
Your First Cruise
A cruise ship is essentially a gigantic floating hotel with great dining and entertainment!
Ships We Sail On
Special Journeys uses Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise Line because of the care and concern they provide to our travelers. We choose small and medium size ships because the service is better and the ship is a more appropriate size for our group.
One of our favorite cruise ships is Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas. It is a floating resort!
The ship was launched in 2015. It is 1,139 feet long – as long as 78 cars. It is 162 feet wide – 27 cars wide. It has 18 decks, 16 are for guests. This ship has 6 separate power plants/engines. Its maximum speed is a leisurely 25 miles an hour. The ship has 2,090 passenger cabins, 16 guest elevators, and is staffed by approximately 1,500 crew members. The ship has 2 indoor pools, 2 outdoor pools, and 4 hot tubs. The main theater seats 1,300. There are 3 other large attraction venues for music, events, and activities. There are 5 main formal dining rooms and 8 laid‐back dining areas, as well as shopping at numerous stores.
Your Cabin
You will have a roommate. Your cabin has 2 beds and a bathroom with a toilet and a shower. Your cabin will have a stateroom attendant who will clean your room and turn the beds down at night.
Dining
There are lots of different dining rooms and lots of different foods to try. This is your opportunity to try many new dishes. The main dining area has white tablecloths and lots of silverware to use. Each table is staffed by a waiter and an assistant waiter. When it is time to order your meal, first you order an appetizer, then a main course and finally a dessert. There are usually 6 to 8 different choices for each course, and there is a different menu each night!
Casual dining is served buffet-style and features at least 20-30 different choices. Travel Companions assist with getting food for each table. There are snack areas available at almost any time – you never go hungry on a cruise! The soda package is an added cost on Royal Caribbean’s cruises.
Activities
Anthem of the Seas has a surfing simulator where you can surf! Instructors are present to help you.
The ship also has a skydiving simulator – iFly – which is a vertical tube with a fan. You enter the area, the wind starts up, and you float! An instructor guides you through the entire process.
This ship also has bumper cars and an elevated moving observation deck. You can also listen to live music, enjoy swimming, and participate in other onboard activities, such as learning how to make animals out of a towel or napkin.
Entertainment
The main theater provides a Broadway‐style show or a headliner entertainer such as a singer, magician, or comedian; and there is a show every night.
The ship also provides live music and dancing. Some ships even have ice shows. On days when we are at sea, the ship offers a variety of events, contests, and other activities.
Ports
The ship sails between different ports where you can get off the ship to go shopping, stroll around, and see the town. At some ports Special Journeys schedules a tour to fun places. Sometimes we just walk to nearby attractions. We always eat on the ship for health and safety reasons. When foreign currency is used at a port, Special journeys can handle it for you.