Month: December 2024

[Accommodation Review] – Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa (Villa du Jardin), Singapore (20 – 22 Dec 24)

/ kktong76 / 1 Comment

Location

Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa sits in a somewhat isolated spot on the island of Sentosa, famous for its numerous tourist attractions. Despite being surrounded by tourist attractions like Universal Studios and Madame Tussauds, the resort is still quite far from these attractions or any other shops. Walking is possible, but reaching these attractions would take at least 20 minutes. There are complementary shuttle bus services on the island provided by the island (the nearest bus stop is about a 5-minute downhill walk from the resort), but the infrequent services mean visitors would waste time waiting for buses. When exploring the sights on Singapore Mainland, Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa provides scheduled bus services to the nearest MRT station at Vivocity Shopping Mall. I reckon the location of Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa is not ideal for exploring Singapore, but it is a great place for those who want a quiet place to escape the bustling Singapore.

Reception at Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa

The Villa

The spacious 300㎡ 2-bedroom Villa du Jardin, with a private pool, is the resort’s only Villa-type accommodation. Residents of the Villa du Jardin at Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa can park up to two vehicles outside the villa.

The layout of Villa 4, where we stayed

Living Room

The main entrance of the villa opens up to the expansive living room. The use of red in the sofas and carpet to contrast the wooden flooring and ceiling and soft yellow wallpaper seems to invite us to sit on the fabric sofas. The chandelier hanging in the middle of the living room gave the villa a luxurious touch. The paintings of the Luxembourg Garden and simple art decor hanging on the living room walls, coupled with the metallic art pieces tastefully placed in parts of the living, gave it a French flair, paying homage to the origins of the Sofitel branding. The spaciousness of the living room space is enhanced by the high ceiling and the panel of floor-to-ceiling glass doors that look out into the pool area. These glass doors can be fully opened to create an inside-outside living concept, inviting the outdoors into the living room. The living room space has a distinct lounge, dining, and small pantry.

The living room of the Villa du Jardin

Lounge Area

The Lounge Area occupies a bulk of the living room space. The two maroon 3-seater sofas, one facing the standalone and the other the main entrance, took up a bulk of the space in the living room. The sofa provided a generous amount of seating space to relax and gather in the living room. The shin-height glass-top coffee table in the centre gave us a generous amount of space to place the snacks we brought for the staycation. We were able to get entertained by the numerous international cable and local channels from the large flatscreen TV mounted on the standalone cabinet. I like the placement of the TV cabinet, which not only does not obstruct the view into the pool area from the lounge area but also demarcates the space between the lounge and the dining area.

A large dark brown marble work desk occupies the space after the powder room. The large size of the table is great for work, and it has ample space to lay out documents. The work desk is so large that I was able to use it at the same time with my nephew. The easy access to a power outlet fitted next to the table allows us to continue using our lifestyle devices for a prolonged period. The placement of the work desk is next to the small garden outside the villa, where we were able to look out into the green to relax our eyes after prolonged usage of our lifestyle devices. However, the design of the chair that comes with the work desk leaves one to be desired. I found the chair was not very comfortable for longer periods.

The work desk in the living room

Powder Room

A powder room sits on the right of the main entrance to the villa, which allows us to use the toilet while we are chilling in the living room. The space allocated to it was rather generous for a room that only houses a toilet and a sink. Installing a large sink on top of a generous countertop that took the breadth of the powder room and the large mirror made the powder room feel less empty.

Powder in the Villa du Jardin

Dining Area and Pantry

Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa furnished its Villa du Jardin with a round dining table that can sit up to four pax, providing us with a space to dine properly. Despite the simple furnishing, the artistic chandelier above the dining table reinforces the French flair in this part of the living room. I find the size of the dining table just for four pax to dine. But if the villa is occupied to its full capacity of six, there will be insufficient space for all six occupants to dine at the same time.

The dining area in Villa du Jardin occupies a small area in the living room.

Unlike Villa 2, where we stayed last year (click here for my post on Villa 2), which has the pantry as a separate room next to the dining area, the pantry in this villa (4) adopts an open concept and is integrated into the living room. A bar counter separates the pantry from the dining area and gives us space to stow some of the snacks we brought. The pantry also housed the mini bar, where we found the top-of-the-range Nespresso Coffee machine, an electric kettle with all the complimentary coffee pods and tea bags, and the mini fridge hidden in the cabinet at the pantry. The pantry has a kitchen sink, giving us the convenience of simple washing. However, the resort does not provide dishwashing detergents.

Master Bedroom

The two bedrooms in the Villa du Jardin occupy the living room space at both ends. The master bedroom occupies the wing to the left of the living room from the villa’s main entrance. The master bedroom has a contemporary French decor, using mainly dark tones with hints of soft colour, giving this room a comfortable and relaxing vibe. The king bed sits in the centre of the master bedroom. Topped with a thick, firm mattress, the king bed produces excellent sleep quality. I find it weird that only the side nearer to the bathroom has a bedside table mounted onto the wall of the bedroom. Despite having a bedside table, only light switches were fitted onto this side of the bedroom. Instead, power outlets and charging ports were found on the side, which was not furnished with a bedside table.

A vanity desk occupies the space between the bedside table and the bathroom. I thought the design of the vanity desk was very clever. The mirror of the desk was hidden under the tabletop, allowing this desk to double up as a work desk when the top was closed. There are power outlets under the table that allow us to use the vanity desk to charge our lifestyle devices. However, I find the placement of these power outlets rather inaccessible. Mounted on the wall opposite the king bed is the second TV in the villa, which allows us to watch from the myriad of TV channels in the comfort of the king bed. I like how the resort placed a glass-top table under the TV that fills the void and gives us additional space to stow our stuff. A red lounge chaise was placed in the corner of the bedroom, next to the floor-to-ceiling window, which is a great place to relax or to look out into the pool area of the villa.

Master Bathroom

A long carpet from the bedroom extends to the very spacious master bathroom. The two his and hers sinks sitting on the walls across each other can be seen from the entrance to the bathroom. Despite being occupied by a large sink, there is still an abundance of space on both sink countertops to place our facial products. A small two-tiered drawer houses the bathroom amenities and occupies a relatively small space on the sink. The sink area also doubles up as a walk-in closet, where two large wardrobes occupy the space behind each of the sinks. With a knee-high dresser that doubles as a luggage rack, we found lots of space to put away our clothing and luggage. The design of these wardrobes is similar, with the only exception being the length of the built-in drawer. One of these wardrobes features a drawer occupying the entire length of the wardrobe, while the other has the drawers occupying about ⅔ of the space. The in-room safe is found hidden in one of these wardrobes.

Further into the bathroom, it is difficult to ignore the standalone bathtub sitting at the end of the master bathroom. This jacuzzi tub is huge, and the bubbles produced by the jets are powerful. Soaking in this tub melts any fatigue away. There is another outdoor shower accessible via the glass door on the right of the tub. Between the bathtub and the sinks are the shower and toilet cubicles sitting across each other. I find the space in these cubicles to be sufficiently large. The shower cubicle was installed with both a rain and regular shower head.

Bedroom 1

Bedroom 1 sits across from the master bedroom, to the right of the living room. This bedroom was originally configured with a twin bed setup, but the resort helped us set up a king-size bed. The colour tone used in Bedroom 1 is brighter, with a bright red headboard and yellow walls. The combined king bed sits in the centre of this bedroom and is topped with a thick mattress. Unlike the master bedroom, Bedroom 1 is furnished with two bedside tables mounted on the wall on each side of the bed. As the bed was configured from twin to king size, there was a small distance between the bed and the bedside tables. Similar to the master bedroom, we found a well-designed vanity cum work desk in Bedroom 1, sitting between the bed and the bathroom.

There is another TV mounted opposite the bed here, which provides the same entertainment options as in the living room and master bedroom. The TV placement was perfect for its occupants to get entertainment while lying on the bed. Bedroom 1 is also furnished with a table beneath the TV, increasing the storage capacity for its occupants. The single-seater lounger sitting in the corner of the bedroom provides its occupants with an alternate space to relax and fills up the void in this area of the room.

Bathroom 1

The bathroom in Bedroom 1 looks smaller compared to the master bathroom and adopts the same design as the master bathroom. Like the master bathroom, this bathroom is also fitted with a dual sink on each side of the wall with a pathway that leads further into the bathroom. The sink and countertop space are identical to that in the master bathroom. The wardrobes sit behind the sinks, on either side of the entrance to the bathroom, creating a walk-in closet within the bathroom. These wardrobes are the same as the ones found in the master bathroom, with a two-tiered dresser designed into the wardrobe, giving its occupants storage space for smaller clothing items.

Bathroom 1 inside bedroom 1

Passing through the sink and at the bathroom’s end is a bathtub sitting in a black marble fixture. Unlike the master bathroom, the bathtub fitted here does not have a jacuzzi function. Despite being fitted with a shower wand, we couldn’t find any switch that allowed us to switch from tap to shower wand mode. Cubicles stood guard on either side of the bathtub, between the tub and the sinks. The cubicle on the left has the toilet fitted behind a frost glass door, while the walk-in shower occupies the space on the right of the tub. The spacious walk-in shower is fitted with rain and regular shower heads. The lack of shelving for our toiletries in the walk-in shower did not bother us too much, as we were able to use the ledge at the window inside the walk-in shower to place our facial wash and dental kits.

Private Pool

Our private pool mainly occupies the Villa du Jardin outdoor space at Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa. I thought this pool was sizeable enough for its occupants to do some decent laps, yet it was able to cater to family fun with children in the pool. The pool has a deeper middle section, but families with small kids can utilise the space near the end of the pool, which has steps and is shallower. I like how Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa furnished the outdoor space with furniture ranging from outdoor sofas and chairs to sun deck chairs, which is superb for us to enjoy the outdoor space. We like the pool area in Villa 4 as it does not have thick vegetation surrounding it, which meant we could sunbathe and not be bothered by the fallen leaves from the trees. I find the pool area in Villa 4 to be cleaner at any one time.

Service

The service was impeccable from when I stepped into the resort lobby, as we remembered from our experience last year. I was greeted by the concierge the moment I arrived at the lobby for check-in. The resort recognises Accor’s membership status. The concierge staff saw my reservation and status and quickly arranged for his colleague to attend to me next, expediting my check-in process. The check-in process was quick, and it only took the reception staff to complete my check-in within 5 mins. We requested some items when in the Villa, and these amenities were delivered promptly. The staff we met around the resort always wore smiles and greeted every guest who walked past them.

Service at the restaurant is generally good. We were warmly welcomed by the staff at the entrance and prompted to our seats. The servers were attentive despite the busy morning breakfast rush hour, and our plates were cleared every time we left to grab more food. However, I observe somewhat inconsistent service. We were not asked if we wanted coffee when we were seated at our table, but I observed the same server asking guests at other tables for their choice of beverage when sitting. While plates are cleared promptly, somehow, the staff will always leave one or two empty plates on the table.

The diligent housekeeping staff were great. Despite not meeting them personally, I noticed their meticulousness and attention to detail in their work. Every corner was made up with much care, and it looked like the villa the day we checked in. The housekeeping staff even made an effort to coil my charging cable neatly. We were out for breakfast, and they cleaned the villa in about 1 hour. In the evenings, we would received a bell from the housekeeping staff asking if we need turn down service, when declined, he went the distance by checking with us if there are any supplies we needed top up.

Hotel Facilities

Breakfast @ Kwee Zin

Breakfast is available in the resort’s main restaurant – Kwee Zin, opposite the reception. Breakfast consists of a mix of Western and local flavours. The buffet breakfast is served both indoors and outdoors. A bulk of the food, such as pastries, egg stations and salads, to name a few, are found in the indoor buffet section. A small section of local flavours like the laksa, noodles and congee are served in the outdoor buffet line. The food served during breakfast was tasty, and the staff topped up the food constantly. I highly recommend laksa, which is flavourful with strong hints of coconut. Seatings likewise are segregated indoors and outdoors, with indoors having fewer seatings. I prefer the indoor table as the resort is pet-friendly; guests would bring their pets for breakfast. Guests allergic to dog fur should insist on sitting at the door. Perhaps due to the busyness during breakfast, the restaurant staff might be unable to check if nearby guests are allergic to dog fur.

Breakfast is served at Kwee Zin, opposite the reception

Swimming Pool

The resort has a large main pool just outside Kwee Zin. There is a large number of seating in the form of tanning chairs and cabanas surrounding the pool. The main pool is a great place for guests who want a good tan, as no vegetation is around to block the sun. The pool gets progressively deeper and has a 2.5m deep end. The main swimming pool is segregated into three sections. The resort barricaded the shallower ends for children to use because there is no kid’s pool. On top of the floating lane segregation, Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa also provides lifevests for kids and placed a lifeguard on duty during the main pool’s opening hours. Next to the kid’s play area, the resort cordoned off a lane for guests who wanted to get a swim workout. The rest of the pool towards the deeper end is free for anyone confident enough to use.

Gym

A small gym in Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa is next to the swimming pool and is open 24 hours a day. The resort used to have a relatively large gym off-site, next to the spa area. However, the land has been allocated for the development of Raffles Sentosa. Despite its small size, the gym has a good mix of cardio and strength training machines.

Overall

We had a comfortable stay in Villa du Jardin at Sofitel Sentosa Resort & Spa. Compared to the other villa that we have previously stayed in, Villa 4 is in a more secluded location and is free of vegetation, which not only gave us great tanning opportunities, but there are also significantly fewer fallen leaves compared to the other villas in the resort. The Villa has a large space in the form of a living room and outdoor pool space for friends and families to mingle, and yet it provides us with our own secluded space in the bedrooms when it is time to retire for the day. There is some wear and tear around the villa, but overall, the villa is well-maintained. The villa’s interior has a strong French element, paying homage to the origins of the Sofitel brand. The bed in the villa gave us excellent sleep quality. The service around the resort was great, the staff were welcoming and always wore a smile on their face.

[Accommodation Review] – Royal Caribbean – Anthem of the Seas (Grand Suite 1-Bedroom #12646), Singapore (28 Nov – 2 Dec 24)

/ kktong76 / 1 Comment
Anthem of the Seas seen from the North Star Observation Capsule

This is my third sailing onboard Royal Caribbean ships from Singapore. I sailed with Mariner of the Seas years ago before her refit in 2018 and Spectrum of the Sea in 2023. This review focuses on the room I stayed for this sailing and the perks that came with the Suite.

Check-in at Marina Bay Cruise Centre

Royal Caribbean has one of the most organised check-in at the cruise centre. Passengers are required to book their boarding time slot at the time we check-in (opens about 2 weeks before the cruise date) and will only be allowed into the cruise terminal building at the specific time slot we picked. Passengers staying in suites with at least Sky Class and above status can check in anytime. Royal Caribbean set up four lines to cater to the respective groups of passengers checking in at Marina Bay Cruise Centre. The bulk of the check-in foyer at the cruise centre caters to passengers cruising in the Balcony, Ocean View and Interior cabins. There are three additional queues to the right of the cruise centre building, one for passengers who purchased “The Key” VIP programme, another dedicated to passengers assigned Sea and Sky Class (essentially those who are sailing in Junior Suites and Grand Suites and above), and yet another for passengers who are sailing in the top of the range Star Class Suites and Pinnacle members. As we have secured the earliest slot, there is no one in the Sea and Sky Class queue at the time of our arrival.

The Ship

Anthem of the Seas is the second Quantum Class ship to call into Singapore after Spectrum of the Sea moved its home port from Singapore to Shanghai. Unfortunately, Anthem of the Seas only calls into Singapore seasonally, with its last sailing out of Singapore on 13 Apr 25 before repositioning to Seattle. Despite being a sister ship to Spectrum of the Seas with similar facilities, Anthem of the Seas’ 2090 cabins over the 16 decks is about 50 cabins less than Spectrum of the Seas. Besides the number of cabins, Anthem of the Seas restaurants are slightly different. We found more Western restaurants onboard. While there are the Silver and Gold dining onboard Spectrum, Anthem of the Seas has the Coastal Kitchen for suite guests. In place of one single Main Dining Room onboard Spectrum of the Seas, four dining rooms are spread out over decks three and four on Anthem of the Seas, namely Silk and American Icon Grill on deck four and Chic and the Grande on deck three. In terms of facilities, Anthem of the Seas has the same facilities as Spectrum of the Seas with a FlowRider surf simulator, rock-climbing wall, an iFly skydiving simulator, swimming pools, a Spa and Fitness Center, a theatre, a casino and an iconic Northstar observation capsule. This 4-night cruise that we booked sailed round trip from Singapore to Penang and Phuket.

Anthem of the Seas anchoring off Patong Beach in Phuket

The Grand Suite 1-Bedroom

The Grand Suite onboard the Anthem of the Seas is one category higher than the entry-level Junior Suite and is the entry-level suite to Sky Class perks. There are two configurations for the Grand Suite onboard Anthem of the Seas: the 1-bedroom and the 2-bedroom. We stayed in the Grand Suite 1-bedroom, with a total floor area of 32㎡ interior living spaces and an average of 10㎡ balcony spaces (although our balcony is slightly bigger than the standard Grand Suite balconies) with a distinct living room, bedroom and bathrooms.

Entryway

A small entryway at the entrance to the Grand Suite 1-bedroom gave us a good view of the suite’s layout and decor. From this entryway, we could feel the relaxing vibe of the suite with the use of earthy brown-coloured tones from the fixtures to the carpeting to the warm lighting throughout the suite. The entryway also gave us a good view of the living room, which took up half the space of the Grand Suite 1-bedroom. A door at the entryway that was the secondary entrance to the bathroom gave us the convenience of access to the bathroom, while the large two-door cabinet provided us additional space to store our clothing. The inclusion of this cabinet caters to situations where this Grand Suite is occupied by four passengers (where the sofa in the living room can be converted into a double bed). Since only two of us occupy the Grand Suite, we welcome the additional wardrobe space.

Living Room

The living room of the Grand Suite 1-Bedroom

The living room of the Grand Suite 1-bedroom lies a few steps from the entryway. Despite the narrow and elongated design of the living room, we felt there was sufficient space here for us to chill, enjoy the shows on the TV or simply snack away while enjoying the slow roll of the ship. A cabinet sits at the beginning of the living room next to the entryway. Half of this cabinet houses a mini fridge, while a set of three drawers takes up the other half of the cabinet, increasing the storage space available to us. Across this cabinet sits one of the two vanity tables in the Grand Suite. Rather than functioning as a vanity area, I reckon Royal Caribbean intended this table to function more as a mini bar area due to the power outlets required for the coffee machine and kettle. One of the perks of staying in a suite was the inclusion of a Lavazza coffee machine instead of some instant coffee. When this space is being freed up, I thought it would be great as a work desk, as it came furnished with a cream-coloured chair, three power outlets, and two USB-A charging ports, which are capable of keeping our lifestyle devices juiced up. We also found additional storage in the open shelving at this work desk, designed into the false wall that houses the flatscreen TV.

A large light brown 3-seater sofa occupies the bulk of the space in the living room. The soft cushioning on the sofa provided much comfort while watching TV mounted onto the false wall separating the living room from the bedroom. Speaking of the false wall, I like how Royal Caribbean fit some shelving space below the TV, giving us more space to store our stuff. A glass-top coffee table is furnished between the false wall and the sofa. With this coffee table, I found the space for us to move around in the living room somewhat a little tight, as there is only sufficient space for one occupant of the Grand Suite to move around at any time. At the end of the sofa is a small round table, which doubles as a bedside table should the sofa be converted into a bed. My brother-in-law slept on the sofa bed in his cabin and commented the bed was a tad hard. At the end of the living room, next to the floor-to-ceiling glass window, is an armchair, which I found to be a perfect spot to relax while watching the seascape across the balcony.

Bedroom

The bedroom in the Grand Suite

The earthy theme of the Grand Suite 1-Bedroom flowed through the living room and was more pronounced in the bedroom. The use of dark brown wooden furnishing enveloping around the headboard and the cushioned headboard wrapped in beige fabric gave the bedroom a cosy vibe. Instead of a door, a thick blackout curtain separates the bedroom and the living room. From the living room, the king bed Is the first item we saw in the bedroom. The thick mattress on the bed on top of a tall bed frame enhances the sleep quality (plus maybe the ship’s motion at sea), but the pillows were too soft for my liking. The ship does have a limited pillow menu, available on request from our cabin steward. The space under the bed gave us sufficient space to put away our luggage after unpacking. A couple of bedside tables fitted into the cabin’s bulkhead gave us sufficient space to place our lifestyle devices, and the two drawers at the bedside tables gave us additional space to stow our stuff. However, only the table near the balcony was installed with a European power outlet, while the table near the bathroom has a telephone. The elegantly designed bedside lamps provide some illumination at night and enhance the cosy vibe in the bedroom. I like how these lamps were fixed onto the bulkhead of the cabin, which frees up the space at the bedside table. A smaller TV is mounted onto the wall of the bedroom, providing the same entertainment as the one in the living room. Despite its off-centred placement, mainly due to the cabin’s space design, I could still view the TV without any issues.

A vanity desk that can also double up as a work desk sits further into the bedroom of the Grand Suite 1-Bedroom, next to the other entrance to the bathroom. This vanity cum work desk feels larger than the one in the living room, perhaps due to the absence of the coffee machine and kettles. As a work desk, this table comes fitted with two European power outlets, an American outlet and a couple of USB-A charging ports on the wall, capable of keeping our laptops, tablets and mobile phones juiced up as we work (but then again, who works while on a cruise?). As a vanity desk, this table has a large mirror mounted on the wall and a switch that powers up the lighting on the mirror to create a Hollywood-style mirror, perfect for guests to doll up themselves. Sitting right behind the vanity cum work desk is the second wardrobe in this Grand Suite 1-Bedroom. The layout of this wardrobe differs from that of the living room. Instead of having a large space to hang clothing, this wardrobe is segregated into two compartments. The compartment on the left has two-tiered open shelves (this is where we found a small in-room safe, which can’t even fit my iPad) alongside space for hanging clothes. Two drawers are being designed on the lower part of this wardrobe segment, which we found to be very useful for stowing items like our backpack. The compartment on the right of the wardrobe can only hang clothes but is a tad shallower. I like how Royal Caribbean provides generous hangers in both wardrobes. In addition to the wardrobe, Royal Caribbean fitted a three-tiered open shelving between the wardrobe in the bedroom and the bedside table, which vastly increases the storage space made available to us in the bedroom of the Grand Suite.

Bathroom

The bathroom is seen from the entryway entrance.

Grand Suite is one of the only four cabin types fitted with a bathtub onboard Anthem of the Seas. I find it weird that the higher-tiered loft suites (apart from the top-of-the-range Royal Loft Suite) onboard Anthem of the Seas are not fitted with bathtubs. The bathroom in the Grand Suite 1-Bedroom employs a grey-coloured theme, which gives the bathroom a contemporary yet luxurious feel. The bathroom is fitted with shower/bathtub combination showering facilities, which can be challenging for guests with mobility issues and elderly cruisers to get in and out of. The bathroom in the suite comes fitted only with a regular shower head. I find the bathtub in the bathroom is rather sizeable, sufficient for me to get a good soak in.

I like how the bathroom in the Grand Suite 1-Bedroom comes fitted with not one but two sink counters, which provides convenience for guests to use at the same time without engaging in a war of rock scissors paper to see who has priority to use. These two sinks come fitted with a large and deep drawer at the bottom, which gave us more space to put away our toiletry bags. Despite having the same-sized sinks, the space on the sink countertops differed. The sink that is fitted next to the bathtub has a slightly larger countertop area, whereas the sink next to the entrance from the living room has a tad tighter countertop space. The toilet is fitted behind the sink next to the entrance from the living room.

Balcony

The balcony can only be accessed from the living room of the Grand Suite 1-Bedroom. We chose Suite #12646 due to its slightly larger balcony. The balcony is furnished with two sun deck chairs, which we used to relax while enjoying the sea breeze and looking out into the sea. On top of the sun deck chairs, the balcony of the Grand Suite 1-Bedroom onboard Anthem of the Seas is also decked with a small dining table with two chairs, giving us additional space to dine or enjoy the in-room breakfast or the pizzas we took away from Sorrento’s from.

The Perks

Royal Caribbean has three class tiers, Sea Class, Sky Class, and Star Class, for guests booked into the suites onboard. These suite classes give passengers additional perks over the Balcony, Ocean View, and Interior cabins. Our Grand Suite 1-bedroom comes with Sky Class perks, and the mid-tier class offers significantly more perks than the Sea Class for Junior Suites.

Perks that came with the various classes of suites onboard (Source: http://www.royalcaribbean.com)

Coastal Kitchen

One of the perks of the Sky Class tier is access to the Suites-only Coastal Kitchen restaurant, located on Deck 14 midship just outside Windjammer. Coastal Kitchen is accessible to passengers staying in the Grand Suite and above cabin types for the three main meal times. However, guests in the Junior Suite can only dine here during dinner time. Due to the limited number of guests that can access Coastal Kitchen, we were able to enjoy a more intimate and peaceful dining experience in this restaurant. There was never a time when Coastal Kitchen was overflowing with guests that the staff could not manage. Compared to the Main Dining Room and Windjammer, we felt the food quality served in Coastal Kitchen is far superior, but the only cons of dining here is the limited food choice. However, the proximity to Windjammer (literally just outside Coastal Kitchen) gave us the option of grabbing additional food and bringing them into Coastal Kitchen to dine.

Concierge Club

The Concierge Club is the Suite lounge on Deck 12 aft, exclusively for passengers staying in Grand Suites and above cabins. Due to its location at the back of the ship, the Concierge Club offers great views of the back of the ship, enabling us to look out into the sea. The lounge experiences very light traffic most of the day, making it a great space for guests who want some quiet time. The Concierge Club can get busy in the evening between 5 pm and 8 pm when suite guests are treated to an unlimited free flow of drinks from a menu of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and Hors d’oeuvres. Breakfast is also served at the Concierge Club but is limited to continental breakfast.

Suite Sun Deck

The Suite Sun Deck is open to passengers in the Sky, Star Classes, and Pinnacle members. Located on the mid-ship of Deck 16, the Suite Sun Deck is a space where suite guests can enjoy sunbathing or just laze under the sun and enjoy the Seabreeze. Other than the plentiful sundeck chairs, outdoor sofas also cater to families. The only con of the Suite Sun Deck was that it was too far from the pool, so we could not just jump into the pool to cool off. During our sailing onboard Anthem of the Seas, the Suite Sun Deck is empty most of the time. The Suite Sun Deck is accessible on the port side of the ship, just before the entrance to the Seaplex. There are two other entrances to the Suite Sun Deck on either side of the upper floor of the Seaplex.

In-Suite Dining

As part of the perks of Sky Class, we were also given the option of dining in our suite during the times the Main Dining Room is open for meal time. Usually, such a service would attract a US$7.95 service charge. The option of dining in the suite exempted us from the horror of standing in the queue while waiting for our table to be ready. It also meant we did not have to leave our suite during meals. Despite its availability, we did not utilise this benefit.

VOOM Internet Services

Royal Caribbean offers complimentary internet for one device to guests in Sky and Star Class tiers. The VOOM internet services are fast and reliable, and we can enjoy fast internet streaming from anywhere on the ship. There is an internet router in our Grand Suite 1-Bedroom, and we were able to enjoy uninterrupted internet services from the comfort of our cabin.

Flexible Boarding and Priority Departure

Passengers sailing with Royal Caribbean are required to select a boarding time slot when performing online check-in. The cruise company will only allow passengers to board at their selected time slot. As part of the Sky Class privilege, we were not confined to a boarding time slot; rather, we could simply show up at any time slot, and we would be given the priority to board the ship during boarding day. Similarly, we were also accorded priority departure during disembarkation day, meaning we did not have to stand in line with thousands of other passengers to disembark the ship. This priority departure was only accorded to the final port of Singapore and the tendering services in Phuket, but not for the port call in Penang. For the port tender in Phuket, we gathered in the Music Hall between 8 am and 10 am, where we were escorted to the barge to board, skipping the queue.

Reserved Seating Section

A section of reserved seating, located on the upper level of the Royal Theatre and 270, was set aside for Sky Class passengers (as well as Sea Class, Star Class, and Pinnacle members). These are the best seats in each venue, giving us a great of the whole stage. Staff are seen holding a sign at these sections and blocking non-Suite passengers from accessing these seats. However, these seats will be released to all passengers 10 minutes before the show commences.

There are staff holding signs and blocking off non-suite guests at the theatre or 270

Service

The service onboard Anthem of the Seas wasn’t as great as we expected, especially when we were in Sky Class Suites, compared to our experience onboard Spectrum of the Seas last year. While onboard Spectrum of the Seas, we got the “The Key” programme and stayed in a Sea Class Suite. We felt more exclusive and were generally better taken care of. The crew onboard Spectrum of the Seas was welcoming, and everyone smiled. When bringing up issues, these issues were resolved almost immediately. Things were not the same onboard Anthem of the Seas this year. The crew onboard Anthem of the Seas gave me the impression that they did not want to be in this part of the world, with many looking irritated and hardly smiling. When I mentioned that the Sky Class perks information was not forthcoming to Guest Services, the crew pushed the bucket to Concierge Club and told me to check with them directly instead of resolving my feedback. We dined at the Main Dining Room during dinner on one of the sea days; while we got our tables very fast (mainly due to our “MyTime” dining), the service was severely lacking. Our waiting staff was never seen with any smile and was also very impatient when taking our orders. We had to wait about 30 mins for a bread basket to be served, which came together with our appetiser. It seems blend or salty were the two taste palettes in the food served in the Main Dining Room. Despite the promising “Taste of Asia” dinner theme, which seems to promise a mix of sweet, sour, and spicy flavours, we found our food mostly salty. We also discussed the issue of the dirty chair with the Maitre d’, as we experienced itchy skin when sitting on it. Instead of resolving the issues (like changing tables), he brushed off the issue and came up with excuses like the ship would go to dry dock in March 2025 and everything would be refreshed. These comments served no purpose and did not resolve the issues that we currently face.

Despite the majority of the crew looking irritated and unhappy, a few of them put in the effort to ensure we enjoyed our time onboard Anthem of the Seas. We interacted with Norma from the Concierge Club the most during our cruise. We met Norma at the Concierge Club, who welcomed us with the warmest smile one could have. She orientated us to the lounge and reiterated the perks we can enjoy. We could rely on Norma to answer any of our questions and resolve any issues we had regarding our sailing. I had an extensive chat with Norma about sailings around the world. She was very generous in sharing her experience with these sailings and gave us valuable advice on how we could enjoy these sailings the most. Russell was our cabin attendant, who diliegently kept our suite clean and tidy twice a day. There was a time when our shower amenities were low, and we requested Russell to top them up (outside the housekeeping time). Russell went above and beyond and tidied our cabin instead of just topping up these amenities. Russell would always wear a big smile whenever we saw him along the corridor. He would always check in with us about our day and anything he could help to make our time onboard more comfortable. Then there is Edwin, the Assistant Maitre d’ at Coastal Kitchen, who listened to our grievances about our time onboard. Edwin would always pop by our table and check in regarding the food and our day. There was an occasion when I complained about the wait staff and the food quality in the Main Dining Room. Edwin listened with much empathy and called up the Maitre d’ at the Main Dining Room regarding our feedback.

Overall

The Grand Suite 1-Bedroom onboard Anthem of the Seas was spacious and comfortable. We had so much space in the suite that, at times, we did not feel like leaving the suite. We have tons of storage space to put away everything we brought for this 4-night cruise. The balcony of our suite was larger, making it great for us to hang out while enjoying the sea breeze. The sleep quality on the king bed in the bedroom was excellent, but I find the pillows too soft for my liking. Despite coming with many perks under the Sky Class tier, I thought information on these perks was lacking. We only got a piece of paper in the suite that talks about the perks, other things like how can we access the priority queue for port disembarkation were not apparent. Unlike the “The Key” programme, Sky Class does not have dedicated sessions for bumper car or flow rider. There is also no priority queue for activities like bumper car under Sky Class. I appreciate the access to Coastal Kitchen during meal times and the Suite Sun Deck as part of the Sky Class perks. Having a quiet place to dine and a mostly empty sun deck improves the sailing quality and makes us feel like we are sailing on a private yacht. The crew onboard Anthem of the Seas impressed upon me that they don’t seem to want to work in this port. Most of the crew we met in the public spaces were robotic, and asking them questions seemed to bother them a lot. This is especially true for the Guest Services, who are supposedly there to help us resolve issues. Instead, we received a lot of bucket passing from them. Thankfully, there is still a handful of the crew that we came into constant contact with, making the sailing enjoyable. Despite the negatives we faced, I would still sail under at least Sky Class the next time I cruise with Royal Caribbean.