9 Nights of Spain and Portugal on the Anthem of the Seas - Summer 2023. Southampton to Bilbao, La Coruña, Vigo, Lisbon and Cadiz.

From the industrial Bilbao, the surprising La Coruña and majestic Lisbon, get the pictures, details and facts about ports that could be on your next cruise. This is also our second time on the Anthem of The Seas so let’s talk cabins, food, activities and shows.

This is the third time we have sailed out of Southampton but the first without Covid restrictions. With things back to normal it was so much easier. We uploaded all of our documents to the app prior to getting to the port and spent no longer than 5 minutes in the port building before boarding the ship. Royal have kept the shorter muster drill, where you can watch the safety video in your room or on your device then just list the muster station and check off your name. Don’t wait to get this out of the way, in fact, make a point of going as soon as you board. It ensures you can then go off and do whatever you want without the announcements chasing you.

The ship itself we found easy to navigate, with Cafe 270 at the back (aft) and the Royal Theatre at the front (forward). On higher decks like the image below, the Conference centre is above 270 and the Solarium above the Royal Theatre. Each deck has it’s own digital board (Wayfinder) so no need to worry if navigation is not your thing.

The Main dining restaurants are on decks 3 & 4 and these are allocated to you on boarding. We’ve dined in all three and will go into more detail in later parts of this blog series.

In addition to main dining, you’ve got speciality - an elevated experience for an extra charge. Get the right deal and it’s worth it if you’re a foodie. We’ll cover this later on as well as drinks packages - do you actually need one? Is Starbucks included?

Capacity

One thing you’ll be pleased to know is this ship takes its capacity very well. We first boarded the Anthem for a UK Staycation cruise when capacity was around 70%, and were slightly concerned about the difference a full cruise would make. We didn’t need to be concerned at all. Queues were managed well at the Windjammer buffet and we always managed to find a sun lounger, even if not in a prime location, there were some available. As our children are under 16, we didn’t have access to the solarium but that is another space to use if your children are over 16 or you’re sailing as a couple / other party.

Pools

Outdoor, indoor and Solarium pools give you a range of spaces and options. At full capacity they are all busy but depending on your preference, you could have them all to yourself. If you’re on late dining or anytime dining you’ll get more space from 4pm onwards when those with early dining head off to dinner.

Activities and shows

Two surf pools (flo-rider), a climbing wall, skydiving experience and bumper cars. There is plenty to keep adults and kids entertained on this ship. Of course the activities get booked up and you need to sort them as soon as you can, apart from the bumper cars which you just turn up and queue (wait in line) for. In addition to the above there are kids clubs and teen spaces so adults can also get some downtime.

There’s also the North Star - a spaceship looking pod that can take you high above the ship for panoramic views. It operates both in port and at sea - the at sea option is an extra charge. Check out our video on instagram to see exactly what it’s like on the North Star and whether this is something for you - North Star Instagram

We Will Rock You and Spectre’s Cabaret are the main shows on the Anthem of the Seas. Are they any good? Find out if the shows will dazzle you in Team Five Travels guide to entertainment on Royal Caribbean.

Final thoughts

The Anthem is a good ship with plenty to do for all ages, families and groups. Whether you’re just considering a cruise or have never sailed with Royal, you’ll find more across the series to help you decide. Before the staycation cruises, we wouldn’t have considered it as a holiday but they really opened up a different way or travelling and elevated standard.

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