Anthem of the Seas

Just how impressive is Royal Caribbean's latest Quantum class cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas?  

There's a new visual means of understanding how big she is with this new infographic!

In anticipation of Anthem of the Seas' arrival in the New York City area this week, Royal Caribbean compared Anthem of the Seas to some pretty large things, such as the Statue of Liberty, a blue whale and Boeing 747 jetliners.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas has a lot to offer, including a number of staterooms.  Today, we will look at the Royal Family Suite stateroom and take you through the cabin to give you an idea of what to expect if you book this type of stateroom.

On Anthem  of the Seas, Dale Hicks shared photos of stateroom 10634, which is located on Deck 10. Entry to the room is by RFID scanner, which is above the door handle.

After immeditately walking in, there is a full sized closet.

Opposite the closet is one of the bathrooms.  This bathroom is a lot like the bathroom you would find in many staterooms on Anthem of the Seas.

The first bedroom is a room with two double beds.  The bathroom shown in earlier photos is likely to be used most by these rooms.

Here is a good look at the living room area of the suite.  The Royal Family Suite offers 543 square feet of living space.

Let's head into the master bedroom.

The master bedroom includes a king size bed and television.  Next up is the master bathroom.

The master bathroom features a full size tub and more space than the other bathroom.

Of course, the Royal Family Suite features a balcony, and this one is rather large. The balcony size for this stateroom ranges between 166 to 263 sq. ft.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas offers so many innovative and fun activites onboard, so naturally many guests onboard are all interested in doing them too.

If you want to do all the cool activities onboard, here are some surefire methods to see it all, without waiting for it all.

Do your online check in the fast way

In order to do any of the really fun things onboard Anthem of the Seas, you need to first get onboard, so why waste time waiting in the cruise terminal?

Royal Caribbean offers a new program, where you can go "sidewalk to ship" in 10 minutes and if you take advantage of this, you too can get onboard much quicker.

What you need to do is fill out all the important legal information at home and even take their own "selfie" photo to be used with their SeaPass card.

You will still be able to check-in the "old fashioned way" at the cruise terminal too but those that take advantage of the new system will get onboard a whole lot quicker.

The best times to go on North Star

Anthem of the Seas' North Star observation pod is arguably the most impressive, and popular, activity on the ship.  Who does not enjoy sweeping views of everything around you from a height of 300 feet?

If you want to check out North Star, or even experience it more than just once, there are ways to beat the long lines that tend to be there.

The best time to experience North Star is when you are in a port, because most guests are off the ship exploring the port of call.  This means, there are far less guests to compete with for a line.

In addition, try for hopping in line bright and early in the morning.  If you can wrangle yourself out of bed and get in line 10 minutes or more before North Star opens, you will likely find yourself on the first ride of the day.  Lines quickly develop shortly thereafter.

Interestingly, you can also find luck with less lines during dinner hours.  As more and more guests leave the pool area and head somewhere to eat, there is less competition for North Star rides.  Those last few rides of the evening can often have little to no wait.

Book Ripcord online

One feature on Anthem of the Seas that always captures the attention of guests is Ripcord by iFly.  This skydiving simulator sounds, looks and feels really, really cool, and many guests want to give it a try.

If you want to experience Ripcord, your best bet is to reserve a spot online before your cruise.

Using Royal Caribbean's Cruise Planner, you can reserve a time to ride for you and others in your group.  And there is no additional cost!

By reserving in advance, you will avoid the line of guests who are trying to figure out when they can be squeezed in for a ride.

The secret to Bumper cars and the FlowRider

It might seem like the bumper cars and FlowRider surf simulator have very little in common, but if you want to experience either, the secret is the same: go on embarkation day.

Usually these activities are up and running as you board the ship, but most guests are not thinking about them yet.

Given that Anthem of the Seas is based out of Bayonne, New Jersey, a ride on the FlowRider during the cooler months of the year may not sound like a great idea but if you want a chance to ride the FlowRider over and over and over again, head there on embarkation day.

Likewise, bumper cars on embarkation day will find the shortest lines.  It is your best bet for slamming into other guests without a really long wait.

Dinner at the any of the restaurants

There are a lot of restaurants onboard Anthem of the Seas, and if you are on Dynamic Dining Choice, you will have the opportunity to eat at any of them, when it is convenient to you.  But you ought to plan ahead where and when you will be eating to avoid possible waits.

Royal Caribbean has done a lot to engineer the Dynamic Dining experience so that wait time to be seated is mitigated, but we suggest you make reservations in advance to assure yourself of the shortest waits.

Guests can book reservations for any of the complimentary or specialty restaurants online via the Cruise Planner.  

The Cruise Planner is simple and you can always change the times you book, so you do not have to worry about being "locked into" anything you select.  

In our experience, having reservations always beats trying to show up without one.

See the Bionic Bar in action

Something sure to catch anyone's attention as they walk by, is the Bionic Bar, where robots make cocktails for guests on demand.  

Because it draws the eye so easily, crowds often form around the Bionic Bar because everyone wants to see the robots in action (and probably take a selfie with them).

If you want to find the lowest crowds at the Bionic Bar, try for the late afternoon.  

There is a noticable slowdown after 3pm, when many guests are all over the ship doing other things and the Bionic Bar is not nearly as busy.  And it's more likely you actually want a drink at this time, rather than morning hours, which are also fairly uncrowded.

The Bionic Bar picks back up in the evening, when you will find a DJ usually playing music nearby, so take advantage of the Bionic Bar right before it's 5 o'clock somewhere.

Royal Caribbean has been adding digital wayfinders to their cruise ships since they were first introduced on Oasis of the Seas, but recently, they have gotten a software upgrade that gives them much more functionality.

Royal Caribbean's digital wayfinders are interactive kiosks found in the elevator lobbies of most ships. It offers guests access to what is happening on the ship, directions to anywhere on the ship and even restaurant information.

Recently, Royal Caribbean upgraded the software for these wayfinders to allow guests to locate any ship in Royal Caribbean's fleet, read more information about the officers and more.

When using the wayfinders, guests can choose from a variety of options.

The "Ship Locator" is one of the new links, that will give guests a look at the location of every ship in the fleet.

In fact, the Ship Locator will also show the location of sister company ships, such as Celebrity Cruise and Azamara Club Cruise ships.

Guests can also look up information on the officers onboard their Royal Caribbean ship and learn more about each one of them.

Big thanks to Royal Caribbean Blog reader Rich Freudenberg for providing these photos!

In addition, the wayfinders feature a Port Explorer feature, which highlights the itinerary you are on and allows guests to explore the port from a Google Maps experience

These new features were first introduced on Quantum of the Seas, and will also be available on Harmony of the Seas and Ovations of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean kicked off today a special 72-hour sale on Anthem of the Seas cruises, where staterooms begin at just $699 per person and guests can get $100 to spend onboard when booking a balcony or suite.

Guests that book a balcony or suite stateroom on Anthem of the Seas for sailings that depart between January 1 and March 31, 2016 will qualify for a $100 bonus onboard credit.

This 72-hour Anthem of the Seas sale runs between October 27 and 29, 2015.

This offer is combinable with restricted rates (for example, Seniors, Residents, Military, 30% Savings) as well as NextCruise offers. OBC offer is not combinable with Crown & Anchor discounts and Shareholder Benefits.

Offer open to residents of the United States or Canada. 

Royal Caribbean will once again have a float in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year, likely to promote the arrival of Anthem of the Seas to her new homeport of the New York City area.

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade website has Royal Caribbean's float listed and a photo of the float that Royal Caribbean has used for the last two years, entitled, "A World At Sea".

The float was designed by the creative artists of the Macy’s Parade Studio and depicts three distinct postcard scenes which take place onboard a Royal Caribbean ship. The rotating scenes depict three “WOW” moments found only on Royal Caribbean, including the FlowRider surf simulator, thrilling zip line and iconic rock climbing wall.

Photo by Michael Poole

Royal Caribbean has had a parade float in the annual event the last two years to promote sister ship, Quantum of the Seas.  

The 89th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC, on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2014.

Thanks to Cruise Ship News for the find!

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas is wrapping up her European cruise season in preperation for her move across, "the pond" to the United States, where she will arrive at her new home in the New York City area.

Royal Caribbean Blog reader Steven van Belleghem sent us these great shots of Anthem of the Seas today in Zeebrugge, Belgium.

Enjoy!

All photos by Steven van Belleghem

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas is less than two weeks away from her arrival in the New York City area and many  fans are excited to check out what this brand new ship offers.

Royal Caribbean has packed Anthem of the Seas with innovations, activities and technology that all contribute to give guests that "WOW" factor the company is well known for.

There is a lot of exciting options onboard and in anticipation of Anthem of the Seas' arrival, we are counting down the top five coolest features onboard.

5. Virtual Balconies

When Royal Caribbean announced it would transform indoor staterooms with an 80-inch LED television that would provide real-time views, the concept may not have resonated with guests as much until we saw it in action.

Virtual balcony staterooms transform the experience of an indoor stateroom without the balcony stateroom price and the picture quality is amazing.

In addition to the real-time views, the virtual balcony provides audio as well and unlike a real balcony, you can simply press a button on your remote and turn it on or off at your discretion.

4. Voom high speed internet

If you have a need for speed when it comes to surfing the internet, Royal Caribbean's Voom internet is perfect for you.

Imagine being at sea and sharing photos and videos from all the "WOW" moments in this blog post with your friends and family back home.  Or better yet, show them by calling them on Skype or Facetime.  You can do all that and more with Voom.

Anthem of the Seas is one a few Royal Caribbean ships currently offering Voom internet and for just $15 per device, per day, you can stay connected without the sluggish internet speeds traditionally found on a cruise ship.

If you are a gamer, head over to the X-Box pod in the SeaPlex, because Voom is powering the gaming experience there, where guests can engage in Xbox Live.

3.  Two70

Entertainment has always been a staple of Royal Caribbean cruises and Two70 offers some of the most impressive shows we have ever seen.

Two70 is a venue at the aft of the ship that offers a two hundred and seventy degree view of the ocean, and there is much more than just that to see.

During the day, you will find Roboshows shows that feature robotic screens that move and adjust to the show they are displaying.  

Two70 also features Vistarama, which transforms its expansive floor-to-ceiling windows into any scene, real or imagined, by combining 18 projectors to create an ambient surface over 100 feet wide and over 20 feet tall. Across this expanse, impromptu digital shows come to life in stunning 12K resolution.

At night, there is yet another show to enjoy here, with Spectra's Cabaret.  This is an immersive audio and visual experience that is certain to be like nothing you have seen before.

Two70 is a hub of activity for guests onboard Anthem of the Seas and after your cruise is over, it is quite likely many of your cruise photos will have been taken here.

2. Ripcord

Four words: sky diving at sea.

That is all most guests need to hear to understand what Ripcord by iFly is all about.

Guests get the sensation and experience of sky diving without the whole jump out of a perfectly good airplane from an obscene altitude.

It is one of those things that so many guests instantly want to try because not only does it look super cool, it is also super fun!

There is no additional cost to hop in Ripcord, guests simply make a reservation and get suited up and literally jump in.

Be sure to have someone take photos for you, because Ripcord is such an unique experience and something only available on Royal Caribbean.

1. North Star

When we are talking about "WOW" moments, there is nothing that quite compares to the most visible feature on Anthem of the Seas, North Star.

Guests board a jewel-shaped observation capsule and are taken up 300 feet above sea level for views never before seen on a cruise ship.

North Star offers 360 degree views all around Anthem of the Seas and it is something that simply never gets old.  No matter how many times you go up on North Star, it is still a stunning sight to behold and you will need extra memory cards for your camera to be able to handle all the photos and video from here.

If you really want to spice things up, remember the Voom internet from earlier in this post?  How about streaming your experience on Periscope or calling your friends at home on Facetime and showing them where you are? When you are on North Star, you are going to want to do all of it!

There is much more!

We limited ourselves to the top 5 coolest things about Anthem of the Seas for this blog post, but there is so much more that will impress you.

Surf simulators, bumper cars at sea, an amazing adults only pool, incredible restaurants and much more.  We cannot fit it all into one blog post but rest assured that a cruise on Anthem of the Seas is certain to impress.

What aspect of Anthem of the Seas is the coolest, in your opinion? Tell us in the comments below!

In just a little under 20 days, Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas will be arriving in the New York City area to begin offering cruises from her new home in Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

You might be wondering how Anthem of the Seas is different from her sister cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas and we have the list of how to tell them apart!

1. Art

Perhaps the most noticable difference between Anthem of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas is the art work.

Royal Caribbean has added thousands of art pieces onboard Anthem of the Seas and as you explore the ship, you will encounter pieces from all over the world.

Anthem of the Seas even has its very own Picasso!

Once you get onboard Anthem of the Seas, be sure to explore the ship to discover the many pieces of art.  You will find art all over the ship, from the elevators and stairways to the restaurants, staterooms and even out on the decks.

2. Gigi

One big difference (and we mean big) is on the top deck is a 32-foot tall giraffe that the crew affectionately have named, "Gigi".

You will find Gigi wearing a bright pink inner tube and yellow swimsuit, just outside the SeaPlex.  

French artist Jean-François Fourtou designed Gigi, and says her purpose is to, " always to show something outside of its natural context."

"I hope people will feel a big surprise — I hope they will laugh, and I hope some of them will feel something emotional because, for me, the giraffe seems almost human with her expression," he says. "Much like being a father, you have to let the kids leave home, and I think it’s great that she’s going to see the world and have a great adventure."

3. We Will Rock You

These days, no new Royal Caribbean ship is complete without a new musical and guests on Anthem of the Seas get a chance to rock out to a West End favorite.

"We Will Rock You," performs multiple times on Anthem of the Seas in the Royal Theater.  

The 90 minute show is included in the cost of the cruise and performs some of Queen's greatest hits, while telling the story of Bohemians seeking to restore the power of rock 'n' roll.

Not only is "We Will Rock You" an entertaining and fun show to watch, it is a great example of the first class entertainment Royal Caribbean is known for.

4. Escape From the Future

If you are looking for something fun but different, check out "Escape from the Future".

Basically, "Escape from the Future" is a game where teams of guests try to figure out clues and codes to find a key that allows them to escape from the room.  The catch is, guests only have one hour to figure it all out.

This interactive brain teasing game is something very different from other onboard activities and it can be a very fun way to test their wits.

"Escape from the Future" was designed by a land-based company known as Puzzle Break and the all the fun is included in your cruise fare.

5. Stowaway Piano Player

Royal Caribbean is always trying to offer more entertainment that gets guests talking and finding this show may require some random luck.

On the surface, the stowaway piano player sounds like a normal piano player that can crank out some great tunes.  But the catch is you will never know where to find the stowaway!

The piano player is quite mobile, and that means performances can break out almost anywhere on the ship.

In addition, the piano has hidden compartments and functions and can dispense various things, such as lollipops for kids or appear to overheat because of "intense" piano playing.

6. Spectra's Cabaret

On Quantum of the Seas, the Starwater show in Two70 was very impressive and Royal Caribbean offers a brand new evening show in Two70 called, "Spectra's Cabaret."

This is an original Royal Caribbean production created by Moment Factory, exclusively for Two70 on Anthem of the Seas and it features, "the Maestro and his Agents of Rhythm as they invite you to an electric multi-dimensional cabaret where you will be transported into invisible realms."

Guests that watch "Spectra's Cabaret" will witness a multi-media show featuring kaleidoscopic sounds, effervescent colors and dazzling movement.

Spectra’s Cabaret blends live performance and experiential cinema along with music from popular culture.