Royal Caribbean "Anthem" Cruise 2017

Royal Caribbean's
Anthem of the Seas
January 2017

In the past 7 years we've cruised with several different cruise lines but never Royal Caribbean International. We got wind of a 16 cabin group sailing on Royal's "Anthem" and decided to join in. The ship was sailing from Cape Liberty in New Jersey and the organizer got us all to the pier by bus. This was our 23rd cruise in a little over 7 years. Anthem at ~4,500 passengers (~1,700 crew) is also the largest ship we've ever cruised on. As for the itinerary, we've visited all of the ports save one, Martinique.

Please Note: Click on any image for more specific information about it. Clicking on the little map will bring up a satellite image showing where we were when the image was taken. Camera setting information can also be found.

Our Cabin, 6534:

As always, there are options so we chose to go the extra distance and book a balcony cabin. Cabin 6534 was on the starboard side in the forward part of the ship. Later we found that our cabin was over the "Royal Theatre". This was NOT a problem but we did hear some "thumping" a couple times over the cruise and realized it was music from "We Will Rock You". I say again, the "thumping" could barely be felt and was only 2-3 times during the cruise. Our cabin was roomy and provided more than enough storage space for our needs. There were more electrical outlets than usual, a flat screen TV, and a refridgerator that, to our liking, was empty.

The Ship, Anthem of the Seas:

As mentioned above, this was our first Royal Caribbean cruise so everything about the ship is new to us. The ship was built in 2014 so it included all the latest in technology both in view to the public and behind the scenes. Technology was everywhere from the proximity locks on our cabin door to the "Bionic Bar". Tablets and laptops were used by the crew to check reservations and accept payment for drinks. We especially enjoyed "270" when it was in "lounge" mode because there was comfortable seating and easy to listen to background music. When "270" is converted to a show venue, it bristles with technology, $38 Million worth! Like all modern cruise ships, this one was designed to attract families. Besides the usual swimming pools, hot tubs, spa and exercise room there was "Flowrider", "RipCord" and a space called "Seaplex" where we were able to ride bumper cars! And this is only some of what was available covering a wide range of interests. The images behind these thumbnails has additional information....

San Juan, Puerto Rico:

This was our 3rd time to San Jaun and arrival was, like before, around 3pm so we decided to just stay on the ship and enjoy the relative quite. I really wanted to visit the fort but just didn't want to go through the rush to get there before closing. We did go for our first dip in the pool before going to dinner. Our departure was at 11pm so I captured a few images of NCL "Breakaway" tied up to the other side of the pier.

Philipsburg, St. Maarten:

We noticed a Tall Ship excursion and booked it, for no other reason, than the photo op it would provide. The excursion wasn't until after lunch so we decided to walk around in the shops for awhile. The shutter knob on Kathy's camera litterly broke off and I was hoping to get a replacement camera. I knew from a previous visit that there's a pretty decent camera shop in town. As luck would have it, there was a branch store in the shops area and I was able to purchase a replacement. We went back to the ship, put the battery on the charger and went for lunch. Back to the Tall Ship..... We've been on Tall Ships before and they typically will raise sails but remain under motor. This time was different, they raised sails and we SAILED. It was great.

St. John's, Antigua:

We simply got off the ship and spent a little time walking around in town.

Fort De France, Martinique:

This was our 1st time in Martinique and it was on a Sunday so we booked an excursion out to a garden (Jardin de Balata) which also had a series of rope bridges to cross.

Bridgetown, Barbados:

This was our day for "North Star" which was scheduled for mid-morning, to late to book an excursion. We had heard about a $2/pp shuttle into town so we decided to do that and simply look around. The place was colorful to say the least. We wandered through a fairly large department store which seemed out of place. I looked at some watches then wandered over to their electronics/photo area. While looking for the return shuttle, a taxi driver offered to take us back for $5 so back to the post we went. Once aboard, it was a snack and a dip in the pool. We went to the observation area above the bridge to watch and photograph the departure.

Basseterre, St. Kitts:

Last time in St. Kitts, we did the old sugar plantation train excursion. This time around, we decided to simply go ashore and see what tours are available. We signed onto a 2-1/2 hour island tour that ended up getting stretched to 3-1/2 hours. We stopped for some scenic photo ops and visited a plantation/garden but most of the time was spent riding in a van. Next time we're going to make our way out to the fort.