Three Star HAL cruiser looking for information about Anthem

[jeh10641]

I recently attained Mariner Level Three (HAL) and now I am looking at Anthem of the Seas for an October 15, 2023 transatlantic cruise from Southampton (UK). I am on the first level of their loyalty program. Price is the major reason for the research. We sailed transatlantic on Navigator of the Seas in November 2008 from Barcelona (had an awful time in that city due to a bird poop scam).

 

My question is: will I enjoy Anthem as much as HAL's cruises? We sailed on Rotterdam 12/01/21 most recently.

 

Thanks for any advice you can give.

Jim

[smplybcause]

You'll probably need to state what you like so much about HAL cruises to get any good answers. 

 

As a ship anthem is far and above any HAL ship, but maybe that doesn't mean anything to you. 

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

12 minutes ago, smplybcause said:

You'll probably need to state what you like so much about HAL cruises to get any good answers. 

 

As a ship anthem is far and above any HAL ship, but maybe that doesn't mean anything to you. 

Ditto this. I'm far from a HAL expert, but in my limited experience, the two lines are really comparing apples to oranges. 

 

But I would add that the Anthem and the Navigator are also pretty close to apples & oranges!

[Biker19]

1 hour ago, jeh10641 said:

 

My question is: will I enjoy Anthem as much as HAL's cruises?

Read some Anthem reviews. 

[mo&fran]

The only way to answer this question is to actually  go on the cruise and see for yourself.

You might find there are things that you didn't know you liked. 

[Saab4444]

Much more action and much more crowded on Anthem!

[Jerseygirl1416]

The pool deck on Anthem stinks so if you spend a lot of time there that could be a negative. That said the inside of the ship is beautiful and has lots of restaurants and bars and a very beautiful unique show venue.

[Cigar King]

5 hours ago, jeh10641 said:

(had an awful time in that city due to a bird poop scam

Enquiring minds want to know.  What is a bird poop scam?

[Sunshine3601]

Anthem is considered a cold weather ship and has an adult only multi tiered solarium that is perfect for sea days on a TA crossing in October. Also  separate indoor pool.   

Outdoor pool is a bit small compared to other royal ships but I usually go to upper sun deck to relax and read on warm sunny days.

Several different speciality restaurants.   Wonderland is a must try at least once.   

If you book a suite, Coastal kitchen is a nice restaurant.  

270 theater is one of our favorites.  We hang there a lot for various games and entertainment.

Maybe do the crossing and stay onboard for additional week to bahamas.

I have sailed HAL ships a couple times years ago and really enjoy Anthem and other royal ships.

I say book it!

[Jimbo]

Hal's Food will be better then Royal's

Edited April 3, 2022 by Jimbo

[John&LaLa]

3 star sound like Platinum if you only need 5 cruises to get there.

[John&LaLa]

13 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Food will be better then Royal's

 

Have you been on HAL? 

[Jimbo]

Just now, John&LaLa said:

 

Have you been on HAL? 

Yes, have you?

[John&LaLa]

3 times. Nieuw Amsterdam, Masdam, Veendam. But it's been so long I don't compare anymore.

 

We had about 20 cruises on competing lines before committing to Royal. 

[graphicguy]

Agree with others…would need to know what you liked so much about HAL and what’s important to you to give you frank opinions.

 

Been a long while since I sailed HAL, but sailed Anthem.  If robotic bars, kids pools, and high tech venues for shows don’t sound appealing, might want to stick to HAL.

[jeh10641]

17 hours ago, Cigar King said:

Enquiring minds want to know.  What is a bird poop scam?

 

Here is the BIRD POOP SCAM as I wrote it after our return from Barcelona (and more). I have cousins working for the U.S. State Department who sent it out to embassies around the world. It was new to them at the time.

 

TRAVEL NEWS

 

On November 9, 2008, my wife & I were in Barcelona, Spain. We had traveled 15 hours from Seattle to Paris (plane change) to Barcelona. On our arrival in Barcelona (12:45 PM local time) at our hotel (Silken Hotel Grand Havana), we found that our room was not ready and the restaurant was not open. We decided to go out to lunch.

 

My "money belt" was under my shirt under a zipped-up jacket. I had purchased security holders at a travel store in Seattle to prevent electronic eavesdropping of our credit cards & passports. We had also made color copies of our passports. On our way back to the hotel to deposit our passports & more at the hotel, a bird pooped me on. We were less than 100 yards (meters) from the hotel.

 

The bird poop soaked my clothes. A "good" Samaritan came out of the building next to us and offered water & towels to help us clean up. When I removed my "money belt" from under my shirt (to see how badly it was faring), he offered to help clean it up. The next thing we knew, he was gone with our passports, some AMEX traveler’s checks, cash, etc. Fortunately, we had split up the cash and travelers checks. And my wife had her own credit card.

 

The Hotel Grand Havana staff helped us contact our bank and the credit card companies. The American Consulate in Barcelona got us replacement passports in less than 2 hours (Kudos to that agency!!!).

 

We got to our ship on time and the Guest Relations staff on the Navigator of the Seas helped us contact Equifax so we could put a "Fraud" watch on our credit. The 12-day trip was everything we had hoped for thanks to the real "Good Samaritans".

 

Here’s a link to 10 popular travel scams that people need to be aware of:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa

[jeh10641]

15 hours ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Have you been on HAL? 

Yes. First time was 1959 then in 1966, 2012, 2016, and 2021.

[jeh10641]

What I like (dislike) about HAL:

1.   The food. Even the specialty venues (see below).

2.   The Music Walk, especially Lincoln Center Stage (classical) and B.B. King's Blues Club.

3.   The size of the ships.

4.   The prices are getting out of my comfort range.

 

What I like (dislike) about Royal:

1.   Dislike the number of people on board (although on Navigator it was only 75% in 2008).

2.   Liked the food in the MDR and the buffet. 

3.   Disliked Chops Grill. Felt it was not worth the extra fee because the MDR and buffet were so good.

4.   Liked the Promenade and main showroom shows.

 

Jim

[Cigar King]

1 hour ago, jeh10641 said:

Here is the BIRD POOP SCAM as I wrote it after our return from Barcelona

Thanks.

[DaniDanielle]

I, personally, think Anthem has the best pool areas of any Royal ship we have been on. They have the kiddie pool, outdoor pool, indoor pool and a beautiful Solarium.

[jeh10641]

DaniDanielle

Neither my wife nor I are pool sitters. We prefer to read, watch art auctions (even bought once or twice), participate in trivia, listen to musical events, travelogues, etc.

 

Jim

[Sunshine3601]

1 hour ago, jeh10641 said:

DaniDanielle

Neither my wife nor I are pool sitters. We prefer to read, watch art auctions (even bought once or twice), participate in trivia, listen to musical events, travelogues, etc.

 

Jim

All of that is definitely available on Anthem.   There are lots of great places to relax and read.   Many different trivia and other game shows going on day and night.

Our recent cruise on Anthem had a great piano player/singer at schooner bar, great guitarist in the pub and lots of other venues such as the music hall.

[PigsCanFly]

We cruised on Rotterdam in December 2021 for 21 days and on Anthem in February for 14 days.

Both cruises were enjoyable.  We are 3* on Hal and D+ on Royal.  We have favored those two lines mostly due to the great crews we have met on each.  Entertainment is very different on HAL and RCI.  We enjoy them both.  We have 5 more booked on Royal and 3 more on HAL in the next 6 months.