Peter D

We sailed Alaska on Quantum in August 2023 and have been on Anthem many, many times.  The ships are pretty comparable.  "We Will Rock You" is a pretty good show, especially if you are a Queen fan.  Sonic Odyssey on Quantum is a pretty good show also featuring an Earth Harp which is quite unique.  "Spectra's Cabaret" is probably a better show than "Star Water", but I wouldn't personally choose a ship based on either show.  Same goes for "The Gift" vs "Sequins and Feathers".
Looking at the Summer 2025 itineraries for both ships, the ports may be where you want to base your decisions.  There are two common ports (Juneau and Victoria, BC) and there are four rotational ports: Sitka, Ketchikan, Skagway, and Icy Strait (in my order of preference). It appears Quantum is the only ship that will be going to Ketchikan and/or Icy Strait.  Furthermore, I'd recommend picking one of the sailings that visits two of those optional ones, so I personally would avoid the Anthem sailings that only go to Juneau, Skagway, and Victoria, BC.
One side note, while you did not mention which week you were looking at, if you have a chance to witness one of the salmon runs, that is pretty cool thing to see. We saw the Coho (Silver) Salmon run in late August and Sitka was a great port to see it.
 

What is interesting is that right now, that sailing shows two options in the 'you select' mode and one is specifically identified as obstructed.  That suggests that you can pay for additional quality of GTY to avoid obstruction.  
 
 

It is difficult to believe this is even the enchantment.    I have my doubts.
 

It is difficult to believe this is even the enchantment.    I have my doubts.
 

Chef's table is now listed as 'Smart Casual Attire' like every other specialty restaurant.

Chef's table is now listed as 'Smart Casual Attire' like every other specialty restaurant.

I would say it is not as good as coffee shop, but it might suit your needs.  The coffee machine in the lounge is pretty easy to operate, but it really can only do basic espresso drinks (espresso, capuccino, latte, maybe americano) and while I think there is sugar/sweeteners, there are no flavored syrups or options for cream/milk.  The machine supplies its own 'dairy' for those drinks that need them.  Your best bet will be the coffee card and then go and check it out to see if it will serve your needs going forward.  

I would say it is not as good as coffee shop, but it might suit your needs.  The coffee machine in the lounge is pretty easy to operate, but it really can only do basic espresso drinks (espresso, capuccino, latte, maybe americano) and while I think there is sugar/sweeteners, there are no flavored syrups or options for cream/milk.  The machine supplies its own 'dairy' for those drinks that need them.  Your best bet will be the coffee card and then go and check it out to see if it will serve your needs going forward.  

We had our first sail as Diamond this past January on Odyssey.  These are the perks we used:
Four drink vouchers per day We passed on the DBP as we don't typically drink more than 5-6 per day. When we ordered a drink, we specified when we wanted to use the vouchers.  We always saved them for the cocktails and paid for beer. We received 20% off our first beer (specified not to use the voucher on them). Free day of internet We knew we didn't want to be connected much, so we used our vouchers on different sea days and shared the connection. We had no issue finding free Wi-Fi on port days when we chose (except Coco Cay). Diamond/Crown Lounge We typically stopped by once per afternoon on sea days to get coffee, a snack if they were still out and just relax in a quiet environment. Picture discounts We used each of our discounts to purchase one picture each 15% Merchandise discounts (picked up a few trinkets and my Odyssey model ship) We may have missed a perk here and there, but overall, it added up to some nice savings for us.

Don't forget that the 1 day of Voom is for each Diamond person as well, and the the free day of internet can be used toward purchasing a package onboard (one day value onboard is usually $26.99-$30.99).  If you are willing to go without internet on embarkation day after sail away (no cellular service) and wait until midnight of day 2, it may be cheaper than buying voom ahead of time.  That means going without internet from about 6pm to midnight on embarkation, then purchasing 6 day plan with 1 day free. Using my worst case Icon sailing in October, internet pricing for 1 device is 23.99 (planner price) vs 30.99 (onboard).  Pre-purchased cost for 7 days would be $167.93.  Onboard using one day discount on day 2 would be essentially only 5 day cost (30.99*5=$154.95 for example) or $13 cheaper onboard.  Obviously the longer you are willing to go without internet the cheaper it gets if you decide to get it later in the cruise.
For what it's worth, I have heard stories of people buying voom through planner and then getting one day credit applied once on board through guest services, but I have never tried that myself and would not count on that.

We did the gold star service in 2022. It was utterly fabulous. The rear of the car had an observation area that was open to the outside air. The views were fantastic and we met some interesting people. The staff on the train were informative in a very friendly way.
There's a service called Orange Bike Delivery in Seward. They can take your bags from the cruise port to the train. It's a family run business that took very good care of us (and our mountain of baggage!) The hauled our stuff from the port to a hotel we spent the night at, then picked up from the hotel and delivered to the train station. 

https://www.orangebikedelivery.com/luggage.html
 

1.) Grand Cayman is a worthwhile port to visit at least once if you ever revisit doing Western itineraries.
2.) Even if driving is a requirement, I'd still consider FLL and MIA.  That gives you so many options of ships/itineraries.  If you are already willing to drive 9.5 hours, the additional 3 hours seems a no brainer to me.  Of course, at those driving times, I'd personally opt to fly.  Also, you didn't mention your departure location, but maybe Bayonne is within your 9.5-12 hours drive. Bayonne offers even more ships and itinerary options.   
3.) When I book cruises, I try to pick either a new itinerary and/or a new ship.  While you didn't mention that you did or did not cruise on a Quantum Class ship, I would not rule them out if an itinerary suits.  Odyssey of the Seas is a great ship that does many of the itineraries.  I think Icon is also a ship I'd try to consider if possible.
4.) For Southern itineraries, I would echo the ABC islands.  I have only been to them one time, but I would definitely go back.  Aruba and Curacao are frequently highlighted as best, but when we did Bonaire, we did an island tour that included the salt flats where were quite picturesque.  For Eastern itineraries, if you could find one that does Bermuda (overnight even better), I would be highly recommend considering that as well.

1.) Grand Cayman is a worthwhile port to visit at least once if you ever revisit doing Western itineraries.
2.) Even if driving is a requirement, I'd still consider FLL and MIA.  That gives you so many options of ships/itineraries.  If you are already willing to drive 9.5 hours, the additional 3 hours seems a no brainer to me.  Of course, at those driving times, I'd personally opt to fly.  Also, you didn't mention your departure location, but maybe Bayonne is within your 9.5-12 hours drive. Bayonne offers even more ships and itinerary options.   
3.) When I book cruises, I try to pick either a new itinerary and/or a new ship.  While you didn't mention that you did or did not cruise on a Quantum Class ship, I would not rule them out if an itinerary suits.  Odyssey of the Seas is a great ship that does many of the itineraries.  I think Icon is also a ship I'd try to consider if possible.
4.) For Southern itineraries, I would echo the ABC islands.  I have only been to them one time, but I would definitely go back.  Aruba and Curacao are frequently highlighted as best, but when we did Bonaire, we did an island tour that included the salt flats where were quite picturesque.  For Eastern itineraries, if you could find one that does Bermuda (overnight even better), I would be highly recommend considering that as well.

Was able to call RC and switch to the different itinerary. I was charged $100 per person for the switch but I'm okay with that. Although I did have to pay that $200 fee today. 

Question, though... I keep hearing about a refundable deposit but whenever I book through the website, I don't see that option anywhere in the process. Is that something that can only be done by calling RC directly or through an agent? 

Don't cancel - change. If you put down a non-refundable deposit your deposit will transfer to the new cruise. There will be a $100 per person change fee added to the cost of the new cruise due at final payment. I just moved 2 cruises within the last month and one last year too. If you used a travel agent, you can have them take care of this for you.

As I understand it, the refundable deposit option is the very last step before booking the cruise.  In other words, you've already entered all passenger information and are ready to put down your deposit and somewhere on that page, you can choose to pay a bit more to make the cruise refundable.  Note this option is not available for suites (and I don't remember if junior suites count for this).  It's probably easy to miss in the excitement of finalizing the booking and I believe that is intentional.

Does seem like less and less tribute bands, but they are still around.  DSB (Journey) is schedule on Symphony of Seas Feb 10 sailing.

According to their website  https://phoenixclassicrockband.com/ 
Phoenix is doing two weeks on Icon in March, April, and May.  One week on Icon in June before starting on Oasis.

The craps table on ships are $10 minimum and 1x odds, though they will usually allow $25 (6/8) and $20 (5/9) odds on a $15 pass line.  There are probably other similar exceptions, but in general, single odds only.

The free experience is straight up, hold for scenery, and straight down. The extended experiences are longer, because in addition to going straight up, it will swing out over the water (during sea days).  Personally, I do not think the extended experience is worth $49.

The free experience is straight up, hold for scenery, and straight down. The extended experiences are longer, because in addition to going straight up, it will swing out over the water (during sea days).  Personally, I do not think the extended experience is worth $49.

The free experience is straight up, hold for scenery, and straight down. The extended experiences are longer, because in addition to going straight up, it will swing out over the water (during sea days).  Personally, I do not think the extended experience is worth $49.

The free experience is straight up, hold for scenery, and straight down. The extended experiences are longer, because in addition to going straight up, it will swing out over the water (during sea days).  Personally, I do not think the extended experience is worth $49.

The free experience is straight up, hold for scenery, and straight down. The extended experiences are longer, because in addition to going straight up, it will swing out over the water (during sea days).  Personally, I do not think the extended experience is worth $49.

We booked at $200 and it held on the Inaugural.  No mention of mistake.  Experience of a lifetime.