Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas: Overview and What to Do

A member of the Quantum class, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas isn’t the largest ship that the cruise line — admittedly known for rolling out seemingly larger-than-life cruise ships, time after time — has introduced. However, it’s certainly still worth your consideration, if you’re planning an upcoming cruise.

The entire Quantum class offers ship features that were considered remarkable and ground-breaking when they debuted, with first-at-sea entertainment and venues that cruisers loved, even despite the smaller ship size compared with Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class.

Additionally, having just launched in 2015, Anthem of the Seas is still less than 10 years old, meaning you won’t feel as if this ship is outdated or past its prime.  

Need to know more before you make a decision on whether or not you should book Anthem of the Seas for your next cruise? Keep reading to learn what to expect for staterooms, suites, dining, activities and beyond.

Anthem of the Seas Stats

The second Quantum-class ship, Anthem of the Seas, embodies everything that the Quantum class is known for — unique “first at sea” features, revolutionary entertainment and room for plenty of guests included, despite the fact that these aren’t the largest ships on the waters.

That said, Anthem of the Seas has made waves, size-wise, in at least a few ways; for example, in 2016, the cruise ship visited Canada and New England, and was the largest ship to ever cruise through and around Canada, at the time.

Here’s how the ship measures up: 

• Gross Tonnage: 168,666
• Length: 1,141 feet
• Decks: 16 total, 14 for passengers
• Passenger capacity at double occupancy: 4,180
• Passenger capacity at full occupancy: 4,905
• Crew: 1,500 members 

 Additionally, the ship is 136 feet wide and features 16 guest elevators. 

Construction

As the second vessel in its class, Anthem of the Seas followed its namesake flagship, Quantum of the Seas, and was built in Germany to the tune of $940 million. She’s also the sister ship to Ovation of the Seas.

The ship was built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, and took its maiden voyage on April 22, 2015, after being christened by godmother Emma Wilby, a brand ambassador and PR executive for Royal Caribbean who was named the ship’s godmother due to her experience in the travel industry, as well as her family’s legacy (she’s the granddaughter of a shipbuilder!).

When it launched, the ship was lauded for its many entertainment options, including several that were unique for cruise ships at the time of the ship’s unveiling. These included a Wave Loch Flowrider surfing simulator, rock-climbing wall and skydiving simulator.

Other stand-out features to appear on Anthem of the Seas that come standard on Quantum-class ships include the virtual balcony staterooms, which offer real-time projections of whatever is outside the ship right on stateroom walls. There’s also the award-winning North Star observation tower, which takes guests 300 feet in the air, up and over the side of the ship.

Anthem of the Seas Refurbishments

Since Anthem of the Seas is less than 10 years old, it hasn’t really needed any major overhauls just yet. There was a dry dock scheduled to occur in 2020, but during the Covid-19 pandemic, that dry dock was delayed.

In July 2020, the ship just received some very minor maintenance at the Damen Shiprepair Brest in Brest, France. The rescheduling of the planned 2020 refurbishments has not yet been announced. Still, you won’t find many cruisers complaining about the fact. 

Anthem of the Seas Itineraries

Anthem of the Seas spent its inaugural season in Europe, sailing from Southampton to the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and Northern Europe. In 2015, the ship moved on to the Caribbean and Bahamas, serving the region from New Jersey. The next year, Anthem of the Seas moved on to also serve routes to Bermuda, Canada and New England.

As of early 2024, Anthem of the Seas offers week-long and longer cruises to the Bahamas and Southern Caribbean, out of New Jersey. The ship is scheduled to reposition in summer 2024 and offer European cruises out of the United Kingdom, with itineraries taking the ship to various European locales, from Spain to France to the Norwegian Fjords.

After special, one-off cruises to Rome and Dubai, the ship will reposition again, to spend the winter of 2024 and 2025 in Singapore, before spending the summer of 2025 offering Alaskan cruises from Seattle, Washington. 

Staterooms

If you’ve traveled on some other cruise lines, or just on some older ships, then you might think of cruise ship cabins as being dark, small and not all that fashionable, but Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas is here to change that for you.

The staterooms aboard the ship truly are a cut above the rest, offering you tons of space, lots of natural light, gorgeous views and a modern and updated look. Anthem of the Seas offers 2,091 staterooms that are broken down as such: 

• 148 ocean view rooms
• 1,571 balcony rooms
• 378 interior rooms
• 16 family-connected rooms
• 375 virtual balcony rooms
• 34 handicap accessible rooms

Interior staterooms are decorated like a chic, boutique hotel guestroom, with accent lighting, pops of color and attractive artwork. Ocean view staterooms are much the same, with huge circular windows and comfortable seating areas.

Balcony staterooms extend your space even further, with spots to sit and watch the world go by outside. As mentioned, you can even watch the world go by virtually, with the help of Royal Caribbean’s futuristic virtual balcony staterooms, which project real-time footage from the exterior of the ship right onto your wall. 

Whichever stateroom category you choose, you can relax easy with standard amenities and furnishings such as:

• Luxurious bedding
• Either two twin beds or one queen-size bed
• A siting area
• A bathroom with a shower, vanity area and hair dryer
• 24-hour room service
• 24-hour attendant service
• Nightly turn-down service
• TV 
• In-room safe
• Phone and voicemail

Of course, if you want to upgrade, you have suite options, too.

Suites

There is a total of 129 suites on Anthem of the Seas, and suites come with additional, special amenities. You can book from three different suite classes and, depending on the suite class you choose, you’ll enjoy differing amenities, which can include:

• Free dining at all restaurants across the ship (not just the free dining options)
• Access to a special, VIP restaurant just for suite guests
• A deluxe beverage package
• Access to a suite guests-only sun deck
• Early seating at some shows
• Complimentary stocked minibar
• Laundry services
• Complementary gratuities
• Concierge services
• Priority dinner reservations
• Priority departure
• And more! 

But what about the actual suites? Suites aboard Anthem of the Seas include: 

• Junior suites
• Grand suites
• Owners suites
• Loft suites

Some of these suite types can be broken down further into particular styles of suites. For example, in the loft suites category, there’s the one and only Royal Loft Suite, which is the biggest (by far!) suite on the ship, with amazing amenities such as separate multiple bedrooms, a hot tub on the balcony and a dining area for eight people.

Read Also: Icon of the Seas Cabins and Suites Guide

Free Dining

Anthem of the Seas makes it easy for you to enjoy top-tier culinary experiences out on the water, even when you’re just enjoying the complimentary dining options that are included in your cruise fare. Included dining and restaurants include:

• The Grande, the first of the ship’s main dining rooms
• Chic, another main restaurant
• Silk, a main restaurant with an Asian theme
• American Icon Grill, a main restaurant with a patriotic theme
• Solarium Bistro, a healthful, casual eatery in the solarium
• Windjammer Marketplace, the buffet
• Coastal Kitchen, complimentary but only open to suite guests
• Sorrento’s a pizza psot
• Café Promenade, a café open 24/7
• The Café at Two70, for light bites and specialty diets
• SeaPlex Dog House, for dogs at the SeaPlex

Room service is also available, though may incur a fee.  

Specialty Restaurants

For those who want to upgrade their dining experience just a tad, options are even more varied. The specialty restaurants aboard Anthem of the Seas include:

• Wonderland, a futuristic eatery 
• Jamie’s Italian, a concept created by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver
• Johnny Rockets, the same diner by the same name that you’ll find on land
• Chops Grille, Royal Caribbean’s steakhouse
• Izumi Japanese Cuisine, for sushi and similar 
• The English Pub, for classic pub fare
• La Patisserie, for Starbucks and sweet treats 

You can also book specialty dining experiences during your cruise, such as a chef-led dinner party called The Chef’s Table.

Bars and Lounges 

For some cruisers, the entire experience is one big party, so let the cocktails flow! If you consider yourself to be in this camp, then you’ll be happy to know that Anthem of the Seas offers a handful of different bars, all providing cruisers with new and unique experiences. Options include:

• Boleros, a Latin bar
• Schooner Bar, a nautically-themed watering hole
• Bionic Bar, where a robot is the bartender
• Vintages Wine Bar, for wine and small bites
• The North Star Bar, a bar next to the North Star pod 

You’ll also find bars at various restaurants, as well as near the pool and on the sun decks. 

Activities and Entertainment

No matter your age, when you’re ready to play, Anthem of the Seas has you covered. In addition to what we highlight below, there’s also the Casino Royale, spa and fitness center. Here’s what you can expect.  

Pools

Anthem of the Seas offers three main pools, flanked by amenities such as hot tubs and a bar. The main pool is also near the H20 Zone, which is for the kiddos. The second pool is nearby, but quieter, with a retractable roof. Then, lastly, the third pool is for adults only and is inside the Solarium.

If you want something a little more exciting than laying by the pool or splashing around in the deep end, however, you do have options. Try the ship’s FlowRider, which is a surf simulator located at the aft of the vessel. They’ll provide the board, if you provide the sick moves. 

Skydiving Simulator

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships introduced a super-cool feature that both kids and adults love: the RipCord by iFly skydiving simulator. It’s all the thrills of skydiving, but without the scary experience of jumping from a plane thousands of feet above the earth.

SeaPlex

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas offers family-friendly fun in spades, thanks to its SeaPlex, the largest indoor active space at sea. 

SeaPlex provides tons of different activities, perfect for all kinds of cruisers, especially those looking for a new kind of adventure. You can enjoy bumper cars, a flying trapeze, roller skating, a full-size regulation basketball court, soccer, volleyball, badminton, a DJ booth, rock climbing, video games, table tennis, air hockey, foosball, skydiving, surfing and more, thanks to SeaPlex’s indoor space and the adjacent outdoor sports area.

SeaPlex features large windows with lots of natural light, a food truck and fun theming. You’ll never want to leave!

The North Star

The award-winning North Star was a super-cool and unique feature when the Quantum class debuted, and it really is still pretty cool. This observation capsule is really more of a ride, and you may need to wait in life for your turn, it’s that popular.

Read Also: Royal Caribbean Ships By Age – Newest to Oldest

Once you’re onboard, it takes you up in the air and over the side of the ship, for amazing, 360-degree views that you simply can’t get any other way.

Royal Promenade

If shopping and people-watching are more your speed, you can’t miss spending some time on the ship’s Royal Promenade. The multi-level “heart of the ship” is just like a promenade on land, filled with venues, restaurants, bars and more, on every side, and constantly buzzing with activity and fun. You don’t even need a plan for what you’re going to do when you get there; just show up and the fun will find you.

Kids Venues

No matter what ages your children are, they’ll find plenty to do and enjoy while aboard Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. There are tons of things for them to do when they’re at the Seaplex, but other spaces catered to their needs include the H20 Zone kids-only water park, the arcade, the outdoor sports areas and more.

There are also structured activities led by the brand’s talented team of child caregivers in the Adventure Ocean program, for enjoyable activities that are not only fun, but also often educational. There are STEM-based activities, creative and artsy programs and more.

Worth Watching: Royal Caribbean Age Limits – What You Need to Know

For older kids, ages 12 and up, there’s the hang-out spot, The Living Room, which is supervised, but more or less hands-off, allowing teens to make their own fun, with plenty of games and tech provided. In addition, there’s a teen-exclusive disco, as well as teen-exclusive spa. 

Anthem of the Seas FAQ:

Final Thoughts

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas offers lots to love, thanks to its wealth of unique features, as well as its relatively young age. For cruisers who want lots to do and enjoy, but don’t necessarily need the newest and biggest ship on the block, Anthem of the Seas can be a perfect fit.