As a sister to the 2014-built Quantum of the Seas, the vessel was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
Following a delivery ceremony in Bremerhaven, the Anthem sailed for the English port of Southampton to kick off its maiden season.
Before welcoming its first paying guests, the 158,000-ton ship was named by actress Emma Wilby at a special ceremony that took place at its homeport on April 20, 2015.
Sailing round-trip from Southampton, the Anthem offered a series of itineraries to the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe as part of its maiden season.
The 4,204-guest vessel was later repositioned to the United States for cruises departing from New York Harbour.
For its North American debut, the ship sailed from Cape Liberty Cruise Port to Bermuda and the Caribbean, as well as Canada and New England.
After additional seasons in the United Kingdom and the New York metropolitan area, the Anthem of the Seas recently repositioned to the Pacific Ocean for cruises to other destinations.
As part of a ship shuffle, the vessel debuted in Southeast Asia during the 2024-25 winter, offering cruises from Singapore.
In mid-October, the ship will reposition to the South Pacific for its inaugural season in Australia. Sailing from Sydney, the Anthem offers itineraries to a wide range of destinations, including Nouméa, Picton and Airlie Beach.
Royal Caribbean International is adjusting the housekeeping services onboard its fleet. According to different passenger forums on the internet, several ships have seen a reduction in how many times a cabin is serviced per day.
“In an effort to be more sustainable and to align with global hospitality trends, we will be adjusting our stateroom services to one per day,” the company said in a daily cruise program onboard one of the ships that saw the change.
According to the document, passengers are welcome to work with their housekeeping staff to ensure their needs are met. It’s understood that guests are able to select whether they prefer morning or evening service in their staterooms.
While most cabin categories are set to move to the new service schedule, Junior Suites and above will maintain two services per day, the message added.
The change has been spotted in different ships, including the Quantum of the Seas, the Spectrum of the Seas, the Independence of the Seas, the Ovation of the Seas and the Harmony of the Seas.
It’s unknown whether the service reduction will be applied to Royal Caribbean’s 26-ship fleet.
In 2022, Norwegian Cruise Line also moved its stateroom cleaning services to a once-a-day basis for select cabin categories. According to a letter sent to the crew at the time, the change aimed at consolidating crew roles while saving energy and water.
Other cruise lines that have moved to a once-a-day cabin service include Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises and more.
Royal Caribbeans Anthem of the Seas photo credit Spacejunkie2
As the winter approaches, the Royal Caribbean Group brands are expanding their restart plans, adding destinations and new homeports.
In November, eight more ships are resuming service for the corporation, bringing its brands back to Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Antarctica, the Middle East and more.
Here are the latest plans, brand by brand:
Royal Caribbean International Status: 14 ships currently in service; three more set to follow by Dec. 1 Ships: Allure of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas currently in service; Adventure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas set to follow in November Regions: Asia, Caribbean, Bahamas, Mediterranean, United Kingdom and West Coast
With 14 cruise ships in service, Royal Caribbean International currently has the most capacity back in the market.
Sailing in North America, Europe and Asia, the brand is set to reactivate three additional vessels by Dec. 1, relaunching service in additional destinations.
Debuting on the West Coast, the Navigator of the Seas is welcoming guests back in Los Angeles on Nov. 19.
A few weeks earlier, on Nov. 7, the Explorer of the Seas is resuming service in San Juan, bringing the brand back to its Puerto Rico homeport.
Currently, in a European shipyard, the Adventure of the Seas is also returning to revenue operation soon. On Nov. 29, the ship is set to return to Galveston for a series of four- and five-night Western Caribbean cruises.
While the balance of the Royal Caribbean fleet is poised to return to guest operations until May 2022, the brand has also resumed service from Hong Kong recently, launching a program of short cruises to nowhere from the Asian port.
Celebrity Cruises Status:Eight ships currently in service; two more set to follow by Dec. 1 Ships: Celebrity Apex, Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Summit and Celebrity Xpedition currently in service; Celebrity Constellation and Celebrity Reflection set to follow in November Regions: Mediterranean, Caribbean, Bahamas, United Kingdom, Galapagos, West Coast and Panama Canal
In November, Celebrity Cruises is launching a new phase of its restart program. After several months with eight vessels sailing revenue cruises, the brand is adding two more ships into active service by Dec. 1.
Marking Celebrity’s return to Tampa, the Celebrity Constellation is set to welcome guests back on Nov. 7.
A day earlier, the Celebrity Reflection is resuming service after a 20-month operational pause, offering a series of Caribbean cruises from Port Everglades.
In October, Celebrity also returned to the West Coast and the Panama Canal with the Celebrity Millennium. After a season in Alaska, the vessel is offering a couple of California cruises from San Diego before crossing the Panama Canal on its way to the Caribbean.
TUI Cruises Status: Six ships currently in service Ships: Mein Schiff 1, Mein Schiff 2, Mein Schiff 3, Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5 and Mein Schiff 6 Regions: Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Emirates
Based in Germany, TUI Cruises currently has six cruise ships sailing with guests in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
Preparing for the winter season, the brand is planning to expand its restart to new destinations over the next months.
While a season in Southeast Asia was recently cancelled, cruises to the Caribbean, the Canary Islands and the Emirates are on the plans through the end of the year.
Silversea Cruises Status: Four ships currently in service; three more sets to follow by Dec. 1 Ships: Silver Moon, Silver Origin, Silver Shadow and Silver Spirit currently in service; Silver Cloud, Silver Explorer and Silver Whisper set to follow in November Region: Galapagos, Mediterranean, Western Europe, Atlantic, Caribbean and Antarctica
After months of negotiation, Silversea Cruises is ready to relaunch its expedition sailings in Antarctica. With the Silver Cloud and the Silver Explorer, the brand is returning to the seventh continent in November, offering departures from Chile.
On Nov. 17, the Silver Whisper is also returning to revenue operations, offering Caribbean cruises from San Juan and Fort Lauderdale.
Currently, four Silversea ships are sailing with passengers, cruising in the Mediterranean, the Galapagos, Western Europe and more.
The luxury brand welcomed its passengers back in June with the inaugural cruises of two newbuilds, the Silver Moon and the Silver Origin.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises First sailing: Five ships in service Ships: Europa 2, Europa, Hanseatic Nature, Hanseatic Inspiration and Hanseatic Spirit Region: Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Atlantic
In November Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is completing yet another month with the entire five-ship fleet in service.
While, during the summer, the German brand sailed in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, new cruises are now being offered, including itineraries to the Atlantic Archipelagos and the Emirates.
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