Anthem of the Seas

Sydney summers to New Zealand and the islands

Anthem of the Seas spends October to April based in Sydney, and almost everything she runs from there is a round-trip. If you live in Sydney, there is no flight at all. From another state, it is a domestic flight to the ship.

The centrepiece is her round-trips from Sydney to New Zealand, of 9 nights or 11 to 12 nights, across the Australian summer and into March. Stops change between departures, but you might see the Bay of Islands, Tauranga, Akaroa or Port Chalmers. From October to March she also runs 8- and 9-night Sydney round-trips to the South Pacific, where Noumea, Mystery Island and Port Vila are among the typical calls. In March and November there are three- and four-night Australian coastal cruises from Sydney too, a short break with Hobart as the usual call.

In April she sails from Sydney on one-way voyages of 15 or 17 nights that finish in Honolulu. Ports vary, though Papeete, Moorea and Raiatea are among them. Separate 8- and 9-night voyages run from Honolulu to Vancouver that month, with Kailua-Kona and Kauai as typical stops. Wherever you join or leave her, including Honolulu at the end of the Pacific crossing, we book the flights, the hotel either side and the transfers as one holiday.

Her Quantum Class company includes Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas, and the rest of the line’s ships are on our Royal Caribbean cruises page.

North Star, SeaPlex and the Adventure Science Lab

Her signature is North Star, a glass observation capsule that rises more than 300 feet above sea level for 360-degree views over the ocean, the ship and the coastline. It carries a charge per ride. Indoors, SeaPlex is a vast activity space with a full-size basketball court and dodgems, free to use, with a charge for some extended sessions. On the long sea stretches of her Pacific crossings, that gives a day plenty to do whatever the weather.

For children, the Adventure Science Lab turns the voyage into a run of experiments: digging for fossils, junior chemistry and making space mud, all included in the fare. It sits within the included youth programme for ages 3 to 11, so parents get time to themselves while the kids are busy.

Live bands in the Music Hall and songs on request in the pub

Evenings on Anthem of the Seas lean on live music. The Music Hall has a band on stage every night, with a dance floor, a bar, lounge tables and pool tables, so it works for dancing or for a quieter drink. In the pub, you can order an imported beer and request your favourite songs played unplugged. Boleros brings a four-piece Latin band for salsa, merengue and samba, with mojitos and caipirinhas at the bar. Drinks in all three are charged separately unless covered by a beverage package.

Does Anthem of the Seas sail to Alaska?

Yes. She sails 7-night one-way voyages between Vancouver and Seward, in both directions in May and June and from Vancouver in September, as part of Royal Caribbean’s Alaska programme. Calls change from one departure to the next, but Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan come up often. For an Australian traveller, that season falls between late autumn and early spring at home.

Anthem of the Seas cabins and deck plans

Royal Suite Class is the suite tier on Anthem of the Seas, not a separate part of the ship: its guests dine in Coastal Kitchen, and Sky and Star Class suites add a private Suite Lounge. Open her cabins and deck plans to see which cabins sit closest to the Solarium and SeaPlex.

At CruiseAway, our cruise experts know Anthem of the Seas and her fares well. Read what past guests say about her, then browse the line’s 2027 departures from Sydney.