My daughter and I had cruised Anthem 2 yrs ago on the 4 night to Bermuda and while there were some issues on the cruise, we decided to try the 5 night to Bermuda. Overall, I was very happy with the cruise. Room- We again had a room with the large balcony at a good location near the elevators. The room was spotless and our steward, Carlton was very nice and provided me with extra towels when I asked for them. The issue with the horrible beds continued, though we did ask for and get toppers for them. For the first time though in a while on RCCl we had very loud and obnoxious neighbors blasting music . Key program -We had The Key program- I was not sure how it would work out, but in the end the benefits we used were great and I would do this again. We got there at 11 so missed the early embarkation but the Key had a designated check in anyhow. We had lunch when we boarded in one of the dining rooms from the Chops menu. We left a carry on near the dining room when we boarded. During the cruise we got a fruit plate. We did not use the priority time for Bermuda. We were able to book North Star through the Key, though in the end cancelled but could have used Stand By. (It had not been available on the Cruise Planner). We got a discount at Izumi. We did not see any shows this time. Best was the departure. We had breakfast and getting off the ship was super easy, as the Key employee guided us off, through the pier , to the luggage and got us into a fast customs line. I would definitely do The Key again. Internet and Drink Package- I booked the Deluxe package with internet before I realized I had booked the Key months earlier ( forgetful sometimes....) and because I did not want to cancel and rebook, we ended up with 4 internet packages. This actually worked out well as I could use my phone and computer at same time, and daughter her iPad and phone. No, I would not do that again, but it worked well this time. The drink package is totally worth it. Food- there were some issues here but they related to booking only. I had booked the Chefs Table and 3 night dining package through the Cruise Planner. We generally only eat in specialty restaurants and before I always booked pre cruise, but decided to save money this time. I did not really like running around on the first day to get the restaurants booked. We went to a gentleman in Chops first to check on the 3 nights, and the first night he claimed we were in Jamie's at 9.30 when I had booked for 8 pm times but we switched it to Wonderland and then Jamies and Chops at the end of the week. However, when I checked several times before the second to last night when we had Jamie's, and even that day the reservation was either lost or at a wrong time. I will say that the food in all the restaurants we ate in was excellent. In fact, Wonderland, which had been disappointing 2 yrs ago, and on the Symphony in Nov., was fantastic and we ended up eating there the last night again instead of Chops. Our server , Gabino, was great. We had him as our server both nights. Instead of eating in Hamilton on the night in Bermuda, my daughter ate in Izumi and I joined her for a salad as I dislike sushi. Our server, Jofel, was also super. When I said I wanted a burger he went downstairs to the pub and ordered one for me and brought it back to me. He also brought my daughter back from that deck the special pineapple drink. I got room service in the morning as I like to drink coffee on the balcony. It came promptly each morning. We also ordered from the room service menu at the pool as we booked the sunbeds, and I thought the Greek salad was very good as well. Chefs Table was exceptional and food allergies and preferences were easily accommodated. Shows- we did not see any this cruise. Last cruise we walked out on Spectra's Cabaret as we both thought it awful. Bars- on this cruise, Boleros was definitely the best . The bartenders were friendly and helpful. I enjoyed the music at night also. Schooner Bar had one of the rudest bartenders. Pool- I splurged and we enjoyed the sun beds outside the North Star Bar area on the sea days.I had seen them 2 yrs prior and knew to book them as soon as I got on the ship. For us, this was the best deal on the ship. Though expensive, we had great service throughout the day from Abraham, bottles of water, a bottle of champagne ( which I took home), and lunch from the Room Service menu. The pool was jammed on sea days and the chair hogs were out. We were told that some people were out at 4.30 am putting towels on chairs. For the first time, though, we did see a pool worker confiscate towels and put peoples' possession in plastic bags after a long period of time had gone by, but that was only on the first sea day. Bermuda- we were not overwhelmed. The island is very expensive and because I knew transportation by taxi can be costly, and difficult from some areas, we had made plans to be in Hamilton one day and possibly a beach the second. We ferried over to Hamilton but were underwhelmed . My daughter had hoped to buy a pair of sandals at the specialty sandal shop where they are hand made for you while you wait. However, the clerk was very unfriendly and dismissive. We decided to go back to the ship and went to Snorkel Park. That too was expensive for 2 chairs and an umbrella ($40). Beach was tiny and dirty. When we left we went shopping in the Clocktower and had lunch at Frog and Onion which was expensive. The second day we did the ship excursion to Clearwater Beach which involves an hour ride to St George and back. The tour was ok, but not worth the cost. I was not impressed by the beach. The host for the beach, though, was very nice. Parking- drop off of bags and parking was not difficult. The crowd is predominately from the tri state area- NY, NJ Pa , and surrounding states. That said, some were very rude, some teens were horrible, some people cut in front of you , some just very unfriendly, ( ie. at Chefs Table where in the past we found people were usually friendly, one group of 6 moved their chairs so they could all sit at one end, and never spoke to the other 6 of us), but overall we just dealt with it and in fact, booked another cruise over the holidays. 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

So, my parents decided that they wanted to see Bermuda again, and wanted to take the rest of us - so we were a group of 10 (7 adults, 2 teens, 1 kid). My husband and I live in Baltimore, so my parents decided we should go out on the Grandeur. This was our third cruise, the first two were one the Carnival Pride (so fair warning, there will be some comparisons). The best: The solarium is an amazing place on this ship. A glass enclosed adult-only section with a little food counter and direct access to the spa with the sauna and steam room. It was amazing, and WAY better than the Pride's adult only section. We almost always were able to find lounge chairs, and the pool is a real sized pool! Actually, both pools were real sized - which was a definite step up from the Pride's pools, with way more hot tubs. We ate at Chops one night and it was delicious! (on par with the prides steak house) The staff is all very friendly and sweet and helpful. Comparing to the Pride: Embarkation and departure were a dream on the Grandeur - Easy and fast. (the Pride was a nightmare both times) The Good: The windjammer was delicious for breakfast and lunch. The great Gatsby was mostly good for dinner. The spaces on the ship (south pacific lounge, centrum, schooner bar) were beautiful. The bad: Dining: Not one dinner meal did everyone get their food at the same time - and my mom is a stickler for 'no one eats if everyone doesn't have a plate'. We received poorly done meat (seriously - who eats well done prime rib?). And breakfast in the main dining room was disgusting (cold eggs benedict two mornings in a row . . ugh). Maintenance: 2 of the 9 elevators were broken from day 1. 2 of the remaining were on/off throughout the cruise (luckily it's a small ship). Entertainment: The Schooner bar piano guy (andy?) needs to retire. No voice, not familiar with all the words to songs and very low energy. the beautiful south pacific lounge was bad karaoke multiple nights of the 5 night cruise. The ship basically closes down except the one night club room and an outdoor movie playing by 10pm each evening. Room: the beds were cots shoved together. Lumpy and hard. Verdict: I wish this ship could get a revamp - better food, better entertainment - because the ship itself is lovely and had a lot of promise. But, as is? I won't be choosing this ship over the Pride. The RC cruises typically are more expensive than Carnival, and the pros weren't enough to sway me. Read Less

This cruise was to celebrate my friend's anniversary which was on a Royal Caribbean cruise 5 years before. On that cruise we had around 60 people. As well as celebrating an anniversary, 3 of us were celebrating our 65th birthdays on this cruise. My birthday actually fell on the day we were in port in Bermuda. This cruise was a debacle almost from the minute we arrived at the port. Some things were minor and if they were the only problem, we would have just let it go. We understand that things happen and don't nitpic over every little thing. But this cruise was one problem after another and even the resolution offered by the cruiseline turned out to be yet another fail. So I am going to include most of the problems we had, large and small, so that you can understand the frustration we all felt. This cruise left from New Jersey. We arrived around 11 am and got in line. We range in status from gold to diamond. It was pretty disorganized and some Gold passengers ended up in the Windjammer 20 minutes before we even got on the ship. Minor issue, no problem. After lunch we went to the pool and there were no towels. So we went to ride the bumper cars. They were having a problem because 2 of the cars that people were already in were not functioning and they had to get out and get back in line. Unfortunately, some of their families were already in cars that worked. We went back to the pool and had a few drinks , went to the room and unpacked. I have to say, I loved the room. We met some of our group for dinner. The restaurant was a bit of chaos because there are 2 restaurants but your card does not say which one to go to so people where standing in line at the wrong side which caused a backup in the area.At dinner everyone got a menu except my husband and I. We had to call him back over. When my meal came out, they gave it to someone else before it finally made it's way to me. This is just nothing I have ever experienced before. I guess I had been spoiled, but that is kind of what you expect when you pay the price we paid for this cruise. After dinner we went to look for the karaoke. Unfortunately, it is only open for an hour and it was already full, We went to the room, filled out the card to have coffee delivered in the morning and went to bed. Coffee was never delivered, I have never had this happen before. So we got up and went to breakfast at the restaurant. After breakfast we went for a walk around the ship to look around. We went to the pool for some of the contests. We went back to the room to get ready for dinner, which we were thought was lobster night. When we got there we found out lobster night was going to be on the second formal night ( which we were surprised they would have lobster night on a shore day?) We had already booked a dinner at the specialty restaurant which meant we would miss lobster night. Had we known earlier we could have switched the reservation around instead of missing one of our favorite things. Again, the service at the dining room was a bit of a shambles. Next day a large group of us were going to Horseshoe Bay Beach. A few of us were meeting by the pool to watch our friends get on the North Star. My friend had paid for her grandchildren to go on this cruise and planned to spend the day with them at the beach. We were all supposed to meet there but the grandchildren and their parents never showed up. When we got back to the ship we found out that their safe wouldn't open and they had to have their passports.They were stuck sitting in the room for well over an hour before anyone showed up. By the time the safe was opened it was too late for them to try to get to the beach. That night, 10 of us had a tour that we booked through Royal Caribbean for a pub crawl. This was the worst tour I have ever been on. The driver was terrible, didn't even talk to us. When he got us to the first stop, he said we could get off if we wanted!!!! I will be posting a whole separate review on the tour. It would take way too long to share that here.The next morning we had a tour that was booked with a private company and it was wonderful! When we returned, the group coordinator from my group and I went to guest services and told them about many of the problems. There were more than what I have even posted here. They promised to resolve the problems and they said they were going to do something very special for our group like something at lunch etc. We had to end it there because it was time for our reservation at Wonderland. Wonderland was WONDERFUL! Food and service was excellent and I hoped this would turn things around. After dinner my husband and I went to the Bionic Bar. We had stopped here earlier in the week but nothing was working. Well nothing had changed. In 20 minutes we saw at least 10 drinks that were only half full or made incorrectly. The next morning at breakfast we did get some fruit for our table and fresh squeezed orange juice( which most of us got already) . We did not know that was the "special" thing they were doing for our group.We did receive a half credit for our tour but as bad as it was and since we did not get the discounts we were promised and we were not taken to the bars as promised I expressed to Louis that I did not feel that was enough. I took it up with Post Guest Services after returning home and for the last month I have been trying to get a resolution. Today they told me that Royal Caribbean does not take any responsibility for tours you book through them. (P.S. I forgot to include that another person in our party also had a problem with their safe, and one of the shows had to be stopped in the middle of the show for technical difficulties) I understand that things happen, but it seemed very little was working properly on this ship, The public areas were small and this ship holds a lot of people so everywhere was crowded. We are not unreasonable people. Things happen but it is the way the company deals with the issue that matters. This company chose to not care whether we were happy or not. We travel with a group, usually anywhere from 12 to 60 people but I guess that no longer matters. I have always loved RC but if this is where they are going I do not know how I feel about sailing with them again. With as much money as we brought to this cruise and with as many problems as we encountered I would not think refunding at least a little more of our tour price would be that big of a deal . We had I think 48 people on this cruise with many of them purchasing drink packages so if you do the math you will see it would not have hurt them to resolve this issue. My review for the tour will be about their Pub Crawl In Bermuda. Read Less

First cruise on RCL after cruising NCL, Carnival, and Princess. Young 40's couple. This was a family get together cruise, so this itinerary was selected for us, but we did note that it was the most expensive I have ever paid for a cruise at $608 per night (for 2 people in the cabin including all taxes and fees and less our OBC) for a Junior Suite (which was priced only about $20 per night over a regular balcony). The itinerary was 4 nights at sea and one night at Bermuda. The ship is very small and was built in the mid-90s, so well past her prime. However, there is something quaint and nice about such a small ship that you get to know quickly and can get to places without a real effort. Nice large open walking promenade on the lower deck. But, overall, it is old and while still maintained and pretty clean, it feels old too (thin and discolored bed sheets, rust on edges of areas, ragged carpet/ window corners, etc). There were literally 2 total outlets in our Junior Suite, and they were nowhere near the bed. I suppose getting a bathtub is an "upgrade" in the JS but having to step over the shower and dodge the curtain was more of a pain than a perk. Inconsistent towel animals, ice had to be requested, and the kleenex/ tissue slot in our bathroom was never filled at all in the whole cruise (same for our other cabins, who also said their soap was often not replaced). The JS size was nice and wide with a big balcony (on which they stuck the world's tiniest 2 little chairs on.....so small you couldn't stretch out or lean back). Our Junior Suite (but not our other rooms) also had a weird and large Pillar in the middle of the room, right by the end of the bed - what I would call an obstruction. Also, we were on the 8th floor, so every night from about 10PM-midnight people and staff would rearrange the chairs and tables on the pool floor (9) and raise such a racket (ever heard of chair pads for the legs? - get a hundred for $10 at Amazon!) that all of our cabins had to wear earplugs ever night to get to sleep. The food was below average. The buffet had decent options but the area is small and there is very little outdoor dining on the whole ship. The main dining room (GREAT servers, very friendly and helpful) had a small menu every evening, half of which never changed - probably half the size of menu of every other ship we have sailed. Probably because they have advertisements and table fliers all over the ship trying to get you to buy "premium entrees" with your meal or upgrade to specialty dining. All of the appetizers and desserts arrived cold to lukewarm (seriously, how can you have a LAVA cake if it is cold?). The drink package was a pretty good value at the discounted rate of $49 per person/ day (plus gratuity) rate we got since it was good for all alcohol but also coffee (at Cafe Latte-tudes which serves Starbucks) and sodas and bottled / sparkling water. The Schooner bar and staff was great but all the others were slow and often made drinks that weren't even close to what was ordered. The gym was OK but definitely small for the number of people interested (all treadmills were always full). The pool was an OK size, but it was hard to stay out there very long because they blare the music so loud we couldn't talk to each other. The entertainment options are limited and the quality of performers was definitely the worst we have seen (I guess the talent scales with the ship size). This is definitely not a partying ship as not much is happening after about 9PM and most bars are closed by 11PM. The adult pool area has a nice and quiet Park Cafe (which curiously has no coffee) with small snacks/ sandwiches, as well as a bar that is often less busy but was staffed by one of the grumpiest bartenders I have encountered. Multiple times after asking him how he was doing, or how his day was going, his response was "What do you want" or "Are you ready" - and this was with no one else in line at the bar. Also, they broadcast next to nothing into the cabins - the bulletin said we would dock in Bermuda at 1PM and could disembark at 2PM so we waited to be called down. Finally we went outside at 2PM to see what was happening and they told us that they started letting people go at 1:30PM and you need to stand in the public areas to hear the announcements because they don't announce in staterooms (which was proved consistent upon return to Baltimore, where they also did not announce anything either). Cruising is great, and we had an overall good time on this ship, but for the premium that this ship is priced, I expect a whole LOT more. I guess they can charge this premium because people would rather drive to Baltimore than fly to Florida....but paying such extravagant premium rates for subpar amenities isn't for me. I do see the attraction of the smaller ship and should they ever start pricing this ship more in line with the experience on board, I would definitely consider it again. Read Less

We are loyal Royal Caribbean cruisers and we were happy to reach Platinum Level. we have sailed with Princess and Disney also in the past but a majority with Royal. We have cruised on the Oasis and Freedom class ships but first time on the Quantum class. We are very easy going cruisers and know things happen, but due to our experience with this ship we are questioning our loyalty and may decide on cruising with another cruise line. Here is my comprehensive review: Embarkation: We arrived at approximately 11am, traffic into the pier was horrendous as Cape Liberty is going through some major construction. Traffic entrance into pier was down to one lane. Entered cruise terminal which was easy and not that crowded. Entered the designated line for check-in. lines separated for general guests, Gold, Platinum-Emerald, Diamond and above. This is where the confusion started as terminal staff just funneled passengers into any line regardless of status, then let Diamond members ahead of all the other passengers waiting for designated check-in desks. Also you do not receive your SeaPass card until you get into your stateroom, so we could not do the Flowrider until we had the Seapass card and we could not get Starbucks coffee. Cabin: Balcony Room 6680 rear starboard side. Immediately upon entering the room it smelled of smoke. Thought great, prior cruisers were smokers. Unfortunately when we walked out to balcony we were greeted with a strong smoke smell and discovered the smoking atrium was just below the cabins on deck 5. Also people sitting in atrium can look up and see into cabin. Our daughter experienced a passenger looking up at her as she changed in the cabin. Kept shades closed for a majority of the cruise. Ship: The ship is beautiful full of technology, however technology broke down several time. The Royal Promenade is not as open as the Freedom and Oasis Class and not as easy to get around. It is poorly designed as most of the balconies do not have a view straight down to the water and there is a smoking area designated below some balcony cabins. Food: We did enjoy the food in the MDR but it did start to repeat itself on the 4th day. Wonderland had an eclectic selection of food but is priced at around $60 per person, I guess your paying for presentation. Windjammer always busy and food leaned heavily on Indian Curry spices, except for breakfast. Solarium Cafe was the place to go instead of windjammer but limited selections. Sorrento's Pizza was great and so was Cafe two 70 for the roast beef sandwiches. Staff: Wait staff and room steward were top notch, they worked hard to get things right. Guest Services staff mostly pleasant but couldn't make decisions. Bermuda: Very nice Island beautiful beaches. Hamilton's businesses were closed due to holiday and parade. Shipyard area was nice. Horseshoe Bay beautiful beach, but was busy. Also Bermuda is expensive. Entertainment: The Gift started out slow but finished great. Cabaret was no that great lots of use of light and technology. The music was not that great as the performers butchered the familiar songs. We Will Rock You CANCELLED due to hydraulic issues. It was replaced with the performers singing (not bad). Activities: Bumper cars were nice. IFly was the highlight of the activities a must do. Northstar looked nice but did not fit into our schedule. Flowrider also nice but too busy since there is only one. Sport activities staff were great. Disembarkation: Not too bad, we did not have to fill out Customs Declaration Forms. First time not having to do this. Wait time for car service back to hotel was over an hour due to the traffic issues at the port. We are still trying to resolve issues with cabin and our TA has gotten involved. Going on 2 weeks with no response from RCCL. I will update with resolution. Read Less

My mom and I cruised Anthem to Bermuda in June. We cruised RCCL to Bermuda about 7 years ago and wanted to go back on a newer ship. Being that we live in NJ, the convenience of leaving out of Bayonne was great. Checking in was easy - we got to the port at 10:30 and boarded soon after. Cabins are not available until 1PM, so we wandered around the ship and then headed to the Windjammer for lunch. It was utter chaos there. We ate quickly and waited until we could get into the cabin. Our seapasses were waiting for us. We had a junior suite - it was great! Very spacious and laid out well. A nice sized balcony too. There were upgraded toiletries in the bathroom. I think the cabin was the best part of the trip because when the ship felt crazy crowded, we had a quiet balcony to retreat to. BTW - I was offered an opportunity to upgrade with a bid on 3 other types of cabins. None of my bids were accepted. I was a little bummed, but again, was happy with the cabin we had. In general, the pros: * The ship was clean * Service for the most part was good * Lots of fun activities all day * Several no extra fee dining options * Bermuda is gorgeous * The cruise port is very easy to navigate with parking located close by * We rented an electric car from Oleander to cruise around the island - great customer service and lots of fun Cons: * The disembarkation process was a pure disaster - no clear directions, and was running behind schedule. Passengers were cutting in front of others, just so much confusion to end the trip on. * The Bermuda Triangle Nature Preserve excursion - do NOT waste your money! The excursion is nothing like the description. For what it cost, you could go to Horseshoe or one of the other nearby beaches, and get lunch and beach chairs for less with a prettier view. * A big ship has a lot of people and you can tell there are a lot of people. * Technical difficulties kept us from being able to see "We Will Rock You" twice. * Same food was served in the Windjammer every day. * The sales they offer are a joke. * Extra fee dining - as if it didn't already cost a lot to go, so why pay extra for food * The thermal suite doesn't come close to what NCL offers * Cabin 13236 is right under The Living Room and was quite noisy overhead We had a good time and will sail RCCL again, just be mindful of the pros and cons. Read Less

This was great! Our whole family went. We had four adjacent ocean balcony rooms. My husband and I in one. My three daughters (early 20s) in the next. My one daughter and son-in-law in the next, and my oldest daughter, son-in-law, and 2 1/2 year old granddaughter in the last. Our cabin attendant, MC, opened the dividers on the balconies, so we could all sit out together. It was great! Also great for using bathrooms when yours was occupied. Great for 9 adults and one child! We drove from PA to Bayonne, NJ. Two short hours and we were there. Parking was easy, and the embarkation process was quick. We were on the ship in less than 20 minutes! My husband and I were on a cruise last year so we told our kids to wear their bathing suits and enjoy the pool while there would be less people and lots of space to move around. They loved the deck area. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't a spray park (?) play area for kids that weren't fully potty trained yet. My granddaughter only had the tiny pool area to play in, which was such a small space. She kept asking to go in the big pool with the other kids. I thought I had read there was a spray area for kids when I was researching this ship. I guess I was wrong. On a positive note, the children's babysitting area called Royal Tots was wonderful. We only used it 3 times for a few hours each time. We were all able to see the shows together while our granddaughter went there. We registered the first day, and were told spots fill up quickly. They will only take 8 children under three in this area at a time, so register early. She had fun, and the staff was very attentive. My daughters (5) and son-in-laws (2) went on NorthStar on Day 2 and took great pictures of the ship from above. They said it was awesome! One night we saw Matt Ye, a performer at Schooner's Bar. He did an interactive "adults only" show with everyone . We had a great time! He was very funny. We had dinner in Chops one night which we enjoyed. My daughter and son-in-law ordered the seafood tower and it was devoured very quickly. The food was very good, and the service was great! The other nights we ate in MDR. We really enjoyed the food, and many of us ordered 2 appetizers most evenings. Our server, Agnelo, was very attentive. The woman that did our drinks was great as well. She remembered what we liked and had it ready as soon as we arrived. "We Will Rock You" was great! It was a mixed aged audience. The middle-aged crowd (like myself) were singing right along with the Queen songs. My younger daughters liked it too, especially since seeing the "Bohemian Rhapsody" movie. The singing was amazing! The band, especially the guitarist, was great! The only issue I had was the timing of the show. It was at 6:30 which made dinner a problem. The dining rooms open at 5:15, and Windjammer opens at 5:30. Usually we like to get to the show 30 minutes before to get seats together and order drinks. My daughter was also dropping my granddaughter off at Royal Tots at 5:50- so pizza night it was. If the show was at 7, I don't think dinner would have been an issue. This was a 5 day cruise with an overnight in Bermuda--days 2 and 3. I would recommend an overnight, then you don't feel rushed to get back to the ship on the first day. We decided not to book an excursion through RC, we just went off the ship to the pier. Right at the pier, there are many, many taxis, and mini-buses to take you places. We took one for $7 a person to Horseshoe Bay. So it was $7 there, and $7 back= $14 per person. RC's excursion to the same place was over $35 pp. Loved Horseshoe Bay! The water was beautiful, but there was a lot of seaweed. This didn't really matter after awhile--we just enjoyed being in the beautiful blue waters. Again, going on our own allowed us to stay as long as we wanted. When we decided to leave, we walked to the parking lot, and there were the minivans/buses to take us right back to the ship. So easy! The second day in Bermuda, we decided to do some shopping, right next to the docks. We just wanted some souvenirs, and to look around. It was a beautiful day--the weather was great! As a family, we always had dinner together, but then at night we did whatever we wanted. I went to the comedy show, which was really funny. I forget the comedian's name, but he was very funny. It was a show meant for the family, and he appealed to many ages. My 20 year old daughter, was lost on some of the jokes, because he referenced things she didn't know about, but I was laughing so hard that my jaw started to hurt. My daughters and son-in-laws loved the pub and the guitar player there. There were either there or in Schooners most nights. They loved IFly, the sky diving simulator. They raved about it, and I got some hilarious pictures. Make sure to book this as soon as you can. I didn't see it up on cruise planner, but after browsing Cruise Critic, I learned that you should book it as soon as you get on the ship on Day 1 through Royal IQ app or go to guest services. It booked up really fast. You can always go to standby if you can't book it, to see if there are some no shows. I am sure there must be. One of my daughters was a no show to to some rocky seas on Day 5 which made her queasy. Overall, we really enjoyed our cruise, and would certainly sail again. Read Less

Background information: My husband and I are in our 80s, and I use a small mobility scooter to help me get around. This was a cruise to celebrate our 60th wedding anniversary with our four children. This was Bob's 19th cruise and my 30th cruise overall. It was his fifth and my sixth cruise on Royal Caribbean. We booked this cruise everyone could get off work on those dates and because it went out of Baltimore to Bermuda, and we always love to go to Bermuda. None of our children had seen much of Bermuda, so it was pretty new to them, and two of them had never been on a cruise before. Embarkation - One daughter came a day early and stayed an inner harbor hotel. She Ubered to the port. One daughter was driven by her husband. The third daughter's family flew in and stayed in a hotel near the airport. Our son drove up from SC and stayed in the same hotel. He took them all to the ship. Bob and I drove up from southern Maryland and arrived at the cruise terminal about 11. Check in was pretty quick. But we could not get into the room until 1:00 and the dining room was not open which meant everyone had to eat lunch in the Windjammer with all their luggage. This was NOT a good experience. I was supposed to have on-board credit, and it was never added to my account I thought the muster drill was kind of sketchy. They held it out on the deck (which meant that only about one in eight people could see because most people were behind another person). It was outside even for the people in wheelchairs, walkers and scooters. Unlike some ships who do the muster drills for the mobility challenged inside. Some people have a problem standing for that period of time. Ship: We have sailed on this ship before and it is a nice smaller ship, although it is quite noisy. There is always loud music in the atrium. One of the girls did the climbing wall and that was fun. There was a group on board and some of their meetings would close the Solarium or other venues. Two of the elevators were out of service for the entire cruise. The internet was the worst I have ever had on a ship. I could not post any photos because it was too slow. I could not even play a game of solitaire without having to turn the modem back on and log on again. We wanted to play dominoes and could not find a table anywhere that was big enough. Activities: There were scavenger hunts. We did trivia and had a good time with that. They had Harry Potter Trivia, Friends Trivia, and Pub Trivia in addition to regular general trivia. There was also Pictionary. Some of the group did Karaoke, and that was fun. My son-in-law tried to play Bingo, but he missed marking one of the numbers and then when he marked it and had Bingo, they said it didn't count because he didn't have the last number called. The Family Feud game was very poorly done. We didn't go to any shows and those of us that did weren't very impressed. Service was good. Our children commented that the bar service was particularly good (they had the drinks package) Our cabin steward did a good job and kept the cabin clean. We had a group photo that were taken on the first night. I decided that one of the group was good and we should get one for everyone. Everyone was good except one daughter who had her eyes closed in one of them. So I ordered four of the good one and one of the one with her eyes closed. They put that we should come and get the photos at 8 the next night and they were closed then. When we actually got the photos, they had done it the wrong way. 4 with her eyes closed and one with her eyes open. Dining: The Windjammer buffet was absolutely not an option for me. The labels were over my head and I could not see them from the scooter and I could not reach some of the food. Occasionally someone would offer to help me, but usually I had to get my husband to get me food. There were some times when it was not possible to get any food. For example, earlier than 6:30 am, or between breakfast and lunch in the Windjammer. They did a good job with the various allergies in our group (gluten, peanuts, lactose). In the main dining room, we had a nice round table for all of us on the first night (My Time Dining). We went to Chops the second night, and we were never able to get that good table again. We would get to the dining room as it opened and there was already someone seated at that table. Instead we had to have a long table which meant that we couldn't really talk to the people on the ends of the table. We mostly ate breakfast and lunch in the Great Gatsby. I like the chopped salad at lunch, and one afternoon, Bob had just shrimp and ice cream. The dinner at Chops was good - they did the sides family style. Port & shore excursions: I did not take any excursions because I have been to Bermuda eight times previously and I had booked a private guide. It was absolutely ridiculous to keep people not on excursions from getting off immediately. My children liked the Hidden Gems Tour and the Crystal Caves Tour, and one of them (who brought her bicycle) did some of the Railway Trail. Disembarkation: Very quick and easy Summary: We were able to do a lot of family activities and we had fun together. Bermuda was, as always, beautiful but our time there was too short. A five day cruise is just not long enough. I think two of our daughters are coming back by airplane and staying on the island Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the ship (wanted to try a quantum class) and the fact that it was two solid days in a great port (Bermuda). Side note, Bermuda itself is amazing. Five stars. This was our 11th cruise, 2nd with royal caribbean. Most of our previous cruises were with the sister company Celebrity. We were two adults and our 7yo son & 4yo daughter. We opted to book two adjoining interior staterooms for the same price as one balcony. We don't spend a lot of time in our cabin and having the extra space and a second bathroom was fantastic. I would highly recommend this if you're traveling with kids. Pros: Bermuda is great and it was nice not to feel rushed. The ship itself is very pretty and kept clean. Staff is nice. The entertainment is plentiful and you can tell that RCL puts a lot of money into it. Very talented musicians and dancers. The production shows themselves were odd (especially Spectra's Caberet). Cons: This was not a cheap cruise by any stretch. And while I have been feeling this way for a few years, this cruise felt like the line was crossed where crusing no longer feels like a good value for my money. While there is great technology on the ship, its often broken. The virtual balcony in our room is not nearly as cool as it sounds and they could not find a remote control for ours that would allow us to turn it off at night so it was like having a tv on in our room. The rooms never felt comfortably cool and the beds are very hard. The ship felt horribly crowded. I know this is a complaint that runs through most reviews but its getting worse as cruise lines take away more of the common spaces to put in money making spaces to add to thier bottom line. The two swimming pools were always packed to the seams which was dissapointing to my kids. The elevators were always a long wait (and its common to need to go from floor 3 to 15 so stairs are not always a practical option, especially with little kids). The buffet (windjammer) was always so busy that it was hard to find a table and felt chaotic to get your food. The food in the buffet and the main dinign rooms was mediocre at best. Portions are small, food was bland and overcooked. Often room temperatutre. Dissapointed with the food in Chic, we tried Jamie's and Wonderland. Neither knocked our socks off and it did not feel like a good value for the extra price. Generally, we love the speciality restaurants on cruise ships and feel like its a special meal. So in sum, I feel like the cruise industry is finally crossing that line in thier quest to make as much money as possible by offering less and less in the price of the cruise. It felt like everything was extra (even the popcorn? Come on. That costs nothing to make. Why are you charging people $3 for popcorn?) and it no longer feels like a good value. We got off the ship feeling dissapointed and ripped off. We will be taking our vacation money elsewhere next year and going to a high end all inclusive resort for a week at the same price were it actually is all inclusive. Read Less

We chose this ship due to it sailing of of Bayonne New Jersey which is about a 4 hour drive from us. It was our first cruise ever and our 5 year anniversary trip. It was only my husband and I who went. We got a balcony room #12672 and the view was absolutely stunning! We thought the location was pretty good. Originally our trip was supposed to be a 5 day cruise with 2 days in Bermuda. However our trip was cut short due to someone having a medical crisis on the ship during the preceding trip and then having to turn the ship around to go to the closet port. We were suppose to depart New Jersey Saturday may 18th at 4pm but ended up leaving Sunday May 19th at 11pm. We decided to make the best of it and stayed in New York overnight visiting the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 memorial was amazing. I felt RCCL did a lot for us to make up for it. They refunded us 2 nights cruise fare, plus drink package and key and any other add one you had purchased, plus refunded use up to $250 for the hotel stay the night before, and a 25 percent credit towards a future cruise. Those who did not want to do this were given the option of canceling with a 100 percent refund. Due to this I felt the ship wasn’t crowded and actually made it more enjoyable for those of us who went. We purchased the key for $25/pp per night and felt it was a good value for just my husband and I. We loved the priority check in, and choice departure as well as the farewell breakfast and lunch at chops. Bermuda was beautiful and the highlight of the day was definitely Hartley’s helmet dive! A once in a lifetime experience. This is a must do if you’re in Bermuda! Greg Hartley was very knowledgeable and took his time with us. Words can’t express how amazing this is! The shows were good especially liked “we will rock you” and the comedian that was on was prettt funny. Cons: The internet was awful and spotty barely worked! Even the Royal iq app wouldn’t work on the tv or the iPads or anything. Not much choice for food late night. Trip was too short. All in all I highly recommend this ship :) Read Less

This was my first cruise and I came away totally hooked! I am an avid traveler and accustomed to staying in some pretty nice venues. I have to say that my experience on this cruise was amazing! It started with the seamless and quick boarding experience and continued until we disembarked. I was completely impressed with how the whole process worked. Getting 4500 people off and on is not an easy feat, but Royal Caribbean seems to have perfected the system. We had a balcony cabin which was roomy and I slept great with the sound of the ocean the only noise that we were able to hear at night. My experience with all staff members was spot on! There was always someone there to help you with a smile and great attitude. Coming from the food industry - my only real disappointment was in some of the food. That is not to say that we did not enjoy our meals - just nothing 'wowed" us. Even though there were 4500 others on the ship, it certainly did not feel that way. We chose to hang out in the adults only Solarium. While there were kids on this trip - I loved all the activities that were offered to them - we just chose to not hang out poolside with them. We did have a blast on the bumper cars with people young and old - so fun! This being my first cruise, I have nothing to compare it to. However, I did come into it with an open mind and walked away already reseaching my next one! Read Less

Well this is going to be a long review so get ready folks. As an avid cruiser (this was my 11th) I was really looking forward to going back to Bermuda for 3rd time. Please remember in this review Bermuda itself is incredible! The people! The beaches! It is paradise. I'd still say check out Bermuda but just on this ship. So the check in process was easy but it felt like cattle. The seating area was tight and awkward. Thank god that wait was only about 30 minutes. Once we got on at first I was so excited because I was on anthem to Bermuda back in May 2016 on my honeymoon so my husband & I were trying to "recreate" the trip. I am aware on boarding day that ships are usually busier but holy crap was this ship a nightmare. The layout just doesn't allow for everyone to be comfortable. It was just packed and miserable. This cruise also had a lot of children so if you aren't a fan of that just be aware. I am talking many from under 1 to teenagers. Be prepared for many screaming kids, running around everywhere, and the teens roam the ship all day/night (they are have a 1am curfew which shocked me). To touch on the cabin. We got an inside cabin which was fine. The only thing I can say is the virtual balcony sound didn't work, and many times the screen would randomly go black and stop working. For an inside it was a good size, and decent layout. The bed however was HORRIBLE! The sea day on the way back was rocky and being the very back you feel it more and every wave we physically rolled in the bed. That rolling causes a creak in the bed so you can imagine how hard it was to fall asleep. The walls are also paper thin so as the waves got nasty we could hear everyone puking around us. Lovely eh? I am now going to touch on the worst part of the cruise which breaks my heart because to me the food is such a large part of the cruise. I am loyal to Princess which always has amazing food. Well RCL you sucked in the food department. The food just lacked flavor (I never use salt on other lines but you needed it on everything). Say a breakfast potato (its as if they just boiled it and served it). Also as someone who cruises a lot I love trying new foods from around the world but I was reminded how "american" the food can be on RCL. Every night the buffet was the same and honestly there wasn't much change from lunch to dinner. We opted for the anytime dining option but it was constantly so busy we never went to the dining room. I understand you have to pre book but when you just aren't sure when you will return to the ship or what shows/activities you will be doing I find the concept of pre booking "anytime dining" very ironic. Don't call it anytime if you cannot go anytime!!! I am going to touch on the service now. I've never had bad service on a cruise ever but this one was a bit sad. I felt if you weren't buying something they weren't bothered (especially by the pool bars). Also I just found it hard to get help in various venues, and our cabin stewart was miserable. On princess I love making small talk, and learning about them. I think cruising is so incredible how so many people from all over the world work on one vessel. But we couldn't get a word out of him. Just a lack of smiles and honestly it was sad because I wondered if RCL treated their employees right because their unhappiness showed. Activities lacked. All the fancy bumper cars, ifly, and etc we didn't go on because it would be full of bratty children. I could drown on and on about this cruise. Overall it lacked in almost every aspect. Dining, room, activites, service. One last thing. RCL needs to stop nickel and diming. Here is a quick PRINCESS vs RCL. Popcorn on RCL they wanna charge like $3.50 vs princess its free! Room service on RCL they wanna charge $8 plus 18% vs princess its free! Drinks are pushed everywhere at all times vs princess they don't really bug you! Movies in the cabin on RCL are $12 vs princess has many movies to watch for free! So if I were you I'd rethink that bermuda RCL cruise. Read Less

We chose this cruise because of the itinerary. Having been to many other Caribbean Island this was the only cruise that went to Bermuda at the time we wanted to travel. The ship was, without a doubt, absolutely beautiful, clean and big. Our balcony stateroom was well appointed with abundant storage and the trip down and back was flawless. Kings Warf served our needs for the two days in port. Taxies, busses and ferries were available for those wishing to go elsewhere on the island. Bermuda isn't cheap, so plan accordingly. We ate most of our meals in the Windjammer were there was an abundance and variety of food to please anyone. The only specialty dinning venue we ate at was Chops which was excellent as usual. Service on the ship was excellent and lived up to Royal Caribbean standards. The only detractor for us was the entertainment. Aside from one good headliner show "We will Rock You", the other show Spectra's Cabaret left us scratching our heads as to the meaning. so we left after 10 minutes. Read Less

We did a 5 day cruise to Bermuda, leaving from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, NJ. Embarking and disembarking went smooth and quick. We stayed in a balcony cabin. Only 2 complaints- 1) we could not hear when the Captain (or anyone else) made announcements over the PA system. As a result, we would have missed the muster drill if I hadn't read the Cruise Compass in our room indicating what time it would take place. 2) the shower leaked all over the bathroom floor. We dined at American Icon each night for dinner and sat at the same table with the same wait staff. Our waiter was great and took time to chat with us each night. The food was decent. We also ate breakfast at American Icon 2 mornings, again the food was decent. We dined at Windjammer for breakfast the other mornings as well as lunch the day we embarked. The food there reminded of me of a college campus all you can eat buffet. It was incredibly busy and at times hard to find a table to sit at. One morning I started clearing a dirty table myself because it took so long for an employee to do it. We Will Rock You was AMAZING!!! All of the actresses/actors/singers in all of the shows were super talented. The Gift's storyline was a little hard to follow and Spectra's Cabaret was bizarre. That aside, we did enjoy the talent! The only shore excursion we booked (Glassbottom Boat into Bermuda Triangle) got cancelled because of high winds. We were notified via a phone message and by paper delivered by your stateroom attendant. That was a bummer, but I'm glad we weren't lost in the triangle due to bad weather ;) The island of Bermuda is so beautiful! We chose to take the ferry over to St. George's on day 1 and then to take the public bus all the way back to King's Wharf. The ride took about 1.5 hours and we got to see a lot of the island and interact with the locals. On day 2 we took the ferry to and from Hamilton. The food at Wahoo's Waterside Bistro in St. George and at Flanagan's in Hamilton was delish! Read Less

We chose this ship because we were flying from Seattle to visit family in Jersey. With 2 young grandchildren, we felt this ship offered them a lot to do. We have 20 cruises under our belt. I'll keep this very short. The staff were wonderful, the balcony cabin was fantastic. Much roomier than on Norwegian. Embarkation and debarkation were nearly magical. No complaints what so ever. HOWEVER, when the food sucks, it's hard to enjoy everything else. With just a few exceptions, the food was easily the worst we've ever experienced. This includes our specialty meal at Jaime's Italian. The service there was also sub par. On a bright note, the food and service at Brass and Bock was stellar. Our cabin steward Rika was by far the most delightful part of the ship experience. Sorry Royal, but you dropped the ball in one of the most important areas of cruising. Read Less

Sailed 4/27/2019 to 5/4/2019. We chose this cruise because we loved Bermuda the first time we sailed there a few years ago and the Bayonne cruise port is in driving distance from our home. Check in was by far the easiest in the 15 cruises I have taken. Ever. We uploaded our own photos and did the pre check in prior to cruise day. Do this otherwise you will be standing in a separate line for them to do it for you. We arrived to the port around 10:15 am or so. We were on board by around 10:45 am. This counts unloading our luggage with a porter, finding a parking spot in the garage, standing in a very short line for Gold passengers and getting checked it. The ship is lovely and has many high tech features. This is the biggest ship we have sailed on so far. I was a little nervous. It didn't typically feel very crowded except for when they brought out the watches and other items for sale. Bionic Bar also got a little crowded at times. Solarium was tough to find a spot during the day partially due to chair hogs but around 5:00 pm or so, it was much better. It was nice to get away from the hundreds of small children and strollers aboard. Check out the Solarium on deck 14 for breakfast as it is less crowded than Windjammer. The selection is more limited but we always found something we liked. It is less chaotic and crowded than the Windjammer. We ate breakfast in one of the MDR's twice. It's the same menu every day but they also have a buffet. We liked being waited on but it was better in the buffet. We were sailing with 2 other couples and somehow one of the couples had a different seating than us even though we linked them to our reservation. Due to this, we had to switch to Grande from Chic. We bought the 2 BOGO deal with the specialty dining venues and had a free specialty dinners from our travel agent. We ate at Chops, Jamie's and Wonderland. All were great. Wonderland was a neat experience. I thought I wouldn't care for it but I found it to be really good. We could have done without the lady who decided to change her kid's diaper in the restaurant while we were eating but overall it was awesome and I recommend it. Go in with an open mind. Jamie's was great as well. It was a lot of food!!! Wow! Chops was good but I have had better on other cruise lines. The service there was excellent. Hubby ate at Izumi for lunch and said it was excellent. Overall, the specialty dining was good and I would recommend it. Cafe Two70 and Sorrento's was decent. Two70 is a great place to hang out on a sea day with a book. The bartender there, Rony is the BEST! He made awesome drinks. We opted for the deluxe drink package. We could use it in the Starbuck's at La Patisserie and the specialty coffee station in Windjammer. You can also get unlimited bottle water. They give you large drink cups with a chip on the bottom to use in the stand up, self serve drink fountains. There's one in Sorrento's and a few in Windjammer. There may have been some others around but I didn't see them. It had all kinds of sodas (Coco Cola brands) as well and flavored waters. We didn't use it a ton but enjoyed it when we did use it. Brass and Bock was a fun place to hand out with our friends. The Cherry Orchard was a huge hit with us and they made a mean Bloody Mary. Highly recommend. We saw We Will Rock You. Thought it was outstanding! Didn't see Spectra's or The Gift. Saw the two comedians, both really funny. Watched L.A. vation, the U2 cover band twice. Really good!! The Music Hall was really cool and we spent most nights there after dinner. The 70's disco party was a hoot! Would have liked to play pool but there were kids in there most nights so we only got to play once. We loved Bermuda. Took the ferry to St. George for the day. Such a quaint little town. We went to some parks, did some shopping, took lots of photos and went to a couple small museums. The people were friendly and it was easy to walk around on our own. The ferry ride was about 28 minutes from King's Wharf. We highly recommend doing this. There's also another one to Hamilton. The second day, we spent mostly at King's Wharf. Got a Rum Swizzle and did a little shopping. The weather was gorgeous! It was in the mid to high 70's with a light breeze and sun. Perfect weather. Boston was OK but the weather was chilly and rainy. We made the best of it. We pre- purchased a Hop on Hop off with City View Tours. The price was great but I would opt for Old Town Trolleys as they are much closer to the cruise port. We had a haul to our first pickup spot so we had to take an Uber. I would use them if not on a cruise. Went to Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall. We also enjoyed some adult beverages at Cheers. The North End was neat and loved Mike's bakery! Please note that they will not let you bring on and baked goods as we found out when trying to get back on the ship. There was a whole line of us scarfing down cannoli and pastries. We along with other passengers, gave the baked goods we couldn't eat to the security staff. I am sure this happens all the time and now we know for next time. That was totally on us. Since we only live about 2 hours from Boston, I would definitely go there again in better weather. It is a great walking city. The reason for the 4 stars?? -The bed in our cabin was hard as cement. Our wonderful steward added some kind of padding which helped a little. I woke up with a sore back most days. -The walls are thin! We were in between multiple families that were all sailing together. Not sure why they didn't book a block of cabins together. It was incessant noises mostly screaming, slamming doors and yelling down the hall to one another. I am guessing all of their cabin phones were broken since they chose this as their main form of communication with one another. Our friends were down the hall from us and had a another set of families from the same group and experienced the same thing. They complained and even politely asked them to stop but it didn't get much better. Luckily we didn't spend a lot of time in our cabin or if we did, we went out on the balcony. -Main dining room dinner selection was not that great. Don't get me wrong, the food was fantastic. A lot of the selections were basic and underwhelming but tasty. -Lots of screaming children. This is not Royal's Caribbean's fault. We love kids and hate to seem like bitter old folks (we are in our 30's/early 40's) we just felt that there were so many that were unruly with matching parents it took away from our enjoyment. I saw 2 girls about 5 and 6 push an elderly woman using a walker out of their way. I saw these two girls nearly every day with no adult with them. They were not the only ones. I normally would never even bring something like that up but because it was the norm on this cruise. Every cruise is different of course our experience can be very different from the next. Overall, this was a great cruise. We would sail with Royal again. Read Less

My family and I have only sailed with Norwegian during our past 3 cruises, however, Royal Caribbean is now our favourite! We sailed on the Anthem on April 27th - May 4th with 5 adults. GETTING TO BAYONNE: We missed how easily accessible the port on Norwegian was compared to Bayonne for Royal Caribbean. We took the greyhound bus from Toronto to the Port Authority terminal in Manhattan. Instead of taking a cab to Bayonne, as we got to Manhattan at 5am, we decided on taking local transit. LESSON LEARNED, TAKE A CAB OR AN UBER. It'll cost about $80+ with tolls. For local transit, we got off at the Port Authority Terminal and walked over to 33rd Street where we took the PATH Rapid Transit System train to Newport station. It was about $2.75. From there we walked over to the Newport Light rail transit which was another $2.75 I believe and got off at 34th Street. We read from an earlier post that the 2 mile is walkable from 34th Station to the port of Bayonne. IT IS NOT. There is construction there and sidewalks were closed off/ Some stretches were not walkable, so, therefore, we took an uber for $25. EMBARKATION: We got there at about 9:30 am, even though it said our check-in appointment was at 1:30-2pm. COME EARLY! There were barely any cars in the line, however after 12pm, the line was very long. We dropped our luggage off with the porters who will then load them onto the carts for you. We did our self-check in online, so we brought our set sail pass tickets and were guided to the seated area. OOPS. Even though you did your self-check in online, still go to one of the check-in stations as they have to stamp and check you in. Coffee, tea and water was provided while we waited which was nice. We didn't sit for too long as around 11am, everyone was allowed to board the ship. TIP: book your activities (North Star, Ripcord by iFLY) as soon as you get on the ship on the 5th floor using the Royal IQ ipads as the activities get filled up FAST! PORTS: Bermuda was beautiful! We were thankful to have warm, clear skies on both days. On the first day we took a ferry to GORGEOUS Tobacco Bay. We each purchased a two-day pass for 31.50 each from the booth, which was a 2 min walk from the ship. Using this pass you can take ferries and buses around Bermuda without having to carry tokens or exact change. The ferry was very nice to St. George, which was about 40 min from the naval dockyard. Tobacco Bay was about a 20 min walk from the ferry dock. If you love to snorkel and swim with beautiful fish, with calm, cool waves, Tobacco Bay is for you! It's a small, less crowded beach, with facilities including an indoor rinse off station. Perfect for families with small children as well. We stayed overnight in Bermuda, however there was not much to do during the night as many shops were closed in the naval dockyard. The next day we took a local bus to downtown Hamilton. The locals on the bus and in Bermuda were super friendly. The bus took about an hour to reach Hamilton, but it was a great experience. Hamilton is beautiful, and a good place to visit if you do not want to go to the beach. BOSTON: It was a wet, rainy and cold one. We didn't really plan on doing much, so we just explored Quincy market and tried their famous clam chowder. Really good! A lot of our fellow guests also agreed that we would have rathered stayed an extra night in Bermuda than to go to Boston. DINING: We ate at the Windjammer buffet for breakfast and lunch and dined in the main dining rooms for dinner. The Windjammer had a great selection for everyone. I wished the buffet closed a bit later than 9PM. There was an indian cuisine themed night, as well as a seafood night, which had clams, bay scallops and shrimp which we enjoyed. We did my time dining and dined in all 4 of the main dining rooms, however Silk was our favourite. Special thanks to Ygnacio (Yggy), for the most memorable dining experience ever. He was very friendly and full of energy which we loved! On the last night there was a moment of appreciation for the staff where they danced, and Yggy put on a show with his dance moves. The food in the main dining room was great. We enjoyed their beef courses each night, prime rib, beef tenderloin, striploin, etc, as although was not cooked to perfection each night, was still tender and delicious. There was a lobster tail night, as well as a Royal Caribbean 50th anniversary night which they serve a special personalized cake that was delicious! CABIN: My parents stayed in an inside stateroom with a virtual balcony on deck 8 and my siblings and I stayed in a balcony stateroom on Deck 7. Our stateroom attendant Claudia was very friendly and did an amazing job ensuring everything was clean and ready. Our room was very spacious even for 3 adults, and there was plenty of space to store your luggage. Entertainment and Activities: We had 3 days at Sea so we did a lot of activities including the Ripcord by iFly and Northstar. the Ripcord by iFLY was ok, my sister loved it. The instructors go through a mini-course to teach you the positions and hand signals they use while you are flying. I am afraid of heights but the Northstar was not too bad! We were able to do both iFly and Northstar twice as we walked in and asked if there were any no-shows for reservations. Bumper cars were super fun as well as the mini competitions they had throughout our cruise. The sports staff were fun and very friendly. Spectra's Cabaret was our favourite! Be sure to reserve the shows too! The Gift was a bit confusing, however the dancers and the production team was amazing. Especially on sea days, don't even bother going into the Solarium as it will be occupied with towels on chairs, not people on chairs. The indoor pool was nice on cold days. We used the gym a few times and thought it was great. Plenty of machines, smith machine, rowing machine, elipticals and treadmills as well as free weights. SERVICE: I would love to thank all the staff on the Anthem of the Seas. There were some that made our experience incredible, but overall, everyone was super friendly and we had a wonderful time. There were some guests who were very rude to the staff members, but they still maintained their professionalism. They work very hard to make our cruise trip enjoyable and I want to thank each and every one of them for that! DISEMBARKATION: It was a smooth process as you got to choose whether you wanted to carry your own luggage off with you or have it taken down to the night before for you. A cab back into the city cost $90 including tolls for us, although there were some asking for $120+. OVERALL: My family and I had a great time! This is our first time cruising with Royal Caribbean and we noticed how spacious the entire ship was including staterooms, etc compared to the ships we've been on the Norwegian (Spirit, Jewel, Getaway). We loved the Seaplex as it was indoors and had plenty of activities to do. I'm glad we decided to try out Royal Caribbean, rather than always sticking with Norwegian. Be careful however, that some things require a fee especially when they ask you for your stateroom # or seapass card. We were on our way to watch The Gift and they had a popcorn stand. Thinking it was complimentary we asked for some, in which they asked for our stateroom # and realized it cost $2.75. Overall it was an enjoyable vacation and would definitely cruise with RCL again! Read Less

We choose this cruise, as I always wanted to go to Bermuda. We were also looking to compare Royal and Norweign. The ship was amazing and so much to do. The embarkation and debarkation process was so smooth, easy and quick. We really enjoyed the food in the Windjammer and the main dining room (I personally liked the food better than NCL) The service was amazing everywhere our waiters Vinod and Ikadek in the main dining room were stellar and so fun. The shows were awesome..We will Rock you was amazing and would recommend everyone to see it. The Gift was very good, a little slow on the start but great ending. Spectra's Cabaret was not our type of show, so we didn't stay for that one. We did several shore excursions in Bermuda and Boston. The BUEI Museum was so cool and we learned so much about Bermuda from the Island tours and got some amazing pictures. We also enjoyed the the sunset glass bottom boat tour. Boston was a bit of a let down because of the weather but we made the best out of it. We did the all day tour Road to Revolution - Walking in Paul Revere's steps, which was very informative, our tours guides on all excursions were wonderful. Read Less

We were on the Anthem Bermuda/Boston cruise April 27-May 4. We chose to fly in a day early and stay in NYC. Transportation costs into the city, to the port, and back to LGA were just over $200 with Dial 7 limo service, but they were extremely prompt (even early) and easy to work with. Bo05arding the ship in Bayonne was the easiest we have ever done. Car dropped us off with our luggage and we walked into the terminal about 11:05. We were checked in quickly (no line) and walked onto the ship with the suite guests. I told the lady we were not suite guests, but she sent us right in. We were on the ship by 11:30 easily. We ate in the Windjammer and then went exploring. The day was a bit windy, so it was not a good day to sit by the pool. We did enjoy the view from the bridge “wings” and especially appreciated the view of the Teardrop 9/11 memorial there at the port. Rooms were ready right at 1:00 and our luggage was already in the hallway, so that was a nice treat. We had a standard balcony room 9288 that is on the aft slope and has a slightly larger than normal balcony for standard balcony price. The room felt larger to us than any balcony room we have ever had. The bed placement was by the balcony, so that may have contributed to the sense of largeness. Sailaway was right on time and because it was a beautiful clear day, we had good views of the Statue of Liberty. We had chosen My Time Dining because we had very good luck with it on Oasis and Majesty. On both ships we had the same table and waitstaff every night. Not so on Anthem. In fact, if I have one complaint about Anthem it is the sense of chaos around MTD seating. Lines were long but fast every night. Still, it felt like they were just placing us anywhere each night. Nevertheless, service and food were excellent in American Icon and Silk. We dined one night in Chops and it was also very good. It is much darker than on Oasis because of its location, but service and food were good. Solarium Bistro was also good, but we chose to dine there the night we were leaving Bermuda so we could see the sail away. Curtains were closed, however, and we saw nothing. Bermuda was the highlight of the ports of call of course. Weather was beautiful and we had a great visit. Once we left Bermuda weather was not so good. Days were cool and Boston was misty and 46 degrees. Weather didn’t prevent us from doing anything in Boston, and we enjoyed the city very much. We took the CityView trolley HOHO tour and liked it very much. One tip: don’t plan to walk to the City View pick up. They say it’s a 15 min walk, but it’s more like 30. Once we got there the tour was very good. We arrived back in Bayonne early Saturday, and were among the first to disembark by using self assist. We were off the ship by 6:55, and I notified the car service that we were already off the ship. We were picked up at 7:15 even though I had told them 8:00. We thoroughly enjoyed the Anthem. We did miss the outdoor space of the Oasis, but the Solarium and indoor pool areas offered a semi-outdoor feel, and chairs were almost always available at any time of day in those areas. Anthem is a beautiful ship, and the crew was excellent. Cruise shows are not really our thing, and the entertainment on Anthem was hardly different. We were disappointed in Spectra’s Cabaret after reading rave reviews about it. The show lacked energy we felt. And The Gift was just your average cruise ship show. The one show we were blown away by was We Will Rock You. Outside of Disney Cruise entertainment, this was the best show we’ve ever seen on a cruise. The show’s lead guitarist played acoustic in the Schooner Bar a couple of times and she was amazing. Ours was cruise director Dennis’s last week on Anthem, and I don’t know who has replaced him. For those that are interested, the 10 drink card was offered on Day 4 for $79 I believe. I didn’t get it because we were off the ship for most of Day 4 and all of Day 6. If I’d had someone to share the 10 drinks with me, I would have purchased it. We felt like the Anthem to Bermuda was a good bang for our buck when we purchased and we were not disappointed. I would definitely cruise her or another Quantum class ship again, but in all honesty we do prefer the Oasis class ships. Those wide open air spaces are hard to top on a cruise ship. Read Less

This was our second cruise on Lady G. Chose this ship as it sails from Baltimore. I grew up near Baltimore and sailed with family that still lives in Maryland. Cabin was kept clean at all times by our steward Oliver. Balcony door was difficult to open and should be repaired. Food in MDR was excellent. The service in the MDR isn't at attentive as it used to be. I believe that to be a product of staff reductions and not the effort of the individual staff members. The wait staff was simply assigned more tables than they could handle. Chops was wonderful. Giovanni's Table was good, but the menu could use a few standard Italian dishes. Paid to attend the Lobster Brunch in Chops and was severely disappointed. They only bring you the lobster after you've been there for about 30 minutes. Then we had to wait another 30 minutes for a second lobster tail. This was not what we expected when they advertised "unlimited lobster". Service a the R Bar was less than expected. On two separate visits we were kept waiting quite some time for the waiter to take our drink orders. Would have been faster to go to the bar. Same thing happened at the Schooner Bar. Did end up going to the bar for that drink. The shows were good. Singers were very talented. Read Less

We sailed the Grandeur April 25-May 2 2019. From the ease of embarkation to the ease of disembarkation this was a great trip. The ship though considered small had so much to do. Probably not as modern as newer ships but still had a great vibe to it. We were in Cabin 7111 which is a sideways room. The layout made it seem bigger. Always kept great but the housekeeping staff. Shower was a bit tight but manageable. The food was excellent. Lots to choose from at Windjammer and very good. Usually the same stuff everyday though they did mix it up and theme it up as well. The Great Gatsby was a nice dining room for dinner and again the food was mmmmm good. However I wish they had a little more variety and bigger portions. We didnt do the specialty places. The Casino was fun but you sure can lose money fast. And for some reason they allow smoking there which made playing at times not so fun. But the games were cool just be prepared to not walk away with millions. Lots of trivia to be had which was hard but fun. People really got into it. Lots of music everyday including a live bad on pool deck and in the centrum. There was Karoke and karoke with a live band which was fun. Art shows and wine tasting and tours. Lots to do on board for adults. The shows not so great. Ok but not great. Not the best singers and dancers ive seen but all seemed very young. Had 2 comedians which were awesome. The service on the ship was outstanding especially at the bars. Drinks were delicious and service top notch.Our stops were Bermuda and Charleston Sc. Bermuda was ok but found out Ferrys dont run on weekends so we were stuck on the port side of it and not all that much to do there. The fort tour was cool though where you could see Dolphins as well. Charleston was much better. Lots of history. Being a Disney fanatic i was leery about trying anything else but i must say was delightfully surprised how good a trip and how everything was. I recommend highly a trip on this ship. Just keep in mind too the crowd tended to be a bit older with some kids but not many. Read Less

DH had Bermuda as a bucket list item and we've heard wonderful t hings about the Grandeur (all true!). From the time we boarded to disembarkation, the ship and crew were first class and we had a wonderful time. The ship may be older, but is in very good condition. We were told the crew had been voted friendliest crew in the fleet. I can certainly see why. There wasn't anyone that wasn't doing the best possible job. The dining service team were first class. We heard our sailing was only the second sailing where our waiter was a waiter ( he was an assistant waiter prior to that). We would have thought he had been doing this for years. Both he, his assistant and the head waiter left us wanting for nothing. Our cruise director, John Blair, celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary with the Activities manager, Katrina. Both they and their teams did a great job and were out and about and very approachable. For people that think the CD & AD has no impact on their trip, think again. A great one can make all the difference (as could a bad one). If you would like to see a more detailed review, I wrote this and posted on the Royal Caribbean board. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2663258-grandeur-to-bermuda-april-25-may1/ Read Less

Thought we were upgrading from Norwegian- was daughters sweet 16 gift and Easter celebration. We booked two balcony staterooms for my daughter was able to take a friend.i prepaid to have her room decorated with a cake and strawberries in room for when we arrived. Surprise nothing done? Also prepurchased refreshment package only one room had cups had to go to bar and argue that we didn’t receive cups.Day 2 son was sick wanted to eat at 905 at buffet it was closed staff said Johnny rockets open u have to pay only other option pizza place. Prepaid arcade card didn’t upload staff said same thing last cruise not fixed refunded.photo group prepaid $249 for digital with usb was advised last day 6pm pickup not ready went back 8pm still not ready a lot of angry people I finally get usb rude manager ask if I could see photo on usb rudely told no-,go to customer service told no computer check library on way ask next cruise rep she says you don’t have a laptop there may be a virus’s on usb let her know cruise downloaded it at this point had it. Lucky to be 4 percent of people to do escape room that staff didn’t know existed or exact location really team meetings. Last complaint one room got brownie on Easter one didn’t till I complained I prepaid as a surprise for kids was comp strawberries by customer service. Don’t waist time on royal wi you can text with iPhones no charge dining staff was good and attentive lines were short early. Believe after talking to royal previous cruisers this is my last service diminished over years Read Less

About me: Family of 4 (11, 14 y.o. girls) Parking-took our own car and purchased a weekly parking for Bayonne Parking lot (10 minutes away from the port). Parking lot cost us about $110 plus tips for 7 nights and it provided free shuttle to the port. It was convenient for us to get to from Brooklyn, NY. Registration-lines were going quickly, workers directed people efficiently and we were on the ship maybe in less then 20 minutes. Population: They said there were 1,400 kids during this April spring break cruise. Majority were families with kids. Food in windjammer-this was the biggest let down when compared to previous sailings on royal Caribbean. The food was cooked fine, however, the selection of food was cheap, and our family had hard time choosing what we want. Stayed two nights for indian and asian theme for dinner at windjammer during port days as we were hungry and didn't feel like waiting at the restaurant and again a big disappointment. Very little to no selection of higher quality seafood, and there were no shrimps at all at buffet for lunch or dinner that we went. For breakfast, had to wait for popular items like hash brown and long wait for made to order eggs. Food at "Grande" restaurant-the choices were amazing with greater variety of more expensive food. Lobster night, tiger shrimp night, and shrimp cocktails were amazing. Every night there was few repeating items that we liked such as french onion soup, cheesecake. Food at specialty restaurant "Wonderland"-the service, the unique food experience exceeded my expectations. Activities on board-Lines, lines and more lines. 1.5 to wait for one minute of bumper car ride. 2 hours wait for 30 minute session of roller skating. When we went to book north star, escape room and iFly on the first day at 1 pm everything was booked. This was a huge disappointment on the first day of vacation as it was the main reason why I chose this ship is for its activities. We were lucky to get iFly during port day in Boston which conflicted with our plans to go out and explore. But we pulled through it and did the best that we could. I truly felt disappointed of experiencing all the activities on the ship, as they always were accompanied with waiting, shoving, people skipping lines and stress. Shops/casino-nice variety of shops to walk around and explore. Casino was as usual. Shows-were cancelled for first 2 days due to rocky weather, however they did repeat the shows and re-booked it for people. The weird thing is that they did not check the reservation at the door. Guess what happened? Overcrowding, not enough seats, angry people. They tried to seat everyone, however, people left upset and pissed. I didn't not find the two main singers of "spectra cabaret" talented, but theme, costumes and use of the stage was unique. Fell in love with "we will rock you" show, as the singers, costumes and dancing was top notch. Was amazed is that all dancers, sang as well. "The gift" was pleasant to watch too. Comedians were doing same jokes as on other sailings, about the toilet, farting, weight gain etc. Silent party-cool and unique. I experienced it for first time. My girls loved it. Burmuda-weather is beautiful for walking and exploring, but water was freezing (would say in 60s). People were swimming, so was I, but it took a lot of courage to submerse yourself. We took taxi ($30 for 4) to Horseshoe beach, which had no spots to lay a towel, the frustration came to me again. So we took our stuff and walked along the beach, onto the trial, through the rocks, through the woods, through the lawn (about 15 min walk) to a beautiful small secluded, no people beach. Vacation at last, I thought. Second day we did beach next to the ship (5$ entrance fee), did standing boogie board $20 an hour, they also had jet ski, and kayaks at reasonable price. Again water was too cold for swimming. Miniature golf at the same location was also an option for a fee. Boston-immigration inspection!!! 6,000 + people going through the customs before leaving ship for port in Boston. MORE lines, angry people and chaos. Took us about 30 minutes to go through the check. cold again with wind. We booked trolley tour for $150 for 4 ppl, which i though was a waste of money. An hour and 1/2 with traffic and continuous rebuilding sites, I didnt find this excursion interesting. Should of done aquarium, boston tea party museum or freedom trail, which was 2-3 walk-able miles from the port. iFly-30 second-1 minute (felt very short) but was amazing, with good instructions and safety as number one priority. Staff-waiters at buffet and restaurant, room steward were polite, generously welcoming and seemed to be eager to help. From previous cruises experience, the head of all waiters in main restaurant greeted us every dinner, not his cruise though. With 5 dinners, he only greeted us once, and when we had a question about upcoming port he said to ask cruise services desk. Really? This was the first time that the head waiter did not attempt to find out the answer for us. After that we saw him coming up to specific tables with older couples but not to tables with kids and families. I believe his name was Juan. The waiter and assistant waiter for our table though were kind and amazing. Pools-bleach, bleach and more bleach to the point where we couldn't sit in Jacuzzi at Solarium, nor indoor pool due to scorching pain the caused eyes to be teary. I had to get out and spend time on the chair to open my eyes again. Then I said to myself, no more jacuzzi and I will go to 3 tier pool. I step inside and its freezing cold. Really!!!! The anger and disappointment rushed through me again. My kids 11, 14 refused to use the pool even once due to overcrowding and enormous amounts of bleach in the pools. Medical emergencies-2 life threatening emergencies happened on this cruise, but did not effect our family's vacation in any way. But they closed casinos and shops on the last night. Disembarkation-quick and painless without needing to go through customs, with free shuttle back to our parking lot. Read Less