Live Review: Quantum of the Seas August 15-22, 2022

[justKirbo]

I'm so sorry you were treated so poorly at the Solarium Bistro. That's truly awful.

 

Thank you for your wonderful report. I'm getting very excite for our upcoming Alaska cruise reading about yours.

 

I love your style. You and Mx look fabulous.

[CTSandy]

Solarium sounds like a fail on Royal’s part.  We were on Quantum the week before - I bid (and won) a junior suite from a balcony.  I was willing to pay the extra to be able to dine at Coastal Kitchen.  Service there was excellent, but the servers were definitely hustling.  Breakfast in the MDR was slow and the windjammer was a zoo - I feel sorry for the staff, you can tell they are not adequately staffed.  I was not happy about our way too brief stop at Ketchikan - you’re right - the lines were crazy long getting back on board.    You both look like you’re having fun in spite of the issues and love the Buffalo dress!  I am enjoying your report - thanks for sharing!

[CatLadyFemme]

1 hour ago, Oceansaway17 said:

Regarding Northstart, when did you make the reservation for the longer ride? was it immediately when you go on board?

Also how are they handling the free rides in port?  Are they doing reservations each morning on the app making for early morning mad dash to the app?

 

And lastly what is the number of people they are allowing in Northstar?   Last fall on Anthem I never got on the paid ride due to bad weather every other day as well as maintenance.   And of course, the free rides were magically gone by mid morning.

 

Have a nice trip.  I will be on in two weeks.  I did the Ovation and got on Northstar many times in 2019

I made the paid reservation around 5pm the day we boarded. I just checked the app now (Day 4) and it appears that there are plenty of free North Star spots for tomorrow AM, and free iFly spots all week, so I don’t think they are making you wait till 8am day of as they have in the past. Not sure how many people they allow on. There were maybe a total of 10 on our ride?

I hope you have an amazing time!

 

[Mrs.Dukes]

So sorry about the problems you had at Solarium Bistro.

[Jenglish711]

I'm late to the party but yaaaay another CatLady review! I come for the writing and pictures and stay for the ~~fashion~~! I love your dresses and I LOVE that you wore Buffalo plaid to a lumberjack show lol. 

 

I'm originally from Seattle though now live on Long Island in NY (talk about a culture clash that took some getting used to) and I love reading about people visiting there and enjoying it so much. Going to AK is on my bucket list and I'm enjoying your touring style as I feel it's very similar to ours. 

 

I'm so sorry you had that terrible experience in the Solarium. I am not autistic and I feel the same way - 5 minutes late and they pull the food? And then have the audacity to get lippy with YOU?! what the what! I am comforted that MxCatLady took care of all the bs the ship tried to do to "rectify" this. 

 

In any case, I hope the rest of the cruise will be so fantastic it will make that a distant memory! 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Jenglish711
naughty words, i guess

[Ammico]

Hi!  Thanks for sharing your trip with us.  My family is going on this ship in September to Alaska.  I am so excited! 

Do you know if you can book the Northstar for a private experience?  I thought I read you could, but haven't seen anything about how to do that.  Like you I am immunocompromised, severely. 25 years post an organ transplant and the one time I got covid I ended up on a ventilator.  It is hard to find too many people with that perspective, especially in the age of Covid.

Thanks again!!

[Bailey & Sophie]

On 8/16/2022 at 6:11 PM, CatLadyFemme said:

 

 

I don't know why but this makes me smile.

[Oceansaway17]

17 hours ago, CatLadyFemme said:

I made the paid reservation around 5pm the day we boarded. I just checked the app now (Day 4) and it appears that there are plenty of free North Star spots for tomorrow AM, and free iFly spots all week, so I don’t think they are making you wait till 8am day of as they have in the past. Not sure how many people they allow on. There were maybe a total of 10 on our ride?

I hope you have an amazing time!

 

aw well it gives me hope as I have to photo of ship name on Ovation and Anthem from the Northstar when it was up.  I want the photo for Quantum as well.

sounds like things have gotten better regarding Northstar as for Anthem last fall was a lot of cancels and other issues.   thanks for the reply.

[Oceansaway17]

22 hours ago, CatLadyFemme said:

 

 

And here is where my poor little autistic break started its’ meltdown. The manager looked at us surprised, wondering why we were there. I explained we had a reservations for 8:30 pm and gave me name. He pointed out the food area that had been totally cleared of all of the appetizers I had been so looking forward to. We were so late, he claimed, that after waiting 5 (Five!) minutes for us, they decided to close everything down…despite many 8:30pm reservation options. We both have worked in the restaurant industry, and I have NEVER worked at or visited a restaurant that would turn you away for being 5 minutes late, none the less choose to close their kitchens 5 minutes past their reservation time. Like…what if we had been on time. That would have given us 5 minutes to be seated, order drinks, look at the menu, get appetizers and then boom, no more options to eat (they don’t have a vegetarian main dish). Worse yet, we had another 8:30 reservation on Day 6, so now this man, who was quite rude and a bit mean (to the point I had to try not to cry until I got back into the elevator bay), would do this whole bloody spiel with us when we came back

 

I too am sorry to hear how you were treated.  One thing that bugs me about RCI is that they are so very quick to shut things down.  They do the same thing with buffet area and it feels like we passengers are at times in their way.

I was on NCL Breakaway and most mornings the breakfast was supposed to end at 11am, but most mornings at least half of the buffet was still serving food even at 11:20 as a lot of folks would show up at 11am.  NCL never made anyone feel like they had to hurry and they were nice to late eaters.

Give NCL a try as their DESSERTS are better than RCI.   

[CatLadyFemme]

Thank you all for the support. It’s now become a thing where the manager has called multiple times, tried to come talk on the dining room, etc. I’ve told all the folks to pass on that I’m fine, am just going to skip the bistro, and don’t want to engage, but feel a little low key harassed. Hoping this part is over.

I know I am behind (combo of sketchy internet and chronic pain/chronic fatigue meaning no brain power) and totally will catch up as the internet and sea day allows. However, I *really* want to share our fabulous Wonderland visit from last night before I forget anything.

 

I have been to most speciality restaurants at least once, and my experiences have varied across venues and even across ships (like sometimes I have to bring my own GF soy sauce to Izumi and settle for a cucumber roll; sometimes they laugh when I bring my own sauce and so a whole vegan fried rice with grill and marinated tofu plus a fun veggie roll for me). Sometimes it has been rough (Chops on Allure where they told me all I could eat was the beet salad and some sauteed mushrooms), and sometimes really lovely (Giovanni’s on Brilliance, where they made me a lovely cheese and veggie only charcuterie board for me, plus GF vegetarian minestrone). At the very least, I have never been glutened, and am fine with not always getting the full meal like either of my partners.

 

However, last night at Wonderland blew me out of the water. I booked it as a birthday present for MxCatLady, since I was out of town receiving an award on their birthday this year. We both love whimsical, plus are foodies, and neither of us had been. I assumed I might be able to get one or two things, but mostly was in it to enjoy the atmosphere and celebrate my love.

 

It started night one, while hiding ducks. Bing Bing, who works there, helped us hide one, and when we told her we were coming in later that week, she made sure to put my allergies and dietary needs in the system again. She and Onur (the manager) were both great even in advance.

 

Last night, we sat down, loving the decor, the menu experience, etc. I was given a plate of GF bread, so expected that to be my main meal.

 

Y’all. The chefs TURNED UP. They made me a GF vegetarian item for every single item MxCatLady got. Sometimes similar (we both had tomato water, mine without the accoutrements), and sometimes unique (instead of the liquid lobster, I had a delightfully done baby turn up, a liquified apple sauce, and some other veggie). I have never once been made to feel so included. Usually folks find out I am vegetarian and offer me pasta primavera or find out I am gluten free, and offer me grilled salmon or chicken. Here? I got to experience the magic along with my partner, which allowed them to really enjoy their food. They shared their thoughts and about the nuanced flavor of each bite 

, and which delighted them most. They told me they don’t usually do that as I they don’t want to make me feel bad, but felt like they could last night since I got to enjoy it too.

 

 

That’s it, that’s this update. Obviously will shout out these folks in my survey, but also wanted to let you know, given that many of us with allergies or dietary needs get nervous (and may have had less than stellar experiences). The staff and kitchen crew on Quantum in Wonderland go so far above and beyond that I feel amongst the stars.

 

[QueSeraSera]

That's wonderful CatLadyFemme!  We will visit Wonderland next March on Odyssey based on your positive experience.  Excuse me, but I have to ask, what was MxCatLady's response to the liquid lobster?  Having trouble imagining that one...

[CatLadyFemme]

4 hours ago, QueSeraSera said:

That's wonderful CatLadyFemme!  We will visit Wonderland next March on Odyssey based on your positive experience.  Excuse me, but I have to ask, what was MxCatLady's response to the liquid lobster?  Having trouble imagining that one...

They said it was delicious and technically really well done. They just aren’t a huge lobster fan. 

[Bailey & Sophie]

12 hours ago, CatLadyFemme said:

Thank you all for the support. It’s now become a thing where the manager has called multiple times, tried to come talk on the dining room, etc. I’ve told all the folks to pass on that I’m fine, am just going to skip the bistro, and don’t want to engage, but feel a little low key harassed. Hoping this part is over.

I know I am behind (combo of sketchy internet and chronic pain/chronic fatigue meaning no brain power) and totally will catch up as the internet and sea day allows. However, I *really* want to share our fabulous Wonderland visit from last night before I forget anything.

 

I have been to most speciality restaurants at least once, and my experiences have varied across venues and even across ships (like sometimes I have to bring my own GF soy sauce to Izumi and settle for a cucumber roll; sometimes they laugh when I bring my own sauce and so a whole vegan fried rice with grill and marinated tofu plus a fun veggie roll for me). Sometimes it has been rough (Chops on Allure where they told me all I could eat was the beet salad and some sauteed mushrooms), and sometimes really lovely (Giovanni’s on Brilliance, where they made me a lovely cheese and veggie only charcuterie board for me, plus GF vegetarian minestrone). At the very least, I have never been glutened, and am fine with not always getting the full meal like either of my partners.

 

However, last night at Wonderland blew me out of the water. I booked it as a birthday present for MxCatLady, since I was out of town receiving an award on their birthday this year. We both love whimsical, plus are foodies, and neither of us had been. I assumed I might be able to get one or two things, but mostly was in it to enjoy the atmosphere and celebrate my love.

 

It started night one, while hiding ducks. Bing Bing, who works there, helped us hide one, and when we told her we were coming in later that week, she made sure to put my allergies and dietary needs in the system again. She and Onur (the manager) were both great even in advance.

 

Last night, we sat down, loving the decor, the menu experience, etc. I was given a plate of GF bread, so expected that to be my main meal.

 

Y’all. The chefs TURNED UP. They made me a GF vegetarian item for every single item MxCatLady got. Sometimes similar (we both had tomato water, mine without the accoutrements), and sometimes unique (instead of the liquid lobster, I had a delightfully done baby turn up, a liquified apple sauce, and some other veggie). I have never once been made to feel so included. Usually folks find out I am vegetarian and offer me pasta primavera or find out I am gluten free, and offer me grilled salmon or chicken. Here? I got to experience the magic along with my partner, which allowed them to really enjoy their food. They shared their thoughts and about the nuanced flavor of each bite 

, and which delighted them most. They told me they don’t usually do that as I they don’t want to make me feel bad, but felt like they could last night since I got to enjoy it too.

 

 

That’s it, that’s this update. Obviously will shout out these folks in my survey, but also wanted to let you know, given that many of us with allergies or dietary needs get nervous (and may have had less than stellar experiences). The staff and kitchen crew on Quantum in Wonderland go so far above and beyond that I feel amongst the stars.

 

 

This makes me happy. The other experience...not so much.

[Kteacher]

   Loving this review and your fashions. Can you tell me where you got the buffalo plaid dress? Thank you for the very detailed reviews of the meals. I have family members and friends I travel with with severe food allergies and it’s so helpful to know what dining options there are.

[CatLadyFemme]

On 8/21/2022 at 8:22 AM, Kteacher said:

   Loving this review and your fashions. Can you tell me where you got the buffalo plaid dress? Thank you for the very detailed reviews of the meals. I have family members and friends I travel with with severe food allergies and it’s so helpful to know what dining options there are.

Of course! It’s a Unique Vintage dress a few years ago. Torrid also has had some plus sizes Buffalo plaid fashion too.

 

I’m so glad! I know how hard it can be to travel with dietary needs. 

[CatLadyFemme]

Ok! So we are home now and I am going to try and play catch up. The internet was AWFUL (yes, even the upgraded surf and stream) and I couldn’t load this whole site most days. So I am going to start with our favorite cruise stuff as I usually do, and then go back in time to be specific.

 

Top 5 Food Items 

 

MxCatLady:

▪️Birds Nest (Wonderland)

▪️Truffle Tagiltelle (Jamie’s)

▪️Rockfish Tacos (Deckhand Dave’s, Juneau)

▪️Short rib (both MDR and Wonderland)

▪️Key lime pie 

▪️Honorable mention: Royal Cheesecake 

 

Me:

▪️Truffle Tagiltelle (Jamie’s)

▪️All of Wonderland (🥰)

▪️Moussaka (MDR)

▪️GF cheesecake (MDR special request)

▪️Gorgonzola pasta (MDR special request)

 

Top 5 non-alcoholic drinks 

MxCatLady:

▪️Double espresso

▪️Mochas

▪️Mango lava flow 

▪️Tutti fruit from Bionic Bar 

▪️Virgin margarita 

 

Me:

▪️Blueberry Mojito

▪️Hot chocolate with two pumps of chai 

▪️Dirty chai 

▪️Frozen mojito 

▪️Fresh OJ

 

Top 5 Things We Did 

 

MxCatLady:

▪️Wonderland and the fullness of that inclusive experience

▪️Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest (Sitka)

▪️Trolly tour (Ketchikan)

▪️Local tour in Juneau 

▪️Sitting on the balcony and just vibing (with some whales!)

 

Me: 

▪️Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest (Sitka)

▪️Sitting on the balcony and just watching everything go by

▪️Touch tanks at the Salmon Hatchery (Juneau)

▪️Totem park and small forest adventure with moss friends and old growth (Ketchikan)

▪️Duck Scavenger Hunt 

[CatLadyFemme]

So Day 4 was in Sitka. We did the Sea Otter and Wildlife Quest through Royal, and it was amazing!! The boat was much less full than when MrCatLady and I did our Juneau whale watching trip in 2018, so felt much safer COVID wise, much less sensory iffy autistic wise, and it mean that everyone who stayed in the lower deck could have a window.

 

It was stunning! Plus we saw bald eagles and their nests, jumping fish, Northern sea otters (omg the cutest thing ever), sea lions, and a several humpback whales. Plus we learned a lot about their conservation efforts, which I really appreciated.  And MxCatLady bought me a stuffed humpback whale, which our steward Derri got really into posing this trip.

[CatLadyFemme]

I wore my rainbow unicorns and narhwals skirt for the animal watching, of course. 
 

for dinner, we started with two virgin margaritas; mine iced, their frozen. I found mine too sweet, but MxCatLady liked theirs. 
 

For dinner, I did the coconut parsnip soup on the vegan menu (a fav), a cheese plate (totally not worth it IMHO; these used to be much better), a grilled cheese (a special request I made cause I was just feeling basic), and a flourless chocolate cake (also a special request; they will always make them for you if you ask! These are different ship to ship. This one wasn’t great, but the ones on Voyager, Explorer, and Allure were all great).

 

MxCatLady tried escargot for the first time (ate them all; said they mostly just tasted like butter and garlic), chicken cordon bleh (which Royal now serves with fries??? They were super disappointed), and some in memorable cake. Def not a great meal night for us, though we got a GF pizza (for me) and regular slices (for them) from Sorrento’s around 11pm.

[CatLadyFemme]

For Day 5, we had not been able to get a tour through Royal in Juneau after our first once was canceled, so I went with a local tour that took us to the Alaska State Museum, the salmon hatchery, the Glacier Gardens, and a photo op with Mendenhall Glacier (plus included 3 free fish tacos each at Deckhand Dave’s after).

 

I had actually been most excited about the museum, because I am a nerd, obviously. However, I left not being sure how I felt about it. There was a ton of historical items  from local indigenous tribes…however, no information on who provided the items, of any partnership with local tribes, etc., and one of their posts used the E word (esk!mo) that is often viewed as a slur (and also ch!nk in reference to the racist name of a piece of machinery). Neither were necessary and put me off quite a bit.

 

I was surprised how much I loved the salmon hatchery. They had a ladder that was a little different than Seattle, people tossing salmon, open tanks with over 1 million baby salmon, an indoor aquarium, and a touch tank where I got to pet sea stars and sea cucumbers. So amazing 🥰

 

The gardens were lovely too, though by this point, I recognized I was getting physically and emotionally burned out. I leave the house so rarely that I wanted to fit in All the Things (tm), and after 3 days of excursions, I was running on low. MxCatLady took a picture of me with some moss I was loving, and though I thought I was smiling, you can see my fatigue face. We decided after the tour (and tacos!) to make the next two days much more chill, including canceling our Victoria excursion (a one hour sight seeing tour, since we got in so late and nothing was open).

 

The tacos were surprisingly amazing. MxCatLady got the fried ones and said they were some of the best fish tacos they had ever had. I asked if they’d make a no fish version (just cabbage slaw, pico, and avocado crema), and to be honest, it was one of the better tacos I have ever had. Highly recommend and worth the wait! MxCatLady also tried candied salmon iced cream, and said it was surprisingly good (in a small quantity).

 

Got back to the ship with another long line to board; I have never had such long lines when not tendering! Took some rest, and then grabbed a small bit in the MDR before our later Wonderland  meal (especially since I had no idea I’d be able to eat a whole meal!). I had the eggplant olive tartare (tasty) and the moussaka (surprisingly good!!), while MxCatLady enjoyed a Caesar salad and tempura off the vegan menu.

[CatLadyFemme]

Day 6 was a sea day and we slept in till noon! Drank some iced chai on the balcony (it was rarely cool enough for me on this trip! I barely wore a cardigan or hoodie, and we brought a blanket, scarves, and gloves that we never used. Ope).

 

We went to Jamie’s for lunch, having not been there before. The service, unfortunately, was not amazing. They had a few big tables and had been hit hard. After having had such a good experience at Wonderland, I was realized surprised at how inflexible they were. I had the burrata salad, the truffle sauce with GF pasta (a highlight of the cruise), had the eggplant to go (it wasn’t really traditional eggplant parm; it was more of a grilled half eggplant with some sauce and sprinkles of cheese), and a raspberry sorbet. The meat plank only has one cheese, so trying to get that as a vegetarian wasn’t possible (despite wanting all those olives lol), apparently not was the bruschetta. The server didn’t really offer anything else, so I suggested what I did, and he said it was fine. 🤷🏻‍♀️ at least it tasted great!

 

MxCatLady got the garlic bread, the aranchini (rice balls), the fried squid and the truffle pasta (with gluten). They said everything was absolutely amazing! I wound up leaving early (hence the eggplant to go) to go host the magnet exchange; I ended up with ones from Montana and North Carolina, so that was nice, as I don’t have them from either place.

 

After this, more audio book, balcony, and nap time, before getting read for formal night.

[CatLadyFemme]

Both MxCatLady and I love dressing up, and in November 2019, I had purchased this lovely velvet smoking jacket for them. They hadn’t had anywhere to wear it, so when I found a matching dress and bolero on clearance at Torrid, it was a no brained! We had such a fun time dressing up, even though almost no one else seemed to.

 

I had the vegan menu potato soup (GF version), which was pretty flavorless, a GF version of the vegan polenta fries (sometimes these are amazing, but this found, were tasteless to the point I took a COVID test when I went back to the cabin), a special request of GF pasta with a gorgonzola sauce (so yummy!) AND GF CHEESECAKE!!! This was also a special request, but they said it was easy to make, and I loved it. Had it both day 6 and day 7 because it was delicious!

 

MxCatLady did the caprase salad, the lobster (they said they weren’t that hungry and weren’t even sure they wanted lobster, but they still brought them two tails. MxCatLady felt bad they only ate one, but what can you do), and more Royal Cheesecake. We also saw a humpback whale right outside our dining room window!!!! It surfaced for almost a whole minute. What a beautiful view and amazing experience. 
 

We walked around a bit, grabbed some hot chocolate, traded ducks with Bing Bing at Wonderland so I could get one with a hat, and headed back to the room for more Tamora Pierce audio book, and listening to the waves.

[CatLadyFemme]

Day 7 was basically a sea day.

 

Started with room service breakfast plus some fruit that my love grabbed for me as well, and left over eggplant from the previous day. So beautiful on the water. 
 

I had preordered food in the dining room for lunch. WJ just didn’t seem safe in a COVID world, it’s always harder with allergies and potential cross contamination, and to be honest, lots of people spoke about how much food quality has gone down hill. MxCatLady enjoyed more cheese sticks and we both tried to go for a caprase salad. Like this sticks, however, this was not mozzarella. Unlike the sticks, this did not taste good. We both skipped the cheese (unusual for us) and just ate the tomatoes, which were surprisingly delicious. I also had the four lentil chili, which was a surprise with how much I liked it, and a cold strawberry bisque, which was very tasty.

 

We then napped, and headed to the pools at 4, as we were pulling into Victoria. They had been crowded all week, but then Solarium upper pool (the accessible one) was empty, so we spent a lot of time chilling in there and watching the port of Victoria before we headed to our final dinner.

 

We were the only diners in our area (we were only docked 5-9:30pm), so it was nice to get to know our staff better. I had the beet and orange salad which was super tasty; I almost ordered a second, plus an Indian veg plate of the day with added raita; so good! And of course, another cheese cake for dessert. MxCatLady had coconut shrimp, fish and chips, and Royal cheese cake. All in all, a satisfying end to the cruise.

 

Back in May, I signed up for Port Valet; for $20/bag, they take your luggage that you put out the night before and check it direct through the airport home. This was so brilliant for disembarking the next day (though two bags came through on an earlier flight, and dealing with Delta at DTW was a nightmare). After our bags were out, tips had been delivered to everyone, we settled down for our last night of hearing they waves, and finished our book.

[DaKahuna]

Thank you so  much for a wonderfully comprehensive review.

We are looking forward to boarding this coming Monday.  

[justKirbo]

You both look AMAZING on formal night.

 

Thanks for the great report. I appreciated and loved reading along.

[CatLadyFemme]

44 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

Thank you so  much for a wonderfully comprehensive review.

We are looking forward to boarding this coming Monday.  

Enjoy! And if you like interesting food, make sure to check out Wonderland. Such a lovely experience there.