By Jeffrey A. Rendall, Photos by Jeff Rendall
Onboard Shopping – You’re good if you want Royal Caribbean logos on your take-homes
I certainly haven’t seem ‘em all, but I’m guessing every cruise ship has shops to buy things. Anthem of the Seas was no different.
There was art for sale, which I’m assuming means admiring and purchasing a piece for shipping to your home. I don’t think it means buying a large and heavy masterpiece and carrying it around with you, but I could be wrong.
Every cruise ship probably has jewelry for sale. So much so that it only seems logical that the smell of ocean air stimulates people to buy expensive, shiny objects. You hardly see people in the jewelry shops onboard, but they wouldn’t devote space to them if they couldn’t sell something.
And similar to what you find in port towns, there are shops for more “standard” souvenirs – shirts, jackets, refrigerator magnets, cups, models of the ship, etc. Surprisingly, some good deals can be had if you wait until the end of the sailing and the ship’s managers want to unload a bunch of things prior to taking on the next collection of passengers.
Check back at the shops when you have time and interest. You might find something that catches your eye. More than an “impulse buy”, put it that way.
Regrets — What we wanted to do, but didn’t
One of the first things you notice on a cruise ship is there’s never enough time to do everything that sounds interesting and fun, no matter the destination.
This was certainly true on our voyage to Alaska, which included a full slate of activities and lectures.
A few things we didn’t do but wish we might’ve prioritized on our Alaska cruise:
Room Service
Prior to our sailing, we were particularly looking forward to taking advantage of the free room service perk provided to suite guests. We’d envisioned ordering breakfast made to order and sitting leisurely out on our spacious balcony munching on tasty vittles to the sounds of the ocean going by and donning bathrobes and toasting Mimosa as we sailed by.
Sounds like quite a plan, doesn’t it?
Well, we didn’t do it. Not even once. Why? First off, the balcony on an Alaska cruise isn’t always a hospitable place. It’s cold, particularly in the morning. It’s often windy – almost not usable. And there are few occasions where there’s enough time to set aside a room service delivery that doesn’t conflict with some other activity or obligation.
Not to mention, the Coastal Kitchen for breakfast is included in your suite package. With an attentive wait staff catering to your every desire, why serve yourself?
The same goes for dinner. It’s either choose between the free drinks and pre-meal munchies at Happy Hour in the Suite Lounge or order from the Main Dining Room menu for dinner without drinks included. I’m not sure how having a drink package would impact room service, but weighing the options, we went with going upstairs instead.
“I could get used to this” was the thought going through my mind as I watched the wake of the ship flowing out behind us from the Suite Lounge.
It made missing Room Service that much more acceptable.
Restaurants included in the sailing that we didn’t use
Again, as previously noted, mostly because of time constraints – and the presence of better alternatives as a suite guest — we didn’t take advantage of the eateries on deck five, with Sorrento’s pizza being the most missed to this pizza lover.
Sorrento’s is free and available most waking hours (except in the mornings) and looked like a good place to simply pick up a pizza snack and “chill” for a little while. We’ve had Sorrento’s before. It’s not the greatest pizza in the world, but it’s not the worst, either.
There wasn’t an “El Loco Fresh” Chipotle-like Mexican grill on Anthem, and Johnny Rocket’s was on the top deck, which all-but precluded going there because it was outside (the seating area) and almost always too chilly to consider visiting when there were so many other options.
Johnny Rocket’s is a for-a-fee Specialty Restaurant too, but offers the best shakes onboard.
There also wasn’t a Playmaker’s Sports Bar on Anthem, so it wasn’t an option for its stack of onion rings or oversized over-the-top cheeseburgers, either. We didn’t really miss these places, but it’s always nice to have options, too. Royal Caribbean’s newest and biggest ships have them. But again, those state-of-the-art monster ships wouldn’t fit in Alaska’s ports. Keep that in mind.
And because there’s SO MUCH food practically everywhere you go, you have to “budget” what you eat, too. A tremendous amount of food goes to waste on every cruise ship, though we’re told that the excess is disposed of in an efficient manner to minimize waste.
Still, it’s hard not to think about those “starving children” somewhere on the globe. Every mother everywhere would be proud that you’re sufficiently guilted-into not seeing wasted food.
I would also recommend, to the good folks at Royal Caribbean, that they upgrade the quality of their pizza. I haven’t experienced it myself, but I’ve heard that other cruise lines do a better job with their pizza offerings. I’ve also heard that the pizza at Royal Caribbean’s Italian specialty restaurant, Giovanni’s Kitchen, is significantly better than at Sorrento’s, the “fast food” RC version. This is one area that could be improved – even by offering a “for pay” pizza item. It would be worth it to most people. Or offer both, if possible. Let those who want the higher quality item lay out the extra appropriation. Kind of like a “user fee” at a national park.
For the price of a drink onboard, people who want it can experience a real treat.
The RipCord – Simulated skydiving without jumping out of a plane
One of the attractions that sounded interesting prior to boarding Anthem of the Seas was called the “RipCord”, which simulates skydiving. Participants put on a flight suit and are subjected to a large fan blowing enough air so as to make yourself airborne, supposedly giving similar sensations to falling from an airplane at 12,000 feet.
We saw a few people use the Rip Cord chamber, but we had neither the time nor inclination to try it ourselves. The NorthStar was more our speed, and that was “thrilling” enough.
Bumper Cars
There reportedly was a bumper cars area on the ship, but I never saw it, and I think it wasn’t operating, according to word-of-mouth.
Suite or Balcony – or inside cabin? You be the judge
Clearly one of the biggest decisions you make prior to even booking a cruise is what type of room to reserve. The answer isn’t as simple as, “This one’s bigger”, or “This one’s cheaper”, or “Someone told me never to do (such and such) on a cruise to (insert destination here).”
The actual answer involves all of these considerations.
Our Alaska sailing was the first time we’d ever thought about “upgrading” to a suite (from a “regular” balcony room). The Owner’s Suite that we went with included a healthy amount of storage space, an upgraded bathroom set-up (with two bathrooms for the room), a jacuzzi tub and twice-a-day cleaning service including a turn-down visit in the early evening.
This in addition to providing a Concierge and visits to the Suite Lounge and Coastal Kitchen. Staying in the suite was roughly twice as expensive as most “regular” rooms, but there are “extras” included that help dampen the additional outlay. Suites come with internet (one device per person) included and the extra bathroom is a Godsend if you choose to have more than two adults in your suite.
The living area includes a pull-out couch which unfolds into a bed. The stateroom attendant took care of set-up each day. A very valuable asset. Adding a third person spreads the cost of a suite, and staying in a suite with three people is marginally more money than booking two “regular” state rooms. Something to consider.
One of the main reasons for us opting to book a suite was the large balcony that came with it. We figured we’d spend a great deal of time on the balcony on an Alaska sailing, since one of the days is entirely devoted to “scenic cruising” through one of the breathtaking Alaska fjords where you’d reportedly encounter glaciers and icebergs and wildlife in abundance, etc.
As I’ve already explained, our journey through the fjord was canceled for our particular sailing (I don’t know if it reopened afterwards) due to considerations beyond our control. The balcony became less valuable to us. In fact, mostly due to the time of year and destination, it was too chilly to sit out there. But we did use the balcony. Some. But reserving a suite will usually pay off with the extra balcony space and chairs under “standard” circumstances.
The larger bathroom arrangement was nice, for sure. But I found the tub itself was too small to use as an in-room jacuzzi. In fact, I only used the tub once. The somewhat larger shower was nice, too, but I wouldn’t say it was a huge upgrade from a “regular” balcony room.
I’ve never stayed in an inside cabin, but our family has experience with them. They’re small, and, most of all, DARK. No ambient light to be found there. And, needless to say, particularly on an Alaska sailing, you may not appreciate the lesser storage space. We brought clothes 
for warm and cool days. The suite had abundant storage area.
Inside cabins do save you money. The difference between booking an inside cabin (again, figure your costs on double occupancy) can be significant. But would I ever choose an Inside Cabin over a “regular” balcony room? Probably not. The savings aren’t worth it to me personally. But if you have a large traveling party, one group can stay in balcony rooms and the others in the smaller, less convenient Inside Cabins, then migrate over for fresh air and on-ship socializing.
As previously alluded to, suite benefits can be luxurious upgrades. But you’ll need to take advantage of them, or you’re basically paying just for more room space. Is it worth it to you?
The larger suites are nice. Period. But they’re expensive, too.
The twice a day stateroom attendant service is nice to some, but not necessary to others. A nice benefit? It’s up to you.
There are several levels of rooms to choose from, so you should weigh the space involved, storage, bathroom configuration and how much time you plan to spend in the room itself. I’d imagine a sailing to the Caribbean might not be worth the extra expense of a suite. Why spend more time in the room as opposed to the sunny, tropical port or shipboard activities and restaurants?
But I’ve heard people say they wouldn’t even think about booking less than a balcony stateroom. I agree with that advice. Sitting on the balcony in the mornings and evenings was one of my favorite things to do on previous cruises. But in the wintertime, even on a Caribbean cruise, it can get chilly out on the balcony. Keep it in mind for the future.
Previous Alaska and Anthem of the Seas Reviews:
Alaska Cruise Review Part I – Why cruise to Alaska? Let us count the ways. Bring a calculator
https://www.golfintheusa.com/1448-2/
Alaska Cruise Review Part II — Alaska ports of Call – Sitka is all about wildlife with culture and history thrown-in
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-ports-of-call-sitka-is-all-about-wildlife-with-culture-and-history-thrown-in/
Alaska Cruise Review Part III — Alaska ports of Call – Skagway; Waterfalls, gold miners and a taste of the old west
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-cruise-review-part-iii-alaska-ports-of-call-skagway-waterfalls-gold-miners-and-a-taste-of-the-old-west/
Alaska Cruise Review Part IV — Alaska ports of Call – Juneau. Alaska Capitol, Tracy’s King Crab Shack and Whale watching
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-cruise-review-part-iv-alaska-ports-of-call-juneau-alaska-capitol-tracys-king-crab-shack-and-whale-watching/
Alaska Cruise Review Part V — Alaska ports of Call – Victoria, Canada, Butchart Gardens, Spaghetti Factory and Big City
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-cruise-review-part-v-alaska-ports-of-call-victoria-canada-butchart-gardens-spaghetti-factory-and-big-city/
Alaska Cruise Review Part VI — Alaska ports of Call – Seattle; Original Starbucks and CHAZ
https://www.golfintheusa.com/alaska-cruise-review-part-vi-alaska-ports-of-call-seattle-original-starbucks-and-chaz/
Anthem of the Seas Review – Part I — Entertainment on Anthem of the Seas – Something to do for every spare moment
https://www.golfintheusa.com/anthem-of-the-seas-review-part-i-entertainment-on-anthem-of-the-seas-something-to-do-for-every-spare-moment/
Anthem of the Seas Review – Part II – Eat your fill on Anthem of the Seas – You can’t save it in a doggy bag!
https://www.golfintheusa.com/anthem-of-the-seas-review-part-ii-eat-your-fill-on-anthem-of-the-seas-you-cant-save-it-in-a-doggy-bag/