Quantum of the Seas - Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2017 (Berlitz Cruise Guide) (2016)

Berlitz Cruising & Cruise Ships 2017 (Berlitz Cruise Guide) (2016)

Quantum of the Seas

Not Yet Rated

Berlitz’s Ratings

Ship: NYR out of 500

Accommodation: NYR out of 200

Food: NYR out of 400

Service: NYR out of 400

Entertainment: NYR out of 100

Cruise: NYR out of 400

Overall Score: NYR out of 2000

Quantum of the Seas Statistics

Size: Large Resort Ship

Tonnage: 167,800

Lifestyle: Standard

Cruise Line: Royal Caribbean International

Former Names: none

IMO Number: 9549463

Builder: Meyer Werft (Germany)

Original Cost: $936 million

Entered Service: Oct 2014

Registry: The Bahamas

Length (ft/m): 1,145.0/348.0

Beam (ft/m): 134.5/41.0

Draft (ft/m): 27.8/8.5

Propulsion/Propellers: diesel-electric (41,000kW)/2 azimuthing pods

Passenger Decks: 16

Total Crew: 1300

Passengers (lower beds): 4,180

Passenger Space Ratio (lower beds): 40.1

Passenger/Crew Ratio (lower beds): 3.2

Cabins (total): 2.090

Size Range (sq ft/m): 101.1-799.7/9.4-74.3

Cabins (for one person): 34

Cabins (with private balcony): 1,571

Cabins (wheelchair accessible): 34

Wheelchair accessibility: Good

Cabin Current: 110 and 220 volts

Elevators: 16

Casino (gaming tables): Yes

Slot Machines: Yes

Swimming Pools: 3

Hot Tubs (on deck): 4

Self-Service Launderette: No

Dedicated Cinema/Seats: No

Library: Yes

Onboard currency: US$

121643

This really is a state-of-the art family-friendly floating resort

Overview. Quantum of the Seas - a new class and type of ship for popular Royal Caribbean International (RCI) - has a slender profile. Everyone will love it because it incorporates all of the latest features (and you can go flying aboard this ship!), and then some, for a lot of Royal Caribbean wow.

The Ship. The exterior design of Quantum of the Seas looks somewhat like a ‘stretched’ version of the Celebrity Reflection and employs the latest in hydrodynamics, hull shape, low emissions and, importantly, low fuel consumption. In terms of size, Quantum of the Seas is similar to the Freedom of the Seas-class, but is designed to carry about 500 more passengers, in a more efficient configuration, with its lifeboats slung low and over the side from newly designed davits.

The stern (back of the ship) slopes nicely - actually, it looks like it could be the front! It contains Two70 o - an innovative multi-level venue that is a casual living area by day, and an entertainment venue by night.

Several novel features have been incorporated, mostly outdoors. North Star - quite the engineering marvel - is a 14-person glass capsule that lifts you off from the ship’s uppermost decks and provides a bird’s eye view of all below you (including the sea) as it moves around. It’s like a posh giant ‘cherry picker’ with attitude - and, lifting you almost 300ft (91m) above sea level (with an outreach of almost 135ft (41m), is quite a ride! It is located in the front section of the ship, just behind the mast. It is complimentary (and wheelchair-accessible), although a charge will apply for booking - for weddings and other romantic occasions - think: the ‘300 Feet above Sea Level’ club!). Actually, I think it would just make a great suite (naturally, the bed would need to rotate, too)!

The second of the stunners is RipCord by iFly - a skydiving experience in a two-storey vertical wind tunnel that lets you experience the thrill of skydiving - but in a safe, controlled environment. The special in-your-face unit uses a powerful air flow to keep you up in the air and free-flying - like a giant hairdryer underneath you! It is located aft of the ship’s funnel housing. It accommodates 13 persons for each 75-minute class, which includes two ‘hovering in the air’ experiences, instruction and gear.

Meanwhile, a SeaPlex complex - located (inside) just underneath the North Star mobile ‘eye-pod’-style observation unit - offers a circus ‘school,’ adrenalin-boosting bumper car rides, and acts as a roller-skating rink and basketball court. It’s a veritable active interactive sporting venue that replaces the ice rinks of other large RCI ships.

Note that from mid-2015 Quantum of the Seas will be based year-round in Shanghai, China.

Families. For children and teenagers aboard this family-friendly ship the facilities are extensive - as part of the Adventure Ocean program (the facilities are located inside the ship on Decks 11 and 12). Royal Babies and Tots Nursery is for the really young ones; Aquanauts, is for 3-5-year-olds; Explorers, is for 6-8-year-olds; Voyagers, is for 9-12-year-olds. Optix is the chill-out zone for teenagers. There’s also Adventure Beach, an area for all the family, which includes swimming pools, a water slide and game areas outdoors in the AquaPark. DreamWorks events and entertainment will be featured, with live character appearances from Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar - not to mention Barbie.

Accommodation. There are many different price grades and categories for accommodation. The price you pay depends on the size and location you choose. Fortunately, every cabin aboard this ship has a view - whether it’s real or virtual. The ‘virtual’ balconies were first introduced aboard Navigator of the Seas in a 2013 refit and are a really neat feature of the interior (no-view) cabins; they can provide real-time ocean views (yes, you can turn them off). Although these cost slightly more than standard interior cabins, they’re worth it.

Several new accommodation categories and types have been introduced aboard this ship. Standard cabins are about 9 percent larger than those aboard the Oasis-class ships. Note that if you book suite-grade accommodation, you can eat all your meals in the exclusive Coastal Kitchen.

Loft cabins (including a 975 sq ft/90.5 sq m Owner’s Loft) vary in size and configuration, but measure approximately 502 sq ft/46.6 sq m and are located at the ship’s stern.

Inter-connecting family cabins are really good for multi-generational accommodation and much sought after. The 15 units consist of a junior suite, balcony cabin, and interior studio connected through a shared vestibule. Together they can create 575.8 sq ft/53.5 sq m of living space with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a 216-sq-ft/20-sq-m balcony.

Studio cabins (there are 16 of them, 12 of which have real balconies) for solo occupancy, are a first for RCI. As there’s no single supplement, they are priced in a new category for solo travelers.

Dining. There are 18 restaurant and eatery choices (there’s no main dining room as such), part of what the line calls Dynamic Dining (meaning you will need to make reservations in some venues - just like eating ashore).

The following are complimentary, all with tablecloths for dinner:

The Grande: with 432 seats, the ship’s most elegant restaurant (think Southern mansion hospitality) featuring classic dishes that are reminiscent of the days of the grand ocean liners of yesteryear. Menu examples: beef wellington, chicken à l’orange, sole almondine.

Chic: this 434-seat restaurant features ‘contemporary’ cuisine and sauces made from scratch. Menu examples: rib-eye steak, lamb chops, and Mediterranean sea bass.

Silk: this 434-seat restaurant features pan-Asian cuisine, including a touch of spice. Menu examples: teriyaki steak, sake-glazed salmon, slow-cooked lamb curry.

American Icon Grille: this 430-seat restaurant features many of America’s favorite ‘comfort food’ dishes’ like New England clam chowder, Southern buttermilk fried chicken, and New Orleans gumbo.

Extra-cost dining venues include:

Wonderland: based on the (real and imagined) elements Fire, Ice, Water, Earth, and Dreams, this surreal 62-seat Alice in Wonderland-inspired venue offers food with a quirky touch (like the oddly shaped chairs) thanks to ingredients like Japanese bonito flakes. I can just imagine the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party here.

Jamie’s Italian: it’s a 132-seat reservations-required tablecloth-less Euro-Italian restaurant - and British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s first restaurant at sea.

Chops Grille: for premium-quality steaks and grilled seafood.

Izumi: a 44-seat Japanese-Asian fusion cuisine venue including hot-rock tableside cooking, sashimi, sushi, and sake.

Chef’s Table: this exclusive 16-seat venue is good for private parties, with wine and food pairing the specialty.

Johnny Rockets: a retro 1950s all-day, all-night diner-style eatery for hamburgers, extra-cost malt shakes, and jukebox hits (all tables feature a mini-jukebox). A-la-carte pricing applies.

For (no extra cost) really casual meals, the 860-seat Windjammer Marketplace is a self-serve buffet-style eatery. Other casual (no-extra-cost) spots include: The Café at Two70o; SeaPlex Dog House, Sorrento’s - for pizza slices and calzones, and Café Promenade.

Entertainment. The Royal Theater spans three decks and is the principle showlounge for ‘book’ shows and large-scale production shows by a resident troupe of singers and dancers.

Two70o is a multi-level, glass-walled ‘living’ room (spanning almost three decks in height), located at the ship’s stern (in many other ships this would probably be a main dining room), and includes a food-court-style marketplace, and sit-down eateries, including The Café @ Two70o. By night, the big venue morphs into an entertainment house.

Music Hall is two-decks high a rock-’n’-roll joint, outfitted with all the right paraphernalia, and will feature DJs and theme nights.

Spa/Fitness. The Vitality at Sea Spa facilities include, a thermal suite (extra-cost), beauty salon, barber shop, and gymnasium with Technogym equipment. Massage and other body pampering treatments take place in 19 treatment rooms.