anthem of the sea

[kriten19]

We are cruising on anthem of the sea. Has anyone done this and had the onboard activities like I fly and such sold out pretty much immediately. Were you able to sign up once on the ship? I plan to go to the help desk asap when we check in but curious if its even worth it. We were able to book off boat excursions but nothing on the ship (the surf board lessons are available but my son is too short).

Thank you

Kristen

[138east]

3 minutes ago, kriten19 said:

We are cruising on anthem of the sea. Has anyone done this and had the onboard activities like I fly and such sold out pretty much immediately. Were you able to sign up once on the ship? I plan to go to the help desk asap when we check in but curious if its even worth it. We were able to book off boat excursions but nothing on the ship (the surf board lessons are available but my son is too short).

Thank you

Kristen

Folks have reported being able to sign up for activities like Ifly immediately upon boarding the ship.  The secret is to plan to arrive at the port around 10 am so you’re among the first to board.  If you can identify the exact activities you want to schedule, folks should be able to tell you exactly where to go to do that as soon as you board.  It should also be possible to use the Royal IQ app to book, so you should download it to your iPhone.

 

I have had great success going standby at 9 am for the Northstar.  Bumper cars at noon on boarding day are also a great choice to avoid long lines.

[kriten19]

@138east thank you! I do have the 11am priority checkin arrive at 9am. I plan to get there right at 9am hopefully.

[oddly excitered]

Stand by line works well on port days, even during winter break in February we had no wait.

[Bradison]

53 minutes ago, kriten19 said:

We are cruising on anthem of the sea. Has anyone done this and had the onboard activities like I fly and such sold out pretty much immediately. Were you able to sign up once on the ship? I plan to go to the help desk asap when we check in but curious if its even worth it. We were able to book off boat excursions but nothing on the ship (the surf board lessons are available but my son is too short).

Thank you

Kristen

 

The escape room activity is the only thing that was completely booked when we got on board.  iFly was booked up solid but we waited until the second to last day to inquire (only one of us was under the weight limit and she wasn't that interested).  We enjoyed just watching others do it.  Tip: Make sure you stick around to watch one of the RCI workers demonstrate the iFly.  Gives you a whole new perspective on what can be done compared to a novice.  

[crusinot]

I have cruised Anthem many times.  Day one at 270 there will be activities staff available to sign folks up for shows and activities.  I have also seen activities staff by the Bionic bar on certain days to sign folks up for shows and activities as well.  

 

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, kriten19 said:

@138east thank you! I do have the 11am priority checkin arrive at 9am. I plan to get there right at 9am hopefully.

 

Your documents say to arrive at 9 A.M.????? That's really too early.  Passengers will still be disembarking,  The traffic will be a mess, and no one can board until the ship gets a "zero count".

[kriten19]

@Merion_Mom oh really? It said check in at 11 and arrive at 9am? Thank you for telling me.

[Clarea]

20 minutes ago, kriten19 said:

@Merion_Mom oh really? It said check in at 11 and arrive at 9am? Thank you for telling me.

 

I think I know the phrase to which you are referring.  It says something like "arrive 2 hours before boarding" or something like that.  It's yet another example of Royal being unclear and confusing.  What they really are trying to say is to make sure you arrive at least 2 hours before the ship is scheduled to sail.

[Merion_Mom]

4 hours ago, kriten19 said:

@Merion_Mom oh really? It said check in at 11 and arrive at 9am? Thank you for telling me.

 

3 hours ago, Host Clarea said:

 

I think I know the phrase to which you are referring.  It says something like "arrive 2 hours before boarding" or something like that.  It's yet another example of Royal being unclear and confusing.  What they really are trying to say is to make sure you arrive at least 2 hours before the ship is scheduled to sail.

 

IMO, the ideal time for you to arrive is 10:30.

[kriten19]

9 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

 

IMO, the ideal time for you to arrive is 10:30.

Thank you for clarifying! I would have been annoyed sitting around for 2hrs!

[cft8]

On the May 4 sailing, the activities staff was in the Music Hall on boarding day for the activity/show sign ups, so make sure you ask someone where to go.

[sandinmyshoes]

Just like you, I wanted to sign up for the ifly & the bubble thingy that goes above the ship on Anthem but they were booked up prior to booking.  Once on board though, there were plenty of openings, so don't worry.  You should be fine.

[lovescats5]

You can book once on board for iFly and North Star.  You can also check when ever you want during the day for cancellations on iFly and take those slots.  There are always openings for the person who wants to fly and it is a must do, in my opinion.  You can also get on North Star via the wait line.  I do not think we have ever been on North Star with a full load of people.  You will be happy you took the time and effort to enjoy the activities offered.  We love the Anthem and now sail on her for the fun, not necessarily the stops.

[gaylemh]

It's easy to get reservations once on board.  You can do it through the Royal IQ App, and not have to wait on any lines.  My daughter and her family had a choice of days and times for IFly when they boarded.  Northstar is easy to go standby.  

[mominva]

I recommend going directly to Music Hall (Deck 4) after you board Anthem.  The dancers are in there to make any reservations you need.  The line gets long and is so slow.  But, it's better to get it over with.

 

[Dina7]

I believe you can also sign up as soon as you board using the IPads that are on the ship near Guest Services. I signed up for the North Star using one of them...very easy & no line.