My take on the Anthem Bar Harbor/Halifax sailing

[canuckcruiselover]

We got off the 5 nighter to Bar Harbor and Halifax last Saturday. We chose the Anthem primarily because we didn’t want a long flight. We also hadn’t been to Halifax and were interested to see it.

 

The Very Good

Embarkation was a breeze. Well-organized and very quick. We were in the Windjammer at 11:30.We enjoyed the bumper cars and North Star while still in port, without reservations. Immediately after lunch, there were only very short lineups.

 

The Captain took us very close to the Statue of Liberty when we left Bayonne which was a nice treat.

 

We were in balcony stateroom 13716 right at the back of the ship which was a trek to the stairs/elevators but it was well laid out, lots of storage and we especially liked the new shower doors.

 

The pool deck is the nicest I have seen – 3 pools (2 indoor and a large outdoor) and enough loungers available.

 

Sailing on the North Atlantic, and having seen so many posters mention that they could feel the motion on the Anthem, even in calm seas, I was pleasantly surprised that most of the time I didn’t even feel that we were moving. Perhaps that’s because we were cruising at only around 9 or 10 knots until the last night which was close to 20. I could feel some motion on the last night but a lot less than I expected.

 

Spectra’s Cabaret is the most phenomenal show at sea. A mind-blowing multi-media,multi-dimensional extravaganza with incredibly talented performers,particularly the lead singer, Terry Lavell. We took other posters’advice and sat in the front centre of the balcony which had a spectacular view. We were told by one of the production crew that it cost $35 million to create the space with all the robotic arms, technology, screens, etc. We also enjoyed the virtual symphony show that played there one day.

 

We are big Queen fans and enjoyed We Will Rock You more than the London production. If you want to hear Bohemian Rhapsody stay until the encore.

 

We stopped eating in the MDR some years ago and have most meals in the Windjammer. The Anthem WJ had an even better selection of food than usual and amazing desserts – tasty and beautifully presented. DH loved the pistachio pie. We often ate in the outside area, which was usually empty. It’s right at the back of the WJ and difficult to find unless you know it’s there, which we did, thanks to other posters. We have been diamond members for a couple of years but, for some reason, never went to the diamond lounge before. They had some good appetizers in the evening and great lattes.

 

We also enjoyed the Solarium Bistro and Cafe Two Seventy for lighter meals. I found the pizza slices in Sorrento's very greasy.

 

In Halifax, we strolled along the boardwalk, went into the Maritime Museum, which we enjoyed and DH tried to find his name on the manifest at Pier 21 which he arrived at years ago as a young kid with his family from the UK. Unfortunately, due to privacy laws, the list won't be released until 2024! We enjoyed a long lunch at one of the many Irish Pubs due to the fact that the service was extremely slow. It took 45 minutes before our food arrived which seems to be the norm in small Canadian towns. Torontonians say that when you go out east, you have to set your watch back 100 years. Not true . . . maybe 50 ;) But we enjoyed the day.

The Not So Good

When entering the ship for the first time, there is not the wow factor that you get on other ships with wide promenade decks. I admit I don’t have the best sense of direction but even DH,who is good at navigating, found the layout extremely confusing. Decks 4 and 5 are like mini shopping malls with narrow winding hallways. Venues are on either side of the hallways and don’t have direct access from the centre making the ship appear a lot smaller than it is, cramped and very chopped up. Having the centre booths only makes for an even narrower, crowded walkway. DH had the impression that there were several different companies involved in the interior design. It’s a bit of a mish-mash. Not that it had any impact on our cruise experience, but we weren’t impressed with the artwork on the ship either.

 

All the seating on the ship, including in the casino, is very uncomfortable with low backs. Definitely a case of form over function!

 

Our stateroom was great for access to the WJ and pool decks but when we had to take the elevator, the wait time was awful and elevators often didn’t even stop on our deck. Only two banks of elevators on such a huge ship is very poor planning.

 

We usually enjoy snacks in the Promenade Café but on the Anthem, it was the same food every day . . . and none of those delicious cheesecake lollipops that we’ve enjoyed on other ships! Not that we went hungry but it was a pretty boring selection.

 

“The Gift” production was really weird and we left after about 15 minutes.

 

We picked up our tender ticket at 9:30 am for Bar Harbor but the tender wasn't called until close to 1:30 so we decided to stay on board and enjoy the empty pool deck. We gave our tender ticket #42 to a passenger who had #50. There were around 70 tenders. With only two tenders for so many passengers, you have to pick up your ticket early if you want to spend some meaningful time ashore.

 

The line-up to disembark was similar to our experience in Galveston a few years ago. I think it was more of a Customs problem than an RC issue. It was 10:30 before we finally made it through Customs. Fortunately, we had a late flight.

 

Bottom Line

I’m glad we tried the Anthem but I doubt whether we will go on it again. IMHO, the Oasis has a far superior layout, is easier to navigate, much more open, and has the wow factor in spades! The ship is great for kids and for winter cruises out of Bayonne.

[easyboy]

Thank you for your feedback!

 

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[PTAngel]

Thank you for your review. We are going on the Anthem next month for the first time. We can drive there so is convenient. We went on the Oasis in March & enjoyed it. It was a long drive though. We bring DH's mobility scooter with us & have an accessible cabin. Were there a lot of scooters vying for space in the elevator's? I have learned to get on an elevator no matter where it is going so you don't have to wait through 3 or 4 trips before there is room.

 

Did you try the Escape Room? I'm dying to try that. Where is it?

[eel]

Thanks for your review. We board Anthem at the end of August for a New England and Canada sailing. Glad you let us know about the difficulties tendering in Bar Harbor. We will need to get our tender tickets extra early since we have a private tour planned.

 

This will be our first time on Anthem but we have been on both Quantum and Ovation for long cruises. This class of ships is one of our favorites! Oasis class is one of our least favorites. I guess it is good they have different ship designs for different folks.

 

We think the wow factor on Quantum class ships is definitely there. Venues such as 270, Seaplex, the Music Hall and the indoor pool are amazing and unique. Although we used to love the promenade decks on other Royal ships, the look is getting a little dated. It reminds me of a 90s shopping mall. We like the modern look on the Quantum class ships although in a way it just looks like a more recent shopping mall!.

 

I have to agree The Gift is the most convoluted show at sea. We saw it on Ovation and probably won't go again on Anthem. We are very much looking forward to We Will Rock You as we are big Queen fans too.

 

Also agree the elevator situation is not good. But we found similar elevator wait times when we sailed on Harmony. We also agree that the public seating in many areas are uncomfortable. Especially around the bionic bar!

 

One thing you did not mention was your cabin. We really like the design of the Quantum class cabins. I guess Royal Caribbean does too because the Harmony has a very similar design.

 

Anyway, we really appreciate your opinions and insights. Glad you had a good cruise!

[canuckcruiselover]

Thank you for your review. We are going on the Anthem next month for the first time. We can drive there so is convenient. We went on the Oasis in March & enjoyed it. It was a long drive though. We bring DH's mobility scooter with us & have an accessible cabin. Were there a lot of scooters vying for space in the elevator's? I have learned to get on an elevator no matter where it is going so you don't have to wait through 3 or 4 trips before there is room.

 

Did you try the Escape Room? I'm dying to try that. Where is it?

 

There were a lot of scooters and strollers. Sometimes, we did get on an elevator, no matter where it was going, but many times there just wasn't room. We didn't go to the Escape Room and I don't know where it is.

[canuckcruiselover]

One thing you did not mention was your cabin. We really like the design of the Quantum class cabins. I guess Royal Caribbean does too because the Harmony has a very similar design.

Yes, we liked the stateroom design. Nicely laid out, lots of storage and a much better bathroom than on other ships we have been on -- especially the shower doors which actually close. The balcony was small but fine. We were in stateroom 13716 right at the back of the ship. It was a long trek to the aft elevators and stairs so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone with mobility issues.

[canuckcruiselover]

Venues such as 270, Seaplex, the Music Hall and the indoor pool are amazing and unique.

I agree, those venues are truly amazing and we really enjoyed them but I missed the openness of the Oasis. I love the central park and boardwalk areas on Oasis. The Anthem seemed more like a Vegas-type resort, glitzy and closed-in.

[BillOh]

We got off the 5 nighter to Bar Harbor and Halifax last Saturday..

 

 

We are considering doing this cruise or a similar one in the future, thanks for taking the time to give us your details.

[eel]

......

 

 

 

Did you try the Escape Room? I'm dying to try that. Where is it?

 

 

We did the Escape room on Ovation and it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately we did not solve it in time but came close. We heard that the room on Anthem is the same. It is located just outside of Seaplex.

 

 

 

 

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[marci22]

We picked up our tender ticket at 9:30 am for Bar Harbor but the tender wasn't called until close to 1:30 so we decided to stay on board and enjoy the empty pool deck. We gave our tender ticket #42 to a passenger who had #50. There were around 70 tenders. With only two tenders for so many passengers, you have to pick up your ticket early if you want to spend some meaningful time ashore.

 

wow, I am shocked. I wonder if you could have gotten on a bit earlier if you went downstairs before they called your number. In my experience, after the first few tenders, they tend to go out below capacity and they will let stragglers board. (Don't try it in the first half hour when all the early tours are leaving.) We met people with #15 who got on the tender before us (#7).

 

For others who may be interested, tender ticket pickup time was 7am at 270, and my husband got in line at 6:45am (iirc) and he got his #7 ticket at 7:30am.

 

Lots of people in line ahead of him, many of whom did not need to be. If you have a RC excursion, your excursion tickets are your tender tickets. Waited to board until about 8:11am when they called tenders 5-7 at once. Got to Bar Harbor a little before 8:30am.

[Tatka]

OP, my thoughts on Anthem is very close to yours... I could've written this post. :)

 

However we will probably sail on Anthem more as it is convenient for us, it has great and cheap wifi which allows me to work if I need to. Also if we need to sail in colder time, solarium is great. Most of the ships sailing from our area don't have it.

[musicman85]

Love your review! I have read on several reviews now that the tender process in Bar Harbor is not very good. If you don't have a ship excursion, I guess you shouldn't think about getting off before 10 or 11 since you dock at 7? I'm assuming the first 1-2 hours are for those with ship excursions?

 

I'm also used to a promenade area and I really loved the one of Explorer of the Seas. I'll have to see how it compares when we sail this August :)

[marci22]

Love your review! I have read on several reviews now that the tender process in Bar Harbor is not very good. If you don't have a ship excursion, I guess you shouldn't think about getting off before 10 or 11 since you dock at 7? I'm assuming the first 1-2 hours are for those with ship excursion?

 

I posted about our tender experience in my reply to OP above.

 

#1 get in line early: if they say tender tickets are available at 7am, I would get in line at 6:30am. They called the first group at about 7:30ish (tender tickets 1-3). Then they called #4 around 8am. At 8:10am they called 4-7. and so on. Just get in line early.

[baileymouse]

Great review, completely agree with it. We have one more sailing coming up on Anthem (Bermuda) but then we'll concentrate on other ships

 

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[luckyinpa]

The ship is great for kids and for winter cruises out of Bayonne.

 

i'm pleased to hear this as this is THE reason i picked anthem this november. sailing on breakway out of NYC last december was NOT fun at all for a day or 2.

[Tatka]

Yes. Covered pool and solarium are big advantages over Breakaway, as well as Anthems sportplex.

Breakaway does have much better outside promenade for warmer sailings.

 

None of these ships our favorite though. Too crowded.