LIVE - Couple's Blog from Quantum - Feb. 20, 2015

[RenieRaider]

..... and played a little pool...

 

What? There is a pool table onboard this ship? Like on the Radiance of the Seas? COOL!

[A&L_Ont]

There are a bunch of very large orange ones all over the place on the outside decks.

 

:D They are rather large and very stale, but could come in handy.

[curryshake]

Okay. So it's 1 am and I suddenly feel the need to blog. Mostly because sleep isn't going to be happening for me any time soon. It's not that I'm not sleepy. It's simply that this ship is moving around more than a flight over a hurricane (and I should know...I've flown over the edge of a hurricane).

 

The captain made a special video earlier today discussing the weather for the remainder of the cruise. I should have bought a clue then. He said we would be passing through a front, and that while waves wouldn't be bad and we would still have smooth sailing during and after, the ship would seem to be moving a lot since it had been so calm before. He also said the worst would be during the very early morning hours, so it wouldn't be a big deal. I believe what he really meant was "the worst will be during the early morning hours, so most of you will be lying down and won't be tossed around in the public areas of the ship like ping pong balls in a wind tunnel."

 

So I keep dozing off, only to be awakened every couple of minutes by a lot of motion, followed by deep booming noises that shudder through the entire structure of the Quantum and through my very bones. I can only assume that this is a result of the hull slamming into a swell. It's either that, or we're running over every whale in the Atlantic, one by one. At any rate, it's a bad feeling and I hate it. I can't wait until we're past this front.

 

Did I mention that this has been going on for over three hours now?

 

Meanwhile, DH used to be in the Navy. His snoring is a constant friendly reminder.

 

Hm. I guess it could be worse. Sounds like our neighbor has been made sea sick. I'll stop complaining now.

[Kathie13]

Soooo sorry for you! My worst fear! I couldn't sleep either, but I have no excuse like an ocean to keep me awake. I hope sleep comes soon for you and you wake up to calm waters! Stay safe. I'll be thinking of you. BTW my husband would be snoring also!!!!

 

 

Kathie

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[take time]

YIKES I'm getting on ship sunday ...and i cant sleep either...from excitement ..plus knowing i still have to pack...and break it to my hubby that i have more suitcases then i thought...well get some sleep if you can...have enjoyed your post...

[Nhsaltshaker]

Referencing your photo above, it looks like the Bionic Bar doubles as a puke station. :D

 

Feel better soon!

[Over Land & Sea]

Got a great seat for Sonic Odyssey. I think I'm right under the F# string of the Earth Harp. (Or is it G flat?)

 

Hey watch the language, no need to start dropping the F-bomb just because your close to the musicians!!:D:D

[curryshake]

Thanks to everyone for the well wishes. I was able to finally get some sleep late this morning. It's strange because the ocean doesn't look that rough, yet we're still having the occasional "bumps" as we travel. I don't know if they're noticeable across the entire ship, or just far forward (where our stateroom is located). I used to have an office near a site where the Army tested munitions and from time to time we would hear a loud bang and the building would shake so badly that my eraser would fall off of my white board. The sound/feeling from the ship reminds me very much of that. DH agrees.

 

At any rate, things always seem better in the daylight. I think we're going to grab some breakfast soon. I see a nap in my future!

 

We're almost even with Wilmington and it's 55 degrees out. The apparent wind has been around 50 mph off the forward starboard bow all night. The Beaufort wind scale got up to 8 at one point, which according to the all-knowing internet is equivalent to a gale. It looks like a good day to stay indoors.

 

It's supposed to be around 15 degrees when we arrive in Bayonne tomorrow. Yeehaw.

[Baileydog1]

Special thanks to Curryshake and ftn08 for such a funny, well written and informative blog. I have been following and enjoying in anticipation of boarding tomorrow. Layer up and get home safely...oh, and so glad those stale orange donuts will get left behind.

[curryshake]

In honor of our last full day on Quantum, I thought I'd share some statistics DH and I have been arduously gathering throughout our journey. Enjoy!

 

Number of butterflies in artwork around the ship = 2,185

Number of hot tubs in the solarium = 4 (connected in pairs)

Number of times the bionic bar broke down = 18

Number of NJ folk whose voices are naturally above 83 decibels = 793

Number of times a wife was seen rolling her eyes at her husband = 973

Number of olives inexplicably lying in passageways = 3

Number of men seen lying face down in the stairwells = 1

Number of bad hair pieces = 93

Number of passengers complaining for the sake of complaining = 1,382

Number of squirts of Purell hand sanitizer distributed = 15,392

Average number of clothing changes per day, per person = 5.2

Average number of trips to the swimming pool, per person = 2.7

Number of flying fish sightings by Curryshake = 5

Number of times we saw that guy wearing that shirt = 3

Number of ship store items we felt compelled to buy = 0

[Biker19]

In honor of our last full day on Quantum, I thought I'd share some statistics DH and I have been arduously gathering throughout our journey. Enjoy!

 

Number of men seen lying face down in the stairwells = 1

OK - we need a story with this one.

[cruisedancemom]

Hysterical! Thanks for such an informative and entertaining post. We sail on Anthem in November.

 

Welcome back to Nj (otherwise known as the frozen tundra) tomorrow (we live in central jersey.).

 

Enjoy your last day aboard!

 

 

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[ftn807]

As I was sailing solo last night, I thought I should write a lengthy, serious treatment of the evening. But that's probably not going to happen.

 

I made my way down to the Royal Theater around 6:30, and snagged a good seat for the 7:00 showing of Sonic Odyssey. It probably had THE best opening for any entertainment spectacle on this ship, as Ken Rush did NOT come on stage first to tell a bad joke. To sum up without giving away any spoilers, the singing, dancing, and sheer musical innovation make this show a worthy follow-up to the earlier, less well-known shipboard production of Aural Iliad.

 

**SPOILER ALERT**

 

(Always wanted to do that. You can certainly read this and enjoy the show, and there is no plot or surprise to give away, but if you don't want to know some specifics about the instruments, etc., then just skip the rest of the post. You won't be missing much!)

 

The show started out with a glass of Breckenridge whisky, on the rocks. At least it did for me. Then the lights dimmed, and they introduced the Maestro, who would play most of the over-the-top instruments, as well as do his best to tie the other elements of the show together. Oh, and he had hair.

 

First up, he wowed the crowd with the Earth Harp, which is just like a mouth harp, without the mouth and with the earth. It was impressive, mostly because the thick, long cables did not snap and kill the folks sitting in section G. Soon after, some people escaped from a dance prison, all hell broke loose, and a piano played them all off. (This May Not Be Entirely Accurate Due to Breckenridge. TMNBEADB.)

 

Next up, a very large, vertical drum had babies, and lots of banging noise almost managed to drown out the sound of the ship running over whales. (See DW's earlier post.) This act really brought some energy to the show. Imagine the back wall of the stage with about 40 drums arranged so the heads are vertical, facing the audience. The Maestro began banging on the large mother-drum, and gradually the curtain behind him lifted, revealing more and more of the drum wall. A percussionist with 4 arms (Again, TMNBEADB) began to percuss a center cluster of drums, and before the end of the set there were over a dozen drummers drumming, some standing on the stage, others hanging in harnesses. The lead guy from Mamma Mia was sitting in a nook on the wall, acting like he belonged there, but I'm fairly certain he has just been stuck there since that crazy wrap party last Wednesday.

 

Speaking of Mamma Mia, it looks like the whole cast from that show was involved in Sonic Odyssey, from the (truly wonderful) singing to the dancing and aforementioned drumming. And for accompaniment, they were joined by a percussionist at his set (because The Wall of Drums was not enough), a piano, saxophones and brass, a violinist, guitarists, and another guy who mostly tapped his foot and smiled a lot. All of it was brought together by the sound guy in front of me, who not only managed to control things from his NASA-level equipment booth, but also made it to level 343 of Candy Crush Saga. Oh, and I almost forgot (you don't know how hard I tried to forget this) but there was a lady in a, um, an, er, string dress. Basically, she stood there and was, um, bowed by the Maestro and his cohorts. (This Is Accurate Despite Breckenridge.) It was probably the third most-gimicky thing they did in the show, and I had a hard time not laughing.

 

But the Maestro was not done making me almost laugh.

 

There were the drum jackets he and the rest of the cast wore, because drums. Basically, each jacket had 6 or so patches that, when slapped, would generate a different percussion sound. By the end of that act, which had so many people on stage in those jackets I was sure I saw my cabin attendant out there (hi Adrian!), I was certain they couldn't possibly do any more percussion-themed acts, by law.

 

However, we're out at sea where the Captain makes the laws, and he clearly can't get enough of that stuff, because then there was the Gong Show at Sea. Imagine gongs, and it will save me some writing here. It's not easy doing this on a tablet, and DW is getting cold here in Two70.

 

I'll briefly mention The Guitar, about which I will lie and say was not ridiculous.

 

There were other acts, mostly singing and dancing with musical accompaniment, that rounded out all these things. And I know I was making fun of all these over-the-top instruments, but the show was very good. They did do a great job of incorporating all the pieces and parts, ending up with something that would be very entertaining to anyone with an appreciation for music. Music with enormous harps and guitars, a guy stuck in a wall, and lots and lots of drums.

 

I give this show 4 out of 5 Breckenridges.

Edited February 28, 2015 by ftn807

[curryshake]

OK - we need a story with this one.

 

Let's see...it was day 6. Or 8. Or 7. They've all begun to blend together.

 

DH and I were climbing some stairs to our stateroom when we came upon a small crowd gathered around a guy lying face down on the floor just outside the elevator lobby. I grabbed DH and uttered something like, "Oh my God!" and started to check if any of the other panicked-looking people had called for emergency medical assistance. Then a lady that was with the guy said, "Um, we're starting to attract a crowd..." and I realized that the man straddling the prone guy's back was not actually preparing to administer CPR (you're doing it wrong!), but rather was rubbing his back. The guy's face was filled with pain. It became obvious that the poor guy was having back muscle spasms or something along those lines.

 

We left in short order to give him his privacy. Having had our share of back pain over the years, I hope the guy was able to get some meds from the dispensary and then spend some quality time in a hot tub.

 

On an unrelated note, the main shipboard activity of the day seems to be playing cards and reading. Couples are quietly playing cards at tables all over the place and individuals are reading books of all sorts. I saw an octogenarian woman reading "50 Shades of Grey" and passing furtive glances at her snoring husband. Just kidding - but I'm sure it's happening somewhere on Quantum as I type.

 

Everyone looks tired. And like they could all use some fresh veggies, a couple liters of water, and a nap. I know I could. :)

Edited February 28, 2015 by curryshake

[Susie51]

DH and I have been talking, and we've decided to open our own cruise line that will be geared toward geeks like ourselves. All the shopping venues will be overhauled to sell useful items, such as comic books, animation cels, and action figures. Instead of formal nights, there will be cosplay nights with various themes. The crew will all don Star Trek uniforms, with the exception of security who will wear superhero costumes. And speed will be reported in terms of warp units rather than knots. Also, there will be a Mos Eisley cantina and a Restaurant at the End of the Universe that serves steak.

 

Can't stop laughing!

[Baileydog1]

Ftn807 and Curryshake, you two are a riot! I'm truly going to miss you! I need to get some serious packing done today but I keep hopping on here to read your posts...many thanks agin for taking the time to write.

[Over Land & Sea]

Number of olives inexplicably lying in passageways = 3

 

 

This may have been my Aunt Olive, she always makes the most of her drinks package. ;)

[Kathie13]

You guys are a riot!!! I'll hate when it ends! Where & when is your next cruise!?!? Want to follow along!

 

 

Kathie

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[ftn807]

Where & when is your next cruise!?!? Want to follow along!

 

We're starting a Kickstarter. Contribute, and we will cruise (and blog!) Don't contribute, and we will go back to our day jobs. And only write things that make people sad.

[ftn807]

A little going-away token from my bud Zai Ma.

 

[coopers14]

Thank you very much for the time and trouble you have taken to keep us entertained, I have enjoyed all aspects and learnt quite a few things I didn't know.

Sailing Barcelona Dubai may 15 Quantum.......can't wait now!!!!

[take time]

very funny posts....did you boys think you funny like we all do...going to finishes packing on ship tomorrow ...thanks again..

[curryshake]

DH is packing up the last of his things. I can't believe the cruise is almost over, but I'll be glad to be back home and back in my own bed. I will not be glad to have to catch up with work and personal/volunteer emails starting bright and early Monday morning. Looks like Maryland is in for a variety of fun and exciting winter weather this week as well.

 

After almost 9 nights on Quantum, I thought I'd make a list of things that I thought worked well and things that I would change, given the choice.

 

Dynamic dining - I loved having the ability to eat when I wanted and where I wanted every evening. The only downside I saw to it was that the servers seemed rushed and tired. I think RCI just needs to work a few kinks out of the way they they're managing this new dining style.

 

Food - I thought the quality of the complimentary food was quite low, with a few exceptions. I thought the quality of the additional charge dining was pretty good, with a few exceptions. I would never dine at Wonderland again. I would like to do the Chef's Table again on any other RCI cruises we might take.

 

Ultimate Drinks Package - This ended up being a good deal for us. We also liked not having to sign a receipt unless we ordered something above the allotted amount ($12 per drink).

 

Receipts - Speaking of signing receipts...RCI really needs to come up with a better receipt system for paid dining and drinks outside of package deals. There were meals (Jamie's, Wonderland, etc.) where we sometimes had to sign two or more receipts each. The servers seemed confused and we certainly were as well.

 

The solarium - This space was awesome. I wouldn't change anything except to stock mint at the bar so they can serve mojitos there.

 

Two70 - This was my favorite part of the ship. My only change would be to make it less cold in there.

 

Shopping - I'm an unusual woman because I don't enjoy shopping even when I'm on land. Seriously, I buy most of my clothes through a fair trade website and only go to the store when I absolutely have to have something. I think it would be a great idea to convert some of the shopping spaces on the ship into other types of venues, including a general market that somewhat resembles a magazine stand at an airport. Because how many new luxury watches and diamond rings do people really need to purchase in the middle of the Atlantic? I'd much rather have the ability to buy a magazine, pack of gum, bottle of water, Advil, band aid, cheap sunglasses, bar of chocolate, sewing kit, etc.

 

Announcements - The captain made at least one set of nice and informative announcements each day, including an overview of the weather and sea conditions and location on our journey. The only problem was that you couldn't hear them in many locations, including inside your stateroom (unless you have the TV on, and not always even then), in a hot tub, in a noisy pool, in a noisy dining room, etc. I think they should record every announcement session the captain makes and then show it on one of the in-room channels until the next series of announcements. The captain did this for his return trip weather overview yesterday, and it worked quite well.

 

Staterooms - We really love our room. As everyone else has already said, there's more than enough storage space. I also like having the bed by the balcony. The bathroom was perfectly adequate, and I liked the circular glass shower. The balcony was also a good size.

 

Shows and activities on the ship - I thought there was plenty to do on the ship, and it seems they have added back a few RCI favorites that passengers had missed. Unfortunately in my case, I'm a morning person, and as much as I'd love to stay up late into the night dancing and listening to live music, it just never seems to happen because I crash and burn so early in the evening. Sigh. But the evening activities that I did participate in were fun and the performers were all very talented.

 

Seaplex - This was a fun place. I wish I had spent more time checking out the activities there, but there's always next time on Anthem (I hope!).

 

The Spa - We only went for the one service (couple's massage), but it was wonderful. The spa wasn't the most beautiful place I've been to, but it was very relaxing.

 

Artwork on the ship - There's something fun and/or strange to see around every corner. We tried to take as many sets of stairs as possible so we could see the unique artwork on each landing.

 

Crew - The crew and staff have been wonderful. Other than the occasionally grumpy or tired restaurant server, we haven't had anything but exceptional service.

 

Ports - We loved each of the stops. I would do them all again in a heartbeat.

 

Wow. We just had our second Alpha (medical emergency) call of the afternoon.

 

Geeze. The ship has started that intermittent shaking/exploding thing again. I hope we don't have a repeat of last night. I wasn't the only person kept awake and in fear yesterday either - I spoke to a lady in the Solarium who is on her 15th cruise who said she was ready to tell her husband she never wants to sail again after having a night that was exactly like mine.

 

I guess I can always jump overboard and swim back to Maryland tonight, if needed. :)

[ftn807]

A last sunset from our balcony, before we head to Vintages for an aperitif.

 

[ftn807]

The happy couple bloggers celebrating their 10th anniversary, lounging in a 'chiminea chair' in Two70.

 

 

Thanks so much to all the people reading and posting on the board. We've enjoyed sharing our cruise with you!

Edited February 28, 2015 by ftn807