Jump to content

If you don't care for Quantum class ships, why?


sharse
 Share

Recommended Posts

I've been on Vision Class, Radiance Class and Oasis class. I wasn't terribly excited about Quantum class because I seem to recall a fair amount of people who say they didn't particularly care for it.

 

As a family of 4 with two teenage boys, I do think it might be a lot of fun for us. But I'd love to hear from others (and please share whether or not you brought teens on board) who were a bit underwhelmed. Thank you!

 

p.s. Also, is the drink package worth it? :') I AM ONLY KIDDING!!!! :evilsmile:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your kids will LOVE it, as you will also. Something for everyone on this ship. I think a lot of people go in, thinking it is like the Oasis class and are disappointed, as it does not have the promenade deck. One has to realize this is a whole different class of ship. Even though my kids are older than yours, they LOVED it.

Oh, and yes, the drink package it worth it. :')

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Your kids will LOVE it, as you will also. Something for everyone on this ship. I think a lot of people go in, thinking it is like the Oasis class and are disappointed, as it does not have the promenade deck. One has to realize this is a whole different class of ship. Even though my kids are older than yours, they LOVED it.

Oh, and yes, the drink package it worth it. :')

 

Thanks for the response. I totally didn't care for the Royal Promenade on Allure. Probably my least favorite part of the ship, so maybe I'd LOVE Quantum class!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I’ve never been on Quantum class and am a huge Oasis class fan with Freedom class as a close second for me, I have heard positive reviews about Quantum class and would like to try it at least once. My family and I are planning on sailing on Ovation in 2021 to Alaska, and I can’t wait to try it out! Lots of things to do both inside and outside. Definitely sounds like a unique perspective, it all depends on taste I guess! I enjoyed your review of Allure, and wish you safe and fun travels on the next one!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was on anthem last year and am booked again for December. We liked anthem. We prefer oasis but we enjoyed anthem. It doesn’t hAve a promenAde yet it does have the esplanade (?) and the via. Same idea.

 

We loved the sky plex. So much to do no matter the weather. Didn’t care for the North Star (once was good for me) and the iFly (tried it . Not for me.). Also liked the dedicated indoor pool just in case of bad weather.

 

It’s what you make of it. Try it!

 

We had two teens on board last year...super adventurous. Also 270 is a great area!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Q class are my favs along with Freedom class. Elegant, subdued decor, very classy. Very similar to Celebrity S class ships. Standard staterooms have great storage and much bigger showers than other ships. Love the Esplanade, and the Cafe@270 is wonderful, better than the Park Cafe IMO.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well we were looking forward to sailing on Quantum class Anthem...mainly for the NE/Canada itinerary and to give that class a try.

 

Actually now that we did we agree not our favorite class at all. Just a few of the things we didn't care for was the decor in the cabins, the bottleneck created in the Esplanade in front of Sorrentos and the Cafe TWO70 aka Park Cafe (which is usually a favorite) only a few high top tables which leaves the necessity of eating in the TWO70 an area not really meant to be a dining venue.

 

Just our personal opinion of this class and unless the itinerary is great we won't book Quantum class if we have a choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just off Anthem this morning. Had also sailed Quantum and Anthem couple of years back when they debuted. Happy to say that most of the issues (predominately dining) that so annoyed folks back then seem to have worked themselves out. It was only the second Royal cruise for my brother's 3 teens and they had a great time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the scheme of things, they're not something that keeps me from choosing the ship. I've been on Anthem 4 times in the past year and have reservations for 4 more sailings over the next 18 months.

 

The dining rooms are less than stellar -- being that they're having to work with the limitations of what was intended for dynamic dining, it's all they've got -- 4 single-story separate rooms that are, well, nothing at all like the huge multi-story grand dining rooms on almost every other ship. They're just disappointing and somewhat smaller than what they need for the demand.

 

When you're around the promenade area, there's very little in the way of exposure to anything outside; like the whole thing could just as easily be an underground mall.

 

I am very much looking forward to Fall 2020 when they replace Anthem with a newer Quantum class ship out of NJ that has a redesigned 2-story dining room. But the benefit of cruising out of a local port overwhelms those complaints. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We sailed on Quantum class(Anthem), just about 2 months ago. She is a beautiful ship and the amenities and entertainments, especially for teens, are amazing. Your kids will have a lot of unique things to do.

 

The Chops meals(we ate there twice) were the best we've had. The Windjammer meals were wonderful, the only ship that was significantly better was Harmony. The main theater was beautiful with comfortable seating.

 

We thought 270 was a fabulous room! We were in there for a few things, and loved the opportunity during the day to sit in the aft chairs and read or relax while watching the wake. We did not like the 2 shows in 270, but that's just our taste; the staging and electronics were impressive!

 

We are fans of Oasis Class and we sorely missed a few things: Central Park for many reasons including the evening music, and the chance to eat outside from several venues including CP Café and Giovanni's; the Aqua shows; the Royal Promenade; breakfast at Johnny Rockets; the Jazz Club and a few others that have escaped my memory.

 

We had the worst dining experience ever in MTD! We went twice, and DH refused to go back due to long, unorganized waits, indifferent staff, and a sense of being rushed so they could seat the unhappy people still waiting.

 

We are booked on Symphony and Oasis for our next 2 cruises: I would be unlikely to book a Quantum class again unless the itinerary was compelling. Thank goodness there are choices!

 

Barb

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just off Anthem yesterday. I also wasn't all that excited about this ship. I really wanted an Oasis or Freedom class. We chose Anthem because we wouldn't have to fly if we sailed out of NJ. I'm happy to say she was a gorgeous ship. I did not find it to have any "wow" factor though. It didnt have a huge multi level dining room or the grand esplanade. I did miss those things. It had a lot of gimicky things-like bionic bar and north star. These didn't particularly impress me. I thought the ship was tastefully decorated with bits of whimsical things here and there. My favorite part was the Solarium pool area-just beautiful! My 12 year old liked the sea plex. We booked the Symphony for February 2020. Now THAT I am excited about!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been on the ovation 4 times.

There’s good and bad.

I had my 17 year old daughter,she enjoyed the live music and was up to 1.00 in the morning watching the band.

 

The bad things.

The ship seems to have trouble coping with the crowds at peak times especially the buffet.

The food was pretty average.

 

The good

Entertainment.5 venues and a lot of the time a couple to pick from.

270 was is a lovely place that transforms from a lounge to entertainment area.

Music hall is great if you like live music and dance.

Plenty of pools

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing we encountered on Anthem last week that we never previously experienced in 25 years of cruising (mostly with Royal) and which really annoyed us were lengthy pa announcements in mdr during dinner. They'd play loud hip hop music followed by "hey, hey, hey" from restaurant mgr who initially praised w's and aw's before moving on to the real message, pushing specialty dining. Altogether sales pitches would last 5 minutes. Thought it was beyond tacky and really cheapened the dining experience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing we encountered on Anthem last week that we never previously experienced in 25 years of cruising (mostly with Royal) and which really annoyed us were lengthy pa announcements in mdr during dinner. They'd play loud hip hop music followed by "hey, hey, hey" from restaurant mgr who initially praised w's and aw's before moving on to the real message, pushing specialty dining. Altogether sales pitches would last 5 minutes. Thought it was beyond tacky and really cheapened the dining experience.

I would have been sure to mention that on the survey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing we encountered on Anthem last week that we never previously experienced in 25 years of cruising (mostly with Royal) and which really annoyed us were lengthy pa announcements in mdr during dinner. They'd play loud hip hop music followed by "hey, hey, hey" from restaurant mgr who initially praised w's and aw's before moving on to the real message, pushing specialty dining. Altogether sales pitches would last 5 minutes. Thought it was beyond tacky and really cheapened the dining experience.

 

Yes, experienced that same thing but on cruises on Voyager and Explorer in the MDR earlier this year. Seems it's another new innovation from RCL - not specific to Quantum or Anthem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anthem is a beautiful ship and it’s design works great for being in a home port that experiences 4 full seasons as it has the enclosed pools and lots of indoor seating something lacking when Explorer initially began year round cruising from Port Liberty. As one who cruises in the winter these are important and significant changes. There are many venues with different activities. Each ship doesn’t need an ice rink or aqua theater but if those are important than that’s the ship you choose. There’s plenty of activities to choose on Anthem but they are different than other ships or in different venues. Crowds on Esplanade are no different than on the promenade and are usually because of the sales team that clogs the area. Likewise food in the dining rooms and Windjammer are the same as the rest of the fleet. Some trips it has been better than others. Announcements and other things (like washy washy) are either fleet wide or determined by the powers that be on the ship at the time. In short, not every feature is for everyone. I don’t pick my cruise by the ship but if that’s what’s important to you then by all means consider what features are important. No matter what class ship I will be on, I will always enjoy my cruise and find something that I really like and other features that are not my favorite, but I’m on a cruise and that’s what counts to me.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've of the opinion that there are two main classes of Royal Caribbean cruises. The megaship experience, which starts at Freedom class and goes up, and then the traditional, which is Vision and Radiance classes. Voyager is TBA, because I haven't been on it, but have it on the books for Navigator in November and I'll make a determination if that class is pushed up towards the megaship experience, or stays as a traditional experience. Its a possibility that the Freedom and Voyager classes could be considered hybrid and a 3rd class of cruising, as they still have traditional dining times with shows that follow that schedule, but at the same time, have a featured shows like the Ice skating that doesn't conform to that.

 

That being said, its tough to compare the Quantum class and the Vision or Radiance class. The Oasis Class is a good comparison, since you've been on it. If you like the Oasis class, you'll enjoy the Quantum class. Its got similar bells and whistles, albeit slightly different, but on the same level. I *think* there are more specialty restaurants on Oasis class than Quantum. That's my one complaint with the Oasis class, its very rigid in their schedule and does mostly 7 nights while the Anthem varies from 4 nights to 12 nights. I myself haven't gone on Oasis class yet, but have that booked for next year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having tried the Freedom, Oasis and now Quantum class, my family and I agreed that the Quantum class was our least favorite. Now that's like saying I prefer a ribeye and a filet over a NY strip. They're all steaks and steak is great :) Our nitpicky reasons were that it feels too enclosed vs. the other types. The one story MDR's felt out of place. The Esplanade was tight and traffic never seemed to flow very well. I understand why two of the pools are covered (four season cruising) but I like my pools to be opened to the elements.

 

Having said that, we loved the Music Hall, iFly, the Escape Room and 270. We Will Rock You was a great show and the live music across the ship was top notch. You asked if teenagers would enjoy the ship. My 17 year old did his usual find a group the first day and then we rarely saw him the rest of the cruise. He loved it but still preferred the other classes as well. Now if we can only get an Oasis class to homeport in Galveston...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They fixed that with Spectrum.

 

Royal's press release on Spectrum touts a 3 story dining room. Deck plans however only show mdr on decks 3&4 with 270 above on deck 5. They also say mdr will seat 1844. On Anthem last week we had over 5,000 guests and while they have obviously crammed more tables into mdr's since dd days two years ago, some folks without reservations were still being told to dine in windjammer. Even with big push on specialty dining they have problems seating everyone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even with big push on specialty dining they have problems seating everyone.

I didn't say they fixed the lack of seating, only the posters issue with a single deck dining venue. By putting a big hole between decks 3 and 4 they lost some seating space - not sure how they plan to make that up - the MDR on Spectrum could simply be bigger.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We sailed Anthem 2 years ago and absolutely loved it.

 

Our balcony cabins had more storage than we knew what to do with. Built-in USB ports at the desk were a big help. An outlet by the bed meant not needing to string a power cord across the floor for my wife's CPAP. Built-in nightlight in the bathroom was very much appreciated.

 

I think our favorite venue was 270. During the day, it was a very relaxing place to hang out. We had breakfast and lunch at the Cafe there, on several occasions. Much less hectic than the hustle of the Windjammer. Word to the wise: arrive early to get good seats for any evening entertainment in 270.

 

Speaking of entertainment, be sure to make show reservations online when they become available in the Planner. Otherwise, everything will be booked, and you'll be relegated to the standby line. You'll probably still get in, but will be stuck with whatever seating is left at 10 minutes before showtime.

 

We didn't have kids with us that trip, but still enjoyed hanging out in the SeaPlex. It's a multipurpose venue with roller skating, bumper cars, basketball, volleyball, acrobatics, and more available at various times. No doubt your teenagers will love it there.

 

Also make reservations online for Northstar and iFly if interested in either of those. Northstar was very cool. We did it while docked in Bermuda and the view was incredible. Didn't do iFly, but did hang out by it and Flowrider. Looked like lots of fun.

 

I think we hung out in the Music Hall at some point just about every night. Lots of things happening there. The silent dance party was a lot of fun. It's a two story venue, but you can't really see what's going on downstairs unless you get a seat along the railing. Not a problem if you're only there to listen, though.

 

I was disappointed when I heard that they did away with dynamic dining. We really enjoyed the experience. If you have My Time Dining, be sure to make reservations online ahead of time, unless you like dining late, as that's likely all that will be left by the time you sail.

 

The Solarium was also one of our favorite venues; if your teens are 16, they'll be able to accompany you. The Solarium Bistro is another good alternative for a less hectic breakfast. Views from the Solarium are amazing. It's also where you access the observation decks on top of the bridge wings. We spent sail-away from Bayonne there, as well as some of the other ports. If you're an early riser, and Bermuda is on your itinerary, the view is incredible from there.

 

I could go on and on, but I'll stop here. Hope your time aboard Anthem is as enjoyable as ours was, if you go.

Edited by hapster85
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't say they fixed the lack of seating, only the posters issue with a single deck dining venue. By putting a big hole between decks 3 and 4 they lost some seating space - not sure how they plan to make that up - the MDR on Spectrum could simply be bigger.

 

Didn't mean to imply that you did.

 

Looks like they went to a single entrance near elevators and eliminated the corridor leading from elevators to hostess stations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...