We attended the Cruise Lines International Association conference which featured visits to three amazing ships including MSC Virtuosa, P&O Iona and Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas.
Day 3: Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas
On the third day of CLIA we spent the day on Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas which is a Quantum-class ship. We had a presentation in the Two70 lounge where we watched short videos on the interactive robotic screens and the large 270 screen. We also had breakfast from the two70 café which offers an array of delicious breakfast foods, lunch foods and afternoon snacks including pastries, soups, pastas, saladas, pies, homemade soups, sandwiches, wraps and breakfast muffins, eggs benedict, fruits, cereals and much more. The two storey venue is amazing, by day it offers one of the best places at sea to watch the world go with the incredible 270 sea views and by night the venue becomes a spectacular high-tech different type of entertainment center including the two70 robotic screens, rising floor levels, intense lights and sounds. The most popular show that goes on in this venue is the Spectres Cabaret. You can also watch movies in this venue and there are amazing evening shows that interact with the robotic screens which are not to be missed!
We then did a self-guided tour around the ship and then had lunch at the Windjammer marketplace Buffet onboard. Windjammer was very well laid out and each section of the buffet was named very clearly so you always know what you’re getting from each section.
There is everything you can imagine offered in the buffet including, Asian food, Meats and carvery’s, Italian food, American food, homemade bread, a dessert station, and much more. All the foods were laid out very nicely and had a great presentation. Aside from Windjammer there are another 4 main dining restaurants onboard including one of my favourites, the American Icon Grill which features artist photos taken at different iconic festivals, Silk which is an Asian themed restaurant, Chic and The Grande.
We also visited the Solarium Bistro which offers healthier options for breakfast and lunch and has a nice outdoorsy feeling to the restaurant with concrete flooring. Café promenade was our next visit and is located in the multi-level royal promenade which is at the heart of the ship, it is open 24-hours a day and is the perfect spot for late-night cravings! Sorrento’s is also located in the royal promenade and offers New York-style pizzas including traditional pizzas and revolving formations such as the Hawaiian and Florentine pizzas, this venue is a must-try! We then visited Wonderland which in my opinion is a hidden gem, offering a uniquely immersive experience restaurant onboard and is themed around Alice In Wonderland, everything in the restaurant comes hand in hand with this theme including the chairs, cutlery, mirrors, mounted wall clocks, and glassware.
The Brass and Bock was our next stop and this stood out to me as it was a traditional English pub and felt very warm and cosy inside. Perfect for if you were in colder climates. The outside décor included old wooden beer barrels as tables and is a nice place to sit and have a pre-dinner drink.
Next was the Bionic bar which was super cool and a different type of place to get a cocktail from, this is definitely an Instagram-worthy venue, and is really fun to watch the robotic bartender’s arms making a cocktail. Then we went on to see the music hall which is a two-storey venue and creates the genuine sense of an old school American rock and roll music venue including self-levelling pool tables/billard and beautiful crystal chandelier lights. The venue reminded me of a hard rock café type of venue and features live music, karaoke, game shows, and rock and roll cover band shows.
When you get up onto top decks here is where the fun is at! There is the fantastic North Star, a London eye-type pod stimulated via a mechanical arm extending 300 ft above the sea both in port and when at sea. This is sure to provide you with some amazing picture-worthy views, it is situated towards the middle of the ship and the pod can take up to 14 passengers. Then there is the Ripcord ifly which is an adrenaline-pumping free fall skydiving experience that simulates the feeling of free-falling from a plane in a 23 ft high Perspex tube situated at the back of the ship near the FlowRider. The FlowRider is a surf experience that simulates perfect waves to surf on and gives you the chance to attempt at surfing the waves that it creates.
The Seaplex really stood out to me as it is a two-story area full of fun and exciting activities especially for the kids, with a vast variety of activities including arcade-type games, basketball, archery, roller skating, a sea bumper car ride, and even an ice-skating rink! If that is not enough to satisfy your children’s needs then the Seaplex also hosts the Doghouse which is the first food truck at sea and offers yummy hot dogs, sides and salads.
The solarium was another one of my favourite venues on this ship as this is an exclusive adults-only indoor glass dome pool area, located right at the front of the ship so this venue provides you with spectacular views of the ocean as well as having a rainforest feel to it as there are lots of green trees and plants around making it a very peaceful place to be. The Solarium is very light and airy, there are hammocks, sunbeds, and even double beds available, as soon as you walk into this area you feel immediately relaxed and at peace, perfect for a mid-afternoon nap. There are a few pools and hot tubs in this area and they all give lovely views of the stunning space around them.
At the centre of the ship on the top decks, there is an exhilarating rock-climbing wall where you can climb over the side of the ship above the ocean and get amazing views all around you. There are also the pool areas for all ages on this deck including a fun whirlpool which will whirl you around peacefully but is a struggle to get out of! There is a bandstand situated above the main pool and whirlpool where there was a live band playing which created a perfect holiday atmosphere perfect for sipping a cocktail on a sunny day by the pool.
My overall impression of the Anthem of the Seas was that it is definitely a perfect ship for families and couples. The ship had so many things for guests to do onboard and so many venues to go and relax or have a drink which is great as each venue has something different about it so you’ll never get bored. There are also so many different places to dine some more quirky than others, but the variety of options are amazing on board. Not to mention the endless activities that are available to do, why would you even want to get off the ship when there is so much to do onboard! I also liked how there is an adults-only area with lots of relaxing areas available including the double bed sunbeds and hammocks. The endless entertainment venues and activities such as the ifly, rock climbing, FlowRider, The North Star and the SeaPlex are all winners in my opinion as these all bring different, exciting, and exhilarating experiences to life whilst at sea which is great fun and creates long-lasting memories for everyone.
