Quantum - March 21 - 29 Review

Myself, my daughter (age: 30- special needs) and sister-in-law booked this trip in November. There were only 2 ports but I really didn't care since this trip was all about the ship. We booked 2 balcony cabins on deck 12.

We live in Staten Island and even with the Bayonne Bridge closed (which would have been a 9 minute trip to the port) we got there in 20 minutes. My son dropped us off and a porter whisked away our luggage. We went into the terminal and had our pick of roving check-in people. This was around 10:00 am. Our pictures were accepted and we were told to sit in the VIP area since a friend of our works at the port.

We embarked onto the ship around 11:00 am and were herded up to the Windjammer, which wasn't open. It was a pretty cold day so we ventured out to the pools, took a couple of pictures and ran back inside. We were the third group of people into the WJ and scored a prized table by the window. We had bought the premium drink plan a couple of months early along with the soda plan for my daughter. I wanted to order a drink and the waiter kept telling me I needed my card which was in my cabin of course behind the closed doors to the corridor. I gave him my sea pass and told him to scan it and after explaining that to him several times he took it to the bartender who made me a drink.

We didn't waste much time at the table since it was getting crowded and I didn't want to be a table hog so we got up and went down to the promenade to hang out and wait. I LOVE the promenade. We always got seats outside the Patisserie. I went to Guest Services and took advantage of the internet sale of $108.00 for unlimited wifi for the week. This was for 1 device at a time. I had my ipad and iphone but I thought this would be fine and it was. I loved being able to message back and forth with my children and grandchildren during the week, along with putting pictures on Facebook and I found the price reasonable for the pretty fast wifi.

About 1:00 they announced the cabins were ready and believe it or not our luggage was already outside. We were able to unpack before muster. Our muster station was Vintages and it was painless. We then went up to the Northstar bar for a sailaway with our roll call. The only problem was I left my jacket in the cabin and it was freeeeeeeeeezing. I had one drink and I swear the captain was booking it because we were under the VZ bridge within minutes.

We went down to get ready for dinner at Chic. I know I had made it for around 6:00 which we loved because we were able to digest before we went to sleep. Usually by the time we finish dinner with a couple of glasses of wine we were ready for bed. I tried the early dinners this time and it worked out great. There's no Welcome Aboard show but the CD Ken Rush had an Evening with Ken Rush in Circle 270. It was 90 minutes and had various singers and dancers from the upcoming shows. It turned out to be nice. At about 10:00 we made our way to the theater for the comedian Steve Schaffer. Now I will complain. Those theater seats are so uncomfortable!! There's not enough leg room and throughout the week I found myself going to the front row just for the leg room. My knees hurt all week. The bar service is fabulous in the theater. I was almost dozing off halfway through the show so I went to stand in the back just to be more comfortable. He was pretty funny but nothing to write home about.

We were really tired and went right to sleep. I LOVE the gentle rocking of the ship.

Great start. Look forward to hearing the rest.

Day 1 at Sea: After a great night of much needed sleep we got up at 8:30 and had breakfast in the WJ. We did find it pretty hard to get a table. We finally found one which had dirty dishes on it so we had to find somebody to clean it up. There's lots of new people working in the WJ and a lot of them don't understand much English. I sat at the table while my daughter and SIL went to get their food. The girls were in the process of cleaning off the table when a man came and sat down. I was like wha???? He proceeded to eat the food on the plate that was left at the table. I didn't know what to do because he didn't speak English! LOL. My daughter came back and sat and ignored him so I said what the heck. My SIL came back just then too and gave me a look but by then he was finished and got up and left. It was a strange incident.

After breakfast we went to our Meet & Mingle. It was pretty well attended for 9:30 am too. The disappointment was that the only crew members were the Assistant CD and another woman. They offered free champagne and Mimosas and then got on with the raffles which were mostly lanyards. Host Faith of Cruise Critic then came in with her husband and adorable son and donated a Cruise Critic jacket for the raffle which my SIL won and gave to my daughter.

We then went to our cabins to change into our bathing suits and we made our way to the Solarium. The indoor pool was crazy crowded and there were a couple of brave souls in the outdoor hot tubs. Of course the Solarium was packed but an attendant came over to me and brought me over to 2 empty chairs for my daughter and myself. We sat in the hot tub for awhile and then rested on the chairs. It was a nice time for about 2 hours. We then met my SIL and had lunch in the WJ before going to a cabins and having a nice nap.

I changed our dinner reservation to Jamies Italian for that night and it did not disappoint! Everything was so delicious. Do not resist ordering the anti pasta board as it is to die for.

I believe this was our Mamma Mia night. The show is 2-1/2 hours. Thank God for the intermission as I was able to get up and stretch my legs since we couldn't get front row seats. The cast is fabulous! I've never seen the movie or the play so I enjoyed it a lot. Who doesn't love the music of ABBA??

After the show we made way to our cabins. I slept like a baby again.

Day 2 at sea: Before I begin let me tell you about Dynamic Dining. I made all of our dining reservations months ago before knowing about the entertainment so some of it overlapped. Every single day I called the Reservations desk and changed our reservations to either a different time and sometimes a different restaurant. We had no problem whatsoever doing this and we never had to wait to be seated.

We had breakfast in the WJ today and since it was around 9:30 we found it easier to get a table. The weather outside was finally warm so we changed into our suits and believe it or not my SIL found a lounger by the pool and my daughter and I opted for the shade. We spent most of the afternoon there. I must add that my SIL experienced her first chair hog fight right next to her. There were just towels on the chair so the attendant moved them and a man and his son sat. About an hour later a man came back stating that that was his chair and started yelling and cursing at the guy. The guy stood his ground quietly and then man went and sat somewhere else while glaring at the poor guy. I missed all of this since it occurred while my daughter and I went to the WJ for lunch. My SIL didn't want to leave her chair to even go and eat so we brought her back some fruit.

Our dinner reservation was a Silk and our entertainment I believe was Starwater in Circle 270. We were not crazy about Silk. It was dark and we had a table in a corner behind a curtain. Our waiter did not understand English and we had trouble understanding him. He was from the Philippines. We were kind of rushed out of there and I believe we finished in 1 hour! After we were eating we noticed that newly arrived diners got noodles and duck sauce when they sat down and the waiter was serving them chinese tea. We mentioned it to our waiter and we had no idea what we were talking about. Eventually the head waiter came over and we asked him and he kept apologizing and apologizing. I said..don't worry it's fine. I was embarrassed. I guess we shouldn't have said anything.

After dinner we sat in the Promenade and got to see the Dreamworks show which was fun. Not really a parade because the Promenade is so small but more like a circus. It was cute.

We then went to see Starwater. It was interesting to say the least. The performers are very talented. Since the show began at 10:30 we were tired afterward and just went to the cabins and and sleep.

Day 3 - San Juan, Puerto Rico: I must say that it felt good to be on ground after 3 days at sea. We had no plans or excursions since we were originally scheduled to get into port late afternoon. But due to the captain hauling butt we got there relatively early...probably around noon. We had a quick lunch at Sorrento's and Promenade Cafe and went into port. All we really did was shop for souvenirs and we always go to Del Sol for tees for the kids. Their prices are getting prohibitive so I won't be going back there. We also went to the bamboo place and bought ourselves bamboo beach bags for a pretty good price of $30 each. Of course my daughter had to get her usual bag that says Puerto Rico along with the matching wallet so we got that in the souvenir shop.

It was really hot and humid so my daughter and I left my SIL and we went to find the trolley back to the port. By then we were really tired so we grabbed a snack and went to the room to shower and rest. Let me tell you both the Promenade Cafe and the WJ make very fresh homemade chocolate chip and coconut cookies which smell delicious. We got there as they were taking a batch out so we had cookies and milk on the balcony. Yum.

We had dinner reservations at American Icon which I loved. I had delicious potato pancakes and calamari for the appetizer. They did not disappoint. The BBQ ribs were a different story though..not the way they should be which is fall off the bone. The taste was there but not the consistency.

We had reservations for the guest performer which turned out to be hypnotist Christopher Caress. We got there early enough to be seated in the front although I was scared he was going to pick us to go on stage. It turned out I didn't have to worry as he asked for volunteers. Oh my goodness this show was so funny!!! My head was hurting when we got out of there. He's very serious and I found him to be very good looking. The show was great.

Bed time!!!!

Day 4 At Sea: Forget about going near the pool today. It was hot and every chair hog in the world was out. After breakfast we made our way to the indoor pool and got 3 seats right by the pool since it was so empty in there. Eventually it got crowded. We were able to spend most of the day there. I believe this was the day of the belly flop and sexy man contests by the outside pool. We only got to watch on TV. No big loss for us.

We had dinner reservations at Grande so we dressed up and enjoyed our lobster tails immensely! I really liked the restaurant.

Tonight's entertainment was Name that Tune..a new game show. It was so much fun! The Mamma Mia cast sang and danced and they chose 10 contestants. It was a really fun night. Ken Rush is a pretty good CD.

At some point we learned there were some cases of Noro Virus on the ship. I understand the CDC came on while we were docked in San Juan. I don't know how many cases there were but the crew was on high alert washing everything down every 5 minutes. This led to the fact that they couldn't have their sales in the promenade. Gasp!!!

Well my only complaint about the ship is the size of the stores. The logo shop is so tiny and there's hardly any room to walk or a lot of merchandise. It shares its space with the liquor/cigarette shop.

Well!! that's where they put the sales merchandise! It was a mad mad mad house. I went in to buy something in the drug section and could not get in or out nor find a cashier. It was terrible. It was the only way to do it because they were able to make you purell before you went in. I think they should have had their sales in the bigger shops towards the front of the ship.

I did want to do some shopping but at this point there was no way I was going in there. As my father would say people were taking the stove and then going back for the smoke. What a mad house.

So we sat in Boleros, played some music trivia and drank some Bahama Mamas. It was a nice day.

Day 5 Labadee, Haiti: Not much planned for today. We've been to Labadee before and just felt like staying on the ship. We did get off at some point and went to the shops because I forgot something for one of my grandsons. Ugh..they all converge on you and try to get you to buy stuff. I was quick in and out when I got what I wanted. We then took the tram back to the ship and spent a beautiful day by the empty pool. I believe I finally had a roast beef sandwich in Cafe 270 today. I've been reading about it for years but never had the pleasure. Boy was it good!!

At this point my SIL experienced her second fight by the pool. This time some kids were taking the chairs they have in the lower end of the pool and throwing them in the pool and people were telling them to remove them whereas the kid told them to shut up. Everybody thought they were there unchaperoned because nobody was disciplining them. Eventually the mother spoke up and that's when the argument ensued. Not a pretty sight.

We were their pretty long...well long enough for my SIL to get a slight case of sun poisoning. My daughter and I scored those comfortable cushioned chairs in the shade so we ate our lunch there and read in between going to the pool and hot tub.

Tonight's dinner was in Chic again and the evenings entertainment was Finis Henderson. He's a singer and impressionist and is amazing. His dad knew most of the rat pack and he was able to imitate them. He was really great.

We spent some more time in Boleros bar and shopped a little on the Promenade before making it to bed. The noro virus was getting worse as they removed napkins, salt and pepper from tables and in the WJ they had to serve your coffee, etc.

Day 6 At Sea: Next to last sea day we made our way down to play some Bingo where we didn't win but my daughter won a QOS back pack which made her happy and me even happier because she was haunting me to buy her one. A win win!!

Afternoon was spent by the pool since we knew it would be cold the next day. It wasn't the greatest weather that day either. The captain mentioned that we would be hitting 30 foot waves some time at night as we made our way back to Cape Liberty.

We hit the hot tubs and then hung around the promenade. We had lunch in Cafe Promenade and my SIL had Sorrentos yet again. We finished our shopping before the mad rush of $10 tee shirt sale came because we were still on noro alert.

I had changed my Silk reservation to Chic and we had dinner before the show. The last couple of days we were going to Boleros for a Bahama Mama before dinner. I wish we'd thought of that sooner. After a good dinner, the waiter sang to me..I have no idea why, we went to the uncomfortable theater for Sonic Odyssey, having no idea what this show was. I was just hoping it wasn't the usual guys/girls coming down from the ceiling on ropes since I'm so sick of that.

We tried sitting in the balcony. News flash..just as uncomfortable as downstairs. But the show was fabulous. The Mamma Mia cast sang and danced along with some unusual instruments played by a guy who was on Americas Got Talent (as told to me by some guy in the elevator). Great show. It ended early enough go to Boleros and finally win a music trivia!! YAY for us disco queens. We got RC water bottles and walked to our cabins very happy.

Day 7 - Last Day at Sea :( : Freezing rain greeted us as we got up in the morning. What a depressing last day at sea. We took our time and went to American Icon for breakfast. It was pretty good and we wasted some time.

My daughter and I figured we'd try Bingo again and guess what? We didn't win but guess what I won? Yep!! Another back pack!! I tell you it came in handy when we got off the ship this morning. I had tons of things to carry.

We then met my SIL in the Promenade and hung around people watching. We had lunch at Michael's Pub which we loved. Just a bunch of $4.00 each appetizers. Very very good. We then went back to the cabin to pack. I hate packing to go home.

Afterwards we hung out in Bolero's reading. It was a peaceful day of doing absolutely nothing.

It was also our only day with a late dinner. American Icon at 8:30. We took our time and then had a cup of coffee from Patisserie afterward while we people watched. Since I was in the middle of the latest Alex Cross book I couldn't wait to get upstairs and finish reading. We went up around 11:00 and I finished my book while my daughter watched TV.

Day 8 - Disembarkation: I have no idea what time we came into port as I slept like a baby once again but we got up around 7:30, finished packing our last minute items and made our way downstairs. I called my son to pick us up at around 8:30 and by the time we got downstairs (We took our own luggage), he was there. We left the port at 8:40 and I was in my house at 9:00 am. I LOVE leaving from Cape Liberty.

I really liked the QOS even though we really didn't partake in anything at the Seaplex or the Northstar. The ship is beautiful and the crew is wonderful. I'd be happy to answer any questions.

Thanks for a great reviews.

It looks like you had a great cruise. Hope the weather is a lot warmer

for us when we cruise Quantum in April.

Can't wait!!

The ship is great Angelsea. You are going to love it.

Were chairs available in the shade? I'm not into challenging chair pigs so just looking to have a couple seats not in the sun.

Thanks!

I really enjoyed your review. I have a couple of questions.

1. Were the beds comfortable?

2. Did you hear anything at all about when the new parking garage will be built?

We had no problem finding chairs in the shade Pennstateman. Don't forget there's the indoor pool too. They had part of the roof open along with some windows on the side. It wasn't stuffy in there at all.

maddycat: The beds were extremely comfortable. We had ours separated because I was with my daughter and I'm used to a king size at home and I slept like a baby.

We got dropped off and picked up so I didn't hear anything about the parking.

Did you make reservations for the comedian? I couldn't see any listed in the planner.

No there were no reservations required. He did a show on the first night and I believe he did one on the last night too. They said first come first served.

No there were no reservations required. He did a show on the first night and I believe he did one on the last night too. They said first come first served.

Thank you!

I loved this review! Great job! :)

Thank you for the review. :)

Our assessment of our experience on the QN was similar to yours:)….now looking forward to sailing on the Anthem:D.

Thanks for your review. We also live in Staten Island and have a 21 yr old son with special needs. Leaving on Easter Sunday, can't wait! Glad you enjoyed!

You are going to like it DPurcell. I know my daughter loved it.

Thanks for the review.

I have a question please. Are there designated lanes for passenger pickup and drop off? Was it fairly easy? We have our son as well dropping us off and picking us up.

Thanks for the great review! My family and I were on the same Cruise and we had a great time too.

Mark.

I really enjoyed your review!

Here's a couple broad questions, but you said to ask, so here I go :)

Do you have any on board tips? These could be anything you personally recommend from a favorite seat spot to little things that you just found joy in along the trip...I'm curious! Also, is there anything that you were surprised about in regards to Quantum, or that you would have found helpful to know before the trip?

Thanks for the review.

 

I have a question please. Are there designated lanes for passenger pickup and drop off? Was it fairly easy? We have our son as well dropping us off and picking us up.

I will say drop off was very easy but we got there pretty early. We just pulled up in front and got out. The porter took our luggage out of the car.

Pickup is a little more difficult as there is a lot of people and cars. It wasn't that bad but not that good either. There is a pickup area. We just crossed over to the middle island when he came around and it was easy.

I really enjoyed your review!

 

Here's a couple broad questions, but you said to ask, so here I go :)

 

Do you have any on board tips? These could be anything you personally recommend from a favorite seat spot to little things that you just found joy in along the trip...I'm curious! Also, is there anything that you were surprised about in regards to Quantum, or that you would have found helpful to know before the trip?

I did love sitting in 270. The view is amazing. But even more amazing was the view from the Solarium as it is in the front of the ship. I got a seat all the way down front and I couldn't believe how beautiful the view was.

We liked to sit on the side of Vintages where there are some comfy chairs. That's where we did our reading.

I was just surprised at the size of the stores. They were amazingly small and always crowded. I like the longer promenades of the other class of ships.

Don't let the dynamic dining scare you. Just make a reservation..any reservation. They can all be changed each day to what is more convenient for you.

Also don't miss the entertainment. All of it is great. We especially enjoyed Christopher Caress...the hypnotist and Finis Henderson the singer. Also..what can I say about Mamma Mia!! It was great.

Thank you! We plan on arriving early like we usual do, just 6 more days to board this beauty!

Thanks for your review. All of the issues people have had on the Q-class ships has me a little worried about a planned trip on Anthem next fall, so it's good to hear from someone who had a good time!

Your trip to/from the ship has me beat by about 45 minutes, but I'm thinking that just about any cruise ship that's an hour drive from home is worth giving a shot.