Live “Wingin’ It” Quantum of the Seas Transpacific Honolulu to Vancouver April 28-May 8, 2023

[snaefell]

1 hour ago, Familygoboston said:

Oh boy! Someone’s not reading the surveys! 

I'm not understanding the reply !?!?

[Familygoboston]

2 minutes ago, snaefell said:

I'm not understanding the reply !?!?

Complaining about the entertainment on surveys hasn’t seemed to improve it sadly! 🥹

[Familygoboston]

48 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

but here is the deal with tour operators working with cruise ships on Hawaii. Every week Norwegian runs Pride of America around the Hawaiian islands all year long and it ports in Hilo- 2 hours west of Kona. QOTS and other “one off” ships that call on Hawaii for just 1 or 2 weeks, port in Kona, but the guides are all based in HILO, meaning they have to drive 2 hours to Kona from Hilo, take guests to the most popular spots (one of which is Volcanoes National Park) which means going 2 hours EAST with guests, then 2 hours WEST to return them and then after leaving guests back in Kona drive 2 hours EAST to get back home. As you can see, a very long day with 4 hours of non guest driving. Not much incentive to do the tours in Kona. 

 

Oops, it’s late, I’m tired, I messed up the directions on my original post- the corrections are above! 

[snaefell]

53 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

Complaining about the entertainment on surveys hasn’t seemed to improve it sadly! 🥹

Everybody has different opinions of course,there were a few at the front of the theatre who were jumping up & down,cheering & waving their arms in the air,very much in the minority.

I maybe expecting too much but I think when somebody attempts to imitate somebody as special as Queen they are on dodgy ground!

[Familygoboston]

It’s important that I point out that the lousy photos on the thread are mine! Mr Familygoboston takes stellar photos, but as he’s enjoying his cruise and “taking them” he does not want to spend his cruise doing the “process” to get them off his SLR camera. So you get my cell phone photos, which R# will tell you is inferior to not only Mr FGB’s camera(s) but also to his families newly upgraded iPhones. 🤣 
So if you see an evening or dark photo, it’s probably R#’s because my are so “inferior”. As an

my crummy photo of last nights entertainment …

 

R#’s airdropped photo of the entertainment. 
 

Be very grateful that I’m not doing this thread alone (even though it seems that way 🙄) You only have to tolerate my bad photos during the day! 🤣

 

Of course, every once in a while Mr FGB will feel inspired to pull out the MS surface and process a photo that I can use online (like the photo of R# and I snorkeling) but mostly he might be having a bushwhacker by the pool and I’m not going to bother him! 

[rsharp83]

So after the somewhat breakneck pace of the Hawaiian islands portion of our trip we are now out to sea, for longer than I’ve ever been out to sea. And I’m currently sitting on our balcony and not attending the Adult Dodgeball game that’s on my Royal App calendar.  Because I’m attempting to…relax. Tough concept for me.  
 

I'm not a relax vacation kind of guy. My wife A# (I’m R#) tends to go either way. She’s a go go vacation gal up to a point. That point was reached yesterday about 8 hours into the marathon volcano tour when we pulled into a small fishing area so our driver could yak with his old fishing buddies while we looked at some dilapidated boats. At that point we still had over an hour and a half of driving left to do. I knew that it was probably a good thing that we were done with excursions. No amount of macadamia nuts or candy store samples would bring her around. 
 

So now that we are somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean I’m going to try to shift into relax mode. But I’m already antsy so I’ll go do the Flow Rider tomorrow and fall on my butt a few times. 
 

Oh, and if anyone on Ovation is following us in a few days look for A#’s brand new aloha hat that blew overboard this morning. 

[The Fun Researcher]

Having fun reading your review!  Thank you!

 

We really enjoyed the sister ship, Anthem, in March.  Part of the reason for sailing the Anthem was to get a preview to the Quantum in July (Alaska).  We'll have my entire side of the family aboard. 3 generations, My parents, 4 pairs of siblings and 7 grandkids (ranging from 13-21 yrs).  16 total.

 

Curious.  Do you feel like you are getting a good enough appreciation of Hawaii visiting from a cruise ship?

 

Also, how's the ship holding up?  Noticeable wear and tear, or no?

Edited May 3, 2023 by The Fun Researcher

[Familygoboston]

2 hours ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Having fun reading your review!  Thank you!

 

We really enjoyed the sister ship, Anthem, in March.  Part of the reason for sailing the Anthem was to get a preview to the Quantum in July (Alaska).  We'll have my entire side of the family aboard. 3 generations, My parents, 4 pairs of siblings and 7 grandkids (ranging from 13-21 yrs).  16 total.

 

Curious.  Do you feel like you are getting a good enough appreciation of Hawaii visiting from a cruise ship?

 

Also, how's the ship holding up?  Noticeable wear and tear, or no?

That sounds like an amazing family trip! Enjoy! 
I have not noticed any major defects on the ship, we have an overhead cabinet that has “swelled” and rubs against the adjacent closet door. Soft goods are fresh and clean around the ship. All of the amenities are in good working order, no closures, even after a long stint at sea with no supplies to repair things, so I’d say she’s in terrific shape! And the crew keeps her very clean! A friend did the All Access Tour yesterday and said he was so impressed by the cleanliness of the kitchen and “behind the scenes”.  
 

As for feeling connected to the culture on such a short trip, I’d say no, it’s not the way I would go to be immersed in Hawaiian culture. We actually have been in Hawaii since April 12. We spent a few days on Molokai, then boarded the Uncruise, a 28 passenger expedition ship that gave us a great cultural and natural experience. (I’ll be reviewing that when we get home!)  After a week aboard the Safari Explorer in Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii, I found myself telling the people on the rest of our trip the things I’d leaned about Hawaiian culture while we were out and about!!🥰 So I learned a lot! 
 

After the Uncruise, we spent a week in Waikiki, hiking, exploring the SW corner and the North Shore, we hiked Diamond Head and went out on a snorkel tour. We do enjoy knitting our cruises or tours together with a “city stay” often to pay bills and get laundry done, but also to allow ourselves to settle in and feel a part of the area for a little while. So we’ve had all those opportunities, plus 3 long busy port days on this cruise. Although most of our tour guides were long time residents, we’ve not met native Hawaiians while cruising Quantum in the way we did during the other parts of our visit here in the Hawaiian islands.  

[Familygoboston]

DAY 5 Sea Day Compass and Menus

 

Edited May 3, 2023 by Familygoboston
Sorry for the screen shots! We didn’t eat in the MDR so I didn’t get to take the photo of the menu!

[Biker19]

14 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

Sorry for the screen shots!

There's no need for them - anyone/everyone can get them in the app.

[Familygoboston]

1 hour ago, Biker19 said:

There's no need for them - anyone/everyone can get them in the app.

Expect for folks who don’t have a cruise or Quantum booked, don’t know which menus will be used which day, because it’s not a standard 7 day itinerary. Also all the people like me who wanted to see themenus on the app but because we were on a one off transpacific itinerary, we didn’t have menus in the app until just a few weeks before our cruise. Many people like to see the menus ahead of that time frame if they are planning to purchase specialty dining ahead of time online. So I’m hopeful some folks will find them useful! 

Edited May 3, 2023 by Familygoboston

[Biker19]

26 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

Except for folks who don’t have a cruise or Quantum booked, don’t know which menus will be used which day, because it’s not a standard 7 day itinerary.

Again, anyone/everyone, even if they don't have a cruise booked, can see the menu you are seeing. It might have some historical value but virtually no one searches for info in old threads.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Biker19

[Familygoboston]

Sea Day 5-  It occurs to me that this ship, is an ocean liner! 
An ocean liner with bumper cars, sky diving and a flow rider, but she’s still built like an old fashioned ocean liner! It occurred to me as we travel further into the ocean, she cuts through the open ocean so smoothly. After so many years on ships designed to fit the playgrounds m, this one seems to be designed to be an ocean liner with playgrounds. 
 

My first trip on an ocean liner did not include giant pink bears or a sea plex, but she reminds me of the Stefan Batory, my very first trans Atlantic crossing when I was just 12 years old. I would have loved aevades and an escape room back then! Instead all the kids (there about  20 of us) used toilet paper to create costumes and perform a parade for our parents and other passengers. We were served blinis and calf’s brains on toast. (My grandfather slipped the waiter a couple of bucks and got me a big bowl of cheerios every morning so I didn’t starve to death!  
We walked uphill to the MDR both ways! 🤣 

But seriously, you can avoid the all the gimmicks at the stern of the ship, (or do them all, like we did yesterday, including Ifly with a 75 yo celebrating her birthday!) and you would think you are on an ocean liner “back in the day”. Or bring the kids and prepare not to see them for a week. Choice is yours!!

Each Q class ship features an oversized animal - giraffes, or pandas, Q has a pink bear!

 

Narrow and sleek, she tracks beautifully on the open ocean. Quantum has windows to the sea in most public venues, All three pool areas have ocean facing loungers and clam shells, and there’s a promenade on deck 5 (although half of it is filled with the “friends of Phillip Morris” 🤣) as well as the outdoor jogging track and upper level loungers.

The gym is oriented to the sea on this ship too, with huge windows, which I love. What I didn’t love was I had to share the area with the yoga with two of the dancers doing their workouts which meant, there I was with all my jiggly bits doing the downward dog, next to two women half my age with negative body fat. I don’t like to be embarrassed like that! 🤣 (although I give them mad props for working out before I started and after I left abd being able to balance on a moving ship for 2 shows in the evening. And their show “Sequins and Feathers” was fun and sexy AF! These performers are true pros who work hard and deliver! 

 

my gym partners on stage - they asked me to join, but I demurred! 🤣

[Familygoboston]

SEA DAYS 

No clogging chairs! We’ve seen chairs available everywhere. By afternoon the ones closest to the pool get filled, but there’s no towels laid down for hours. If a chair is in use, there’s a human in it! 

I haven’t heard an official number yet, but the Aussie hold overs say we have more than their cruise form Brisbane (they were limited to how many passengers can disembark in French Polynesia) but the ship doesn’t feel completely full. Loungers and sears are easy to find at the pools and in the lounges at night. 
 

There’s a very popular singer in the schooner bar each night- Jen, and it’s SRO when she’s on, but I do enjoy how the Schooner bar on this ship is again the heart of the ship! Also, the Music Hall where the dancing happens is in a main area so it gets lots of use. This ship really feels like a better, more blinged out throw back to Royal’s “roots” 

silent disco at the Music Hall last night

[Familygoboston]

SEA DAYS

An odd thing happened on our first day on board. Our whole group was together trying to book some of the included attractions, like Ifly and Northstar. We noticed that those of us who are Diamond loyalty members were able to “see” times to book on the app, while our friends with fewer cruise nights weren’t able to book for several hours after we were able to book. if you’d like to book activities like this with your traveling party, link them all to the account of the person with the highest C&A status. Seems like we were able to book our friends who we’re linked while the others had to wait. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We did the North Star yesterday and it was really fun and scenic. Here is my photo dump (remember these are all my “bad” photos! 🤣 Not Mr FGBs high quality stuff. That’s “extra!” 🤣

[The Fun Researcher]

1 hour ago, Familygoboston said:

That sounds like an amazing family trip! Enjoy! 
I have not noticed any major defects on the ship, we have an overhead cabinet that has “swelled” and rubs against the adjacent closet door. Soft goods are fresh and clean around the ship. All of the amenities are in good working order, no closures, even after a long stint at sea with no supplies to repair things, so I’d say she’s in terrific shape! And the crew keeps her very clean! A friend did the All Access Tour yesterday and said he was so impressed by the cleanliness of the kitchen and “behind the scenes”.  
 

As for feeling connected to the culture on such a short trip, I’d say no, it’s not the way I would go to be immersed in Hawaiian culture. We actually have been in Hawaii since April 12. We spent a few days on Molokai, then boarded the Uncruise, a 28 passenger expedition ship that gave us a great cultural and natural experience. (I’ll be reviewing that when we get home!)  After a week aboard the Safari Explorer in Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii, I found myself telling the people on the rest of our trip the things I’d leaned about Hawaiian culture while we were out and about!!🥰 So I learned a lot! 
 

After the Uncruise, we spent a week in Waikiki, hiking, exploring the SW corner and the North Shore, we hiked Diamond Head and went out on a snorkel tour. We do enjoy knitting our cruises or tours together with a “city stay” often to pay bills and get laundry done, but also to allow ourselves to settle in and feel a part of the area for a little while. So we’ve had all those opportunities, plus 3 long busy port days on this cruise. Although most of our tour guides were long time residents, we’ve not met native Hawaiians while cruising Quantum in the way we did during the other parts of our visit here in the Hawaiian islands.  

Thanks for the reply back.  Good to know... about what I figured regarding touring Hawaii.

 

Yeah, we honeymooned there in Hawaii back in 1999.  1 day at Waikiki, 4 nights in Maui, and 7 nights in Kawaii.  LOVED it.  Had we known, would have swapped the nights in Kawaii with Maui.  Kawaii was lush and gorgeous, but was a little too quiet.  Maui was just a pretty IMO but had so many more activities to offer.  Hopefully someday we'll make it back again.

 

Hawaii was one of the contenders for vacation this summer, but the Quantum in Alaska won out.  It will be our first time and suited our extended family better.

 

Happy sailing.  Thanks for the updates!

[Familygoboston]

1 hour ago, The Fun Researcher said:

Thanks for the reply back.  Good to know... about what I figured regarding touring Hawaii.

 

Yeah, we honeymooned there in Hawaii back in 1999.  1 day at Waikiki, 4 nights in Maui, and 7 nights in Kawaii.  LOVED it.  Had we known, would have swapped the nights in Kawaii with Maui.  Kawaii was lush and gorgeous, but was a little too quiet.  Maui was just a pretty IMO but had so many more activities to offer.  Hopefully someday we'll make it back again.

 

Hawaii was one of the contenders for vacation this summer, but the Quantum in Alaska won out.  It will be our first time and suited our extended family better.

 

Happy sailing.  Thanks for the updates!

I love Alaska!! Really, there are no bad options! Both are beautiful places! 
Kawaii is the only island we didn’t see! We have friends who love it, but that’s as a winter home, which is quite different than Maui, which has so much to offer as a vacation destination!! 

[The Fun Researcher]

3 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

We noticed that those of us who are Diamond loyalty members were able to “see” times to book on the app, while our friends with fewer cruise nights weren’t able to book for several hours after we were able to book. if you’d like to book activities like this with your traveling party, link them all to the account of the person with the highest C&A status

If true, this is a huge tip!!!  Thank you!  My wife, son and I are Diamond but no-one else in our group of 16 is.  Those complimentary spots go fast, so it would be fantastic if I could take care of it once onboard ASAP.  We are all linked.

[snaefell]

You of course really only get a taste of a place on a cruise visit,it usually leaves you wanting more!

Our two vacations in the Hawaiian Islands back in 1989/90 involved two two week stays in Waikiki with day trips to Hawaii,Maui & Kawaii,at the time Maui seemed like one huge building site,hotels going up everywhere,seemingly turning into another Honolulu,On Kawaii there was peace & quiet & a determination to not go the same way,we were in LA a couple of years later when Kawaii suffered huge hurricane damage,so much for keeping it as it was!

Quantum was on the way to Singapore for a major refurb after 5 years of service when we sailed on her,hard to tell she was in superb condition & yes she is so smooth to travel on.

[Familygoboston]

2 hours ago, snaefell said:

You of course really only get a taste of a place on a cruise visit,it usually leaves you wanting more!

Our two vacations in the Hawaiian Islands back in 1989/90 involved two two week stays in Waikiki with day trips to Hawaii,Maui & Kawaii,at the time Maui seemed like one huge building site,hotels going up everywhere,seemingly turning into another Honolulu,On Kawaii there was peace & quiet & a determination to not go the same way,we were in LA a couple of years later when Kawaii suffered huge hurricane damage,so much for keeping it as it was!

Quantum was on the way to Singapore for a major refurb after 5 years of service when we sailed on her,hard to tell she was in superb condition & yes she is so smooth to travel on.

We’d been to FP, but never been to Hawaii. Our guide in Hawaii explained that things have changed a lot in 20 - 30

years and again during the pandemic. It’s not the Hawaii people remember from the past.  Places change, and some places get ruined because they are over loved, and they lose the very charm they were once loved for. 😩

[snaefell]

24 minutes ago, Familygoboston said:

We’d been to FP, but never been to Hawaii. Our guide in Hawaii explained that things have changed a lot in 20 - 30

years and again during the pandemic. It’s not the Hawaii people remember from the past.  Places change, and some places get ruined because they are over loved, and they lose the very charm they were once loved for. 😩

I can well imagine,even in those days Waikiki was considered horrendously commercialized but still had a magic about it,we knew pretty much every inch of the place,so many favourite places,exchanging pleasantries with young ladies standing on street corners for some reason(!😆) as we headed back to the hotel after a hard night,remember it so well,strange when I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday!😂

[Oceansaway17]

On 5/2/2023 at 7:06 AM, Familygoboston said:

Complaining about the entertainment on surveys hasn’t seemed to improve it sadly! 🥹

I agree because otherwise CATS would be removed from Oasis.  oh well

[rsharp83]

Flight Time

 

Our morning was up in the air today, literally. We signed up for Rip Cord. The iFly experience. 

 

If you are wondering what iFly is — basically indoor skydiving. Big clear tube with giant fans pushing air up the tube. They can regulate the air flow depending on the size and experience of the person in the tube. 

 

And on Royal Caribbean iFly, size matters. More than 5 but less than 10 years ago we had a group of friends celebrate my wife’s 50th with an iFly outing. Now at that iFly size didn’t matter. We had several that exceeded the posted weight limit and it was no problem. We all flew. 

 

But here in Rip Cord on the high seas, there are not exceptions. If you are under 6 feet tall the max weight is 230 pounds. Yes, you have to step on the scale before being allowed to enter. The scale is thankfully set to metric so no Americans will have a clue what your weight is but the staff will know. I knew going in that I wouldn’t get to fly and since I’ve done it before it wasn’t a big deal. But A# easily clears the weight limit so she could pass through the doors while I was banished to the outside observation area. 

 

Behind the doors you watch an instructional video. Then staff ensure that you remove everything that’s not essential— clothing is essential. Thank god. But earrings, jewelry, eyeglasses, etc. all have to go in a storage locker. You must have good fitting shoes. 

 

You get goggles, jumpsuit and ear plugs. It’s LOUD in the tube area.  You come out with the instructor and one by one enter the tube for your flight. Each person gets 2 one minute flights. The instructor helps to balance and guide each flyer. 

 

After your group session the instructor does some demonstration flying, otherwise known as showing off. He flips and spins, runs up the side of the tube. It’s fun to watch, those guys can do some really cool things. 

 

Then you are all returned to civilian clothing. Of course there are a multitude of pictures for sale. Your non flyer friends and relatives can take pics and videos but they will likely have some glare from the tube. 

 

As a free experience the iFly is great. We paid a lot of money for a somewhat longer experience. But the Rip Cord is worth your time. 

 

I’m sure FGB will post as well. They flew too. 

 

 

 

[Familygoboston]

Day 6 Sea Day Cruise Compasses and Menu 

 

 

 

[Familygoboston]

More flying!!