Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas: A Photo Tour

Royal Caribbean's newest ship, Anthem of the Seas, is full of high-tech bells and whistles that use technology to bring cutting-edge design to the high seas. Among the highlights: Robot bartenders, interactive art. RFID wristbands, and the Two70 futuristic theater. There's even a drone to take your portrait plus bumper cars, rollerskating, FlowRider surfing, iFLY RipCord simulated skydiving, and dining everywhere from a food truck to an upscale steak house.

If some of this sounds familiar, it is, since the Anthem is the sister ship of Quantum of the Seas, which debuted last year. Although the ships are spitting images of one another, Anthem is slightly sleeker and a little smarter, finessing the technology and look for a 2.0 version of the Quantum-class ship. We rounded up everything on board that's worth a second look so you can decide for yourself if this sleek modern ship is your cruise of the future.

Facts:

Ship Capacity: 4,180 guests
Decks: 16
Staterooms: 2,090 (1,571 with balconies)

How big is it? 1,150 feet and nearly 169,900 gross tons
Which means:
It's longer than: 5 Boeing 747 jetliners
It's bigger than: 3 International Space Stations
It's taller than: 2.5 times the Great Pyramid of Giza

It's also got the fastest internet at sea.

First on Anthem of the Seas:

We Will Rock You, a British Olivier award-winning jukebox musical
Spectra's Cabaret show in Two70
Drone videos
Puzzle Break, a room escape game
GiGi, a 32 foot giraffe on the top deck

For unparalleled views of the ocean in addition to New York City, Anthem's first home port, the eye in the sky of North Star is hard to beat. It’s a quick 10-minute tour that even the most-ride phobic should be able to tolerate. Our glass pod included a self-professed claustrophic and another with a fear of heights—both enjoyed the ride.

North Star can ascend to 300 feet.

New art is one of the hallmarks of Anthem of the Seas—including this 32-foot giraffe on Deck 16.

Heated fresh water pool and spash zone for kids

An oceanview stateroom on Anthem of the Seas. Modern staterooms have flat-screen televisions, ample storage, and sleek lines. Interior staterooms with "virtual balconies" display real-time video views outside the ship on a wall-mounted monitor.

The multi-level Two70 offers panaromic sea views by day, but by evening becomes a high-tech theater featuring Spectra's Cabaret, a new show that includes singers, dancers, acrobats descending through the ceiling, and millions of dollars in technology that includes moving video screens.

A highlight of the entertainment on board Anthem is the full-length musical We Will Rock You, with fabulous sets and a rocking score of the music of Queen.

Robots. In a bar. Use a tablet to order your drink and the robotic bartenders will mix, shake, and pour. Good luck telling them about your day, though.

The SeaPlex indoor sports zone has bumper cars, roller skating, a DJ, and a circus school. As if that's not enough, there's basketball and ping pong, too.

What's that you say? You'd really like a drone to take a picture of you? Royal Caribbean's got it covered with the truly innovative "Anthemic Selfie" where a remote-controlled drone camera soars over the ship and captures a 15-second vdeo of you onboard (set to an epic soundtrack, naturally). It's not technically a selfie if you don't take the photo yourself, but we appreciate the touch—and there's no selfie stick required.

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's you! RipCord by iFly lets passengers try skydiving in a simulator tube at sea.

The Via and Royal Esplanade span deck 5 and are lined with retaurants and shops. Highlights include Michael's Genuine Pub and the Patisserie. Both carry an extra charge.

Upscale comfort food is served at American Icon

Jamie's Italian is a speciality restaurant based on the UK chain overseen by British celebrity chef "Naked Chef" Jamie Oliver. It charges a premium for dishes such as tagliatelle with truffles.

More original art: a popular photo spot on the Via and Royal Esplanade

For a casual quick bite, SeaPlex Dog House offers hotdogs and sausages from what Royal Caribbean calls the first food truck at sea.

No matter the weather, the adults-only Solarium is a perfect place to soak in the whirpools, sip a green drink at Devinly Decadence (yes, you can add a shot of vodka—it’s a cruise after all), and marvel at ocean views from the in-pool seating any time of day.

Devinly Decadence in the Solarium has a fresh-pressed juice bar (and regular bar) and offers dishes that top out at 500 calories for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, created by healthy chef/cookbook author Devin Alexander. We tried the guilt-free burgers, which were loaded up with veggies atop a beef patty—it was tasty, if a bit small. This restaurant is now complimentary (it carried an extra charge on the Quantum of the Seas when it debuted), making it easier to eat health-consciouslly at sea.

Anthem of the Seas has a number of impressive suites, incluidng these spacious family accomodations.

For cruisers in the 12 to 17 age group, there's the drop-in lounge, The Living Room, as well as Fuel teen disco at night.

The complimentary Adventure Ocean kids club offers programs for ages 3 to 11 arranged by smaller age groups in a brithg and fun multi-room, bi-level space.