Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas 12-Day Southern Caribbean Cruise Review

One of the Best Cruises I've Ever Taken, Hands-Down

I love cruising, and this is my favorite itinerary to date! Read on to discover what you'll find onboard this ship and what to expect during your 12-day cruise to the Southern Caribbean.

All Aboard the Anthem of the Seas

In this article, I'll share my favorite parts of the cruise, the best onboard activities, and what we did each day. Here's what made this cruise stand out from all the others to get things started.

First, this ship is massive and one of the classiest and most elegant I've been on thus far. We always get a balcony cabin since we prefer quiet vs. the pool deck. But no matter where you stay on the ship, you're guaranteed a good time.

Unparalleled Service

The service was excellent, from our cabin stewards to the Main Dining Room and Windjammer staff. These folks work every day for 6–7 months—with rarely a day off—and they're always smiling, energetic, and eager to assist you.

Excellent Dining Options

The nightly dinners were first-class. We ate at the Windjammer Cafe for breakfast and lunch when we weren't in port. Honestly, everyone works so hard to deliver impeccable service. I want to tip everyone down to the Windjammer's greeters.

A 12-day cruise has two "formal" nights. While they're not required, it's fun to dress up--whatever that means to you. The next-to-last dinner is generally "lobster night" in the main dining rooms, which is always a treat.

The Onboard Entertainment Was a Blast

The shows never disappoint. This sailing featured "The Gift" (an Anthem of the Seas exclusive) and "We Will Rock You" (a tribute to Queen). There were also three comedians (including Jim David), a fantastic violinist (Gary Lovini), a professional juggler (Adam Kario), and a hypnotist (who had me as a volunteer on stage!).

Activities on the Anthem of the Seas

A 12-day cruise can be a bit long (especially with six "sea days"), but Royal Caribbean offers many activities onboard. There's no shortage of things to keep you occupied and entertained with games, trivia, karaoke, wine tastings, raffles, shopping events, and numerous shows.

Alcoholic Offerings: Tastings and More

One free activity we particularly enjoyed was a very lovely bourbon-tasting seminar. It was highly informative and educational, and we got a great buy on a hard-to-find bourbon we'd wanted, which was a sweet treat. The ship offers wine tastings throughout the week and has a bar featuring self-serve "wine taps" with a swipe of your ship card.

If you're down with spending money for drinks, you can indulge in the all-inclusive drink package or visit the "Bionic Bar," a robotic arm that makes and serves your drinks.

Q&A With the Crew

We always enjoy attending the Q&A session with the ship's captains, cruise director, and head crew members and learning fascinating and fun facts about cruise ship operations.

Someone asked this time: "Why are no Americans in the service jobs?" The answer: "Because Americans don't want to work that long or that hard, but they are, by all means, welcome to apply." I'm sure U.S. labor laws play a part, too, so it is likely more complicated than that. Another person asked about "sanitation, water, and waste disposal processes," which are very interesting. I have always wondered how ships with 3–5,000 people on board can handle so much waste.

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The North Star Observation Capsule

The "North Star" bubble is a cool feature that gives you a bird's-eye view of the ship and the surrounding water. Don't let the height intimidate you. It looks daunting, but honestly, once you are up in the capsule, it's not terrifying. It's free of charge, and while a reservation is best, you can usually get on if you are willing to wait. It runs every 15 minutes.

The Parachute Wind Tunnel and Other Sporty Activities

If you want another thrill that's also free of charge, make a reservation for the Parachute Wind Tunnel. Be sure to keep your appointment because no-shows incur a $25 fee. Remove your jewelry and leave your cell phones in your room.

Your time in the tunnel is 60 seconds, and you're fully supported. You can have a friend or family member record you from the outside. They also take photos for purchase ($20).

The ship also offers plenty of opportunities for physical exercise and entertainment, such as:

• Rock-climbing wall
• Basketball court
• Roller skating
• Volleyball and dodgeball tournaments
• Bumper cars
• And—if you're brave—the Flow Rider

Our 12-Day Itinerary

While the ship's itinerary is always subject to change, this description of our cruise should give you a good idea of what to expect during your time aboard the Anthem of the Seas!

Day 1: Port of Bayonne, NJ

What I love about Royal Caribbean is how organized their boarding procedures are. The more you cruise, the sooner you go aboard and the shorter your assigned line (Crown and Anchor Society). You should expect to spend 4–5 hours embarking and then relaxing on the ship before departure from port.

You can explore the ship, lounging on the deck, eating your first meal in the Windjammer, or relaxing in your cabin. Cabins are generally ready by 2:00 pm. If you checked your bags with a porter before boarding, it could be late in the evening before your luggage arrives at your room. Be sure to have extra clothing and toiletries with you for your evening. Here are some great tips for embarkation day to make it go smoothly.

Days 2–3: Cruising (Sea Days)

Spend sea days relaxing by the many pools, acclimating to the sea's movements, gambling in the casino, daily/nightly activities, shopping, and the favorite cruise pastime—eating!

Day 4: San Juan, PR

If you aren't doing an excursion and are exploring on your own, here are a few must-see attractions:

• Take a stroll around the Old Town.
• While there, stop at The Butterfly People Gallery, learn about the life cycle of butterflies, and purchase one of their beautifully mounted displays. (Created once their lifecycle has naturally ended).
• Take an easy walk to Castillo San Felipe del Morro and Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzis Cemetery for spectacular views from the city walls.

Day 5: St. Marteen

This island consists of two parts: the French side and the Dutch side. A short boat ride takes you to the Dutch side, where there is a lovely beach (though the locals will hound you to rent chairs and umbrellas—be sure to bargain for the best price) and lots of great shopping.

The French side is famous for having one of the few nude beaches in the Caribbean, “Orient Beach.” Unfortunately, the recent hurricane affected that side of the island, and the locals recommended we not visit now.

Day 6: Antigua

This island is a bit depressing, to be honest. There was lots of peddling and pressure to take taxis and tours. We bargained and gave in to a taxi ride to Jolly Beach with our friends, where we spent about three hours soaking up the sun. We were delighted we did this, as it is a pretty beach.

Day 7: St. Lucia

Upon arrival, we hired a taxi and headed for Soufriere to try out the sulfur mineral mud baths near the volcano. I never take off my "Tiffany" silver or other jewelry and learned the hard way that sulfur and sterling silver don't mix. Extreme oxidation affected all my pieces, which took an act of Congress to fix (see photo below).

After three days of trying to clean my jewelry, I found a jewelry store in St. Kitts to score a little bag of silver paste polish that finally did the trick--after three applications! (My gold and platinum pieces were left unscathed.)

The mineral springs are very hot, and if you apply the mud onto your body, your skin will feel softer than a baby's butt for 2–3 days. One of the locals was collecting and selling grapefruit-sized balls of this mud for $5 each (while trying not to be seen by the park's employees). I bought one and will continue using it for purifying facials at home!

Day 8: Barbados

As luck would have it, most things on this island close on Saturdays. We'd hoped to tour the Mount Gay Rum Distillery this time, but it, too, was closed. We found a taxi and went to one of the beaches called "Blue Monkey," which is said to have the best snorkeling. Since we always bring our gear, this made the most sense as there weren't any other options. The snorkeling was just average, but the beach itself was beautiful (though, once again, we had to bargain for beach chairs).

This evening, the Super Bowl was televised all over the ship, along with tailgate foods during the game. As this cruise left New Jersey, it was pretty cool how many New England and Philadelphia people were on board! (Patriots vs. Eagles)

Day 9: St. Kitts

We'd visited this island before in 2016. At that time, we did a fantastic excursion to the volcano, where we climbed to the mouth—about a six-mile, strenuous roundtrip hike up and down. This time, we opted to explore the many shops near the port. Being it was our sixth island stop, we were starting to wind down! We aren't in our usual top physical condition to handle such a climb.

Days 10–12: Cruising Back to Bayonne, NJ

Day 10 was a beautiful, sunny, warm day, and I could catch some rays on the balcony. The last two days got progressively colder, windier, and rainier, so we mostly explored the ship and did some activities on board.

Anthem of the Seas 12-Day Southern Caribbean was the best cruise we've ever taken, and we hope you'll feel the same!

Further Reading

Happy cruising! Are you preparing for your first cruise and daunted by the idea of packing? Here are my helpful tips and hacks on how to pack and prepare for your cruise and organize your smaller items that have made a convenient difference in how we pack and travel.

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Questions & Answers

Question: We are leaving from Bayonne at the end of January, which will obviously be cold. Will there be enough to do inside the Anthem of the Seas and will the Royal Carribean cruise ship also seem crowded the first few days?

Answer: Absolutely, there is plenty to do on board and honestly, it’s less than two days before the weather improves. When you reach the Carolinas and Florida coast, things improve dramatically. We took in as many shows as we could, Partook in onboard activities such as the bourbon tasting, bingo, interactive games, Karaoke, shopping, we took a deck of cards and played with our friends and one of the common areas, and took advantage of the workout facilities.

Question: Do the men & teenage boys have to wear pants in all the restaurants on a Royal Caribbean cruise? Also how about in the day for breakfast and lunch?

Answer: Nice shorts can be worn in the dining rooms at all times. There is usually one formal night and you can take that as dressy as you wish or wear a pair of dress pants or nice jeans. The dress code is a suggestion, not a rule. Breakfast and lunch are very laid back and you will see people in their swimsuits and trunks; just make sure they wear shirts and shoes.

Question: Is the Royal Caribbean Flowrider free?

Answer: Yes, it is free. I think the editors added that when they proofed my article for the specialty hub. I will edit that asap, thank you bringing it to my attention.

© 2018 Debra Roberts