Saturday, July 30, 2016

Anthem of The Seas - Post Cruise Review

Anthem is a very different type of ship - not just in looks (tall but quite narrow in comparison to the Oasis Class) - but also with the interior and the technology and layout.

Here are mine and Laurie's observations:

Cheers - 

Royal IQ App - fantastic to have the Cruise Compass at our fingertips and able to book dining, shows etc right from my phone (no Wifi package needed - its free once you get onboard)  Loved this and wish they will put it on every ship!

270 - Lounge by day, mini theater by night.  Very cool to have moving stages (lowered to allow more room for a dance floor, etc)  

Bionic Bar - loved being able to create my own drink and it be made by a robotic arm all while watching the ingredients added and the process on the screen on the side.

Dynamic Dining - You change restaurants every night; each restaurant (dining room) has a type of menu: Asian Fusion, American, etc  You keep your waitstaff and your same table #.  Pretty cool idea

Jeers - 

Bionic Bar - the bar crew need to encourage the pax to move away from the tablet tables once drinks are ordered.  Spent a lot of time waiting to order only b/c others were just sitting there (but already done ordering)

Dining Rooms - crew left food carts out in the open, as there was no small room like in a Traditional Dining room - so they are unloaded and therefore reloaded with dirty dishes right next to you if you are near the waiter area.  Then the carts are left there - I felt like I was eating at a buffet, not a high class dining room on a luxury cruise ship.  Was disgusting to look at other peoples half eaten food/dishes(since we were near area) Definitely took away from the experience

Crew - seemed very on edge, especially the wait staff.  Very impatient - stressed?? overworked?? Had seen quite a few instances of downright rudeness to pax (without being instigated) 

Pool Deck - I know it is rare, since the ship goes out from NJ in the winter - but it snowed the morning we boarded.  Was not happy to see snow still on the pool deck and not cleared away.  Hello, major hazard!! 

Bingo - didn't have stamps/markers, only pens.  Cruise staff didn't even have markers for sale.  Marketing sales fail!