The ship sailing from the UK that's a winner for families

We head straight to the SeaPlex, which holds the title of the largest indoor active space at sea. It shapeshifts throughout our cruise, from a full-sized basketball court to a football pitch and roller disco hall. One night we dance at the silent disco, and another we chase each other around a sprawling inflatable maze during glow-in-the-dark laser tag. Our favourite activity is the bumper cars, where we zoom around to a soundtrack of pop music and giggling children.

The SeaPlex’s mezzanine level is home to pingpong tables and an Xbox gaming area, while table football, bean bag toss games and air hockey tables are dotted around. Another onboard highlight is the North Star. This London Eye-style observation capsule rises 91 metres above the waves on a huge mechanical arm, holding the Guinness World Record for the tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship. We enjoy spectacular views across La Coruna, and the boys marvel at how tiny the sunbathers look on the pool deck below.

FAMILY ACTIVITIES

“What are we doing next?” is a question I hear a lot with two kids, but on Anthem there’s always an easy answer. A quick scan of the packed daily schedule on our Royal Caribbean app brings up rock climbing, zen colouring, origami workshops and family games. We quickly become regulars at the quizzes and trivia sessions, with Dan triumphantly taking the top prize in the Star Wars quiz. The whole family gets stuck into a murder mystery challenge, and we dash around snapping ourselves at iconic locations in the family selfie scavenger hunt.

There’s also the colourful Adventure Ocean kids’ club, which is divided into three rooms. Aquanauts keeps three- to five-year-olds busy with toys, a slide and arts and crafts. Explorers offers six- to eight-year-olds a programme of science experiments, art activities and games, and Voyagers is for nine- to 11-year-olds, with sports tournaments, video game showdowns and scavenger hunts. Teens hang out in the separate Living Room area, and there’s a paid-for nursery for babies.

On the pool deck, the boys race between the colourful H2O splash zone and the outdoor pool, dipping into the indoor pool and whirlpools. Flotation vests are available for children who can’t swim, allowing Harry to happily bob about in the deeper water with us and spin around a brilliantly fun circular vortex-style pool.

While my boys aren’t confident enough in the water to try the powerful FlowRider surf simulator, we enjoy watching braver cruisers try boogie boarding and surfing as 100,000 litres of water surges at them. We cheer on a pair of boys who are undeterred as they repeatedly get blasted off their boards before eventually perfecting their skills. Clients must be 132cm (4ft 4in) tall for boogie boarding, and 147cm (4ft 10in) for surfing.

ENTERTAINMENT FOR ALL

Most onboard activities are included in clients’ cruise fare, meaning families can easily fill their days without racking up extra costs. Royal Caribbean Group director of sales Stuart Byron says Royal Caribbean “offers families big value for money”, explaining: “In light of the evolving economic situation, we’re continually looking for new areas where we can make our guests’ lives easier – it’s one of the things we know they value us for.”

Byron says Anthem’s booking levels have been “strong” this summer and continue to be for 2024, adding: “Agents should encourage guests to book ahead to avoid missing out. Cruise consideration is the highest it has been in two years, with recent research from Clia showing 73% of cruise travellers are sailing in multi-generational family groups, so now is a brilliant time to be promoting and selling cruise.”

The many multi-generational families on our sailing are well catered for, with an array of activities for parents and grandparents. For a child-free zone there’s the serene adults-only Solarium and the Vitality at Sea Spa, while foodies can indulge in the speciality dining restaurants.

There’s no denying this is a big, busy ship, and our May half-term sailing is close to the full capacity of 4,905 guests. However, the sheer size of Anthem (at a whopping 1,141 feet long), means guests are spread out. We only notice heavy crowds at peak times in the buffet and around the pool on sea days, and there’s always somewhere else to go, whether it’s one of the 26 restaurants or bars, zipping around in a bumper car or flying high in a wind tunnel.

Book it: A seven-night France and Spain cruise on Anthem starts at £4,962 for a family of four with two children aged under 12 sharing an Ocean View Balcony stateroom, including taxes and gratuities. Departing from Southampton on 25 August 2024, the itinerary calls at Bordeaux (La Rochelle), Bilbao, La Coruna and Paris (Le Havre); myclubroyal.co.uk