Review- Anthem 5-Day Bermuda

Just returned from the 5-Day to Bermuda on the Anthem: all-in-all, a fabulous trip. Traveled with 6 other family members (2 seniors, 3 adults, and 2 teens).

Embarkation: easy peasy (although driving through Bayonne was a challenge- even with GPS!)

Cabin: 2 balcony cabins. Lots of storage, but not much room to move around when the couch is pulled out. Steward Marva was lovely, very available and willing to serve us. Some family members found the shower a tad cramped, but I didn't have any problem. I found the bed to be firm but not hard; the pullout, however, was as hard as a rock- even when just sitting on the couch! It might be okay for kids, but certainly not for adults.

Food: We had early traditional dining in the Grande dining room. Out of the 35 meals we had (7 people X 5 dinners), I heard only one mild complaint about one entree. Of course, we're not foodies, but I thoroughly enjoyed every meal there. Our waiters, Wahyu and Deepu, were delightful. They anticipated our needs and remembered our special requests from night to night. The Windjammer was very crowded at the usual times, so we chose the MDR for breakfast most days; very calm and more "civilized"!

Activities: My grandson loved the iFly, and my daughter, granddaughter, and I had a ball roller skating. The arcade is not very large for such a large ship, but it never was very crowded. We had reserved a trip in the North Star, but it was on a sea day so we canceled (not much to see).

Shows: I loved We Will Rock You; everyone else felt the performers (both singers and dancers) were excellent, but the story line and dialogue were weak. We were all of the same mind, however, for Spectra's Cabaret: it was one hot mess! Again, the performers were amazing, but it had no continuity and made no sense.

Excursions: We made our own plans for Bermuda. The first day, we took the ferry over to St. George and had a nice walk around town. We then took a taxi to the Crystal Caves (about $20). We made the mistake of holding off until early afternoon for this activity. By then, the line was out the door, and our reservations were for more than an hour later. We ended up eating lunch at the little cafe on site (another long wait). The caves themselves were quite interesting; we're glad we stayed long enough for the tour. On Day 2 in Bermuda, we took a van ($7 each) to Horseshoe Bay Beach- definitely the highlight of the trip. Soft, clean sand, clear, warm water. We also enjoyed some nice waves (a product of the tropical storm), but had to be wary of riptides. My granddaughter is NOT a beach person, but her quote was, "If all beaches were like this, I could become a beach person!"

Internet: I originally ordered just the Surf plan- 1 device, but my son (a special needs adult) really enjoys streaming Tom & Jerry cartoons. I had to upgrade to Surf and Stream; fortunately I used my Platinum discount (15%) so that helped. My husband and I were able to switch users quite easily, and the connection was dependable.

Debarkation: Again, easy peasy to get off the ship and into our cars. (Traffic through NYC back to New England was not so easy!)

Any questions, I'd be happy to answer.

Thank you for the review! Do you happen to have the Cruise Compass you can post? Which deck were your cabins on?

Thank you for the review! Do you happen to have the Cruise Compass you can post? Which deck were your cabins on?

Sorry, I didn’t save them. We were on Deck 8.

good to hear you had a great time....im doing the 5 day on Anthem aug 4 and have not heard great things about the cruise director.....havent heard great things

good to hear you had a great time....im doing the 5 day on Anthem aug 4 and have not heard great things about the cruise director.....havent heard great things

I sailed with Dennis Charles quite some time ago, and thought he was fabulous! A very dynamic presence all over the ship, and a wonderful host at the shows. I am quite baffled by the poor reviews of him, because that's not the Dennis I know! Hopefully, you will find that he isn't so bad after all.

good to hear you had a great time....im doing the 5 day on Anthem aug 4 and have not heard great things about the cruise director.....havent heard great things

I only experienced him at the shows (comedian- quite good btw, WWRY, and Spectra). I found him to be very dynamic.

Did they have the "Name That Tune" show on this 5 day cruise?

Did they have the "Name That Tune" show on this 5 day cruise?

I wasn’t looking for that show, but I don’t recall seeing it on the Cruise Compass. There were a few music-based trivia games, however.