose this ship and itinerary to avoid having to fly in any possible bad weather during February. We decided to drive ourselves to the port and park in the port garage. I know there were cheaper alternatives (off site or hotel parking) but we liked knowing that if we had any snow while we were gone we would not have to return and dig our car out. Embarkation: We arrived about 9:30 am and dropped our luggage off and found parking rather easy. There was a little backup around the parking entrance as some of the departing passengers were still awaiting pick up. A restroom was conveniently located between the parking garage and the entrance to the terminal. We breezed through check in as we had completed on line check in and went through security. We were directed to a general seating area. Announcements kept us aware of expected boarding times. They started the boarding process ahead of the anticipated time. We boarded with little trouble and enjoyed lunch in the solarium bistro. Staterooms: The staterooms were ready at 1 pm and we found our luggage ready at our door. Our stateroom attendant Christopher was top notch. He was friendly and helpful the entire trip. The room was nicely laid out, had plenty of storage and was always clean. I liked that the mini fridge was empty unless you requested something else. I had heard of bogus charges for mini bar items post departure. We did not find any issues with the elevators as we chose to take the stairs to help burn off all the additional calories. It gave us an opportunity to view all the different artwork in the stairwells too. Dining: We prefer to eat early and the regular early seating option was full. We chose my time dining and made reservations for an early time. We were directed to silk as the my time with reservations dining area. We dined there on the first 2 nights. We haven't cruised for a very long time and were more used to the large open dining rooms with a more leisurely pace. This was not the case. We felt that the dining room was smaller, crowded, and dark. The staff was required to almost run to meet the needs of the guests. The noise level was uncomfortable. This was not a major problem as we chose to eat in the windjammer for the remainder of the trip and LOVED it. The other guests talked of needing to eat in the main dining room for better food. The windjammer food quality was fabulous. We enjoyed the unending choices for food and the atmosphere suited us much better. The views from the windjammer were wonderful. The staff was attentive and helpful and had the time to speak with you. Venty and the rest of the windjammer staff made this restaurant a much more relaxed and enjoyable place for us. Even though we had different staff each day they still went out our their way to learn our names and what we liked to meet our needs. I understand that some prefer the wait staff attention of the dining room and that is what is great on this boat. Anyone can find something to suit their tastes. Entertainment: We saw most shows and enjoyed them all. The theater was our favorite venue with 270 as a close second. The Music Hall was okay but was closed a lot to hold the overflow diamond club affairs. It was also difficult to see what was going on from the upper level. Maybe they could add some video screens upstairs that you could see and not just hear what is happening. The game shows do not have the same entertainment value if you can't see them. Again we had no trouble finding a venue or entertainment that suited us. There was enough going on in areas we enjoyed to sweat what wasn't for us. Service: We had the drink package and enjoyed trying different drinks in different parts of the ship. Our favorite bar by far was the pool bar in the solarium. A big shout out to the bartenders: Raluca, Jamie, and Lyn were the most fun gang around. They had a following of guests that gathered to enjoy the atmosphere every day. Dailan from the beverage staff was also very helpful. He worked the pool area during the day and the theater area at night. We never needed to look far and he was ready willing and able to help. The only slightly off encounters with the thousand plus staff was the operator of the escape room as she thought we were trying to keep things from her (she actually yelled at us and did not apologize after she realized she was wrong) and one gentleman at the flow rider who had a dry sense of humor that was off putting. Shore Excursions: We chose shore excursions through Royal Caribbean at each port except Puerto Rico. We wanted the comfort of knowing that Royal had approved of these 3rd parties. I know some prefer to book privately and again to each his own. A couple on our cruise was disappointed that the person they chose did not show up to meet them for a trip they had reserved. We rode Rhino Riders in St Martin. We chose the kayak and snorkel adventure in Antigua. In St Lucia we traveled across the island to view the La Tille waterfall. In Barbados we did the turtle swim and shipwreck snorkel. We did a 4 wheeler trip with a beach stop in St. Kitts. All were wonderful. We would do this trip again in a heartbeat. Was absolutely everything flawless -no but 99.999% was and we are not the type to let one tiny thing upset a whole trip. This ship has something for everyone. If you don't like something go look somewhere else. Maybe you will find something you like better. Read Less

We choose this cruise to experience a bigger ship and to have some winter sunshine. From the moment we arrived at Bayonne every thing was as smooth as silk. Check in was fast, efficient and exciting. From the second our feet were on board we could see exactly where the millions and millions were spent on the ship. No expense spared here. As usual staff were outstanding, food excellent and service well just second to none. Every single staff member was so good at their jobs. All remembered our names and would always address us when we went into the restaurant and to the bars. Marco in the Pub is outstanding at his job and he works so hard. The staff in the bar 270 again fantastic at their jobs as were the Solarium bar staff. Jonathan our room Stewart is so good at his job. The trips we booked were all great. Thank you so much everyone you gave us a fabulous fabulous holiday that we won't ever forget. We are already booked again for a different cruise next year. Read Less

We chose the Anthem of the Seas because we could drive to the port. Loved the idea of a longer (12 days) cruise. It was going to 4 ports we had never sailed to. We had a junior suite with an extended balcony which we used a lot. The staff was amazing and so friendly. Loved the show We will Rock you. Enjoyed the technology and the performers in Spectra’s Cafe. Although a little too modern for my taste. Two 70 lounge was just spectacular. Lots of dinning options on the ship. The North Star, bumper cars, and Ifly were amazing. We scheduled everything online before boarding. We dined at Wonderland which was an experience. The food and service was top notched. Jamie’s Italian was just delicious. The layout of the ship was easy to navigate. Venues were not hard to reach. Can’t wait to go on this ship again. Read Less

We chose this cruise because it was in January and a drivable port (13hrs) and also because it was a newer ship. Anthem definitely met our expectations but did not exceed them. That being said we will be booking again next year at this time. Pros: driveable port, newer big ship that is in good shape. The ship was sold out and you only ever noticed the people on the esplanade, windjammer and the dining room. But even then it was not unbearable. We even found ourselves wondering, where is everyone? Solarium bistro was a great find. Great food and a very nice place to meet people for dinner. All the staff is kind and courteous. Embarkation was a breeze! Cons: biggest beef was the bed. Both my husband and I found it soooo hard. I spoke to many others who said same. Our cabin Steward did all he could to make it softer. Going as far as putting 3 blankets on the mattress then the sheet. It didn’t help. We were disappointed in the food in the dining room. Don’t get me wrong it was good, just not as good as we have had on previous RCCI cruises. We are people that enjoy dressing up and going to the main dining room (we never get to do it at home) we rarely go to windjammers buffet. This cruise we found we ate in the dining room a total of 6 times. Solarium and windjammers the rest of our meals. Windjammers was a very pleasant surprise. We enjoyed the different “stations” That’s it for complaints. Of cours our Cabin Steward, Simeon, was great. Always a smile and a wave and a tidbit of information! Loved the “washy washy” girls at windjammer, especially Joanna. All in all I will recommend, but I will be bringing an eggshell topper next year. Read Less

We have sailed with RCL several times aboard the Explorer, Quantum and Anthem. It seems to us that RCL is cheaping out. There is no filet mignon offered in the dining tables unless you want to pay more. Would one night kill RCL's budget to offer filet mignon? Better bring your own body lotion, cause if you booked anything below a suite it's not going to be in your cabin. Your steward will get it for you, but have to ask. The soda machines work some of the time. But never all of the time. Seems like a lot of money for machines that don't work. The shampoo is in a dispenser on the shower wall... like Carnival. RCL used to be a quality cruise line. Now it's just OK, how sad. On a brighter note, our cabin steward, wait staff in the dining room and managed in the dining room were excellent. They could not do enough for the guests. Read Less

20+ cruises. 25 minute backup to get into the parking lot. After that, nice speedy embarkation. Beautiful ship, easy to get around. Lots of people, but did not ever feel rushed or crowded. Very disappointed in Shows. Oasis has great Broadway type shows. Anthem elected to go a different way. The shows included Spectra's Cabaret with the lead performer, a man dressed as a woman, slinking around a lights down theatre; The Gift, which was an unclear message to a good part of the audience (later we heard an explanation from a woman at breakfast telling her children about it); The third mostly involved two female singers, fair at best. Service was wonderful at most venues. The Schooner Bar, however, was an exception. Here, the bar provided back-up service for Chops Grill, the Specialty restaurant. On a regular basis, the waiter serving those enjoying the entertainment would vanish. The two waiters servicing the bar area never came over to help out. I asked one of them if we could get service. She told me that the waiter had to go to Chops. I got drinks for my wife and I. This happened on 2 consecutive nights, so I went to the Service desk to complain. They were apologetic and said they had referred to matter to the Entertainment Director. That was the last we heard. The ship seems to have used all the added space for additional cabins or for younger cruisers entertainment. Saw nothing on the ship that was anything better than Read Less

We chose this cruise first for the price, and we wanted time to explore New York for a couple days before Bermuda. The ship is beautiful and has some amazing activities. IFly and Northstar were definitely highlights. The shows were big productions, but after the 3rd one, the themes got a bit heavy and to some degree, a little apocalyptic. The machines are taking over seemed to be a common thread. Don't get me wrong, the technology was impressive and the talent was outstanding. I was just looking for something to feed my vacation escapism a bit more. Bermuda was short, but wonderful. We had a fantastic time and look forward to going back in the future. Drawbacks were: The beds. They were awful. Of all the cruises we've taken, these were the worst. It felt like you were sleeping on a sheet of plywood. My Time dining. I know many people like this option, but we didn't. We always enjoyed getting to know our shipmates at dinner and have made many friends we still stay in touch with after many years. Also dinner has become just another Windjammer with all the tshirts, sweatshirts and jeans every evening. We still enjoyed our trip very much, it's just different now I guess. Read Less

Got this trip as a casino Comp. The good: the North Star rose was fun ! The bumper cars were fun. The bars were all very nice ! The food in Jamie’s was sub par. The chops grille was good food, but so loud we could hardly hear each other talk. The food in the MDR was good. All service was a bit slow in all venues. The windjammer dining buffet was always crowded. The solarium cafe was the least crowded and had same selection A the windjammer. It was cold going from Newark in Dec so everyone was inside. The casino was so crowded I couldn’t get a table and the slots were so tight I didn’t win any Big jackpots. The casino host didn’t come around ever and never introduced herself. The two times I had interactions with her were short and to the point. She even saw I was trying out her ship and didn’t welcome me or anything. Loved the shows I saw. Spectra cabaret and the 70’s dance party was fun. The ship itself is absolutely gorgeous !! We had a balcony toom that was very nice. Showers are glass enclosure and they have lots of shelves in bathroom and room for storage. Cabin Steward was attentive. Crusie director was fun and friendly. Easy port to reach from Newark airport. Uber was less than $20. Read Less