mrmidiman
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Posts posted by mrmidiman
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I booked a family junior suite for me and my father on the Quantum leaving from Shanghai on August 16, 2017. We had a fantastic vacation.
The taxi from our hotel on the Bund cost us a little under $30 USD and took about an hour. On arrival at the terminal, many signs and announcements were in Chinese and there were the usual crowds, which seemed a bit intimidating. However, RCCL staff must have recognized that as westerners we'd likely have difficulty negotiating the crowds in an unfamiliar environment and language, so they escorted us through the VIP check-in line. We were onboard within about 20 minutes. I had checked us in online and printed all the necessary documentation, so that helped. NOTE: It's necessary to bring a photocopy of your passport as this will be needed to exit the ship when stopping in port. I had read this on a forum, though I didn't see any info on the website. Knowing this information saved us valuable time. The staff was helpful and friendly and made the boarding process extremely easy.
We were among the only westerners on board as about 98% of the other passengers were from mainland China. As both my father and I enjoy travel and interacting with new people from other cultures, this only enhanced the trip for us, though it might not be a plus for everyone depending on their life experience and where they're from. I enjoyed using the few words of Mandarin I know to break the ice with the fellow passengers.
CABIN: The family junior suite was well configured and quite comfortable for two adults (by cruise ship standards). The additional bathroom was a helpful touch. The cabin was clean, comfortable, quiet, and modern. One of the nicer cruise cabins I've seen.
SPA: I went to the spa twice. Once for a haircut and the other time for a shave with facial. The staff in the spa was welcoming, helpful, and friendly and the services were excellent. Pricing was quite reasonable and not too far off from what I'd pay back home in NYC.
GYM: The gym was well appointed, though I do with there were kettlebells. However, I appreciated the open layout, nice view, and the cleanliness. The vending machine was broken the entire cruise, so whenever I needed bottled water for my workout I had to make a trip to the pool bar. I'm sure it's just an anomaly, though it was a minor inconvenience. The facility was never crowded and it was easy to find space to do my workout.
ENTERTAINMENT: We only attended one show, which was the Starwater show in the two70 lounge. I wasn't crazy about it. Seemed like a good concept, but was somewhat rambling without any sort of a thru-line or cohesion. The performers did an excellent job and I don't mean to take away from their efforts. Unfortunately, they just weren't given quality material to work with.
FOOD: We ate in the Windjammer for lunch the first day. The food was fine, though it was extremely crowded. For dinner we ate at the Coastal Kitchen. We were told we could dine at the Coastal Kitchen anytime for breakfast or dinner, though my father was able to eat there for lunch on the last day. It was a bit vague what the rules are for entry into the Coastal Kitchen, and I get the impression that for the family junior suite, the policy is dinner only, but other meals are at the discretion of the staff depending upon the crowds. The food and service in the Coastal Kitchen were both excellent, and some of the best I've experienced on any cruise line. We dined at the Chef's Table one night and at Chops another night. The Chef's Table was excellent. Our server/host did a brilliant job of conducting the evening in both English and Mandarin, and encouraged the Chinese guests to be welcoming of me and my father given how far we travelled. And of course I got a photo with the chef at the end. Chops was excellent too, with both excellent food and service. We probably would have been very happy dining at the Coastal Kitchen again except that part of our deal when purchasing the cruise was that we received a free meal in a specialty restaurant.
SHORE EXCURSIONS: We took the shore excursions to Hiroshima and Highlights of Kochi. The tours were well arranged and the guides were knowledgeable. We found ourselves with a group from southern India on the shore excursions and had a wonderful cultural exchange. We enjoyed learning about each other and it was fun to share the experience with people from another part of the world. I felt that I could have planned my own shore excursions independent of the cruise line, but my father enjoys the pre-packaged tours, so I went along. In the end, it was a relaxing way to see the sights. It was also very helpful to have a knowledgeable guide who could answer my many questions.
DISEMBARKATION: The process went about as smoothly as it could given the number of passengers. Getting off the ship went quite quickly and most of the time was spent going through immigration and customs. All parts related to RCCL ran very efficiently.
SUMMARY: I felt the cruise was an excellent value and very relaxing and enjoyable. For any westerner cruising on RCCL in an Asian market, expect to be in a small minority amongst many Chinese (if leaving from Shanghai). Though on the surface you'll see a lot of behavior that runs contrary to western sensibilities, I found everyone to be incredibly friendly. It also made for some fun exchanges. For example, the Chinese man who took a picture with my father because he thought that my father looked like a western version of his brother. Sometimes the little kids would stare at us, likely because they weren't accustomed to see westerners. It was fun to smile and say hello. It was also fun to try out the few words of Mandarin I know. Also, the crew seemed to go out of their way to help us feel welcome and comfortable. Instead of feeling horribly out of place, the experience was more of a wonderful cultural exchange.
CRITICISM: My only criticism for RCCL would be to find a more efficient way to conduct the safety drill to be more inclusive of us westerners. Though the quirky safety video was appreciated, it would have been more helpful to offer clear and concise instructions in both Mandarin and English in a bullet point format.
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Plenty of good google images might help you
That's very helpful. Thank you!
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Haven't been on quantum but assuming that the gym setup is similar to anthem ( it might not be- i've been on allure, oasis, harmony. allure has kettlebells and they took out the pilates stuff to add trx. oasis has neither kettlebells nor trx. harmony had a trx built into the gym but no kettlebells), then you have no barbells, squat rack, kettlebells or heavy bag.
There's a smith machine, dumbbells, benches and assorted machines. if you have your own trx, you can attach to their anchors when they're not using em.
Thank you so much; this is very helpful! It sounds like a great opportunity to add some variety by just going with the flow. But at least now I can think ahead and go in with a plan, whether that includes TRX, bodyweight exercises, or dumbells.
Much appreciated!
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I'm leaving soon for a cruise on the Quantum of the Seas leaving from Shanghai. I'm interested in knowing what equipment is available in the fitness center, specifically with regard to the following:
Barbells
Squat rack
Kettlebells
Heavy bag for boxing
I've scoured past posts, the RCCL website, and have even called the cruise line, but haven't been able to find any specific answers. Just trying to plan my workouts in advance.
Many thanks!
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You might consider seeing Lady Gaga perform at CitiField that evening.
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NYC resident here. Haven't done that specific route, but I use Uber in the city and to and from EWR all the time and it's always a pleasure. I highly recommend this option.
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New York City resident here. I give the LIRR option a thumbs up. It's incredibly easy, even with luggage. I wouldn't bother with the E train. You'll find yourself wishing you had spent a little more money to take LIRR. Would be a pain in the butt with luggage.
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NYC resident here.
I suggest staying at one of the chain hotels in the Long Island City part of Queens. Very easy commute into Manhattan and you'll get much more bang for your buck.
As for things to do, it's difficult to recommend things without knowing your tastes, but a few ideas below:
Afternoon tea at the Plaza Hotel
Get food to go from the Todd English food court in the basement of the Plaza Hotel and have a picnic in Central Park
Visit one of the less well known museums such as the Frick Collection or the Morgan Library
Take an afternoon stroll along the Westside Greenway, or rent a CitiBike to ride it
Explore ethnic food in Queens or Brooklyn
Visit Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, which is the real Little Italy
Grey Line Bus Tour
Broadway, Off-Broadway, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, jazz clubs - you get the idea
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Hi BlueJai- Traveling time for the length or width of Manhattan will depend upon a number of factors, which include time of day, whether you take surface streets or highway, and where you choose to cross the island. From the south to north (or vice versa) it could take 20-50 minutes via the West Side Highway or FDR or well over an hour or two by surface streets. Crossing Manhattan east to west (or vice versa) could take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour depending upon where you cross and the time of day.
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NYC resident here. Staying in the Financial District would make perfect sense. Easy subway access for your sightseeing and the morning taxi trip is an easy ride up the West Side Highway. You've planned well.
Other hotel options to consider are the many nice boutique hotels on the Upper West Side such as the Empire, BelleClaire, NYLO, and the Lucerne. All in great locations with easy access to midtown, and all within a 5-10 minute taxi trip to the cruise terminal in rush hour.
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I've also seen great deals on Groupon for parking lots in midtown and the UWS. I've used these before when holding onto a relative's car for a week or so (I live on the Upper West Side).
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NYC resident here. I recommend the following as frugal options for food and sightseeing:
Thai food: Yum Yum Too at 46th & 9th
Convenient food options: food court in the Whole Foods at the Time Warner Center, Todd English food court in the basement of the Plaza Hotel
Brunch: the cafe on the 2nd floor of Fairway at 74th & Broadway
Pricier brunch: Robert at Columbus Circle - has an amazing view of Central Park
Free (or low cost) activities: walking across the Brooklyn Bridge, renting CitiBikes to tour the city, walking along the High Line, walking along the Hudson River Greenway.
Upvote for the Staten Island Ferry and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Also try some of the less populated museums such as the Frick Collection or the Morgan Library. I advise visiting cathedrals further from midtown such as Riverside Cathedral or St John The Divine.
If you choose to visit TKTS, better deals are to be had on plays. Just saw an amazing production of The Glass Menagerie. I often use an iPhone app called TodayTix, which lets you order the tickets on your smartphone and a TodayTix rep hand delivers your tickets to you at the theatre before the show.
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NYC resident here. For hotels I'd consider some of the Upper West Side hotels such as NYLA, Belleclaire, the Empire Hotel, or the Lucerne. Easy subway or taxi commute to wherever you need to go and being in a more residential neighborhood you won't have to worry about getting plowed down by pedestrians immediately upon exiting your hotel. Will also place you in close enough to visit Riverside Park, which is also incredibly beautiful.
I recommend taking a yellow cab from the airport for its ease. If you take a car service or Uber you'll spend some time standing in the passenger pickup area waiting for you driver. For someone who has trouble getting around you'll be better off walking right up to the taxi stand and grabbing the first yellow cab that arrives.
I'd also recommend staying away from Ellis Island. Even with reserving your entry time in advance, you'll spend many hours on your feet and will likely be extremely tiring and uncomfortable for your friend.
The person who recommend the hop-on hop-on bus was right on the money. It'll be a fantastic way to get a good overview of the city.
Regarding Central Park, I recommend getting some take-out food from the Todd English food hall in the basement of the Plaza Hotel and bringing it to a quiet bench in the park for a picnic. And while you're in the neighborhood, you might as well do high tea at the Plaza. It's a really lovely experience.
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You might also consider an AirBnB. I've had excellent experience in Japan with them. There's always last minute availability in all price ranges.
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You should take the train about an hour outside of Tokyo to the Hakone onsen. You can stay in a traditional ryokan or just simply make it a day trip from Tokyo. You'll get a beautiful view of Mt Fuji and can enjoy the scenery from the train on the way there and back.
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Just back from Quantum sailing from Shanghai August 16, 2017
in Royal Caribbean International
Posted
As a previous response indicated, the crew has a higher percentage of Chinese than on cruises in other areas, though everyone on the crew with whom we interacted spoke excellent English. And though there was a higher percentage of Chinese crew members, the crew was still very international in general.
I found everyone on the crew to be incredibly helpful and they offered gracious hospitality. In fact, I would say that the crew on this sailing exceeded my expectations. If you enjoy languages and meeting people from other cultures, I'd recommend learning a few basic greetings in Mandarin. It was a great way to break the ice and helped make the cruise even more enjoyable.