Quantum May 9, 2022 7 Nights Alaska Not Very Live

[Catmoon]

On 5/10/2022 at 2:37 PM, twangster said:

If anyone has been on Anthem or Ovation this ship feels identical except for subtle differences like the window seating in the Solarium.

 

 

 

 

 

Later sister ships have more loungers near the windows as I recall.

 

My cabin is a standard balcony cabin and looks identical to any Anthem or Ovation cabin I've ever had.  If I teleported to Anthem and back most places on the ship are identical and I wouldn't be able to tell you which ship is which in most places around the ship.

Do they still have the electric kettles in the balcony cabins?

[twangster]

2 hours ago, Catmoon said:

Do they still have the electric kettles in the balcony cabins?

No.  

[snaefell]

On 5/13/2022 at 7:25 PM, scho7623 said:

Wow this is amazing @twangster! I thoroughly enjoyed reading every comment and every picture you posted! I really appreciate it. We are onboarding this coming Monday 5/16 on the same Quantum ship, and this is our first time cruising ever! We are so excited and even more excited after seeing all these beautiful pictures 😄 As a cruise veteran, do you have any piece of advice to cruise noobs like us? What should we not miss, and what are some things we must do?

She is a beautiful ship IMO,we found her so light & airy,real quirky artwork.

The 270 is a lovely room,yes sitting in the Solarium hot tubs looking out over the bow is lovely,as is going out on the ' wing's & getting a great view down the sides of the ship.

We found sitting watching the Flowrider & I-Fly fun but do' t really see the point of the Northstar,looking down on a cruise ship from a great height doesn't t really excited me- we are all different!

As for dining,we were on her repo cruise from China to Singapore,after a bad experience in the MDR on the second night of the cruise we ate at the Windjammer,usually outside at the stern where we enjoyed many nights watching electric storms lighting up the Night sky,beautiful,may not be quite so magical in Alaska as it was in the South China Sea though,it was pretty warm there!

Thanks for the great photos guys👍👍

Edited May 15, 2022 by snaefell

[Tree_skier]

Loving your review as always @twangster.  Plans for Victoria?

[twangster]

Looking over my account in the app I noticed I apparently bought a drink package yesterday.  When I inquired at guest services they said I upgraded my Refreshment package to the Deluxe Beverage Package.  I pointed out I never bought the Refreshment package (or attempted to upgrade it).  🤣

 

It's since been removed.  Moral of the story... keep an eye on your account which is one feature of the app that does seem to work well.  

 

 

Passing through the indoor family pool I saw there weren't any kids swimming (rare) so I grabbed a photo.

 

 

This is when I first noted that we had switched back to O3b Voom (but it occured at some point before this).

 

 

 

The WiFi signal in my cabin remains a PITA.  I've found a work around though which I've been using to upload all these photos throughout this cruise.  IT has insisted they looked at it and rebooted the access point outside my cabin. 🤷‍♂️

 

 

With my door cracked open that's all it takes to get usable wifi signal in my room and photo uploads don't fail plus I can make wifi phone calls like I just did to fix the missing points that posted incorrectly for Serenade last week.  They are fixed now.

 

Honestly Voom has performed fairly well for an Alaskan cruise.  Voom will never be what people are used to at home.  With home internet speeds going up year after year, Voom on ships has remained the same so it seems like its getting worse when in reality people are just getting used to better and better performance at home.  When I've cracked open my door or taken my laptop to the lounge it's worked pretty well for a cruise this far North. 

 

No complaints about Voom, cabin WiFi signal is another story.

[twangster]

Day Seven - Sea Day in the morning, Victoria 4pm Arrival

 

Progress report this morning:

 

Conditions:  Overcast with light rain.

 

 

The ship has a very slight motion to it like riding on a light rail or subway train.  A subway car has a little more motion compared to what we are feeling this morning but occasionally the hangars in the closet are swinging a little bit making that familiar sound.

 

For me it's nothing but I would imagine for some who are more sensitive to motion you might want to have something packed like bonine or dramamine.  During an announcement yesterday the Captain did say we could experience up to 2m or ~6 - 7' waves today.

[twangster]

4 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Loving your review as always @twangster.  Plans for Victoria?

 

85% chance of rain today just popped up on my watch.

 

I think I'll make a game day decision once we are near the port.  It's one of those evening stops required to satisfy the PVSA and make the cruise legal but it spans dinner time so either I eat off the ship or just stay on the ship.  I may wander around the harbor area, it's quite nice there, but if there is a long line and we have to wear a mask until we get out of the port area I might skip it.

[Tree_skier]

8 minutes ago, twangster said:

 

85% chance of rain today just popped up on my watch.

 

I think I'll make a game day decision once we are near the port.  It's one of those evening stops required to satisfy the PVSA and make the cruise legal but it spans dinner time so either I eat off the ship or just stay on the ship.  I may wander around the harbor area, it's quite nice there, but if there is a long line and we have to wear a mask until we get out of the port area I might skip it.

I've never been to Victoria on a cruise ship.  How much of a walk is it down to the inner harbor from the ship?

 

EDIT:  I just found the cruise terminal on google maps.  24 minute walk to the Empress from the port...

 

I'm probably staying on the ship.

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by Tree_skier

[twangster]

7 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I've never been to Victoria on a cruise ship.  How much of a walk is it down to the inner harbor from the ship?

 

EDIT:  I just found the cruise terminal on google maps.  24 minute walk to the Empress from the port...

 

I'm probably staying on the ship.

 

A lot can change over the day but at the moment there is a system I’ll have to keep an eye on.  

 

[scho7623]

@twangster I know you didn't visit Skagway this time, but do you have any recommendations for things to do in Skagway? Skagway is in our itinerary, but I didn't book any shore excursions, so I'm researching what to do there...

[twangster]

2 minutes ago, scho7623 said:

@twangster I know you didn't visit Skagway this time, but do you have any recommendations for things to do in Skagway? Skagway is in our itinerary, but I didn't book any shore excursions, so I'm researching what to do there...

 

If you've never been the quintessential Skagway excursion is the White Pass and Yukon Train ride.  It comes in several versions.  The versions that enter Canada have been suspended at the moment but that could change at any time.  The ones that stay in the US are still worth it.  

 

Beyond the train Skagway has deep roots and a lot of history related to the Yukon Gold Rush.  Much of the town is part of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park https://home.nps.gov/klgo/index.htm

 

There are many excursions related to the gold rush and others unrelated like the musher's summer camp with sled dogs.   Excursions that include panning for gold are staged and kind of lame as there was no gold directly in Skagway, it was a transportation gateway to the Klondike.  If that is the sort of thing your group is into by all means try panning for gold just to say you did it.

 

There is a small local museum that is interesting if you are into history (small entrance fee).  There is also a brewery with good beer and food if you like trying local beer.

 

There are also a lot of hiking trails for the outdoor enthusiasts and helicopter rides to glaciers.

 

Skagway is one of a few SE Coastal Alaska towns you can drive to there from the lower 48 so there are tourist activities beyond cruise ship guests.

 

One activity I've done is a visit to a glassblowing shop where you can participate in making your own creation.  Great memories of your trip that lives on for years.  You can book it directly or through the cruise line.  The local bus service that has a small fee has a stop not very far from the glassblowing shop if you book it direct.

 

I've always enjoyed Skagway.

[Bxc53]

As Twangster points out, there are several good tour options. As a counter point, you can also just walk around the (tiny) town and perhaps discover a less common aspect. As a pilot and general aviation buff, I sent most of the afternoon on a high deck of the ship watching the tour helicopters and planes come and go, with a nice snack and tasty adult beverage, of course. 

[twangster]

With a 4pm scheduled arrival in Victoria they just announced the shops and casino will close at 3pm and will remain closed for the rest of the cruise since Seattle is just around the bend.  Current time: 11am

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by twangster

[Lane Hog]

The late stop in Victoria doesn't leave much in terms of tour time... but we all know it's just a technicality stop to make the closed loop cruise legal.

 

[Btimmer]

We board tomorrow, and while this is a last minute trip, we've done much of this itinerary several times previously so we're looking forward more to the RCCL ship experience.

In Icy Straight, we're taking the shuttle to town, and exploring it.  
 

I grew up in Juneau, so we're exploring it by foot.  Depending upon the weather, we may take the tram.

 

In Skagway we're planning to walk around.  I rode my motorcycle there from Seattle a few years back and enjoyed the town.

 

In Victoria we're doing the Castle and Buchart Gardens ship tour.

 

Thank you Twangster for all the great pictures and commentary about your voyage.

[scho7623]

1 hour ago, Btimmer said:

I grew up in Juneau, so we're exploring it by foot.  Depending upon the weather, we may take the tram.

 

Awesome! @Btimmer as a Juneau native, do you have any recommendations on what to do in Juneau? I heard a lot of people recommending whale watching, but we will be doing that in Icy Strait Point, so I was wondering if there are anything else interesting to do in Juneau.

[Btimmer]

19 minutes ago, scho7623 said:

 

Awesome! @Btimmer as a Juneau native, do you have any recommendations on what to do in Juneau? I heard a lot of people recommending whale watching, but we will be doing that in Icy Strait Point, so I was wondering if there are anything else interesting to do in Juneau.

Personally, I recommend a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier and the upside down tree forest. Transportation or a tour is required.
 

Within walking distance are the following: If the weather is clear, a ride up the Mt. Roberts tramway is excellent.  In town, the Red Dog Saloon and the Baranoff Hotel (under renovation) are scenic spots.  The Governor's mansion is just outside downtown.

 

HTH, see you on board.

[twangster]

Earlier today I spotted a pod of dolphins (I think)

 

There were dozens and dozens.

 

 

 

They were a fair bit away so I'm pushing my camera to its limit here.

 

 

Where ever they were heading they were in a hurry to get there.

 

 

 

 

[CatLadyFemme]

1 hour ago, Btimmer said:

Personally, I recommend a visit to the Mendenhall Glacier and the upside down tree forest. Transportation or a tour is required.
 

Within walking distance are the following: If the weather is clear, a ride up the Mt. Roberts tramway is excellent.  In town, the Red Dog Saloon and the Baranoff Hotel (under renovation) are scenic spots.  The Governor's mansion is just outside downtown.

 

HTH, see you on board.

I noticed the Alaska State Museum is near the port. Any thoughts?

[Btimmer]

Just now, CatLadyFemme said:

I noticed the Alaska State Museum is near the port. Any thoughts?

We've not visited it, but we may this trip.

[CatLadyFemme]

9 minutes ago, Btimmer said:

We've not visited it, but we may this trip.

If you do, would love to hear your thoughts. Gonna search upside down forest too!

[rayrdh]

Thanks for your post and all of the wonderful pictures!  We are on the Quantum leaving July 4th and super excited!  What nights were the formal nights?  Thanks!

[LaCal]

Reading some posts on FB that there’s a lot of Positive Covid cases onboard your sailing.  Both guests and crew with many guests in quarantine on deck 3 

 

Crew went from wearing their Royal masks to switching back to KN95 masks and a lot of crew double masking……that alone tells me there’s a spike in cases 

 

People In quarantine stating foods coming to them cold or wrong orders, no one answering phones and some have to be quarantined further once back into Seattle tomorrow…..Royals told them they’ll cover up to $250 a night for hotels 

 

Sure hope tomorrows sailing runs smoother…….I’ll be masking up for sure 😷😷

[mikelong]

Did they say how many cases are now aboard? We are on this sailing. Saw the crews changed into KN95 when the CDC cruise color code was updated to orange about mid way through in Sitka. 
 

Also observed way more coughing from passengers now than at beginning of the cruise, for sure I’m wearing my 3M N95 tomorrow during debarkation. 

[welshrich]

On 5/10/2022 at 5:23 PM, Biker19 said:

Yes, they lowered it in March.

 

Biker, who wonders what "Premium" gets you on Norstar and is amazed with the ideas the RCI marketers come up with to separate folks from their money.

We were on Anthem last year when the charges started, the premium experience on Northstar seemed to be more on sea days and it went over the side of the ship, we did the complimentary ride which tended to be on a port day and usually just bookable from 8am on the day.