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Quantum of the Seas Review - November 18 thru November 21, 2014

DonnaK

By DonnaK,
in Royal Caribbean International

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DonnaK

DonnaK

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Just returned from a wonderful 3 day sampler cruise on the brand new Quantum of the Seas!

 

My husband and I booked this cruise on the day reservations opened in May 2013, while onboard Jewel of the Seas. Surprisingly, the Next Cruise agent presented us with an offer that we couldn’t refuse because it was significantly better than what was posted on the website.

 

More than a year later, as final payment approached, my husband couldn’t secure the days off from work. Fortunately, my cousin Anna happily agreed to be my new cabinmate so I didn’t have to cancel.

 

We are both in our early 50’s. I am a seasoned cruiser, mostly with Royal Caribbean, but also enjoy Celebrity and Princess. Anna has traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean, but was a cruise-virgin until now.

 

This review is a blend of our opinions from each of these perspectives. (If you are looking for photos, check out Radio’s live review http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2129321)

 

I will be writing my comments journal-style, in bits and pieces over the next day or two. Please bear with me if I am slow to get to specific things you want to hear about. I will happily address all questions at the end!

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DonnaK

DonnaK

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So, our adventure began on Tuesday, November 18. When we did the online check-in, we choose the earliest embarkation appointment that was available, which has 11:15am. (Some on our roll call were able to get earlier times of 10:45 or 11am).

 

Regardless of the time I was assigned, I wanted to be at the port as early as possible, so I left my house on Long Island at 9:15am. What should have been an hour’s drive turned out to take 90 minutes – since I usually cruise on the weekends, I hadn’t considered the need to make allowances for weekday rush hour and road construction. Likewise, Anna traveled from Sullivan County NY, and her 2.5 hour drive was extended by another hour.

 

We met up on the port access road around 11am and briefly considered visiting the 9/11 Memorial adjacent to the ship, but it was way too cold. So, we parked our cars and walked over to the terminal. (Parking was in the usual location for this port)

 

We were so focused on meeting up with each other that we totally missed the luggage drop off area in front of the building, but it was no problem to wheel our suitcases over to the terminal. Shuttle busses were available between the parking lot and the terminal, but it was a short and easy walk despite the cold and windy weather.

 

Once inside the building, we asked several workers where we should drop off our luggage, and we were told that we could just carry it onboard. I protested because I didn’t want to lug suitcases around until the cabins opened, but we assured by several people that the cabins would be open for luggage drop-off when we boarded.

 

Wow – what a great new feature of this high tech new ship, right? Of course not! The cabins didn’t open until 1pm, as usual. On the bright side, it wasn’t a problem or hassle that we were talked out of checking our bags, probably because luggage for a 3 day cruise isn’t as cumbersome as it is for a 7 day cruise or longer.

Edited by DonnaK
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DonnaK

DonnaK

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Speaking of luggage…

 

It’s only a 3 day cruise and we weren’t participating in formal night, so I should be able fit everything into a small duffle or carry-on, right? Wishful thinking by the Queen of Overpacking!

 

I really had a minimalistic plan in mind, I promise. It was thwarted by Mother Nature blasting us with Arctic temperatures, necessitating the addition of heavier coats, bulkier sweaters, gloves, scarves, ear muffs, boots, etc, to the lighter weight clothes for indoor wear. It was a struggle for me to figure out what to pack since my previous experience is with warm-weather cruises. I ended up bringing an assortment of everything. Although I didn’t wear half the stuff, I didn’t know in advance which half I could have left home and which half I couldn’t be without.

 

Back to the new terminal…

 

Wow – what an upgrade from those tents and busses! First thing I noticed was the climate control! Next thing I noticed…where are the check-in counters???? There were numerous iPad-carrying agents walking around. We were quickly approached by one of them, who asked for our SetSail passes and our documentation. Because we didn’t upload our photos online ahead of time, these were quickly taken with the iPad. After answering a series of health questions (have we recently traveled to Liberia, have we been in contact with anyone who recently returned from West Africa, do we have a long list of symptoms such as vomiting, fever, diarrhea, etc), we were sent up the escalator and onto the gangway. Our SetSail passes would get us onto the ship, and could be used for any purchases, until we retrieved our Sea Passes and wrist bands from our cabins.

 

At the top of the escalator, there was one lone photographer taking Welcome Aboard photos without a backdrop. Most people seemed to bypass him, including ourselves. Interestingly, we noticed a stark absence of photographers throughout the cruise. No photo stations set-up, no backdrops, no candids, NADA. Not that we minded :eek:

 

I suppose the photographers will be out in full force beginning with the "real" cruises next week. The photography area onboard appeared to be paperless. Photos are viewed and ordered via computer.

Edited by DonnaK
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gaylemh

gaylemh

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I was actually looking for a photographer. (First time) I wanted to get my free Diamond photo. Never got to use that perk.

 

My quick review. The ship, décor, entertainment, food, and crew were amazing. Loved meeting everyone from CC. Only 2 complaints, 2 1/2 hours for dinner in the Grande is way too slow, and they need a reservation system in place for NorthStar. I'm not going to wait 2 - 4 hours in the cold for a 10 minute ride.

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DonnaK

DonnaK

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My quick review. The ship, décor, entertainment, food, and crew were amazing. Loved meeting everyone from CC. Only 2 complaints, 2 1/2 hours for dinner in the Grande is way too slow, and they need a reservation system in place for NorthStar. I'm not going to wait 2 - 4 hours in the cold for a 10 minute ride.

 

LOL - we have the same thoughts, both on the pros and on the cons.

 

Except for us, dinner was served way too fast in both Silk and Chic (35-40 minutes)

 

Details to follow...

 

I got sidetracked with laundry, cooking dinner, answering emails, and all things that I didn't do for the past 3 days!

Edited by DonnaK
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BaumD

BaumD

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I just got back also. People were told that they don't have an ice skating rink on Quantum, but they did on our cruise. The pool staff decided to hose down the pool deck one night and seemed to forget that the temp was headed down to 26. The next morning there was a crew of guys with ice scrapers and shovels working on all of the ice!!!

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Arzeena

Arzeena

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I just got back also. People were told that they don't have an ice skating rink on Quantum, but they did on our cruise. The pool staff decided to hose down the pool deck one night and seemed to forget that the temp was headed down to 26. The next morning there was a crew of guys with ice scrapers and shovels working on all of the ice!!!

 

:D did they put on an ice show?;)

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mamagina

mamagina

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We are just off too! So far I agree with everything posted here. Loved getting on the ship. We arrived at 10:00 for our 10:45 and we were through check in in 10 minutes. They boarded everyone by Suites and C&A level. We are Platinum and were in the third group--on the ship by 11. We were able to put our bags in our cabin but the steward did not have the bands or the cards yet so we went back for them after 12:00.

 

Did not go on Northstar--waaaaaayyyy too long a wait.

 

Grande definitely had issues. Dinner was delicious but took over two hours. Their tablet ordering system was not working and there was about 6 IT techie guys trying to resolve it while we were eating there Wednesday night.

 

Photos and drinks at the Bionic Bar were free but they didn't really tell you-you had to fall on it.

 

Mama Mia & Starwater were great!! Starwater was sold out for all shows but I think they got most of the standbys in.

 

LOVED LOVED LOVED the Solarium--Stupidly paid ($141 for two) for the Steam/Sauna relaxation area which was beyond disappointing. We paid $58 for the middle level of Internet service but it wasn't terrific and only worked in certain areas and never in the cabin.

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DonnaK

DonnaK

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First impressions….

 

Well, there is no question that Quantum has the WOW factor! As a first time cruiser, Anna was very impressed with the sheer size of the ship from the moment it came into her view driving into the port area! I thought the ship was stunning from the outside, despite the absence of the signature Viking Crown lounge. The light blue hull is very attractive and by contrast, the fuchsia bear on the top deck stood out in all its quirky glory. This type of quirkiness was later acknowledged by Nick Weir (Vice President of Entertainment) when he stated before one of the shows that their concept with this ship was to mildly confuse passengers by throwing them off-guard with various unexpected and surprising touches. I’d say that they succeeded with this goal in many, many ways throughout the ship (not just décor), and I found it delightful!

 

It makes a huge impact to enter the ship on deck 5 (instead of deck 1, as in the past at this port). Stepping onto the beautiful Royal Esplanade is jaw-dropping! We found the ship to be well-appointed, and we liked the brown, gray and blue color scheme throughout. Anna said that the décor evoked the feelings of an intimate, luxurious boutique hotel. I agree! Kudos to designer Genevieve Gorder (Quantum Experience Advisor for Design) for creating a wonderful balance between welcoming and comfortable while still being upscale and chic!

Edited by DonnaK
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kato92

kato92

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The North Star reservations/wait concern was put up during Captain's Corner, so hopefully that will be resolved.

 

At the Northstar on Thursday, they were handing out reservation cards to return at a certain time. So, we did not have to wait in line. The cards were laminated and specific to the Northstar, so they didn't just print them?

Why they weren't in use before is unknown.

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DonnaK

DonnaK

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At the Northstar on Thursday, they were handing out reservation cards to return at a certain time. So, we did not have to wait in line. The cards were laminated and specific to the Northstar, so they didn't just print them?

Why they weren't in use before is unknown.

I will address this issue a bit later in my review. Stay tuned!

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DonnaK

DonnaK

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Lunchtime (or, where to pass the time until the cabins were available)…

 

With luggage in tow, we headed up to the Windjammer for lunch. We were very impressed with the spaciousness and openness of the Windjammer on Quantum. The seating was very comfortable, and there were plenty of tables for everyone, especially if you walked towards the back. A

 

For those of you who love the outdoor seating area on Radiance class ship, well, Quantum has outdoor seating in the back too (although I didn’t see anyone attempting to dine out there in the freezing cold!)

 

There was plenty of room during embarkation lunchtime, even with all the suitcases. We were very mindful of being ready to “turn over” our table after eating if there were people waiting, however there were always plenty of open tables and never any lines.

 

Now, I’ve read all the complaints and heard all the negativity about the WJ. I truly don’t get it. I am not ashamed to admit that I’ve always liked having breakfast and lunch there. I like having the ability to pick and choose what I want, in whatever quantities I want. Mix and match.

 

On Quantum, the assortment and variety of food in the Windjammer was very satisfying. Everything was fresh and served at the proper temperature. There were numerous beverage stations. No complaints and only praise from us.

 

 

Onto our cabin…

 

We had cabin 6556, which was a D8 on the starboard side of the ship, directly inside the forward elevator/stair lobby. A very convenient and quiet area, and I would definitely stay in this cabin again.

 

I found my SeaPass in the slot outside the room, (Anna’s card was inside the room, as were our two wristbands) and unfortunately it did not work to open the door. We walked down to guest services and found a rather long line of people who had the same issue. We waited patiently for all of 15 minutes to resolve the problem and receive two new passes and wristbands, just in case the ones that were left for us inside the room also didn’t work.

 

While we waited, it was very amusing to watch other people’s reaction to this “catastrophic” event. They are never cruising with RC again. This is unacceptable and outrageous. RC needs to get their act together. Every other cruiseline does it better. Really, people need to chill out and have some patience. Glitches are expected on inaugural cruises. What’s the rush anyway? Where do you have to be, or what else do you have to do? Why is it worthy of getting so worked up over? lol

 

The new keys worked perfectly! The wristbands were a totally different story. The only worked sometimes, and only to open the cabin door. We found them to be uncomfortable to wear, unattractive and unnecessary.

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reallyhooked

reallyhooked

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Lunchtime (or, where to pass the time until the cabins were available)…

 

With luggage in tow, we headed up to the Windjammer for lunch. We were very impressed with the spaciousness and openness of the Windjammer on Quantum. The seating was very comfortable, and there were plenty of tables for everyone, especially if you walked towards the back. A

 

For those of you who love the outdoor seating area on Radiance class ship, well, Quantum has outdoor seating in the back too (although I didn’t see anyone attempting to dine out there in the freezing cold!)

 

There was plenty of room during embarkation lunchtime, even with all the suitcases. We were very mindful of being ready to “turn over” our table after eating if there were people waiting, however there were always plenty of open tables and never any lines.

 

Now, I’ve read all the complaints and heard all the negativity about the WJ. I truly don’t get it. I am not ashamed to admit that I’ve always liked having breakfast and lunch there. I like having the ability to pick and choose what I want, in whatever quantities I want. Mix and match.

 

On Quantum, the assortment and variety of food in the Windjammer was very satisfying. Everything was fresh and served at the proper temperature. There were numerous beverage stations. No complaints and only praise from us.

 

 

Onto our cabin…

 

We had cabin 6556, which was a D8 on the starboard side of the ship, directly inside the forward elevator/stair lobby. A very convenient and quiet area, and I would definitely stay in this cabin again.

 

I found my SeaPass in the slot outside the room, (Anna’s card was inside the room, as were our two wristbands) and unfortunately it did not work to open the door. We walked down to guest services and found a rather long line of people who had the same issue. We waited patiently for all of 15 minutes to resolve the problem and receive two new passes and wristbands, just in case the ones that were left for us inside the room also didn’t work.

 

While we waited, it was very amusing to watch other people’s reaction to this “catastrophic” event. They are never cruising with RC again. This is unacceptable and outrageous. RC needs to get their act together. Every other cruiseline does it better. Really, people need to chill out and have some patience. Glitches are expected on inaugural cruises. What’s the rush anyway? Where do you have to be, or what else do you have to do? Why is it worthy of getting so worked up over? lol

 

The new keys worked perfectly! The wristbands were a totally different story. The only worked sometimes, and only to open the cabin door. We found them to be uncomfortable to wear, unattractive and unnecessary.

LIKE !!!!!!!!!!

Never cease to amaze how some people get so worked up. Did they forget they were on a cruise. Time to relax.

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mamagina

mamagina

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Great Review so far!! I'm reliving the trip. I agree about the wristbands. Only worked sometimes and made my wrist sweaty. Mine also only opened the door. I liked it for using the pool and hot tub. Left the card in the room so I didn't have to worry about it.

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