Black Friday. The one day a year when the insane people spend their day hoping not to get beaten up trying to score a “great deal” on a Barbie doll or a new color television (because you can’t find deals on black and white models any more).
Black Friday on Quantum of the Seas was black for many as the captain canceled our port call at the cruise line’s private island, CoCo Cay, in the Bahamas. As I mentioned yesterday, high winds were creating seas that were unfavorable for tendering operations, so instead of spending a day basking in the sun and the warm water of the Bahamas, we spent a day at sea.
A day that caused many of those on board to complain even louder about how “horrible” this cruise is and how they are “never” going to step on board Quantum again. That’s like me saying, “pizza is horrible, I’m never having a slice again.”
You can please some of the people some of the time and none of the people none of the time, is pretty much the theme of this inaugural voyage. Sure there are kinks that have to be worked out and areas that need to be improved upon, but you have to keep in mind, this is the first official cruise on this ship. I would have assumed that anyone booking this vacation a year or more ago, did so going into it with the expectations that things won’t be 100% perfect.
While the managers and crew are not new to Royal Caribbean, they are new to the ship. The ship is new to them as well, as it’s the first Quantum-class vessel to join the fleet. Sure things aren’t the same as they are on other Royal ships, but that’s what sets Quantum apart from the rest, and it’s the direction that Royal is moving forward with on their new builds.
And as is the case, other lines will follow their lead.
While we were anchored at CoCo Cay assessing the situation, the MSC Divina was alongside us at Great Stirrup Cay, an island owned by Norwegian Cruise Line and rented by MSC as a destination for their passengers. Divina is the only MSC ship to be based in the United States and sails out of Miami and I’ll be onboard for the December 13 – 20, 2014 sailing.
I didn’t get to see if Divina’s passengers were able to tender ashore or not, as she was still anchored when we left. A friend of mine has been on Holland America Line’s ms Westerdam this week, and they were able to tender ashore a few nautical miles away on Holland’s private island, Half Moon Cay (which their sister-line, Carnival, also calls at, but is actually owned by Holland America). The Westerdam is a much smaller ship, so it’s not as susceptible to the winds as Quantum is.
After the usual breakfast in the Windjammer Marketplace, it was off to see what was going on around the ship. Being that it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day for a change, I decided to pop up to the top deck and lay out in the sun for a while. Although there are 4200+ passengers onboard Quantum of the Seas, none of the areas – including the pool – seem crowded, which is a welcome relief.
I recall being on the Oceania Riviera, a 1,250-passenger ship, and feeling crowded everywhere I went. Getting a chair at the pool was next to impossible. On Quantum, at least yesterday, there were plenty of chairs available.
As I looked up from my spot in the sun, I noticed that the North Star was rising above the ship once again. The crane with an observation pod at the end has been out of service for most of the cruise. Technicians must have been able to give it a dose of Viagra because passengers were once again queued up in line to get a glimpse of what it’s like to be 300 feet above the water looking down.
Not wanting to miss out, I went over to see if I could hitch a ride. Unfortunately, one has to get up early in the morning and stand in line at 9am to be issued tickets. You cannot make a reservation through the Royal iQ app, or at the various kiosks throughout the ship, which is kind of strange. Being that tickets were all issued out for the day, I wasn’t able to hitch a ride.
From the North Star midship, I headed aft to check out the action at the FlowRider and iFly skydiving simulator. Both share the same spot on the ship’s backend, with iFly placed above the FlowRider and next to the rock climbing wall. After watching young and old take some laughable wipe-outs on FlowRider, my eyes were set on watching the more incredible stunts being performed in iFly by the instructors.
While none of the passengers I watched were able to accomplish any of the spins, twists, bounces and turns the instructors were able to do, it was fun to sit back and watch what these guys could do with just a giant fan underneath them.
Next up was a visit to the ship’s multi-purpose lounge/showroom Two70 located aft as well. This is home to a bar, coffee shop, cafe, and theatre. Its most famous residents are the robotic screens which put on a 15-minute performance a couple of times a day and are also used in the Starwater production show. Like someone in the iFly, these screens twist, turn, bob, and spin in a choreographed array of music and video. Even though the show is short, it’s something not to miss.
Something I haven’t tried yet was next on my list… the Bionic Bar. Bugs have plagued the robots that mix drinks ordered on tablets, but for the past few days, it’s been functioning as designed. While it’s definitely not a hot spot on the ship, it’s a place where people go to gaze upon the mechanical eye candy. Count me in. Being one of three people at the bar, I grabbed a set, pulled up the tablet, and had the choice to either create a concoction of my own or select one of the Bionic Faves.
Since I only know how to make chocolate milk, I left the mixology skills up to the robots and selected a Cosmopolitan. Once my order was received by Bot One, its robotic arm began to select the Grey Goose and other ingredients going into my cocktail, gave it a firm shake, then poured it into of all things… a plastic cup. The display screens on either side of the bar let you know which chute your drink is in, and you tap your RFID-enabled SeaPass card or WOWBand to have the drink slid down to you.
It was a strong cocktail complete with a slice of lime. I would have preferred to have it served in a martini glass than a plastic cup, but maybe robots aren’t too gentle on the glassware.
(As I’m sitting here writing this from the Windjammer, sipping on a Mimosa and having a warm bowl of vegetable soup, all eyes just went to the port side of the ship where a small whale has been spotted breaching the water. It was a brief appearance, as it was gone by the time I got up and made my way to the window to take a picture.)
Oh, I almost forgot. The other day I spoke about the Kummelweck sandwich that is a hit on the Oasis class ships Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas but didn’t win me over. The sandwich is on the menu here in Cafe270 onboard Quantum. Two thick-cut slices of roast beef on a bun with horseradish mayo, mustard, and au jus. Not exactly an exciting sandwich, so I don’t get the hype around it, but what the hell… let me try it again.
It wasn’t bad, it wasn’t good. It’s a roast beef sandwich.
I had an early show reservation, so I headed back to my stateroom for a power nap before heading out to see the Royal Caribbean production of Starwater in Two70. Billed as a highly visual production that fuses video mapping, groundbreaking robotic technology, and live performance artistry, the show is pretty freaking amazing!
The two-level walls of windows overlooking the aft of the ship are turned into one big-ass, giant video wall, that changes continuously throughout the show. Windows looking out at the moon rise and glowing sea quickly smash as the ocean turns stormy and the performance takes on a dark, sultry tone as a devilish rendition of “Roxanne” plays followed by swing music with dancers on stage and on the giant video wall.
One thing that Royal Caribbean doesn’t skimp on is entertainment. Between Mamma Mia!, Starwater, and the various guest bands that play in the Music Hall at night, the entertainment is top-notch and definitely delivers on the “WOW” factor Royal is aiming for. Starwater was a 55-minute show that featured singing, dancing, and acrobatics as performers were on stage and overhead throughout the performance. This my friends is another not-to-miss show onboard Quantum of the Seas.
After the show, I stopped for a few glasses of champagne in Vintages, the ship’s wine bar, before heading to Jamie’s Italian for dinner. This restaurant, the product of British chef and television personality, Jamie Oliver, is the ship’s for-a-free red sauce joint. On other Royal Caribbean ships, Portofino is the Italian as is Giovanni’s Table on Oasis and Allure of the Seas. While I did not give Giovanni’s Table anywhere near a good review when I was on Allure, Jamie’s gets two thumbs up!
The menu features many classic, rustic Italian dishes and is one of the largest menus I’ve seen on the ship so far, with plenty of choices for everyone. As any good Italian joint should, Jamie’s Italian has Birra Moretti and San Pellegrino water as drink options, as well as Limoncello on the dessert menu. Note, the Pellegrino is not included with a beverage package and is an additional charge.
For starters I chose the Meat Plank, the same one served on the tapas menu at Vintages. Loaded with fennel salami, mortadella, prosciutto, and soppressata, these meats are accompanied by peppers, olives and buffalo Mozzarella, and pecorino with chili jam. A true winner.
Being an olive fan, I also ordered the “World’s Best Olives on Ice.” Large green olives served with a tasty olive tapenade and a crispy flatbread they call “music bread.” Again, a hit.
For my main course, I chose Aubergine Parmigiana. A fancy name for eggplant parm. Thickly sliced eggplant that’s breaded, fried then stacked is served with Bella Lodi and a tomato sauce and is accompanied by fresh baked twisted garlic bread. I would have preferred thinner sliced eggplant and it lacked taste, so I had to add a little salt. Other than that, it was a good dish. My server recommended the lamb chops, so not being a fan of lamb, I picked the eggplant. I may have been better off going with the lamb, as I saw many eating it and it did look great.
Pasta is also on the menu as both a main course and if you wanted one of those mains as a side, you can do it. So I did. I got a side of the house-made Tagliatelle Bolognese. All pasta is made fresh daily on the ship and the tagliatelle was light and fluffy and the sauce loaded up with chunks of beef and pork was very tasty. I had a hard time telling myself not to eat the entire bowl!
For dessert, I chose a berry tart and a glass of Limoncello.
A few things about Jamie’s Italian. I showed up for my 8:30pm reservation at 8:25pm. I check in and was told to take a seat outside the restaurant and they would come to get me when my table was ready. Others who came in behind me in groups of two and four were seated immediately. I did not get seated until 8:55pm, something that made me a little disgruntled. This was the first time I had an issue with getting a table on time. I probably would have waited longer if I didn’t give the hostess a dirty look and a WTF hand motion as she promptly seated another two people while I was sitting there waiting.
I was offered no apology, just a “come with me” where she sat me down and handed me the menu.
One other low spot was the side of pasta. It was not brought out with my main as it was supposed to. My server came over twice asking if it arrived, it wasn’t until I finished my entire main course that the pasta was brought over. She wasn’t happy about it and honestly neither was I.
Overall, Jamie’s Italian onboard Quantum of the Seas is worth the surcharge as you won’t find another Italian spot onboard unless you head to Sorrento’s for pizza or the Windjammer for pasta.
After dinner, I made a walk around the ship, but it was a tad cold and windy to stay out for long. Some were bundled up in blankets watching the movie on the ship’s big screen at the pool. No movie would be that good to make me want to lay out in the cold wrapped in a blanket.
So it was off to the Music Hall, the ship’s live music showroom where the ship’s own orchestra was supposed to be playing Big Band music. While the band was average, there was nothing Big Band about the music they were playing. No Glenn Miller going on here. I guess taking music from the 70s – today and having an orchestra play it makes it Big Band. I hung out until the band was done performing at 11:30pm, which I thought was early.
Since there wasn’t anything else going on in the Music Hall that night we were directed to Boleros for Latin/salsa music or the Schooner Bar for the piano player. It was a pretty early night, but based on the crowd on this voyage, even if there was live music later in the night/morning, it would probably be played to a mostly empty house.
One more nightcap at Vintages and it was off to bed.
On my way up to my room, I happened to get an elevator that wasn’t one of the glass ones. Inside each of these is a white wall with a funky animal picture that’s perfect for taking a selfie.
Yeah, I did it.
I’ll have to see if I can get a selfie in each one of the elevators.
This may take a while.
I just wrapped up the three-hour “All Access Tour” of Quantum of the Seas, which was well worth the $150 a head. Pictures and details of that in tomorrow’s post!
Until then, I think I need a nap!
Personal Day-By-Day Quantum of the Seas Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of the Quantum of the Seas:
No cruise vacation is complete without taking a ton of photos, and that’s exactly what I did on my Quantum of the Seas cruise. From the ship’s stunning interiors to its beautiful pool areas and my cozy stateroom, I captured it all on camera. You can check out my photo tour of the ship and see all of the pictures I took by visiting the links above for my day-by-day review of the cruise.