the ship is fantastic, the crew is wonderful and helpful. BUT: Even though my last cruise with them in Feb. I gave some very cheap fixes for my complaints that they could very easily fix.- they ignored me. What ? -- solos know nobody, true some solos may want to isolate themselves, just like couples and families may. BUT many solos would like to meet other solos. Especially to hang with or eat with. In addition.- LOL since I am a repeat offender (dId not learn from my previous mistakes) I got a thank you letter - I can buy one milkshake and get one free - AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!!!!! Why would any human want to drink 2 milkshakes at the same time. I verified - yup - they must be bought at the same time. Well since you had no solos meetup (ok 1 meetup where the GS person arrived on time, but I had arrived a little early and walked to the other side, and did not see him. but still only one MEETUP.) So who was I supposed to give the other milkshake to?? So thanks for the useless offer and confirmed that you do not like solos. When they had solos meet before lunch - wow this was going to be my favorite cruise line, after they did not do it again I will NEVER travel on RCL again. Do you know how boring it is to be by yourself in a crowd, with nobody to hang with - very boring. #2 unlike the other lux cruise ships they DO NOT HAVE full service restaurants for lunch. everyday, or have 24/7 places to get full service anything. I pitied the handicapped, or those that needed canes to balance themself. In my case I could only use one hand. I looked forward to being served since buffets need 2 hands - one to hold the plate, one to ladle out the food.(I figured out my pocket could hold the utensils, that are wrapped in a napkin), but I had to make another trip to get a drink. And pray that they did not clean my table. Read Less

Picked the Anthem to experience a big ship and visit Bermuda which I had not seen in 30 years. The Pros: Cabin 3652 was larger than expected. Quiet too! The crowd was not a problem. Service was spectacular everywhere. The Cons: Food was just ok. Seems like everything was overcooked. We only ate at the main dining room once. There were two tables behind us that were part of a group. They constantly shouted to each other. We could not here our table's conversation. Drinks in the dining room were tiny. All drinks were very expensive. $12 -$16 for a bourbon. Best Bar was in the Solarium. Bartenders remembered our drink and the pour was better. That being said, we do not drink enough to make the packages worth it. On other ships, we were able to buy a bottle and mixers or carafs. Options not offered on the Anthem. Entertainment: While most people seem to complain, I thought the shows were very good. Talent was superior. On the other hand, thought the one comedian we saw was boring. Make the reservations and show up 20-30 minutes for best seats. Nothing was overly crowded. Bermuda: well can't stop progress. Thought the Hamilton has lost it's charm. Ate at the popular Hog Penny. Food was just ok. But atmosphere worth going for drinks. Horseshoe Beach: Absolutely worth going. We opted for ship's excursion thinking. What a mistake. Left 15 minutes late. Told us we would leave the beach 15 minutes later than previously scheduled. Also told wait at the same spot where we were dropped off. Wrong. Left us stranded. Took the $7 shuttle. Great experience. Driver funny and informative. Absolutely avoid the ship's excursion. If you get to the beach by 10am, plenty of spots available and chairs and umbrellas to rent. Read Less

This was my very frist cruise I had the best time of my life our rooms were clean everytime we went somewhere we always came back to fresh clean room and you the service was very friendly and the food was so good and brumda was awsome we had great stay hope to get back agian it was very clean ship they worked very hard on this ship to make sure we were Satisfied with everything if we called and needed something they were no time getting it and always have smile and ready to help you I am very happy the way it was an experience of Life time they waiters at the dinner were awsome the people that the buffet always made sure we had drinks or whatever we needed the taxi serivce in burmuda was awsome and wasn’t crazy expensive also the shows on the boat were incredible hoping to get back agian Read Less

BACKGROUND- We are Crown&Anchor Emerald. We have sailed on a variety of RCCL ships...big, small and in between. THE KEY— Excellent! Embarkation was so easy; lunch in the MDR was delicious; our carryon bags were placed in the closet while we were at lunch; expedited debark upon arrival in Bermuda; internet was slow but a nice-to-have benefit; reserved seats in Theater a definite plus; debarkation was a serious breeze. DINING ROOM SERVICE — Excellent service was provided by Jonathan and Octa at table #256, My Time Dining. DINING ROOM FOOD —Breakfast/ gave up eating there. Nothing was hot. Dinner/ Prime Rib, Steak, Chicken Breast, Lobster Tails all delicious. Other entrees mediocre. Everything seemed to be tepid, not hot. Last few nights, the Caesar salad dressing was like nothing I have ever tasted before, and not in a good way. WINDJAMMER SERVICE — Breakfast service was better than any other meal. But that being said, we spent time cleaning off our own tables most of the time. WINDJAMMER FOOD — Breakfast/ good to very good. Lunch/ good to very good. Dinner/ We ate one dinner in the Windjammer. It was Italian Night. Does anyone in that kitchen taste anything before it is served??? I mean this seriously...I could not cut the meatballs. No one in our party of four could. Left the lasagna after two bites. The bolognese sauce was not the traditional recipe, but it was ok. Aside from the ok sauce, we hardly ate anything but salad. BAR SERVICE — Again, we ended up cleaning off our tables before we could sit down. On one occasion, I gathered up 8 champagne glasses off a table and brought them to the bar. Only one waiter in the Rbar before dinner. Service was better in the Schooner Bar, but again only one waiter. ENTERTAINMENT — The Three Las Vegas Tenors were fantastic! Excellent show. The Music VS Magic show was an embarrassment as far as the magic was concerned. The concert pianist was wonderful. He should have been a solo act. The musical productions were a mixed bag. The four singers were very good; dancers and choreography were lacking. Music in the lounges was very good. CABIN ATTENDANT — Edwin was excellent!! SHIP’S TOP TIER EVENT — Who thought it was a great idea to schedule this event for 7:30 pm, when the premier Three Tenors show was scheduled for 8pm? Was this a way to cut down on the number of attendees? MAJOR PROBLEM — This ship is understaffed. There are not enough crew members in key areas to get the job done. I have never had to clean off tables and wipe them off before sitting down as much as on this sailing. I have seen this mentioned on previous reviews. It is absolutely true. CONCLUSION — Sadly, we have sailed our last Royal Caribbean cruise. Read Less

Sailing to Bermuda for our 40th wedding anniversary. We were unexpectedly treated to a special cake at the Chef's Table dinner one night. Meals were very good, and the specialty restaurants were fantastic! The main dining room was good, with a buffet offered at breakfast, as well as the order off the menu. The main buffet offered a wide variety, from salad to pizza to Indian and Chinese food. There were always a lot of entertainment going on. Music in the Centrum, which could be heard up several levels varied from Regae to accoustic guitar. There is a piano in one of the lounges, and that was good too. The movie selection was bad, mostly old movies, and the one that was new was only shown once, and conflicted with something else we had scheduled. If you're into wine tasting, there were several opportunities. I wish the lounges and pub would serve finger food so we had something to eat while having drinks. We loved the ship, and would definitely sail again. Read Less

We went on this cruise because we won a "free" cruise from listening to a time share presentation. (Hubby and I have sailed on Carnival before but this was our first time on Royal Caribbean). By the time we upgraded to a cabin with a view (no balcony) and paid the taxes and fees it was far from free.. Embarkation was a nightmare. We received an email the day before saying the ship would arrive late and that we should arrive between 5-7 pm. Apparently all the other passengers received the same e-mail because it looked like everyone was arriving at once. Traffic was a nightmare and dangerous. Stood in line for an hour. Once we finally got on the ship we were in our room for a couple minutes when a crew member came in and said we had to go to the muster drill. Some passengers were not even on the ship yet. Then we went to the main dining room where there was open seating for dinner. Service was very slow and food was okay. We heard later that it was a rough trip back and even the crew got sick. So I'm willing to give them a break, but it wasn't a great first impression. Our cabin was nice enough and bed was comfortable. There was enough storage but the bathroom was small. We usually had breakfast in Windjammer and it was okay. Omelet made to order was good. Lunch in Main Dining Room (MDR) was good but slow. We ate dinner in the MDR every night. It was good but there wasn't much variety. Steak was too thin. The desserts and service were very good. Our cabin steward, Oliver, did a good job keeping ice bucket filled for my husband's bum knee. The decor of the ship is nice and understated. There are kiosks that give directions, what's happening on the ship, and menus. Good job on those. We docked in Bermuda on the third night. Arrival there is another story but we did get our overnight and partial day. Before that we went to a couple of lectures about Bermuda which were interesting. We took a shore excursion to a secluded beach that included lunch, beach equipment, access to a nature reserve, and rum swizzles. My lunch (local fish sandwich) and swizzles were good. The man who served us did a good job. But the beach was rocky and we spent almost as much time getting to the beach and back (almost an hour each way) as we did at the beach. On the way the bus driver told us about Bermuda but didn't talk much on the way back. Bermuda was not really what I expected. There were very few flowers. There were lots of colorful houses close together. I certainly wouldn't want to drive on the island. We also took the tour of the ship's kitchen with brunch and unlimited mimosas. Tour was interesting but wasn't thrilled about the brunch menu. I got a refreshment package and enjoyed the mocktails. The hot tubs were too hot. On the last day there was a very nice salute to veterans ceremony. Beatlemania was a good show. Broadway was so-so. I didn't know many of the songs but there was a live band. On the last night the show wasn't presented because the ship was rocking. One of the two comedians was okay. I didn't appreciate the literal bathroom humor from both. Disembarking wasn't as bad as embarkation but was late. I probably would not go on this particular cruise again but I would consider cruising on Royal Caribbean again. Read Less

First of all, let me start off by saying Bermuda was fantastic!! Loved every minute of it. We've always enjoyed RC and we love Bermuda so this seemed like a no-brainer. We arrived on the ship and were happily let on at 10:30 AM. We toured the ship a bit. It was very big and pretty but we were not fond of the narrow halls and Royal Esplanade in general. Seemed quite confined. The stores are broken up and weirdly laid out so they are very congested. Oddly, there was nothing in the store that said "Bermuda." It was all "The Caribbean and New England" so forget about getting any souvenirs that mention Bermuda. We found the clothing choices to be kinda gaudy and cheap looking, so I bought nothing until t-shirt day, which by the way the line was so long it took forever for people to even be able to get in and look as they were only along in a small amount of people at a time. But at least they had shirts that said Bermuda. Very little selection for gifts for kids. Usually I can always find stuff. Not this time. The entertainment was good, but the comedian decided to make it political which turned off half the crowd. I'm not on vacation to talk Politics! We will Rock you was canceled due to the weather, which was understandable. The food was very good, but a very limited selection for Gluten Free people, which has never been the case before. There was a nice area for GF food which had some good things, but nothing on the Esplanade deck. So If I wanted a snack it was a hike, or I had to wait a while and get an entire pizza. The Specialty dining was outrageously priced. Some was 75.00 PP. We skipped it. Now for the worst part...The room. It was so hot an stuffy. The air conditioner only went as low as 68 and you could barely feel it. We called maintenance. It was later in the night. After waiting a long time, we gave up and went to bed. They never even contacted us after that. The bed was rock hard. It felt like a cot. The room was NOT cleaned well. The phone had a layer of "gunk" on it, that my boyfriend had to scrape off. And then we found pills. One was a prescribed aspirin, the other, Alprazolam, a Class 4 Narcotic. Thank GOD we didn't have a kid in there because we found it on the floor. The other was on the sink of the bathroom. After that, my boyfriend, a cop, decided to check the room to make sure there were no more. He didn't find any, but the layer of dust and dirt under the chairs was disgusting. On our departure day, he decided to put a small "x" on the tag of the sheets. We went to breakfast. When we came back, the bed was already made. The "x" was on the sheets still, indicating that he never changed them... for the next people. All I can say is WTH?! Again, we've always had good luck with RC and hope this was an isolated incident. But its starting to feel like quality and quantity are going down hill. We have contacted them about the Pill thing. Hoping to hear back. Read Less

Embarkation--checkin was expedient--there was rather long wait to get the group on the ship. I pre-purchase the unlimited beverage with zoom package and unlimited dining. Started the day with lunch at Jamie;s Italian, server Rim was excellent. Meat plate was great. Checked into stateroom 9670 - I did receive a Royal upgrade from a Ocean Balcony on the 11th floor to a spacious balcony on the 9th floor--the life boats did partially obstruct the view--but the room and balcony were quite large. The bad thing about this room is it's right above the smoking area, I have asthma so leaving the door open at night was not an option. Muster was cramped, hot and really uncomfortable. There were too many coughing people crammed into one enclosed space--i was a little worried about catching something being so close together. Dinner at Chops was good--didn't do any upgrades with this meal, Shrimp cocktail was just ok, filet mignon with yukon gold tased potatoes and asparagus were all good--key lime pie was excellent. Day 2 at sea - dinner at Wonderland--this was the most amazing experience and the food was fantastic. Romeo my server was excellent. Seas were rough the shows I had reservations for were cancelled. Bermuda was extremely windy--the cavern tour was great--zoo was really terrible. Dinner at Jaime's on the outside deck was really great with the wonderful ocean breeze. I enjoyed room service for breakfast every morning--there is no coffee maker in the room, so it was great to start the day with coffee and breakfast on the balcony. The least impressive restaurant was Izumi, service was horrible, pork dumplings were burnt, I had ordered a glass of wine, which was not brought to me and the server never checked on my. Lobster roll and surf and turf roll were both very good. The next morning the charge was on my bill - had to call customer service and had it removed as it was included in the dining package. Overall Izumi was an unpleasant experience. The casino was nice--smoking area was very smokey--the ventilation was not good in that area. This was really a great ship for families all of the activities and venues were family friendly. Read Less

We picked this cruise due to its leaving from Baltimore. I went with my sister, who lives in Baltimore. Boarding was easy, luggage showed up quickly, got into room at 1:00. Food: Main dining room excellent for dinner. Didnt really spend much time there for breakfast or lunch Windjammer - this is where we had most breakfast and lunch. Buffett wasnt bad except beware the buffet eggs!! Probably worth the line for fresh omletts, but we didnt. Park Caffe- tried 1st night with munchies, NOT GOOD Service... Excellent thru out ship. Bartenders, hosts, waiters, room service, room steward, all outstanding! Room: We were in 3558 a oceanview. Room was spotless, roomy enough, bathroom tight. Hard not to get the floor wet when showering. We spent most of time in the Centrum, band was excellent, other shows good however we never made it to the theatre. Too busy!! Good time. would do again Read Less

My husband and I took my parents on this cruise with the intentions that this cruise was all about them. My mom cannot walk that far and I felt a smaller ship would make her cruise more enjoyable for her. The service that we received from the staff was outstanding. My husband and I have been on many cruises and have never had service like we did on this ship. We do feel because we were on a smaller ship and not one of those mega ships that the crew is able to really go above and beyond to their passengers. We ate at Chops Grille twice and Giovanni’s once and the food was fantastic! The food in the main dining room was excellent. Any restaurants that we ate at, if my mom wanted something that was not on the menu they always met her requests. This ship also recognizes Veterans and has a very moving ceremony in the main atrium. If you are looking for impeccable service and a smaller ship I would highly recommend this ship and cruise line! Read Less

The first issue was the fact that we got rerouted to Portland Maine for a day (which I could drive to from NH any day for an hour and a half). So we really only had two days in Bermuda. The first day we had a good time at horse show bay. The second day we went to a beach closer to the cruise ship since we had to revised by 4:30 to make it back before leaving. The beach was suppose to open at 9 and they told us we had to wait until 10:40 because the Disney cruise that just came in had to do their excursions before we could go in. Well they were late so finally at 11 after the two excursions came in and filled up the beach us low class royal carribean cruisers who also paid a lot of money for our cruise got about a 10x10 spot that was left on the beach. We bought the deluxe drink package but every time we tried to get s drink it took forever and we had to walk to other end of the ship since there was no waiter by the kids pool area. The drinks also tasted like they had no alcohol in them. The food in the windjammer was always gross , but the food and service at reflections was good. When I went to buy a shirt off the ship the price had gone up because I “ missed the time “ of our cutoff to buy them . Which also just happened to my wife when she tried to buy our pictures that people took of us all week the whole trip we were here. They just told her we had to order them yesterday . We’re still sitting on the ship! I would never recommend this cruise to anyone nor would I ever go on it again. Also anyone who doesn’t smoke probably won’t enjoy it because all you can smell through out the whole cruise ship is cigarette smoke since they let them smoke in the casino. It was nauseating. Read Less

Embarking Boarding was smooth, efficient and pleasant experience. I boarded at noon and was sent with my carry on luggage to the Windjammer for lunch. At one I went to my room to drop off my luggage. First impressions..T The first room(3645) was a good size with two comfy chairs to read in. Alas the room had not been thoroughly cleaned, as there was "solid matter" in the toilet from the last guest. I took a deep breath after flushing, of course, and said it can't get any worse.. Wrong.. Dining We had a 5:30 seating for dinner the first nite only after a tablemate complained at 5:58 was our order taken, it was requested that we see the Head waiter .. he avoided our table until we were served, then came over several times and proceeded to throw our wait staff,( who was very good, by the way) under the bus so to speak. We never left the dining room until 7:30. I am allergic to Cow Dairy products. The only accommodations were the choice of soy or almond milk in my coffee. There was nothing to put on the rolls.There was no butter or sour cream substitute. I received a dry baked potato each meal... no gravy either. Even after carefully choosing my items on the menu I never received close to what I ordered, nor did I have any idea what I would receive until it appears in front of me. I gave up ordering deserts and had fruit each nite. The call I received from the dining room one afternoon mid week was unnerving. I was accused of signing up for the dining room and never showing, interrogated to if I was planning to show. It was a pretty hostile call. I advised I had been there every nite at the 5:30 sitting, named my wait staff,as well as names of table mates. I was grilled about my table #. No apology was issued. The dining room seemed disorganized. Cabin experience I went to bed I was awaken by the slamming of the crew door from 11 pm to 12:30, the vacuum caused my bed room door to rattle each time. Needless to say I placed a chair up against the door that nite. I got up the next morning only to find there was no hair dryer in my room. My steward was not concerned! Nor too motivated to find me one without prodding. I went to Breakfast , came back and noticed my steward's supervisor was present. I brought up the slamming of the door, and letting him know I was aware there was an empty room just up the hall from mine. the above was the experience in my first room. The supervisor sent me to Guest Services where I was met with great resistant from Veronika on the desk, When I mentioned I had already spoken to a supervisor, things got better. I moved myself from one room to the other tho I was told the steward would assist me. He watched. The first nite I in the new room was quiet however I woke up with several insect bites on me. I brought it to the steward's attention.. and my bed was searched for bed bugs... nothing else.. It was determined there were no bed bugs, and the same bedding was put back on my bed. The next morning I woke to more bites and a tick embedded in me. However all I was offered was to go to the medical center as there were no bed bugs! In the 2nd room I had I stepped on hard plastic left on the floor by the prior cruiser.. Guess this room, too, was not thoroughly cleaned. Needless to say the room experiences and the upkeep or lack of were not on my list of things to rave about. Towel animals appear on the beds every other nite, no longer every nite Enrichment activities Alas the so called activities were slim to none, and what they had reminded me of the activities at the local assisted living home. The shows were scheduled so that you could not eat that the 5:30 or 8 sitting and attend the shows. You had to go to the Windjammer for dinner if you wanted to see a show. Disembarkment.. As one who does the walk off with luggage, the experience was not good. I know they can do it well, as I traveled with them in 2012 and was impressed with how they handled it as it was so smooth and pleasant.. This was not smooth or pleasant. Being sent to the theater, parking your carry on luggage outside and having a free for all to locate and claim it in order to walk of the ship was not my idea of fun. Conclusion I have traveled on RCCL in the past and had wonderful experiences, alas I am glad this was not my first trip with them ,as it would be my last. I thought the service was sorely lacking and a disappointed all the way around. And needless to say I am not pleased that I contracted Lyme disease on the trip. I never in a thousand years would expect to have to take bug/tick repellants on a cruise.. just for the ship experience. I might give this ship a miss until they shift management to other ships . Read Less

1. Very speedy embarkation process in Boston. We arrived at about 1:15 pm and curbside to cabin was less than 15 minutes. 2. Cabin was ready and clean but looked "worn/used". Cabin steward Jacob was wonderful. 3. Itinerary was changed due to hurricane/tropical storm Jerry. While we appreciate RCI adding a day in Portland and shortening our stay in Bermuda to keep everyone safe and comfortable, we were very disappointed. 4. Many parts of the ship were in need of repair: outdoor movie screen did not work, near Schooner bar a lingering "burnt wood" smell, cigarette smoke smell in may public non-smoking areas, one day our cabin door would not lock, a few days later maintenance was in our room for over 3 hours to fix a leak. 5. The two outdoor hot tubs closed by 7:30pm every evening. Therefore the only other hot tub in the Solarium was always crowded. This created some hostility among the passengers in the hot tub and those waiting to use it. Also, the staff allowed children into the Solarium in the evening to use the pool, since "the outdoor pool was too cold and the hot tubs were closed". 6. The cruise director staff was suspiciously absent and the activities offered on this cruise were few and far between. The destination speaker was not a good speaker, the evening entertainment was just okay, and the musicians were mediocre at best. We did not notice any live music by the pool. 7. The food was better than expected in Windjammers and Giovanni, and as expected in the dining room and at Chops. This was our 14th cruise overall, and our third and last cruise with RCI. Read Less

Serenade of the Seas Cabin 1050 suite I was concerned about the food as many reviews indicated that the food was not good. We did not find that to be true at all. I travelled with 3 other family members (all adults) and the suite was comfortable for 4. The tub is quite high for elderly travelers but, we knew that before we travelled and we were able to adjust. The juggler and comedians were very funny. The other ship entertainment was quite good as well. Unfortunately, the singers fell short of what I have come to expect. I feel bad as I know they train hard but, their voices were not as polished or professional as I expected or heard on other cruises.That is what brings down my entertainment rating. The other entertainment and games and shows were very good. The dining staff and food and chef and wait staff and head waiters and maitre d etc were unbelievably great and we felt like we were the only group in the room. They went way over and above for my 90 year old mother and showered her with attention and helped her with her wheelchair. They also spoiled my 24 year old daughter who is vegan. It was as if she had a private chef with the amount of attention she received and they went way over and above to accommodate her needs. We ate in Chops Grille for breakfast as that was a suite perk. It was very good and hardly any other travelers were there. We ate in the main dining room or Windjammer buffet for lunch. Both were great and plentiful with a good variety of options. We had appetizers and drinks in the concierge lounge and ate in the anytime main dining room for dinner. The excursion we did was the Devils Island Snorkel. The crew was great but, the kayaking was quite limited as to where you could go and you could only use it for 10 minutes at a time. People who snorkeled enjoyed it. We would just ask about how far and how long we could go in the kayaks next time. I would recommend this cruise. Read Less

We have done many cruises in and out of Boston. We have taken the Maine/Canada cruise on the Serenade three times, we enjoy the ship and decided to try Bermuda this year. Since it is hurricane season we took a chance that we would end up in Canada again. It was touch and go for about a week, and we did head to Portland Maine for a day, and lost one day in Bermuda. We still throughly enjoyed the cruise and found it very relaxing as usual. The captain was Stig Nilsen, we have sailed with him a few times on different Radiance class ships. Carly Boileau was the cruise director, she creates a great atmosphere around the ship along with Nick her Activities Director. Nibu Sayed was the Hotel Director there was incredible Indian food in the Windjammer. Denis Loncarica was the Chief Engineer. There was no Captains Corner this time which we usually enjoy, seeing the film about the behind the scene’s working of the ship, and having the officers speak and answer questions. We decided to try the three day specialty restaurant package when it went on sale we bought it before we sailed, it was a good value. We were not disappointed, and enjoy dinner in Chops, Giovanni’s, and Izumi. The food was great, and wonderful service as usual. We each tried to hot rocks dinner in Izumi, it was OK, I am not sure what all the rave reviews are about. They have moved the tables in Chops so they are not so close together and the atmosphere is calm and relaxing. We ate in the MDR only once on formal night. It was crowded, and too much rushing about by the staff as they try to serve everyone. I did notice that people in the area we sat were dressed up, suits and a few tuxes on the men, and lots of evening gowns and cocktail dresses and fancy tops on the women. Once we left the dining room it was very mixed and we saw lots of shorts and t-shirts. We ate in the Windjammer several nights, it is much quieter than the dining room, and lots of great choices for food and fantastic deserts. The staff was welcoming, helpful and always smiling. Rocky our room steward was outstanding, kept the cabin spotless and was an expert at towel animals. The ship is in great condition, but I can’t help not liking the changes. I miss the library, though I found a good book to read in the bookshelves by the pool tables, I used to enjoy sitting there reading and listening to the music in the Centrum. The area above the Centrum that used to be the Loyaly area is still closed even though the aerial show is long gone where they stored the equipment. It is wasted space now. I used to like the glass area in the floor where you could look down into the Centrum, I understand it is still there on the Jewel and Radiance of the Seas. Speaking of the Centrum they are still doing all the activities that used to be held in the Safari Club there. The Captains reception seems like an after thought in the Centrum so we just kept walking. It used to be a very special event. The International Parade of Nations is impossible to enjoy in the Centrum. They have had complaints about noise in the cabins near the Centrum, even with the closed doors, but they just keep doing it. It makes no sense. The production shows were very good as always, Stage to Screen was outstanding. We did not see Vibology this time. The commedian was not our favorite, but the commedian juggler was very funny. We used the gym, lots of people did still it was not crowded. We spent no time at the pool but anytime I walked by, there were plenty of chairs. There were few children on this cruise. It was very calm, no crowds, no problem getting restaruant reservations once on board. We had a small Meet and Mingle, wished more had attended. Boarding in Boston was different this time. We were met by a worker with a tablet who checked us in, and took our picture with it. When we arrived their were no lines at all. We usually arrive around 1pm and find few people but this time we just went through security and checking with no waiting. I guess the new method works well. Next year the Brilliance will be sailing out of Boston, we are booked for the 10 day cruise to Canada next fall. Read Less

Outdated boat with outdated activities and entertainment, if you are over 75 you will have a decent time as the boat is small. The entire boat looks like the it is straight out of the 70’s... with outdated furniture and carpet. The bathrooms smelled like mold and mildew and using it just adds to the gross smell. The boat is past due for dry dock. I’m a bit surprised this is a Royal Caribbean boat. My stateroom shower uses shower curtains that never completely dry, with noticeable mildew growing on the surface. The fact that you have to touch the toilet lids to flush the toilet shows how outdated the boat is. The food was decent but could’ve been better for the prices we pay. The constant selling of drinks and packages became annoying and there was absolutely nothing to see in Bermuda. If you want an overpriced quick getaway on an old moldy outdated boat, this is the vacation for you. Read Less

Lets start with the false advertising...We booked this boat because of how amazing this boat looks on the RC website. Too bad it’s all fake! There’s NO H2O water park, there’s only half the restaurants they claim, no outdoor sports courts, no self leveling pool tables, no children’s playgrounds as displayed, only a couple of the shows they claim...it’s basically like they took all the best pictures of their entire fleet and all the best everything and pretend it’s on every boat. Things like the kilbasa, sausage restaurant literally being a tiny HOT DOG food truck in the corner of the arena. The bionic bar was just an afterthought, “slap a couple robots in the middle of a hallway with chairs”...The opposite of what the pictures show. 4 year olds CANT DO ANYTHING despite being 42 inches tall, must be 5 and up. How has no one sued them yet??? We requested twin beds. Only to arrive with a king and couldn’t be separated. No gifts for anniversary and birthdays. Don’t bother telling them your celebrating. WARNING!!!!! - They canceled the royal IQ app last month (yet still advertise it) so if you’ve already booked with family thinking you can text each other, FORGET IT. Seems like a game to make you buy internet. They cancel shows and move shows around just like everyone sais...we had 2 shows booked. One was canceled and one was moved forward which we missed because they didn’t announce it. My 4 year old was in tears because we booked the final showing and they canceled it. Soda machines out, no ice, no waiter getting you drinks during buffet meals, ice cream machine broke, HORRIBLE. If you’re an experienced cruiser, prepare for dissapointment. Awful awful ship. Very misleading and everything’s broken. Read Less

We went on this cruise to go to Bermuda. To start our cabin was 9692 right across from the service elevators. There was noise and the cleaning cart outside our door everyday! We booked our room through RC and was told by the travel agent was a great room! We tried to change rooms but were told they were sold out. The food was not good! So disappointed in the windjammer for breakfast. We tried all the other restaurants for breakfast and they were all mediocre. The entertainment was not what we had hoped for. Most of the shows we have seen on other RC ships have been fantastic. The best show was the comedian Kiwi Rogers! The “Gift” was an odd show and hard to follow. The only thing that was good were the special effects. Spectra’s Cabaret was way out there! Left the show after 15 minutes into it. The show “We Will Rock You” started out with a modern twist. It was long, one hour and 50 minutes. Too long in my opinion. It was good in the end with all the great songs from “Queen”! The last show we saw was “Revoiced”. This was good but too long too! The shows were geared more for an age group of 20’s to 40’s. The age range on this trip was 50’s to 70’s. The ship seemed crowded even though it is a smaller ship then Allure. The Allure ship didn’t seem crowded and the food was much better! Read Less

Day of Cruise Philly to Port Liberty Left home at about 7:45 AM and headed up the NJ turnpike to I-95 N towards NY. Following the car's GPS, got off at the Bayonne exit. After a short drive with just a few turns, arrived at the terminal at around 10 AM. After dropping off our one large bag, parked inside the main parking garage right next to the terminal. It was just a very short walk to the terminal with our two wheeled carry on bags. Check in was the easiest of all cruises we've ever taken! Check in, from start to finish, took only about 15 minutes. Since it was still rather early, we sat in chairs till it was announced we could board. Boarding started at about 10:45. Everything was so organized! One row of seats was called at a time. Therefore, there was no pushing, shoving, or bumping into others. Naturally, everyone made a bee line towards the Windjammer for a bite to eat so the elevators were rather crowded. That’s just the nature of Day 1. Muster drill was at 3:30 and just as soon as it ended, the lines were cast off and away we went. I have to mention that the skyline of NYC was awesome and seeing the Statue of Liberty was breathtaking. It was way cool passing under the VN Bridge! Lots of applause after we “barely” made it safely through. My wife and I started to explore the ship but it was set up a lot differently than every other Royal ship we've sailed on. The Allure was like that when we first sailed her but we got to be good friends after a few days. As time goes on, we will have seen a great deal of what this ship offers but by then, it will be time to end our vacation. Dinner on Day 1 was at Chops. What else is there to say except that the food was simply the best. Tomorrow night's dinner will be at Jaimie's Italian and we're really looking forward to that. Day 2- sea day After breakfast, hung out at the Solarium for most of the day. It's such a restful and beautiful place. We explored more of the ship and what we saw was amazing. Bumper cars at sea? Who would have thought? Although we didn’t go on them, it was fun watching everyone else really enjoying themselves! Dinner was at Jaimie's Italian. Could it top Chops? A very tough comparison, but they were both really great! We had a meat AND a veggie plank for starters and they were delicious. Our main dishes were crab fettuccini and another equally yummy pasta dish but the name escapes me. The lemon meringue cheesecake, for dessert, was out of this world. Day 3: Arrival at Bermuda. After breakfast, left the ship and grabbed a shuttle to Horseshoe Bay. It was only $7 per person which I thought was very reasonable. It was a very scenic drive of about 25 minutes from the pier. Upon entering the beach area, we took a right turn and stayed at the rock protected area where the water was like glass and only about waist high. Although slathered with sunscreen, the sun, in a cloudless sky, was extremely hot. After about an hour, we decided to leave before being burnt to a crisp. Our shuttle driver said the water temp was 83 degrees which sort of felt like being in a hot tub Tues. Day 4: Bermuda Spent most of the morning exploring the Royal Naval Dockyard. In particular, we concentrated on The Keep, a place steeped in so much of Bermuda's history. The Commissioner's House offered probably the best view of the port. There were old cannons pointing directly at the Anthem which was kind of scary even though they were inoperative. After that, off to the Dolphin Quest. Although we didn't participate, it was awesome to watch these magnificent animals perform for, and with the tourists. The hot sun had been beating down on us for a few hours now and was beginning to take its toll. Naturally, I forgot to put on sun block and didn't think to wear my baseball cap. Before we burnt to a crisp, we headed back towards the ship before noon. First, we stopped at a little pub for some ice cold beer (me) and bottled water for my wife. The A/C on the ship was very welcomed! Tuesday's dinner was probably the best of any cruise we've ever taken! It was prime rib and lobster night! First of all our six tablemates were the greatest and funniest people we've ever sat with! Nothing but jokes, laughs, and good conservation all night. But the best part was that after we began eating our entree, our server brought out a huge plate with three extra lobster tails per person! To say we were in heaven would be an understatement! It's tough to decide which was better- the specialty dining at Chops and Jaimie's or the MDR with the prime rib/ lobster combo. Day 5: Wed. Sea day Calm seas and smooth sailing on the way back to Bayonne. A bittersweet day knowing all this is coming to an end. We had breakfast at the Solarium and have decided that it's much better than fighting the lines at the Windjammer. At about 9:14, the captain came on the PA system and announced if we would all observe a moment of silence to commemorate the 18th anniversary of 9/11. You could hear a pin drop during the minute everyone thought back to that tragic day on a beautiful September morning. When the captain came back on the PA to thank everyone for their cooperation, there was still silence and people were still quiet as they reflected on the darkest day in our history. A very poignant moment aboard the Anthem. Back to our cabin where we saw those dreaded green luggage tags for Thursday’s debarkation. The reality that a great cruise was about to come to an end. We sat at a table for eight with some really great people! I remarked that Royal threw “all the bad apples in the same barrel!” Every night, we laughed so hard while sharing all kinds of stories. On Tuesday night, prime rib and lobster tails were on the menu. We all got the surf and turf. Our waiter, without being asked, brought out a huge plate with three extra lobster tails for each person! To say we left stuffed would be an understatement! All of us had so much fun that we were always the last to leave the 5:30 PM seating. Day 6: Debarkation. We opted for self-carry off since we were parked at the garage next to the terminal. So, at about 8:00 AM, we sadly walked down the gangway to the customs area. There wasn’t much of a line at customs, but we used a porter to save a little time. Customs was such a breeze! They used facial recognition which took all of .001 seconds and we were out of the terminal! I didn’t notice if there were agents or the facial recognition for those waiting in line, but it was sure a pleasant ending for a fantastic cruise. Final Thoughts and Observations: Port Liberty has things down to a science. It was the easiest and fastest boarding process I’ve ever had in my 16 cruises. Everyone who works there deserves a round of applause! All the other ports should use Bayonne’s model. Leaving the ship was just as easy with no stress at all. Most of the people I encountered were from PA (like us), NJ, NY, and other nearby states. Everyone, without exception, was fun, pleasant, helpful, and mannerly. For instance, people held the elevator doors for others, always had a “good morning” or “how are you?” for their fellow cruisers, and on and on. The September 7th sailing of the Anthem wasn’t just a good cruise. It was a GREAT cruise! Can’t wait to leave from Bayonne again! Read Less

I chose this particular cruise to take my son for his birthday/Christmas combined as his present. I had also booked him to do the deep sea fishing in Bermuda. We were both super excited as neither of us had been to Baltimore (so we arrived a day early to see some sights) and neither of us had been to Bermuda. We arrived on 8/30/19 and checked into a hotel, walked to the Inner Harbor for dinner and see some sights. The next morning we got to the terminal to check onto the ship and so far so smooth ... I had also purchased "the key" for us which expedited our wait with other perks as well. We were on the ship around 11 am. We had taken a tour of the spa area and had both booked services for that day. The ship was set to leave port at 4 pm, which is did. Once away from the dock I noticed that we appeared to be going in circles then we went back to the dock. We were told the propulsion system was not working properly and that it was being looked at. Fast forward to approximately 8 pm. The captain came over the PA and stated that the ship was broke and the cruise was cancelled. We had two choices leave the ship by 11 pm that evening or we would not be allowed to leave until 6 pm the following evening but all must be off by 9 pm the following evening. Our mouths dropped open .. like is this seriously happening??? Yep, it sure was. We were told there were letters in our stateroom explaining what their compensation would be, they would be reimbursing each guest up to $200 per person to change their flight plus up to $200 if you needed a hotel the evening of 8/31/19. I immediately went to our room and began calling the airlines to see about changing our flight and explaining what had just happened to our cruise. The airline we flew in on wanted $383 per person to change our flight! I went to guest services and they stated there was nothing they could do that everyone was getting the same amount and no exceptions would be granted. I went back to our room and started looking at all other flight options. Around 10:30 pm I told my son we either get off now or we're stuck until the following evening which would potentially mean we wouldn't get home until Monday as there were no evening flights to get us home the following evening. We decided to leave the ship. At that time we did not have a flight booked nor did we have a hotel for the night. I had been on the phone for approximately 45 minutes with Travelocity at this point. We walked off the ship me with my suitcase in one hand and my phone in the other. There was a park bench outside the terminal that my son and I sat on while we made arrangements for both flight and hotel. To reschedule our flight for the next day cost $349 per person (trust me I tried to find a cheaper one but it didn't exist!) and we found a hotel near the airport for just under $140. Remind you at this time I was still out the cost of the cruise, shore excursions we had booked, the drink package we had, the "key" we both had, spa services we both had done prior to the cruise being cancelled, our hotel the night before, our original filghts, etc... totaling nearly $3000! So on top of this I am now out an additional $850 (rescheduled flights, hotel, Uber) that needed paid that day! So far I have received some of the money but not all that they have agreed to reimburse me. RCs ship broke, 100% their fault 0% my fault thus I should have $0 out of pocket for this. I shouldn't have to wait 2+ weeks to be reimbursed nor do I feel I should be out any money at all on this. If I tried to find cheaper flights and couldn't I feel I should be reimbursed the entire $349 per person, not just the $200 per person. I am not very happy right now. I feel like I was abandoned and left to fend for myself with zero help from RC. While I would love to comment on the ship, cabin, dining, entertainment, ports, etc... I cannot as there was not much open during our few hours aboard the ship. Read Less

Much to do to occupy free time Food was good service was excellent Land tours were ok but weather was too hot Did not care for the smoking area as we are not smokers and walking through them was annoying Shows were professional and interesting Enjoyed the lounges after dinner Walked considerable amout of time to burn off calories enjoyed watching the flow rider and the sights from the globe were outstanding The buffet had a whole variety of choises from salads and low cal deserts. Staff performed wery well and catered to our minimal requests. Not able to fit into the bumper cars as they are built for children but enjoyed watching people of all ages partaking in the indoor recreation areas. Too many people reserved lounge chairs and never showed up but pool attendents were able to remove left to enable us to lounge in shade and comfort. Read Less

I choose this cruise for convenience as I live in Maryland and it was close to my birthday. Me and my girlfriend are both in our 30s and had a great time. Service on ship was excellent wether your talking about the MDR our room stewards etc.. We ate at chops and it was delicious we’re on the other royal ships we have been in. Izumi was also good we have eaten on other ships and then experience there was by far the best. I read a lot about this shop draws a older crowd and I could see that but it might just be when you go and your itinerary. Also read before we went that the shop shuts down at 10 or 11 o’clock which in my experience is also not true. They had live music in the centrum until at least midnight and one of the nights we went to the night club on board and people were still dancing partying etc and it was past 2am. The ship is small and for a young active couple I think 5 or maybe 7 nights max would be the perfect length on this ship as I think any longer I would have started to get board. Bermuda was awesome and beautiful and hopefully will be able to go back soon. Overall I had a great time and at the end of the day your vacation is all about what you make it. Read Less

My family selected this cruise because we did not need to fly to get to NJ and because we did not want a long cruise. The ship was nice, but many of the characteristics of other Royal Carribean ship were missing. For example the Schooner Bar was a stripped down version and lacked the normal boat. Kids pools were not separate from the other pools and children were always in the hot tubs. The emergency drill was not well done. It was a childish video that did not easily communicate what to do in an emergency. Many people simply did not watch. The food was just ok in anytime dining. Service was good except for in the pool area where workers consistently did not give way of the paying guests, instead the guests needed to give way to staff. Ifly was outstanding. You likely have guessed by now that this was not my favorite ship. All this said, we had a good time and remain loyal to RC. Read Less

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