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

[lkuitwaard]

It's snowing again in New York! What I the weather like for you today?

[Donsyb]

Time for an aperitif before lunch. This is the wine menu at the bar in 270. I'm having the fume blanc, which the bartender said was his favorite after I ordered it. It is quite good. DH is having the Berringer rose, which is a little sweet for his taste.

 

 

 

How many of the white wines were at $8 or less? We have the select package included in our cruise in May and I haven't decided whether to upgrade to premium yet - it depends on how much choice I'll have.

[Treacher1]

My wife and I are enjoying your posts and pics!! We appreciate the valuable time you are taking out of your vacation to share information for those of us cruising in the future. Can you find out if Ken Rush will remain on board as CD for next sailing on March 1? Thanks - wishing you smooth sailing and wonderful weather!

[curryshake]

We've been inside all day today because it's been cold out, but it's been partly sunny and we enjoyed sitting in the sun in solarium earlier. It's cool on the balcony, but not frigid.

 

As we ate lunch, we discussed how impressed we are with the atmosphere and activities on the interior of the ship. The decor is stunning and it feels warm and relaxing throughout -- not at all like a mall, as we had feared. And it's not too crowded. RCI really has done a good job making the interior a place you want to spend time. And that's a necessity for a ship that makes voyages where it's too cold to go out on deck for days on end.

 

Lunch at Uzumi was wonderful and was some of the best sushi I've ever had. They brought out salted edamame as a complimentary appetizer. We shared tuna nigiri, eel nigiri, and two rolls: dragon eel and crispy spicy tuna. The eel was great (DH always calls it "bacon of the sea") and the spicy tuna was coated with Panko and lightly fried around the sides (the manager confirmed this with DH). It was spicy, which isn't always the case in sushi advertised as "spicy," so we were happy with it. The flavors were excellent.

 

We also had a dry sake that was some of the best I've had. I didn't get the name since we didn't have the bottle at our table and it wasn't on the menu. They overheated it a bit, but it was at the proper temperature in no time.

 

Mamma Mia was really good. The first half was amazing. The second half was a little slow, but still nice. The encore pieces were fun and lasted for a long time. If you sit kind of on the sides, you can see a monitor showing the director down in the orchestra pit. The guy played keyboard while directing the band the entire time. I found that impressive.

 

One thing we didn't expect - everyone has been told to set their clocks ahead an hour tonight. From what we'd read before, we thought the ship stayed on the same time the entire cruise. I'm glad that we're changing to the timezone for St. Thomas because I thought keeping up with ship time and land time would be a little confusing. Ken Rush said we'd get the hour back somewhere between ports, so I'm not sure when we'll change back.

 

As I said before, the wifi package for two devices allows you to disconnect any device and add another at any time. So it's really unlimited devices, but only two at any one time. I have switched back and forth between my laptop and phone a couple times today without any hassle or problem.

 

I apologize for not answering all of your questions. I want to blog about most or all of our experiences, but I also want to spend as much time as I can relaxing and enjoying the journey. Thanks to everyone for following along.

[curryshake]

Waiting to be seated at Jamie's. They seem to be running a few minutes behind, but I'm excited about the menu.

[fish6]

This is my favorite ship so far. I'm sitting in Two70 right now watching the ship's wake through huge ceiling high windows. Sooooo relaxing.

 

The internet is great! I paid $153 for two devices - diamond plus member.

 

I've eaten at Izumi, Grande and Devinly Decadence - all were amazing!!!

 

I hope you don't mind me putting my "two cents" on your blog!!!!

 

Is the $153 after your Diamond plus discount? Do you know how much the Diamond discount is?

[evelyn51]

Got in the car this morning, hit the Cruise button, and now we're on the ship.

 

Oh, this is going to be fun! ;)

[curryshake]

Jamie's was excellent. More on that tomorrow. Now we're at Music Hall listening and dancing to the house band, Horizon.

Edited February 22, 2015 by curryshake

[curryshake]

I thought Music Hall would be a blast, and it should have been. The venue is gorgeous and the cover band rocked. But the stage was completely surrounded by grumpy, angry looking people who looked like they had never had a happy moment their entire lives. Seriously, if you're not enjoying this, go somewhere else so other people can dance and have fun. We have nicknamed them the Quantum Zombies.

[Merion_Mom]

We've been inside all day today because it's been cold out, but it's been partly sunny and we enjoyed sitting in the sun in solarium earlier. It's cool on the balcony, but not frigid.

 

As we ate lunch, we discussed how impressed we are with the atmosphere and activities on the interior of the ship. The decor is stunning and it feels warm and relaxing throughout -- not at all like a mall, as we had feared. And it's not too crowded. RCI really has done a good job making the interior a place you want to spend time. And that's a necessity for a ship that makes voyages where it's too cold to go out on deck for days on end.

 

Lunch at Uzumi was wonderful and was some of the best sushi I've ever had. They brought out salted edamame as a complimentary appetizer. We shared tuna nigiri, eel nigiri, and two rolls: dragon eel and crispy spicy tuna. The eel was great (DH always calls it "bacon of the sea") and the spicy tuna was coated with Panko and lightly fried around the sides (the manager confirmed this with DH). It was spicy, which isn't always the case in sushi advertised as "spicy," so we were happy with it. The flavors were excellent.

 

 

Mamma Mia was really good. The first half was amazing. The second half was a little slow, but still nice. The encore pieces were fun and lasted for a long time. If you sit kind of on the sides, you can see a monitor showing the director down in the orchestra pit. The guy played keyboard while directing the band the entire time. I found that impressive.

 

If you turn around, the monitors are visible from everywhere, right behind the main level of seats, basically hanging from the balcony. :)

[gaylemh]

I thought Music Hall would be a blast, and it should have been. The venue is gorgeous and the cover band rocked. But the stage was completely surrounded by grumpy, angry looking people who looked like they had never had a happy moment their entire lives. Seriously, if you're not enjoying this, go somewhere else so other people can dance and have fun. We have nicknamed them the Quantum Zombies.

 

The Music Hall was my favorite place on the ship at night. I had great tribute bands on both of my cruises. Beatles, Led Zeppelin, U2 and the house band Horizon was great. Do you know who the tribute band is going to be on your cruise?

[ReneFlores]

We board the Quantum march 1 and was wondering if we can pre-pay the internet service or do we have to get it once on board?

 

Also, do you have to get it in guest services?, or can we do it somewhere else?

 

thanks!

[Clarea]

We board the Quantum march 1 and was wondering if we can pre-pay the internet service or do we have to get it once on board?

 

Also, do you have to get it in guest services?, or can we do it somewhere else?

 

thanks!

You can only pay for the internet on board.

 

You connect to the "Royal WiFi" wireless, open your web browser to any web page, and you will be directed to the information page on how to create a wireless account.

[ReneFlores]

You can only pay for the internet on board.

 

You connect to the "Royal WiFi" wireless, open your web browser to any web page, and you will be directed to the information page on how to create a wireless account.

 

Thanks for the heads up, Bob!

[reallyhooked]

Just saw the Ken Rush morning show. Turns out they changed the Mama Mia showtime today from 4:30 to 2:30, because people complained it was too close to dinner time. That's great, but it overlaps with the spa appointment we made.

 

The TV in the room shows the correct schedule (spa is missing from the app), but now the times for that and Mama Mia overlap. Have to swing by Guest Services after breakfast.

 

Why not go to the spa & reschedule?

[Newatt]

Is the $153 after your Diamond plus discount? Do you know how much the Diamond discount is?

 

The original price for 2 devices was $180, after the diamond discount the price was $153.

[little britain]

Mamma Mia was really good. The first half was amazing. The second half was a little slow, but still nice. The encore pieces were fun and lasted for a long time. If you sit kind of on the sides, you can see a monitor showing the director down in the orchestra pit. The guy played keyboard while directing the band the entire time. I found that impressive

That is the wonderful Ross Johnson, he used to be on Azamara.......I found myself doing the same thing!

 

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk

[curryshake]

The Music Hall was my favorite place on the ship at night. I had great tribute bands on both of my cruises. Beatles, Led Zeppelin, U2 and the house band Horizon was great. Do you know who the tribute band is going to be on your cruise?

 

We don't know yet, but hope to find out soon.

[curryshake]

We board the Quantum march 1 and was wondering if we can pre-pay the internet service or do we have to get it once on board?

 

Also, do you have to get it in guest services?, or can we do it somewhere else?

 

thanks!

 

You have to wait until you're on the ship. You just try to get to any website from your browser and click through the log in and payment agreements. No need to go to guest services. They give you a paper on how to do it at boarding.

[curryshake]

Why not go to the spa & reschedule?

 

We went to guest services and they straightened it out. We're all set.

[ftn807]

Decided to check out 270 for breakfast this morning. The cafe and the lounge itself are essentially empty, even more so than yesterday at this time. I'm sure the time change has something to do with that. The food I tried (Royal egg sandwich and a small egg croissant ) is okay, not a huge improvement on Windjammer. But definitely more relaxing here.

 

Looks like we have a quiet day ahead, with Ripcord this afternoon and dinner at Wonderland. Ken Rush announced that they will be showing the Oscars tonight in Music Hall, so the house band (Horizon) will be in 270. The same comedian as last night , Miguel Washington, will be doing a late, adults-only show at 11:45.

 

Ship is rocking a bit this morning, with short, jabbing movements to remind us we're on a ship. Looking out the huge, panoramic windows here, I can see whitecaps for the first time.

 

270 is starting to accumulate bleary-eyed cruisers. Time to enjoy my coffee.

Edited February 22, 2015 by ftn807

[curryshake]

Day 3 - At Sea

 

I'm watching the sun come up over the ocean as I type this. I stepped out on the balcony a minute ago and it was definitely warm enough to be outside with a long-sleeved shirt (for me). I can't wait to get outside later today when it's sure to be lovely. We are about even with Jacksonville, and look to be halfway to St. Thomas.

 

The ship is definitely rolling quite a bit more than it has so far, but it's still not too bad. Ken Rush keeps telling us how lucky we are to be on the first cruise in a while that isn't being tossed about. I've certainly had time to adjust and get my sea legs, so I'm not complaining.

 

If you'd like to see wind, pressure, and wave conditions with a forecast up to a week out, here's a handy and fun site: http://passageweather.com

 

-----Heading to Breakfast--------------

 

So, on to our experience at Jamie's last night. The food was wonderful. I love antipasto, so the meat board was right up my alley. I took a photo, but will have to post it later after my phone recharges. It included prosciutto, two kinds of salami, and mortadella. There were olives of various sizes and colors, with more in a side bowl, and delicious capers as big as my thumb. Then there was a salad of fresh shredded root and summer vegetables in a lemon and spearmint sauce that was very fresh and good. Surprisingly, the fresh mozzarella in a mint sauce had virtually no flavor, and I love good mozzarella. Perhaps by that point it was just being overpowered by the other flavors and the big red wine we were drinking. The finale on the board was a crisp with a slice of pecorino romano topped with a bit of chili jam. I usually find pecorino to be too gamey and pungent to eat on its own, but this was really good and the sweet and spicy jam was a delicious pairing. We were also given a bowl with crispy crackers and olive tapenade that didn't have a ton of flavor, deep fried risotto balls in a chili sauce that didn't impress and wasn't spicy, and fried calamari that was amazingly tender and flavorful despite simple seasoning. I just topped that with lemon but DH said the aoili was wonderful.

 

For our main course, I had penne pomodoro in chilli (I swear it had two ll's) sauce. The pasta was freshly made and that was evident. It was great. The sauce was supposed to be spicy, but it wasn't at all. It did have a good smokey flavor. Our waiter was awesome and brought me some hot sauce from another location without me saying a word about it (I never complain about such things). I had told him I love spicy food and he must have known that the dish wasn't really spicy. At any rate, the hot sauce rectified the problem in short order. Mmmmm. DH got tagliatelle bolognaise and thought it was good but that there were probably better things on the menu. Nothing could rival the meat board.

 

As for the wine we drank, we didn't get the name of it before the menus left the table, but it was a medium bodied red wine (the full bodied were only by the bottle) that cost $18 a glass. After we ordered it, the waiter told us that the staff had selected it specifically to pair with the meat board. It was a really good match, with the high tannin level balancing out the fatty meats and cheeses.

 

For dessert DH had chocolate and salted caramel ice cream and thought they were good. I ordered the tart, but am not sure that that's what I got. The filling was a warm custard that tasted like rice pudding although I'm sure it didn't contain any rice. It was quite rich and had a caramelized topping. I thought it was truly delicious. I have a photo of the dessert menu, but it's on my recharging phone. We had espresso with our desserts and ordered the dessert wine, but they were out and offered a substitute that didn't pair very well because it wasn't sweet enough.

 

An interesting thing to check out on the ship are a set of electronic art displays outside of Schooners. People can draw on them, and then cartoon characters redraw their doodles at a later time. So if you find crude and detailed drawings of human anatomy highly amusing, as we apparently do, then this is a fun spot to hang out for a couple minutes. Seriously, I can't post photos of the images we've seen on display there right out in the middle of a busy walkway.

 

I just finished up a toasted egg, cheese, and ham breakfast sandwich from the Cafe at 270. It wasn't bad. DH said the croissant sandwich wasn't great.

[curryshake]

I forgot to mention that we saw Miguel Washington, the comedian, last night. He started off kind of slowly, but I was in stitches by the end. The best part was a couple in the center of the front row that was drunk (by their own admission) and kept falling asleep during his performance. His improv'd conversations with them were hilarious.

 

I'd like to check out his adults-only show later, if we can stay awake that late. :)

[campbell51]

Great review looking forward to more. We are sailing on the Anthem in April so am finding your review very interesting.

[ftn807]

We took a stroll on the port and starboard outside decks, on deck 5. It was windy and a bit cool, but we could just imagine what it's going to be like when it finally warms up.

 

Around 9:30 we ended up in the Solarium, which is just a little warmer and busier than yesterday at this time. The hot tub felt much warmer (it was a bit on the cool side) and the air is comfortable enough for us to lounge around and read.

 

All in all, this has been a fantastic cruise for both of us so far. Sure, there have been little things to complain about here and there, but the great service, beautiful ship, fun entertainment, good food, and promise of more to come has made this a great start to our vacation.