Anthem of the Sea or Summit

Pros and cons of either ship? Food? Entertainment? Is includes food good or do you need to pay for specialty dining if you want good food

JMO, but if you are cruising to Bermuda and all things you mentioned are equal, you want to be on the island on the cruise ship that is there the longest. That would be the Summit as it arrives on Wednesday and departs on Friday. The Anthem arrives on Monday and departs on Tuesday. I won't even mention the Anthem's arrival on Saturday and departs the same Saturday. Not everyone looks at it as I do.

SBtS

I would also choose the "Summit". Primarily for the above posters reasons, but if time in Bermuda were equal, I would still choose the "Summit". We have sailed on the "Summit" and other "X" ships and while we have not sailed on the AOS, we have sailed on a couple of RCI ships. We think (and it's only OUR opinion) the dining experience on "X" is a higher standard than on RCI. Regarding shipboard entertainment, whilst docked in Bermuda, on ANY line, shipboard entertainment is pretty minimal and low key.

I would also choose the "Summit". Primarily for the above posters reasons, but if time in Bermuda were equal, I would still choose the "Summit". We have sailed on the "Summit" and other "X" ships and while we have not sailed on the AOS, we have sailed on a couple of RCI ships. We think (and it's only OUR opinion) the dining experience on "X" is a higher standard than on RCI. Regarding shipboard entertainment, whilst docked in Bermuda, on ANY line, shipboard entertainment is pretty minimal and low key.

In addition to better food and better service and more time in port, Summit looks and feels like a ship - whose 2100 passengers, while more than I like, is still manageable. Anthem is a floating amusement park/mall with almost 5,000 passengers. I think I would prefer an hour on the Lexington Avenue IRT to a week on Anthem.

I would also choose the "Summit". Primarily for the above posters reasons, but if time in Bermuda were equal, I would still choose the "Summit". We have sailed on the "Summit" and other "X" ships and while we have not sailed on the AOS, we have sailed on a couple of RCI ships. We think (and it's only OUR opinion) the dining experience on "X" is a higher standard than on RCI. Regarding shipboard entertainment, whilst docked in Bermuda, on ANY line, shipboard entertainment is pretty minimal and low key.

I have to disagree with you on your last comment about shipboard entertainment. What you said was true many years ago when the cruise lines had to bring local entertainers on board, but that changed along time ago. Now the ships are free to offer their full spectrum of entertainment while docked in Bermuda, and my experience has been that they do just that.

I have to disagree with you on your last comment about shipboard entertainment. What you said was true many years ago when the cruise lines had to bring local entertainers on board, but that changed along time ago. Now the ships are free to offer their full spectrum of entertainment while docked in Bermuda, and my experience has been that they do just that.

Well...we were on the "Veendam" last week (and the week prior) and entertainment whilst we were docked was NOT anything like what is was whist at sea. Maybe it was just a "HAL thing".

As much as I love Bermuda, I would continue to book Anthem for Bermuda. Have not been on the Summit but have been on Anthem practically monthly since she came to Bayonne in Nov 2015. One reason that keeps us going back onto Anthem is their nightly **Entertainment** all over the ship. Anthem's shipboard entertainment is far from being pretty minimal and low key on Anthem. There are many night when we go from one venue (Music Hall) to another (Two70) and then to another venue (Boleros) and then to the Schooner Bar for entertainment. Plus they have 3 Production shows along with Headliners.

The ship does not feel like it has over 4000 passengers on it. There is so much to do and see in so little time. All the Tribute bands we have seen that play in the Music Hall are very good, from the likes of Journey, Bon Jovi, U2, Led Zeppelin,The Police, The Beatles, etc. All these band members sound like the actual groups.

You don't have to pay to go to any specialty restaurant. We're not foodies, the food is fine, we know we won't go hungry. We do enjoying going to Wonderland every once in a while, it's one of our all time favorite specialty restaurants on Anthem, Jaime's, Chops and Izumi are also good specialty restaurants.

Different strokes, for different folks :)

Can't wait to board Anthem again next month for 9 nights :D

Well...we were on the "Veendam" last week (and the week prior) and entertainment whilst we were docked was NOT anything like what is was whist at sea. Maybe it was just a "HAL thing".

The ships at the Dockyard have been doing the same type of entertainment when docked as at sea. Summit does not do minimal entertainment.

As much as I love Bermuda, I would continue to book Anthem for Bermuda.

Yes, different strokes for different folks but I cruise to Bermuda mainly for Bermuda not the ship or he ships entertainment, which no matter how good the entertainment is, it is still ship entertainment. Having more time in Bermuda like on Summit beats the ship on a Bermuda cruise. Also as an aside the food and service on Celebrity is better than the food and service on Royal Caribbean. I did Explorer of the Seas on the same itinerary that Anthem does and it was not enough time in Bermuda and the five day cruise itself is too short.

I would choose the ship which spends the most time in Bermuda. Bermuda offers so much to see and do, that leaving early would not do it justice.

The Veendam from Boston is another ship to add to the mix. It docks in Hamilton.

We were on Anthem January 2016 and she is a beautiful ship with amazing innovations. I fly, North Star, virtual balconies and 270 lounge are great.

Have been on many Celebrity but not Summit. Last on Equionox and the food and service were consistently great.

If you're a foodie Summit.

Activities Anthem.

Make sure you get enough time in Bermuda. I would do Summit for the superior service.

We were on Anthem January 2016 and she is a beautiful ship with amazing innovations. I fly, North Star, virtual balconies and 270 lounge are great.

Have been on many Celebrity but not Summit. Last on Equionox and the food and service were consistently great.

If you're a foodie Summit.

Activities Anthem.

Make sure you get enough time in Bermuda. I would do Summit for the superior service.

I know opinions of food is are very personal, but my son and daughter-in-law,who definitely have fairly sophisticated palates, took the Summit to Bermuda last year and found the food and service to be little or no better than on other mass market cruise lines they've been on such as Royal Caribbean or NCL. My son has been cruising for about 30 years, since he was a youngster, and remembers what the food on Celebrity used to be like...which is a heck of a lot better than it is today.

Have been on both Summit and Anthem to Bermuda. My own 2 cents?

Anthem is newer and nicer looking. More activities during the day. More, and better, entertainment at night. And because there is so much more to do, it does not feel more crowded than the smaller Summit. Also found the cabins to be nicer and laid out better (based on veranda cabins on both).

On the other hand, I think the Summit's food is slightly better. That goes for the standard options - I don't really do the specialty restaurants. But the BIG draw for me on the Summit is the extra day in Bermuda. I truly wish there were more ships that went to an island and just STAYED there for a few days instead of leaving the same day or even the next!

Have been on both Summit and Anthem to Bermuda. My own 2 cents?

 

Anthem is newer and nicer looking. More activities during the day. More, and better, entertainment at night. And because there is so much more to do, it does not feel more crowded than the smaller Summit. Also found the cabins to be nicer and laid out better (based on veranda cabins on both).

 

On the other hand, I think the Summit's food is slightly better. That goes for the standard options - I don't really do the specialty restaurants. But the BIG draw for me on the Summit is the extra day in Bermuda. I truly wish there were more ships that went to an island and just STAYED there for a few days instead of leaving the same day or even the next!

You'd like the Veendam even better then- docks in Hamilton so you can avoid the Dockyard and stays an extra day than Summit. 3 full nights. We found the food to be better than Summit.

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You'd like the Veendam even better then- docks in Hamilton so you can avoid the Dockyard and stays an extra day than Summit. 3 full nights. We found the food to be better than Summit.

 

 

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And that's why we took the "Veendam" last month. Also for us, leaving out of NYC, Bayonne or Boston is not a factor when choosing. We took the "Summit" last year and for us the only down side was docking at the Dockyard.

You'd like the Veendam even better then- docks in Hamilton so you can avoid the Dockyard and stays an extra day than Summit. 3 full nights. We found the food to be better than Summit.

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I would love that except (I think, correct me if I'm wrong), it's not *really* an extra day in Bermuda. Veendam doesn't dock until afternoon on the day it arrives, so as far as the beach, the day is more than half over by the time you get there. And on departure day you have to be back on the ship by noon (or so), which means *maybe* I can go to Elbow Beach for 2 hours before having to run back to the ship. I like Summit's schedule because I can really get "3 full beach days" in.

had to add breakaway to the mix.

had to add breakaway to the mix.

Yes, but the OP asked:

Anthem of the Sea or Summit

Pros and cons of either ship? Food? Entertainment? Is includes food good or do you need to pay for specialty dining if you want good food.

SBtS

Yes, but the OP asked:

Anthem of the Sea or Summit

Pros and cons of either ship? Food? Entertainment? Is includes food good or do you need to pay for specialty dining if you want good food.

 

SBtS

why didnt you quote 2 people that wrote veendam and instead singled out my post of breakaway? veendam was not the question either

I would love that except (I think, correct me if I'm wrong), it's not *really* an extra day in Bermuda. Veendam doesn't dock until afternoon on the day it arrives, so as far as the beach, the day is more than half over by the time you get there. And on departure day you have to be back on the ship by noon (or so), which means *maybe* I can go to Elbow Beach for 2 hours before having to run back to the ship. I like Summit's schedule because I can really get "3 full beach days" in.

You do spend much more time in Bermuda than Summit does and because of docking in Hamilton we felt you have more useful time than when we sailed Summit.

It actually played out pretty well- we arrived at 1pm and the ship was cleared immediately. Given we were more central in Hamilton we were on the beach by 2 at the latest and stayed until 6. Then you have three full nights in port which is fantastic. Getting to walk off the ship into a real city rather than the manufactured one of the Dockyard was more enjoyable.

The last day after what amounted to three beach days (we never stay from morning til sundown anyway) in port is great to go shopping in Hamilton and all that stuff. Even though the last morning isn't really a useful day in and of itself, it allows you to do all the shopping then rather than waste time on the other days.

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why didnt you quote 2 people that wrote veendam and instead singled out my post of breakaway? veendam was not the question either

My bad! I should have addressed my post to all those who weren't replying to the OP's question: Anthem of the Seas or Summit

SBtS