Quantum 12/1 - 12/12 Review

[Hoopster95]

We are having such a great time I am not sure that much can top this experience.

 

Hey Andrea.. super review! You touch on many things through your eyes that I didn't in my review. So happy that you had a great cruise, I'll be reading along the rest :D

[Ernie B]

Thank you so much for your thorough review. It is very nice to see all the positives after only reading negative after negative review. We always take reviews with a grain of salt anyway but a little bit of apprehension had sunk in about our March sailing. Now I am definitely confident that it will be awesome! There are never guarantees in life,

no matter what. Some people are just arrogant as the other reviewer said. We had an absolute amazing time on the Allure this past March but when we got to know some of the staff, they were honest about all the "unpleasantness" associated when dealing with the public. We appreciate honesty and also appreciate the extremely hard work and sacrifice that the vast majority of cruise ship staff offer. Can't wait to see the Quantum!

[andrea lynn]

DC was open 24/7 however they served cocktails and houdovers from 5-8:30 and contential breakfast from 7-10.

[andrea lynn]

I was a bit nervous as well, especially with all the folks complaining in the terminal. I saw things totally different. Was everything perfect? No but it was the best cruise experience I ever had. We met lots of great people so not everyone was cranky and miserable. This sailing exceeded all of my expectations.

[bay guy]

Andrea Lynn, just to let you know, the young handicapped girl you mentioned, was also totally blind.

 

We spoke to another couple who was there while they were working with her and they said everyone had tears in their eyes and were so impressed with how the staff made sure she had a great time. They also said that the girl had the biggest smile on her face and her parents were very excited for her.

 

I hope those employees working there got WOW cards from someone. It sounds like they really deserved it for going above and beyond.

[Julesben]

[quote name='CruisingMachine']Thanks for your detailed review. I've been on the ship as well. Despite the nit-pickers and negative nancies, the Quantum class ships are the new standard by which all other cruise ships will be measured.[/QUOTE]

Some people have been around cruise ships a lot longer than you, the experience goes with that.

Just because you have some people posting they're great experience of this ship does not mean there is not serious issues onboard.

The staff aren't unhappy for no reason.

Rccl know they have something to sort out.

[andrea lynn]

Day Four - Afternoon/Evening in Puerto Rico

We had planned on making it to breakfast this morning but I guess our bodies needed the sleep as we didn't wake up until 10:30. Last night we lost an hour due to a time change. We are now on port time. We watched TV for a bit before heading up to the windjammer for an early lunch. Today I opted for the Asian station I had fried rice, stir fried vegetables, terayki chicken and ribs. It was fabulous. The ribs were so tender they fell right off the bone. The sauce was very tasty and not over saucy. Just as good as my favorite Chinese restaurant. To top off my lunch I had a triple chocolate chunk cookie and a carrot cake bite. If you haven't noticed by now I love the carrot cake bites.

After lunch we headed to the photo shop to try and find our I fly photos. We were successful today... better yet the hubby had a great big smile on his face which under normal circumstances is rare. It confirmed that he enjoyed his flight as much as I did. We bought one pic and used are diamond discount to get two others for free. Next we walked around taking pics of anything and everything. There really is so much to see. As we hit the royal esplanade it was just about time for the dream works parade so we hung around to check it out. I must say it was a Disney quality parade with all the characters and acrobats that performed from above. It was absolutely amazing. We continued walking along deck 5 towards the theatre 270 in hopes they there was a robo show going on. No such luck but the space was pretty full of people just lounging around on the big comfy couches. The back wall is all glass with a beautiful view of the ship's wake. It was amazing how the thrusters were creating such a wake without any vibration and very little movement. Also missing was that annoying hum that I often hear in the MDR which is also located in the back of most ships. There really is so much to see and do on this ship it is all that I expected and more. All the lounging around in the theatre made us hungry so we stop by cafe 270 for one of those delicious roast beef sandwiches. The sandwich is known as the kummelwech it's fresh roast beef on a caraway seed roll with horseradish mayo and a jus. Simply delish! After eating it was time to walk outside on deck 5 to burn off some of the calories. As we we walking we noticed that we were very close to land and would probably be arriving a lot earlier than scheduled, so we ran to the room for the camera and headed to deck 15 to watch the sail into San Juan. For those that have never sailed into San Juan you have no idea what you are missing. It is such a beautiful sight.

The sail in was incredible (keeping in mind this was the first visit to Puerto Rico for Lady Q) I felt like a celebrity with folks lining the shores to welcome us waving and screaming. Just as we passed El Murro a helicopter hovered over us filming the sail in. Some thought it was a TV station. I believe it was being filmed by Royal for a future commercial or advertisement. We have lots of film crews (one from the Discovery Channel filming Mega Ships) on board who are constantly roping off areas to film all sorts of things. When we arrived at the pier there were plenty of locals waiting to greet us. This was the first time a ship had docked at this pier as they had to dredge the area to accommodate a ship of our size. They even rolled out a red carpet for us. Having been to PR on many other sailing this certainly not the norm. Rumor was either the governor or mayor of San Juan would be visiting the ship while we were in port. Getting off the ship went very smoothly. First stop was Cariloha so hubby could get more bamboo socks. Next it was onto the Coach store. Even with a 50% off sale going on I couldn't find anything that I loved. As we were headed back towards Fortaleza Street I noticed that the governor's mansion was accepting visitors so we headed over that way to see what was going on. Turns out that the mansion was decorated for Christmas and in December they open it to the public for tours. We waited about 5 minutes for a tour. They really did a nice job decorating however the live trees didn't seem to be holding up so well with the humidity. With all the pine needles that had dropped to the floor I didn't get the sense that the trees would last the month. As our tour was winding down the Governor pulled up. I was taken by all of the security, it reminded me of a Presidential visit in NYC. After a tour we just wandered around exploring the beautiful sites of San Juan, for as many times as we have been to old San Juan I was surprised to find some new sights. For those of you familiar with Old San Juan you will be happy to know that they have revitalized Fortaleza Street. The face lift was a welcomed site. We were lucky enough to be visiting San Juan during the food festival. They closed Fortaleza Street and many of the restaurants had tables set up in the street there were also some vendors selling homemade crafts. It reminded me of the NYC Feast of San Gennaro. We bought some handmade organic caribbean soaps. We walked around a bit before we found this nice little restaurant named Genesis (327 Calle Recinto S San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901) for dinner. We were the only non locals there. I started with a delicious Pina Colada and for dinner I had grilled chicken stuff with sweet plantains and topped with a creole sauce accompanied by traditional rice and beans. It was amazing! Hubby opted for the garlic shrimp and a side of Mofungo. While the restaurant is very simple the food was outstanding and highly recommended! Afterwards we continued walking around down near the pier. I was so happy to have stumbled upon a craft market with lots of homemade goods. I am big on hand crafted goods as these days most trinkets are made in China. I bought most of my souvenirs here. Before we headed back to the ship we made our usual stop at CVS.

We dropped off our bags in the room and headed down to the Music Hall to catch a performance by Horizon (we have really being enjoying Horizon!!!). After the show it was off to the Love and Marriage game show. I never laughed so hard in my life. Couple #1 (the newlyweds) had to count on their fingers to figure out that they had been married for 8 months (I knew they were guaranteed to bring lots of laughs). Couple# 2 from Philly was married for 13 years and had great chemistry. Couple #3 (2 ninety year Olds) had been married for 68 years. When they were asked to kiss they immediately started making out. So cute! They ended up winning the game and were awarded a free set of bamboo sheets from Cariloha. I have to say even if they didn't win they deserved the prize for being married that long.

We ended our evening with a final performance by the Beatlemanics. The show is must see! Up next St Martin.

[andrea lynn]

Day Five - St Martin D.W.I. Aka The Friendly Island

Wow… I cannot believe today is day Five already. Some highlights I wanted to note some highlights of our cabin... the design of the bathroom space is very nice. My favorite feature is the shave bar, followed by the wonderful showerhead. The pressure is so wonderful I find myself taking very long showers. The nightlight is a nice touch as well. I really like that the lights don't flicker when you first turn them on. It certainly is good for my headaches. The hallways are always so quiet. Sometimes I feel like we are the only ones on the ship. The only noise we ever hear in our cabin is the folks above us. I am not sure if they are moving the furniture, wrestling, or bouncing each other off the walls. We have been sleeping well every night so that must be a sign that the bed is comfortable. It is a little on the firm side but no other complaints. The couch is really firm not so sure it would make a good bed but we are hardly ever in the room so we haven't used it much. The balcony is very spacious however the sea has been very salty. The grains of salt on our balcony are as big as the snow melt pellets. While the stateroom is narrower than the other balcony rooms that we have had it has more storage space and by elmininating the coffee table in front of the couch it feels more roomy. They now charge a fee for the hot items on the room service menu so we haven't ordered anything. Other than out on the balcony I am not so sure where one would put the room service tray.

My only dispointment so far has been with the service in the dining room. It leaves a lot to be desired for. I could understand if they we experiencing glitches with all the new technology but the staff has simply fallen down on the job when it comes to the simple things such filling an empty water glass and bring out the entrees/desserts at the same time. One evening they brought my husband's dessert out 10 minutes after mine. Tonight my husband ordered the sugar free dessert and the waiter said he can only order off the menu. Turns out he was wrong and later brought him out the sugar free dessert of the day (coconut layer cake) The only down side of the Dynamic Dining has been the service. The complimentary restaurants are all nice decorated and add lots of charm to the meal. The menus have so many different items to choose from and so far we have really enjoyed all of our meals. We do miss the bond we would form with our waiter, but change is nice.

All in all we are having a fabulous time, the food has been incredible and there are always plenty of things to do on the ship. My favorite has been the Music Hall while the husband loves the bumper cars.

We finally made it to breakfast in the windjammer this morning. I had my own version of an egg McMuffin and the hubby had his cornbeef hash and eggs. The clean up service in the windjammer is slowly improving. Lately we have been having some nice conversation with the staff. Most are very happy that they have single accommodations for them rather than the old bunk bed style. One waitress who is married to another crew member has been staying in a guest room as they are short for crew rooms as they have extra staff on board for a bit.

After breakfast we headed downtown via the ferry as the weather was cloudy. As soon as we got off the ferry I was approached by a woman handing out scratch off tickets. Just my luck I won the grand prize $1,000, but the catch was I had to walk down the road a bit with her and watch an hour long presentation. I am sure collecting that $1,000 wasn’t going to be that easy so I declined the prize. The lady was nice about it and let us walk away with no issue. I ran around collecting my free Effy pendants and even got a couple of other nice freebies for browsing. We had a nice relaxing day walking around town. It sprinkled on and off for a bit but nothing to talk about. The weather was still warm and humid so the rain was very refreshing.

After we got in our steps for the day we headed back to the ship for lunch. Once back at the pier I had one of my favorites… The Coconut Smoothie. We walked around the pier a bit taking selfies with the Christmas trees. Once back on board Lady Q to our surprise North Star was about to open and there was no line. We got a fantastic view of all 4 ships in port as well as the downtown dutch side. The North Star goes up so smoothly that I had to look twice to confirm we had reached the top. Once again the husband who doesn't enjoy heights really liked this one. We snapped so many pics.

All that excitement made us hungry so we headed over to the Windjammer for lunch/snack because it was after 4 only the grill was opened. There were hamburgers fresh off the grill and wide selection of toppings, Applewood sausage, jerk chicken, beef stew and rice and beans. Everything was delish. After all that walking today it was time for a nap.

We started out the evening in Chic for dinner I had the crab cake (excellent choice) followed by the crispy crusted chicken (YUM!) - the sauce tasted just like coconut fried shrimp dipping sauce. Hubby had the Grilled Catalina Shrimp, crab cake and Grilled lamb t bone. We were both still hungry so we spilt an order Mediterranean sea bass. As this was my first time having sea bass I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely recommend all of these dishes. The service on the other hand was lacking.

We were seated next to a couple who lived near by us so we chatted quite a bit. They had the same compliant about the service in the restaurants. But all in all thought that the food was incredibility delicious and were enjoying Lady Q’s beauty.

Following a very delicious meal we headed to the Royal Theatre for Guest performer #1 Joel Mason a Elton John impersonator. I was surprised that the theatre was so empty as it was a great show. I danced and sang the entire time. After the show we went to the Diamond lounge for coffee that I brought back to the room to chill for the morning. I must say that I usually don't enjoy the ships coffee this sailing has been much improved.

Up next Martinique...

[andrea lynn]

Day 6 - Martinique...

Well I have to start by saying that this island got a very bad rap. It was nothing like I read about in the reviews. For starters most people spoke English and US currency was widely accepted. You paid a bit more than the posted euro price, however they honored the 1.25 per euro rate and although they charged tax it was still cheaper than buying Euros back home at the local bank. I honestly believe that I saved money by not purchasing euros in advance. Many folks were using US issued credit cards (the did not charge a conversion fee or tax) but I felt safer using cash.

We started with breakfast in the windjammer and then headed ashore to explore. The pier is painted green and blue and from the pier itself you can see plenty of different well designed homes on one side and the fort on the other side. On the pier itself they had lots a different booths set up selling hand crafted goods, the standard trinkets and some food and drink. I know that they made a big deal as this was Lady Q's first visit to the island. They had all sorts of musical performances going on and there were plenty of well dressed locals lined up with gift in hand waiting to tour the ship. The pier is longer than most and they provide a free shuttle down to the end of the pier. The area was very clean with lots of signage. Some of the signs explained how you can identify what stores accept US dollars and speak English. Having recently visited Paris I used the basic greetings I learned and got great big smiles from the locals. The streets are very narrow (not very suitable for wheelchairs). As we visited on a Saturday there were many locals in town shopping. Our first stop was a souvenir shop that sold a lot of the standard items made in China stamped with Martinique. I was looking for some hand made crafts to remember my trip so we continued on.

Next stop was a local bookstore where we were greeted by a very friendly teenage boy who suggested some sites for us to visit. The bookstore had a large variety of books and high end rum. I felt bad not buying anything but nothing really jumped out at me. At his suggestion we headed to the local market where they were selling lots of fruits, vegetables, spices and more souvenirs made in China. After a loop around the market we were off to the Fort de France Cathedral. It was partially under renovation but you could certain still see lots of it beauty. The pews were wooden slats supported by wrought iron arms. Even the crusafix was different from anything I had ever seen. This is a suggested stop. It was a delightful site. After browsing through a few more souvenir shops we headed over to the local park (La Franaise) and then over to the fort area. There is a small beach along side the fort that many of the cruise passengers were at. We decided to hang out here and dip our feet in the water. It very much reminded me of the Snorkel Park in Bermuda. We sat on the adjacent pier for a while snapping photos and taking selfies in the rain. If the weather had been nicer we probably would have taken the ferry to the beach none the less we had a nice time in Martinique. Our friends on the other hand had taken the ferry over to the other side of the island and were not too happy with the conditions on that end.

Once back aboard Lady Q we made a pit stop for a kummelweck sandwich and after lunch we took a very nice nap in one of the little huts on deck 5 in the Via. It was very comfortable. The hubby must have really been enjoying his nap he was snoring away. As we had gotten our second wind we headed up to deck 14 to see what was happening by the pool. Turns out they just started distributing north tickets so after a short wait we had our second ride. The view up there of the different ports had been breath taking. After all that action it was time for our afternoon nap or at least that was the plan. When we got back to our cabin there was a marching band and some dancers performing on the pier so we hung out and enjoyed the entertainment and cut our nap short.

Our evening started off with dinner in the American Icon Grill. I started with the New England clam chowder and Heartland salad (baby spinach hard boiled eggs, button mushrooms and bacon vinaigrette) for my entree I had the thanksgiving feast topped off with the cookie skillet. The husband had the Ruben turnover (which was delish) for his main course he ordered the Pistachio Crusted Salmon and the Apricot Glazed Pork chop followed by the sugar free berry mousse. Our waiter tonight was Rainbow and he was one of the best we have had all cruise. He was very attentive making sure to always top off our water glasses. Another enjoyable meal.

After dinner we headed over to the music hall for the Groovy Town party. For those who have sailed on the Explorer this is the new and improved 70s night. The venue really is not set up for this type of event as there was a huge turn out but we made the best of it and danced into the wee hours. Everyone was having a blast with Jimmy dressed a John Shaft. The activities staff really got the crowd going. They even got a woman out of her electric wheelchair up on the dance floor for two hours.

Up next Barbados...

[mackfam]

We are sailing on Quantum 13/3/2015. We have never purchased a drinks package before but are considering one this time. I'm trying to figure out if it is worthwhile for us as we are not huge drinkers but I keep reading that most drinks on Quantum are $12. Is this really true. Can somebody tell me what the price for a typical cocktail, such as a rum punch, is going to set me back ( with gratuity but without the keepsake glass). It seems at $12 a pop it wouldn't take many drinks to break even.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Guest maddycat]

I love reading your review. Great information about both the ship and the ports.

When we stop in Old San Juan we always eat at Punto De Vista Restaurant, 307 Calle Fortaleza. The food is always very good (love the mofungo with shrimp in garlic sauce and the fish tacos) and the prices are reasonable. They have the best coconut mojitos.

We also go to the Puerto Rican Art and Crafts Shop, 204 Calle Fortaleza. All the crafts are made by local artists and the quality is excellent. The prices are reasonable also.

[Maraprince]

Just watched the maiden voyage of Oasis yesterday to get a comparison of how the ship is versus the changes that will be made to it to become a "cousin" to Q.

It was amazing to hear how many restaurants Oasis actually has to serve almost twice the amount of passengers that Q has. 15,000 pieces of luggage to be loaded and delivered to passengers. Wow! Q seems to have issues with service in the dining rooms and staff that is not familiar with the menus/choices available. This seems to be a repeating story.

Oasis seems to have the nice flow that Q doesn't. As someone pointed out, Q seems to be built for first time passengers who are used to land based vacation. Roller skating replacing the ice rink and ice shows, bumper cars, flight similator, no longer the Johnny Rockets that you can eat in -- more of a fast food to go now, etc. Also it was pointed out in several travel magazines that too much focus is being placed on the millenials rather than trying to please and attract multi generational families who actually spend more money treating the kids and grandkids.

MARAPRINCE

[andrea lynn]

[quote name='mackfam']We are sailing on Quantum 13/3/2015. We have never purchased a drinks package before but are considering one this time. I'm trying to figure out if it is worthwhile for us as we are not huge drinkers but I keep reading that most drinks on Quantum are $12. Is this really true. Can somebody tell me what the price for a typical cocktail, such as a rum punch, is going to set me back ( with gratuity but without the keepsake glass). It seems at $12 a pop it wouldn't take many drinks to break even.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]
Yes the drinks average about $10, the drink package is worth the money if you consume about 4-6 drinks a day.

[dani negreanu]

[SIZE="3"][COLOR="Purple"][FONT="Comic Sans MS"]Thank you, Andrea, for taking the time to share your experience.
Very well written and an enjoyable reading.

Merry Christmas to everyone,

From the place where IT all started[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE] :D

[andrea lynn]

[quote name='maddycat']I love reading your review. Great information about both the ship and the ports.

When we stop in Old San Juan we always eat at Punto De Vista Restaurant, 307 Calle Fortaleza. The food is always very good (love the mofungo with shrimp in garlic sauce and the fish tacos) and the prices are reasonable. They have the best coconut mojitos.

We also go to the Puerto Rican Art and Crafts Shop, 204 Calle Fortaleza. All the crafts are made by local artists and the quality is excellent. The prices are reasonable also.[/QUOTE]
We have shopped at the Puerto Rican Art and Crafts Shop as well. The man who owns the shop is very nice and loves to chat. We didn't see him there this trip, it seems like he expanded as he had a few women working in the shop that day. The crafts that they were selling in the square at the end of the street where the pier is were much more reasonable as they were displayed by the actually artist we struck up some great conversation. This was a great spot for me to buy trinkets for friends back home. We will have to try Punto De Vista Restaurant next visit. Thanks for the recommendation.

[andrea lynn]

[quote name='Maraprince']Just watched the maiden voyage of Oasis yesterday to get a comparison of how the ship is versus the changes that will be made to it to become a "cousin" to Q.

It was amazing to hear how many restaurants Oasis actually has to serve almost twice the amount of passengers that Q has. 15,000 pieces of luggage to be loaded and delivered to passengers. Wow! Q seems to have issues with service in the dining rooms and staff that is not familiar with the menus/choices available. This seems to be a repeating story.

Oasis seems to have the nice flow that Q doesn't. As someone pointed out, Q seems to be built for first time passengers who are used to land based vacation. Roller skating replacing the ice rink and ice shows, bumper cars, flight similator, no longer the Johnny Rockets that you can eat in -- more of a fast food to go now, etc. Also it was pointed out in several travel magazines that too much focus is being placed on the millenials rather than trying to please and attract multi generational families who actually spend more money treating the kids and grandkids.

MARAPRINCE[/QUOTE]
After many conversations with the dining staff they were very vocal about their complaints... #1 - Being transferred against their wishes (I am not sure how their contract reads however I am sure that RCCL has themselves covered on transfers) #2 - DD caused them to lose out on tips and #3 Overall CHANGE to the MDR (Dynamic Dining). Most of them had worked on the Allure and Oasis so they were certainly use to the hustle and bustle. Had the service been on par with my past RCCL experiences I would have had no objection to nightly tipping, but they couldn't even provide us with the basics like keeping the water glasses full and smiling. While I agree that they now were assigned additional tasks that kept them busy, customer service is a no brainier when you work for tips. We took good care of our stateroom attendant.

I can't agree that the Quantum Class was designed for first time cruisers, as I am not a first time cruiser and I had the BEST vacation ever on board Lady Q! After seeing the shows a few times I want something new/more and that is what Lady Q provided me with. Our sailing didn't have many kids on it, so I cannot comment on the generational experience, but I can say that the older folks were enjoying the bumper cars and I Fly more than I. Even those confined to wheelchairs would hang out in the Sea Plex watching the bumper cars or other activities interacting with the folks participating.

[andrea lynn]

Day Seven - Barbados...

As we had stayed out late last night we decided to sleep a little later before heading ashore. We started the morning off with breakfast in the windjammer and then it was off to Lobster Alive aka Carlisle Beach. It had received rave reviews on cruise critic so how could we not check it out. The cab ride was $5 per person and took about 10 minutes. As soon as I saw the turquoise water I knew I found heaven. We met up with our friends rented chairs no umbrella ($5 ea $5extra if we wanted an umbrella) we also got two voucher for half priced drinks at the bar and free WiFi. They had plenty of water sport activities for a fee. The big attraction was the boat ride to see/snorkel with the turtles. We were just looking to relax and soak up some rays. I had a rum punch as and some conch samosas from the bar. The food was a bit pricey, but tasty. Some of my other ship mates went over to the boat yard and got the same deal however their package included a free shuttle back to the ship. Lobster Alive had a live jazz band playing at the bar, it was very relaxing.

We headed back to the ship around 3:30 to do a little shopping in the mall at the pier. They had a large variety of stores and it gave us another opportunity to visit cariloha and del sol for some free gifts. My husband started collecting poker chips from the Harley Davidson store so he was happy to be able to add Barbados to his collection.

As Lady Q docks at the far end of the shipyard there is a shuttle that will take you to the main terminal. Keep in mind that Barbados is a home port to some other ships so the terminal can get crazy with luggage. Once back on board we headed to the café@270 for a snack. The cafe is not to be missed in addition to the kummelweck they have a nice variety of hold and cold sandwiches, soups and salads. In addition to the roast beef sandwich I highly recommend the Cajun Grilled Shrimp salad. It's 5 very tasty (not spicy) grilled shrimp over lettuce with some dressing on the side. My suggestions from the dessert bar are the oreo cheesecake bite and chocolate peanut butter cup cake. The dessert are mini so it's the perfect size to satisfy a sweet tooth. I also tried the linzar tart cake and the black and white pyramid, they were good but not as good as the others. Thankfully I have several more days to do some more sweet tastings.

After our snack we headed back to our stateroom for our afternoon nap. Oh how I love vacation!

We started our evening off with dinner in Silk. So far Silk and Chic have been my two favorite restaurants. The service in all of the dining venues needs some tweaking but the food itself has been excellent. The food has been top quality and tasty. Tonight we started with the Szechuan pork short ribs, shrimp shumi and thai fried chicken wings in a sesame peanut satay sauce. The chicken wings were amazing, certainly not something I thought I would enjoy as much as I did. Our Waiter Juan was the best we had do far. I made it a point to mention this to the manager of silk. For dinner I had the Hibachi steak with wasabi mashed and stir fried veggies (if only my steak at home would come out this tender) Hubby opted for the Asian Style Duck. For dessert I had the Cardamom Pot Au Crème (Chai Spiced Palmiers – Much like a pudding) Hubby opted for the Strawberry Matcha Pound cake, while the pound cake was amazing I didn’t care much for the Strawberry mouse. During our first visit to Silk they started us out with these delicious fried wonton noodles and chili duck sauce (so delicious), this visit they were serving Papadum - a thin, crisp disc-shaped Indian and Pakistani food typically based on a seasoned dough made from black gram (urad flour), fried or cooked with dry heat with the chili duck sauce. Not as good a the wonton noodles but very tasty.

After dinner we headed to the Music Hall to hear the Quantum of The Sea Orchestra doing their Big Band show. We met up with some of our friends and shared a few laughs. After the Orchestra finished the DJ went on to provide us with some dance music.

Back in our stateroom we our starting a towel animal zoo. So far we have a koala, swan, puppy and an elephant. Best of all they leave them for you to enjoy.

[Maraprince]

[quote name='andrea lynn']After many conversations with the dining staff they were very vocal about their complaints... #1 - Being transferred against their wishes (I am not sure how their contract reads however I am sure that RCCL has themselves covered on transfers) #2 - DD caused them to lose out on tips and #3 Overall CHANGE to the MDR (Dynamic Dining). Most of them had worked on the Allure and Oasis so they were certainly use to the hustle and bustle. Had the service been on par with my past RCCL experiences I would have had no objection to nightly tipping, but they couldn't even provide us with the basics like keeping the water glasses full and smiling. While I agree that they now were assigned additional tasks that kept them busy, customer service is a no brainier when you work for tips. We took good care of our stateroom attendant.

I can't agree that the [COLOR=magenta]Quantum Class was designed for first time cruisers, [/COLOR][COLOR=black]as I am not a first time cruiser[/COLOR] and I had the BEST vacation ever on board Lady Q! After seeing the shows a few times I want something new/more and that is what Lady Q provided me with. Our sailing didn't have many kids on it, so I cannot comment on the generational experience, but I can say that the older folks were enjoying the bumper cars and I Fly more than I. Even those confined to wheelchairs would hang out in the Sea Plex watching the bumper cars or other activities interacting with the folks participating.[/quote]

This is what is being said in travel industry magazines by travel professionals. Q has limited views of the sea, no large main room that can be divided into smaller venues as needed -- either for entainment or dining, RCCL is not breaking new ground with Q as higher end lines provide better wi fi access for free. Cabin bathrooms were in need of better utilization of space as were the cabins themselves. With Oasis they broke new ground with the largest ship afloat and largest passenger capacity, the unusual design of the ship, water show at sea, etc. Q doesn't even come close! Sorry DD is not a new innovation, NCL already beat them on this and does it so much better.

Eliminating assistant waiters will not be a good thing in the long run. Up to now, the Q has not sailed at maximum passenger capacity and in some of the dining venues, the service is poor due to the some of wait staff who are not happy to begin with and passengers asking for items that are a "special" order and should be part of the regular menu. When you have passengers asking for items over and over in different restaurants, RCCL should consider adding them to the regular menu. This would cut down on the extra time involved with the discussion that ensues between waiter and diners both wanting and requesting items not on the menu.

If your staff is not happy, it affects the mood of the entire ship. You have to remember that for some of the staff they will be switched again in less than 6 months when Q goes to Asia! Sure this affects their tips. Just when they are getting to know Q, they will start the process all over again with another ship.

The best thing to come out of Q being in Bayonne is the upgraded terminal that was long overdue.

MARAPRINCE

[andrea lynn]

Day Eight - St Kitts...

This is one of our favorite ports. As we weren't due into port until 11am we slept in after all we are on vacation. To our surprise when we opened the curtain at 9:30 we were sailing along the coast of Nevis. Such a beautiful island.

After packing our bag for the day we headed up to the Windjammer for some breakfast. As there was no wait at the omlette station I decided to treat myself to an egg white omelet with spinach, bacon and cheese. As I am not much of a breakfast eater this was a big deal for me. It was delish, it was so big I could only eat half. Hubby has his usually scrambled with corn beef hash. The new windjammer has a larger selection and everything was piping hot. There are two omelet stations in the front area of the windjammer and the lines have been light, however it is important to note that in the back of the Windjammer in the made to order section they also make omelets and after you place your order they give you a pager so there is no more waiting on line.

After breakfast we headed down to the Royal Esplanade to meet our friends so we could catch a taxi to the beach. We usually go to Frigate Beach, so this trip we wanted to try something new. As we were walking around the pier we met Gregory (taxi driver) who suggested that we head to South Friars beach. The cost was $10 per person round trip as we agreed to a pick up time he said we could pay on the return trip. On the way to the beach we stopped at the point to check out the amazing view. This is a must see. On one side you look down towards the Marriot Resort and the waves of the Atlantic crashing into the jetties and on the far end (the most breathe taking view I have ever seen) you look down on a narrow section of the island with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other side. Gorgeous!!! Turns out Gregory took us to Carambola Beach Club. Before the cruise based on cruise critic I knew that the beach chairs were sold out. No biggie we threw down our towels and headed for the water. It was beautiful and very calm. It was so clear I could see the fish swimming between my feet. So relaxing. This resort is very upscale with the cleanest bathrooms I have ever seen. It was a hot one so we made sure to reapply our sunscreen several times. The beach was packed but it never really felt crowd. Today there were four ships in port - which is rare. We were the last in at 10:15. There wasn't a cloud in the sky making for a perfect day! I highly recommend Carambola however you need to keep in mind that they fill up quick so chairs may not be easy to rent. Either way you will not be disappointed, best part is there was no entrance fee. They had tons of water sport stuff for rent and the bar staff was always around to take your order. The newest Caribbean water sport is this water sky surfing thingy where you are strapped into ski like boats towed by a jetski that is hooked up to a fire hose and propels you into the air. It was very interesting to watch. I always travel with my foldable spring float and while I was floating around minding my business these Parisians tried to hijack my float. They even offered me $5. Funny. Apparently they are in San Juan for a month hopping from cruise ship to cruise ship. (Sadly they were on the Oceania cruise that had the boiler fire)

We headed back to the pier around 4:30 to do some shopping at the craft market. This is by far one of my favorite craft markets. It is sort of hidden behind all of the name brand stores, but if you head straight down the square past all the stores you see this straw market were a majority of the goods are hand made crafts from the island. I have my favorite vendors so after a quick loop around I made my purchases. We met up with our friends and hung out at one of the bars in the main square before heading back to the ship to relax before dinner. On the way to the room I stopped by the promenade cafe for shrimp salad sandwich, so yum! Hubby went over to Café@270 for their delicious roast beef we met back at the room and ate out on the balcony watching the Jewel sail off to her next port. It was so nice to see a lot of the dining staff on deck at the rear of the Jewel catching a glimpse of Lady Q. I love late sail aways as it gave us the chance to sit on the balcony and watch the sunset over St Kitts. Sailing in and out of St Kitts is so nice as you hug the coast. What a site.

For dinner we went to Chic. My best dining experiences have been at Silk and Chic. Tonight our waiter was Akhish from Mauritius. He was on the ball, very attentive, he checked on us during each course and made sure that our water glasses were never empty. Prior to joining the Quantum he had worked on several ships on in the fleet, while he wasn't unhappy working on this ship he shared some of the challenges faced by the staff brought on by Dynamic Dining. He and his assistant had great chemistry and kept things on point. He explained to us that is coworker are very unhappy that they were transfered to this ship against their will and this new style of dining has actually made their job harder, as they now how more responsibilities in the dining room. More importantly they are losing out on tips. I can totally understand their disappointment however from my perspective had the nightly service been acceptable I would have tipped beyond the automatic gratuities. With the implementation of the tablets the waiters are now assigned more tasks in the dining room leaving them very little time to address the basics like refilling the water, sweeping away the crumbs, taking away the dirty plates and most importantly checking on the guests during each course. Possibly if the waiters had fewer tables the service would be better. They still have assistant waiters, however they work behind the scene in the kitchen ensuring that one an order is ready it is brought out to the table - more like runners. I have also seen the assistant using a cart to bring back the dirty dishes. I only saw this in Chic and Silk. In the other venues the dirty dishes were scattered all over the galley. I was most surprised to see this in Grande. Thankfully the food has been wonderful, so I won't hold the poor service against the staff.

Tonight for dinner I had the crab cakes, catalin grilled shrimp and the lamb chops. For dessert I decided to try something new - the chocolate gnache topped with crumbled pretzels. It was tasty but to rich for me. The hubby started with the catalin grilled shrimp and crab cake and for dinner he had the roasted ribeye and the Australian Brummundi - it was delish. For dessert he had the chocolate gelato which was heavenly.

After dinner we headed to two70 to see Starwater. It was a wonderful production that combines singing, dancing, technology and acrobatics. It was a great show. It’s amazing how well two70 transforms. Following the show we headed over to the music hall for the battle of the DJs. They did a great job starting with music from the 60s 70s 80s and 90s. There is this one old woman who loves to dance up a storm only problem is that she has no rhythm and is very stiff. She looks like a tea pot about to tip over. I give her a lot of credit for getting up there and strutting her stuff, it was very comical to watch. Like myself many others felt sorry for her and got up and tried to teach her moves. What a great way to end the evening.

[andrea lynn]

Day Nine Sea Day III...

Did I mention how much I love sea days...

We started out our day at the windjammer for breakfast. We met our friend Dave in the Windjammer and sat around talking for a while. By the way during breakfast in the fresh baked cookie area they have a variety of fresh breads and I was pleasantly surprised to find the pumpkin seed roll topped with the baked cheese. It is so delish and such a sweet memory of the Explorer. This morning I decided to stuff my omelet into the roll for a delish treat.

After breakfast we headed up to book another IFly session for tomorrow. Hubby did a mile and a half around the track while I typed my review and soaked up the sun. While the seas are beginning to kick up a bit the sky was blue and the sun was baking hot. There were lots of folks lying around enjoying another day at sea. While there have been some posts about the lack of chairs there were plenty to be found around deck 15.

In the afternoon we took in a special screening of DreamWork's Penguins of Madagascar in 3D. What an awesome experience. I brought some of the zepploes from the Promenade Café to snack on during the movie. YUM - You must try them!!! After the movie we bumped into some friends who just booked Anthem of the Seas for January 2016. We will look into it when we get home, as it sounds like a great itinerary.

We stopped in Sorrentino for an afternoon snack. I don't believe the pizza is nearly as good as it was on the Explorer. We spent the afternoon walking around the ship making sure to get pics of all of the exciting sights, including the artwork.

After our afternoon nap we headed to the Royal Theater to see Sonic Oddessey. It is a great show with all sorts of unusual home made instruments combined with singing and dancing performances from the Royal Singers and Dancers. It was unlike any type of show I had ever seen. It was very popular as the theater was packed. I don't think there was an empty seat in the house. William Close designed the instruments including the Earth Harp and will be performing for the first month before handing over the reigns to a cast member. This show should not be missed.

After the show we headed to dinner at Coastal Kitchen. We were lucky enough to receive a special invite as this restaurant is reserved exclusively for suite guests and pinacle members. Coastal Kitchen is a blend of Mediterranean and Calorfornia cuisine. To start I had the roasted and stuffed Zucchini-heaven! I am going to try this at home. They hollow out a zucchini - roast it and stuff it with ricotta and seasoned bread crumbs and for a little kick they put it on top of some fra diavolo sauce. I also had the Grilled Prawn and Arugula Salad - minus the arugula as they have seemed to have run out of arugula on this sailing and have been using iceberg as a substitute. As I am not a fan of iceberg I just picked through the salad and ate the tasty shrimp. For my entree I had the carmelized scallops with string beans and toasted almonds. Hubby had the prawn salad as well and the fisherman's plate (mussels, clams and shrimp over san marzano tomatoes) and the grilled beef rib eye. The beef was so tender you could practically cut it was a fork. Our dinner was absoulety delish! I am so happy that we received this special invite. For dessert our waitress Shelly had recommended the Cafe Con Leche however there were so many other choices on the dessert menu that appealed to us. As she was disappointed that we had not ordered as per her suggestions she brought us out the Cafe Con Leche anyway in addition to the tirmusi and salted caramel pudding that we ordered. Well Shelly was right the Cafe Con Leche was heavenly! My favorite. The hubby really enjoyed his tiramisu . The presentation was awesome they served the tiramisu in a small mason jar on a bamboo platter. This venue on accommodates 128 people and wasn't very crowded. A large party sitting opposite us must have been frequent guests there as they request a visit from the Captain. And just like that he popped his head in said hi and disappeared. After this sailing he will be going on vacation so the next captain has been shadowing on this voyage to get learn the ropes.

After dinner we headed to our favorite venue...the Music Hall for the part 2 of Groovy Town. Hubby has really been stepping out of his box on this cruise as he was dancing up a storm, so much so that we were one of three couples selected for the chic la freak dance off. While we came in second place all three couples received some pretty neat gift baskets with all sorts of Royal Caribbean logo items. Very Exciting! Jimmy did a great job engaging the guest and getting them out on the dance floor.

After dancing the night away we headed up to the Windjammer to grab a snack from the 24 hour grill. This is a real hidden secret as it took us 9 days to find out that the grill was really opened 24 hours. I had french fries for the first time this sailing and the hubby made himself some sort of wrap with grill chicken and veggies. They had a nice selection of snacks available.

Funny thing I must share about the public restrooms... For the life of me I cannot figure out why folks don't lock the doors. Many times I have walked in some else doing their business. My advice is to slowly open the door and if you don't hear any screams it is safe to proceed. The technology enhancements in the public restrooms include buttons to open the door which are very easy to hit with your elbow and self flushing toilets. Well anyone who has every been on a cruise is familiar with that running noise that a flushing toilet makes from the suction, well I nearly had a heart attack the first time the toilet flushed while I was doing my business. I thought for sure that I was going to be transported through the ship. Thankfully that was not the case. Not all of the toilets are working properly so sometimes you have to swing the door back and forth to activate the sensor so it flushes.

[Jimmers]

sorry, double post Edited December 25, 2014 by Jimmers
double post

[Jimmers]

"After dancing the night away we headed up to the Windjammer to grab a snack from the 24 hour grill. This is a real hidden secret as it took us 9 days to find out that the grill was really opened 24 hours. I had french fries for the first time this sailing and the hubby made himself some sort of wrap with grill chicken and veggies. They had a nice selection of snacks available".


Yes, it really was hidden. And if I hadn't saved the cruise compass I would've never known where. On the back page under Open Hours it states that the Windjammer is open 24hrs. But inside the Cruise Compass in the Daily Planner under the Dinner and Coffee sections it states that the Windjammer closes at 9pm and under the Snacks section there is no mention of it at all as an option.

[dccruisin]

Thanks for the review. We are on the January 3rd sailing and glad to see some positive reviews. I have a question. It is my understanding from another review that there is NOT a sauna, steam room or even shower area in the spa/gym area? Is this true?
We go to the gym each morning workout then hit the sauna/steam room. On the RCCL wwebsite is looks like they may have those warm lounging chair. We had been on another RCCL ship and paid for the use of special spa area (can't remember what they called it) do they have this on Quantum? If so do you know the cost?
Linda

[Jimmers]

[quote name='dccruisin'] It is my understanding from another review that there is NOT a sauna, steam room or even shower area in the spa/gym area? Is this true?
[/quote]

Your understanding is correct. We asked the gym personnel where the locker room was and they sent us down to the Spa on 15. The spa personnel told us it was on for the use of spa customers.

[andrea lynn]

Another day at sea...

Started the morning off with a PB&J English muffin in the windjammer. I am not sure what kind of peanut butter they have on board but it is DELICIOUS!!! It had a brand name that I had never seen before (Maybe German???), it was fresh and simply delish! After breakfast we walked around for a bit made a few purchases at the Logo Store and then headed to our 12:40 appointment for I fly. Of course we were there very early so we hung around watching the flow rider. It's a bit breezy out so there is a slight little rock. In comparison to other ships she is much gentler. For those who have cruised before you will know what I am talking about when I say that there is no Humm in the back of the ship which is normally the MDR that Humm is what usually sets my ears off. She is definitely a much smoother ride and much quieter. It's been so smooth in often forget we are at sea and the seas have been far from quiet.

Our instructor for our flight today was Callen. I knew the minute I met him that he was going to be a lot of fun. After getting weighed we headed in to the classroom to watch the instructional video and review the hand signals. Yes even although we did this during the first flight we needed to repeat it for our second flight. Callen actually was a little more thorough with his instructions. Next we suited up, took some pics and headed up to the wind tunnel. This time I was the 3rd to fly. I had a blast, I was much more relaxed so I enjoyed much more exciting flight. Only thing is my face mashed around like it was plastic I looked so strange, I suppose that is what I would look like after plastic surgery ( a bad job of course). The hubby didn't enjoy his second flight as much as his first, but in general we really enjoyed the experience.

After our flight we decided to walk each of the three staircases to check out all of the unique artwork. Yes all 16 floors times three. There are a lot of inspiring sayings. Our favorite so far has been the ticker down on deck 4. It is a wall with these moving disks that constantly change and display either words of a picture of the words previously displayed. It is very interesting.

We popped in on the captain's corner being held in two70. Normally this event is held in the theatre so the place was packed. While the dining staff is truly disgruntled, I felt that the passengers asking questions (or I should say voicing their opinions) were a little hard on the Captain and Senior Staff. Most of the issues were complaints not questions and would have been more appropriate for the guest survey. I must have been sailing on a totally different ship this past week as I did not encounter any of their issues. Interestingly enough no one mention the staff's lack of moral, instead they used the forum to complain about the dynamic dining concept. In life all things have to change and if you embrace it rather than fight it the experience will be more enjoyable. I personally loved having a different decor each night. The menus provided enough choices that I never got bored with dinner. It's not to say that I didn't miss the MDR waiter but I had no issue with this new concept of dining. We never went hungry and the presentation was very pleasing.

We wanted to change our dinner reservations for this evening so we could dine with friends. Once again the dining staff is so lack luster, that when I requested the change I was informed that I had two bookings for this evening. I explained that I understood but I didn't need 2 different reservations. She had no clue what I was talking about and told me to have a good day. Clearly this is one if the reasons the restaurants are so disorganized.

We stopped by the windjammer for some fresh baked cookies. I know I will miss these once I am back home. After our snack we headed to our cabin for a nap.

This evening we started off in the sea plex for some rock n roll bumper cars. Once again we had a blast bumping all over the place. They were playing one of my favorite Beatles sings so I was bumping and bobbing to the beat.

After some fun we went to check out our I fly photos and headed to meet our friends at Chic for dinner. Chic has been my favorite restaurant. The crab cake has been my favorite appetizer it is by far the best I have ever had! This evening I started off with the crab cake and beef carpaccio followed by the Mediterranean Sea Bass - so yum! Hubby had the mozzarella and beef salad and the crab cake followed by the beef rib eye and Australian Barrimundi.

After dinner we headed to the Music Hall to dance the night away. I really enjoyed the Rockie Okie. It is Karaoke using a live band. The folks who got up to sing were great. I am sure signing to live music has to have a different feel than piped in Karaoke version. Another awesome night aboard the Quantum.