Quantum of the Seas-Things you need to know.

So I am back from my 2 day adventure to see the cruise industry’s newest ship. Let me start by saying I was well & truly wowed. I have lots of things to rave about. The ship is impressive visually & I spent a lot of time staring around taking everything in & let’s face it…where else can you go skydiving at sea & eat in a magical restaurant where the cocktails actually whisper “Drink Me”. There will be lots of blogs to come where I will talk about the best things I experienced, but in true cruise.co.uk style in this blog I want to prepare you for things you may not expect.

Firstly, the new smart check in process for me did not blow me away. I had sailed on Splendour of the Seas 2 weeks prior to my Quantum trip & my check in experience was actually much quicker, even though I had uploaded my photo, checked in on line & printed my Setsail pass off for this trip. The check-in staff, armed with their brand new i-pads all looked a little bewildered as to what to do.

The claims of free use of the skydiving simulator, dodgems, North Star viewing capsule, Circus skills & Flowrider are technically true, however you are only allowed to use them once during your cruise for free. You may be able to book extra sessions, but that will come at a charge.

I strongly advise anyone who is booked to go on either the Quantum, Anthem, Oasis & Allure to book your dynamic dining & entertainment as soon as you possibly can. The pre-cruise planner is not the easiest  or quickest system in the world to navigate around & the restaurants (particularly the complimentary ones on Quantum class- American Icon, The Grande, Coastal Kitchen & Silk) will get booked up early. You can always re-arrange the reservations once on board if you have a change of plan.

The below photos are of the virtual balcony cabins. I have to say they had such a brighter & airier feel to them than all the other inside cabins I have seen or stayed in in the past with even more light than an outside cabin. The one on the right is a large interior stateroom & the size difference is very noticeable.

The casino was very big & very impressive with a large bar area which was very popular whilst we were on board, but please note that Royal Caribbean have done a turnaround on their smoking policy in their casinos & now allow people to smoke in certain areas & the smell is apparent before you even arrive at the casino itself. I guess they don’t want the smokers to have to leave the casino to get their fix as there’s a chance they may not come back & part with more money.

If you have been on Freedom & Oasis class ships & seen the Royal Promenade you may be disappointed that the equivalent to this, the Royal Esplanade is not as big & whilst they still managed to put on a great Kung Fu Panda parade, I’m not sure they would be able to put on the street parties as they do on the aforementioned ships.

I was disappointed that the Bionic Bar was having a few technical issues whilst we were on board, so I never really saw it in action. I guess it’s like all technology-amazing when it works!

Now I don’t want anyone to get the impression that I did not have an awesome experience on board as you will learn if you read my next few blogs & I’m sure the check in speed & technical issues are just part of the teething problems that any new ship is bound to experience. In fact, it has made me more determined to book my own holiday on the Anthem whilst she is based in Southampton & I know that all the customers I have already booked will be as impressed as I was & have an amazing holiday.

 Don’t forget-Royal Caribbean have re-introduced their All Inclusive offer for November, so it’s a great time to book!

That’s all for now folks!