Things You Need to Know about Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas Before You Cruise
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- Опубліковано 4 чер 2024
- We recently cruised on Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas. Here are some of the things that we think it might be useful for you to know about Quantum of the Seas before you get on-board.
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:39 Booking Activities & Shore Excursions
1:41 Main Dining Rooms
2:57 Tender tickets
5:02 On-board currency
5:45 iFly and North Star - Complimentary v Paid
6:45 Using Seaplex and Flowrider
7:19 Stateroom towels
7:53 Laundry facilities
8:13 Late night food availability
9:31 In-cabin tea and coffee facilities
10:08 Hairdryers
11:02 Paper dailies and menus
11:45 Messaging whilst on-board
12:26 Dietary requirements
13:22 Pool safety
14:27 Power in cabins
15:16 Mobility accessibility for tenders
16:28 Using cruise card in the casino
17:08 Dress codes
You can also find lots more information on our website at www.robandali.net
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10:08 The hair dryer joke was hilarious 🤣❤️
Yet another great video. Thanks guys.
Great tips guys....thanks so much! 😃
Thank you so much for taking the time to do these very helpful. Very looking forward to my cruise and I’ve got an idea of what to expect. Appreciate it
YAY :) paper menus and activities, totally stoked :)
I wish I new all this before my first cruise, but planning on my 3rd now and this information was soooooo helpful!!! ♥️ Thank you for the content!!
We were on last month. The IFly staff told me a trick. Every afternoon at 4pm they release limited free spots for the following day. My 13 year old nephew really wanted to try it so I sat with my app at the ready. At 4pm a few slots opened and I got one for him, but they were gone a minute later. Same with the North Star.
Hi and sorry for the delay in replying. They do release them at 4 the previous day but they go so quickly. For what they charge I think it's definitely worth paying and pre-booking but even they sell out. We managed to get North Star but missed out on iFly.
@@robandalicruisetravel did you had to show your vaccinations status when boarding the ship?
@@roscodykers1650 Hi Rosco. Yes we did, that is one of the documents that they insist on. Sometimes they just ask about the negative test but vaccination certificates we have had to show on every cruise post-COVID so far.
@@roscodykers1650you don't need to in Australia anymore
Love you work guys!
Thank you so much for this! Looking forward to adding RC to my list later this year!
Hi Ando. Definitely worth a try. The on-board facilities are unbelievable. The bumper cars especially were so much fun. We would have loved to do the laser tag too but it clashed with other plans.
Thanks guys for taking the time out to give us the heads up on the in’s and outs of this cruise ship 😊
Hi Andrew. Thanks for watching and supporting us. Hope you found something useful in this.
Great video, very informative inside info. Thanks guys
Hi Alex. Thanks for the support and comment.
Thx so much .. We're headed to a Quantum cruise in a few months and this provided some great info. Dang tho I thought (your other video) that all balcony cabins had their sofa pull out.. And never knew (from your cabin video /in notes) you couldnt bring a hair dryer. I usually suffer with cruise provided one, but have thought about bringing my own! Well I"m glad I know now! Thx again!
We just did Ovation of the Seas and picked up Hot Chocolate mix from the 270 Cafe and grabbed small milks from Windjammers cereal bar. We bought some teas with us, however there was a big range of tea bags available.
Hi Neil. Thanks for the comment and we hope you had a great trip. Ovation is on the list but we are struggling with how much leave we have available from work and a cruise that we are looking at for November for Ali's Dad's 90th Birthday. Hopefully we will manage to get on-board at some stage.
Excellent informative video.
Hi Debra. Thanks for your support and comment
Thank you ❤
Very helpful video 👍. Did you purchase the Blue Lanyard Rob is wearing or was it included? Thank you in advance from a new Australian 🇦🇺 subscriber
Hey brilliant tips. Did you guys end up doing a video on drink packages? For QotS?
Tks guys that was most helpful
Hi Melissa. Thanks for watching. If there is anything else you need to know please just ask.
This is so sweet thank you so much :))
Hi Sophie. Thanks so much for watching and supporting us.
Thank you. I’ve learned my lesson with tender ports, I simply don’t bother, the waiting, the lines etc. I only disembark along the way at a proper port. Looking forward to my cruise on the Quantum.
Hi Andrew. On the smaller ships or where they can utilise the larger reef boats it's not too bad but with a ship the size of Quantum and no assistance you're probably ht to just stay on board and enjoy the ship's facilities.
Hi Rob and Ali, Thsnks for your video. How did you find shopping prices on Cartier and other luxury brands on Quantum? Any chance you have already coveted this somewhere also? Thanks
Chic is the 4th one. We like American Icon.
Ifly and Northstar has to be booked onboard. Do it asap after boarding, they do go quickly. But, they ad extra times during sailings, so check back each day by 'refreshing" the daily schedule on the app. I grab snacks from buffet and put in fridge for later. I like my cereal at bedtime. Wheelchairs can use tenderboats, so can scooters. There is an electric lift to get down to tender exit level. My hubby has an electric chair.
Thanks for this , also cruised on the Quantum last month, and going again next month. Wondering where the fruit containers were you mentioned . (Didn't see them when I was on last month). Also we have heard that the Vegan Menu is going to be discontinued this month, have you heard anything about this?.
oh wow i love your nails ali :) did you get them done onboard?
Thanks for the video guys. Great to get your informative first hand experiences. We are going on Brilliance of the Seas in Mar 2024, its an older much smaller ship, just the way we like it! RCL is new to us and I have sussed out the cruise line general public info but nothing beats first hand feed back.
How did you find the app checking in process and did you consider any of the drinks packages offered.
Thanks again, happy cruising.
Brilliance is a wonderful ship and have sailed on her twice! I love the smaller ships!
Thank you so much for this video, so helpful. I have a booking on hold for the Quantum to Alaska. I have a few questions please.
1. How was the food overall? And the service?
2. Did you find the Wi-Fi to be a necessary package to get and is it expensive?
3. What about overall cleanliness and sanitation of the ship? I just got off another cruise line and wasn’t overly impressed with this part.
4. Lastly, did you feel it to be overcrowded and long lines for everything on board? I came off a large ship and it was a madhouse all the time, especially trying to get elevators. Just curious what you experienced. Thank you in advance 😉💕
Great video
Hi and thanks for your kind comment.
weve literally just got off the phone to RCCL and cancelled our 3 night eden cruise this november and have contacted P&O and cancelled our 7 night august 2024 cairns and airlie beach cruise and on P&O as well an islands cruise for feb 2024 and booked a cruise in march 2024 on a 5 night cruise to airlie beach on quantum , it was much better financially for us with us having a land based holiday to the gold coast in may this year and our virgin cruise in december for our honeymoon. so now only 3 big holidays booked rather than 5. we can save much easier :) we will have 2 or 3 melbourne trips booked during this time for my cancer checkups too..... so feeling much less stressed :)
Hi guys. Loved watching your Carnival cruise videos before we sailed in December and now grateful for this RC one prior to a trip in March. One question I have is in regard to Checkin via the App. It is asking for passport info but we are on a domestic cruise. Did you find the same and what did you do? Do I just select passport but add License info instead? Thanks so much.
Hi George. Sorry for the delay in replying. Got it in one, that's exactly what to do. Hope you have a fantastic cruise in March and let us know what you thought of it when you get back.
Thanks for info. Going on in February, still unsure what what is, but this helped. I did hear that hold $99 US on a card. Not sure what that's about. Concerns me a little as you hear some what quite a while to have it released or not at all.
Hi Karen. Thanks for the comment. We had no hold put on our credit card by Royal Caribbean on this trip. We have had a hold placed on it by Carnival when we cruised with them but got that back within a couple of days of returning.
The reason some cruise lines put a hold on a card is so that they have some money to cover your spending. They then put additional holds on each day depending on what you have spent. It's sort of like a 'pre-payment'.
Hope this helps. If there is anything else you need to know just ask.
Can I ask how long it took to disembark? To get off the cruise when you returned to Seattle?
Do you use cash /coins in the pokies?? Or do you take it off your onboard credit? And if it's cash, do you put aud into the machine or us dollars?
Hi guys, really like your videos and info..what do you think about drink packages on quantum?
Hi Dallas. Definitely look at the drinks packages for the Quantum. Drinks are all in USD and are reasonablyt pricey to begin with without factoring in the exchange rate. The good thing about the RC drinks packages is that you can cancel and rebook if the exchange rate gets better or there is a decent sale on so you can always get the best price. Ali doesn't drink alcohol but loves her mocktails and specialty coffees. We got a refreshments package for her for AU$30 a day. Mocktails around AU$11.50 and coffees at AU$7.50 so runs that AU$30 down. I got the deluxe package originally for AU$120 a day but then cancelled and rebooked when it went down to AU$100 a day. Sounds a lot but with cocktails and wine around AU$21.50 a glass and beer around AU$12 a bottle, if you like a couple of drinks then that soon runs out. Add into the mix that soft drinks and bottled water is also included and we think it is not bad value at all. Can't say the same for the Carnival packages though. Hope that helps.
Thanks Rob, looking forward to the March 3rd departure to Airlie Beach, port Douglas and return. I love cruising too, this will be our 2nd QLD coast cruise which is great, being close to home and terrific weather🤞( and I love Airlie, like to live there when I grow up😄)
Thanks for your drink package info, I’ve decided to get it for both of us. We are not big drinkers at all but I reckon I’m going to have heaps of cocktails this time.
This will be number 8,..my favourite being Pride of America 7 night islands cruise from Honolulu…no Casino but beautiful restaurants..I luxed out with a penthouse deal on that cruise..you only live once.
Best wishes to you and Ally, really enjoy your videos and commentary
Dallas and Maria🇦🇺👏👏✌️
Hi Dallas and Maria. Given the cost of drinks on the Quantum the drinks packages are a pretty good deal if you get them at the right price. We definitely have a Hawaii cruise on the bucket list and have heard great things about the Pride of America too. Not sure that we will be able to manage a penthouse though but it must have been fantastic.
Hi Rob and Ali! Thanks for all the heads up! How about the wines? Do you suggest to bring a bottle of wine on board? I heard you can bring in a bottle.
Hi and thanks for watching. Yes, on Royal you can take a bottle each on board (750ml). If you like a couple of drink consider getting the drinks package on Royal because the onboard prices, when converted to AUD, are fairly steep. If you aren't getting a drinks package then definitely take a bottle on board. A glass of wine on board worked out at about AU$21 so it's a good saving with only 1 bottle.
I got a New Zealand cruise booked on Ovation Of The Seas in February 2025cant wait to go there
Great video I’m going on Quantum of the seas in December 2023 for my parents 40th wedding anniversary and what nationalities were the crew onboard and how much does the North Star cost, and how do you get on and off the boat at port villa and would you be able to have a bridge tour on the boat and is there any dress codes during the day
Hi and thanks for the support and comment. Nationalities of the crew were mixed. We came across, Thai, Filipino, Montenegro, South Africa, UK amongst others. Probably Thai and Filipino predominantly. Can't remember the exact price of the NorthStar, sorry, but I think it worked out at about A$28 for the extended. They do a free shorter version in ports but these are only released at 4pm the previous day and you have to be really quick to get a spot. They operate a tender service at Port Vila but it takes a very long time due to the number of passengers. You can get tickets the day before and we would strongly suggest that you do that. We missed out on tickets due to cancellation of Mystery Island and had to wait 4 hours to get off the ship. They do an All Access tour, think it was around US$299 so not cheap. No real dress code during the day apart from no swimmers in the restaurants. Hope this helps. Let us know if there is anything else you need to know.
Thanks for the informative video. Interesting about the tender situation as my partner will be using a wheelchair. Luckily our ports are Sydney and Hobart, which I believe we are docking at (although Sydney will be using a tender to re-board so we may have to think about that). Great news about the kettle (I'll pack some chamomile tea). One question though, what is the mask/Covid and pre-boarding testing situation like??
Hi Tania. COVID and pre-boarding testing is pretty common across all cruise lines and i accordance with the Eastern Seaboard cruising protocol - 24 hours prior to boarding a negative RAT or 48 hours prior to boarding a negative PCR. Masks however are very different and vary from cruise line to cruise line and also depending on what is happening at the time. So you could be wearing masks in all public places or not at all. Difficult to say until you are actually on board.
@@robandalicruisetravel Thanks so much for responding. I asked because I also am going on the Quantum of the Seas, leaving next Sunday, so actually wanted to know the mask situation particular to this ship. I've just completed my online checkin so can see I need to take a RAT test within 24 hours of boarding. We will be using masks for the boarding process, of course, and when in particularly crowded situations but unsure if we're in areas that are not too busy. Just wondering if most people are complying or not. I've heard mixed reports from other people who have gone on cruises from Australia.
@@taniasarah5616 Hi Tania. At the moment mask wearing is not compulsory on Quantum of the Seas and most people are not wearing masks. That could change and all will depend on what is happening at the time. Having said that, there were people wearing masks and nobody thought anything about it. Hope you have a fantastic cruise and let us know what you thought when you get back.
@@robandalicruisetravel oh that’s interesting. I must say we’ve gotten very slack with masks but finally got Covid for the very first time over Christmas (bad timing). I’m hoping we get a bit of that natural immunity they talk about. I think we’ll take our masks so we have the option and decide at the time. Love all your videos by the way. Just going to watch the latest ones on the deck layouts now x
Hi Tania. So sorry to hear that the COVID has caught up with you and hope you haven't suffered too much. We've had it a couple of times and it was definitely not as bad the second (or third for Rob). Hope you're feeling a lot better now and have a fantastic cruise.
I know that in the main dining room they now have a cuisine, ie French, Italian etc that the offer each night of the cruise. I can't find anywhere a list of what night is what cusine. Is there a set night of every cruise, that is the same on every cruise that they have particular foods?
Thanks for this!! I’m traveling on the Quantum next month. Just wondering if the shows need to be booked? There’s only one show on the app at the moment, are there more shows so we can see a different one each night? And are they released closer to the cruise date?
Hi JJ. The only show you need to pre-book is Starwater. Even then you don't really need to book as no-one checks. It is definitely worth seeing though. Other shows are on twice nightly (generally) and you can't book for those, you just turn up. There were 4,500 people on our cruise and we never had a problem getting a decent seat. The shows will likely be the same for every cruise as they are very highly choreographed and rehearsed so they tend to run for a long time. The acts like the comedians and other specialty acts may change though. If you look in the Library under Royal Caribbean on our website - www.robandali.net - you will see real daily activities from recent cruises which will tell you what the shows are for each day under daily highlights on page 2. Hope this helps.
Thank you so much for clarifying! Will check out your library!!
You must love cruising from Australia, a long way to come from England
Hi Fred. We live in Brisbane so it's just so easy for us to get on a ship here. The locations do get a little repetitive but a holiday is more about what you make of it. The Islands are beautiful and we're off to PNG in June which is also a fantastic trip.
First time cruiser with my partner who has had a stroke. We have a wheelchair for most part but is able to walk a little but unsteady on his feet and can’t walk far. Obviously he can’t get off the ship with tenders. I am hoping to be able to and wondering if there is staff that could look after him if I did.
Hi @robandali you mentioned that you have been to all of the restaurants, we have any time dining. Does that mean that we can eat at all 4 of the main dining rooms?
Hi @rob&ali you mentioned that you ate at all of the dining rooms. We have any time dining booked, does that mean that we can eat at any of the 4 of them, even though 2 are usually for set dining.? We have booked in each night in the main dining room bar one night, we have booked at the solarium bistro. With prebooking, how do you get to eat at the different ones?? Do we just turn up out the front of whichever one we want and say we have a booking or would we go each day to each individual dining room and ask to eat there that night? Sorry not sure how you could do it
Thanks for your video. Q: I cannot see where you can book a tender ticket. Please advise. Thanks Chris
Hi Chris. Sorry for the delay in replying but, hopefully, this gets to you in time. You can't book tender tickets. They are available the day before the port and you have to line up to get them. They will let you know on board when and where you can get them. Hope that helps.
@@robandalicruisetravel thanks for this information, much appreciated 👍
Thank you for the info, very helpful as I am getting onboard this Friday. Just wondering did you guys buy travel insurance?
Hi Ziwei. Thanks for the comment. We would not travel anywhere without travel insurance. Medicare does not cover anything on the ship and medical costs on board are charged at a very high private rate. It might not be bad if you just have something like an upset tummy which we have paid up to $800 on board for in the past but we have also witnessed a broken leg with a cost of $5,000 for a cast (that's a few years ago now though) and an evacuation from the ship whilst at sea which cost over $40,000. Also, if you are visiting New Caledonia of Fiji full medical cover travel insurance is actually a requirement. Just this week we have seen posts on social media from people who have been refused boarding because they did not have the correct travel insurance. Hope this helps and we hope that you have a fantastic cruise. Please let us know your thoughts when you get back.
Thank you for the reply, very helpful. I will definitely buy travel insurance today. Thanks again.
@@ziweian3324 For the cost of it it definitely gives peace of mind and financial security if something bad happens. Have a fantastic cruise and don't forget to give us your thoughts when you get back.
I will keep you posted of course. I am getting abroad tomorrow (Quantum of the sea). My check in time is 2pm. Just wondering what time do you recommend I should arrive at Brisbane international terminal? I have three luggages to check in. Thanks a lot
@@ziweian3324 Hi Ziwei, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I guess you're already on board now so you have the answers to your questions. Have a fantastic time on board.
Hoping to buy drink packages etc a bit cheaper in November when the black Friday sales are on for our march cruise on quantum for Airlie. At the moment the refreshment drink package is around $53 per person per day and that's way too expensive for us to buy at that price
Hi Deb. You do have to keep your eye on the prices. Black Friday sales may be cheaper but if the exchange rate keeps getting worse then the deal at the time might not be as attractive. If you see it at a price that is OK to you then buy it. You can always cancel and repurchase if the price drops below that.
@@robandalicruisetravel hey guys did you end up doing the drinks packages chat? 😃
does the solarium have as many pools and spas as the ovation of the seas?? Also (sorry i have asked this a few times but i must keep missing your reply. ill def keep an eye out this time :) are the pools and spas in the solarium really warm?
#RobandAliCruise&Travel
I’ve been on both Ovation and Quantum and yes, the solarium pools are identical.
what about gratituity payment ? Can you choose amount or pay individuals
Hi Gary. Thanks for watching and supporting us. The only additional gratuities on sailings from Australia are added to services from the Spa. All others are said to be included in the fare. Having said that it is reasonably common practice to individually tip the cabin steward, any regular dining staff that have served you during the cruise and maybe any other crew that have particularly looked after you on the cruise. Hope this helps.
hi :) i was just wondering if the coffee in the 24 hour cafe, i know its machine coffee but i was wondering if barista coffee is also available in that cafe?
#RobandAliCruise&Travel ?
Nope.
@@prussiaaero1802 oh bugger, i was hoping i could get barista coffee 24 hours hehe
Do you know if we can bring our own hair dryer..?I can't find the info
I took my own hair dryer on Ovation of the seas as I prefer my own dryer, I had no issues. I’m glad I did as there wasn’t one in our room, I just assumed that they were given on request so was surprised to see Ali showing the hair dryer in the cabin tour video. Also I found it stronger using the Euro adaptor rather than the US adaptor.
Hello both of you. Pls share some info about alcohol packages. Only one adult in my family drinks and we are not getting the option to book for one adult and
For selected days. Thanks
Hi Shalini. Thanks for the comment and for supporting us. We only had one alcohol package and the other was a refreshment package. This is no problem but you can't do it on-line, you need to call Royal Caribbean to do it. Let us know how you get on but it should be OK.
Is it true that everyone in your room must get the drink package? My husband would like to have the drink package, I do not drink enough for it to be feasible for myself. I was under the impression that we both had to get it, would you please clarify? Thank you.
Hi and thanks for watching. Everyone over 18 in the cabin must have a drinks package if one person does, however they do not need to be the same package. Ali doesn't drink so she just had the refreshments package which includes soft drinks, mocktails, teas and coffees, juices etc. and I had the Deluxe package as I like a cocktail or two and a beer. You can't do this online though, you have to call them up. You could just get the soda package if that suited more than the refreshments package but the refreshments package was really good for us at the price we got it for (AU$30 a day) and a deluxe if you wanted and I think they do it just to try to cut out the sharing. Hope this helps but if not let us know.
Yes, l have a question can you take US dollars on the ship to take to the casino? thankyou.
Ditto
Hi Christina. You do not need to take USD for the casino, you can charge it to your on-board account. You can take cash if you want to though.
Is it common to retrieve tender tickets the day before?
Hi Mark. It has not been common on the cruises we have been on with other cruiselines. You usually get them on the morning of the port. The fact that they were available the day before was a bit of a surprise to us and actually caused a lot of problems when we missed a port because people who were not going to get off there were at the end of the queue for the day after when RC advised everyone that their ticket would roll over to the following day.
Have been booked for nearly 4 yrs now for a New Zealand trip with RC. Initially booked in early 2019 for 2020 and we all know what happened so we took the cruise credit and as soon as they allowed us to book cruises again in 2022 had rebooked for March 14 2023 . I was very aware of the power point issue as I’ve seen a few other vlogs about the rooms on this ship and use a cpap devise so I was curious . It’s nice to know that it’s first in best dressed for some of the activities but I’ve booked my session on the North Star already and some of our dinner reservations have been made as we chose anytime dining. We chose a specialty 5 night dining so RC will be surprising us with out first restaurant. The only thing I have to book now is the other 4 nights of speciality dining when we get on board and we are sorted.
Hi Kim. Sorry for the delay in replying, not sure why your comment didn't show up but we found it now. we had some Carnival cruises that we saved up for about 3 years and it is just such a relief to actually get on board. It sounds like you have some amazing nights planned. Chops Grille looked fantastic although we didn't eat there. Loved Jamie's. We did do Wonderland but thought that it was a little disappointing for the money. Other people have loved it though so maybe we just had a bad night (the person who served us was really not that friendly which didn't help). We didn't eat at Izumi but the food looked fantastic and we spoke to a few people who agreed that it was really very good. Have a fantastic cruise and enjoy the food. So much variety.
Did you show your vaccinations status when boarding the ship?
Ho Rosco, yes we did. Have been asked for it on every cruise since COVID.
Hi Ali, you keep advising to bring a hair dryer but are you aware you are not allowed to take one with you. You can take a hair straightener only. Anything else will be confiscated.
Hi Sharyn. Thanks for the comment. A couple of people have said this to us but we were with a group of people on board who took them so not sure how strictly they enforce that.
When's your next Cruise
Hi Fred. Thanks for the support and comment. Our next cruise is on 11th February. We are doing a short 3 night cruise on the Queen Elizabeth from Melbourne to Tasmania. Ali's parents and sister will be joining us on that one as they will be visiting from the UK.
How much is the laundry service for a bag of clothes
Hi Raegen. Thanks for watching and sorry for the long delay in replying. When we were on board there was a wash and fold special of US$24.99 which was for fit as much as you can into the laundry bag. Hope this helps.
@@robandalicruisetravelsometimes a special of $19.99, in March 2023.
Booked our royal Caribbean cruise for March 2025
You can't bring your own hair-dryer
Sounds like there are to many on board.
Hi Russell. I think there were around 4,500 on board so it wasn't at capacity but well up there. Even if there were fewer it would still have been a long time getting everybody off. It might be better in ports like Cairns or Airlie Beach where they also get assistance from the big reef boats but when just using the tender boats with their limited capacity it is always going to take some time at the islands.
I've been cruising with Royal for over 10 years. I would never, ever recommend Quantum- the worst Royal ship I've ever sailed on!
Why don't you tell us why, so that we don't have to ask?
Hi and thanks for the comment. Quantum is our first Royal Caribbean ship so we really have nothing else in the RC fleet to compare it with but we would be really interested to hear your thoughts on why this is the worst one.