Anthem or Grandeur?

We live in the Philly burbs so we’re a couple of hours from either Baltimore or Port Liberty. We are considering taking a cruise from one of these ports this January instead of flying south to board a ship to the Caribbean. On our January 2018 cruise we witnessed first hand how devastated the islands were by the hurricanes of 2017, it was depressing. So this year we will attempt to warm up in the Bahamas.

The 8 day Anthem stops in Orlando with two stops in the Bahamas including Coco Cay.

The 9 day Grandeur adds Charleston SC and Miami to Orlando and the Bahamas but not Coco Cay.

Charleston and Miami are two places I have never been but have wanted to see, a plus for Grandeur.

Coco Cay, I guess, is a plus for Anthem.

Our last couple of Caribbean cruises were on Oasis out of Orlando whereas the previous few were on Jewel and Summit out of San Juan. So we have been on both large and medium ships. In spite of our initial doubts we have really enjoyed the features of Oasis, especially the Solarium and its café where we always ate breakfast, usually lunch, and often dinner. We essentially lived in the Solarium.

Our concerns regarding Grandeur:

1) Dining – During our 14 days on Oasis we ate 2 times in the buffet, 4 times in the MDR and 3 times at discounted specialty restaurants. It appears that those are our only dining options on Grandeur.

2) Activities – Having read reviews of Grandeur it appears that dancing is a popular option. Having traveled with chronic dancers, nothing could be less enjoyable to us. Is there much else available?

Our concerns regarding Anthem:

1) Dining – I really enjoy the opportunity to have bacon and eggs for breakfast when on a cruise. Are those available at the Solarium Bistro? Is there anywhere else, other than the usual two, where one can eat breakfast? Is the Solarium Bistro as roomy on Anthem as it is on Oasis? It is free for all 3 meals on Oasis, is that true on Anthem?

2) Kids – It appears that Anthem is even more kid oriented than Oasis. Been there, done that. Is there anywhere to escape other than the Solarium? Oasis had Central Park and even Boardwalk and Promenade to some extent. Those options don’t seem to exist on Anthem, are there viable alternatives?

We have never cruised from a cold home port in the winter before. I would imagine that a great deal of time is spent indoors at both ends of the cruise. Does that give a significant advantage to Anthem?

Thanks in advance,

Bob

... We have never cruised from a cold home port in the winter before. I would imagine that a great deal of time is spent indoors at both ends of the cruise. Does that give a significant advantage to Anthem?

 

Thanks in advance,

Bob

Depends what you are looking for. If you want an enclosed pool area, Grandeur has an enclosed adult (age 16+) Solarium. If you also want other indoor activities, like bumper cars, then go with Anthem.

Grandeur seems to have a slightly older crowd so more laid back. Smaller but staff is amazing. We had a great time and my 19 year daughters enjoyed also. Anthem not sure yet but going in September for 1st time.

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I would definitely go with Anthem. Beautiful, huge, indoor Solarium plus a second (also very large) inside pool area, great for cool/cold days. Also entertainment and dining options are much better IMO.

We live in the Philly burbs so we’re a couple of hours from either Baltimore or Port Liberty. We are considering taking a cruise from one of these ports this January instead of flying south to board a ship to the Caribbean. On our January 2018 cruise we witnessed first hand how devastated the islands were by the hurricanes of 2017, it was depressing. So this year we will attempt to warm up in the Bahamas.

The 8 day Anthem stops in Orlando with two stops in the Bahamas including Coco Cay.

The 9 day Grandeur adds Charleston SC and Miami to Orlando and the Bahamas but not Coco Cay.

Charleston and Miami are two places I have never been but have wanted to see, a plus for Grandeur.

Coco Cay, I guess, is a plus for Anthem.

Our last couple of Caribbean cruises were on Oasis out of Orlando whereas the previous few were on Jewel and Summit out of San Juan. So we have been on both large and medium ships. In spite of our initial doubts we have really enjoyed the features of Oasis, especially the Solarium and its café where we always ate breakfast, usually lunch, and often dinner. We essentially lived in the Solarium.

 

Our concerns regarding Grandeur:

1) Dining – During our 14 days on Oasis we ate 2 times in the buffet, 4 times in the MDR and 3 times at discounted specialty restaurants. It appears that those are our only dining options on Grandeur.

2) Activities – Having read reviews of Grandeur it appears that dancing is a popular option. Having traveled with chronic dancers, nothing could be less enjoyable to us. Is there much else available?

 

Our concerns regarding Anthem:

1) Dining – I really enjoy the opportunity to have bacon and eggs for breakfast when on a cruise. Are those available at the Solarium Bistro? Is there anywhere else, other than the usual two, where one can eat breakfast? Is the Solarium Bistro as roomy on Anthem as it is on Oasis? It is free for all 3 meals on Oasis, is that true on Anthem?

2) Kids – It appears that Anthem is even more kid oriented than Oasis. Been there, done that. Is there anywhere to escape other than the Solarium? Oasis had Central Park and even Boardwalk and Promenade to some extent. Those options don’t seem to exist on Anthem, are there viable alternatives?

 

We have never cruised from a cold home port in the winter before. I would imagine that a great deal of time is spent indoors at both ends of the cruise. Does that give a significant advantage to Anthem?

 

Thanks in advance,

Bob

We have sailed both ships and have taken NYC cruises in January. We have not sailed on Oasis class, so I can't compare.

We take 12 day cruises in January, so there are not many kids onboard. The solarium is the best escape on either ship. I would avoid the Seaplex area on Anthem if I was trying to avoid them.

Of course, weather is a risk for noreaster storms. If seas are calm, you might be able to walk around outside on the afternoon of the first sea day, but it might be too cool for the pool. Same for the last sea day.

Breakfast - In addition to the MDR and WJ, Anthem has the Solarium Bistro, which is a mini buffet with a reduced selection. You can also get pastries and egg sandwiches in the cafe adjacent to 270. There is also room service.

On Grandeur, the only option other than the standard 3 is the Park Cafe, which is similar to the cafe on Anthem.

The two ships are both nice, but considerably different. Anthem is full of modern mega ship amenities while Grandeur is more old school and friendly.

Having sailed multiple times from Baltimore - I love it. I'm in my mid 30s and love the smaller, quieter ships. We sailed with our child all three times out of Baltimore and each time there were never more than 50 kids in the kids program - honestly, I never saw more than 10-15 the entire cruise. When we sailed w/o our child on the Freedom there were over 750 kids that week - and we saw them EVERYWHERE.

The atmosphere is laid back - better ports, easy embarkation/debarkation and never a wait for anything (except after the muster drill and shows for elevators)

We drove from Virginia Beach, VA, stayed near the port, found a hotel that we could do a park 'n cruise (usually ~$80 including shuttle and week - 12 day parking) and were driving home by 9 am on the last day.

I vote Anthem as it was built for cold weather sailing with many venues available for use during bad weather. The number of kids on a longer itinerary should be few. The rooms on Anthem are generally larger and better furnished IMHO. Lastly, Anthem has more free and pay dining venues.

Keep in mind that while it is in the cold weather the Solarium is typically open to all ages.

Keep in mind that while it is in the cold weather the Solarium is typically open to all ages.

That may be on Grandeur, but I would expect it would not be the case on Anthem since Anthem has multiple indoor pools.

Have sailed each several times, including both this year. Anthem being newer and larger definitely has greater variety of food and entertainment. Love the terraced solarium pools. Won't be many kids on either ship in winter. Grandeur's advantage is leaving from Baltimore she gets to warm weather faster.

Athem -NJ-NY crowd vs Grandeur -MD-VA-OH crowd

I like both, for differing reasons, though there's probably more about the Anthem I dislike... mostly all about the main dinning room experience. :) But generally between the two I end up on the Anthem because I can get a balcony cabin at a reasonable price and balcony cabins tend to be much pricier on Grandeur because there's very few of them, but when an ocean view cabin on Grandeur is almost the same price as a balcony cabin on Anthem, Grandeur only wins if I'm joining friends who've already chosen it.

Keep in mind that while it is in the cold weather the Solarium is typically open to all ages.

That may be on Grandeur, but I would expect it would not be the case on Anthem since Anthem has multiple indoor pools.

Thanks! This is a significant difference.

The solarium on the Anthem is much better than on the Grandeur IMHO. Kids were allowed in the solarium on the Grandeur, just not supposed to be in the pool or hot tubs. Solarium pool on the Grandeur was often closed, not opening until 11 AM most mornings. We also found the Grandeur's solarium to be very hot and stuffy and had to ask every day to have the windows open, sometimes they did, sometimes wouldn't bother. The dining room staff was very nice and the food was better than I expected, but if you get a wine package, check your slip before leaving the dining room. Ours was wrong every time and on one occasion this turned into a real problem. The piano player/singer in the Schooner Bar on the Grandeur was the worst I have encountered, but the bar staff at the Schooner were great. Trivia is very popular, you must get there very early to get a seat. Chops and Giovanni's on the Grandeur were very good, the Windjammer layout is horrible, the food so-so. The art auction takes up the South Pacific lounge for several days, so this will cut down on the number of quiet venues to enjoy. On the plus side, we never had to wait very long for an elevator. embarkation and debarkation were quick and very smooth in Baltimore. The shore excursion desk on the Grandeur rescheduled one of our excursions without notifying us, and tried to give away our Bungalow. When questioned, the manager's response was a shrug of her shoulders and a "Well, mistakes happen". No apology. Both ships are clean and comfortable, the Grandeur quite a bit older and showing her age. The shows on the Anthem are much better, more to do, but I hated having to make so many reservations ahead of time. Also, be aware that the Grandeur has cancelled their stop in Charleston quite a few times.

Thanks! This is a significant difference.

Don't make too much of the kids situation on Grandeur. That time of year there will be so few you will hardly notice. Anthem carries twice the number of passengers so there will logically be more. However they will gravitate to the kid friendly attractions. Unless you have a total kid phobia the situation on either ship should not be an issue.

We’ve sailed both. I prefer Anthem for many of th reasons listed above.

Athem -NJ-NY crowd vs Grandeur -MD-VA-OH crowd

And especially a lot of people from Pa. too, at both ports.

Gwen [emoji3]

Athem -NJ-NY crowd vs Grandeur -MD-VA-OH crowd

Thank you for excluding residents of Pennsylvania. ;p

We enjoy both ships, as would the OP.

And there are plenty of "distant" travelers on both ships.

We live in the Philly burbs so we’re a couple of hours from either Baltimore or Port Liberty. We are considering taking a cruise from one of these ports this January instead of flying south to board a ship to the Caribbean. On our January 2018 cruise we witnessed first hand how devastated the islands were by the hurricanes of 2017, it was depressing. So this year we will attempt to warm up in the Bahamas.

The 8 day Anthem stops in Orlando with two stops in the Bahamas including Coco Cay.

The 9 day Grandeur adds Charleston SC and Miami to Orlando and the Bahamas but not Coco Cay.

Charleston and Miami are two places I have never been but have wanted to see, a plus for Grandeur.

Coco Cay, I guess, is a plus for Anthem.

Our last couple of Caribbean cruises were on Oasis out of Orlando whereas the previous few were on Jewel and Summit out of San Juan. So we have been on both large and medium ships. In spite of our initial doubts we have really enjoyed the features of Oasis, especially the Solarium and its café where we always ate breakfast, usually lunch, and often dinner. We essentially lived in the Solarium.

 

Our concerns regarding Grandeur:

1) Dining – During our 14 days on Oasis we ate 2 times in the buffet, 4 times in the MDR and 3 times at discounted specialty restaurants. It appears that those are our only dining options on Grandeur.

2) Activities – Having read reviews of Grandeur it appears that dancing is a popular option. Having traveled with chronic dancers, nothing could be less enjoyable to us. Is there much else available?

 

Our concerns regarding Anthem:

1) Dining – I really enjoy the opportunity to have bacon and eggs for breakfast when on a cruise. Are those available at the Solarium Bistro? Is there anywhere else, other than the usual two, where one can eat breakfast? Is the Solarium Bistro as roomy on Anthem as it is on Oasis? It is free for all 3 meals on Oasis, is that true on Anthem?

2) Kids – It appears that Anthem is even more kid oriented than Oasis. Been there, done that. Is there anywhere to escape other than the Solarium? Oasis had Central Park and even Boardwalk and Promenade to some extent. Those options don’t seem to exist on Anthem, are there viable alternatives?

 

We have never cruised from a cold home port in the winter before. I would imagine that a great deal of time is spent indoors at both ends of the cruise. Does that give a significant advantage to Anthem?

 

Thanks in advance,

Bob

Bob, I do both regularly. I prefer the Anthem most of the time, but I enjoy the Grandeur also.

I love visiting Charleston, so that could be a reasonable factor in your decision. Anthem is farther north, but Grandeur spends A LOT of time getting out of the Chesapeake Bay.

My advice? Do one this winter and the other next winter. Then you'll be an expert and be able to answer the NEXT cruiser with this question.

:D :D :D

P.S. Are we neighbors?

P.S. Are we neighbors?

Pretty much. I live in Gwynedd. Due north of Merion and near the same SEPTA line, the old R5.

Athem -NJ-NY crowd vs Grandeur -MD-VA-OH crowd

LOL. And Philly is in the middle as usual!

Anthem is farther north, but Grandeur spends A LOT of time getting out of the Chesapeake Bay.

I too have been on both. If you're looking for a more modern cruise experience. Go for Anthem. If you're looking more traditional, go for Grandeur. Grandeur is usually less expensive than the Anthem.

But to answer your specific questions.

Specialty dining. There are 3 specialty restaurants onboard. Izumi's, Giovanni's and Chops. Other dining options include the Park Cafe which has sandwiches and late night dining. I have not been on the Oasis, but I suspect the buffet will be similar but to a smaller degree. My impression is that you will have a similar dining experience on Grandeur. Oasis has more for fee options it appears.

Activities. You will find that Grandeur's activities will be more traditional. The shows every night will be scheduled according to the two dining times. Depending on your cruise director, your activities could vary, though if you're looking for Oasis type bells and whistles, the Grandeur won't have it.

Breakfast. Park Cafe also has breakfast, but I can't remember if it had eggs and bacon specifically. But the buffet and MDR will always have that, so that wouldn't be a problem.

Kids on Grandeur. I've never had to "escape" from them. If you're leaving on the Grandeur in January, there won't be that many kids to escape from. Though during the cold times, there are more indoor venues on Anthem than Grandeur.

My recommendation is the 9 night only because its 1 night more than Anthem. 2nd. Charleston is wonderful. Much of the highlights can be walked to. The food in Charleston is amazing. I've taken this itinerary twice. The 3 domestic ports can be off-putting, but if you scratch the surface and really look at what the port has to offer, you'll find a wealth of options, especially considering you will still be considered domestic with your data plan and allow you easy transportation such as uber or lyft. Also, in my opinion, Cococay, is a bit dull, unless you're a big beach person. However, there are beaches in Port Canaveral and Miami as well as Nassau if that's what you want. if the price is the same, i'd go for the longer cruise, but that's almost always the case for me.

We prefer the Grandeur .You actually get to see people you meet multiple times .The Anthem is too big.

Secondly ,we have been cruising since 1973 and the Grandeur crew is the friendliest we have ever encountered.

I too have been on both. If you're looking for a more modern cruise experience. Go for Anthem. If you're looking more traditional, go for Grandeur. Grandeur is usually less expensive than the Anthem.

 

But to answer your specific questions.

 

Specialty dining. There are 3 specialty restaurants onboard. Izumi's, Giovanni's and Chops. Other dining options include the Park Cafe which has sandwiches and late night dining. I have not been on the Oasis, but I suspect the buffet will be similar but to a smaller degree. My impression is that you will have a similar dining experience on Grandeur. Oasis has more for fee options it appears.

 

Activities. You will find that Grandeur's activities will be more traditional. The shows every night will be scheduled according to the two dining times. Depending on your cruise director, your activities could vary, though if you're looking for Oasis type bells and whistles, the Grandeur won't have it.

 

Breakfast. Park Cafe also has breakfast, but I can't remember if it had eggs and bacon specifically. But the buffet and MDR will always have that, so that wouldn't be a problem.

 

Kids on Grandeur. I've never had to "escape" from them. If you're leaving on the Grandeur in January, there won't be that many kids to escape from. Though during the cold times, there are more indoor venues on Anthem than Grandeur.

 

My recommendation is the 9 night only because its 1 night more than Anthem. 2nd. Charleston is wonderful. Much of the highlights can be walked to. The food in Charleston is amazing. I've taken this itinerary twice. The 3 domestic ports can be off-putting, but if you scratch the surface and really look at what the port has to offer, you'll find a wealth of options, especially considering you will still be considered domestic with your data plan and allow you easy transportation such as uber or lyft. Also, in my opinion, Cococay, is a bit dull, unless you're a big beach person. However, there are beaches in Port Canaveral and Miami as well as Nassau if that's what you want. if the price is the same, i'd go for the longer cruise, but that's almost always the case for me.

You keep talking about Oasis. The comparison here is Grandeur and Anthem.

I always find a balcony cabin on the Anthem costs less than a balcony cabin on the Grandeur, and it's a much nicer cabin - with a WAY better bathroom.