RCL Quantum of Seas (Alaska)
⚓ OVERALL (Highlights): We had a wonderful time both on and off the ship, got to see a lot of wildlife (Bears, Eagles, Deer, Porcupine, Whales, Porpoises, Sea Lions, Sea Otters) – some really up-close, all in the wild and in their natural habitat.
⚓ Seattle: We spent there 2 nights before the cruise. We took the Sound Transit Link from SEA Airport to downtown Seattle without an issue and saved bit of transport $ (ticket is $3/adult, kids were free). Stayed in The Paramount Hotel which is on Pine/8th, which is middle of downtown. We walked to and did the Space Needle, Olympic Sculpture Park, Pike’s Place Market, Gum Wall (nasty lol). Never felt unsafe there. Great hotel and location but no free breakfast option.
⚓ Embarkation: I arranged a taxi to take my family of 4 from the Hotel to the Ship (Pier 91). Cost $25 total for the 4 of us. Taxi dropped us off right at where the porters pick up our luggage, so no long walk or anything. Embarkation was a breeze, even without the Key. I think it took less than 8 minutes from moment we dropped off our luggage to sit in the waiting area ready to board (as it was before 10:30am). Once boarding was called by check-in time zone, announcement/volume in the cruise terminal was low and hard to hear.
⚓ Onboard (Embarkation): We were impressed with the ship, from appearance, décor, cleanliness and all (especially as it is a 10 year old ship). Once onboard (10:37am), we were directed by the crew to our Muster Station to check-in there, took some pictures of the ship while it was still fairly empty, then went up to the iFly area to check-in and reserve our free iFly and NorthStar sessions, which we did also on Embarkation day but later in the afternoon before dinner. Both iFly and Northstar were a lot of fun! We also did the Rock Climbing and Bumper Cars that day! Bumper Cars line was a bit long but it moved quickly. Oh, I reserved Jamie’s Italian for lunch on embarkation day to have a nice relaxed lunch, and it was great! They also brought my dessert with a candle and Happy Birthday on it and sang for me, as it was my Birthday that exact day 🙂
⚓ Cabin (Balcony): The cabins were ready around 1:30-2pm if I remember correctly, and we were very happy with our cabin. Plenty of storage space including the 4 of us. Our cabin steward that evening turned our sofa into a double bed for the kids and we had requested mattress toppers and worked out great. We prefer the bunk bed(s) to allow for more room to walk around the cabin but this wasn’t an option on this ship at least. Shower was a decent size, and strong water pressure. We utilized the balcony quite a bit especially pulling in and out of ports (all of them), and when we were in Endicott Arm Fjord as well. The balcony was long enough that we had 2 lounge chairs and a table there. No regrets on getting the balcony.
⚓ Sea Day: We did encounter some rough seas on both our sea days (going and especially coming back) with some 15 foot swells. We were prepared with Dramamine and behind the ear patches. On the sea day back they cancelled our production show (Sonic Odyssey) because of the rockiness and moved it to the last night (Victoria) instead. Overall, there was a lot to see and do and never felt bored.
⚓ Amenities/Activities/Entertainment: This ship really has a lot of fun stuff like iFly, NorthStar, FlowRider, Rock-climbing wall, outdoor and indoor pools, and that SeaPlex area that has a lot of stuff going on there on rotating basis (Bumper Cars, Roller Skating, Laser Tag, Soccer, Dodgeball, Basketball, Archery) and ping-pong table and Xbox/arcade stuff up one deck, with some of the stuff having adult competitions (like Soccer 5 v 5, Dodgeball, and Table Tennis Competitions). Royal Society of Puzzles was also a bit fun and you work in a larger group to solve some puzzles to find the ‘key’ to ‘escape’ the room. My favorite entertainment onboard was the comedian (Louis Ramey) and also the ventriloquist (Kevin Johnson) was hilarious and fantastic!! Not to miss! Personally didn’t enjoy the other production shows too much (Starwater, Sonic Odyssey; Sequins & Feathers was ok) but that is a personal preference ofcourse. Other stuff around ship like Trivia’s, Name That Tune’s, Piano Bar Entertainment, Karaoke, Silent Party, The Crazy Quest (super fun), and Game Shows like Love & Marriage, Battle of the Sexes. I loved loved loved the ‘Tribute to Bob Marley’ done in the royal theater, and also on the last day they had a ‘Quantum of Seas Farewell Talent Show’ that had the best Karaoke singers (guests) as well as Crew Talent as well (karaoke and bartenders). Don’t miss it! As you can see, there is a ton of stuff going on and feel free to partake in as many as you’d like (as I/we did) or as little as you’d like – your call ofcourse and one of the best things about cruising, having multiple options.
⚓ Food: We ate in Windjammer (buffet), MDR and Solarium for the free options, and Jamie’s, Izumi and Wonderland for the specialty (paid) options. Overall I feel the free options were OK, nothing to write home about. Taste and Temp was ok (not cold but not hot either). We had a hard time finding a seat in windjammer during breakfast and lunch, but good thing they make frequent announcements there to vacate your table once you’re done eating so other guests can have a table and enjoy. MDR first night took over 2 hours and 2nd night between 1.5~2hrs so we were discouraged from eating there following nights. Specialty restaurants I felt the food was definitely a step up. The food was very delicious especially in Izumi and Wonderland! We are not picky eaters at all and loved everything in Wonderland except 1 thing, but wasn’t bad that we had to spit it out or anything.
⚓ Crew: I’m creating this own section here for the crew (that covers Crew, Staff and Officers) since I felt they deserved it. They were really fantastic! Not just our cabin steward or waiters, but really any crew you encounter. At least a dozen ‘good morning’ as you walk down the hallways in the morning. Greeted with a smile at the coffee shop and restaurant hostess, and how can I forget – team washy washy 🙂 Kudos to GS Officer for taking care of my requests, including an issue with our neighboring cabin smoking in her balcony and addressing it immediately (I left an excellent review in the post cruise guest survey with the GS Officer’s name).
⚓ Ketchikan: This was our first port (replaced Skagway). We docked right at town, and could see the “Welcome to Ketchikan” sign from our balcony. We walked on our own first to and around Creek Street, the Salmon Ladder and Observation platform. Then went to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show which was fun, then met with our private tour guide for a 3 hour tour. We went to Totem Park and Herring Cove, where we got to see bears in the wild! I added a few pics of the bears saw there.
⚓ Sitka: Very beautiful town with the snow capped mountains in the background. We did a 3 hour private wildlife boat tour just for my family of 4, which was great! We saw Whales, Eagles, Sea Lions and Sea Otters! Then afterwards we went to Sitka National Historical (Totem) Park and did the Trail there and walked around downtown a bit. This was my wife’s and my favorite port. No issue at all with taking the shuttle to/from; we walked right in the morning and less than a 5 min wait coming back.
⚓ Endicott Arm Fjord & Dawes Glacier: Woke up super early (around 5am) to not miss the sights. Watched most of it from our balcony and it was beautiful. We’ve been spoiled by experiencing the Fjords in Norway but this was still marvelous. Unfortunately it was a bit foggy and raining and windy and the tour operator decided last minute to cancel our Endicott Dawes Glacier Explorer excursion (small boat that gets us much closer to the glacier). Oh well, I told my wife this just means we have to come back to Alaska again 🙂
⚓ Juneau: We docked in Juneau a bit before schedule (12:30pm) and had reserved a car and we toured around on our own. Went to Mendenhall Glacier and did the Nugget Falls hike, then to another location from some more pics of the glacier (we were the only ones there), then to Auke Bay, then to Shrine Chapel, before back to the ship area, after taking a picture at The Whale Project.
⚓ Victoria: I prearranged a pedicab tour with recommendation from a friend and it turned out to be a great tour! We got to see the James Bay Heritage Homes, Emilly Carr House, Beacon Hill Park, Queen’s Gardens, Craigdarroch Castle, ChinaTown and Historic Downtown. We fed the peacocks, and saw a deer really really up-close (about 10 feet away). It was a great day and we maximized our time there (5pm to 9:30pm back-on-board time).
⚓ Other Random Stuff/Tips:
[Packing] We weren’t sure if we really needed to buy/bring waterproof stuff (like waterproof jackets, pants, shoes) but super glad we did since we had a really raining day in Juneau and on/off in Sitka. I don’t think we would have enjoyed our day in those ports if our clothes weren’t waterproof and all cold stuck to our body all wet.
[Casino] Didn’t play there but it smelt of cigarettes, so I personally avoided it. It seems to have a lot of variety games and table games didn’t seems packed.
[Wifi] worked great anywhere tried it (cabin and elsewhere on the ship). Uploading pics/videos etc didn’t face a long lag or buffering.
[Specialty Coffee] I’m a coffee drinker and the Coffee Cards worked great – at Café Two70, Windjammer Specialty Coffee shop, and Coffee Shop by La Patisserie on deck 4 mid. Lines were shortest at Windjammer and Café Two70. 1 punch for a small (like Caramel Macchiato or Café Mocha), and 2 punches for a large or Iced Coffee. I bought 2 cards and used all 30 punches in our 7 days. Coffee shops are also open on debarkation day, so save a punch or two if want to have coffee then.
[Excursions] Book your excursions or tours early. Don’t wait till last minute. Most have a full refund cancellation policy up until few days before if you change your mind.
[Royal App] Once onboard, you can put your phone in Airplane and choose the Royal Wifi, and it’ll load all the stuff where you can see the full cruise schedule and where you can reserve stuff like iFly and Northstar, etc.
[Adventure Ocean] My 8 yo loved it there and didn’t want to leave. Super easy pick-up and drop-off.
[All Access Tour] Did this and I thought it was worth it if you haven’t done one before. Nice that they allow you to take pictures everywhere except I-95 (but no videos).
