anthem of the seas
A revolutionary new cruise ship
By Mike Pickup, Mike writes about travel for numerous newspapers and magazines, both consumer and trade, and has over a hundred features published each year. He is also the Editor of Holiday Magazine and a professionally trained photographer. For more information click here
Anthem certainly lives up to its reputation for innovation, yet all the publicity this has attracted has masked the fact that, innovation or not, this ship is a real beauty.

Let’s start with the innovation.
The first thing you notice when you arrive at the cruise terminal are check-in staff in the arrivals hall, armed with tablet computers. No more queuing for check-in desks, you are checked in where you stand. A small green stamp on your boarding documentation and the bar-code on the documention is all you need to board the ship where crew are lined up to welcome you. A great and hassle-free start.
Our key cards were waiting outside our cabin. However, you don’t even have to carry the cards around with you as there are alternative wrist bands that carry out the same functions.
The first thing you notice when you arrive at the cruise terminal are check-in staff in the arrivals hall, armed with tablet computers. No more queuing for check-in desks, you are checked in where you stand. A small green stamp on your boarding documentation and the bar-code on the documention is all you need to board the ship where crew are lined up to welcome you. A great and hassle-free start.
Our key cards were waiting outside our cabin. However, you don’t even have to carry the cards around with you as there are alternative wrist bands that carry out the same functions.
So, what else does Anthem deliver that you won’t find elsewhere? Inside cabins are popular with those that want to save money for more cruises. However, on Anthem the blank wall in the cabin is replaced by a huge screen linked to a camera on the outside of the ship which displays the outside view on the screen, thus creating a virtual balcony cabin. They have even superimposed a balcony rail (see below). Clever stuff!
Fancy a cocktail with a difference? Then try the Bionic Bar. Log on to one of the tablets with your card or wrist-strap, choose your cocktail or design your own, then one of the two robots will grab some ice, add the ingredients from the huge range of optics, give it a shake, and pour. Tap your card on the counter and your drink slides to you. It probably attracts more sightseers than customers as the robots have an almost human quality and, if not busy, may dance to the background music.
Fancy a cocktail with a difference? Then try the Bionic Bar. Log on to one of the tablets with your card or wrist-strap, choose your cocktail or design your own, then one of the two robots will grab some ice, add the ingredients from the huge range of optics, give it a shake, and pour. Tap your card on the counter and your drink slides to you. It probably attracts more sightseers than customers as the robots have an almost human quality and, if not busy, may dance to the background music.
Virtual balcony cabin
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Bionic Bar
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Another first is the multi-purpose Seaplex. On our first visit it was used for dodgem cars and we had great fun whizzing round and bumping into fellow guests. On our next visit, half the area was being used for basket ball and the other half was given over to guests who wanted to try their hand on a circus flying trapeze – an experience I declined – but it made a good spectator sport.
Out on deck there were the firm favourites, a rock climbing wall and Flow Rider, a surfing simulator that shoots water up a slope at around 25 mph so you can surf without moving. Then there is a new addition, Ripcord. This is essentially a large tube in which an up-draft of around 120mph is generated, allowing guests to experience the feeling of sky-diving. There is always an instructor on hand to help and again it proved highly popular with both participants and spectators.
Last but by no means least, is North Star. This is a pod similar to that on the London Eye which is raised to over 100ft above the deck. It can be used for sight-seeing or booked for special events such as weddings.
Last but by no means least, is North Star. This is a pod similar to that on the London Eye which is raised to over 100ft above the deck. It can be used for sight-seeing or booked for special events such as weddings.
Yet despite all this innovation, the key to this ship is that it is elegant and beautifully laid out. The Royal Theatre holds over 1000 people and puts on top-class shows. We saw “We Will Rock You” and it was one of the best shows we have ever seen in any theatre on land or sea. Technology is cleverly used here and in other entertainment venues to create stunning presentations, and as there are no fixed dining times, shows do not have to be shortened to accommodate dining arrangements.
There are plenty of places to chill out, both inside and out, with pools and Jacuzzis on deck and a lovely pool with a sliding glass roof in case the weather turns. At the stern there is a relaxing two-deck high solarium for adults only with cascading pools and palm trees. For younger ones there are kids clubs and a teens-only area which is supervised until the early hours of the morning. So good are they that parents may have problems persuading their kids to spend time with them.
There are plenty of places to chill out, both inside and out, with pools and Jacuzzis on deck and a lovely pool with a sliding glass roof in case the weather turns. At the stern there is a relaxing two-deck high solarium for adults only with cascading pools and palm trees. For younger ones there are kids clubs and a teens-only area which is supervised until the early hours of the morning. So good are they that parents may have problems persuading their kids to spend time with them.
Theatre
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Solarium
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Teens Only
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Food is a key element of any cruise and Anthem certainly delivers on this point. There are eighteen places to eat of which the buffet, three cafes, a pizzeria and six restaurants are included in the fare. Silk, decorated in sumptuous red, mixes oriental styles to produce memorable dishes, whilst the American Icon Grill does what it says on the tin. The Grande is the only restaurant where, should you wish, you can wear formal evening dress. Otherwise the dress code is smart casual, there are no formal nights.
Silk restaurant
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American Icon Grill
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Amongst the speciality restaurants, there Jamie’s Italian, from our own Jamie Oliver, Izumi’s Japanese restaurant, Michael’s Pub, and Wonderland. OK, this you have to see and experience but if I tell you that the menu is blank until you brush water on it and when you lift a glass it may whisper to you, perhaps you will begin to see what I mean. The food follows this vein.
Jamie's Italian restaurant
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Wonderland restaurant
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Of course, with all this going on you may forget you are on a cruise, but you are, so on top of all this the ship will be in a different port on many days, offering lots of fascinating places to explore. Fitting in shore excursions with the things you want to do on board may take some planning.
Anthem of the Seas really is like no other cruise ship. For first time cruisers it will dispel the myths about this type of holiday, and even hardened regulars can admire the peace and relaxation the ship provides, the marvellous layout, the lovely decor, the choice of food and the great entertainment.
Is there anything to add? As Captain Claus Andersen said, you can build the best ship in the world but ultimately what matters most is the crew. Yes, the crew are great. You get the feeling that they are genuinely proud to be part of this unique cruising experience.
Anthem is based in Southampton until 27 October when she relocates to her home port in New Jersey. Sister ships Quantum and Ovation will both be based in China, so UK guests should book now if you want the Anthem experience without the additional cost of flights and hotels.
For more information go to www.royalcaribbean.co.uk or call 0844 493 4005
Anthem of the Seas really is like no other cruise ship. For first time cruisers it will dispel the myths about this type of holiday, and even hardened regulars can admire the peace and relaxation the ship provides, the marvellous layout, the lovely decor, the choice of food and the great entertainment.
Is there anything to add? As Captain Claus Andersen said, you can build the best ship in the world but ultimately what matters most is the crew. Yes, the crew are great. You get the feeling that they are genuinely proud to be part of this unique cruising experience.
Anthem is based in Southampton until 27 October when she relocates to her home port in New Jersey. Sister ships Quantum and Ovation will both be based in China, so UK guests should book now if you want the Anthem experience without the additional cost of flights and hotels.
For more information go to www.royalcaribbean.co.uk or call 0844 493 4005
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