All things Anthem of the Seas :)

[BillOh]

In my signature is a joke about not sailing on Quantum of the Seas. Its mainly a joke about the NOOTS people, many of whom are now reformed NOOTS people ;) I booked Freedom about 6 months after her inaugural, though she was 2 years old when I sailed her. Allure just starting, but Oasis was a year old when I booked Allure. Well, I was going to wait a while to book this class of ship, but the announcement of Anthem being ported out of Port Everglades in the winter has me excited about booking her in the future. I'm guessing based on Oasis/Allure that there might be some subtle differences between the two ships that leak out before the first sailing and there are home port/itinerary issues to discuss, I thought I would start Anthem's own thread to help make the next 24 months or so go by quicker.

 

Speculation welcome!

[celebrity]

In my signature is a joke about not sailing on Quantum of the Seas. Its mainly a joke about the NOOTS people, many of whom are now reformed NOOTS people ;) I booked Freedom about 6 months after her inaugural, though she was 2 years old when I sailed her. Allure just starting, but Oasis was a year old when I booked Allure. Well, I was going to wait a while to book this class of ship, but the announcement of Anthem being ported out of Port Everglades in the winter has me excited about booking her in the future. I'm guessing based on Oasis/Allure that there might be some subtle differences between the two ships that leak out before the first sailing and there are home port/itinerary issues to discuss, I thought I would start Anthem's own thread to help make the next 24 months or so go by quicker.

 

Speculation welcome!

 

One thing I have always found is that subsequent builds are always tweaked a bit so it will be interesting to see what differs on Quantum vs Anthem. I am already booked on Quantum and will no doubt book Anthem. I would love to sail from Southampton.

[Lady Chew]

We plan to book Anthem out of Southampton as soon as cruises are available for booking.

[wmp.dll]

I would love to cruise on a brand new Anthem of the Seas out of Port Everglades, count me in :D

[ALSEAU]

In my signature is a joke about not sailing on Quantum of the Seas. Its mainly a joke about the NOOTS people, many of whom are now reformed NOOTS people ;) I booked Freedom about 6 months after her inaugural, though she was 2 years old when I sailed her. Allure just starting, but Oasis was a year old when I booked Allure. Well, I was going to wait a while to book this class of ship, but the announcement of Anthem being ported out of Port Everglades in the winter has me excited about booking her in the future. I'm guessing based on Oasis/Allure that there might be some subtle differences between the two ships that leak out before the first sailing and there are home port/itinerary issues to discuss, I thought I would start Anthem's own thread to help make the next 24 months or so go by quicker.

 

Speculation welcome!

 

I feel sure we will book the Anthem when it sails out of Port Everglades.

[ALSEAU]

One thing I have always found is that subsequent builds are always tweaked a bit so it will be interesting to see what differs on Quantum vs Anthem. I am already booked on Quantum and will no doubt book Anthem. I would love to sail from Southampton.

 

 

There might not be much tweaking between these two because their builds are to close together for RCI to get much feedback from the Quantum.

 

One difference will be the Broadway play. My picks are Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jersey Boys

[BillOh]

We plan to book Anthem out of Southampton as soon as cruises are available for booking.

 

My first cruise on Anthem is likely to be one of the last of its winter stay before heading back to South Hampton. Someday, maybe this would be our first TA East.

[DEIx15x8]

There might not be much tweaking between these two because their builds are to close together for RCI to get much feedback from the Quantum.

 

One difference will be the Broadway play. My picks are Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jersey Boys

 

That's my thinking. When Quantum picks up her first passengers in November Anthem will be getting prepared to leave the dry dock. You can make some minor operational tweaks but anything structural (or even most cosmetic) would need more lead time. I don't see changes like adding the dog house happening again with the gap they have to work in. By Quantum III on the other hand they will have plenty of lead time and 2 ships of knowledge. The other thing to consider is that Independence of the Seas had some distinctly British elements to her. That is why she never received the same enhancements as the rest of the Freedom Class. According to RCCL they wanted to wait and determine what worked for England instead. So I would expect some changes to Anthem, but based on her being England's ship and not as a result of what they learn from Quantum.

[BillOh]

There might not be much tweaking between these two because their builds are to close together for RCI to get much feedback from the Quantum.

 

One difference will be the Broadway play. My picks are Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Jersey Boys

 

Buckeye Cruise spring of 2016? Some good speculation in the past couple messages from you and DEI. I never heard a good explanation of the reason Allure was a few CM bigger. I suppose there is a good techinical reason and not just because the main project Engineer wanted the title of biggest ship on his resume if he was different than Oasis. Perhaps on trials they discovered something that was corrected before Allure finished that the length helped?

 

I never did hear an explanation of what RC did things a little differently as far as the restaurants on the Boardwalk between Oasis and Allure. Was it just to be different and offer more choices? Was the Samba Grill an after thought after Brazilian steak house type places became popular that it was added. I hear rumors of it being added to Oasis.

 

Allure definitely benefited from Oasis' experience with the Rising Tide Bar, so something like that may affect the North Star and the parachute simulator as well.

 

The talk about somethings being done differently on Indy because of her summering in the UK is interesting, but I can't comment about, so that also might make Anthem interesting. Looking forward to watching the next year. I will be diamond by the time Anthem comes out so a shot at an inaugural cruise isn't out of the questions.

[DEIx15x8]

...I never did hear an explanation of what RC did things a little differently as far as the restaurants on the Boardwalk between Oasis and Allure. Was it just to be different and offer more choices? Was the Samba Grill an after thought after Brazilian steak house type places became popular that it was added. I hear rumors of it being added to Oasis....

 

When the Oasis first set sail she was a great ship and felt complete but it wasn't until she was about 1-2 years old that Royal Caribbean had finally gotten everything fully implemented. That account for some of the changes between the two ships in terms of furnishings and technological enhancements. Many things that were interpreted as rolls back to Oasis from Allure were really features that ran over their development time. This includes items like the advanced phone system, interactive ship info channel, and interactive plane boarding pass kiosks.

 

The big structural changes were centered around the Boardwalk. When the Oasis set sail this neighborhood was viewed as a major failure for the company. It was a passageway that people would use to get to the evening aquatheater show but the venues were all closed at that time and the rest of the time no one would be their. You'd see half empty restaurants, empty stores, and be the only one standing in the Boardwalk in the middle of the afternoon when it should be packed. It was a huge dead space on the ship. That's why on Allure they changed the restaurant to try and bring something with more life and atmosphere to the area to try and make it feel less dead. They also brought the Dog House since some people thought the free vs fee ratio was off (I personally thought it was fine) and their was no real free food (donuts are a snack and most never know the corn dogs are at the bar) in the Boardwalk to attract people their. This change kept all existing venues and replaced an empty area (meant for extra seating to eat donuts but no one hangs around the BW) with another venue to attract people out to that area.

 

It'll be interesting to see if these structural changes are carried out during Oasis' dry dock next year. Their is a lot of analysis that Royal Caribbean does prior to bringing a ship out but they still do not get it perfect (just better than anyone else). By her 4th sailing they were already talking publicly in the Captain's Corner events about her failings that needed to be corrected as well as all the things that were simply not ready in time.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

One insider contact I have indicated that it will likely be February before Anthem's itineraries are announced and soon thereafter reservations on Anthem will become available.

 

We'll see.

[shipfriend_max]

Can't wait to see the itineraries!! :D

 

Hopefully ANTHEM does not only offer cruises to the mediterranean Sea, it would be too boring! :rolleyes:

I'd like to see her in Norway as well.

[DEIx15x8]

Can't wait to see the itineraries!! :D

 

Hopefully ANTHEM does not only offer cruises to the mediterranean Sea, it would be too boring! :rolleyes:

I'd like to see her in Norway as well.

Independence did a "trial" during her last season in Europe. Their were claim it was for Anthem. That's why I expected her to stay to handle the mediteranean while Anthem took the northern route. Hopefully Anthem will atleast do it more often than a "trial" run. It may not have beaches but it is certainly incredible looking. Celebrity seems to do it with a Solstice class ship rather routinely.

[BillOh]

One insider contact I have indicated that it will likely be February before Anthem's itineraries are announced and soon thereafter reservations on Anthem will become available.

 

We'll see.

 

I'm looking for 2016 and will reserve it while on Freedom in 15, so that works for me. Will be plenty of reviews out by then for both ships.

[CRUISEFAN0001]

I'm looking for 2016 and will reserve it while on Freedom in 15, so that works for me. Will be plenty of reviews out by then for both ships.

Looks like you'll have plenty of time then to plan accordingly.

 

I would not be surprised to see some kind of itinerary rollout made up of a mixed number of days as well as destinations. The change of starting port to FLL could open up things in terms of possible destinations in the Caribbean for sure.

[shipfriend_max]

Yeah in 2013 INDEPENDENCE did 4 Norway cruises, in 2014 only one she is doing... Maybe ANTHEM does more... I also thought that the Norway routes were a "trial"...

 

CELEBRITY SILHOUETTE may replace CONSTELLATION out of Amsterdam in 2015, ECLIPSE is also very likely to return to Northern Europe.

Maybe there are doing it more often...

Edited December 11, 2013 by celebrity_fan

[dsvd79]

Do you guys think that Anthem will have longer trips out of Ft. Lauderdale?

 

 

I would love that ship to do similar trips like Legend is doing.

[DEIx15x8]

Do you guys think that Anthem will have longer trips out of Ft. Lauderdale?

 

 

I would love that ship to do similar trips like Legend is doing.

 

We haven't heard where Independence is going but I wouldn't be surprised if she is not in Ft. Lauderdale when Anthem arrives and Anthem just takes over her existing routes. Not sure how long those are, I don't think they were 7, maybe alternating 6 and 8?

[BillOh]

Do you guys think that Anthem will have longer trips out of Ft. Lauderdale?

 

 

I would love that ship to do similar trips like Legend is doing.

 

 

 

I guess until we hear more, next year we can look ahead at the schedules for Legend and Indy and see which one might be leaving.

[shipfriend_max]

Do you guys think that Anthem will have longer trips out of Ft. Lauderdale?

 

 

I would love that ship to do similar trips like Legend is doing.

 

I think she is doing the 6 and 8 night itineraries from Ft Lauderdale, which INDEPENDENCE currently does...

 

The longer trips should be offered by SERENADE from Nov/dec 2015. :)

[dsvd79]

I think she is doing the 6 and 8 night itineraries from Ft Lauderdale, which INDEPENDENCE currently does...

 

The longer trips should be offered by SERENADE from Nov/dec 2015. :)

 

I love Serenade. When I did the Vision 11 night, I was thinking that a Radiance size ship would be perfect for the trip.

[shipfriend_max]

I love Serenade. When I did the Vision 11 night, I was thinking that a Radiance size ship would be perfect for the trip.

 

I think it would be my favourite class of all RCI-ships - I like the size. :)

That's the reason why I also loved CELEBRITY SUMMIT!! Great hard- and software.

I do not know whether I'd like QUANTUM or ANTHEM or if they were too large for me. :confused:

[CRUISEFAN0001]

Hoping to hear something (now that we're into 2014) sometime in the next 6-8 weeks about Anthem's cruises and itineraries...

[joysav]

Yes it will be interesting what Anthems itineraries will be especially out of the U.K.

 

Any well thought out ideas on where Quantum class 3 and Oasis class 3 will operate

out off ???

 

A prosperous and happy New Year to all . :)

[shipfriend_max]

I hope so to, although ANTHEM is won't be the first RCI ship I'd sail on...

But I am still excited about the itineraries - maybe she also comes to Norway... but I think mainly it will be the Mediterranean where she operates...