Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas Inaugural Cruise Introduction: November 23, 2014

By now you’ve probably seen the stories on the news about Royal Caribbean’s newest ship, Quantum of the Seas. It cost nearly one billion dollars to build and is being called the world’s first “smart ship.” What makes it smart, who knows… but I do know it’s full of gadgetry and “wows” that marketing folks swoon over.

Its recent arrival at the Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne, NJ generated quite a buzz and was officially named in a ceremony last week before departing on several preview cruises for travel agents and press representatives. Quantum’s first official cruise is on Sunday, and yours truly will be on board with about 4,200 fellow passengers excited to see if this new class of cruise ship lives up to the hype.

The inaugural sailing leaves from Bayonne on Sunday (11/23) and visits Port Canaveral (otherwise known as “The Port of Nothingness”), Nassau, and Coco Cay, the line’s private island in the Bahamas, before returning to the Garden State.

Those who want to sail on Quantum will have to do so quickly, as the ship is being redeployed to China in May – a move that stunned everyone, as the ship was to be permanently based out of New Jersey. It seems the Chinese cruise market is an untapped one which Royal Caribbean and other cruise operators are scrambling to move tonnage to in order to make hay while the sun shines.

I’ve been on two Royal Caribbean ships, the Sovereign of the Seas (now sailing for a sister line) and the 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas. Royal isn’t my cruise line of choice, as I’m one who isn’t into the hairy chest or belly flop contests that are hallmarks of the daytime activities on board. I much prefer a line such as Holland America which has smaller ships, subdued activities, and is more refined and laid back. However, I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity for being on board for such a historic voyage.

Some things I’m looking forward to on this trip include:

• The disappearance of the main dining room. Quantum of the Seas is the first ship to do away with the traditional dining room and replace it with a new concept called Dynamic Dining. Passengers can choose from 18 different restaurants, some complimentary, some cost extra. Each restaurant has a unique theme and menu from casual pub food and burgers from Johnny Rockets to steaks and seafood at the line’s signature steakhouse, Chops, and sushi at Izumi. I’ve made my reservations forgetting that I’ll be sailing on Thanksgiving, and instead of enjoying a traditional turkey dinner, I’ll be eating Pan-Asian fusion in Silk. My biggest complaint onboard Allure of the Seas was the quality of the food. I spent the extra money to eat in the ship’s specialty restaurants, instead of the main dining room, thinking the quality of food would be superior. To say I was disappointed with the food quality would be an understatement, in my review of that cruise, I called the food simply “blah.” I don’t know what to expect about the food onboard Quantum, but based on Allure, I’ve set my standards low in the hopes that I’ll be pleasantly surprised.
• The Bionic Bar. Much hyped, and also ridiculed for mechanical breakdowns already, two robots mix drinks ordered by thirsty passengers from an iPad. More of a gimmick than anything else, it will be cool to see how it’s done and to see just how well these robots can make a filthy martini, shaken with three olives.

• Bumper Cars. The last time I sat in a bumper car was way back when I was about 10 at the old Rocky Glen park in Moosic, PA. Quantum of the Seas has the first set of bumper cars at sea in the ship’s SeaPlex which functions as a multi-play area that can also accommodate basketball, roller skating, a circus school, and even has a food truck where you can grab a hot dog and soda. I’ll definitely strap myself in one and bang around.

• iFly. I’m still trying to work up enough intestinal fortitude to step into the first skydiving simulator at sea. While the wind beneath your wings only lifts you up a few feet off the ground, the whole thing still seems a bit scary to me. I’ve been having visions of the huge fans that blow the air upward to suspend you mid-air giving out just as I’m lifted and I suddenly find myself kissing the floor. Maybe I’ll do this after sampling the martinis from those robots.

• The North Star. This is the one gimmick that has gotten the most attention from the press and also has become a signature of the Quantum class of ship. Essentially it’s a glass pod at the end of a crane that lifts passengers 300 feet above sea level for “unparalleled views” of the ship and the surroundings. Not too exciting, but what the heck… I’ll give it a whirl and see if it lives up to the “wows” it’s been getting.

Of course, there’s the rock climbing wall and Flow Rider that are hallmarks on all Royal Caribbean ships, both of which I won’t be trying out. I also won’t be hitting the hot tubs or one of the ship’s four swimming pools. I’ll save these bacteria-laden pots of human juices for those who really want to subject themselves to… well, I won’t go further than to say these things are just really gross – on land or at sea.

I’ve read mixed reviews of the ship so far from people who have been on the preview cruises. It seems at the same time Royal Caribbean ushered in the newest class of cruise ships, they also ushered in new fees and surcharges that some are finding a little excessive. For example, on other ships, a flat rate is charged for whatever you want to eat at Johnny Rockets… on Quantum the flat rate has been replaced by an ala carte menu.

Other reviews have said that the ship’s “Boatload of Bandwidth” Internet service, which is said to be as fast as service on land, has been spotty. Some are complaining that it’s been suffering from outages while others say they can’t access it from their staterooms. Granted this is a new type of Internet service that is debuting on Quantum before being rolled out to other Royal Caribbean ships, so bugs are to be expected, but I hope they’re squashed before Sunday.

One thing I’m really looking forward to is an embarkation experience that is said to only take ten minutes or less, thanks to SMART Check-in. I’ve already checked in and uploaded a photo of myself for identification purposes, as opposed to standing in line to have it taken at check-in.

Upon arrival at the port, luggage is passed to porters who tag it with an RFID tag which allows you to track its progress from curb to stateroom on the Royal Caribbean Royal iQ app which you use throughout the cruise. While your luggage gets an RFID tag, so do you. Passengers are given an electronic bracelet, and an RFID WOW Band,  that is used as your onboard charge card, room key, and ID card.

Once you have your passport information verified, your bracelet firmly attached to your person and you answered all your pre-cruise health questions to ensure you’re not infected with ebola or norovirus, you’re off and running up the gangway.

Will it take 10 minutes or less? I’ll soon find out.

As with all my cruises, I’ll be blogging daily, taking plenty of photos, and getting into what I like and dislike about the ship. I hope you travel along with me on this inaugural voyage of the $1B Quantum of the Seas!

Personal Day-By-Day Quantum of the Seas Cruise Review:

Photo Tour of the Quantum of the Seas: