Anthem Questions

[teacherman]

I am taking 8 people on the Anthem of the Seas cruise on March 26.  I have gone on the RCCL web site and managed to link our reservations together so we can dine together.   Then I started looking at reserving IFLY and North Star.  I guess I was surprised to see that there was a charge for these items, which I thought were "free".   The offerings were only on certain sea days.  So, are these things available at other times for no costs?   If so, do they have to be reserved and, if so, when do you reserve them?   I looked at reserving some of the shows, but it said to come back closer to the cruise date.   What shows need to be reserved?  Our dining time is at 7:00 each evening.  Will that time allow us to see any of the shows?   Any information/advice you can offer for this particular ship is most welcome.  This is a Christmas gift to the family, so I want to try and make it a very nice experience.   I am D+, if that matters, which nowadays probably doesn't.   Thank you.

[Jumping Cruiser]

27 minutes ago, teacherman said:

I am taking 8 people on the Anthem of the Seas cruise on March 26.  I have gone on the RCCL web site and managed to link our reservations together so we can dine together.   Then I started looking at reserving IFLY and North Star.  I guess I was surprised to see that there was a charge for these items, which I thought were "free".   The offerings were only on certain sea days.  So, are these things available at other times for no costs?   If so, do they have to be reserved and, if so, when do you reserve them?   I looked at reserving some of the shows, but it said to come back closer to the cruise date.   What shows need to be reserved?  Our dining time is at 7:00 each evening.  Will that time allow us to see any of the shows?   Any information/advice you can offer for this particular ship is most welcome.  This is a Christmas gift to the family, so I want to try and make it a very nice experience.   I am D+, if that matters, which nowadays probably doesn't.   Thank you.

 

We sailed on Anthem for 12-nights in June and had the most amazing time! 

 

IFly and North Star are both free on port days and an extra charge on sea days. Reservations for port days open around 8pm the night before, while paid slots can be reserved at any time, through the Royal Caribbean app. Both paid experiences are also slightly longer than the those which are free - IFly is lengthened to 2 mins and North Star extends over the side of the ship, rather than just up and down.  

 

The only show which has to be reserved is Spectra’s Cabaret in two70, which is shown quite a few times during the week. There is often a mix of 7pm and 9pm showings, so you should be able to make the later show with your dining time. We Will Rock You and other shows in the Royal Theatre are on a first-come first-served basis, but get there early to avoid disappointment! 

 

Hope you have a great cruise!

Edited December 27, 2022 by Jumping Cruiser

[VTSKIandCRUISEGUY]

Ditto.

Also, you can get into Spectra's without a reservation if you get there within 10-15 of show time.

[meadowlander]

6 hours ago, teacherman said:

Then I started looking at reserving IFLY and North Star.  I guess I was surprised to see that there was a charge for these items, which I thought were "free".   The offerings were only on certain sea days.  So, are these things available at other times for no costs?   If so, do they have to be reserved and, if so, when do you reserve them?  

North Star is free on port days. As of a few weeks back, reservations opens at 8 pm the night prior. December of 2021, reservations opened at 8 am of the morning, check onboard if any changes in the new year.

 

As others pointed out, only Spectra's Cabaret needs a reservation of entertainment shows.

[Another_Critic]

23 hours ago, VTSKIandCRUISEGUY said:

Ditto.

Also, you can get into Spectra's without a reservation if you get there within 10-15 of show time.

Or 10-15 minutes into the show ... when people start leaving.  

[nu_cruzer1]

Just got off of Anthem two days ago. For our sailing, the only show that reservations were available for was Spectra.  There was no ability to book reservations for the other shows either before the sailing or onboard. It was first come.  As for the complementary ifly and North Star sessions, these were bookable at 7pm each night for the following day. Roller skating also required a reservation but not bumper cars. 

[Cherries Jubilee]

6 minutes ago, nu_cruzer1 said:

Just got off of Anthem two days ago. For our sailing, the only show that reservations were available for was Spectra.  There was no ability to book reservations for the other shows either before the sailing or onboard. It was first come.  As for the complementary ifly and North Star sessions, these were bookable at 7pm each night for the following day. Roller skating also required a reservation but not bumper cars. 

Ooh I’m so happy to hear that roller skating was back! Thanks for all the updated info!

[nelblu]

31 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

 

 

13 minutes ago, nu_cruzer1 said:

Just got off of Anthem two days ago. For our sailing, the only show that reservations were available for was Spectra.  There was no ability to book reservations for the other shows either before the sailing or onboard. It was first come.  As for the complementary ifly and North Star sessions, these were bookable at 7pm each night for the following day. Roller skating also required a reservation but not bumper cars. 

Now I know why on Easter sail when I went to book North Star at 8AM each day all spots were gone.  Was given incorrect information.  Had to have the DL Concierge book 4 spots for us on a port day.

 

To the Op, if this is your first time on Anthem, in addition to the main theatre, take advantage of various entertainment activities in the Music Hall from Karaoke to the various cover bands.  

 

 

Edited December 28, 2022 by nelblu

[sellwingri]

I’ve been on all but a couple of Royal ships and Anthem is my favorite.  One of the reasons is that the 2 main shows, “We Will Rock You” and “Spectra’s Caberet”.   I’ve seen them 3 times each and they made little changes each time to keep it fresh.

[ecslady]

Just off the Anthem a couple of weeks ago.  The reservations for iFly and Northstar opened at 7 pm each night.  A staff member told us to be ready - have the app open, and just refresh, refresh, refresh as it gets close to 7 pm.  Time slots go quickly, especially if you are trying to book a group of people. One night, it seemed to open a few minutes before 7 pm.