After a rather chaotic and stressful year, I was very much looking forward to the opportunity to trade a suit for a casual loose shirt and boardshorts, and dress shoes for sandals. Going with the holiday method, which packs as much as possible into a single price and requires minimal travel, my family and I decided to sail the east coast of Australia once again on a cruise ship. Even though we opted for the known and trusted Royal Caribbean provider, we faced a conundrum: unfamiliarity with both ships. At the end of the 2024/2025 Australian cruise season, Royal Caribbean switched out its two ships which had been sailing the country for several years at this point – Quantum of the Seas (Brisbane)and Ovation of the Seas (Sydney), opting for two new offerings during the still ongoing 2025/2026 season – Voyager of the Seas (Brisbane) and relevant to this article, Anthem of the Seas (Sydney).
With the requirements for one of our guests to sleep on a trundle bed on the Voyager being the main determining factor – we opted to go for the Anthem, boasting the similar Quantum Class features but with a few quirks of its own – two of which included the Johnny Rockets Express dining option for snacks and the “West End Musical” We Will Rock You – both of which you will find are cornerstones of this review. However, with this cruise now over, I find myself sitting down and contemplating whether it was worth the extra hassle of travelling down to Sydney only to cruise back up to Queensland. In my opinion, that answer is a resounding yes.
Our destination this time was the same Queensland Cruise up to Airlie Beach, The Whitsundays (aka The Gateway to the Coral Reef), for an overnight stay during the hottest part of the season. We cruised from 6th to 13th February. This departure came immediately after Anthem of the Seas’ preceding 10-night trip to New Zealand was cancelled due to technical issues. With some uncertainty about whether the cruise would proceed, we arrived on board with no issues and were quickly immersed in its ecosystem of food, entertainment, and restfulness.
As part of the non-Ultra Quantum Class of ships, many of my comments retain the same as past reviews, so I will not linger on them too long. This includes some of the perks and the limitations of the class – including unique offerings at sea such as the Flowrider and RipCord by iFly at the rear of the ship, the large SeaPlex sports and activity complex, and both the North Star and Bionic Bar – components which have been known to be disfunctional for large swaths of cruising seasons prior, but both of which were actively running throughout the cruise.
The Stateroom: A Home Away From Home – and a peek at something grander
There is an idea that it doesn’t matter which room you choose on a cruise, as it is just a spot to rest your head at the end of the day. Perhaps this is true for short cruises of a couple of nights. But if you spend more than that, you are really looking for that home-away-from-home vibe for quieter times. Sometimes, you just want to sit and watch the waves alone, or you want to sleep in and immediately greet the day with some fresh air. I stayed in stateroom 9530, a standard balcony room with the Quantum-class layout, perfect for up to four travellers. However, the small shower and single small bathroom may not appeal to everyone. After longer cruises, my family tends to say we should “upgrade to a suite next time”, mainly because of the bathroom arrangements, but it always comes down to space costing a premium and preferring a better discount over a slightly bigger shower.
The room was ultimately nice and well-maintained by our cabin steward, Eki. Due to changes in housekeeping procedures a few years back, you don’t see your housekeepers around as much. However, we typically saw Eki once or twice a day as we moved between rooms. He always greeted us with a smile and sometimes left impressive towel-folded animals, including a puppy we left on display for several days. For the first time, I used the Royal Caribbean App to request additional items from my room attendant, specifically a medical fridge. It was delivered promptly. A quick note on the medical fridges: They are loud when first turned on, but after an hour or so, they cool and drop to a dull hum, not unlike a regular refrigerator. I recommend one if, like me, you carry insulin or medication that is best kept cool.
The only issue with the room was the shower, which ran hotter than expected and became a problem after I got sunburned in Airlie Beach. This issue was common across the ship, including in the Windjammer, where taps also ran a bit too hot for my tastes.
On this cruise, one of the first bingo prizes was an upgrade to a vacant Grand Loft suite, prompting an open house. The two-storey loft at the ship’s rear offered ocean views, spacious bathrooms, and a pleasant living area. With only one bed upstairs, extra guests would use a pull-out couch. Despite its price, the balcony furniture was not much better than that in standard balcony suites.
On-Board Noms and Drinks
Regardless of how you choose to dine on a cruise ship, the buffet is an institution that few travellers manage to avoid – especially The Windjammer, which always seems to be the go-to spot for arrival-day noms, breakfasts, and lunches. The Windjammer on any cruise has typically been a consistently good, if not groundbreaking, way to see oneself fed; the messaging on most days of this Windjammer being the happiest in the Royal Caribbean fleet did ring true. The staff were incredibly helpful, and most breakfasts and lunches, I didn’t even need to go up to the bar to get a drink, as a staff member was at my table within a couple of minutes to take my order. There really is that sense of freedom with The Windjammer, and while there were a few favourites that I typically went for – namely the custom omelette stations, which were almost a daily ritual for me, there was enough choice to question “should I have a dessert for breakfast?” or rather “should I have two desserts for breakfast?”. The daily cinnamon scrolls, which I haven’t seen on the fleet before, were another great morning starter – and I also appreciated the rotation of more unique international offerings each morning.
The main dining room is another institution of any cruise ship in general, with Anthem of the Seas carrying across that Quantum-class quirk of having four separate main dining room restaurants that you are randomly assigned to should you go with the traditional MDR route, rather than the grand single MDR for the whole ship. There’s no difference in menus between them; it’s really about each room’s atmosphere. After being moved from an 8-top table to a table that perfectly fitted the party size on my last trip, which required a change from Chic to American Icon Grill, this trip we were back in Chic and this time stayed in the same spot from Night 1 to Night 7, which was welcome as getting to know your waiters on the first night is important in my opinion for the whole dining experience going ahead. Our table, 226, was well situated and had an ample view of the rear of the dining room, even if, once again, being placed a single table away from the window seats was a little bit of a tease. The menus on offer followed the Royal Caribbean style of having each night themed, sometimes around times of the cruise, such as ‘Bon Voyage’, others based on localities, such as ‘French’, ‘Italian’ or ‘Caribbean’, and then the fancier ‘Royal Night’. I feel the menus are deserving of an overhaul and are feeling a bit samey. Although I had enough for that, my third time through the menu, I found a few new things to try. But I would welcome a bit more adventure or new offerings for the latter half of this decade.
What I have high praise for, without a single critique, is our friendly waitstaff, consisting of waiter Marlo and assistant waiter Satya. While my family has always had exceptional service from all main dining room staff in the past, these two surpassed even these high standards and were exemplary in every way – from our general conversations, to promptness and attentiveness, to those extra little things such as napkin folding – those little touches which made coming to the MDR all the more exciting. It was genuinely sad to bid them farewell on the last night, and, frankly, I hope that, despite the impossibilities in how cruise ship HR functions, we see them again in the future – as they elevated our experience in ways that stuck with us beyond our 45-minute dining sessions. Also, if you have ever eyed the up-charge lobster of the Royal Caribbean menu and wondered if you can get good lobster on an Australian cruise…. the answer is yes!
As with every cruise on the Royal Caribbean fleet, it has become a tradition for us to go for a meal at the specialty dining restaurant Chops Grille, a premium steakhouse that is a mainstay of all ships on the cruise line in general. The service, this time by our waiter Joseph, was impeccable, and the food was top-notch. While dinner may seem pricey for a large group, I found that, provided you don’t want one of the insanely sized steaks or an appetiser not on the lunch menu, the lunch offering gives great bang for your buck, and even with more limited options, we still left stuffed!
Chops Grille was the only specialty dining offering we had this trip, and this wasn’t for a lack of trying on Royal Caribbean’s behalf. Perhaps it was having to make up for the cancelled 10-day cruise before us, or just underutilisation of venues, but we received quite a few upsell opportunities as we went around the ship. Some is to be expected on the first few days, and when the discount is right, we don’t actually mind it. However, getting the same offer of going to Izumi’s at a discount more than half a dozen times by random crew members did dampen the experience after a while. Absolutely no shade to the staff who were doing it; this was their job, nor do I have issues with paid extras (even more with discounts) as we took advantage of some of our own volition – but it dampened the experience having to say no so many times, even on to Day 6.
Another one of those lingering pre-cruise questions is… should I purchase a drinks package? My answer has always been yes, not so much for the saving money angle of it (I am pretty sure I make a net loss each trip), but because I want to be able to try new drinks occasionally and not have to worry about USD to AUD exchange rates or money throughout the trip. After my experience with bars on previous cruises, I primarily stuck to Vintages next to Jamie’s Italian, which has a rustic premium bar vibe and, in my opinion, is still the best at serving non-frozen traditional drinks such as my mocktail of choice – the Virgin Mai Tai. The staff at the bar, at least when I was there, were consistent – Jonas and Joyce, both of whom were friendly and made top-notch drinks. While I tried a few other places depending on when I wanted the drink, I always kept coming back here, and was always pleased.
A unique offering on the Anthem of the Seas among the Quantum-class ships is Johnny Rockets Express, which, alongside burgers and deep-fried dishes that can be enjoyed at an additional cost, also offers shakes as a standalone price or as part of certain drinks packages. While I had heard mixed reviews of these shakes online, and I am not usually a shake consumer, these were downright amazing, especially given bars’ preference for making certain frozen drinks with ice rather than ice cream. Consuming two or three of the Oreo cookies-and-cream shakes was a daily ritual for me, and the duo of Siddhesh and Prathmesh running the counter and making the drinks pretty much every day were fabulous! Frankly, choosing between the three Quantum-class ships, the shakes could very well be the deciding factor for me.
The Entertainment: Prepare for Enjoyable Late Evenings
As a general rule, I will strive to attend every mainline production show and guest performance that a ship has to offer, as the performing arts aspect of a cruise ship has always been an important consideration of a cruise’s value for me. Alas, I broke this rule on night one, where a simple ‘I am going to rest my eyes for 5 minutes’ saw me wake up the next morning, wondering why it was so bright. Therefore, I cannot comment on the guest comedian who performed on Night 1. However, the actual production entertainment is something I can still comment on – ranging from your standard cruise ship disco musical affair to something much more hearty.
Anthem of the Seas offers four standard production shows, which are typically spaced out across the days of your cruise. On the Royal Theater side, you have The Gift, the only unique musical in the venue, which is your standard cruise ship affair of an overly complicated narrative to complement some solid singing, dancing and to pass the 45-minute runtime. I wish I could say more; however, we ended up sitting behind some of the most disruptive guests we have ever been near in any theatre we have been in. It really dampened the experience. From what I could tell, however, the show was solid and forgettable, but a pleasant way to enjoy an evening with great music in a different format than usual. The second production show is Name That Tune, a quiz show amped up to production quality with the fleet’s performers on board for singing and dancing across multiple rounds. It was really well done, and even those not participating got some added fun moments through the segments, along with just enjoying the scene.
Many of the newer Royal Caribbean ships feature Broadway/West End Musicals as a mainstay of their fleets. While not part of a ship class that typically receives such treatment, Anthem of the Seas is an exception: it features the official QUEEN musical We Will Rock You, which, in our case, performs across three performances on Days 5 & 6. While you may not be getting the big names that national tours do, the set design, choreography, and production value were all up there with a national tour. I really enjoyed the last Australian national tour of We Will Rock You back in 2016, but its cancellation mid-season during a later leg has left me wondering whether or when the musical will tour the country again in the near future. Therefore, if you are like me and enjoy the production or have it on your bucket list, then this is certainly a more-than-servicable alternative to see it up to three times in a matter of days.
The final production show is located at the rear of the ship, in the Two70 lounge, a Quantum-class feature space with technologically advanced digital screens that can move around and replace the ship’s rear view with digital displays. Titled Spectra’s Cabaret, it was a vastly superior offering to Quantum of the Seas’ Starwater, featuring strong performances and choreography by the cast. However, the narrative did appear to stump many and also provided an exemplar of how, while the space is unique, any amplification could stand to rejig it, as performance sightlines can range from adequate to really bad. The other guest entertainment on this ship was two performances by Scared Weird Little Guys, a rock musical comedy duo who were genuinely enjoyable – and I wish they had an extra hour or so added to their allotted time, as they did feel a bit rushed.
Outside of the production shows, as expected there was a lot of various activities on offer across the ship, with the program helmed by Kat Falcon, who really made a presence of herself across the ship – from the various daily messages on the PA, to her presence at various events including the two main discos on-board, an 80s Disco and the returning 70s Disco Inferno event on Night 6. The activities team were also prevalent across the ship, from quiz shows and game shows to exercise activities and even getting everyone to Airlie Beach on tender boats. A particular commendation must go to Activities Manager Josh, with whom we had some nice conversations on the ship throughout our stay, and to Nori, whom we also saw around the ship regularly and with whom we had some nice conversations throughout the stay.
The activities on board felt a lot more well-planned and structured than past cruises – the quizzes were better structured and the hosts appeared knowledgeable, the dance activities featured more songs but in shorter bursts so you weren’t left a sweaty mess 10 minutes in, and the game shows were much more open to the chaos of a couple of hundred people all vying for the prize of a drink bottle or pen. On regrouping after the cruise, we all agreed that Anthem of the Seas, during its 2026 Australian sailing, was the best-structured Royal Caribbean ship we had experienced yet, and that it had a strong, diverse activities team to make things happen.
A Stressful Moment at Airlie Beach: But With a Happy Ending
With this being a 7-night Queensland Cruise essentially going to Airlie Beach and back, I was expecting an uneventful stop in the town, enjoying a few hours on the beach and taking some good photos. That is what I did on the first day… until I headed back to the ship on a tender boat on Day 1 and went…. “Crap! Where’s my wallet!?!”. While not something one ever hopes to experience on a cruise, it was the situation I found myself in, and I have got to say… everyone involved was incredibly helpful and didn’t just pass it off as “another tourist making an oopsie”. From the operators of the tender boat who liaised with both Anthem of the Seas and the team at Shute Harbour Marine Terminal, to Brad from the terminal’s security team (and everyone else there) who went above and beyond in sweeping the grounds, searching footage and liaising with the different land-side teams… I cannot thank everyone involved enough. And yes, 3 and a half hours later, the wallet was handed in, nothing stolen, and that stressful saga was over. But 5 stars all around for everyone involved.
If you have never been before, Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays is a lovely location to visit, with some of the friendliest locals I have met, some interesting-sounding shore excursions if you have the extra bucks to go for them, and the trip to and from the town is just as pleasant and scenic as the beach itself. Plus, they often have cruise markets on, which are always a nice walk-around. My only warning is to slip, slop, and slap! Those who burn easily, like me, may find an hour in the Airlie Beach sun leaves them with bright red, sore and itchy skin for the rest of the trip.
Other Musings
There are plenty of other stray thoughts about this particular cruise, which I would like to acknowledge, especially when contrasted against my previous reviews of the Quantum of the Seas:
With the downstairs area of the Music Hall being where many of the quiz and game shows throughout past cruises were hosted, there was a trend of chair clusters forming into groups, with some groups hogging seats for extended periods even if they weren’t participating. It appears that the chairs were pre-set around the dance floor, which kept more people moving in and out based on interest in a particular show and tended to have more availability than I have experienced in the past. This could also be attributable to more substantial events being hosted at Two70, which, despite occasionally inopportune sightlines, offered much greater capacity.
While it was not accessible on our cruise due to not traversing into “foreign waters”, having the Port Merchants on the opposite side of the Royal Esplanade meant that La Patisserie offered a lovely seating area to enjoy one’s cup of morning coffee.
On the Quantum of the Seas, I had previously praised the pineapple. On Anthem of the Seas, the watermelon is where it is at!
I am still uncertain how I feel about this, but during some of those peak events, such as Bumper Cars, where you can wait in line and still not be guaranteed a turn, this was the first time I had seen a limited number of spots become available at a minimal price. The same was true for the escape room, which, from my experience, always booked out before I could get to it on the app when it was listed as free.
Having the Bionic Bar running was more than welcome – especially since no cruise I have been on since my 2019 sailing on the Ovation of the Seas has had it functional. It’s a pretty niche offering, granted, and it appears that the amplification of the Ovation of the Seas will see them replaced by a tiki bar known as Pesky Parrot, but it’s definitely nice being able to tailor a drink to one’s liking.
I feel the pool offerings on the Anthem of the Seas are the best on any of its class, particularly the circular current pool in the H2O zone, which always proved popular for those young and old alike. However, if you are an adult looking for a relaxing time in the water, the solarium’s whirlpools are easily my recommendation… so relaxing!
We were on one of the ‘Wiggly Cruises’ sailing from Australia. While we didn’t attend any of the events due to obvious reasons of being a bit too old, those curious, the events didn’t feature any of the skivvied actors – but instead Captain Feathersword (Sadly not Paul Paddick on our cruise despite the marketing shots), and the costumed characters Waggs the Dog, Dorothy the Dinosaur and Henry the Octopus. From the buzz we heard, kids enjoyed the offerings, while the few paid events we saw as we walked past some of the dining venues were well-attended, with evident engagement from kids and staff alike. This was incorporated into a few cruise experiences I have never encountered on a Royal Caribbean ship, such as a balloon drop on the last afternoon, which did a good job of balancing the Wiggles theming while making it accessible to the adults in attendance.
Although nowhere near as heavily advertised as they once were, I still feel there is a good value proposition for purchasing a WOW Band. Even if it is just the convenience of not having to take your SeaPass card every time you leave your stateroom to go to the pool.
There were rentable cabanas on Deck 15 for $300 per sea day or $150 per port day. I can’t say I saw anyone using them, and felt that they were a bit dearly priced for what you got with them.
The cherry blossom motifs throughout Floor 5 were lovely.
A random thought, but they had a really good selection of films offered on the pool-deck cinema screen.
and now back on land, my final thoughts on Anthem of the Seas
Having been back on land for more than a week now, and swapping those boardshorts out for a suit once again, I honestly still find myself daydreaming about and wishing I were still on the cruise. What stands out most about Anthem of the Seas is how easily it delivered the holiday mindset from the moment you stepped on the ship: you really can switch your brain off and let the ship do the heavy lifting – and the biggest decision you will have to make is what main do you want for dinner. From a balcony stateroom that felt genuinely home, to a Windjammer that was consistently cheerful and effortless, and an MDR experience made memorable less by the now-familiar menus than by the exceptional Marlo and Satya, the basics were not only covered – they were elevated. Add in a reliably great Chops Grille, a drinks package that encouraged curiosity (with Vintages as my safe harbour), and the surprise superstar of Johnny Rockets Express shakes, and the “quirks” I hoped for became daily rituals. Entertainment-wise, We Will Rock You alone felt like a genuine marquee offering, backed up by strong production and a well-run, energetic activities program. So, was it worth the extra hassle of travelling down to Sydney to cruise back to Queensland? While I still hope to get on the Voyager of the Seas for the first time soon, I was more than content with the extra expense to travel south, to head back up north.
Having sailed on the Quantum-class ships many times now, I still wish that some of the bigger ships would eventually head Down Under. Perhaps the Perfect Day in Lelepa launching in 2027 will be the foundation to that being made possible, along with the upcoming and still mysterious ‘Discovery’ class of ships, which are expected not to be as big as Royal Caribbean’s biggest monolith ships. But for now, as someone who was after a holiday, I certainly left relaxed and more than satisfied with my experience on Anthem of the Seas! Now let me pinch myself once more in hopes of waking up, and it being only Day 2 of the cruise again.
-pinches self-
Damn…
For more information on how to book cruises on Anthem of the Seas and other ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, visit their official website.
Please note that all expenses occured during this trip, including the cost of the cruise itself, was borne by myself and my guests. We have not been compensated in any way for this article.
Read my previous 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Cruise Season reviews on Quantum of the Seas for even more insights about ships in the Quantum Class fleet.
All imagery in this article is © The Otaku’s Study
