Anthem of the Seas Pros and Cons: What to Know Before Booking

Choose Anthem of the Seas if your group wants strong indoor activities, scenic lounge space, and a covered family pool that keeps a cool or rainy day enjoyable.

Compare other ships if a tropical resort deck, a quiet adult atmosphere, or a particular itinerary matters more than bumper cars, Two70, and the Quantum-class attraction mix.

The biggest advantage is having somewhere good to go when the weather changes

Anthem gives families a covered pool and SeaPlex, while adults have the enclosed Solarium and everyone can use Two70’s panoramic indoor views. You aren’t depending on one sunny pool deck for the whole sea day.

That makes the ship worth comparing for cooler destinations or shoulder-season trips. Pick it when those protected spaces are features your group will use, rather than buying it because one attraction looked impressive in a video.

Use the Anthem activities to give active teenagers SeaPlex, iFLY or FlowRider time, while adults can choose North Star or a production. Pick the experiences your group wants before deciding how much this busy ship adds to the vacation.

The limitation is that bad weather can make the same indoor spaces popular with everyone at once. Protected recreation keeps the day viable, but it doesn’t guarantee empty seats, short queues, or a quiet buffet.

The indoor family pool solves a practical problem

A separate covered family pool is a real benefit when outdoor swimming isn’t inviting. Younger swimmers have an alternative without turning the adults-only Solarium into a family overflow area.

Use the outdoor pool when conditions are pleasant and the indoor pool when its roof helps. Let the weather and available space choose the day’s swim rather than deciding before sailing that one pool must always be best.

For families with babies, Anthem appears on Royal Caribbean’s Baby Splash list. Ask the pool team to identify the designated facility, because ordinary pools and whirlpools still require full toilet training.

A water-play area isn’t automatically available to every child. Confirm eligibility before promising a particular swim, especially if the youngest traveler’s pool time is the main reason for choosing the ship.

SeaPlex is excellent when you use its schedule

SeaPlex is the large indoor sports and activity area aft on the upper decks. Bumper cars, sports, skating, and other programming use offered sessions rather than running as one continuous attraction.

Check the daily schedule at breakfast and choose the session your group wants. Turning up for bumper cars during another court activity is a disappointment you can easily avoid.

The included Dog House is useful when the family wants to stay near SeaPlex for another session. A quick hot dog can keep the afternoon easy without moving everyone to Windjammer in the middle of the fun.

SeaPlex works particularly well for older children who need active choices between ports. Still, check posted age and height rules before assuming every child can participate in the same session.

Two70 earns its place during the day as well as at night

Two70 is aft on Deck 5, with panoramic windows that make it a useful indoor place for coffee, lunch, reading, and scenic viewing. Café @ Two70 nearby gives you included food without a trip to the buffet.

Visit it early in the cruise so you know where to go when wind or rain makes an outdoor view less inviting. Check the program before counting on a quiet seat, because daytime events also use the room.

At night, Spectra’s Cabaret uses the venue’s screens, projections, and performance technology. Choose it if an unusual visual show sounds exciting, rather than expecting the structure of an ordinary musical.

Royal Caribbean’s show reservation rules distinguish Two70 bookings from regular Quantum-class theater seating. Reserve the offered Two70 performance you want and leave space for dinner around it.

The theater is a strong fit for Queen fans

We Will Rock You is the production to give an evening when you enjoy Queen’s music and a full-length jukebox musical. Plan a comfortable dinner buffer instead of treating it as a short revue you can squeeze between other events.

The Gift offers a different fantasy-style production. Choose the show that suits your group, and keep another evening open for live music rather than attending everything simply because admission is included.

Music Hall, Schooner Bar, and Boleros give you alternatives when a live performer sounds more appealing. The actual musicians onboard can make a room worth revisiting, so sample a promising set early in the cruise.

Our activity guide helps you choose those experiences by taste. Anthem’s entertainment is strongest when you enjoy the particular music or format, rather than treating the number of productions as a score.

North Star and iFLY are optional highlights

North Star lifts an observation capsule above the ship, while RipCord by iFLY gives you an instructor-led wind-tunnel experience. Choose the view for someone who enjoys scenery, and choose iFLY for someone excited about simulated skydiving.

Check the full rider requirements and offered sessions before making either attraction a booking reason. Price, availability, and operating conditions can vary by sailing and session, so don’t build the budget around a free experience someone had on another cruise.

Take an early suitable booking when one attraction is important to you. That leaves more alternatives if weather or operations change the first plan.

The ship should still feel like the right purchase if you skip both. Two70, SeaPlex, pools, productions, and the room you choose affect much more of the vacation than one brief attraction session.

The included food plan gives you plenty of flexibility

Main Dining Room, Windjammer, Café @ Two70, Café Promenade, Sorrento’s, and Dog House cover several meal styles. Solarium Bistro adds another option when its offered service and access arrangements fit the day.

Use Café @ Two70 for a lighter meal near the aft lounge, Dog House for an activity break, and the dining room when you want a paced dinner. You can keep specialty spending selective without feeling you have no alternatives.

The tempting paid restaurants include Jamie’s Italian, Chops, Wonderland, Izumi, and Chef’s Table. Choose by cuisine and format, especially if only one special dinner fits the budget.

Our dining guide separates the included choices from paid meals and suite dining. A package only helps when it saves money on meals you’d already choose.

The cabin needs more thought than the category name

For most couples, start with a selected Deck 9 or 10 balcony with cabins above and below. That gives you an ordinary ocean-facing room and a useful residential position between the main public areas.

Deck 6 obstructed balconies can be good value when fresh air matters more than the view. Skip them when a lifeboat or davit would interrupt the scenic experience you’re buying the balcony for.

Virtual Balcony interiors give you an exterior-view screen rather than natural daylight or outdoor access. Choose one when the price and visual orientation help, not when you’re expecting it to replace a real window.

Use the official deck plans with our cabin cautions. Check the room above, below, beside, and outside the balcony before accepting a guarantee you hope will work.

Suites deserve a benefits comparison

Anthem participates in Royal Suite Class, but different categories receive different tiers. Ordinary Junior Suites are a room upgrade with more limited benefits than Grand Suites or the Star-tier lofts.

Compare the suite category guide and the actual offered booking before making Coastal Kitchen or lounge access the reason for upgrading. Similar suite names can carry different benefits.

For a family, price confirmed connecting rooms as well. Separate bathrooms and bedtimes may improve the trip more than a larger shared living space.

A loft can be a memorable celebration room, but inspect its internal stairs and open layout. Extra service doesn’t make a two-story cabin the right fit for someone who needs a level sleeping area.

The ship is lively, even with good adult retreats

The Solarium gives adults a separate protected pool setting, and Two70 provides another place to enjoy the sea from indoors. Those options can make Anthem appealing to couples who enjoy Royal Caribbean’s activity and entertainment style.

Still, this is a large family ship with popular shared venues. Choose an adult-focused alternative if you already dislike the idea of children’s programs, busy recreation, and energetic public spaces.

Try the Solarium early or choose a lounge between events when your priority is a calmer hour. An adults-only sign separates eligibility, rather than promising that every guest has come to sit silently.

For limited stamina, choose a cabin near the elevator bank serving the places you’ll visit often. The forward theater and Solarium and the aft Two70 and SeaPlex create different daily walking routines.

Let the itinerary make the final decision

Check the actual homeport, ports, scenic-cruising entries, and sea days before buying upgrades. An Alaska label doesn’t establish a named glacier transit, and a shore excursion to a glacier is a different experience from seeing one from the ship.

For any destination, read the port times alongside the transport plan. A convenient round trip, a longer port stay, or a route that includes your main destination can matter more than a difference in ship attractions.

Anthem is a strong fit for travelers who want protected family recreation, scenic indoor lounges, good live entertainment, and several included food options. Compare alternatives when a tropical pool complex, quiet atmosphere, or particular route matters more.

Choose the room you’ll sleep well in, price the extras you’ll use, and book the experiences you’re excited about. If SeaPlex, Two70, and the covered pool already sound like the day you want, Anthem has a clear reason to make your shortlist.