Anthem of the Seas

There is a soda package, about $9 a day. It comes with a tumbler you can use in the Freestyle machines at any time. You can also get the soda from a bartender. I think a regular soda is about $2.50 , so if you won't drink more than 4 a day, the package won't be worth it.
Regular dining is just like DCL but only in one dining room. Same table, same servers for the whole cruise. My Time Dining (which I did on both of my Anthem cruises) was great. I made reservations online before our cruise for 5:30 every night. They have one podium for people with reservations, and one for people without reservations. We went up to the podium and were seated immediately, every single time. We asked to be seated with other people and they did that. Others wanted their own table, and they got that. It worked out great for us.
Denise
 
It seems to be that if you are from Toronto, you are going to be travelling on Anthem next year :jester:

We are also from Toronto and are doing our first RC cruise at all next March, so this is a very timely thread as I have been scouring for information about how to book everything! Our kiddo is going to be celebrating his 10th during the cruise, and he has already declared that he will disown me if I am not successful in booking him on iFly that day.

My question for anybody who might know is, are all of the activities (bumper cars, roller skating, iFly, etc.) bookable vis the cruise planner, or are some ones where there are no “fast passes” and you just always have to stand in line and hope for the best?
 
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There are no reservations for activities in the SeaPlex (like bumper cars and roller skating), you just wait your turn. We booked IFly and NorthStar on the cruise planner months before the cruise. Just keep checking. Join your roll call on Cruise Critic and someone there will post when they see they are available. Also book the three main shows (We Will Rock You, Spectra's Cabaret and The Gift) in advance, even if you don't end up going to them.
Denise
 
Pop is apparently $4 each, so it is worth getting the package if you drink it regularly. On Anthem, there are Freestyle machines in the Windjammer (buffet) and in the SeaPlex by the hot dog place. And yes, with the package, you can get pop from any bartender at any time with just your Seapass card (so you don't need to carry around the Freestyle cup). Only the Freestyle cups work in the machines - there is no option to purchase a single serving from the Freestyle machine. I'm not sure what kind of selection there is from the bartenders (I don't drink pop, and my husband only used the machines). Check the cruise planner regularly - the various drink packages go on sale often. You can cancel and repurchase at the lower price.

For dining, there are four dining rooms. The two on the lower level are for traditional dining, where you will get the same table and the same waitstaff every night at a set time. The two on the upper level are for my time dining. You can make reservations ahead of time if you want, but, at least on Anthem, the actual time of the reservation doesn't seem to matter too much. There are four lines - three for those with reservations and one for those without. The seating process is a little crazy (seems like 10+ people running around trying to figure out where to seat people), but it didn't take too long to get a table when we were there. Sometimes you can end up in one of the traditional dining rooms if a table is empty (people went to the buffet or Chops/Wonderland/etc.). All four dining rooms serve the same menu.

For iFly and NorthStar, check the cruise planner regularly, as the reservations filled very quickly on our cruise. However, they save reservations, so if you don't get a Cruise Planner reservation, try as soon as you board the ship, either using the app, or the tablets that are set-up in the theatre.

For bumper cars, roller skating, trapeze and rock climbing, I recommend port days, or getting in line about a half hour before the activity starts. The lineups can get long (I asked someone at the front of the bumper car line later in one of the bumper cars time slots, and they had been in line for an hour). Our cruise had 1000+ kids on it, so that would affect the line up times.
 


Thank you so much! @Muskrat191 So, just curious , if you choose My Time dining, are those restaurants an additional charge? There are two to choose from? And if you do traditional , I'm assuming you're just assigned to one restaurant? Thank you again!


There is a soda package, about $9 a day. It comes with a tumbler you can use in the Freestyle machines at any time. You can also get the soda from a bartender. I think a regular soda is about $2.50 , so if you won't drink more than 4 a day, the package won't be worth it.
Regular dining is just like DCL but only in one dining room. Same table, same servers for the whole cruise. My Time Dining (which I did on both of my Anthem cruises) was great. I made reservations online before our cruise for 5:30 every night. They have one podium for people with reservations, and one for people without reservations. We went up to the podium and were seated immediately, every single time. We asked to be seated with other people and they did that. Others wanted their own table, and they got that. It worked out great for us.
Denise
 
My Time dining is all included, no matter which of the four main restaurants you eat in. You only pay extra for the specialty restaurants. When we were last on Anthem we did My Time and were in one restaurant most of the time, but were put in the other one on one night. The restaurants are right next to each other and share the hostess podiums, so it is easy to go to either one. It is the same with the traditional dining rooms, they are next to each other and share the hostess podiums. With traditional, they tend to assign you the same table and servers every night. With My Time, we asked to be seated with others every night, so we were at a different table and with different servers every night. However, I believe if you keep the same reservation time every day, you can ask to be assigned to the same table and servers just like traditional.
Denise
 
Denise is correct. All four of the main dining rooms (two traditional and two my time) serve the same menu each night. Only the decor is different. When Anthem was first launched, it was different. If you see information about "Dynamic Dining" where each of the four restaurants have different menus, etc., that information is out-dated.
 


Ah! Thank you. I couldn't figure out the difference . So, we made reservations already for my time. So we do not choose the restaurant? We go to the hostess podium, and they seat us? Our party is 4: me, my friend and our daughters. So I guess we may or may not be seated with others ? Would they normally since we're only 4 pp? And we pretty much chose the same time frame each night.

One unrelated question : if you do not purchase any beverage package, are any sodas or juices free at dinner? I'm having trouble finding answers to small questions. Also, since we've never sailed RCCL, when is our booking window for PAT and activities? I cannot find any of this on their website. Thank you in advance!

My Time dining is all included, no matter which of the four main restaurants you eat in. You only pay extra for the specialty restaurants. When we were last on Anthem we did My Time and were in one restaurant most of the time, but were put in the other one on one night. The restaurants are right next to each other and share the hostess podiums, so it is easy to go to either one. It is the same with the traditional dining rooms, they are next to each other and share the hostess podiums. With traditional, they tend to assign you the same table and servers every night. With My Time, we asked to be seated with others every night, so we were at a different table and with different servers every night. However, I believe if you keep the same reservation time every day, you can ask to be assigned to the same table and servers just like traditional.
Denise

Denise is correct. All four of the main dining rooms (two traditional and two my time) serve the same menu each night. Only the decor is different. When Anthem was first launched, it was different. If you see information about "Dynamic Dining" where each of the four restaurants have different menus, etc., that information is out-dated.
 
For My Time, you will eat in either American Icon, or Silk. We had reservations and usually ate in American Icon, but one night they seated us in Silk. We were a party of two and always asked to be seated with others. Otherwise, they seat you by yourself. Go to the podium for reservations (there will be signs there at the restaurants) and give your room number and name, and say you have reservations. We waited no more than a minute to be seated.

Generally the only free beverages are water, coffee, and tea (hot or iced). Someone posted recently that they ordered a soda at dinner 3 days in a row and were never charged. I had a soda package so I was never charged.

Your cruise planner on line has all the booking information. You can book wifi, reservations for the three major shows, excursions, IFly and North Star, etc. Different things open at different times so check often. I joined the roll call for my cruise on Cruise Critic and people would announce on there when something opened on the cruise planner, so I checked there often.

Denise
 
Anyone been in the interior room with virtual balcony? Looks neat. Rooms are tiny (166 sq ft?) , but we booked 2 connecting rooms. Or for about same price we can get obe large ocean view. The room at very front is available which looks quite large (but concerned about movement).
 
Your cruise planner on line has all the booking information. You can book wifi, reservations for the three major shows, excursions, IFly and North Star, etc. Different things open at different times so check often. I joined the roll call for my cruise on Cruise Critic and people would announce on there when something opened on the cruise planner, so I checked there often.

Denise

Thank you. I guess that's what I don't understand. There isn't a set date when the cruise planner will open? I was.surprised we were able to book dining since it's over a year away. When do you think activities and entertainment will open? Is there a set time frame? And boarding assignments? Thank you again.
 
Anyone been in the interior room with virtual balcony? Looks neat. Rooms are tiny (166 sq ft?) , but we booked 2 connecting rooms. Or for about same price we can get obe large ocean view. The room at very front is available which looks quite large (but concerned about movement).

We also.booked two connecting interior virtual balcony rooms. They look cool. It's only two.in a room so how bad can they be lol
 
We also.booked two connecting interior virtual balcony rooms. They look cool. It's only two.in a room so how bad can they be lol

Let me know how you find it (as we're not cruising Anthem until 2020...lol). Neat concept for an interior.
The bonus with 2 rooms over one is 2 washrooms! (plus our kids can each get their own single bed...vs sharing sofa bed)
 
Thank you. I guess that's what I don't understand. There isn't a set date when the cruise planner will open? I was.surprised we were able to book dining since it's over a year away. When do you think activities and entertainment will open? Is there a set time frame? And boarding assignments? Thank you again.
The website is pretty bad, but I have been able to make dining reservations, show reservations, and excursions. From what I have read, there is no set time frame for booking anything. I follow my roll call thread closely and when someone posts that something has opened, I go to my cruise planner and check it out. You do not need to be paid in full to book things. I have 4 cruises planned for the next 6 months, and each one has had different time frames to book things.
Denise
 
The website is pretty bad, but I have been able to make dining reservations, show reservations, and excursions. From what I have read, there is no set time frame for booking anything. I follow my roll call thread closely and when someone posts that something has opened, I go to my cruise planner and check it out. You do not need to be paid in full to book things. I have 4 cruises planned for the next 6 months, and each one has had different time frames to book things.
Denise

He he...glad I'm not the only one. We currently have 3 Royal cruises booked (between now and Mar 2020)...which is not like us. Which do you have booked? How do you find Anthem class compared with others (assuming you have been on other ships).
 
He he...glad I'm not the only one. We currently have 3 Royal cruises booked (between now and Mar 2020)...which is not like us. Which do you have booked? How do you find Anthem class compared with others (assuming you have been on other ships).
My first RCCL cruise was a 4 day on Majesty in 2012, then did Anthem in 2016 and again in January this year. We are doing Brilliance for a Baltics cruise next month, Serenade for a Bermuda Cruise in September, and back to back Caribbean cruises on Symphony in January. We got carried away this year! But we got really good deals. I can't compare Anthem to Majesty because Majesty is pretty old and much smaller. We have done 9 Disney cruises, and I liked Anthem much better than Fantasy. I think we are done with Disney, because the cost is just too high.
Denise
 
That's awesome...and great to hear you've been on Anthem twice...and have lots to compare to. We've got Symphony booked too for next March (and also Mariner for this summer and Anthem March of following year)...have also been on a couple older Royal ships and one Disney. I love love love Disney parks, but actually prefer Royal ships...plus I think Royal is better for our kids for their ages. Enjoy Brilliance cruise coming up!
 
Anyone been in the interior room with virtual balcony? Looks neat. Rooms are tiny (166 sq ft?) , but we booked 2 connecting rooms. Or for about same price we can get obe large ocean view. The room at very front is available which looks quite large (but concerned about movement).
We left out of NY this past February over the Presidents Week break. Lots of kids/families on that sailing and our kids didn’t find the lines for anything at Seaplex that overwhelming. We had our three (16,13 and 13) and my daughter’s best friend (15) with us. They loved all of the available activities. Another favorite spot was the pizza parlor. They stopped by there every night before turning in.
Our staterooms were on Deck 8, forward-8110 and 8108, Large ocean view staterooms. We were basically driving the ship and we were never bothered by the movement of the ship any more than anywhere else. As cruise veterans, you should be fine.
The Solarium (indoor, adults only pool area) was beautiful but nuts for the first two days because of the cooler weather. It reminded me of the movie Cacoon. Those older folks can move FAST when they see a lounge chair open up!
It was our first cruise and it took us a couple of days to settle in. One suggestion would be to avoid the buffet that first day for lunch. EVERYONE will be heading that way and finding a table was VERY difficult. Instead, make your way back to Two70. It’s a beautiful room with panoramic views from the aft of the ship. Two70 Cafe is back there and serves a smaller selection of sandwiches, soups and pastries. We also found this area to be nice for a quiet breakfast. The Solarium Bistro was another place we used to avoid the crowds. It’s a smaller buffet, but the food was very good. Children ARE allowed to join adults in the Bistro. Both Two70 Cafe and the Solarium Bistro are included in your cruise fare.
We had My Time Dining and were seated at the same table in American Icon, but asked to be seated in Silk one night for a change of pace. We just wanted a different atmosphere. The menu was the same. Honestly, we liked going to the buffet for the laid back atmosphere and great variety most nights.
I think you’ll have a wonderful time despite it being a school holiday. There are so many things to do on this ship both inside and out.
 
We left out of NY this past February over the Presidents Week break. Lots of kids/families on that sailing and our kids didn’t find the lines for anything at Seaplex that overwhelming. We had our three (16,13 and 13) and my daughter’s best friend (15) with us. They loved all of the available activities. Another favorite spot was the pizza parlor. They stopped by there every night before turning in.
Our staterooms were on Deck 8, forward-8110 and 8108, Large ocean view staterooms. We were basically driving the ship and we were never bothered by the movement of the ship any more than anywhere else. As cruise veterans, you should be fine.
The Solarium (indoor, adults only pool area) was beautiful but nuts for the first two days because of the cooler weather. It reminded me of the movie Cacoon. Those older folks can move FAST when they see a lounge chair open up!
It was our first cruise and it took us a couple of days to settle in. One suggestion would be to avoid the buffet that first day for lunch. EVERYONE will be heading that way and finding a table was VERY difficult. Instead, make your way back to Two70. It’s a beautiful room with panoramic views from the aft of the ship. Two70 Cafe is back there and serves a smaller selection of sandwiches, soups and pastries. We also found this area to be nice for a quiet breakfast. The Solarium Bistro was another place we used to avoid the crowds. It’s a smaller buffet, but the food was very good. Children ARE allowed to join adults in the Bistro. Both Two70 Cafe and the Solarium Bistro are included in your cruise fare.
We had My Time Dining and were seated at the same table in American Icon, but asked to be seated in Silk one night for a change of pace. We just wanted a different atmosphere. The menu was the same. Honestly, we liked going to the buffet for the laid back atmosphere and great variety most nights.
I think you’ll have a wonderful time despite it being a school holiday. There are so many things to do on this ship both inside and out.

Stateroom 8110 is one of the ocean view staterooms that are available for similar pricing (actually, a bit cheaper)...right at front corner. They look really large! Is there a pole in the middle or its open (heard some of these have a load barrier pole). So you found movement ok? For now, we still have the 2 connecting interiors...but I moved us to aft rather than forward.

Good to hear SeaPlex was still manageable, even with lots of kids. And thanks for the tip about avoiding buffet first day. Not sure if you've been on Oasis class, but Two70 Cafe sounds like Park Cafe, which we loved. We had My Time on Allure and it worked well. We have booked traditional for Anthem so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully it will work with show times.

You Cacoon reference with the older people made me laugh.

Thank you for the feedback!
 
Stateroom 8110 is one of the ocean view staterooms that are available for similar pricing (actually, a bit cheaper)...right at front corner. They look really large! Is there a pole in the middle or its open (heard some of these have a load barrier pole). So you found movement ok? For now, we still have the 2 connecting interiors...but I moved us to aft rather than forward.

Good to hear SeaPlex was still manageable, even with lots of kids. And thanks for the tip about avoiding buffet first day. Not sure if you've been on Oasis class, but Two70 Cafe sounds like Park Cafe, which we loved. We had My Time on Allure and it worked well. We have booked traditional for Anthem so we'll see how it goes. Hopefully it will work with show times.

You Cacoon reference with the older people made me laugh.

Thank you for the feedback!

8110 was very large. No pole in the middle. We would definitely request it for a future cruise. In fact, we would request those two rooms together again. 8110 and 8108 are both off of a little hallway with a door that is only accessible to the people in those rooms with their room keys. Since we had both rooms, we simply left our individual room doors open and it was like having a two room suite. Just a tip for those with larger families. If you look at the deck plans you can see what I mean about those two rooms being off of the main hallway by the smaller hallway. Each of those rooms sleeps 3. We had 6 in our party.
 
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