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Why Anthem might just be my favorite ship!

LadyLion_AP
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LadyLion_AP

LadyLion_AP

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About me:

I became addicted to cruising after my first cruise in 2012. I now have 8 cruises under my belt. I've cruised Carnival (Liberty and Freedom), Royal Caribbean (Independence, Freedom, Oasis, and Anthem), Celebrity (Reflection), and a took a short Disney Dream cruise. I mostly cruise during peak season due to my work schedule, so I am very used to crowds and kids!

 

We decided to cruise Anthem to celebrate my birthday this year. My Anthem cruise was recent (July 23-28) and, I must admit, it didn't start off well. We waited a whopping 2 1/2 hours in the terminal due to "technical" difficulties according to the announcements made over the PA system. Two other couples flew in from Miami and Michigan to celebrate with us. They had problems right away. They waited until they were on the ship to book some of the entertainment and to make a few dinner reservations. I heard about the trouble that could cause, so I booked ahead and suggested for them to do the same. Needless to say, they did not listen and faced the consequences, including spending time with guest services. Fortunately, they were able to book entertainment, ifly, and North Star. One couple had two very late dinner reservations due to no other availability. Hubby and I had no problems at all with reservations!

 

Ok...So here is my opinion:

Shows:

We Will Rock You...Awesome

The Gift...I'm still a little confused but it was visually appealing

Spectra's Cabaret....Some parts great, others not so much

Comedy...I only saw one comedian who wasn't that great

Other...Shows were available but I did not attend any

 

Entertainment/Activities:

Quest & Love & Marriage: Fun as usual

iFly: Hubby and others had fun. I couldn't participate due to prior arm dislocations :mad:

North Star....Went higher than I expected! Thumbs up!

Trivia...Always fun (especially with drinks)

Music/Dancing: Always available...Great

Casino...Hubby lost money :mad:

Other...Did not participate but so there was much more to do if you wanted

 

Food/Specialty restaurants:

Wonderland: Interesting! Some of the food was very weird. Great entrees and desserts. Worth doing at least once.

Chops: Excellent as usual

Jamie's: We were not impressed. Maybe we did not order well?

Chef's Table: Spectacular as usual but was not run by the Chef. (This is not our usual experience but it did not take away from the evening.)

 

Other: We ate at Chic for breakfast. The food was ok. Food in the Windjammer was also ok. The pizza was pretty good. Desserts in the Windjammer were very good.

 

Bar service: Some were slow, others were great.

 

Bermuda:

Awesome. I can see why other ships stay for three days. I wish RCCL would reconsider this itinerary and have Anthem dock for three days instead of two!

 

Ok...So Why might this be my favorite ship? (Especially when I can see how/why things go wrong. I can also understand how some people could be completely frustrated with the ship!)

 

270 & The Music Hall.

 

Yes. That's it. I could stay in these venues all day long. They were not the only places to go on the ship to hang out, relax, and enjoy your surroundings. They were, however, the best for me. I simply LOVED them!

 

I know this was kind of a weird summary but I hope you've enjoyed it.

Edited by LadyLion_AP
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gaylemh

gaylemh

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About me:

I became addicted to cruising after my first cruise in 2012. I now have 8 cruises under my belt. I've cruised Carnival (Liberty and Freedom), Royal Caribbean (Independence, Freedom, Oasis, and Anthem), Celebrity (Reflection), and a took a short Disney Dream cruise. I mostly cruise during peak season due to my work schedule, so I am very used to crowds and kids!

 

We decided to cruise Anthem to celebrate my birthday this year. My Anthem cruise was recent (July 23-28) and, I must admit, it didn't start off well. We waited a whopping 2 1/2 hours in the terminal due to "technical" difficulties according to the announcements made over the PA system. Two other couples flew in from Miami and Michigan to celebrate with us. They had problems right away. They waited until they were on the ship to book some of the entertainment and to make a few dinner reservations. I heard about the trouble that could cause, so I booked ahead and suggested for them to do the same. Needless to say, they did not listen and faced the consequences, including spending time with guest services. Fortunately, they were able to book entertainment, ifly, and North Star. One couple had two very late dinner reservations due to no other availability. Hubby and I had no problems at all with reservations!

 

Ok...So here is my opinion:

Shows:

We Will Rock You...Awesome

The Gift...I'm still a little confused but it was visually appealing

Spectra's Cabaret....Some parts great, others not so much

Comedy...I only saw one comedian who wasn't that great

Other...Shows were available but I did not attend any

 

Entertainment/Activities:

Quest & Love & Marriage: Fun as usual

iFly: Hubby and others had fun. I couldn't participate due to prior arm dislocations :mad:

North Star....Went higher than I expected! Thumbs up!

Trivia...Always fun (especially with drinks)

Music/Dancing: Always available...Great

Casino...Hubby lost money :mad:

Other...Did not participate but so there was much more to do if you wanted

 

Food/Specialty restaurants:

Wonderland: Interesting! Some of the food was very weird. Great entrees and desserts. Worth doing at least once.

Chops: Excellent as usual

Jamie's: We were not impressed. Maybe we did not order well?

Chef's Table: Spectacular as usual but was not run by the Chef. (This is not our usual experience but it did not take away from the evening.)

 

Other: We ate at Chic for breakfast. The food was ok. Food in the Windjammer was also ok. The pizza was pretty good. Desserts in the Windjammer were very good.

 

Bar service: Some were slow, others were great.

 

Bermuda:

Awesome. I can see why other ships stay for three days. I wish RCCL would reconsider this itinerary and have Anthem dock for three days instead of two!

 

Ok...So Why might this be my favorite ship? (Especially when I can see how/why things go wrong. I can also understand how some people could be completely frustrated with the ship!)

 

270 & The Music Hall.

 

Yes. That's it. I could stay in these venues all day long. They were not the only places to go on the ship to hang out, relax, and enjoy your surroundings. They were, however, the best for me. I simply LOVED them!

 

I know this was kind of a weird summary but I hope you've enjoyed it.

 

Me too - Love the Music Hall and it's tribute bands and house bands, and even though I liked the Viking Lounge on other ships, 270 is absolutely amazing, and 100 times better.

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joand452

joand452

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We love 270 as well. What a a beautiful room!

 

After our Anthem cruise last Spring, DH announced it was his favorite ship. Wish they had a longer cruise to Bermuda, too. A 5-day cruise is just not long enough.

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LadyLion_AP

LadyLion_AP

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Me too - Love the Music Hall and it's tribute bands and house bands, and even though I liked the Viking Lounge on other ships, 270 is absolutely amazing, and 100 times better.

 

 

Right! I usually use my balcony to get away, relax, & enjoy the scenery but there was no need with these venues.

 

 

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LadyLion_AP

LadyLion_AP

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We love 270 as well. What a a beautiful room!

 

After our Anthem cruise last Spring, DH announced it was his favorite ship. Wish they had a longer cruise to Bermuda, too. A 5-day cruise is just not long enough.

 

 

I would definitely prefer 7 or more days but I must admit...it didn't feel as short as I thought it would.

 

 

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LadyLion_AP

LadyLion_AP

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts, looking forward to our cruise 9 nights

 

 

Thanks. Completely jealous of your 9-day cruise. I'm hoping hubby will be able to take a 9-day next summer. Fingers crossed!

 

 

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LadyLion_AP

LadyLion_AP

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What a great review. Thanks for doing it.

 

 

Thanks. That's a great compliment coming from you. I've read a few of your reviews and they are great! I especially enjoyed your Escape review, as I had a cruise booked and later cancelled. I think I'm going to try it out.

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LadyLion_AP

LadyLion_AP

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i have a 9 day in sept. I booked entertainment, but i'm not making any dinner reservations. I'm just winging it. I'll report back :) I'm not worried, i'm sure I'll eat. and eat.

 

 

Please report back. My friends had no complaints about their late meals. 9pm is just too late for me. I'm sure I would have ended up eating in the Windjammer to avoid the late dinner times.

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LadyLion_AP

LadyLion_AP

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That 2 hour wait to board was no fun! This is definitely a ship you want to book everything ahead of time. Another day in Bermuda would have been welcomed!

 

 

Wondering if I remember correctly....Was this your first Royal Caribbean cruise? If so, What are your thoughts? I thought it was quite different from other RCCL ships so it didn't give a true feel of the overall brand. Also...Boarding was a highly unusual experience!

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joand452

joand452

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You probably don't want to hear that we were on a 12-day cruise! ;)

 

It still wasn't long enough! Now you know why 5-days is just too short. If I could get DH to cruise out of Baltimore, I'd do it -- but he really likes the big ships.

 

We ate in the WJ a few nights. I think we only had reservations once in each of the complementary restaurants, two nights in Jamies, and one in Chops. We had been on Quantum, so had eaten in all of them already. I'm sure we could have gotten into the comp restaurants, but we just didn't want to bother. Shorts and t-shirts for dinner dress is just fine!!

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Tura Lura

Tura Lura

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Please report back. My friends had no complaints about their late meals. 9pm is just too late for me. I'm sure I would have ended up eating in the Windjammer to avoid the late dinner times.

 

I'll just walk up when I'm hungry. If one place is busy, I'll go to the next. I can wait a bit to be seated.

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GatorWop

GatorWop

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270 & The Music Hall.

 

Yes. That's it. I could stay in these venues all day long. They were not the only places to go on the ship to hang out, relax, and enjoy your surroundings. They were, however, the best for me. I simply LOVED them!

 

 

After nine nights, I think I left a permanent gluteus maximus impression on one of those red stools at the Music Hall bar. What an awesome venue that is so unique to the Quantum class. Looking forward to finding that stool again in six weeks! Although, my favorite bartender, Susie Q, will be ending her contract before I return.

Edited by GatorWop
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PTAngel

PTAngel

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Thanks for this review. We just booked this ship for a 9 day. We saw a show on TV about the Quantum & booked the sister ship due to location. We are between NY & Baltimore so have only done Baltimore so far. These TV shows make us want to try new ships so we also have an Oasis cruise booked. I've already started my spreadsheet with tips & suggestions so I will be adjusting according to reviews.

 

Once again, thanks for adding to my spreadsheet.

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Tin can

Tin can

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I thought it was quite different from other RCCL ships so it didn't give a true feel of the overall brand. Also...Boarding was a highly unusual experience!

 

 

Completely agree, so very different from other ships.

 

We loved it and met many others who felt the same but equally met many who missed the traditional royal promenade and MDR.

 

 

 

 

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