Review - Anthem Christmas Bahamas Dec 19 2015

Hi all, my parents and I were on the Dec 19 Christmas Anthem cruise. It was an 8 night to the Bahamas, visiting Port Canaveral, Nassau, and Coco Cay.

The short version: Overall, it was a wonderful cruise but had its hiccups. I’ve put these in my survey response.

Anthem is unlike any of the other ships we’ve sailed on Royal, which was both the upside and the downside. It has some pretty amazing things, like iFly and the North Star. The newness does takes some getting used to, though. Things we thought we’d love (like dynamic dining), we didn’t. Things we didn’t expect to be wowed by (like 270), we were. For anyone sailing Anthem for the first time, I’d just say, go in with an open mind.

Despite any disappointments, we will likely sail her again. The proximity is a huge draw, and, frankly, it is a pretty spectacular ship.

The long(er) version …

Why Anthem

We are from NJ, so the opportunity to try out a new ship for Christmas was a no-brainer. We were also interested in dynamic dining. We’d sailed on NCL a couple of times and enjoyed the freedom of dining in different places every night.

Things I did ahead of the cruise:

- Booked dinner about 3 months in advance - American Icon, Silk, Chic, and Devinly Decadence.

- Booked entertainment - We Will Rock You, The Gift, and Spectra’s Cabaret

- Booked activities - North Star, iFly

EMBARKATION

We had a 12:30 check-in time and arrived on time. (Side note: the garage is a wonderful addition to Cape Liberty. 2 elevators, with plenty of room. It is a quick walk between the garage and the pier, and there is even a bathroom before getting to the check-in building. Huge improvement from the old days of the shuttle between the check-in tent and the ship!)

Once we got to the building, we saw a few customer service reps with iPads checking people in. We were told to go through security first, as check-in would be faster after security.

In hindsight, this was a mistake. After security, we were herded to a holding area and told to sit and wait to check-in.

We found a few empty seats and got comfortable. A handful of reps with iPads were helping folks in the first few rows, but not near us. What was odd was that there wasn’t any orderly process, and the reps seemed to go to whoever went near them next - which meant people were just crowding around them. At times the reps just seemed to be standing around, which we later learned was due to a wifi problem. It definitely was confusing for someone not used to the new check-in routine. Do we go up to the reps? Do they come to us? Do others have a number?

I wanted to get more information and went to the customer service rep “in charge” of our area, Magda. This was a real conversation with Magda:

Guy ahead of me: “Hi, can you let us know what’s the hold up?"

Magda: “SIT DOWN"

Guy: “Uh, I guess I’ll go ask someone else."

Magda (turning to me): “WHY ARE YOU STANDING IN FRONT OF ME?"

Me: “Because I’m asking you a question!"

Magda: “What’s your question?"

Me: “Is there a line? How does this work?"

Magda: “Where are you sitting?"

Me: (gesturing) “Over there"

Magda: "GO SIT DOWN. I’ll find you an answer."

Unsurprisingly, she never did come by. At the end, the check-in reps did finally get to our section, but it seemed they could have made the process a lot more efficient, by handing out numbers or, like Southwest, giving us a number when we completed our SetSail pass. At minimum, they should tell people what’s going on. Magda seemed completely unequipped to handle the questions coming at her. To be fair - this is a training issue.

The silver lining for the longer check-in was that our rooms were ready by the time we boarded, so we were able to drop off our carry-ons and join the rest of the ship at the Windjammer.

They ended up moving muster from 2:30 to 3:00 because of delays in boarding. (And another bonus, our muster station was indoors - win!)

The good news, is that the cruise did get better!

Next, dining.

DINING

Overall we found the food to be average to above average, with some really delicious surprises but also some disappointments. Service was uneven. I think this was mostly due to the crew still getting used to dynamic dining. The waitstaff we had were either super busy or had very little to do.

Windjammer

We ate many of our breakfasts, lunches, and even a couple of dinners here. The breakfasts had your standard Royal offerings, but with nice extra touches, like smoked mackerel, mini baguettes, nuts and coconut toppings for oatmeal, and fruit smoothies.

Lunch offerings had generally less variety. The pasta station was always busy, and there was also a fried rice station too. Some of the desserts were new (to us) - the peanut butter cheesecake was delicious, and I also liked a crunchy peanut butter bar they had one day.

And ohmygosh, the pineapples and oranges were just amazing. I am not usually a fan of fruit, but even I was enjoying it. Kudos to whoever is in charge of supplies.

Dinner at the Windjammer was fabulous, too. Mongolian stir-fry, Indian corner, French, Mexican, crepes, pasta, carved meats, cheeses, ice cream. We came a couple of times after previewing the dinner selections. The only downside is that I ate too much. :(

Cafe 270

We ate a couple of breakfasts here as well as a couple lunches. It’s basically the Park Cafe offerings, including the famous roast beef sandwich. Breakfast included Royal’s Egg McMuffin and breakfast burritos. The cream puffs and the pyramid financier pastries were delicious. I never did get to try the Oreo cheesecake, but it looked fantastic.

Seaplex Doghouse

My mom and I had hot dogs here - the German for Mom and the apple & chicken one for me. A nice afternoon snack. Nothing super special. They didn’t have any cole slaw or potato salad, though they were both listed on the menu. When I asked for both, the staff told me to try the Windjammer.

Devinly Decadence

We had 1 breakfast, lunch, and dinner here. Breakfast and lunch were pretty good. The salads at lunch (also available at dinner) are creative and terrific - think goat cheese, pistachios, watermelon - and the beef stew was probably my favorite soup all week. There is not a ton to choose from, which was ok for me.

Dinner, however, was the best meal all week. (Dinner is seated, with breakfast/lunch a buffet.) They had a surf and turf entree where you can select your meat and seafood. Mom and I had a lobster tail and a strip steak. Dad had salmon and steak. Salad and dessert were self-serve. We all loved our meals and the quiet, relaxing ambiance. Our waitress was also fantastic and took time to chat with us. Sadly, when we tried to book dinner again, it was sold out - despite it being generally empty every time we walked by.

American Icon

We had dinner here the first night and on Christmas, with very different experiences. On the first night, dinner took 2 hours, with huge gaps of time between seeing our waiter. (e.g. 45 minutes between appetizers and the entree.) When the head waiter came by to ask how our meals were going, we commented that dinner was taking rather long. Her response was that this was “a dining restaurant”, and to expect 2 hours.

To her credit, she did quickly add, “but if you’d like, I’ll personally make sure you get your dessert quickly” - and she did! Plus, to be fair, our waiter was very overworked, with many tables in his area, all at different points of their meal. We saw his assistant just once - when she poured us water - and never saw her again. I’m guessing this was part of the first night rush.

Now, on Christmas, we were seated pretty much alone in an area and were the only table for our waiters. They were awesome. We got our food quickly and even had some time to talk with them. We learned they disliked dynamic dining, too, as during busy times they were very rushed - which was probably what happened with our first waiter. They also missed building a relationship with passengers over the course of the cruise and encouraged us to note our opinion in our comment cards. It seemed dynamic dining was the chief complaint from passengers.

We had the Pacific menu on the first night. My mom had the Surf and Turf, which was shrimp on a skewer and prime rib. I had the short ribs, which was flavorful but a bit dry like it had been sitting around for a bit. My dad had the salmon, which was .. salmon. For appys I had the potato pancakes (good but also dry), mom had the crab cake (good but too much filler), and dad had the clam chowder (good). For dessert, I had the Icon candy bar, mom had the banana split, and dad had ice cream. All were delicious!

On Christmas we had the Atlantic menu as well as a special Christmas menu. For appys I had the special seafood vol au vent, mom had the crab cake, and dad had the clam chowder. The vol au vent wasn’t bad, though different than what I expected (not a puff pastry, just a little flat triangle of pastry). For entrees, mom and I had the special turkey dinner, and dad had the salmon. The turkey was decent, and salmon was … salmon.

Dessert was the crowning glory. We tried both special Christmas desserts - the Christmas pudding and the buche de noel (yule log). Both yummy! We also had the ice cream sundae, which is not a sundae! It’s 3 small ice cream sandwiches. It’s not bad, but just not what was expected. That was generally a theme during meals at the restaurants - things weren’t bad, just not what was expected.

Silk

We had dinner at Silk on the second night (Lotus menu), and didn’t find the food special enough to come back. We ended up canceling our 2nd reservation and going to the Windjammer.

Tonight our dinner was just a little over an hour, and our waiter's tables were all in-sync - i.e. we were all having appetizers at the same time ..etc. To start, instead of bread, they had baskets of shrimp chips on the table, which was fun and different.

For appetizers Mom and I both had the chicken lettuce wraps, thinking it would be like the Thai Lettuce Wraps at The Cheesecake Factory. These didn’t have as much pizzazz and sauces, but they were still ok. The dish was basically sautéed vegetables with some chicken, which you’d put in Boston lettuce leaves.

Dad had the chicken noodle soup, which he said was too salty.

We also ordered the Vietnamese tacos to share. In the the pictures they showed 3 “tacos”, which we’d thought would be perfect for a taste for each of us. Sadly, only 2 came out, and when we asked Sylvester (our waiter) about it, he suggested we cut them to share. We found that a bit odd, as most waiters we’ve seen would have offered another plate! Ultimately Dad - the gentleman - said Mom and I could have them. Again, they were ok but nothing spectacular. The meat was a little dry, like it had been out there for a while, and it was mostly the same sautéed vegetables as in the lettuce wraps.

For our entrees, we all got the roasted duck - which was a favorite on formal nights in traditional dining. They gave us an entire half of a duck, so both dark and light meat, paired with vegetables and a scallion pancake on the side. And once again, it was ok, but not what I’d want to order again. The duck had not been roasted long enough, and the meat was difficult to cut. The scallion pancake was a far cry from the potato croquettes on the traditional menu.

For dessert I tried the pearls of Asia, which sounded exotic and neat - and it was. The consistency was tapioca pudding-like with pineapple compote. It was definitely the high note of the evening. Mom had the lime ginger chocolate cake which she was was very gingery, and Dad had ice cream again.

Chic

At Chic, we also had 2 completely different experiences, though both reservations were at 6:30.

On the 3rd night (Cosmopolitan? menu) dinner clocked in at just an hour. We were just one of two tables for our waiter, and the lesser workload was definitely evident.

For appys Mom and I had the special salad (goat cheese, I think), and Dad had the garden salad. They were .. salads. For entrees, Mom and I had the lamb, which was the best entree yet. Flavorful and juicy. Dad had salmon, which was .. salmon. For dessert, Mom and I both had the sweet crepe Napoleon, which was out-of-this-world delicious. Think 12 or 13 small crepes, maybe 4-5 inches diameter, layered atop one another, with some kind of sweet cream filling, and then topped with a plum sauce. It was definitely my favorite dessert all week.

We also shared the dark chocolate tart, which was super dense but delicious. Best accompanied by a glass of milk. Dad had the ice cream.

It was tonight we were also offered tea or coffee for the first time, after dinner.

We were so impressed by Chic, we were looking forward to it on our last night of the cruise (the Metropolitan menu). Unfortunately, we were in a section where everyone was at a different point of our dinner. It was 15 minutes before we got water or bread, and 20 before we saw our waiter. This seemed to be the norm for everyone in our section. (Yet whole other sections of the restaurant were empty - why not move some people over?)

Dad had gotten a sneak preview of the menu on our first visit, when they gave him the wrong menu, and he’d been wanting to try the pea soup since then. Not wanting to miss out, I got the pea soup too. We both thought it was a bit too salty for a cold soup. Something about it just seemed odd, I guess.

Mom had the shrimp ceviche, which she reported to be ok.

For entrees, mom and I both ordered the beef Wellington. I’d been looking forward to it, as I love puff pastry and I love beef! Now, this is yet another example of getting something completely not what I expected. What came out was a piece of beef and a small, flat triangle (think a triscuit) of pastry - exactly what I had with the vol de vent on Christmas at American Icon. That’s not beef Wellington! I mean, it was fine, and not exactly anything to throw a fit about, but just a bit disappointing. Yes, a first world problem!

For dessert, Mom had the chocolate tart again (still delicious), I had the pavlova (not like on the traditional menu. A bit .. gummy), and Dad had ice cream.

We left Chic a bit disappointed after our 2nd visit. It just seemed the system is off somehow - sections were either overstaffed or understaffed.

Other

Our one dining lament was that we were unable to get a reservation at Wonderland, which was a bummer. A definite “to do” for next time. Izumi was crowded for dinner every time we went by, and tables were in the hallway, which was a bit odd, though I guess not unlike sidewalk dining in the city. Jamie’s did not seem too crowded, but I rarely went by during dinner hours.

Next .. activities and entertainment.

Great review. Thank you for taking the time. Your dad sounds like my husband. Salmon every night along with ice cream for desert. We will be on the Anthem Jan. 25. Looking forward to it after being on the Quantum 3 times. Next time be sure you go to Wonderland. It is a dinning experience like no other. Oh! Tell dad they have great fish. 😊

Awesome review! Looking forward to hearing more! I really hope that whatever direction they take things in, that service and food become more consistent by the Summer.

This seems to be the same re-occurring theme across most reviews.

I felt similar to your reviews on the food: main courses and apps were ok, desserts were crazy good. We had a horrible experience at Devinly decadence, but the desserts were amazing. I even put in my survey "whoever does the desserts should do the rest of the food for the ship"!

Thank you for an outstanding and impartial review. We are sailing on the Anthem in just three days. Your review clearly adds to the excitement and lacks the negativity I have seen in some other recent reviews. I especially appreciate your suggestions about checking in before security as well as your comments on the quality and variety of food. This will be our first time on RCL in 27 years. We sailed on the Sovereign of the Seas in 1988 and have had 27 cruises since then on a variety of lines.

I have read many observations regarding the length of time it takes to have dinner aboard the Anthem. The head waiter's response to your comment on how long the meal was taking was "this is a dining restaurant". On every single one of our 27 cruises since the Sovereign, be it on sister line Celebrity, or for that matter, Princess, Cunard, Holland America and Viking River, dinner typically takes 1 3/4 to 2 hours. If we wanted to reduce the time, we would either skip dessert or eat in the buffet. Often, especially when we were dining with a group of very interesting people in the MDR, we would have been more concerned if the service had been rushed.

Being "new" to RCL, we would not have expected anything different. My question for those who have sailed other RCL ships: do dinners on RCL typically take less time than on other cruise lines? Should we have different expectations in terms of speed of service on RCL compared to other cruise lines? Thanks and looking forward to your responses.

Being "new" to RCL, we would not have expected anything different. My question for those who have sailed other RCL ships: do dinners on RCL typically take less time than on other cruise lines? Should we have different expectations in terms of speed of service on RCL compared to other cruise lines? Thanks and looking forward to your responses.

If things are running normally, you can finish dinner in about an hour+ at a two top. At a bigger table it all depends on how quickly everyone can order but even there you can finish in 1.5 hrs. At peak times and/or if there staff issues it can drag to 2 hrs. Anthem is not like other ships due to DD and they have an incentive to have you finish quickly (due to limited seating in the free venues).

Thanks all for the nice comments! I'll respond individually.. but first:

ACTIVITIES

Here’s where I think the Anthem really shines. There was always something new to explore and try and to ooh and ahh at.

iFly

This was something I absolutely wanted to try onboard. I booked the reservations about 3 months in advance for Day 3 of the cruise. I’d figured we would be south enough that the weather would be warm, as iFly was outside. (The actual tunnel is enclosed, of course, but you have to walk outside to get there.)

It was 100% everything I was hoping it would be — a blast!

The reservation is for one hour and starts on the hour. I arrived at about 5 minutes to the hour, and the front desk scanned my SeaPass and checked that I did have a reservation and had the waivers signed. We also found out where my parents could watch - right up the stairs, next to the tunnel.

My group was 15 people. We started with a 4 minute video, where they instructed on us on the basics. The key things to remember are to keep the chin up, arms at shoulder level, and to relax. They also gave us some hand signals to tell us when to bend our legs, straighten them, and to relax. The wind tunnel is very loud, so the hand signals are important. They also showed us how to get in and out of the tunnel. Our instructor introduced himself and made sure all questions were answered. He also made us laugh and generally tried to keep us loose.

We then got suited up with goggles, a helmet, a full body suit, ear plugs, and, if required, shoes. (They allowed sneakers, but if you had sandals or, like me, the Sketchers slip-on walking shoes, they gave tighter fitting shoes to wear.) Worthy to note is that socks are required — in the Cruise Compass they didn’t make this very clear. There are cubbies to put your stuff.

We then were led outside (this was about 20 minutes past, for anyone wanting to watch) and sat down in the outer (enclosed) chamber. The instructor suited up and got in the chamber. He then pointed to the first person, helped him in, and stayed in the chamber with him for the entire 60 seconds. After the first person got out, he would point to the next person and repeat. In our group it seemed he went with possibly the heaviest people first and finished with the kids. Once you were airborne, he’d adjust your position and gently guide you, as required. We all gave each other thumbs up and clapped when everyone came out.

When it was my turn, I got in, and the instructor helped me into the position. It was such a rush to feel air pushing me up! I floated up above the instructor’s head and only when I bumped into the walls did I come down a little but quickly went up again once I readjusted myself. (I need to learn how to turn next time!) I can't honestly recall if I saw any hand signals - it was a blur! - but I do remember thinking to myself: chin up! arms shoulder level! relax!!!

The 60 seconds both went by really quickly but very intensely, and all too soon, the instructor guided me in front of the photographer for a close up and then guided me towards the door.

It was really a ton of fun, and I highly recommend to everyone. A high fitness level isn’t required. Before the cruise, I was concerned I'd need a ton of core strength. While I’m sure it would help, it’s really not required as long as the basic 3 rules are followed - chin up, arms at shoulder level, and relax. In our group there were kids as young as early grade school and also a grandfather, maybe in his 60s or 70s. The instructor is in the tunnel with you at all times and will not let you get into any trouble.

Afterwards, they show you your pictures. I believe there was a deal - 3 for $30 and 2 for $40, but since I had coupons on my SeaPass I skipped the purchase. We did all have a good laugh at each others pictures, as we all had really “interesting” expressions on our faces, with the tunnel blasting wind at us. And anytime I ran into the people in our group later in the cruise, we’d say hi and talk a little about our bonding experience. :)

The whole thing did end up taking about an hour. The reservations really helped, as there was a long standby line. I’m guessing it was for any no-shows. Weather on Day 3 for the cruise was perfect, too.

Strong thumbs up.

North Star

The other activity we definitely wanted to try was North Star. We booked reservations also for Day 3 for same reasons - weather-wise I thought it would be warm enough to be outside. The day before, Mom and I had went outside to scope out where it was (Deck 15 forward), and saw that the North Star was swinging out to both sides of the ship as well as going up. I had read reports that while at port they only went up, so I was excited that we’d able to get a nice wide view.

When it was time for us, we checked in with the staff and got paper cardboard tickets. They were taking reservations only and sending anyone without a reservation away - no standby line at all. Interestingly, they didn’t scan our SeaPasses and just based it on the honor system. This may have contributed to a slight delay, as too many people seemed to have reservations for that time.

We walked up the spiral staircase to the North Star (there is also an accessible elevator) and got in. We had about 12 people in our group. There was a staff member in the gondola with us, who gave us a basic introduction, and answered any questions. Sadly, for our trip, we only went up and then back down — no side to side view. When I asked why, the staff member said that the lines were too long and they needed to speed things up. In the up/down mode (“observation mode”), it was only a 9 minute ride, compared to a 16-minute, full side-to-side ride.

Overall it was fun, and it was nice to get a birds eye view of the ship on a sunny day. I wished the ride was just a tad longer. The people in our group also tended to “claim" prime window spots, which I get, as it was a nice view, but it made for some difficult viewing for everyone else. There was also a big Rubbermaid container on one side of the gondola, which blocked standing, so viewing space was definitely at a premium. I didn’t want to get into an argument over a 9 minute ride so just made do and excused myself into prime spots for a few seconds at a time.

Still, though, it was worth it for the experience. It would be a shame if they started charging for it, as I’d read they’re now doing on the Quantum.

Christmas

We were excited to experience Christmas on a cruise for the first time, and Anthem really did it up great. They started with caroling on Christmas Eve at 10:15 in the Royal Esplanade and announced that Santa would be arriving via the North Star at 8:30 on Christmas morning.

Dutifully, we all went up to the North Star at 8:30am on Christmas morning, but - oh no! - the North Star was having technical difficulties. Abe the Cruise Director and many of his cruise directors staff, dressed as elves, were all there. After some engineers came, the North Star was working again, and Abe and the elves all went in. (Abe’s shirt that day said, “Chief Elf Officer”.) The gondola had already been placed strategically with pillows and what looked like bags or something (ah, maybe that’s what the Rubbermaid container was for!) Once the gondola was fully raised, they paused for a while, and then ...

SANTA APPEARED !!!!!!!!!!

Santa waved to everyone from above, and, once they were lowered, he walked on the running track towards the centrum elevators, which he took down to 270 after a lap in the Windjammer. He was escorted by Abe and the entire entourage the whole way as well as some very interested young passengers!

In 270 he gave out gifts to all kids 17 and under (the teen area also did this for anyone who wanted a gift but not from Santa!). We met a couple of kids who got Royal Caribbean branded selfie sticks, but I believe they had a range of gifts. From the tv we later saw that he also had kids on his lap for I believe a couple of hours. Kudos to Santa!

(Trivia was missing from the cruise compass that morning, mysteriously - wink!)

They also had egg nog - both alcoholic and non-alcoholic - outside 270 until noon, and Christmas cookies throughout the ship.

I don’t know if this is done on all ships (outside of the North Star bit), but it was really fun. And I kept pinching myself, as it was a good 75 degrees and sunny all day. THIS is the way to spend Christmas!

Games and Sports

There were 3 billiards tables in the Music Hall. My dad didn’t think they were the auto-level ones on the Radiance class ships (reported to cost upwards of $75k at the time), as the balls would roll when the ship moved. They had a tournament on one day but sadly didn’t have it again. I’m guessing Christmas cut into the schedule.

We happened to walk by Trivia once, as they were waiting to start, and so we joined. It was in the Schooner Bar - plenty of seats available. A respectable 10 out of 20 - middle of pack - but didn’t get us any prizes. One day!

We also skipped Quest. It was at 11:30 the night we were in Nassau, and we were exhausted. It was also in the Seaplex, which had nearly no seats.

Shout out to both Mike and Maylin who were fantastic on the cruise director’s team. They made every event fun.

Mom and I went to the Seaplex a few times, but never ended up participating in anything. The lines for bumper cars and the trapeze class were always really long. I wonder if there’s anything they could do about it, like Disney’s FastPass, or just have reservations. It just seems like a shame to be spending time on a beautiful ship standing in line. It is a nice set up, though, and is very fitting for a ship sailing out of cold weather for 6-8 months a year. They’ve basically taken the entire Sports Area of other ships and placed it inside, with only the Rock Climbing wall, FlowRider, and iFly outside.

I didn’t do FlowRider nor Rock Climbing this time, but both seemed very popular. The Rock Climbing wall is on the side of the ship (starboard), near Gigi the Giraffe, which is a little different, too,

Casino

Mom and I went to the Casino a few times. Lots of new machines, with one bank (with clown and dragon machines) very popular. The machines generally seemed to pay out well at the start of the cruise and less so towards the end. Instead of inserting your SeaPass (and hoping it comes out eventually), you just needed to tap it on the sensor to collect points. We found it generally unsmoky, with only the smoking section noticeably smoky (of course). There was a bathroom inside the Casino, which is helpful.

C&A Party

They had 2 parties for C&A members - one for Gold, Platinum, and Emerald members at 11am on Day 5 (Nassau). We weren’t due to arrive until 1pm so didn’t cut into anyone’s day in port. The party for Diamond Diamond Plus, and Pinnacle was at 7:45pm on Day 6 (Coco Cay), in 270. Abe introduced the Hotel Director, who in turn, introduced members of his senior team - the F&B manager, housekeeping, guest services ..etc. The Captain did not attend.

We were demonstrated features of 270 - a show called Dance in a Box, shown on 6 screens controlled by robotic arms - as well as the Vistarama, the big screen covering the windows. There were various scenes - a haunted house, fireworks on the aft of the ship.

They handed us glasses of champagne as we walked in, and waiters also walked around with trays of champagne, white and red wine, and various cocktails. I had a sip of the champagne, and it was really bad. I get it’s not Dom Perignon, but I don’t remember it being that bad before. I guess the waiter saw my face, because he then gave me some kind of cherry cocktail to try, that he said was sweet and good. I must have been having an off day with my taste buds, because I thought it tasted like Robitussin! I wasn’t that excited to try anything else, so I called it quits. I did see others getting special drinks, so it seemed like the waiters were open to taking orders.

Captain’s Corner

They called this “Captain’s Executive Corner” on the Cruise Compass. It was in 270 on the last day. The Captain, Hotel Director, Chief Engineer, and Abe the Cruise Director were there. Nothing too eventful. We learned they stock up mostly in Port Canaveral, due to the quick turnaround time in Bayonne, and stock 3 days more of food than the itinerary. Abe also clarified that even after the 3 extra days, it wasn’t like there would be no food - it’s just smaller portions and maybe no more lobster. The Hotel Director said the ship would run out of food before running out of fuel.

Next, entertainment ...

Great review. Thank you for taking the time. Your dad sounds like my husband. Salmon every night along with ice cream for desert. We will be on the Anthem Jan. 25. Looking forward to it after being on the Quantum 3 times. Next time be sure you go to Wonderland. It is a dinning experience like no other. Oh! Tell dad they have great fish. 😊

Haha! They are food twins! Thanks for the recommendation on Wonderland - it’s definitely on the to do list.

Awesome review! Looking forward to hearing more! I really hope that whatever direction they take things in, that service and food become more consistent by the Summer.

This seems to be the same re-occurring theme across most reviews.

Thanks Overtyme! I think they will. It really seemed like the crew was still getting used to Dynamic Dining. The waitstaff we spoke with had all been with Royal Caribbean for a decade or more. I imagine it takes time to move away from a system so familiar for so long.

I felt similar to your reviews on the food: main courses and apps were ok, desserts were crazy good. We had a horrible experience at Devinly decadence, but the desserts were amazing. I even put in my survey "whoever does the desserts should do the rest of the food for the ship"!

That is a great observation. It was only after reading what I wrote I realized that it was the desserts that really stood out. Nothing was terrible, but wow were the desserts spectacular.

Being "new" to RCL, we would not have expected anything different. My question for those who have sailed other RCL ships: do dinners on RCL typically take less time than on other cruise lines? Should we have different expectations in terms of speed of service on RCL compared to other cruise lines? Thanks and looking forward to your responses.

Thanks emileg! I think for us - a table of 3 - dinners have generally run about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. I think this time, it was the long gaps without seeing our waiter that stood out. Even when we've had longer dinners, the waiters would still pop by occasionally. The 45 minutes between appetizers and entrees in particular seemed just odd. No one refilling water, or even mentioning that our entrees would be out soon.

That said, it's by far from a negative experience. Taking an extra 45 minutes for dinner is hardly the worst thing that could happen to someone!!! :)

Haha! They are food twins! Thanks for the recommendation on Wonderland - it’s definitely on the to do list.

 

 

 

Thanks Overtyme! I think they will. It really seemed like the crew was still getting used to Dynamic Dining. The waitstaff we spoke with had all been with Royal Caribbean for a decade or more. I imagine it takes time to move away from a system so familiar for so long.

 

 

 

That is a great observation. It was only after reading what I wrote I realized that it was the desserts that really stood out. Nothing was terrible, but wow were the desserts spectacular.

 

 

 

Thanks emileg! I think for us - a table of 3 - dinners have generally run about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. I think this time, it was the long gaps without seeing our waiter that stood out. Even when we've had longer dinners, the waiters would still pop by occasionally. The 45 minutes between appetizers and entrees in particular seemed just odd. No one refilling water, or even mentioning that our entrees would be out soon.

 

That said, it's by far from a negative experience. Taking an extra 45 minutes for dinner is hardly the worst thing that could happen to someone!!! :)

Well, I can say our last cruise on Disney dinner kept running over 2 hours !!

Wonderful review! Thanks for sharing. I look forward to reading the rest.

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Thank you for such a great review. Can you share any comments about the crowds? We are going over spring break and expect it will be a similar crowd to a Christmas sailing.

We had s great time on the Anthem. The only crowd we experienced was at the buffet and the 10 dollar sales on deck 4. Nothing that one would expect on a ship eith almost 5 thousand on it. Food was good and service was terrific. Would go again in a heart beat.

Thank you so much for your very detailed review! Your tips and skips have already been noted! Glad you had a wonderful cruise!

Hi everyone, happy new year! Thanks for staying on and the great comments. Will respond individually after this post.

ENTERTAINMENT

There were 3 main venues for entertainment on the ship, which I thought was a clever way for the passengers to spread out: the Royal theater, the Music Hall, and 270. The theater was the same idea as other ships, the Music Hall was kind of a House of Blues-like setup with a stage but roomier and with better seats, and 270 was just something completely different.

Theater

Here, we saw the welcome (Night 1) and farewell shows (Night 8), a Beatlemaniacs show (also Night 1), juggler (Night 4) and impersonator (also Night 8) Headliners, We Will Rock You (Night 2), and The Gift (Night 7) here. It was nice that they had performing acts on the first and last nights.

The Beatlemaniacs were fun and a smart Headliner for a Christmas cruise with multiple generation families as passengers. They did a range of Beatles songs but also Imagine and finished with Twist and Shout and Revolution. They have apparently performed with Royal Caribbean for years, and my parents remember seeing them on the Explorer in the early 00’s, though likely with different members.

We Will Rock You was … a mix. The music was great. The story itself was a stretch, at best. It was fun picking out the various rock songs referred to in the lines, though. (“Baby, you were born to run!” “Don’t call me, baby!”) I wouldn't have paid to see the show, but for a ‘free’ show on a cruise, it was fine. I think the issue was that it took itself too seriously. For similarly themed shows, Mamma Mia was definitely better - though I haven’t seen the cruise version - and Breakaway’s Rock of Ages was a lot more self-aware of its cheese factor and played it up, which made it more fun.

The Gift was - from a set standpoint - a beautiful show. I had a hard time following the story as it’s somewhat abstract, but my mom “got it” and later explained it to me. I won’t spoil it, but it will make sense. Dad wasn’t a fan.

The Headline jugglers - Passing Zone - were great. They had a really difficult job, as the ship was starting to set sail from Port Canaveral just as they were starting their act. They were on America’s Got Talent years ago. They had one trick in which one of the jugglers stood atop the other juggler, who was balanced on a see saw type thing, all the while juggling. There were a couple of volunteers on the stage for 2 tricks - one balancing plates while machetes were being juggled around him, and another, where one of the jugglers leapt above him, while juggling something dangerous. Overall an enjoyable show.

The final Headliner show, featuring an singer/impersonator named Steve London, was an odd mix of acts. His show was a lot of fun when he was doing impersonations, like Johnny Cash and a duo between Kermit and Ozzy Osbourne doing The Rainbow Connection (yeah, think about that). Then he got everyone singing American Pie, which was a crowd pleaser but kind of random. Finally, towards the end (or maybe this was the closer - I forget), he did “You Raise Me Up” (the Josh Groban song). I think it’s hard to do a song that’s associated with someone with such as strong voice. He seemed like a genuine guy, though, and he also noted it was his birthday, so it was nice we were there celebrating with him.

Side note: Before his show, a cover of Livin’ on a Prayer was played in the theater. They usually had some sort of muzak so this in itself was different, and got the crowd excited. I mean, this ship sailed out of New Jersey! I was hoping this meant that the Headliner would do a Bon Jovi impression, but sadly he didn’t.

Note- upstairs on the balcony, the center section was reserved for Diamond Plus, Pinnacle, and Suites. The section was opened up 5 minutes before start of show, but cards were strictly checked by cruise director’s staff.

Music Hall

The Beatlemaniacs played here one more night and did a few more songs. We saw them rehearsing as well, which is hard work. They spent probably an hour or so working with the sound and light technician, tuning their volumes, and angles for each of the instruments.

I wish I spent more time here, as it was a nice set up, and certainly a step up from the nightclubs in the Voyager class ship, and a lot more hipper than the lounges on other Royal ships.

270

This is where I wish we’d known more about earlier in the cruise. There was an intro to 270 on the first night, which we didn’t attend, because we didn’t realize there was so much here. (If you see it, go!) We later attended an encore introduction. They showcased the Vistarama, where we saw an aquarium setting, and then moved to the robotic arms. When the intro was delayed because the robots needed rebooting, we left, as it was the last afternoon, and we still needed to pack.

We had reservations for Spectra’s Cabaret on Night 3, but for whatever reason, we skipped them. I think at that point we hadn’t really gotten into 270, and maybe we were tired or something. I did hear mixed reviews on the ship, though, so I guess I’m not that unhappy about missing it.

As previously mentioned, the C&A party was at 270, where they highlighted some of its features. On Christmas night, the ship’s Orchestra was playing there, and I believe they were also showing a virtual concert with the American Orchestra.

There is apparently entertainment at 270 every night, and next time, we’ll definitely be on the lookout and just camp out there after dinner. It’s a lovely setting, very airy and roomy, and the technology is really spectacular. We were told the room cost $27m to build (Song of Norway was apparently only $25m total!)

Other

On nights there was no entertainment in the Theater, they showed 3D movies. I think Avengers 2 was one, and Frozen was another. They also had movies on the big screen above the pool. Next time we might do that, as that seemed like fun. They also had football games there as well as in Michael’s pub. (On the Sunday - day 2 - after we left, we saw 2 people huddled in their stateroom duvets on the pool deck watching the Giants game!)

One night they had a Name That Tune game show in the Theater, but we somehow missed it. It was on tv later. It was a professional set up, with scoreboards and podiums. I later read in the ship intro book in the stateroom that it was produced centrally for the Anthem.

Love and Marriage was in the afternoon early in the cruise - odd time. We skipped it. It was on tv as well.

The TV had the usual ship channels (map, cruise compass, excursions, next cruise) but also TBS, TNT, TCM, CNN, ESPN, and channels for different languages. On Christmas we watched the Warriors play the Cavaliers, and one morning, we watched Ben Hur, or at least parts of it. It’s looooong.

Abe, the cruise director, had a morning show that started running at 11pm the night before. He would go thru the day’s activities but also read out shout-outs that passengers that submitted. We first sailed with Abe in 2005 on the Navigator when he was the activities director, then later when he became a cruise director, on the Brilliance in 2008. It was to see a familiar face. He’s not going to be the one singing or doing crazy stunts, but we found him to be a capable, reliable, visible figure.

All in all, the entertainment was solid, even if some things weren’t our cup of tea. We definitely never found ourselves unentertained.

Next .. ports.

Wonderful review! Thanks for sharing. I look forward to reading the rest.

Thanks Dave85! The Anthem’s a beauty, isn’t she?

Thank you for such a great review. Can you share any comments about the crowds? We are going over spring break and expect it will be a similar crowd to a Christmas sailing.

Ah, I was going to save this for the end, but now’s even better to talk about the crowds. It definitely felt like a full sailing (whereas on the Oasis class, I never really felt crowded.) I think a lot had to do with the fact that there were many large families on board, who tended to spread out and maybe take longer. It could be also that people were still getting used to the ship so there was a lot of “where am I?” going on.

I’m also not sure that this ship is so good at handling crowds, either. That said, I think as long as you go in with the expectation that it will be crowded, it will be okay. It didn’t bother us.

In fact (and this part is a little mean, but…) I almost made it a game whenever I spotted these 5 types of passengers. (Kind of like bingo.)

- Random walkers (aka Brownian motion) - these folks don’t walk a straight line even when the ship’s in port. They meander, spread, slow down, stop, back up.

- “Sorry (not sorry)” - this person cuts in the salad line (because there’s always a line to get salad) ostensibly just to grab a few chunks of cucumber … s-l-o-w-l-y. And if anyone appears impatient, they will be surprised and graciously say, “Oh, why don’t you go first"

- “Tree of Life” - this person stands smack dab in the middle of the elevator. He doesn’t move. People get in and out around him. He’s so settled in his spot, he’s a meeting place by himself. “Hey, grandpa, we’ll meet you by the Tree of Life after the show."

- Opportunistic latecomers - for some reason, 10 minutes seemed to be the threshold for many folks watching shows in the theater. At the 10 minute mark, a clump of people will leave. Always. That’s fine -not everything is interesting to everyone, and generally they tend to be quiet when sneaking out. Of course, the latecomers, who have been standing in the back, see these seats open up, and start staking claim to them for themselves and their friends also standing in the back, with their drinks. If you’re lucky to be nearby, you’ll hear a good 5 minutes of “where are you?” “here!” “are there enough seats for all of us?” “there are 3!” “I’m coming!"

- Hallway yellers- the hallways are narrow. Yet, this doesn’t stop certain people from yelling to their friends and family 15 cabins ahead of them. This isn’t so much of an issue in itself unless you are between said person and their friends/ family.

We had s great time on the Anthem. The only crowd we experienced was at the buffet and the 10 dollar sales on deck 4. Nothing that one would expect on a ship eith almost 5 thousand on it. Food was good and service was terrific. Would go again in a heart beat.

Thanks Sonofbill. It really is a nice ship, and, as you say, all about expectations.

Thank you so much for your very detailed review! Your tips and skips have already been noted! Glad you had a wonderful cruise!

Thanks Mar y Sol! (I love your login name) It's fun to relive the cruise. Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you! BTW my sign in name is Sea and Sun, in Spanish! Tried all the other seaworthy words, but they were all taken!

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PORTS

I hadn’t bought any excursions ahead of the cruise, as I wasn’t sure of the weather. We thought we’d play it by ear. We’d gone to both Port Canaveral and Nassau multiple times before, so there wasn’t anything we urgently wanted to see or do.

Note: on other ships, you could buy excursions on tv, but here, you had to use Royal IQ. There wasn’t really an Explorations! desk, either, just a bunch of iPads in the area with a rep.

Port Canaveral

We were very excited pulling into port, as it was a nice day! The forecast said low 80s and sunny. Perfect! Because we left Cape Liberty on Saturday, we arrived at Port Canaveral bright and early at about 6:30am. We would be in port all day, until 9pm. This would have been a great deal for anyone going to the parks.

Not wanting to do the parks nor Kennedy Space Center again, though, we decided on the Beaches, Brewery, and Village excursion. The description promised we would "Enjoy a sightseeing adventure at Florida's Space Coast. Roam on your own at the three stops. ... Riding time of entire loop without stop is 75 minutes.” The three stops would be Cocoa Beach, the Florida Brewing Company, and Cocoa Village. Sounded great for a relaxing day.

We bought the tickets that morning through my phone but then were at a loss. How do we get tickets?

We went to guest services, and when the rep looked up our records, he seemed a little puzzled. He said our tickets had been printed already. We told him we had not received them. Because the excursion was that day, fortunately, he reprinted them. (We did eventually get the tickets in our stateroom - the next day!!)

Tickets in hand, we set off for our excursion. We got on a little shuttle van, and we thought it was odd that the bus driver said the ride would be only 10 minutes. It turns out, he would only take us to Cocoa Beach (and the brewery, if we wanted), which was 10 minutes from port. We would have to change shuttles to go to Cocoa Village. This wasn’t a huge deal, but I wish they made that clear in the description. They made it sound like it would be one bus that would take you to all 3 different stops, rather than 2 buses with a transfer. This could make it difficult for someone who is mobility challenged.

We transferred buses and headed off to Cocoa Village, which is about 20 minutes inland. The bus driver dropped us off and told us that buses would pick us up at the same stop every 15-20 minutes.

Cocoa Village was absolutely charming! Lots of small shops, focusing on local artists, and some restaurants. Many shops had water bowls out for dogs, which is always a nice sign of a friendly community. We walked around for a while, shopping and enjoying the beautiful day. When we felt ready, we headed back to the bus stop, where there was a bus waiting for us!

It was another 20 minutes back to Cocoa Beach, where we switched buses again and then finally headed back towards the ship.

All in all, it was a nice excursion at a nice price ($15.75). The bus switching was a little unexpected, but not a huge deal. The thing that was a little weird was that there were signs on the bus that the drivers salaries were dependent on gratuities. The buses had luggage racks, so they were likely used to transport people to and from the airport or cruises. I’m guessing the signs were directed at these passengers.

————————————— Soapbox —————————————

Our excursion, however, consisted of 4 legs of 10 minute or 20 minute drives. Yet, with all the signs and the tip jar right next to the driver, it would have been wrong to leave without dropping something into their tip jar, especially if their salaries were dependent on it. I think my mom ended up tipping 2 or 3 bucks for each leg.

I’m not against the idea of tipping. I think what rubbed me the wrong way was the combination of

(a) the excursion cost not covering the drivers’ salaries and expecting us to subsidize through tips

(b) having 4 legs to ride, which meant having to tip 4 different drivers,

© the short length of each of the legs, and

(d) lack of narration or anything other than driving the bus.

Honestly, I would have preferred they just raise the cost of the excursion, pay the drivers, and change the sign to “Tips appreciated”. Then if the driver goes above and beyond driving, we can still tip.

Okay, off soapbox - just my thoughts only!

————————————— Soapbox End —————————————

Speaking of costs, though, when I bought the tickets through RoyalIQ, I was charged $19. I didn’t pay attention closely at the time as I was just interested in getting the tickets. Later on, though, i saw in the excursions printout that it only cost $15.75. I debated whether I should bother asking excursions desk about $9.75 ($3.25 x 3), but I’m glad I did. The Explorations! guy mentioned this happened sometimes (a difference in price on RoyalIQ and what’s published) and quickly and painlessly gave me my refund. So, beware if purchasing excursions on RoyalIQ!

Nassau

The ship docked at 1pm, and we took our time getting off the ship. We probably didn’t step on land until close to 4. There were 5 ships docked that day, and the port was hopping! As we walked towards town, the line getting through security back towards the ships was L-O-N-G!!! I believe a couple of ships were leaving at 5 (maybe the Norwegian Sky and Majesty of the Seas). A Windstar (?) ship left at 2, and the Carnival Pride was due to leave at 8.

The Marketplace is under construction, so all the vendors formerly inside were now outside. Since the security line extended and weaved around the vendors, we left that area and walked around Bay Street. We shopped around for some rum cakes (as we always do). It was a weekday (Wednesday), and it was interesting to see their rush hour, around 5pm.

When we were ready to head back, a bit after 5, the line had completely disappeared and we were able to quickly get back onboard.

We were fortunate enough for our balcony to be facing the dock, and as we were getting ready for dinner, saw the Breakaway pull up right next to us. We had sailed the Breakaway in 2014, so it was fun to spot all the venues from ‘across the street’. I guessed they didn’t make Great Stirrup Cay that day, and later found out on the boards here, that they were waiting for one of the ships to leave for them to dock. I don’t know if it was a coincidence that they used the same pier as the Norwegian Sky.

We were not due to leave until midnight, so, after dinner, Mom and I went outside again just to check out the ship. She really is a beauty, and rare is the opportunity to see her at night without missing the ship! (At the end of this review I’ll try to post a few pictures.) It was fun to see venues from the outside, especially 270. We also did a side by side comparison of the Anthem and the Breakaway. From our vantage point - Anthem a smidge longer and seemingly taller. (Wikipedia corroborates with the length, but it seems both ships have 18 decks.)

Finally, we went back inside and when nothing seemed appealing on the Cruise Compass, we got ready for bed. I kind of wanted to watch the runners at 11:30 but fell asleep before 11. Not a problem, because the Breakaway’s outdoor club (I think it’s called Spice H20?) was having a massive party and was kind enough to blast their bass loud enough so that we could all enjoy it! BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.

Grrr …. there is nothing worse than wanting to sleep on vacation and being woken up by a ship next to you, playing loud, obnoxious, atonal bass. Ok I realize there are a LOT worse things, but that’s what I was thinking at the time. At least they could have played music I recognized!

Dad was awake too, but Mom somehow slept through it. I got up, put on a robe, and stepped out in the balcony. By then it was 11:30, and the gangway had been pulled up already! Yay Anthem passengers - we all made it back and early! I spotted maybe 3 or 4 people on their balconies, watching the Breakaway. By comparison, the Breakaway was buzzing! The Garden Cafe (their Windjammer) was open, people were eating, hanging out poolside, enjoying the loud music. It was a little funny seeing the comparison between the ships.

Around 11:50, we started moving, and I heard the Breakaway DJ yell, “they’re leaving! See you later!"

See you later indeed. And that ended our day in Nassau.

Coco Cay

We had never been to Coco Cay, so we were excited. We had been to Great Stirrup Cay (NCL’s island) before, which is right next to it, so it wasn’t like we felt we’d be surprised. Still, it’s nice to see a new place.

The plan was to wait until most folks had left the ship so we puttered around the ship that morning and even participated in a trivia game. Just after noon, we got onto a tender, and when we arrived at the island after a 10 minute ride, it was about time for lunch.

There are (at least) 2 places for lunch on the island. Had we walked to the further food location, we would have seen much fewer people crowd for tables. However, we, like everyone else, stopped at the first sight of food. It was similar fare to Labadee - burgers, hot dogs, ribs, jerk chicken, salads, fruit, corn bread, and cake (no banana bread 😔 )

It was hard to find a table, but we were lucky enough to share with another family, and we had a nice conversation comparing our experience on the ship so far. They also felt the ship was beautiful but had some hiccups, especially with food service.

(It was a little annoying that people were just sitting at tables, not even eating, when others were clearly roaming around with full plates looking for a place to sit down and enjoy their ribs with both hands.)

After lunch, we walked around a little. There was a small straw market, with vendors much less aggressive than on Labadee. We didn’t see anything we wanted, and after we had had enough, we tendered back.

The last tender was at 4:30, and as I recall, it was pretty much on time. I guess no one wanted to be left there, finding their own way back to NJ!

Question 1 for the experts - interestingly, the casino was open this afternoon. Why is that ok? Because Coco Cay is a private island?

Question 2 - does security stay on Coco Cay overnight?

And that was our port experience. Perfectly chill, and amazing weather. We’d done this itinerary 3 times before, and this was by far the best weather - sunny nearly every day, with temps in the 80s in Florida and the Bahamas.

Next, the ship itself!

I'm really enjoying your review. Thanks for taking the time to post it.

The bus drive do get paid. Sure their salary is dependent on tips. That does not mean that they are not being paid the prevailing wage for bus drivers. If they are being paid say 100 dollars a day and you tip them that raises their pay. They are not dependent on you to tip for them to earn a days pay. This is an old scam

The bus drive do get paid. Sure their salary is dependent on tips. That does not mean that they are not being paid the prevailing wage for bus drivers. If they are being paid say 100 dollars a day and you tip them that raises their pay. They are not dependent on you to tip for them to earn a days pay. This is an old scam

Good to know, thanks BILLP1. I was annoyed about it enough that I mentioned it in my survey. Royal should know what's happening on the ground.

We are booked on the new Ovation OTS departing Sydney, Australia - interestingly we board on the 15th but depart on the 16th December, so we will be moored under the bridge and beside the Opera House for an extra day. The cruise travels down to Hobart and then over to New Zealand before returning on the 30th December. Christmas Day is at sea.

I have been really interested to read everyone's reviews on this Christmas Cruise on the Anthem. Although ours will be different, it will be similar in many areas I imagine. However, I have picked up some good tips and look forward to this cruise with an open mind.

Chris

Loved the Breakaway - Anthem anecdote. Lol. I got a good chuckle, although I realize the pounding bass might not have been funny for you at the time. :p We also did BA in 2014 and AN in 2015, and Breakaway had an active and vibrant nightlife befitting the city from which it sails. AN was much quieter, although it was a 12-night cruise, which undoubtedly played a big part in that. Looking forward to returning to BA in May!

Loved the Breakaway - Anthem anecdote. Lol. I got a good chuckle, although I realize the pounding bass might not have been funny for you at the time. :p We also did BA in 2014 and AN in 2015, and Breakaway had an active and vibrant nightlife befitting the city from which it sails. AN was much quieter, although it was a 12-night cruise, which undoubtedly played a big part in that. Looking forward to returning to BA in May!

Haha, yeah, I can definitely see the humor now, but you're right - at the time I was so irritated! I was that grumpy neighbor wanting to yell, "get off my lawn!"

The funny thing is, before going to bed, I was a teeny bit jealous that the Breakaway seemed so much livelier than the Anthem. (I think the Garden Cafe staying open late makes a big difference.) And I was definitely craving one of those pies from the place above the Garden Cafe.

Thanks again for continuing to follow along. Have a great time on BA - we loved our time on her, too!!