“This Changes Everything!!!”

ver the last week or two we have been getting more and more information about the highly anticipated new arrivals to the RCCL fleet. Quantum of the seas and her identical twin sister ship  Anthem of the seas have been busy making waves in the cruise industry and set to challenge the competition like never before.

So what is going to make the “Quantum Class” fleet so special. For months we have been bringing you details of  first-of-a-kind sky-diving simulators, rip cords, roller-skating and  dodgem cars at sea and even Virtual balconies in the Inside cabins all on board the new 4,180-passenger vessels, but these are just the tip of the iceberg for RCCL.

Unlike most cruise ships these two won’t have one huge main dining room, They will be welcoming DYMANIC DINING for the first time. There are four big venues catering the  for everything from French cuisine in The Grande (where every night is formal night) to comfort food in the American Icon Grill. There are no set dinner times, no required formal nights. Instead let your appetite be the guide to 18 tantalizing possibilities. Amongst them on board are a Jamie’s Italian and a Johnnie Rockets burger bar. Dymamic dining will give you the ability and flexibility to entirely shape your culinary journey onboard Quantum class ships.

Entertainment  like never before, introducing  TWO70° the state of the art panoramic sea view at the rear of the ship which can transform before your very eyes taking you to anywhere in the world with video projection, robotics and human artistry over 2.5 decks.

By day you can sit and relax here, taking in the breath-taking view read a book, have coffee ect. By night you never know what you will see, Acrobatics, light shows, virtual concerts, live music, dancing and much much more all topped off with an ice bar serving up your favourite cocktails. This is surely going to be the main point of interest for most passengers. It can even transform into a tranquil underwater haven.

So in a day and age of smart phones, smart cars and smart watches it Is hardly a surprise that “smart cruise ships” wouldn’t be far off, and here there are with  another first the “WOWBAND”. This new wrist band worn by passengers which will allow access to their cabins and make on board purchase by just scanning the fob. These bands will be waterproof and will hold new Radio Frequency Identification technology which will allow you to make all your check in arrangement’s before you even reach the ship. Guests will be able generate boarding documents online, upload their own ID photo, and receive digital boarding confirmation. This will then allow  guests to go from “sidewalk to ship” in 10 minutes with no check-in counter, no forms to fill out and no lines to stand in. This new technology will also enable guests to track luggage in real time on their smartphones.  Luggage will be tagged curb side with RFID technology at drop-off, and guests can monitor their bags’ progress through key points en route to the stateroom.  On departure, the process is reversed.   It is also important to know that if you do not want to wear these bands all the time you can also opt for the  traditional SeaPass card as well as the Wow band and still receive a majority of these benefits.

Staying connected on board both Quantum and Oasis class ships just got a lot quick and more stable. Royal Caribbean are promising that internet packages purchased on board with be much better lightning- fast internet service made possible by O3b Networks satellites that beam signals to the ships. RCCL plan to make this available throughout their fleet in the near future.

Lastly (Although I’m not sure I like this) introducing the Bionic car with Robot Bartenders. You simply place your order via the tablet and the bionic arms will go to work mixing your preferred cocktail. However as amazing as this sounds, and being  a 80’s girl who grew up watching Tom cruise in “Cocktail I think I still prefer the personal touch of a actual barman making my cocktail.

So with all these change set to happen at seas, it will be interesting to see what the likes of P&O, NCL and Princess will make of these High tech innovations.  Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain has not been coy at all or hiding the fact that they have gone all out with these new ships  telling Travel Weekly this week: “It’s my objective to crush our competition in the UK market.

So what do you think of all this new technology?

In this day and age do you think this is the way forward or would you prefer cruising to be kept traditional with no robots or gimmicks?

I would love to here what you think. If you would like know more about the new Quantum class fleet or would like to book on to one of these amazing ship please feel to call me on 0800 408 6160 or email me directly at [email protected].