The Last Frontier- Anthem of the Seas to Alaska 2025 May 30 to June 6, 2025 Seattle, WA
We love ALASKA!
It's hard to believe this was my TWENTY-FIFTH cruise but here I am... Killing it on the HIGH SEAS! While 25 cruises may seem a little extreme, this is our favorite way to travel and the easiest for our family. As we have taken many more land vacations recently to complete my MLB Chase for 30, we have also found this to be the overall most economic way to travel for our family.
Chris and I have sailed to Alaska before for our 10 Year Anniversary Cruise aboard the Carnival Legend but the kids have never been to Alaska. They each have milestone birthdays this year and when asked what they want, they decided an expensive Alaska cruise was their top choice so Chris and I obliged. I am a HUGE fan of experiences over presents, especially in the teenager years, so this worked out perfectly.
We have cruised 13 previous times withCarnival, 8 times withRoyal Caribbean, 2 times withNorwegian and 1 time withPrincess.
This blog will contain entries of our day-to-day life aboard the Anthem of the Seasas well as a shore excursion details, port tips and tricks and so much more. We will also highlight our Pre-Cruise vacation to Seattle, WA as well.
Throughout the blog posts, we will also share the lots of tips, tricks and insiders knowledge about cruising out of Seattle, WA, information about cruising to Alaska and Alaskan ports as well as great information about Anthem of the Seas.
I am so glad we got to celebrate the kids milestone birthdays with a cruise and trip such as this! This is a trip they will surely never forget. We love you Natalie and Luke... I hope you enjoyed Alaska!
Up Next... Back to Back cruises on the Jewel of the Seas (no kids) Summer 2025!
Too Much Wind in our Sails Saturday, May 31, 2025 Sea Day #1
Sea Days are my favorite!
Morning We woke up around 7AM but due to time change it was actually 6AM. The ship was swaying pretty heavily and it was really windy outside. The boys had actually been awake since around 4AM ship time and were walking around but even at that hour, the Windjammer was not open. I met them at the hot tub around 6:30AM ship time and we spent over an hour watching the ocean go by from the covered ceiling in the indoor pool area. TIP- This early, we had the entire place all to ourselves. GET UP EARLY if you want the peace and serenity!
Hello Saturday... We love you!
After our early morning hot tub time, we woke up Natalie and got changed. We then opted to eat breakfast in the Main Dining Room as it is less stressful than the Windjammer and the food is SO MUCH BETTER! We knew going into this meal that the service would be AMAZING but slow and this proved true again. We love the sit down and full service option but it seems it gets slower and slower each time we try this. The food was excellent and our teenage boy ordered 3 entrees and then asked for a 2nd plate of chocolate chip pancakes. He says they were not as good as Poppy's but he certainly did enjoy them.I think we got our money's worth on this cruise with Luke's eating habits alone! He is a growing boy about to go through puberty and I am scared!
The MDR Breakfast Menu! We LOVE the food and full service this offers; but again, know it takes FOREVER!
RCCL MDR Breakfast-0 Luke the Duke- 1
After breakfast we went to the Schooner Bar as they opened at 9AM. We saw Raj, our favorite bartender, and he set up us for the morning Sudoku puzzle and Morning Trivia. The more we cruise, the more we love spending the mid-morning time at Schooner Bar with trivia. We tend to find a bartender we like and stick with them and RAJ was our guy this trip! Even the kids like getting "mocktails" and working on a daily puzzle.
We did not win the Morning Trivia but we had fun trying. Chris and I then went to the Top Tier Event in 270 as we are Platinum Crown and Anchor Members. TIP- This event is really neat if you are Platinum or above. We were able to meet the Cruise Director, Captain and other higher level officers of the Anthem of the Seas. It offers FREE drinks and light snacks and it's really cool to meet other "Loyal to Royal" cruises. Be sure to check it out if this applies to you!
We always LOVE this event and it's not to be missed!
The captain almost always makes an appearance and gives details of the ship and sailing!
The data from our sailing. This is actually about typical for the RCCL we have sailed on recently!
The Top Cruiser of this sailing- WOW 2407 cruise points! You accumulate 1 point per NIGHT sailed and 2 for sailing in a SUITE. During COVID, RCCL offered 2-4X point sailings so this could be the case here but WOW! #GOALS
We love feeling "important" at this event!
Our traditional Cruise Director picture with the Anthem CD- Michelle from Brazil!
Another great event Royal Caribbean offers is the Veterans Ceremony! This is for any active military member or veteran and usually on the 1st Sea Day.
Thank you to all who have or are currently serving!
While we were at the Top Tier Event, the kids played in the Sea Plex and learned that many of the activities were closed due to high winds. Chris and Luke walked around in the early morning hours and can attest to the crazy winds but we assumed they would die down. For the time being, the kids went to the indoor pool and hot tub. I joined them laying out in this deck while Chris went to take a nap in the stateroom.
Welcome to the Sea Plex- We LOVED this area of the ship! Deck 15 AFT!
Canadian Customs paperwork for our day in Victoria on Day 7!
Afternoon The kids and I spent nearly 2 hours in the Indoor Pool and hot tubs before changing for the rest of the day. We opted to go to the Windjammer for lunch as breakfast in the MDR just took too long. When you eat all 3 meals in the MDR, you feel like you're in there all day.However, this meal reminded me that I just do not like the Windjammer- especially on sea days. I never felt the other 5,400 passengers on the Anthem of the Seas, except during lunch time at the Windjammer. It is really hard to find a seat for a family of four and this is always aggravating. Furthermore, the Anthem of the Seas only had 1 main station at the front of the Windjammer so all of those eating lunch were RIGHT THERE. Other RCCL ships have 2 main buffet lines (one in the front and one in the back) which helps space out the people. Anthem not only did not have an additional line in the back of the Windjammer but that didn't mean that space was taken up with tables. It was a just an empty space. However, the Anthem did offer a mid-sized OUTDOOR table space for the Windjammer which provided EPIC views and should not be missed.
After lunch we went back to the Music Hall on Deck 4 for Movie Trivia with the kids. We did well but did not win this trivia either. Luke decided he would go and see if the Flow Rider or Rock Climbing were open and Natalie went with us to Vintages for a bit before going and getting a Starbucks at Cafe 270. Luke came to check in several times saying all of the outdoor activities were closed due to wind and the lower temperature. He was getting a little frustrated with all of the closings but he chose to still have a good time. He and Natalie spent most of the early afternoon in the Sea Plex playing Xbox, Ping Pong and other activities. TIP- The Sea Plex offers an Xbox area but you must check out a controller from the desk within the Sea Plex and you can only check out for 30 minutes at a time. It took Luke a whole day to figure this out.
We love Movie or TV trivia even when we don't win!
We stayed in Vintages for several hours waiting for our 3PM North Star Reservation. TIP- The North Star on Quantum Class ships is an additional cost on Sea Days and an even HIGHER additional cost for days such as the "Glacier Viewing" days on Alaska sailings. However, PORT DAYS are FREE... BUT you have to reserved it once on the ship and the reservation spots open at 6PM ship time the day before the port day. I have heard they sell out within minutes of opening on most sailings.
We reserved a Sea Day North Star experience prior to embarkation and with a sale paid $48/ pp for a 16 minute ride on the North Star. (The original price is $70/ pp) At 2:50PM we made our way to Deck 15 midship for our North Star reservation but it was closed. There was no notice or any info in the app or through our stateroom. And while we DID get a refund of the $48 we paid, there was no rescheduling. In fact, all of the reservation times for other sea days or the Glacier Day were complete booked. I was pretty upset but not near as upset as the family who was supposed to be in the capsule with us. That mom was LIVID which created a small scene but Royal Caribbean was not handling the situation well.
I decided to go to Guest Services to ask about the "port day" times and see if Royal could reserve us a time since our was cancelled. The Guest Service worker said there was nothing they could do about it and too bad. This was not handled well at all so I asked for manager at the Sports Deck. As I spoke to this person on the phone, they laughed at me thinking they could fix the problem. This frustrated me and I told Guest Service manager live at the service desk that this was not acceptable. She agreed and said she would handle it personally. Our whole family was very upset as the North Star is one of the reasons we chose the Anthem of the Seas- but the show (and the cruise) must go on and we refuse to let these type things ruin our cruise. We smiled, got another drink and just kept going!
The kids opted to go to the Sea Plex to play games and Ping Pong while Chris and I found a great serene place in front of the North Star Bar. This had padded lounge chairs and great views of the ship but it was FREEZING (40* with high winds so the wind chill was much lower). The wind was blocked a little by the bar but it was brutally cold. However, this was the most cruise vibe feeling we had thus far so Chris and I sat here for nearly 2 hours. The seas were pretty choppy and the ship was swaying a lot. It was hard to walk down the open decks due to the wind and sea conditions.
The Anthem of the Seas Sea Plex (Deck 15 AFT)
The Anthem of the Seas Sea Plex has something for EVERYONE on your list! From ping-pong to basketball to Xbox... we loved it all! The bumper cars were not working but that did not make a difference, there is SO MUCH TO DO!
Evening The kids met up with us and we did some shopping in the Royal Esplanade before getting another Starbucks. It was 5PM and we noticed the indoor hot tubs and pool were completely empty. Being that this was a formal night, I think a lot of people were either already at dinner or getting ready so we took this to our advantage and spent the next few hours in this area. TIP- Keep this in mind if you have a later dinner time and want the pool or hot tub area to be less busy!
We left around 7PM to get ready for Formal Night and the Family Feud Gameshow prior to dinner. Luke loves playing games like this and was determined to try and be a performer on this show so Chris and I acted like an idiot to try and get on stage and IT WORKED. Luke and I were contestants on this show and it was so much fun. Our team did not win and honestly did not get many opportunities to play but it was still a lot of fun!
Time for some FAMILY FEUD!
After the gameshow, we took a few formal pictures before heading down to Deck 3 Chic Dining Room for our formal dinner. Even at 8:30PM, there was a line of about 200 people deep waiting to get into the dining room. In fact, around 8:20PM we saw a MASSIVE wave of people exiting the MDR and knew this meant the servers had 10 or so minutes to flip the entire MDR for our seating. This never ceases to amaze me how they can do all this so quickly!
Life is good... Drink in hand and the wake behind me! The perfect way to spend the evening!
Cruise # 25 and #24... We love Cruising!
I hate that the blue light is on us but I LOVE this picture! My babies are growing up!
Natalie will be 16 in August and Luke turns 13 in days! How can this be?
Another one of my favorites!
Thank you, kids, for still smiling after picture #1,025!
Our formal dinner was DELICIOUS and fairly fast for cruise ship MDR standards. The service was impeccable, yet again, and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. We were in and out of the MDR on a FORMAL NIGHT within 90 minutes. After dinner we walked a little bit before changing clothes and going to the Sea Plex for family ping-pong. I checked our messages and the Guest Service manager, Whitney, had reserved us an 11AM North Star Time for the next day! Thank you, Whitney, for making this right! WE APPRECIATE YOU!
The France Menu in the MDR.
The kids enjoyed getting dressed up for dinner (even Luke)!
Calamari (all)- 4.0 We all really liked this appetizer!
Seafood Linguini (all)- 4.5 Luke really liked the mussels and Natalie devoured this!
Royal Creme Brulee' - 4.0 All of us agree this was a "little" burnt but still really good!
Natalie was not sure of it at first but LOVED it!
Me and my girl still smiling after dinner!
The kids and I went to Sea Plex for ping-pong. Luke beat me but it was a lot of fun. We were tired and knew the next day would be tiring as it was our first port day so we called it a night shortly after 11PM.
The kids really enjoyed the ping-pong tables in the Sea Plex and played near daily!
This was taken from the Sea Plex at 10:45PM.
We love a good sea day- This one was AWESOME!
This was a great day spent aboard the Anthem of the Seas despite a lot of activities being closed due to high winds and sea conditions. But we were ready for the main show... ALASKA!
Morning It doesn't matter how tired we are, on embarkation day we get up EARLY and are super excited- this day was no different. We were awake with our suitcases packed and ready by 7:30AM. We knew we had to clean the Airbnb so we left time to take out trash and take off sheets, etc. We had pre-planned an Uber to pick us up at the Airbnb at 8:30 since we had a 10:30AM check-in time. We were not sure how long the commute would take since it was a work day and there may be traffic. With the previous day's commute taking over 90 minutes to go 25 miles, we did not want to chance it. TIP- It's always easier and less stressful to plan these Ubers ahead of time. This Uber cost $74 (with tip) and was good bargain as most shuttles from downtown hotels were $20-25/ per person.
The Uber arrived shortly before 8:30AM and was an Uber XL which was supposed to hold all of our luggage (8 suitcases) and it barely did. We played a little "Tetris" and it all fit. We were on the road to the Cruise Terminal by 8:45AM. We arrived at the port around 9:15AM and dropped off our luggage with a "porter manager" as all of the porters were still helping the previous sailing unload. This felt really weird to me but I dropped them off and hoped for the best.
Making memories... One UBER at a time!
We then got in line outside the terminal just as a Terminal Worker came and told us there was a delay and we would not get into the terminal until 10AM. We waited outside over an hour and at 10:10AM they opened the doors and we began the check in process. We were among the first 20 people to get checked in and that felt great.
I was so grateful for the awesome weather and shade... Waiting over an hour outside was actually glorious! In Galveston, you'd break a sweat in 5 minutes.
Once checked in, we waited in the chaotic terminal until about 10:40AM before the announcement was made to board the ship. They followed the traditional order of groups for boarding but we were on the Anthem of the Seas at 10:47AM- Not our fastest time but not our slowest time either. TIP- I really liked the way the Miami Cruise Terminal had the passengers line up as they finished checking in. This avoided the mass chaos of people just swarming to the ship when the boarding announcement was made. Check out the SMOOTH boarding in Miami- HERE! That mass chaos happened here in Seattle as the 10:30AM boarding time was called and hundreds (I kid you not) of people jumped up and flooded the workers to get on the ship. Some people we even talked to outside had an 11AM check in time and they boarded before us as they just ran to the boarding spot. It doesn't matter once on board but it was a little chaotic for me!
Once on board we made our way to our Muster Station spot to get checked in and checked off. TIP- Royal Caribbean has an "online Muster Drill" that includes several videos and then you go and check in at the actual Muster location. This is SO MUCH easier than the Pre-Covid Muster Drills. Thank you RCCL (and many others) for continuing this less-stressful Muster process.
After the Muster Drill check in, we went to deck 14 for the Windjammer Buffet as they opened at 11AM. We were among some of the first people to get there and the staff actually clapped for us and another family which felt really cool and upped the "Cruise Vibes". The Windjammer buffet was good despite me not liking buffets or the Windjammer. The kids LOVED the WJ and ate there MANY times throughout the cruise but I hate having to fight crowds to get not only food but a table so the whole vibe is a bust for me- but it always works on embarkation day!
We have arrived- We are in the Windjammer ready to have an AMAZING cruise!
The BACK of the Windjammer is open deck and gives AMAZING views! Do not skip on this seating area in Windjammer!
Afternoon After lunch we went to the Flow-Rider to sign the waivers for us and the kids before the crowds arrived. TIP- This is a MUST do as soon as you get on the ship as if you wait until afternoon you could be waiting over an hour on some "kid heavy" sailings! Then the kids took off to explore the ship while Chris and I headed to the Schooner Bar for our first drink of the trip. After we got a drink I went to the MDR to verify we had a table just for FOUR people and confirm our dining time. We were able to get a table just for FOUR and even a window table. TIP- If eating alone or only with your party is important to you, make a pit stop by the MDR on embarkation day and they will try and make it work for you! Then I went back to the Schooner Bar with Chris. We waited here until 1PM when the staterooms were ready. The kids kept exploring and taking pictures and videos of the ship! They were already in LOVE with the Anthem of the Seas.
This is one of my favorite sights to see... This means I am on a cruise!
Cheers! Happy Birthday Kids (and Chris)! Let's have the BEST CRUISE EVER!
Once the staterooms were ready we made our way to Deck 8 forward for our Interior with a Virtual Balcony Staterooms. We opted not to get balcony cabins and instead use that money on shore excursions. In Alaska it is always advised to get balconies but with the cost of this trip we opted to save here and it turned out to be a GREAT decision as these rooms were PERFECT for us.TIP- We have 2 teenagers and we did TWO ROOMS- One for girls and one for boys. This was actually cheaper than 1 room for FOUR which is crazy but Royal knows how to price things well.We have booked 2 rooms for the last 1-2 years and it has worked out well.
I HIGHLY recommend this stateroom for couples or families! It is VERY SPACIOUS and "up to date" with things like outlets and USB ports.
Then we went to the Seaplex to sign up for roller-skating and play corn hole. Chris found the Seaplex Doghouse and we just had to sample it. TIP- This is a unique hot-dog stand in the Seaplex that offers hotdogs, sausages and brats. It was an interesting "late lunch" but was my only visit of the trip. Luke then got in line for the Rock Climbing.This has a waiver that falls in with the Flow-Rider so he was able to jump the line and get to climbing while others had to go to the Flow-Rider to get the waiver signed.
Luke really enjoyed the Rock Climbing wall. Sign the waiver early and TRY IT OUT EARLY as the lines got really long into the sailing!
We got a drink and then made our way to the AFT of the ship for the sail away from Seattle. This was about 4PM and we knew we would need to get a good spot to see the sail away. I love a good sail away and Seattle did not disappoint. The views of Seattle and Mt. Rainer were incredible and the weather was PERFECT!
My traditional buoy picture... I never miss this one!
Goodbye Seattle... We will see you in 7 days!
Mt. Rainer in all her glory!
This was postcard worthy!
Happy Birthday Luke- How can you be 13 ALREADY!
The Norwegian Joy sailed with us for the first 2 days before breaking off to go to Ketchikan (us to Sitka).
My whole heart... I love getting to share this with them!
Happy Birthday Lukey!
And Happy Birthday Nattie Grace... 16 in just 2 months! I cannot... I just can't!
We love cruising with our kids!
The kids already left but I could not get enough of this sail away!
Man- I love Seattle!
This will never get old... I love sailing from Seattle!
This was about 2 hours after sail away and it was a "little windy".
After sail away we went back to the stateroom hoping our luggage would be there and many were so the kids changed into swimsuits to go to the indoor pool. TIPS- 1) The Anthem of the Seas has THREE pools (1 outdoor, 1 indoor and 1 Solarium or Adults Only indoor pool). This made for an INCREDIBLE cruise in Alaska and the colder weather. The kids spent a LOT of time in the indoor pool! 2) ALWAYS pack a swimsuit in the luggage you take on the ship (carry-on) so you can swim immediately. We almost always do this but the Alaska mindset had us forget- Rookie mistake!
While the kids went swimming in the indoor pool and Chris enjoyed the Pool bar, I unpacked the luggage that was there and got both staterooms "set" for the week. We like to unpack into the drawers and not have to live out of suitcase. This cabin was impressively well equipped with storage space as well as overall cabin room. We LOVED this Interior with a Virtual Balcony!
Evening The kids swam in the indoor pool for over an hour while I unpacked and then we all changed and got ready for our 8:30PM dinner in the MDR. TIP- Royal Caribbean has changed the Main Dining Room set times from 2 times to THREE times and this meant the late seating was now 8:30PM instead of 8PM. This allowed the kids to "snack" all afternoon so it worked out for us but be mindful and check your MDR times.
We made our way to 270 hoping to see more of the sail away but they had the windows closed for an upcoming game show so we went to Vintages instead. Vintages is ALWAYS my favorite place to be on a RCCL ship and this Vintages was HUGE. The kids were even able to sit in this bar with the comfy couches and etc.
We left Vintages to go to the Schooner Bar for nightly trivia at 8PM. This was a general knowledge trivia and all 4 of us played as a team. We didn't think we would do well but we ended up WINNING. We actually won a trivia and on the first night!
We then made our way to the Chic Dining Room on Deck 3 for dinner in the MDR. I am so grateful I went to the MDR early to request a table by the window. This was a HUGE table we had all to ourselves and the window was perfect for viewing. The service was some of the best and most efficient we have EVER had on Royal Caribbean throughout the cruise. Most nights were we in and out of the MDR within 80-90 minutes.
This was the PERFECT table for our family and all I had to do is ASK!
The Welcome Aboard Menu in the MDR.
Roasted Tomato Soup (Kellie)- 4.0 Royal always does soups well and this was delicious!
Royal Crab Cake (all)- 4.0 We all loved this appetizer!
The Prime Rib (boys)-3.5 The each liked it but Chris says was lacking a bit..
Spaghetti (Luke)- 3.5 He likes the one I make at home more!
Aromatic Chicken Saag (Natalie)- 4.5 She ordered Indian food every night and LOVED it!
Boston Creme Pie (adults)- 3.5 This is a dessert Royal does well!
Happy Birthday kiddos! I love that our servers (and even the manager) came to bring them cake and sing to them!
I love celebrating Birthdays on a CRUISE!
After dinner it was nearly 10PM and we decided to walk around Deck 15 as the sun was still out. This always helps when you are eating more than usual to "walk it off" and this proved right again. After we walked a few laps we went back to the stateroom so Chris could take his medications before going to the Majority Rules game show in the Music Hall. Luke LOVES this gameshow for whatever reason and he loved writing dumb things on the paper so the worker would read it out loud. We did not win this gameshow by any means but we had fun! We then went back to stateroom as it was past mid-night and we were all SO TIRED!
Day 1 is done and we are LOVING it! Anthem of the Seas... we already LOVE YOU!
It was a FULL DAY of FUN on the Anthem of the Seas and we were already in love with this ship and this trip!
Up Next... Sea Day #1 aboard the Anthem of the Seas!
