Just Booked Anthem!

It's long been my goal to sail with as many cruise lines as I can and was finally able to book a cruise on Anthem for next April. While I've posted in the Royal forums from time to time I can't say that I've spent a lot of time here but now I have a lot of research to do. Anthem looks amazing and we can't wait to see her in person! Looking forward to visiting Coco Cay but of course with this itinerary the rest is "been there, done that many times". So a few general questions:

1. We are wait listed for early dining, how well does Royal do their version of my time dining?

2. What does the deluxe drink package cost? It's not available in the planner to even look at right now.

3. Does Royal at 15% or 18% to bar purchases?

4. MDR and buffet are included in the cruise fare, what other venues are included? What are some of the prices of the surcharge venues (IIRC Johnny Rockets is around $4.95)?

5. Does Royal charge for using North Star or Ripcord and if so how much?

6. I may have to do some class work while onboard, how is the internet service?

I'm sure there will be other questions as time goes on but hopefully those will be gleaned from the boards.

The Deluxe drink package varies in price. I've seen it lower than $38 and higher than $60, plus 18%. Your Cruise Planner will show your price which will likely also vary over time.

Royal adds 18% gratuity.

It's long been my goal to sail with as many cruise lines as I can and was finally able to book a cruise on Anthem for next April. While I've posted in the Royal forums from time to time I can't say that I've spent a lot of time here but now I have a lot of research to do. Anthem looks amazing and we can't wait to see her in person! Looking forward to visiting Coco Cay but of course with this itinerary the rest is "been there, done that many times". So a few general questions:

 

1. We are wait listed for early dining, how well does Royal do their version of my time dining?

2. What does the deluxe drink package cost? It's not available in the planner to even look at right now.

3. Does Royal at 15% or 18% to bar purchases?

4. MDR and buffet are included in the cruise fare, what other venues are included? What are some of the prices of the surcharge venues (IIRC Johnny Rockets is around $4.95)?

5. Does Royal charge for using North Star or Ripcord and if so how much?

6. I may have to do some class work while onboard, how is the internet service?

 

I'm sure there will be other questions as time goes on but hopefully those will be gleaned from the boards.

3). 18%

4). Johnny Rockets is a la carte on Anthem.

5). No charge

6). I have found the Internet to be fine for doing work.

4. MDR and buffet are included in the cruise fare, what other venues are included?

Café Promenade

Sorrento's

Two70 Café

Solarium Bistro

Seaplex Doghouse

Coastal Kitchen (if you are in a suite)

1. We are wait listed for early dining, how well does Royal do their version of my time dining?

3. Does Royal at 15% or 18% to bar purchases?

5. Does Royal charge for using North Star or Ripcord and if so how much?

Can only answer a couple of the questions as we are booked for September...

(1) We will be doing My Time in September however I made 6PM reservations in the MDR for every day of the cruise using cruise planner. If we decide to do something different, I will simply change or delete the reservation.

(3) Definitely yes to the 18%.

(5) Free but noted when I booked North Star they may charge a no-show fee of $25.

George

It's long been my goal to sail with as many cruise lines as I can and was finally able to book a cruise on Anthem for next April. While I've posted in the Royal forums from time to time I can't say that I've spent a lot of time here but now I have a lot of research to do. Anthem looks amazing and we can't wait to see her in person! Looking forward to visiting Coco Cay but of course with this itinerary the rest is "been there, done that many times". So a few general questions:

Since your questions have been answered..........

I just wanted to say, I'll bet you are going to be BLOWN AWAY by the Anthem and RCL!!:cool:

We have sailed on most of RCL ships and frankly, did not expect to like the Anthem. We had just previously sailed on the Oasis and, although we had a great cruise, did not like the 8,500 people onboard - it was a VERY CROWDED ship, and we were afraid the Anthem would be like that.

When we got onboard, we walked around with our mouths open and our eyes bugged. :hearteyes: The ship is B - E - Utiful!! The entertainment is amazing, the venues were never crowded and we LOVED everything about the ship, the staff, and the crew.

We are booked again next August and can't wait!

The Deluxe drink package varies in price. I've seen it lower than $38 and higher than $60, plus 18%. Your Cruise Planner will show your price which will likely also vary over time.

 

Royal adds 18% gratuity.

Will definitely keep my eye on the Cruise Planner (and my roll call). Thanks!

3). 18%

4). Johnny Rockets is a la carte on Anthem.

5). No charge

6). I have found the Internet to be fine for doing work.

Perfect, thanks so much! (Well, having JR a la carte may not be perfect exactly but it's still doable I'm sure:)).

Café Promenade

Sorrento's

Two70 Café

Solarium Bistro

Seaplex Doghouse

Coastal Kitchen (if you are in a suite)

Lot's of choices, yum!

Can only answer a couple of the questions as we are booked for September...

(1) We will be doing My Time in September however I made 6PM reservations in the MDR for every day of the cruise using cruise planner. If we decide to do something different, I will simply change or delete the reservation.

(3) Definitely yes to the 18%.

(5) Free but noted when I booked North Star they may charge a no-show fee of $25.

George

Good to know that one can make reservations with My Time dining, that certainly makes it easier. I am presuming that changes can be made online before hand (we picked late seating but may decide to switch to My Time).

Since your questions have been answered..........

I just wanted to say, I'll bet you are going to be BLOWN AWAY by the Anthem and RCL!!:cool:

 

We have sailed on most of RCL ships and frankly, did not expect to like the Anthem. We had just previously sailed on the Oasis and, although we had a great cruise, did not like the 8,500 people onboard - it was a VERY CROWDED ship, and we were afraid the Anthem would be like that.

 

When we got onboard, we walked around with our mouths open and our eyes bugged. :hearteyes: The ship is B - E - Utiful!! The entertainment is amazing, the venues were never crowded and we LOVED everything about the ship, the staff, and the crew.

 

We are booked again next August and can't wait!

Definitely good to hear! We've been impressed by the reviews we've read and pictures that we've seen (and of course the pictures only tell a small part of the story).

Anthem is my favorite ship!! Look for Black Friday sales on the internet and beverage packages. I've used the internet on Indy and Anthem and the speed is good and was able to do everything I needed to do. Make reservations for iFly and North Star, if you don't get reservations for either there is stand by for North Star on the last sea day and you can usually always get in the stand by line for iFly. 270 is my favorite place on the ship, the views are incredible and don't forget you can eat at the Cafe270.

Anthem is my favorite ship!! Look for Black Friday sales on the internet and beverage packages. I've used the internet on Indy and Anthem and the speed is good and was able to do everything I needed to do. Make reservations for iFly and North Star, if you don't get reservations for either there is stand by for North Star on the last sea day and you can usually always get in the stand by line for iFly. 270 is my favorite place on the ship, the views are incredible and don't forget you can eat at the Cafe270.

Thanks! Will keep our eyes peeled for those.

Since your questions have been answered..........

I just wanted to say, I'll bet you are going to be BLOWN AWAY by the Anthem and RCL!!:cool:

 

We have sailed on most of RCL ships and frankly, did not expect to like the Anthem. We had just previously sailed on the Oasis and, although we had a great cruise, did not like the 8,500 people onboard - it was a VERY CROWDED ship, and we were afraid the Anthem would be like that.

 

When we got onboard, we walked around with our mouths open and our eyes bugged. :hearteyes: The ship is B - E - Utiful!! The entertainment is amazing, the venues were never crowded and we LOVED everything about the ship, the staff, and the crew.

 

We are booked again next August and can't wait!

This is good to hear. We're considering the Anthem for next May, and crowds were one of our concerns. Thanks for addressing this!

We were on Anthem in March. The My Time Dining is fine once you are seated, but the process of getting a table is crazy. There are three lines for people with reservations and one for people without. The actual time of the reservation is completely irrelevant to getting seated. There are a bunch of people running around trying to figure out table assignments. Most of the time, we ended up in a spare table in the traditional dining rooms rather than one of the MTD rooms, although that may be related to our timing (when we went to the dining room, it was typically around 6pm).

For the Internet, speeds were good. We had no problem streaming Netflix. Be aware that Royal does not allow connections to VPNs (which was a problem for us when work had an issue and we couldn't VPN to the office to help).

We just got off Anthem on Saturday... Johnny Rockets is a la carte, but very reasonable..

Burgers - $2.50

They have a deal for any burger, fries or rings, and a soda for $5

We were on Anthem in March. The My Time Dining is fine once you are seated, but the process of getting a table is crazy. There are three lines for people with reservations and one for people without. The actual time of the reservation is completely irrelevant to getting seated. There are a bunch of people running around trying to figure out table assignments. Most of the time, we ended up in a spare table in the traditional dining rooms rather than one of the MTD rooms, although that may be related to our timing (when we went to the dining room, it was typically around 6pm).

 

For the Internet, speeds were good. We had no problem streaming Netflix. Be aware that Royal does not allow connections to VPNs (which was a problem for us when work had an issue and we couldn't VPN to the office to help).

All good info, thanks!

We just got off Anthem on Saturday... Johnny Rockets is a la carte, but very reasonable..

 

Burgers - $2.50

 

They have a deal for any burger, fries or rings, and a soda for $5

Thanks! That's not too bad. I had my first Johnny Rockets burger on the way to our cruise in February and it was very good indeed.

What time do the early shows start on the Anthem? How long do they run? We have my time dining and thought we would see the early show then eat dinner after. This worked well for us on Celebrity so we thought that we would try it here.

Sorry but Anthem wasn't my favorite ship....the Royal Esplanade very crowded and a bad design that bottlenecks in front of Sorrento's. The Cafe Two70 eating area is just a few high-top tables and most people have to sit in Two70 leaving trash/plates on the tables and chairs very hard for the staff to bus this area that wasn't really meant for eating...bad design...nothing like Park Cafe. JMHO and maybe not that of other's. Not excited to sail Anthem again but loved the Canada New England itinerary...glad next cruise there it will be on Adventure instead.

Sorry but Anthem wasn't my favorite ship....the Royal Esplanade very crowded and a bad design that bottlenecks in front of Sorrento's. The Cafe Two70 eating area is just a few high-top tables and most people have to sit in Two70 leaving trash/plates on the tables and chairs very hard for the staff to bus this area that wasn't really meant for eating...bad design...nothing like Park Cafe. JMHO and maybe not that of other's. Not excited to sail Anthem again but loved the Canada New England itinerary...glad next cruise there it will be on Adventure instead.

I appreciate the thoughts.

The Main Dining Rooms Silk & American Icon are on the 4th floor along wiht Royal Esplanade and yes the esplanade bottlenecks and is crowded at times. We found the way around that is to go up one flight of stairs to 5 and bypass the whole thing not really a big deal. You can still see the Esplanade from 5 and the bionic bar is up there what's better than that? Crowds were not an issue when I sailed in April. It never felt claustrophobic except around the outdoor pool. Have fun. I want to go back!

The Main Dining Rooms Silk & American Icon are on the 4th floor along wiht Royal Esplanade and yes the esplanade bottlenecks and is crowded at times. We found the way around that is to go up one flight of stairs to 5 and bypass the whole thing not really a big deal. You can still see the Esplanade from 5 and the bionic bar is up there what's better than that? Crowds were not an issue when I sailed in April. It never felt claustrophobic except around the outdoor pool. Have fun. I want to go back!

Agree with this...just go up a flight of stairs and walk on the balcony above the Royal Esplanade to get by...Explorer/Freedom class ship also get bottlenecked in the Promenade. Granted, not quite as bad because its a little bigger of an area, but at least Quantum class has that balcony as a thru way. And then just come back down by the Music Hall.

Last time I said, it was more of a relaxing type cruise, so I did the solarium for the most part, which I love on Anthem. But this time will be a little more fun, so I'm interested to see just how busy/crowded that main pool area can be. And how quickly I retreat to the solarium.

Will definitely keep my eye on the Cruise Planner (and my roll call). Thanks!

I am booked on Anthem out of Cape Liberty for March 2019 on the 8 day to Port Canaveral, Nassau and Coco Cay. I have only sailed Carnival and have been on 14 cruises with them. I have enjoyed Carnival very much. I am trying Anthem because I wanted to cruise out of the New York area and RCL had a great choice of cruises at great prices.

My cruise planner has started to populate with dining packages and beverage packages. The unlimited beverage package is priced at $50 a day. I am not choosing this because I won't be able to drink enough to make it worth while.

They do offer a "Buy One Get One Free" dinner option for $40. This includes 2 dinners that you can only use on the first 2 nights and this includes the steakhouse. This is a great deal and I purchased it.

The also offered a $20 lunch at the steakhouse that I purchased for later in the week.

I chose Your Time Dining that I reserved the 3rd night thru the end of the last night of the cruise.

Reserving the shows has not yet opened up for my March 2019 Anthem cruise. I like being able to reserve everything in cruise planner. I look forward to cruising on RCL for the first time.:cool:

It's long been my goal to sail with as many cruise lines as I can and was finally able to book a cruise on Anthem for next April. While I've posted in the Royal forums from time to time I can't say that I've spent a lot of time here but now I have a lot of research to do. Anthem looks amazing and we can't wait to see her in person! Looking forward to visiting Coco Cay but of course with this itinerary the rest is "been there, done that many times". So a few general questions:

 

1. We are wait listed for early dining, how well does Royal do their version of my time dining?

2. What does the deluxe drink package cost? It's not available in the planner to even look at right now.

3. Does Royal at 15% or 18% to bar purchases?

4. MDR and buffet are included in the cruise fare, what other venues are included? What are some of the prices of the surcharge venues (IIRC Johnny Rockets is around $4.95)?

5. Does Royal charge for using North Star or Ripcord and if so how much?

6. I may have to do some class work while onboard, how is the internet service?

 

I'm sure there will be other questions as time goes on but hopefully those will be gleaned from the boards.

I am on the ship now so the most recent answers are:

1. I actually have not eaten there as I am eating daily in the Coastal Kitchen but friends of ours really enjoy it. They just go when they want or make a reservation between 9 and 4 for that evening's meal.

2. They have sales all the time so wait for a sale. I think its too early to even book it now for your trip. Drink prices a la carte are from 9 to 13 on average plus 18%.

3. 18%

4. Johnny Rockets is a la carte. I truly never saw anyone ever there.

5. For NorthStar no and there is no no show fee. However, there were stand by lists on this cruise yet there were sometimes, that NO ONE was going on it like when in Labadee around 130-4 PM. That day, I was sitting at the North Star Bar after lunch and wanted to take a second ride (I had no reservation for that day) up. I had to wait for a few others to show up (they said they wouldn't ride with just one or two people) before they would let us up. I never ventured to Rip Cord.

6. The internet service, other than for video streaming, is really the best I have ever encountered on a ship. Once onboard, after a day or two, they do have sales so if you can wait, I would recommend it. Otherwise the streaming (I used streaming for Sirius radio) package is 19.95 a day.