Anthem of the Seas Things to Do & Entertainment: What Is Actually Worth Your Time

Give Anthem of the Seas an evening for We Will Rock You if you like Queen, and reserve Spectra’s Cabaret when Two70’s unusual technology sounds like your kind of show.

For sea days, start with the covered family pool, SeaPlex, or adults-only Solarium, then choose iFLY or North Star because the experience appeals to you.

Give We Will Rock You an evening if you like Queen

We Will Rock You is Anthem’s full-scale jukebox musical built around Queen songs, with a futuristic story about rebels trying to bring rock music back to a very strange dystopian world. Expect a playful jukebox musical rather than a serious historical story.

Go because the production gives you a live orchestra, big vocals, costumes, choreography, and a score packed with songs people actually know. Choose it when familiar Queen songs and a lively production sound like a good evening.

Choose this show first for adults and teens who enjoy Queen’s music. For a younger child, consider their interest in a full-length musical and leave another evening open for an activity or performance they want to try.

Plan dinner around the show rather than trying to squeeze the show around dinner. Give the meal enough time to finish comfortably before you head to the theater.

The resident productions and regular live music are included in the fare; a reservation, when required, controls admission rather than adding a show ticket charge. Check each event in the app, because booking requirements can differ between Two70 and the Royal Theater and change by sailing.

Choose a live band or another production if Queen’s music doesn’t appeal to you.

Choose Spectra for the technology and visual spectacle

Spectra’s Cabaret takes over Two70 and uses the room’s six robotic screens, projection technology, music, dance, aerial performance, and giant aft windows to create a show that feels more like an unusual visual spectacle than traditional theater. Choose it when you want an experience built around this unusual room.

Reserve Spectra early because Two70 is the more capacity-sensitive headline venue. The room is smaller and the sightlines vary more than in the Royal Theater, so central seating gives you a much better view of both the physical performers and moving screens.

Book an offered Spectra performance early in the sailing if it is a highlight for you. That leaves more alternatives if an operational change moves the show.

Try The Gift for a fantasy theater night

The Gift is Anthem’s original production for an evening of music, dance, costumes, and a magical story. Choose it when fantasy theater appeals more than Queen’s songs or the abstract spectacle in Two70.

If the children aren’t interested in Queen, look at The Gift’s offered performance before filling that evening with We Will Rock You. Let their taste and comfort with a theater show decide; a fantasy production won’t hold every child’s attention.

Adults traveling without children can still enjoy it, particularly if they prefer visual fantasy to Queen or abstract technology. Choose the productions you want and keep another evening for a live band.

Choose the offered performance that fits dinner cleanly, then leave time to enjoy the rest of the evening.

Two70 is worth visiting even when nobody is performing

By day, Two70 is a two-story aft living room with panoramic windows, comfortable seating, Café @ Two70 nearby, and one of the best wake views on the ship. Use it for lunch, coffee, reading, or a break away from the Esplanade.

On a cold or windy day, settle into Two70 for an indoor sea view instead of cutting your scenery time short.

Virtual concerts and daytime technology demonstrations can also use the space, so check the program before expecting a quiet visit. The most underrated use of Two70 is simply being somewhere beautiful while absolutely nothing important is happening.

SeaPlex is Anthem’s real cold-weather superpower

SeaPlex is the giant indoor activity complex at the back of the ship, where the central floor cycles through bumper cars, basketball, roller skating, sports, games, and other programming. Surrounding activity areas give families somewhere to stay active even when the outdoor deck feels miserable.

Check the daily schedule because the central floor changes uses throughout the day. Showing up for bumper cars during basketball is not a crisis, but it is a very avoidable family disappointment.

Repeat bumper cars when the offered session and queue work for your group. They’re included and make a fun family session when everyone meets the posted rider rules.

Check both age and height rules for bumper-car passengers and drivers before joining the line. Choose an offered session everyone can participate in, rather than finding out the limit when the family reaches the front.

Skip a very long bumper-car line if another offered session fits your day. Walk by, check the queue, ride when the timing is easy, and come back later if half the ship is already waiting.

Roller skating is another good weather-proof option, especially with older kids. Check its offered session and eligibility rather than building the whole day around skating.

Use the nearby included Dog House for a quick meal when the family wants to stay around SeaPlex. It can save a trip to Windjammer between offered activity sessions.

North Star is only as good as the view you book it for

North Star lifts a glass observation capsule on a mechanical arm high above the ship for sweeping 360-degree views. Choose it for the view rather than expecting the physical experience of iFLY or FlowRider.

The North Star requirements are a minimum height of 42 inches with an accompanying adult or 48 inches to ride alone, and a maximum weight of 300 pounds. It is a better choice for someone avoiding physical exertion only if they also meet those limits and can use the capsule safely.

The timing matters more than the ride itself. Alaska scenery, Hawaii approaches, dramatic coastlines, mountain-backed ports, and sailaways give North Star a reason to exist; an open-ocean ride gives you a different, less varied view.

Royal can price or operate North Star differently depending on the sailing and whether the ship is in port or at sea. Check the current Cruise Planner and compare the available times rather than assuming a free or paid arrangement from somebody else’s cruise applies to yours.

If a scenic window matters, reserve early. If poor visibility is forecast, check whether another offered session gives you a better chance of the view you want.

Reserve iFLY when simulated skydiving is the highlight

RipCord by iFLY puts guests in a vertical wind tunnel with an instructor to simulate skydiving. Reserve it early when that brief physical experience is one of the things you most want to try.

Reserve as soon as the applicable booking window opens because complimentary and paid session options can vary by sailing. Choose a time you can attend, and release it promptly if plans change so another guest can use it.

Choose iFLY if trying the wind tunnel sounds exciting, or North Star if the view appeals more. Neither is a required part of a good Anthem sea day.

Check every participant’s current age, weight, health, and clothing requirements before check-in. Follow the instructor’s directions about jewelry and recording devices, and give yourself time to arrive properly prepared.

FlowRider is the attraction that rewards coming back

FlowRider creates a continuous sheet wave for boogie boarding and stand-up surfing high at the aft. Watching is easy, open-session participation is generally included, and lessons may be sold for people who want more instruction and less public falling.

Begin with bodyboarding if you have never tried it. Watch the riders first, then choose the session and board style that match your comfort level.

Follow FlowRider’s separate height requirements for bodyboarding and stand-up surfing, plus the waiver and staff briefing. Remove loose items before riding; meeting a height minimum is not a substitute for following the instructor’s directions.

Teens who love it should return because FlowRider improves with practice. A second offered session is useful if the first attempt makes you want more practice.

The included rock-climbing wall is another physical option, subject to its posted eligibility, safe harness fit, and the staff’s instructions. Take socks and dry clothing, check its operating session, and leave time for a second attempt if climbing becomes a favorite.

The indoor pool is the family feature people underestimate until the weather turns

Anthem has both an outdoor main pool and a separate covered indoor pool area, which is a major advantage on cold-weather routes. Families can still swim when the outside deck is windy, rainy, or simply several degrees below what anyone wanted from a swimsuit day.

Use the outdoor pool when the weather is genuinely good and save the covered pool for the days it earns its keep. When rain starts, everybody remembers the roof at the same moment, so going before the weather fully changes can save a lot of crowd frustration.

Use the covered pool for family swimming; adults seeking a separate space can move forward to the 18+ Solarium.

Children need adult supervision, and the main pools and whirlpools require toilet training, with no swim diapers. Families with babies should ask the pool team to identify the designated baby splash area before using any water-play space.

Start an adult sea-day morning in the Solarium

Anthem’s Solarium is an enclosed adults-only retreat at the bow with tiered pools, whirlpools, loungers, glass walls, and panoramic forward views. It is one of the best answers in the fleet to the very specific problem of wanting a tropical-feeling pool area while the weather outside is absolutely not tropical.

Find the Solarium on embarkation day and come back early if a forward-facing lounger matters.

The adults-only rule gives you a separate setting from the family pool, though conversation and bar activity can make it lively.

Port time is the luxury window, especially when the ship is somewhere scenic and most passengers go ashore. A nearly empty Solarium with mountains, coastline, or a harbor outside the glass can feel like a completely different cruise.

Solarium Bistro nearby makes a meal convenient, but take your belongings when leaving a lounger for an extended break. The Solarium itself is included, so adults have a useful retreat without buying a spa treatment or premium deck pass.

Try a promising Music Hall band early

Music Hall spans two levels with a dance floor, bars, lounge seating, and live bands that can range from rock and tribute music to party sets. Choose it when a live band sounds more appealing than another theater production.

Try the first promising band early in the cruise and return if they earn it. Live music is one category where the exact talent onboard matters far more than a venue’s permanent description.

The lower level gives you more of the concert energy, while the upper level works better when the group wants a drink and some distance from the dance floor. If Music Hall is packed, Schooner Bar and Boleros give Anthem smaller music-driven alternatives.

Do not judge the nightclub side of Music Hall too early. Dinner and theater traffic can shift the room dramatically later, and the quiet 8 p.m. version may have very little in common with what happens near midnight.

Watch Bionic Bar before deciding whether to buy a drink

Bionic Bar uses robotic arms to mix drinks after you order on a tablet. Watch a drink being made, then decide whether the novelty is worth buying one yourself.

Choose another bar when conversation with a bartender or live music sounds more appealing. The robots can be a fun short stop without becoming the evening’s main plan.

The Esplanade location makes it easy to stop between dinner and a show. Give it time only if your group enjoys watching the machinery, rather than arranging the whole evening around it.

The robot-made drink is a purchase, subject to the menu and any applicable beverage-package coverage. Watching the machinery does not require turning it into a nightly bar bill.

Adventure Ocean and the teen spaces make Anthem easier on long sea-day itineraries

Visit the youth-program team early to confirm the right age group, offered sessions, and registration for each child. Check the teen program separately rather than assuming younger and older siblings will use the same room.

Register younger children early and let them meet the team and tour the rooms before deciding whether they want to stay.

Adventure Ocean has toilet-training requirements, while paid nursery care is a separate arrangement for younger children. Confirm eligibility, session availability, charges, and cancellation terms with the team before planning an adult dinner around care.

Teens should visit the teen lounge on the first evening if meeting people matters. An early visit makes it easier to meet other teenagers before the week’s routines settle.

Anthem is especially practical for older kids because SeaPlex, FlowRider, climbing, the pools, iFLY, and the teen program give them enough independence to stop following younger siblings around all day.

Before choosing a room, use the cabin-location guide to check what sits above and below it. Enjoying a late Music Hall set does not mean wanting its sound beside the bed.

Use the dining guide to give a longer dinner space around the show you most want. The Anthem tips cover the first-day checks and easier routes between these venues.

Check the show booking rules for Two70, and the pool rules before promising water play to younger children.