Anthem of the Seas Vs Spectrum of the Seas

They’re not the newest, but Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class ships are still extremely popular with guests.

Anthem of the Seas was the second ship to launch for the class, while Spectrum of the Seas was the fourth.

But these ships are not identical. In fact, Spectrum of the Seas is not a Quantum-class ship at all, but a Quantum Ultra ship instead.

What does that mean, and what are the differences between these ships? Both offer sailings from Singapore, so if you want to cruise from there then which is best? And where else are the ships sailing from?

Read on for all the answers!

Quantum Vs Quantum Ultra Class

The Quantum Class debuted for Royal Caribbean in 2014 with Quantum of the Seas – the first ship that Royal Caribbean had built in six years that wasn’t designed to be the biggest in the world.

The focus of the Quantum Class was on innovation – trying new things, introducing new technologies and features, and wowing guests with exciting new experiences. And a year after the launch of Quantum of the Seas, her twin sister Anthem of the Seas followed.

One more ship launched a year later, but then the next two ships in the class were changed – Spectrum of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas were given an upgrade in design and formed the Quantum Ultra Class.

The ships aren’t really bigger – in fact, Odyssey of the Seas is smaller than the other Quantum Class ships. But they accommodate more guests and have different features onboard.

Spectrum of the Seas also has a couple of changes specifically for her market, as she cruises year-round in Asia. I’ll cover all of these throughout this guide.

Age & Size

Spectrum of the Seas is four years newer and slightly larger than Anthem of the Seas, and she has a higher passenger capacity, but the differences are relatively small. Most of the differences between the ships are in how that space is used.

Ship	Year Launched	Gross tonnage	Length (feet)	Width (feet)	Guest capacity (double occupancy)	Guest capacity (max)
Anthem of the Seas	2015	168,666	1,139	162	4,180	4,905
Spectrum of the Seas	2019	169,379	1,139	162	4,246	5,622

The passenger capacity at double occupancy varies by less than 100, but Spectrum of the Seas can actually accommodate over 700 more guests than Anthem of the Seas – this tells you that there are a lot more family rooms available.

So, if you’re travelling with a group or with kids, you might prefer the options on Spectrum of the Seas, although Anthem of the Seas still has some great choices for families too. In terms of the size of the ships, the experiences are relatively similar on both.

Accommodation

Despite the similar size of the ships, there are several differences in their accommodation options. You will, of course, still be able to choose between the four main categories – inside rooms, ocean view rooms, balcony rooms and suites. But each has unique options that you won’t find on the other – primarily within the suites category.

Here’s a look at all the accommodation options across the ships:

Stateroom Type	Anthem of the Seas	Spectrum of the Seas
Interior	No	YES
Interior Accessible	No	YES
Interior with Virtual Balcony	YES	YES
Interior with Virtual Balcony Accessible	YES	No
Connecting Interior	YES	YES
Studio Interior	YES	YES
Ocean View	YES	YES
Ocean View Accessible	YES	YES
Spacious Ocean View	YES	YES
Ocean View Balcony	YES	YES
Ocean View Balcony Accessible	YES	YES
Connecting Ocean View Balcony	YES	YES
Ocean View with Large Balcony	YES	YES
Obstructed Ocean View Balcony	YES	YES
Studio Ocean View Balcony	YES	YES
Sky Balcony Suite	No	YES
Junior Suite	YES	YES
Junior Suite Accessible	YES	YES
Junior Suite with Large Balcony	YES	No
Sky Junior Suite	No	YES
Grand Suite – 1 Bedroom	YES	YES
Grand Suite with Large Balcony – 1 Bedroom	YES	No
Grand Suite – 2 Bedroom	YES	No
Owner’s Suite	YES	YES
Sky Loft Suite	YES	No
Grand Loft Suite	YES	YES
Owner’s Loft Suite	YES	No
Ultimate Family Suite	No	YES
Royal Loft Suite	YES	No

Spectrum of the Seas features fewer options overall, but it has more variety in its suites, including the Sky Balcony Suite and Sky Junior Suite, both of which are a step up from the regular Junior Suites (and include Sky-level perks in the Royal Suite Class).

Spectrum is also the only Quantum-class ship to feature the Ultimate Family Suite – an incredibly colourful and feature-packed room that can sleep up to 11 guests and is perfect for families with children.

Anthem of the Seas does have more choice with Grand Suites, including large balcony options and those with two bedrooms.

It also has the Royal Loft Suite option, regarded as the best category of suite in the fleet if you are travelling as a couple or a group of adults.

And it has Virtual Balcony Staterooms that are designated accessible, including a wet room bathroom and wider entrance – if you use a wheelchair and want an interior room then on Spectrum you can only choose a regular one.

Read more:

• Anthem of the Seas Cabins to Avoid
• Spectrum of the Seas Cabins to Avoid

Winner – Tie

I don’t think you can pick either ship as a clear winner for accommodation options. The Sky Suites on Spectrum of the Seas are great options if you don’t want the absolute most expensive accommodations, while that Ultimate Family Suite is special.

But Anthem of the Seas has that epic Royal Loft Suite, and the accessible version of the Virtual Balcony Staterooms, along with the wider choice of Junior and Grand Suites. So it’ll come down to which individual stateroom or suite you want, rather than one ship overall being better.

Dining

Anthem of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas share 12 dining venues, including the Main Dining Room and Windjammer buffet restaurant. Anthem of the Seas has three venues you won’t find on Spectrum of the Seas, and Spectrum has six that you won’t find on Anthem.

The dining venues on Spectrum of the Seas reflect the Asian market more, while those on Anthem of the Seas that are missing from Spectrum are more varied. Here’s a look at all of the dining venues across the ships:

Restaurant	Cuisine	Included/Charged	Anthem of the Seas	Spectrum of the Seas
Cafe Promenade	Sandwiches/ Light Bites	Included	YES	No
Chef’s Table	Fine Dining	Charged	YES	YES
Chops Grille	Steakhouse	Charged	YES	YES
Coastal Kitchen	Varied	Included for Suite guests only	YES	YES
Coffee & Tea Shop	Pastries	Charged	No	YES
Dog House	Hot Dogs	Included	YES	YES
Gold Dining	Chinese Fine Dining	Included*	No	YES
Izumi	Sushi	Charged	YES	YES
Jamie’s Italian	Italian	Charged	YES	YES
Johnny Rockets	Burgers	Charged	YES	No
La Patisserie	French	Charged	YES	YES
Main Dining Room	Varied	Included	YES	YES
Noodle Bar	Noodles	Included	No	YES
Sichuan Red	Chinese	Charged	No	YES
Silver Dining	Elevated Buffet	Included*	No	YES
Solarium Bistro	Mediterranean Buffet	Included	YES	No
Sorrento’s Pizza	Pizza	Included	YES	YES*
Teppanyaki	Japanese	Charged	No	YES
Two70 Cafe	Soups & Sandwiches	Included	YES	YES
Vintages Wine Bar	Light Bites	Charged	YES	YES
Windjammer	Buffet	Included	YES	YES
Wonderland	Unique Fine Dining	Charged	YES	YES

A couple of important differences to point out – firstly, Sorrentos Pizza tends to close a little earlier on Spectrum of the Seas than Anthem of the Seas, but it’s still open til late, and the opening times can vary on each ship.

The big difference is in Gold and Silver Dining. These are suite-only dining options on Spectrum of the Seas.

Silver Dining offers an elevated buffet for all suite guests, but on certain sailings, it may be accessed by members of the Crown and Anchor loyalty programme who are ranked Diamond+ and above.

Gold Dining is a Chinese fine dining restaurant and it is for Sky and Star Class suite guests only. The menu remains constant throughout the cruise. This can be accessed by Pinnacle-level Crown & Anchor Society members on select sailings.

The restaurants are situated close to the suites, along with a Silver Lounge and Gold Lounge, for that ship-within-a-ship feel.

Winner – Tie

Again, I don’t think it’s possible to pick one ship over the other here as it will depend on your personal preference.

If you like Asian cuisine, then Spectrum of the Seas will be more to your tastes, but the ship still has plenty of variety across the other restaurants as well.

Activities & Entertainment

Bars

Both Anthem of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas have a range of bars you can choose from, with 8 that are shared between the two ships:

• Bionic Bar (with robotic arm bartenders)
• Casino Bar
• Music Hall
• Pool Bar
• Schooner Bar
• Sky Bar
• Solarium Bar
• Vintages Wine Bar

Anthem of the Seas does have two extra bars, which you won’t find on Spectrum of the Seas. These are Boleros and the English Pub.

Anthem of the Seas has the usual Suite Lounge for suite guests, while Spectrum of the Seas has a Silver Lounge and a Gold Lounge. The Silver Lounge is for Sea Class guests (Junior Suites) while the Gold Lounge is for Sky and Star Class guests. All lounges can sometimes be accessed by non-suite guests who have a high rank in the Crown & Anchor Society loyalty programme.

Leisure Facilities

The vast majority of the leisure facilities on the ships are identical. Both of the ships offer the following:

• Arcade
• Bumper Cars
• Casino
• Fitness Centre
• FlowRider Surf Simulator
• North Star Viewing Pod
• Pools
• Poolside Movies
• RipCord by iFly Skydiving Simulator
• Rock Climbing Wall
• Splash Park

There are two minor differences between the ships – Anthem of the Seas has a Trapeze School where guests can learn some fun trapeze basics, while Spectrum of the Seas has a Laser Tag facility.

Spectrum of the Seas also used to have the Skypad VR trampoline experience, but that’s since been retired from all ships in the fleet.

Anthem’s gym is also bigger, with Spectrum’s gym being located adjacent to the spa, but it does have a free sauna you can use in the changing room area.

Winner – Anthem of the Seas (just)

When it comes to things to do onboard, the ships are very similar. Anthem of the Seas does have two extra bars along with the Trapeze School, which is something fun and unique that you won’t find on many cruise ships at all.

Spectrum of the Seas does have the Laser Tag game, so if your kids love playing that then it may be the better ship for you.

Destinations

Both cruise ships offer sailings from Singapore but only at limited times – the rest of the year, they offer quite different experiences.

Anthem of the Seas is offering Bahamas cruises from Cape Liberty, NY for the first few months of 2024, before transferring to Southampton for a final season of cruises to Europe from the UK.

She’ll then transfer to Singapore for a season of cruises ranging from 3 to 12 nights, before sailing on to Seattle for the summer of 2025 to cruise to Alaska.

Spectrum of the Seas offers cruises from Singapore in the first half of 2024, but most of her itineraries depart from either Hong Kong or Shanghai, with itineraries ranging from 4 to 9 nights.

Final Word

Despite being part of the same main class of ship, there are plenty of differences between Anthem of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas, across the accommodation options, restaurants, bars and destinations that they both sail to.

Both are great ships – so your choice will likely come down to a specific stateroom you want, or the destination and time of year that you’re looking to cruise, though if you are cruising on Spectrum of the Seas be aware that the ship is definitely tailored more to the Asian cruise market, which may of course be perfect for you depending on your own preferences.

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