Live from Quantum of the Seas - 3 Jan

[Newsbuff16]

Thanks for posting...looking forward to reading more of your review!

[NY212]

I was just logging in to start my own "live from Quantum" thread, but you beat me to it.

 

By and large, my impressions are similar, but not identical to those of the OP.

 

After seeing so many negative comments on these boards, I had gotten nervous. Thus far, aside from muster and some trivial things, everything has been very good. And I thought so before we were told about free wifi!

 

Off to meet & mingle.

[mb466]

Thank you we are looking forward to your post

[lenquixote66]

My wife and I will be on the Quantum next Sunday .Looking forward to read everything you write.:)

[FamilyCruiseDiva]

I was just reading through all the mostly-negative reviews of this new, much-hyped ship and beginning to conclude that I wouldn't want to take a chance.

Now.... I will hold off on a decision until more well-rounded and hopefully positive experiences like yours are added.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time during your cruise to keep us all updated! I will definitely be following this thread through your final day. :D

[floridaglen]

Subscribing, interested in hearing your views first hand, thanks :)

[Hoopster95]

I was just reading through all the mostly-negative reviews of this new, much-hyped ship and beginning to conclude that I wouldn't want to take a chance.

Now.... I will hold off on a decision until more well-rounded and hopefully positive experiences like yours are added.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time during your cruise to keep us all updated! I will definitely be following this thread through your final day. :D

 

Great review so far OP. Thank you. I'm so glad you are having a great time! :D

 

FamilyCruseDiva, there are several positive but balanced reviews with pros and cons.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2137643

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2137662

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2133545&highlight=loutheglue

Edited January 4, 2015 by Hoopster95

[Dave85]

Enjoying your review OP! Glad to hear you has a positive first night dining room experience.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[cfrance44]

I don't think so, since Quantum does not have a Park Cafe.

 

I suppose you could think of it this way: Quantum has the Two70 Cafe INSTEAD OF the Park Cafe.

 

:)

 

Sorry, meant say Café Promenade, not Park Café!

[cfrance44]

Good day to all! Forgot to mention we are in an interior virtual balcony stateroom on Deck 7. The ship did rock a lot last night and into today as the seas are pretty rough. I'd estimate 10-12 foot seas this morning. We were making over 22 knots last night so we were really "sailing" through those rough seas! I don't think my stateroom is any more noisy than any other I've been in. I wanted to provide a few miscellaneous thoughts I've gathered today so far (posting this about 1 hour after lunch). Bumper cars and Northstar canceled today due to rough seas.

 

Some cool things you can do on a technologically advanced ship: We were able to sign waivers for iFly, roller skating, rock climbing, etc using our stateroom television. The wifi has excellent speed and coverage. I have been connected at over 74 Mbps - just about as good as home. While you need to put a card in the wall socket to activate the lights in your room, it appears they stay on for a little bit after you pull the card out. This helps when you are leaving and you want to take your card with you! Also, the elevators have these large lights covering the entire opening that glow red or green to show if its going up or down. Very easy to see and know which elevator is showing up.

 

Some not so cool things happening: Although I am not in the "soda club", it appears none of the machines are working. I noticed neither of the two in the Windjammer and nor in Sorentos are working. Also, there are lemonade, Kiwi, and Mango dispensers in the Windjammer which just put out water. One or two of them have "out of order" signs but the others have people lined up to get water. There is at least one elevator in the aft part of the ship that has a high pitched whine while you are inside. Its enough to drive one crazy! Also, we noticed during muster in the theatre, that the "orchestra seats", those on the floor in the center are probably some of the worst seats in the house. The slope of the floor isn't sufficient to raise the seats far enough to see over the people in front of you. I am 5' 10" tall and could barely see the stage over the seat back in front of me. It might be better in the first few rows with the elevated stage but it looks like the better seats are in the balcony and on the sides. I'll let you know our thoughts after Mama Mia tonight. These are small nuisances for me but wanted to mention there are still growing pains going on.

 

Breakfast and lunch today: We went to American Icon for a sit down breakfast around 9:00 AM. We were seated immediately and were eating our main course within 15 minutes. Food was as ordered and warm. There is also a buffet are for cereals, pastries, fruit, etc. We went to Windjammer for lunch around 12:30 and it was pretty crowded. We sat near the cookie ovens. Real fun to watch the "pilgrims" come running when the cookies are brought out. The smell gets to everyone! I wasn't that hungry but my wife found a nice selection of foods to sample. I didn't notice any real traffic problems around the food areas. Also, folks tend to gather near the front when there is plenty of seating in the rear also. Of course, that tends to be further from the food.

 

Using the Gym and Seaplex: After breakfast we stopped by Chic to change our dinner reservation to 5:30 so we have more time before Mama Mia tonight. No problem changing so we went up to seaplex for some ping pong and foosball. There is an area for 3 or 4 XboxOnes that was already crowded with numerous teens and adults playing or waiting to play. We hit the gym (deck 16 forward)around 10:30 and found it pretty crowded. Still, I didn't have to wait long for a recumbent cycle. The treadmills and ellipticals are arranged in a semi-circle around the front of the ship looking out at sea. Nice new equipment!

 

Dinner tonight is at Chic followed by Mama Mia which goes from 8:30 to 11:00 so I probably wont post again until tomorrow. I'll try to answer some questions if any more show up. Thanks for following!

[FamilyCruiseDiva]

Hoopster95, thank you for the links!

 

So far, I've only read those in the Reviews section at the front of the site and had only just begun browsing for more in the Forum when I found this thread.

 

I will read them all (have already begun reading yours lol), and continue following along with this thread as well.

Thanks again! :D

Edited January 4, 2015 by FamilyCruiseDiva

[Nhsaltshaker]

Subscribing and hanging on every word. Have fun!

[suzyluvs2cruise]

Dinner tonight is at Chic followed by Mama Mia which goes from 8:30 to 11:00 so I probably wont post again until tomorrow. I'll try to answer some questions if any more show up. Thanks for following!

 

Thanks for taking us along with you. We did 21 nights on Lady Q and enjoyed Mama Mia three times. What an amazing show!! Once front row Right and the other 2 times front row Left. IMHO these were great seats. Agree that site lines in the theater aren't so great.

[rcr623]

Thanks cfrance44 for your posts! We are going on Quantum's sister ship, Anthem OTS, the summer of 2015. We are looking forward to being on the new ship despite the negative reviews for Quantum. We would be very interested in your opinions concerning Dynamic Dining whiles you're on board. We have already made reservations for both complimentary and "for fee" restaurants for all 14 nights. We're very excited for the whole experience. Have a great and safe cruise!

[RoyalFan2011]

What has the temperature when like so far? I have always wondered how long it would take to get to warm outdoor weather.

[Life is Good Cruising]

What has the temperature when like so far? I have always wondered how long it would take to get to warm outdoor weather.

 

We've been on Explorer many times out of Bayonne and always by the 2nd sea day, it is warm enough to use the pool.

[Life is Good Cruising]

Good day to all! Forgot to mention we are in an interior virtual balcony stateroom on Deck 7. The ship did rock a lot last night and into today as the seas are pretty rough. I'd estimate 10-12 foot seas this morning. We were making over 22 knots last night so we were really "sailing" through those rough seas! I don't think my stateroom is any more noisy than any other I've been in. I wanted to provide a few miscellaneous thoughts I've gathered today so far (posting this about 1 hour after lunch). Bumper cars and Northstar canceled today due to rough seas.

 

Some cool things you can do on a technologically advanced ship: We were able to sign waivers for iFly, roller skating, rock climbing, etc using our stateroom television. The wifi has excellent speed and coverage. I have been connected at over 74 Mbps - just about as good as home. While you need to put a card in the wall socket to activate the lights in your room, it appears they stay on for a little bit after you pull the card out. This helps when you are leaving and you want to take your card with you! Also, the elevators have these large lights covering the entire opening that glow red or green to show if its going up or down. Very easy to see and know which elevator is showing up.

 

Some not so cool things happening: Although I am not in the "soda club", it appears none of the machines are working. I noticed neither of the two in the Windjammer and nor in Sorentos are working. Also, there are lemonade, Kiwi, and Mango dispensers in the Windjammer which just put out water. One or two of them have "out of order" signs but the others have people lined up to get water. There is at least one elevator in the aft part of the ship that has a high pitched whine while you are inside. Its enough to drive one crazy! Also, we noticed during muster in the theatre, that the "orchestra seats", those on the floor in the center are probably some of the worst seats in the house. The slope of the floor isn't sufficient to raise the seats far enough to see over the people in front of you. I am 5' 10" tall and could barely see the stage over the seat back in front of me. It might be better in the first few rows with the elevated stage but it looks like the better seats are in the balcony and on the sides. I'll let you know our thoughts after Mama Mia tonight. These are small nuisances for me but wanted to mention there are still growing pains going on.

 

Breakfast and lunch today: We went to American Icon for a sit down breakfast around 9:00 AM. We were seated immediately and were eating our main course within 15 minutes. Food was as ordered and warm. There is also a buffet are for cereals, pastries, fruit, etc. We went to Windjammer for lunch around 12:30 and it was pretty crowded. We sat near the cookie ovens. Real fun to watch the "pilgrims" come running when the cookies are brought out. The smell gets to everyone! I wasn't that hungry but my wife found a nice selection of foods to sample. I didn't notice any real traffic problems around the food areas. Also, folks tend to gather near the front when there is plenty of seating in the rear also. Of course, that tends to be further from the food.

 

Using the Gym and Seaplex: After breakfast we stopped by Chic to change our dinner reservation to 5:30 so we have more time before Mama Mia tonight. No problem changing so we went up to seaplex for some ping pong and foosball. There is an area for 3 or 4 XboxOnes that was already crowded with numerous teens and adults playing or waiting to play. We hit the gym (deck 16 forward)around 10:30 and found it pretty crowded. Still, I didn't have to wait long for a recumbent cycle. The treadmills and ellipticals are arranged in a semi-circle around the front of the ship looking out at sea. Nice new equipment!

 

Dinner tonight is at Chic followed by Mama Mia which goes from 8:30 to 11:00 so I probably wont post again until tomorrow. I'll try to answer some questions if any more show up. Thanks for following!

 

Were there assistant waiters in American Icon? Someone else that is posting live indicated they had assistant waiters in Silk last night. Wondering if all the restaurants now have assistants waiters?

 

I totally agree with you about the seats in the Royal theater, there is hardly any elevation from one row to the next and my DH is over 6'. Both of us could hardly see the stage and had to move and find seats on the side that had more of an elevation. Mamma Mia was very good, enjoy your cruise!

[iceburg1]

 

Using the Gym and Seaplex: After breakfast we stopped by Chic to change our dinner reservation to 5:30 so we have more time before Mama Mia tonight. No problem changing so we went up to seaplex for some ping pong and foosball. There is an area for 3 or 4 XboxOnes that was already crowded with numerous teens and adults playing or waiting to play. We hit the gym (deck 16 forward)around 10:30 and found it pretty crowded. Still, I didn't have to wait long for a recumbent cycle. The treadmills and ellipticals are arranged in a semi-circle around the front of the ship looking out at sea. Nice new equipment!

 

Thanks again for all the info in your live report.

Did you happen to notice if the TV's on the ellipticals are working? Someone on a prior cruise said the TV's were not working in the fitness center.

Thanks

[CyberTag]

Following. We are cruising on Anthem in May and very interested to hear about the Quantum.

[cfrance44]

What has the temperature when like so far? I have always wondered how long it would take to get to warm outdoor weather.

 

We were actually quite warm the first day at sea but that's because there was a warm front in the mid Atlantic region. By the end of the first sea day you are at approximately the Carolinas so it starts to get warmer. Today we are already south of Florida at just after lunch time. The ship is making over 23 knots this morning. Very fast ship!

[cfrance44]

Thanks again for all the info in your live report.

Did you happen to notice if the TV's on the ellipticals are working? Someone on a prior cruise said the TV's were not working in the fitness center.

Thanks

 

I did not notice if the elliptical/treadmill TV channels are working. I know that the screend work to provide information like calories, etc but unsure if you can get a TV channel (e.g. CNN) like in your stateroom. I did a "outdoor" ride where you go along the scenic San Francisco shoreline.

[cfrance44]

Were there assistant waiters in American Icon? Someone else that is posting live indicated they had assistant waiters in Silk last night. Wondering if all the restaurants now have assistants waiters?

 

I totally agree with you about the seats in the Royal theater, there is hardly any elevation from one row to the next and my DH is over 6'. Both of us could hardly see the stage and had to move and find seats on the side that had more of an elevation. Mamma Mia was very good, enjoy your cruise!

 

It appears that there is "help" for the waiters in the form of someone to help clear the table, get water, etc. At lunch today in American Icon we had one waiter handling beverages whilst another handled food orders. Although they appeared to trade off between tables they were serving.

 

Also, looking at the theatre last night, it appears the last row of purple seats up near the sound board are the worst in that they are directly behind the seats n front. There is a slight rise on the main part of the floor. However, the side seats have a much greater elevation rise between rows.

[cfrance44]

Good afternoon! Lovely weather today as we are presently just south of Florida. The choppy seas eased up a bit yesterday afternoon (first sea day) and were rea lly calm this morning. Ship was making over 23 knots according to in room TV. This ship has a compressed air bubble system that is supposed to make it more efficient gliding through the water. It is certainly the fastest ship I've been on. Not sure I ever made better than 22 knots.

 

Dinner at Chic (Day 2): Wonderful experience. DW had cod and I had crispy chicken that was breaded wonderfully with a honey Dijon jus! Service was great and we were seated with no wait at 5:30. From arrival to departure was maybe 75 minutes total. Not bad at all for an MDR. I found myself saying how the décor and everything about the place was so... wait for it... Chic!! I like how each MDR has a different theme. It works really well ** A NOTE ABOUT DYNAMIC DINING ** I'm not going to comment on other's thoughts about the same waiter every night or other things, just my impressions of DD. I don't mind making reservations and have had no trouble changing the one time I tried to do (albeit to an early seating). Reservations can be made at the restaurants or on your stateroom TV in addition to online ahead of time. Keep in mind that they say to allow 2 hours for your meal. So, think about trying to get a 7 PM time when they open at 5:30. That means almost everyone who was seated before you is STILL IN THE RESTAURANT!! So, it gets much harder to seat everyone as the night moves later. Keep in mind that you will most likely not be eating your main course for up to 1 hour after your arrival time. Of course, this is the same with any MDR. Just some thoughts. As we left Chic (Deck 3) we noticed almost no line outside and the place was maybe 75% full. However, there were lines outside The Grande (right across the hall). We walked up the stairwell that goes between the 4 MDRs and saw a long line outside American Icon and Silk as well. Most appeared to be in the "reservations" line vice the standby line.

 

Mama Mia: There are entrances to the theatre on deck 4 and 5. Apparently, no one mans the door on deck 5 as some people were "sneaking" in there was we were walking down to Deck 4. On deck 4, the line was already about 40 people long on the port side (heading back towards the Royal Esplanade) and there was a large gaggle of passengers gathered on the starboard side bunched up against the Music Hall. This was at 7:30 for an 8:30 PM start time!! The doors were opened about 45 minutes prior to the show and we got great seats on the port side just off center in the first row of blue seats. Great site lines. Again, the blue seats have approximately 2 steps difference in height between rows whereas the floor seats aren't more than 6 inches in height difference between rows. The sound was great, the production is pretty good. I have seen many Broadway plays and this was better than some of them. The talent was much better than I have seen on some RCCL productions. These singers had better vocal range and clarity than many others. I do recommend seeing the show. It is 2 1/2 hours long with a 15 minute intermission about 75 minutes into it. The 8:30 show was over about 11:00 and we headed up to our stateroom to retire for the night. Partial Day 3 review coming including NORTHSTAR!

[cruiselife4me]

Thank you for taking me along on your awesome ride aboard Quantum. I have to travel vicariously through you at the moment although I really want to take this ship in the future. (kid in college eating up all my money...heh.)

 

Mary

[LBumb]

good job