Quantum of the Seas Review
Over promise and under deliver: Quantum needs a lot of work
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I encountered Quantum plastered on billboards and subways throughout New York. With each advertisement, RCI boldly declared Quantum would “change everything.” There might be something to their audacious claims, but Quantum in her current state is far from being the first “smart ship.” Indeed, she can barely manage the tasks that I take for granted on run-of-the-mill “dumb ships.” The backlash against Quantum’s many flaws has manifested in unhappy passengers and stressed crew members and staff. I have no doubt that at least part of this enormous dissatisfaction with Royal Caribbean stems from this boastful promotional material. Around every corner, they make promises they can’t keep.
Once past security at the cruise terminal at Cape Liberty, there were about a dozen staff members on tablets surrounded by passengers. There was no signage to give any indication that they were checking people in on those tablets, so we proceeded to the traditional boarding lines. Royal Caribbean's claim of “10 minutes or less” ended up being a fantasy for many. It took well over an hour for a team of increasingly mystified staff to help me. In the end, it took four staff, one supervisor, and countless Royal Caribbean IT technicians to force me into the system in a haphazard fashion. While we were walking away, we could still hear them exclaiming, “how did you do that?” For the rest of the week, the computers onboard refused to recognize my Diamond status. Despite numerous trips to Guest Services for the first several days, no one was able to help fix the problem. Eventually, they gave up and told me to have the staff call to verify that I was indeed a Diamond member and entitled to my three free drinks, free photo, logo discount, etc. The whole situation was pathetic. The "smart ship" couldn't remember something that every "dumb ship" in the Royal Caribbean fleet managed to do without issue for many years.
The spa thermal area is minuscule, with a scenic view of the running track. The gym is also small for a ship of this size. There was almost always a wait for machines during peak hours. The television on the machines also didn't work the entire week. When asked, the staff simply replied that it was a "connectivity issue," and it wouldn't be addressed until the ship returned to Bayonne. The roof also leaks in the gym. I noticed that there was a slow and steady dripping of water from the roof above the elliptical I was using one morning. The staff put a towel down on the floor to absorb the leaking water.
Cabin Review
Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Our standard balcony cabin was spacious and pleasingly decorated. Like other new ships, there's a slot by the door for your card that controls the electricity within the cabin. However, unlike other new ships, Royal Caribbean's "smart ship" still relies upon the old fashioned physical "do not disturb" and "makeup room" cards to hang outside the door. These signs were constantly falling off. There was a bothersome horizontal, unmovable bar in the closets that prevented me from hanging my suit and jackets properly. The beds were as hard as rocks and gave me back problems. Unlike Oasis, the television is bolted in place and does not swing out for convenient viewing on the couch. Our cabin steward seemed to have major control issues. He would regularly move items around the cabin and refused to provide us with extra towels despite multiple requests. The walls are paper thin, and we could hear the children in the cabin next door screaming the entire week. During the final morning of disembarkation, there was no hot water in our cabin!