Anthem vs Allure

Planning a cruise for Thanksgiving week in 2019 (myself, my husband, and our 12 year old daughter)... I’m between a GS on Anthem (Bahamas) and Allure (Caribbean). We did Harmony last year, so we’re familiar with oasis class, but have no experience with Quantum. I’d love to hear thoughts/ comparisons from those of you who’ve done both.

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I have been on all oasis class ships but going on anthem may 31. I have heard I will be very disappointed, but you really can’t compare the two. I will give my feedback when I get back in June.

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I've done both and definitely prefer Anthem. Have friends that prefer Oasis class. To each his or her own. Since you've already been on Harmony I'd give Anthem a try.

We have sailed in a GS on both and definitely prefer the GS and the overall layout of the Allure. The GS on Anthem is the same as on Harmony which is a different configuration on Allure. The bathroom is roomier and the cabin is not chopped up like on Anthem. The Concierge Lounge on Anthem only serves complimentary alcohol from 5-8:30 whereas the Allure Suite Lounge serves beverages from approx 11am-11pm. You might check out an Allure GS on YouTube.

We have sailed in a GS on both and definitely prefer the GS and the overall layout of the Allure. The GS on Anthem is the same as on Harmony which is a different configuration on Allure. The bathroom is roomier and the cabin is not chopped up like on Anthem. The Suite Lounge on Anthem only serves complimentary alcohol from 5-8:30 whereas Allure serves beverages from approx 11am-11pm. You might check out an Allure GS on YouTube.

Anthem has a CL not a SL which explains the difference in times. If free alcohol is important the SL does have more generous hours.

These ships are very different. Allure is my favorite ship, but there were some nice features on Anthem. The layouts of the cabins are similar to Harmony which I liked. The 270 Lounge is a nice spot and has some interesting entertainment. There are fewer entertainment options than you’ll find on Allure. No Aqua Theater, no Boardwalk, no Central Park, no Rising Tide Bar.

I presume Anthem will still be leaving out of Bayonne. Leaving out of New York was a different experience also. We’re from upstate New York so it was nice not to have to fly. But we were on a 10-night cruise. The first 2 and last 2 nights were too cold to enjoy our balcony. That’s a big deal for us. We use it a lot. Because it’s a cold weather ship, the Solarium is totally enclosed. It was great while we were north, bit it was hot once we got to the Caribbean. The Atlantic can be a different sailing experience also. It was a bit rougher than we were used to. Didn’t bother me; I like a little rocking. Some members of our group weren’t doing so well with it.

Have a wonderful time on whichever you choose.

Last cruise was Anthem , it was our first and last cruise on that ship.

We just like oasis class style ships more .

We are on Allure in a few months .

You should try it for yourself to see if it's a good fit for you though.

And we really wanted to like the Anthem , but choppy atlantic seas and getting to the ship from the airport

Through construction and heavy traffic wasn't appealing .

Ship was nice though.

Your 12 year old will love the Anthem

We definitely prefer Allure over Quantum class and also prefer Caribbean over Bahamas!

I would eventually go on both ships. Both are quite amazing. If you have not been on either ... go for the itinerary that you prefer.

Also ... figure in the cost. I personally preferred the Allure but that may have been because the Anthem sailing was quite cold and we were unable to use the pools for most of the cruise.

The one thing that would stop me from booking the Anthem is the horrid Bahamas itinerary. It just feels like a terrible waste of money to book a cruise that sails to Nassau and Port Canaveral.

I get that this itinerary may look attractive to people who want to escape the cold but don’t want to fly, or to people who just don’t know any better, but for anybody who has ever sailed to pretty much any other warm climate port of call, the Anthem’s Bahamas itinerary will most likely be an enormous disappointment.

The Anthem does offer longer itineraries that look quite attractive but unfortunately they never seem to match when I can cruise. Oh well!

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One other thing that crossed my mind after sailing on the Disney Fantasy for Thanksgiving last year is that the water in the Bahamas during that time of year will be on the chilly side. We went in the ocean in Castaway Cay and it took some guts to take that first plunge. Even then, we couldn’t stop shivering. The air temperature on dry land felt fine until it got cloudy, and then it felt a bit too cool to be in a bathing suit. We just wrapped ourselves in towels and headed back to the ship. Cold water and cool temperatures aren’t that great when you are taking a cruise to escape the cold.

I would recommend a cruise that goes farther south during the late fall / winter months. On the same cruise mentioned above, we snorkeled the Cali in Grand Cayman and the water was absolutely blissful. Warm without feeling too warm. I could’ve stayed in that water forever!

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We are trying Anthem for the first time in 2020. We have been on the O class ships many times but have hesitated to try the Q class.

Has anyone here sailed in Star Class on both classes ? I am interested to hear how the Star Class service differs between the 2.

Your 12 year old will love the Anthem

This is my thought also. I think the 12 year old would have a blast on both, but I think The Anthem has even more for kids

I enjoyed both but prefer Anthem. Since you've already been on Harmony I would go with Anthem to try out a new class.

My kids loved the Anthem and were rarely outside even though it was July! They loved the indoor pool and Sea Pllex. But I'm not sure I'd want to take a late November from NYC bc I like sitting in the sun and having it feel more tropical. If you're not a sun person, there are tons of relaxing spots around the Anthem, but if you like to sit by the pools and feel the sun, I'd rather go out of NYC in the summer months.

Location, location, location. We haven't sailed Anthem yet because being from the northeast, I'd rather fly to Florida, step off the plane into the warm sun, and not worry about bringing cold weather attire. Plus, as Tapi already said, the itinerary is unimpressive.

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OP, what did you decide?

We've been on Allure with our kids. We have Symphony booked for March and just booked Anthem for the following March (our kids will be 14 and 10 by then). The fact that it leaves our of NY is a huge bonus...especially avoiding flights at school break time.

Anyone gone on Anthem in March? How long does it stay cold? Only bummer is that the first and last days are the sea days so not sure it'll warm up enough.

OP, what did you decide?

 

We've been on Allure with our kids. We have Symphony booked for March and just booked Anthem for the following March (our kids will be 14 and 10 by then). The fact that it leaves our of NY is a huge bonus...especially avoiding flights at school break time.

 

Anyone gone on Anthem in March? How long does it stay cold? Only bummer is that the first and last days are the sea days so not sure it'll warm up enough.

It will likely be cool to cold the first and last day. But remember, Anthem has a gorgeous enclosed Solarium and a second, very large indoor pool which can be used in chilly weather.

It will likely be cool to cold the first and last day. But remember, Anthem has a gorgeous enclosed Solarium and a second, very large indoor pool which can be used in chilly weather.

Thanks...great to hear. Smart they have an indoor pool. May make the Flowrider not usable on those days.

We have sailed on both ships. While iFly and bumper cars on the Anthem are fun, we greatly prefer the Allure.

I think that the high tech gizmos on the Anthem that didn't work well was a turn off. We had multiple Spectra shows cancelled due to robot faults. And the bionic bar (while a gimmick) was broken more than working. On our cruise, the Northstar spent a bunch of time lifting people off the deck into the fog where you could not see anything.

We have sailed on both ships. While iFly and bumper cars on the Anthem are fun, we greatly prefer the Allure.

 

I think that the high tech gizmos on the Anthem that didn't work well was a turn off. We had multiple Spectra shows cancelled due to robot faults. And the bionic bar (while a gimmick) was broken more than working. On our cruise, the Northstar spent a bunch of time lifting people off the deck into the fog where you could not see anything.

Curious, as we'll be on Anthem next year, do you pay more for drinks from the Bionic Bar?

Anthem 12N itinerary to Caribbean is better than the E/W that the Allure does, I like 270, music hall, sportsplex which helps with the cold days.

Anthem 12N itinerary to Caribbean is better than the E/W that the Allure does, I like 270, music hall, sportsplex which helps with the cold days.

Agree. Also the indoor Solarium and pool areas are great for the cold weather. Prefer the Cafe@270 over Park Cafe. Much better seating, much less crowded.

Love the elegant decor as well. And the showers in standard rooms are big enough you're not constantly banging your elbows on the shower door!