Anthem 4/30/16 bermuda - overall review

[FRANKM]

My first time on Quantum Class. Previously I have sailed mainly

Oasis, Freedom, Voyager, Radiance and Sovereign Classes.

 

Anthem is a different experience. Some likes and some dislikes, but

overall a good ship. It was somewhat different than I am used to and

a little bit of an adventure at first. We did not get any drink or

dining packages. We had Dynamic Dining Choice which is my

preference. Same as MTD. I like that flexibility.

 

Embarkation at Bayonne was very good. Got there about 10am, dropped

off luggage, went to the indoor parking, $100 for 5 days, and found

plenty of parking on level 2. Walked maybe 150 feet back to the terminal,

found a check-in person who scanned my set sail pass, took a picture,

and stamped the set sail pass. Went through security and went to

the Suite waiting area. I was in a Grand Suite #8638. There was a

Coast Guard Inspection that morning so boarding was delayed. We

boarded at 11AM.

 

Entering the ship on deck 5 was easy but being used to other ships

and layout, I was totally disoriented. Where is the Royal Promenade

first came to my mind. Well, there isn't any. We walked around to

get our bearings, found the Promenade café how come they didn't

call it the Esplanade café?)on Deck 4 grabbed a cup

of coffee and just looked, trying to figure out what this is all about.

 

Rooms weren't ready until about 1pm so we walked around more to get a

sense of where things were. Hit the Windjammer for a little lunch about

12. Not bad. I might be in the minority as I actually like the Windjammer.

This one was laid out fairly well. Plenty of seating if you go towards the

back. Food selections was pretty good so I have no complaints other than

those god awful scrambled eggs for breakfast. Just sort of yellow mush.

We also took breakfast in the Solarium Bistro. Quiet there with pretty

good selections.

 

Went to the cabin about 1pm. Nice space for 3 people. Beds were

comfortable. Two Flat Screen TV's. Storage was adequate but a little

off as to locations of drawers. It just felt odd but we got used to it.

The refrigerator was actually cold. I think the previous occupants

locked the safe when they left so I couldn't access it. Stateroom attendant

came and opened it with a special key so I could enter my own Pin.

Seapass cards and wrist bands were in our room. Wrist bands are

complimentary for suite guests. I never used them. I am happy

with the cards.

 

Checked out the other decks starting at 16 and going down.

Very good layouts. Pool deck and Solarium are quite nice.

Seaplex area was really good. I loved the Café 270 area and

the cabaret area.

 

We tried the Royal IQ thing to check our bag locations. Nah, didn't work.

Kept telling me 2 bags were delivered. I had 3 bags and not yet delivered.

Now I am getting antsy. Lost bag maybe? Eventually 3 bags were delivered

about 3:30pm. But the system kept telling me 2 were delivered. Oh well.

I had it on my IPAD but didn't really use the system to check out anything

else like reservations. It's on the TV so that was easier.

 

Since we were in a suite, we had complimentary Voom. Worked very

well. Fast even in the room. It did drop out occasionally.

 

Dining was pretty good. We are not talking Michelien ratings here

but I had no problems. We ate in the Grande the first night. Service

was very good and so was the food. No complaints. Our server

was crisp and right on, almost militarily so. Not engaging or

chatty but he was good.

 

Second night we went to Silk. Again, no complaints. Servers were

very friendly and were trying hard. Food was good.

 

Third night we were in Bermuda. Went to the Frog and Onion for

dinner. One of my favorites.

 

Fourth night we went to Windjammer. Again, good selections. They had

an Indian setup with Tandoori chicken (no, they don't have a Tandoori

oven), but it was spiced well and very moist.

 

Fifth night we went to Coastal Kitchen. That was the best. We had

gone there for breakfast and lunch and decided this was for us.

Very nice. Food was exceptionally good. Service was quick and

the servers were very friendly and not rushed.

 

The shows were very good. We Will Rock You was fantastic.

The Gift was a little difficult to follow at first. Unfortunately, I fell

asleep (too many Mojitos I guess). But DW got the plot. Spectras

Cabaret was very well done. The Welcome aboard show had a

comedian - Carl Banks. He was funny. Also, Mosaic had a

headliner show somewhere during the week.

 

Did the North Star which was spectacular. Also had fun with the

bumper cars. Didn't do the Ifly.

 

My biggest letdown was the Royal Esplanade. It was like Meh, and

It just did not click with

me. Some like it, Some don't. The shops didn't seem to have enough.

If you wanted liquor or cigarettes, there was plenty of that.

There were upscale places like Armani and Hublot if that's what you like.

There just didn't seem to be enough room in the area. I always

looked at the Royal Promenade on other ships as being the heartbeat

of the ship. Always something going on with more room and free flowing.

I heard this from many other passengers also.

 

The Esplanade had these sales like the $10 things for t-shirts, handbags

and jewelry. Announced as 1 hour sale starting at 5:30 that lasted until 9.

Eh? OMG, it was like a "Feeding Frenzy". DW jumped into the melee and I

got lost for awhile. Best for me to stay out of the area for that sort of thing.

It's even hard to pass through with the crowds.

 

The Casino has a nicer layout. More open and less restrictive than

other ships I have been on. Was not too good to me.

 

The ship wasn't as stable as I thought it would be. There was recognizable

motion especially the first night out of Bayonne. It didn't bother me as

I like it. Feels like a ship should feel. But I could see those sensitive

to motion having a little problem. We were walking a little funny at times.

We had two suitcases stored in the closet in our cabin. They did start

banging around a little the first night.

 

They did roll out the new suite amenities. The second day, the concierge

changed my seapass card from gold to a maroon color. I never saw

a list of what was included. But I know I got plenty of specialty coffees

at Starbucks with no charge and free internet.

Also, I wasn't charged for the Mojitos (had quite a few of those)

at Boleros or any drinks in the theatres. I am Diamond Class

(actually, now Diamond plus after this cruise)

so maybe it was included under that. Don't really care. Free is free.

The change in card colors did raise some eyebrows with some staff. They are used to the gold

card. They had to ask a supervisor what it was. It was always, no charge

for him. Ok, I can deal with that.

 

I asked a few of the staff about any changes in the Dining setup.

Everyone said that as far as they know, everything is on hold for

changing Dynamic dining. They actually prefer traditional dining

since it's easier on them.

 

Overall, I warmed up to the ship after a few days. Judging from

Royals past IT reputation, I have to admit the Technology is very

well run. Some quirks here and there but it works fine.

The décor, kind of subtle Oriental influences, worked ok for me after

a while. The staff was very good. Some were not too engaging and

seemed a little distant but overall very good.

 

Debarkation was ok. They want you out of the rooms about 8:30.

Had breakfast in the Coastal Kitchen. The suite

area was in Chops on deck 4. We were escorted off the ship by

the concierge. We left about 9, got bags, went through customs and

I was in the car by 10 or so.

 

 

Would I go back on the Anthem? Maybe. I probably would not want

to travel far to get it. But since I am only 1/2 hour from Bayonne, I

wouldn't rule out another cruise on her.

 

Sorry if this conflicts with any other experiences. But my likes

could be your dislikes etc. etc.

 

Oh, one further thing. Remember how they put the day signs on the

floor of the elevators. I always wondered how it would be if they forgot.

Well, It DID happen. Got on an elevator, Tuesday evening and the

floor sign read Monday. People on the elevator were confused and

started questioning each other. Very funny. I think it was only that

elevator.

[mirp]

Thank you.

 

Love it about the day of the week sign :)

[libertybelle41]

Thanks for your reviews!

[George C]

Very nice review, thanks

[PokrChick]

Loved your review. Thanks for taking the time to post it!

[Clarea]

Thanks for the review.

[erby2283]

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts!

[FRANKM]

Thank you.

 

Love it about the day of the week sign :)

 

True story!! I always wanted to do this myself as a joke.

Maybe the crew was playing a joke on us. Don't know.

We do lose track of the days on a cruise. But it was funny.

[cincicruisers]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review.

[FRANKM]

My first time on Quantum Class. Previously I have sailed mainly

Oasis, Freedom, Voyager, Radiance and Sovereign Classes.

 

Anthem is a different experience. Some likes and some dislikes, but

overall a good ship. It was somewhat different than I am used to and

a little bit of an adventure at first. We did not get any drink or

dining packages. We had Dynamic Dining Choice which is my

preference. Same as MTD. I like that flexibility.

 

Embarkation at Bayonne was very good. Got there about 10am, dropped

off luggage, went to the indoor parking, $100 for 5 days, and found

plenty of parking on level 2. Walked maybe 150 feet back to the terminal,

found a check-in person who scanned my set sail pass, took a picture,

and stamped the set sail pass. Went through security and went to

the Suite waiting area. I was in a Grand Suite #8638. There was a

Coast Guard Inspection that morning so boarding was delayed. We

boarded at 11AM.

 

Entering the ship on deck 5 was easy but being used to other ships

and layout, I was totally disoriented. Where is the Royal Promenade

first came to my mind. Well, there isn't any. We walked around to

get our bearings, found the Promenade café how come they didn't

call it the Esplanade café?)on Deck 4 grabbed a cup

of coffee and just looked, trying to figure out what this is all about.

 

Rooms weren't ready until about 1pm so we walked around more to get a

sense of where things were. Hit the Windjammer for a little lunch about

12. Not bad. I might be in the minority as I actually like the Windjammer.

This one was laid out fairly well. Plenty of seating if you go towards the

back. Food selections was pretty good so I have no complaints other than

those god awful scrambled eggs for breakfast. Just sort of yellow mush.

We also took breakfast in the Solarium Bistro. Quiet there with pretty

good selections.

 

Went to the cabin about 1pm. Nice space for 3 people. Beds were

comfortable. Two Flat Screen TV's. Storage was adequate but a little

off as to locations of drawers. It just felt odd but we got used to it.

The refrigerator was actually cold. I think the previous occupants

locked the safe when they left so I couldn't access it. Stateroom attendant

came and opened it with a special key so I could enter my own Pin.

Seapass cards and wrist bands were in our room. Wrist bands are

complimentary for suite guests. I never used them. I am happy

with the cards.

 

Checked out the other decks starting at 16 and going down.

Very good layouts. Pool deck and Solarium are quite nice.

Seaplex area was really good. I loved the Café 270 area and

the cabaret area.

 

We tried the Royal IQ thing to check our bag locations. Nah, didn't work.

Kept telling me 2 bags were delivered. I had 3 bags and not yet delivered.

Now I am getting antsy. Lost bag maybe? Eventually 3 bags were delivered

about 3:30pm. But the system kept telling me 2 were delivered. Oh well.

I had it on my IPAD but didn't really use the system to check out anything

else like reservations. It's on the TV so that was easier.

 

Since we were in a suite, we had complimentary Voom. Worked very

well. Fast even in the room. It did drop out occasionally.

 

Dining was pretty good. We are not talking Michelien ratings here

but I had no problems. We ate in the Grande the first night. Service

was very good and so was the food. No complaints. Our server

was crisp and right on, almost militarily so. Not engaging or

chatty but he was good.

 

Second night we went to Silk. Again, no complaints. Servers were

very friendly and were trying hard. Food was good.

 

Third night we were in Bermuda. Went to the Frog and Onion for

dinner. One of my favorites.

 

Fourth night we went to Windjammer. Again, good selections. They had

an Indian setup with Tandoori chicken (no, they don't have a Tandoori

oven), but it was spiced well and very moist.

 

Fifth night we went to Coastal Kitchen. That was the best. We had

gone there for breakfast and lunch and decided this was for us.

Very nice. Food was exceptionally good. Service was quick and

the servers were very friendly and not rushed.

 

The shows were very good. We Will Rock You was fantastic.

The Gift was a little difficult to follow at first. Unfortunately, I fell

asleep (too many Mojitos I guess). But DW got the plot. Spectras

Cabaret was very well done. The Welcome aboard show had a

comedian - Carl Banks. He was funny. Also, Mosaic had a

headliner show somewhere during the week.

 

Did the North Star which was spectacular. Also had fun with the

bumper cars. Didn't do the Ifly.

 

My biggest letdown was the Royal Esplanade. It was like Meh, and

It just did not click with

me. Some like it, Some don't. The shops didn't seem to have enough.

If you wanted liquor or cigarettes, there was plenty of that.

There were upscale places like Armani and Hublot if that's what you like.

There just didn't seem to be enough room in the area. I always

looked at the Royal Promenade on other ships as being the heartbeat

of the ship. Always something going on with more room and free flowing.

I heard this from many other passengers also.

 

The Esplanade had these sales like the $10 things for t-shirts, handbags

and jewelry. Announced as 1 hour sale starting at 5:30 that lasted until 9.

Eh? OMG, it was like a "Feeding Frenzy". DW jumped into the melee and I

got lost for awhile. Best for me to stay out of the area for that sort of thing.

It's even hard to pass through with the crowds.

 

The Casino has a nicer layout. More open and less restrictive than

other ships I have been on. Was not too good to me.

 

The ship wasn't as stable as I thought it would be. There was recognizable

motion especially the first night out of Bayonne. It didn't bother me as

I like it. Feels like a ship should feel. But I could see those sensitive

to motion having a little problem. We were walking a little funny at times.

We had two suitcases stored in the closet in our cabin. They did start

banging around a little the first night.

 

They did roll out the new suite amenities. The second day, the concierge

changed my seapass card from gold to a maroon color. I never saw

a list of what was included. But I know I got plenty of specialty coffees

at Starbucks with no charge and free internet.

Also, I wasn't charged for the Mojitos (had quite a few of those)

at Boleros or any drinks in the theatres. I am Diamond Class

(actually, now Diamond plus after this cruise)

so maybe it was included under that. Don't really care. Free is free.

The change in card colors did raise some eyebrows with some staff. They are used to the gold

card. They had to ask a supervisor what it was. It was always, no charge

for him. Ok, I can deal with that.

 

I asked a few of the staff about any changes in the Dining setup.

Everyone said that as far as they know, everything is on hold for

changing Dynamic dining. They actually prefer traditional dining

since it's easier on them.

 

Overall, I warmed up to the ship after a few days. Judging from

Royals past IT reputation, I have to admit the Technology is very

well run. Some quirks here and there but it works fine.

The décor, kind of subtle Oriental influences, worked ok for me after

a while. The staff was very good. Some were not too engaging and

seemed a little distant but overall very good.

 

Debarkation was ok. They want you out of the rooms about 8:30.

Had breakfast in the Coastal Kitchen. The suite

area was in Chops on deck 4. We were escorted off the ship by

the concierge. We left about 9, got bags, went through customs and

I was in the car by 10 or so.

 

 

Would I go back on the Anthem? Maybe. I probably would not want

to travel far to get it. But since I am only 1/2 hour from Bayonne, I

wouldn't rule out another cruise on her.

 

Sorry if this conflicts with any other experiences. But my likes

could be your dislikes etc. etc.

 

Oh, one further thing. Remember how they put the day signs on the

floor of the elevators. I always wondered how it would be if they forgot.

Well, It DID happen. Got on an elevator, Tuesday evening and the

floor sign read Monday. People on the elevator were confused and

started questioning each other. Very funny. I think it was only that

elevator.

 

One other funny tidbit (maybe not). At 5am on Monday, I heard the

announcement thing go off. You know, bing bong bing thing. I thought

it odd at that time. I figure oh Jeez, something is happening. But no

announcement.

The next day I had a bridge tour. I asked one of the officers where the

announcements come from. She said the bridge. Well, then who was

the wise guy who set it off a 5am yesterday?

She turned red and said she was on

the bridge at that time and was wondering the same thing and couldn't

figure it out. Ummmm.

[alexkrn46]

Great review thanks for posting, I feel similar regarding the Quantum class

[Artemis908]

Hi! I will actually being staying in the suite right next to yours, ours is a GS. So was your free Starbucks because your Diamond? Never heard of free Starbucks for suites unless they are the big/expensive ones.

[FRANKM]

Hi! I will actually being staying in the suite right next to yours, ours is a GS. So was your free Starbucks because your Diamond? Never heard of free Starbucks for suites unless they are the big/expensive ones.

 

You will love the location. Right off the elevators and quiet.

 

The Diamond benefits only indicates one complimentary non alcoholic

specialty coffee with the purchase of dinner at a specialty restaurant.

I never did any of that. Just walked up to Starbucks and ordered

a Cappucino. They looked at my card and made the coffee. Never

scanned it. Got to the point where I was on a first name basis with

the server. I am a big coffee drinker.

Maybe they misinterpreted the benefits. Don't know. But I did ask

for the bill and they said there isn't any.

 

Same with the drinks at Boleros.

But I did get charged for the wine in Coastal Kitchen.

They took off 20% for Diamond benefits. Go figure.

[ATLgirl15]

Under the new suite program, the highest tier (Star) includes beverage and specialty dining package. I think the maroon color represents Star class-not sure but that's how it looks online. I think the beverage pacakages don't apply to bottles so maybe that is why there was the charge in coastal kitchen. But it seems like the server should have mentioned that you could have free by the glass. I guess it is all new and they have some kinks to work out.

 

Last cruise I was on gave complimentary hour hour drinks to diamonds in any venue. Not sure if that was just that cruise because there were too many diamonds on board to fit in the lounge. But I liked it better that way. I hope that is standard now.

[Artemis908]

I believe they were in a GS though which is not star class.

 

Under the new suite program, the highest tier (Star) includes beverage and specialty dining package. I think the maroon color represents Star class-not sure but that's how it looks online. I think the beverage pacakages don't apply to bottles so maybe that is why there was the charge in coastal kitchen. But it seems like the server should have mentioned that you could have free by the glass. I guess it is all new and they have some kinks to work out.

 

Last cruise I was on gave complimentary hour hour drinks to diamonds in any venue. Not sure if that was just that cruise because there were too many diamonds on board to fit in the lounge. But I liked it better that way. I hope that is standard now.

[ATLgirl15]

I'd say that was a happy accident! Based on another review of Sky class (which is what GS should be) the cards are purple.

[FRANKM]

I'd say that was a happy accident! Based on another review of Sky class (which is what GS should be) the cards are purple.

 

Just checked my card again. Says Sky Class. Maroon card.

I think this was the first roll-out of the new cards. It was issued by

the Concierge on day 2 when I went to the lounge to confirm a

bridge tour attendance. She took my gold card deactivated it and issued the new

one on the spot. Maybe I got the wrong color?

 

When I first started using the card, it did raise some eyebrows.

Probably caused some confusion since the staff was not used to the

different ones. Who knows. But I had no list of any amenities so

I could not verify anything.

 

Sure they have fixed any problems by now. Easy come, easy go.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Under the new suite program, the highest tier (Star) includes beverage and specialty dining package. I think the maroon color represents Star class-not sure but that's how it looks online. I think the beverage pacakages don't apply to bottles so maybe that is why there was the charge in coastal kitchen. But it seems like the server should have mentioned that you could have free by the glass. I guess it is all new and they have some kinks to work out. Maroon card does indeed represent SKY CLASS. Dark blue/purple represents STAR CLASS. Teal represents SEA CLASS.

 

Last cruise I was on gave complimentary hour hour drinks to diamonds in any venue. Not sure if that was just that cruise because there were too many diamonds on board to fit in the lounge. But I liked it better that way. I hope that is standard now. Diamond members and above get 3 drinks on their SeaPass to be used at any bar around the ship for about 3 hours each night.

 

Please read the statements in RED.

 

Just checked my card again. Says Sky Class. Maroon card.

I think this was the first roll-out of the new cards. It was issued by

the Concierge on day 2 when I went to the lounge to confirm a

bridge tour attendance. She took my gold card deactivated it and issued the new

one on the spot. Maybe I got the wrong color?

 

When I first started using the card, it did raise some eyebrows.

Probably caused some confusion since the staff was not used to the

different ones. Who knows. But I had no list of any amenities so

I could not verify anything.

 

Sure they have fixed any problems by now. Easy come, easy go.

 

You got the correct card. As I mentioned above, a maroon card represents SKY CLASS. Dark blue/purple is for STAR CLASS.

[Pandabear90]

Great post, thanks for sharing. Did you feel like the 5 night did you justice for the ship and being able to enjoy all the features it had to offer? We too have one booked it for next year and are local to the ship. So it will be our first time not having to fly to ft lauderdale or San Juan.

[14Terry]

Enjoyed reading your review, thank you.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[FRANKM]

Great post, thanks for sharing. Did you feel like the 5 night did you justice for the ship and being able to enjoy all the features it had to offer? We too have one booked it for next year and are local to the ship. So it will be our first time not having to fly to ft lauderdale or San Juan.

 

5 nights gave me a good taste of what the ship was all about. I think 7 or

definitely 9 nights would have been better. I did want to try some of the other

restaurants but there wasn't time. Of course, a half hour drive to the port

and not having to fly anywhere does make things much easier and cheaper.

But I figured, at the time, I might not like this type ship so why spend

more time and money going longer.

[Pandabear90]

5 nights gave me a good taste of what the ship was all about. I think 7 or

definitely 9 nights would have been better. I did want to try some of the other

restaurants but there wasn't time. Of course, a half hour drive to the port

and not having to fly anywhere does make things much easier and cheaper.

But I figured, at the time, I might not like this type ship so why spend

more time and money going longer.

 

Thanks Frank.

[welshrich]

Great post, thanks for sharing. Did you feel like the 5 night did you justice for the ship and being able to enjoy all the features it had to offer? We too have one booked it for next year and are local to the ship. So it will be our first time not having to fly to ft lauderdale or San Juan.

 

Hi, we were on this cruise too, really enjoyed reliving it!

 

We would have liked more days, but we did fit so much into the 5 days we did not feel we missed out, we saw all the shows, tried a few of the dining venues and the North Star / ifly a few times as there was not a big standby line for them.