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At the helm of the dining experience is something Royal calls Dynamic Dining. The ship offers a multiplicity of options and the total flexibility to shape your own delectable journey. There are no set dining times, no assigned seats and no required formal nights.
On board you'll find the American Icon Grill, serving all-American favorites; Chic, a contemporary restaurant serving contemporary dishes; Silk, Anthem’s pan-Asian restaurant; The Grande, a venue themed around classic European ocean-liner cruising; Coastal Kitchen, offering a Mediterranean vibe; Jamie’s Italian, with rustic Italian favorites from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver; Wonderland, a new concept restaurant that has a feel of Alice in Wonderland; Michael’s Genuine Pub, an American gastropub by James Beard award-winning chef Michael Schwartz; Devinly Decadence, serving healthy options all under 500 calories; Chops Grille, Royal Caribbean’s signature steakhouse, and Izumi, the Japanese sushi bar.
You'll incur additional charges at all of the above eateries.
During my time on board I dined in Chops Grille and it was superb. You have to make a reservation here, and I would advise doing so as it does get quite busy. The menu offered a varied selection of meats and seafood, and my filet mignon was cooked to absolute perfection — it was one of the juiciest steaks I have ever had at sea. Before this I tried the scallops, which were also incredibly tasty. The side dish selection was nicely balanced as well and included grilled asparagus, creamed spinach, truffle French fries, mashed potato and tater-tots.
Anthem of the Seas also offers lighter options including Johnny Rockets Burger bar (this incurs an additional charge per item), Windjammer Marketplace buffet, The Café @ Two70, SeaPlex Dog House, Café Promenade and Sorrento’s pizzeria.
Room service is also available and is complimentary during breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is a $3.95 service charge for in-room deliveries between midnight and 5 am. Also, try the Dine in Delights menu, which will fetch your favorite food from the specialty restaurants for an á la carte price.
Entertainment on board was nonstop and the options were incredible! Hit the slots in Casino Royale, enjoy nighttime aerial entertainment in Two70, you can even sing along to "We Will Rock You" in the theater, or dance the night away in the beautiful, energy-filled Music Hall.
For those with children, the Adventure Ocean youth program is calling your name and open for all ages, and you'll also find the Royal Tots and Royal Babies program on board. The H2O pool area on deck 14 is a great place for young ones to have some fun in the wave pool, and for the really little ones there's a small splash pool (awww!).
If you want to release some energy and go one step further than a walk around the deck, then check out SeaPlex on deck 15. Bumper cars, roller skating, basketball court, circus school, tabletop games, Xbox Zone and more await you at the largest indoor sports center at sea.
Other fantastic entertainment options include RipCord by iFly, the first skydiving experience at sea (I didn't); NorthStar, which takes guests up 300 above the ship for incredible views; the FlowRider surf simulator, and the ship's Fitness Center. I highly recommend the NorthStar. The birds-eye view of the ship was absolutely incredible — it looks great in people’s pictures, but trust me when I say it looks even better when seen through your own eyes. I’m scared of heights, but I did it!
If you would rather relax and unwind, then the full-service Vitality Spa is calling you, as is the adults-only Solarium. The Solarium is a beautiful, inviting space, located forward on deck 14. The entire area is housed in glass, so you can imagine what the views are like, and it has a serene, tranquil vibe. Inside you'll find a number of lounging options, tiered pool, whirlpools and a bar. Anthem of the Seas also offers a large indoor pool just a 15-second walk from the Solarium.
Anthem of the Seas offers a wide range of accommodations, from the ample-sized interior stateroom to the top-of-the-ship Royal Loft Suite. Anthem also boasts brand new, and rather large, Royal Family Suites with Balcony — an ideal choice if you have two or three children in tow. During my time on board, I stayed in a Superior Deluxe Balcony stateroom on deck 10 forward. It was spacious, beautifully decorated and the balcony was standard size. I particularly liked the bathroom and the fact that even when you turned the light off, there would remain a very soft glow, ideal if you get up in the middle of the night — it means the days of blinding your cabin companion with the bathroom light are finally gone!
Danielle Fear sailed on Anthem of the Seas as one of the journalists and bloggers invited as a guest of Royal Caribbean. See Cruiseable's Ethics & Disclosure policy.
Updated from an earlier review.
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