Trip report: 9 day Anthem of the seas and The Key

SDJEL

Mouseketeer
Joined
Aug 12, 2016
I’ve read multiple trip reports on these boards and found them to be helpful so I’m posting about our recent trip. First, we are gold on Disney Cruises. 7 cruises done and we’ve been on all 4 ships. Another cruise is already booked and paid for for 2020. We are a family of 5 from New England with two teenage boys and an 11 year old girl. We all love Disney cruises, but I’ve become bored with the same itineraries, same shows, same menus and same activities. So, we planned a 9 day cruise on Anthem out of New Jersey. It was a new ship to us and we could drive to the port which is a huge cost savings. Two adjoining balcony rooms on a high deck were less for the 5 of us than our planned April, 2020 cruise for 4 with an inside cabin and a verandah cabin. The whole family did a Royal Caribbean cruise on one of the older, smaller ships a few years ago and it was not a pleasant experience. But, with a huge new ship with lots of activities, we thought it was worth a try. Also, Disney has become progressively more expensive.

Also, because the crowds on this ship seemed potentially overwhelming to me, I purchased The Key hoping it might alleviate some of my anxiety. First, I did not think The Key was worth it. We paid $19.99 per person per day which was the lowest price I’ve seen offered. For 5 people for 9 days, it was almost $1000. Getting on the ship turned out to be very easy and they were waiting with multiple signs to tell us where to go. Even with the easy walk on, the escape room was completely booked when we got on. This was something my kids were really looking forward to.

The lunch in Chops was only OK. The menu was limited and the food was meh at best. It was nice that we didn’t have to wait in line or search an unfamiliar ship, but it was not an experience I would have paid for. They did hold our carry on bags for us which was nice because our rooms weren’t ready for a few hours and we used that time to familiarize ourselves with the ship.

There was a fruit basket in the room one day and chocolate keys another day which were nice.

We used the priority debarkation on one of the port days because we had an excursion to get to and that did work out well.

There were separate times for some of the activities, but the times were either early in the morning or at dinner time. We did go to rock climbing one day and had the rock wall to ourselves. Another day we had a private lesson on the flow rider which was nice. Those were the only times we made it to the activities. The letter they gave us said something about priority access on the lines, but whenever I asked about it, I was told that they didn’t know anything about it.

The last day we had the breakfast in the dining room, but it was the same food that was available in Windjammer. The service was super slow and it took us almost 90 minutes to eat breakfast. Another experience I would not repeat. They did walk us off the boat so we didn’t have to wait in the long line, but we still had to wait st the Shore Excursions desk for 10 minutes for someone to walk us off the boat. I don’t think we saved any time.

The reserved seating was high and far back. We didn’t use it once. My husband and kids got to the show 20 minutes before the start time and we always got the seats we wanted.

The internet speed was very good. I was able to watch Netflix and we were able to text and call each other (we call using WiFi). Normally I don’t get WiFi because unplugging is a very relaxing part of the cruise. If you get the full internet package, then The Key is worth it. Otherwise, not worth what we paid.

I’ll finish up about the cruise part later. Writing this on my phone is challenging.
 
Sounds like the key was a but disappointing. Looking forward to hearing about Anthem itself. We'll be on her for the first time in March.
 
I think the Key is running 0 for ? on DIS cruise reports right now. A good idea but poor execution and expensive for week+ cruises to boot.

Thanks for the info. Looking forward to what you have to say about the cruise itself. If you can find a comfortable desktop/laptop to type from, that is.
 
Thanks for the trip report. Looking forward to hearing more. I cannot wait for our cruise in January.
 


This was a 9 day cruise: Bermuda, St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, Labadee and 4 sea days. We went into the cruise a little hesitant because our previous week long cruise on Grandeur had been awful. We have also been on two Norweigan cruises last summer that were very different than Disney, but, in many ways, were more like Royal Carribean.

The Good
1. Our cabin: The layout was really nice. There was a big open area with a couch and a dresser and then a king sized bed by the windows. There was plenty of room in the middle of the cabin to sit on the floor and stretch. I was able to do yoga and my husband was able to do his stretching routine as well. We have not been able to do this on Disney boats nearly as well. Also, there was a ton of storage. There were two closets and a lot of drawer space and multiple cubbies. We had no problem finding room to put all our stuff. The suitcases easily fit under the bed.

The barrier on the verandah was high and didn't have anything in the middle so I was able to see really well when sitting out there. I spent much more time on the verandah than usual and that was a wonderfully relaxing part of the cruise.

There was only one bathroom, not a split configuration, but it was larger than other cruise ship bathrooms and easy to move around in. Also, I discovered if I showered with the door open (so the bathroom didn't get all steamy) I could see the ocean out the door. That was so peaceful and relaxing. I know it sounds weird, but it was nice.

The cabins weren't really adjoining. There was no door that we could pass through into the cabin where the kids were. But, the room steward opened the divider on the balcony and we were easily able to walk between the two cabins without a key. The three kids in their cabin also had plenty of storage space and everybody was able to spread their stuff out.

2. Having lots of different things to do: There are only so many times I can ride the AquaDuck. As a family we did the flowrider, the skydiving simulator, and the bumper cars. My daughter and I did the climbing wall multiple times and we went roller skating together as well. All the kids joined us at different trivia sessions. There was also an escape room type game that was held in 270 one afternoon. I wish I could remember what it was called, but we were all on a team together and it took about an hour. My kids loved it and the time flew by. There were adults in teams and lots of teams with families. My daughter also did the trapeze once.

My husband and kids love movies and there were multiple venues to watch movies. They saw Captain Marvel in 270 but that was weird because it was on six screens that went together as one and it was light in there. There were also multiple movies in the theater. They saw Aquaman in 3D and said that it worked well and there were movies outside by the pool as well. The outdoor movies were closed captioned so you get all the dialogue even if you missed words. In addition to the superhero movies, we saw Green Book outside.

3. Trivia: We love to do trivia as a family. They had something called progressive trivia which was at 10 am on sea days. We went the first day and the teams formed up. After that, most of the teams came back and the winning team received a bag at the end with lots of stuff. We came in third, which wasn't too bad. There were different music trivia and general trivia as well. I think there were 5 or 6 each day. The best one was an 80's music trivia one evening. There were a ton of people there and everyone was singing together around the piano. It was an unexpectedly joyous 30 minutes.

4. Our excursions: I only rarely book excursions through the cruise ships because of cost and number of people that go on them. I much prefer to book them on my own. Not only are they cheaper, but they are much more personal. We did a boat ride through Captain Bob on St. Maarten. I found it on Trip Advisor. It was amazing. We spent the whole day on a boat and went to multiple different spots. It was the best snorkeling I have ever done. The guides were very entertaining and knowledgeable. One man on the boat did get very seasick and threw up in the parking lot walking back to the boat. My husband got nauseous as well. But, my son who is almost always seasick, did fine. We also did a food tour in San Juan through a company called Flavors of San Juan food and culture tours. It was one of the best excursions we have ever done. My husband loved the history and I loved leaning about the food. Everything we ate was wonderful and our guide was very knowledgeable. On Bermuda, my sons and I did a Segway tour and my husband and daughter stayed on the ship. She enjoyed the fact that the pools were deserted and she had a blast. We stayed on the boat in Labadee as well. My daughter just wanted to play in the pool and I had read enough reviews that made me realize that I wouldn't have had much fun.

The Bad

1. The food: This was the worst cruise food we have ever had. We made the choice not to do any of the specialty restaurants for a variety of reasons. The cost would have been pretty high and I have always enjoyed the food in the Disney dining rooms. I have never thought it was awesome, but I hadn't had many truly bad meals. Also, when we looked at the menus for the specialty restaurants, I didn't see anything special enough to spend close to $200. With my family of five, we would have spent at least $100 and often more than $200. We did have the same wait staff each night so they did get to know us and our preferences. After I ordered just the vegetables from several different entrees on the second night, the waiter brought me a Vegan menu. He said that this was new this cruise. I really appreciated the gesture, but the dishes were all inedible. They had been made at some point in the past and then reheated for the meal. I tried a tofu taco salad and zucchini and then corn fritters. None of the them were good at all. Also, the menus were the same night after night with very few variations. There was one night with lobster, but they were the smallest lobster tails I have ever seen, just two bites. I had much bigger lobster tails on the Empress of the Seas a few years ago. The kids menu was the same every night without any changes. Also the service was just not good. My husband ordered coffee every night with dessert and he never got it until we were ready to leave the table.

My husband loves to go to breakfast in the dining room with the kids on the Disney ships. He went once with them early on and then didn't go back. The service was painfully slow and the food was so bad that they never went back. There is pizza down on the 4th floor in Sorrentos but that tasted like frozen pizza. We tried it once. There were a few sandwich shops, but they had the same sandwiches you could get in Windjammer. They weren't bad, but there were no chips or fries that were available to eat along with them. The food in Windjammer was typical buffet food, but we ate most of our meals there because it seemed to be fresher than in the dining rooms. We all really missed Flos on the Disney ships.

The quality of food even in Windjammer was just not good. The only desserts that were tasty were the ice cream and the cream puffs. The cakes and other pastries were so bland and dry that we didn't eat them. I tried multiple times, because - how can you mess up a donut?, but they weren't good at all. Even the bread was dry and taste free. All the baked goods were overcooked and unsalted. There was a nice salad bar with lots of options. I eat a primarily vegetarian diet and I had no trouble finding tofu and beans for protein on top.

My husband was really disappointed by the hot dog stand in the SeaPlex. The picture online shows what looks like a Chicago style dog with lots of toppings. In reality, there were only three available. He told me that the sausage he had there was tasteless as well and he threw it out. I didn't gain any weight on this cruise and actually managed to lose a few pounds.

2. The service: For us, the service is really what sets Disney ships apart from the rest. Everybody is friendly all the time. Not so much on the Anthem. Our room steward had a strange sense of humor that made us uncomfortable on several occasions. We couldn't tell if he was being rude or joking with us. I appreciate it when the staff can relax and be themselves because I know not all is rosy and perfect, but this went too far. I often felt like I was intruding into their peace and quiet when I asked a question about how something worked. For example, we were told early in the cruise that there might be available appointments to repeat the sky diving simulator later in the cruise after everybody who wanted a chance had been done. When I went back on the 7th day to enquire if there were any open slots, I got a lecture that we were only allowed to do it once because it was the most popular activity on the ship.

There were times when the service was good. On a key day, our family was the only one that showed up for the Flow Rider and we had a one hour personalized lesson from the two women working there. It was awesome. Also, one woman from the kid room told us we could sign a waiver to age our daughter up so that she could participate the tween activities. We have asked for this on Disney but didn't know that we could on Royal as well. It was nice for her.

3. The kid rooms: My kids went to the ice breakers on the first night as they always do on Disney. The two teens said that the room was packed and that there was no effort made by the counselors in there to facilitate things. Also, they got a lecture from security about not using their parents alcohol passes to get drinks. They have never received a similar lecture in Vibe. My daughter was miserable in the kid room. She did try again on the first sea day when it was quieter, but the kids were running around and she said it was awful. The teen boys never went back for a second look. These are three kids I never see once we get on the Disney boats. They LOVE Vibe and Edge and always make new friends and have a blast. I'm glad we got to do more things as a family, but I wanted them to be able to enjoy hanging out with other kids.

4. Timing of planned activities: The first time we went to roller skating, we arrived there 20 minutes before the start time to ensure that we got a spot. When we arrived, it was in full swing and all the times were already taken. They had just decided to open it early, but hadn't announced it anywhere. It wasn't in the app or in the cruise compass. They did find two slots for me and my daughter, but other people who came later, at the time it was supposed to have started, didn't get to skate at all. The same thing happened with the trapeze. We went 40 minutes early because this was the thing she wanted to do the most and they had already started and about half of the slots were gone. She was able to get a time, but when people came at the time it was supposed to start, they were turned away because all the slots had been taken.

5. Dishes: There were always tons of dishes everywhere on the pool deck. The glasses and plates were never picked up until the end of the day. It was gross. On our last full day, there were a tons of dishes in the hall by our room that I first noted at about 1 pm. They were still there the next morning when we went to breakfast. I have never seen that on Disney or other lines we have sailed.

6. Nickel and diming: The first day we had to say no at least 6 times to additional dining packages or to drink packages. We don't drink much in the way of alcoholic beverages or soda so we didn't feel that we needed the extra purchase. They are all over you to buy stuff. Then, at night there are watches, purses, hats and jewelry for sale up the main central concourse. Every night. Keep the stuff for sale in the stores.

7. Smoking: Half the pool deck on one side and a huge area on deck 5 were for smoking and there were always a ton of people there. It has hard to avoid and unpleasant.

8. No deck you could walk all the way around: One of my favorite things to do on cruise ships is to walk outside around the covered deck. I think this may be unique to Anthem, but that didn't exist. There is a running track on deck 14, but it is not covered and there are deck chairs on either side, so it is really only feasible to walk the circumference early in the morning. My husband ran there several times, but it was very sunny and busy even at 7 in the morning.

Overall, we did enjoy the cruise. I feel really relaxed and rested. However, we didn't book another Royal Carribean cruise. We always book another Disney cruise onboard. We did go to the cruise next area and spent some time learning about other cruises. But, neither my husband nor I felt warmly enough to make a commitment to another RC cruise, even on a different boat with a different itinerary. We asked the kids and they said that they would far prefer a Disney cruise. (Granted, they don't pay)
 
I am surprised you enjoyed the cruise based on your experience- this does not sound like good service or a lot of fun. I am sorry it was not a better experience for you! I would be disappointed.
 
I think that OP looked at the overall picture and found that, despite the negatives, the cruise did what it was supposed to do.

Thank you for the trip report. I can't say I've had a cruise with a food experience like yours, but then again I'm not vegetarian and so cannot fully relate there. I do think their curries are pretty good, but as we always say, food is subjective.

I think I must never come across as someone who can be upsold, as I tend to not get people trying to get me to buy drink packages. I guess I'm lucky.

But overall, it sounds like the hotel manager is dropping the ball on several things. Just not good.
 


I was on the July 4th Anthem cruise. Is that the one you were on? I loved our cruise, and have booked a 4th cruise on Anthem for next January. I have also cruised Disney 9 times, plus also on Celebrity, Carnival, and NCL (as well as 7 other RCCL cruises). My kids hated the kids clubs on Disney. We all loved the food on Anthem, especially in the Windjammer. We thought the service was just fine, in fact we had more issues on Disney with service, smokers, and drinkers than on RCCL

So as you can see, every family has a different experience. It doesn’t make one cruise line better than the other.
Denise
 

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