Cruising is a fantastic way to see many parts of the world in a limited amount of time. As well as this, you will be in the comfort of a luxury floating hotel with excellent service, delicious food, incredible entertainment including Broadway shows such as We Will Rock You with top-class singers and dancers plus lots more! Here is what you can expect when visiting Vigo, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal sailing from Southampton, UK cruising on board Anthem of the Seas.
Visiting Vigo, Spain, And Lisbon Portugal On Board Anthem Of The Seas, Royal Caribbean
Benefits of Cruising
What's New With Royal Caribbean
This was our first cruise with Royal Caribbean since 2019. We could not wait to return to cruising but have been playing catch up on other delayed travel plans and projects. Having heard a few stories via the grapevine, we were unsure what to expect but jumped in excitingly with both feet.
One of the first things that came up was the check-in experience. It was recommended to download the Royal App. I don't know about you, but when I go on holiday the last thing I want to do is constantly be on my phone. The other issue was connectivity.
If like me you don't want to or are unable to download the Royal app, don't worry, you can still check-in online without it. (We found out later on the first evening that you don't have to pay for the guest wifi to use the Royal App and that it is a brilliant resource while on board. More about the Royal App later).
Please note: If you are looking to board the ship early, do check-in online as soon as it is possible, as you may be given a later boarding time. Also, it is advantageous to board early to not only familarise yourself with the ship but also set up a cash account if you prefer at the guest relations desk, pre-book entertainment and experiences, and also enjoy the delicious on-board food and drink.
Once on board
If it is your first time cruising or traveling on board with Royal Caribbean you might like to go along to the First Time Cruisers Talk. Discover all about the beautiful ship and learn everything about what is available on board.
You might also like to go along to the main dining room, have a look in advance where your dining table is located (save time later by not joining the seating queue), and confirm your dining reservation time. I was astonished to see that many had taken the opportunity for My Time Dining (eat dinner at the time you would like by just showing up). The queue each evening outside the main dining room for seating was very long! We opted for the 7pm fixed dining, in the main dining room (this was selected online in advance of our sailing) and each evening apart from one, the time was perfect. On the last evening there was only one time for the farewell show, so we spoke to the restaurant maitre d' and we were able to switch to the early 5.30pm dining room seating. Which was perfect! I have always found the later dining time to work out better, especially on port days giving you more time to explore, take advantage of longer duration shore excursions, and give you plenty of time to get ready for dinner and for the evening's entertainment/activities.
There are lots of dining/food options onboard Anthem of the Seas including speciality restaurants from Jamies Italian Restaurant, Chops Grille, Wonderland, and more!
Getting To Southampton
We traveled from Edinburgh Waverley by train with LNER to London Kings Cross (4.5 hours). Then onto the London Underground to Waterloo (it took us 30 minutes but would recommend at least an hour. It can be quite the experience traveling with cases, no lifts, and busy most of the time) before boarding the train to Southampton (1.5 hours). Highly recommend booking all trains in advance! The train between Waterloo and Southampton departs every 30 minutes. Do beware tickets purchased on the day are much more expensive than those purchased in advance! No luggage areas on the London Underground or onboard the train from Waterloo to Southampton.
Another train option to avoid London and the London Underground, is to change trains at Manchester.
You can also fly direct from Edinburgh Airport to Southampton Airport with Logan Air.
Staying In Southampton
We opted to stay at the ideally located comfortable Premier Inn City Centre (Westgate), within easy walking distance from Southampton Train Station, cruise ship pier, and shopping centre. There are a few hotel options available in the vicinity.
What To See and Do In Southampton
Southampton has had a settlement since the Stone Age and was given a royal county charter by King Henry VI in 1447. More importantly, becoming a busy shipping port since the arrival of the Normans in 1066. Today many of the world's largest cruise ships berth in Southampton with the Cunard Line maintaining a regular transatlantic crossing to New York.
One of the city's most celebrated residents, Sir David Payne professor of photonics and director of the Optoelectronics Research Centre at Southampton University (is credited with developing the world's first practical optical fibre amplifier forming the backbone of the internet today.
While visiting don't miss seeing Bargate, a Grade I listed medieval gatehouse that was once the main entrance to the city during Norman times.
Some of the local attractions include the Tudor House & Garden (800 years of history), Seacity Museum (maritime heritage and connection to RMS Titanic), and The Brickswork Museum (showcasing 125 years of brick history, with the sights, smells, and noises of Victorian Britain).
Southampton is a bustling university city with a large modern shopping centre - Westquay, a main high street, the Mayflower theatre, a cinema, and lots of eating-out options including the Privé Bar and restaurant. The area could also be used as a hub to visit surrounding areas such as Brighton, or see the pigs and ponies of the New Forest National Park.
Sailing From Southampton, UK
The area is really easy to navigate, this could be by foot or with a local taxi (Radio Taxis).
If staying at the Premier Inn City Centre (Westgate) there is also a courtesy taxi telephone and a board with all the cruise ships visiting and which pier they will be docking at. The hotel also offers a luggage storage facility, with a late check-out (12noon), and the Thyme Restaurant (currently undergoing a full refurbishment due to be finished in the coming months).
Sailing on Board Anthem of the Seas
The Anthem of the Seas (Quantum Class) is an incredible ship with state-of-the-art technology and innovative features including the Two70 Experience - The Robot Show, and North Star - Voted the winner of Guinness World Record for the tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship (2016), it offers 360-degree views at 300 feet above sea level!
Some sailings and markets have different price/booking criteria. We found that on the first day of boarding a complimentary experience on the North Star was available to pre-book. Thereafter an extended experience was available to book and purchase.
Cruise Compass has gone green!
The daily planner with everything you need to know about what is happening onboard has gone green! The Royal App is second to none when keeping up to date with everything that is happening onboard, your expense account, the ship's photographer's photograph gallery, updates, and much more! If you would still like to receive a paper copy in your stateroom/cabin please don't forget to request a copy at Guest Services or with your housekeeping attendant.
I have to mention not everything was plain sailing on this particular cruise. We had a few more days relaxing at sea due to weather (Hurricane Kirk). The onboard activities team were awesome at putting together last-minute additional activities, including entertaining trivia events and more. I believe we would have missed these if we had not downloaded the Royal App. Now we have it, it's on our phones ready for our next cruise.
Ports of Call
Visiting Vigo, Spain
The vibrant coastal city of Vigo is located in the Spanish area of Galicia. It is well worth exploring its beautiful beaches, historical Roman ruins, neoclassical churches, and delicious food (Galician beef, seafood, and pork).
The authentic Galician old town is within a short walking distance from the port (Muelle de Transatlanticos Vigo cruise port), there is also a hop-on-hop-off bus and local taxis are available, as well as curated shore excursions (Santiago De Compostella). We opted to explore on foot, taking in the delicious local delights at Sabor a Espana including nuts, noughts, cheesecake, and chocolate before walking up to the highest viewpoints of the city - Parque Monte del Castro.
The Parque Monte del Castro not only has impressive views but also a fortress, incredible landscaped gardens, and Roman ruins. Then on our return through the main shopping area and the old town (Praza da Pedra) we stopped to enjoy an ice cream at Varicci Artigianale. Yum!
With so much more to explore including CIES Islands, underground passages, Roman salt mines, and botanic gardens we look forward to returning soon.
Sailing out of Vigo onboard Anthem of the Seas was spectacular as we went under and cleared the Rande Bridge: A Universal Symbol (1978). Once the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world, it is now the first cable-stayed bridge to have been extended (2018). Jules Verne immortalised the strait of Rande in "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea". Today it is said that over 50,000 vehicles travel across the bridge each day!
Visiting Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon the capital and largest city in Portugal is renowned for its classical architecture, beautiful ceramic tiles, and Fado (haunting musical ballads about lost sailors, broken hearts, and bittersweet romance), as well as the delicious traditional Pastel de nata (custard tart).
There is a wide selection of curated shore excursions, hop-on-hop-off tour buses, local taxis, and the no 28 tram to explore the city and beyond. On this visit, we opted to explore the city of Lisbon on foot. The city is vast with many nooks and crannies! These are best explored early in the day with less people around.
First stop was the Feira De Ladra (Lisbon's huge flea market), with many stalls selling lace to ceramic tiles and more, it is well worth a visit (beware of pickpockets).
Then it was time to see the incredible tile exhibition ( azulejos, covering its walls and staircases) and climb the narrow winding staircase to the roof of Monastery of São Vicente de Fora for the incredible views across the red tiled roofs of Lisbon. There is a small charge but it is well worth it. See the collection of 100,000 including 17th-century Baroque tiles from the Royal Factory of Rato ceramics, and the only collection of tiles depicting the Fables of La Fontaine in Portugal, as well as the medieval cistern, and Royal Patheon Bragança. The monastery is the final resting place of the Portuguese royal family and Catherine of Braganza, the wife of Charles II of Great Britain.
Right outside the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora is Fora artisan pastry and bakery. The perfect stop to enjoy the traditional Portuguese tart - Pastel de Nate. We also had a warm Merenda tomato and mozzarella (similar to a croissant but square in shape). Delicious!
After a lot of walking and exploring around the large city of Lisbon, it was time to return to the incredible Anthem of the Seas.
We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise onboard Anthem of the Seas and visiting the hidden gem of Vigo, Spain, and the large cultural capital of Lisbon, Portugal. So excited and ready for our upcoming cruise with Royal Caribbean in 2025. Watch this space.
I hope you have enjoyed reading and are feeling inspired to take a cruise with Royal Caribbean onboard the incredible Anthem of the Seas.
As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch with any comments/suggestions and questions.
Until next time, Happy Travels x
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