REVIEW: Our family Anthem? Dad, please make the next cruise a longer one

A family travel trip must offer something for everyone, especially when middle-aged parents and a teenager are involved. Travel Weekly editor Grant Jones took his family along for their first cruise experience.
It’s a big call, especially when teenagers are travelling without an accompany cohort of mates or keeping them occupied without depleting a pricey Wi-Fi package in just a few hours and parents are missing the comforts of home like a bathtub (her) and coffee machine (him).
Cruise lines have hit the mark with increasingly popular multi-generational offerings that include more than just waterslides, movie nights and paddle pools for the kids – and the coffee is improving.
That has helped bring the average cruise passenger age right down of late. And there is still plenty of interest for the oldies too, while our beloved wage-spending off-spring still can have some fun without breaking the bank.
The remit for our first taste of a family cruise had to include onboard activities for a growing teenager – including a gym – luxe spa options for his mother, and coffee for me, plus some R&R for all. And let’s not forget enough breakfast, lunch and dining options that would please everyone across the board, at least at some stage of the three-night journey.
Add to that a range of activities – including shore excursions and shopping both onboard and ashore – that would last for long enough so that everyone had something to keep them interested.
Work timing meant our journey needed to be brief so Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas’ highly-anticipated arrival in Singapore for its first-ever season in Asia would be the ideal taster – and an early Christmas present for the family.
We arrived at Changi in the early evening, followed by a check-in at the wonderful and quirky Maxwell Reserve Hotel, part of the Autograph Collection. The following day there was a brief peruse around Orchard Road, a visit to Lau Pa Sat, the cast iron Victorian-style hawker centre downtown Singapore and some sightseeing of several Singaporean cultural highlights, including the obligatory Raffles visit, before heading to handy Marina Bay Cruise Centre for three days on board Anthem of the Seas.
The check-in process at Singapore’s cruise terminal is efficient, if not a little over enthusiastic, counting around five stops to check passports and tickets before we board.
But once we do get on and head to our staterooms, everything is impeccable: Crisp sheets, a bowl of fruit, a bottle of wine and a welcome note with our room attendant greeting us with a broad smile. Stepping out onto the balcony is a sweaty reminder that we are in the tropics, so we soon retreat back to the airconditioned stateroom before unpacking and exploring the rest of the ship, a well-maintained Quantum-class vessel that had her maiden sailing in 2013. Among its 2090 staterooms Anthem offers 1571 balcony rooms, 378 inside staterooms, 148 outside staterooms, 375 virtual balcony rooms, 16 family-connected rooms and 34 wheelchair-accessible rooms.

Dads and sons battle it out in the gaming area.
Time to explore
As we had another two WiFi packages to add, a visit to the help desk a few decks below soon sorted that out. Then it was off to explore – and there is a lot to explore. But despite being at near capacity, its 16 passenger-accessible decks with a total of 2090 passenger cabins which can carry up to 4,154 passengers, it never felt crowded or full – until the last day, but more of that later.
Anthem now offers short 3- to 4-night escapes out of Singapore, plus a range of longer adventures to fan-favourite stops across Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. They promise “every type of holidaymaker can look forward to a variety of experiences on deck, from showstopping entertainment to restaurants and spots to grab a bite with flavours from around the world”.
Testing out that statement
Anthem offers experiences for all ages, from RipCord by iFLY, a skydiving simulator which us boys enjoyed to the panoramic views from the North Star, the all-glass observation capsule that sent us soaring above the deck and 90 metres above the ocean, plus the FlowRider surf experience.

Panoramic views from the North Star.
There was much more to see and do including SeaPlex, which features bumper cars, a roller-skating rink and video games. We enjoyed a table tennis competition where we watched an elderly lady roll a cocky young kid, plus a laser game where dad and son joined opposing teams – with son coming first on points and me coming second.
Elsewhere, we popped in to see the musical We Will Rock You, featuring the iconic anthems of Queen, and then realised we’d already see the award-winning musical. Worth a look, though.
And there was something for everyone when it came to food. Casual offerings include Johnny Rockets, by the pool, offering burgers and milkshakes, where we made friends with the head chef and line cooks.
Among the specialty dining highlights were a chat with the executive chef who came to the table during our meal at Japanese restaurant at Izumi. The former hotel executive chef is also in charge of the whimsical dishes at Wonderland, which we also enjoyed, although out appetites failed to meet the challenge of the number and size of the dishes presented. The same could be said of the decent serving at Silk, the default restaurant if you are not dining at specialty venues.
While we had premium beverage packages, as a non-drinker, it was mostly used for coffee and I wasn’t unhappy about the quality of the latte served either.
Enjoying the offshore experience
Ours was the shortest of journeys, cruising up the Straits of Malacca and a worthwhile stop in Penang before returning back for another shop, flop and drop by the pool at the new Artyzen hotel in Singapore. No matter what you think of shore excursions and costs involved, ours was well worth it, an interesting, albeit a little off-beat insight, into a destination I hadn’t been to in 30 years.
Our food-related tour involved a coffee shop, ‘famous’ biscuit shop, plus a batik store and the odd but well worth it Wonderfood Museum Penang where we were in awe of craftily-created fake mega versions of local dishes. Our tour finished with a final stop for more food at the Red Garden Food Paradise, a hawker centre in the heart of George Town. Satay is a must.

Red Garden Food Paradise, in the heart of George Town. Photo: Grant Jones
On our final morning, before debarking, we thought we would try Windjammer on Deck 14, as one of the many options we had yet to experience. But Windjammer was literally that – jammed with people tucking into their final huge breakfast from the extensive buffet before departing.
We started to eat our breakfast standing up as we waited for a spot. While there were other options we had run out – at least until next time, as we’d hardly scratch the surface.
The verdict: Met the brief by providing something for everyone. It has given the family a taste of what big-ship cruising has to offer and gave us an idea that there is plenty more to explore. We are all looking forward to the next experience.
OUR HIGHLIGHTS

The family after our North Star sunset experience. Photos: Grant Jones
Mine:
1) Solarium bistro: Adults-only breakfast venue which we enjoyed despite others ignoring the rules, given the accompanying little kids.
2) Solarium: Adults-only pool and spa, taken advantage off early in the morning as the rest of the family slept in.
3) The staff: Attentive and patient, from the dining rooms to our personal room attendant, nothing seemed to be too much to ask.

An amazing food experience at Wonderland.
Hers:
1) Penang shore excursion: Top value for a different experience, a great local guide, fun and interesting, plus great cultural, food and shopping options.
2) Beauty/pamper: The ladies beauty pamper was a good hands-on education and practical session, so I then signed up for the deal of a massage and facial which was superb – total body relaxation in a lovely environment and experienced beautician.
3) Variety: General variety of offerings available: e.g. Zumba classes, craft such as Christmas decorations with donation going to Make-a-Wish.

Wonderfood Museum Penang.
The Teen:
1) As a teen on a cruise multiple things I enjoyed during our Anthem of the Seas trip was the late-night games of futsal/soccer on the top floor. Fun for all ages and even if you are not participating, the top balcony offers great views.
2) The IFLY is a “must” experience for a one-of-a-kind feeling, as the fan-forced winds hit 80 kmh! It’s like no other.
3) The pool tables. Some shots can be unpredictable given the slight movement of the balls with the waves. But it was great sitting down with a mocktail and my Dad while cruising the seas and embracing a friendly game of pool.

Trying out the RipCord by iFLY.
The writer was a guest of Royal Caribbean. Additional family travel costs were covered by the writer.
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