You should know that I’m relatively new to Royal Caribbean. While I have well over 50 (maybe closer to 100 by now, I need to keep better track. Does anyone know if that Dracula who counts on children’s television does affordable freelance gigs?) cruises under my buffet pants (I’ve never met a belt pliable enough to survive past my embarkation day lunch), I only have two prior cruises on Royal. I’m not exactly sure why that is, but my best guess is because Royal Caribbean ships always look so fun. And I’m really not very fun. *Shrug.*
But alas, here I am. Why? Because my kid picked Icon of the Seas as his graduation from elementary school gift. However, because I suffer from both tightwad syndrome (a condition not found in the DSM-5, but that doesn’t dissuade my family members from accusing me of having it) and mild social anxiety, we compromised on Quantum of the Seas, sailing to Alaska from our home port of Seattle, for his gift and his first Royal Caribbean cruise (if he likes it enough to try Icon next, I suggested he get a scholarship to college, because he’s going to need his whole college fund to pay for it).
Anyway, since booking, I’ve been repeating the following affirmation to myself in the mirror each day: You sang Whitney’s “I Will Always Love You” at Chinese karaoke once, further deteriorating Chinese/American relations and shattering every window in Beijing – YOU’RE TOTALLY FUN! Plus you only threw up once that time you went zip-lining! Cruise ship surfing is TOTALLY FOR YOU!” We’ll see…
To get you started, here’s a comprehensive, deck-by-deck, fully narrated tour of Quantum of the Seas and a tour and complete review of our cabin with tips. While my videography skills are poor and my voice shrill, my intentions are good!
While embarkation was smooth, easy, and quick, I encountered something upon boarding that I’ve never experienced in all my cruises (No, I didn’t get recognized from my blog – although that happens fairly frequently now and is almost always coupled with “Oh, bless your heart, you really do try. We can’t all be Emma.”). No, I experienced a massive (spanning almost the entirety of deck 14) line to get into the buffet, which wasn’t open yet and wouldn’t be for another 45 minutes. Little tip, Quantum, some of your passengers (me) have been surviving on pickles (dill, NOT sweet) and ice chips for seven days in anticipation of the number of calories they (she) plan (plans) to consume in carbs and refined sugar in their (her) first buffet lunch. And they (she) SPRINTED from deck 5 to deck 14 figuring the calories burned would earn them (her) at least three extra doughnuts. And then to find it CLOSED?!?! Are you trying to compete with Carnival for the most unhinged onboard YouTube brawl? Hey, at least I burned an extra 15 calories trying to locate the end of the line. But seriously, that was weird. And a lot of people were maaaaaad!
Anyway, here are a few photos I snapped during my first few hours onboard after I’d eaten and no longer wanted to fight the giant pink bear (maybe someone would finally tune into my YouTube channel though?):
A few words about our experience in the MDR for dinners. We had “My Time” dining (as opposed to a fixed dining time of either 5pm or 7:30pm). We had a nightly reservation made pre-cruise via the app for 6:15pm, but showed up at our assigned dining room by 5:15pm each night. At around 5:15pm they start releasing “no show” tables from the 5pm fixed dining time. This worked well for us, since we prefer dining earlier. In terms of food quality and selection, it was okay, but not great. The service was mixed. We got seated at the same table with the same wait staff most nights and the service at that particular table in that particular section was…awkward? Uncomfortable? A little sad?
Let me explain. While our server was nice and tried to be extremely accommodating (I have him to thank for recommending that I order the nightly vegetarian Indian special, which I always really enjoyed), he implored us every night to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE fill out the survey at the end of our cruise and to give him a positive review. And by implore, I mean he gave us a 10+ minute lecture about it EVERY NIGHT! Seriously, my husband timed it one night and it clocked in at 10:14. And one time after the lecture he actually insisted that we take a photograph of his name card while he watched, so we wouldn’t forget his name. Not only that, but the head waiter came over and gave us a very similar lecture 2 or 3 times and asked us to repeat “10/10” out loud as our promised rating for all things related to the food and service in the dining room. It was always really, really awkward and uncomfortable and kind of sad. I mean these crew members shouldn’t have to be begging for positive reviews that affect their bonuses or promotion opportunities. We just brushed it off and certainly didn’t report it to anyone (because the last thing we wanted was for our hard working wait staff to get into trouble when they are just trying their hardest to support their families), but it was an odd experience.
Anyway, if you’d like to see all the main dining room menus (and the theme for the buffet each night), I’ve posted them all here:
And here’s what we ordered on night 1:
Photo 1: Artisan cheese plate
Photo 2: Spinach and artichoke dip
Photo 3: Herb-crusted stuffed portobello
Photo 4: Boston cream pie
Photo 5: Roasted tomato soup
Photo 6: Southern fried chicken
Photo 7: Key lime pie
Photo 8: Indian vegetarian
Photo 9: Dark chocolate custard
Photo 10: Crispy crab cake
Three things of note.
1: Dude who went before us lost his dentures to the wind tunnel (hand to God – there were over a dozen other witnesses).
2: I was utterly terrified and (after the dentures mishap), feared there was no way the socks stuffed in my bra were going to stay put.
3: This did not solidify my status as a cool mom as I’d imagined. It seems I’m hopeless in that regard as the bumper cars didn’t do it either.
iFly experience: -10/10
For those wondering, we booked our complimentary 1 minute session immediately upon boarding the ship for that same day at 4pm. Other complimentary times open up to book each day (for unpopular times, like while at port). You can book a longer flight experience for a more desirable time, but it’s very expensive. Not worth $149 to lose your teeth and have to gum mashed potatoes for the next 7 days, IMO!
Here’s a photo of my night 1 second (buffet) dinner. Go ahead and judge, but it’s not going to change the number of doughnuts I consume after a full five course meal. But seriously, the buffet doughnuts offered on Quantum of the Seas were surprisingly tasty (I haven’t been a fan of the doughnuts I’ve tried on other cruise lines)!
The Windjammer Buffet between the hours of 8-10am is akin to free admission day at the zoo falling on the same day as Bobo the chimpanzee’s birthday party where all the animals are hyped up on celebratory cupcakes. Chaos. And never before in all my dozens and dozens of cruises have I ever seen massive lines to even enter the buffet.
You can either pop a double dose of Xanax and go for it OR consider an alternative. Hit Cafe @ two70 between 7-8am for a relaxed, delicious breakfast with gorgeous aft views. No crowds, just breakfast burritos and sandwiches, hot oatmeal, pastries and doughnuts, yogurt parfaits, a full made-to-order bagel station, and coffee (both complimentary and upcharge options).
Presented in Two70, a much smaller and more intimate venue than the main theater, Starwater was my favorite show on the Quantum of the Seas despite commenting to Mr. Cruise as we walked out: “Now I know how it feels to be a 1920’s wallflower at a Gatsby party after dropping acid.” Mr. Cruise had a much more philosophical take on the whole thing which I’d pass along if I understood one word of it. And my 11-year-old (yes, kids are allowed in despite it being a bit…risqué) noted that the lead dancers must be married in real life because they were “practically DOING IT!” Lol. Anyway, Starwater combines high tech effects (including six massive movable LED “robots”) with live music, dance, and gymnastics. Don’t miss it! We made a reservation via the app prior to sailing, but you can also line up 15 minutes before start time if you don’t have a reservation to fill the seats of any no-shows.
Not only is a table for one in the MDR for lunch the best way to avoid other people’s children (there were enough kids on this ship to populate the average-sized suburban elementary school in Texas with the addition of a half dozen portable classrooms for all the new California transplants, but I’ve counted under a handful of youngsters lunching in the dining room with their parents because it’s SO. BORING. and there’s no free-flowing soft serve), it’s also the best way to avoid your own kid. *shrug*
Ah, peace with a side of grilled sweetcorn cakes, four-lentil chili, floating island (meringue floating on vanilla cream sauce), and carrot cake. I did experience a few moments of elevated stress when I suspected a raisin infestation in my carrot cake, but appreciated that at least they were contained to the bottom layer of cake which I left behind with a
Before I was a Professor of Cruising, I was the kind of professor required to sit through department meetings that promoted me to consider stabbing myself in the eye with a hot poker as we approached two hours of debating a piece of punctuation on an internal document. I like my current position much better and if you’re wondering why I often use incorrect punctuation in my posts it’s because I CAN and WHO CARES (and probably because I legit don’t always know the correct way to punctuate despite 9.5 years of post high school education and a mother with a Masters in English).
However, even though I break out in hives when I try to wear tweed and hate the sound of my own voice (steer clear of my YouTube channel, trust me), I’m still a nerdy professor at heart and love seminars and lectures on cruises. So I was thrilled to see the lineup of itinerary-related lectures by two different visiting experts on the Quantum offering topics like Tlingit myths and legends, the Alaska marine highway system, and the Exxon-Valdez oil spill cleanup.
This photo was from a lecture I attended on the importance of the seafood industry in Alaska and shows the 2023 winner of the fattest bear contest. The first shot was “Grazer” before fattening up on salmon and the second was his winning shot after gorging on all-you-can-eat fish from the local Windjammer river buffet. It reminded me a lot of myself pre-cruise versus post cruise.
Night 2 was formal night in the MDR which is always a precarious situation for a family who’s 3rd reason for moving to Seattle was so that Mr. Cruise could work as a corporate lawyer in a hoodie and shorts (cruising and the weather were numbers 1 and 2).
I’ve pretty much mastered minimal acceptable formal night attire (a long blouse paired with black leggings and my dressy Crocs), but Mr. Cruise continues to push the envelope getting turned away about 50% of the time. Heads, you’re in! Tails, the dining room walk of shame.
Anyway, after assessing his wardrobe selections, Mr. Cruise didn’t think it was wise to risk track pants and a button down fleece hoodie and I couldn’t pry my kid, more wrinkled than an elderly elephant who could never seem to fit through the door of Nordstroms to visit the Lancôme counter, from the pool about 12 hours in. So I dined with a giant red chair, finally sized properly for (a very tall) Mr Cruise on the one night he skipped. Go figure.
I’ll note that I saw people dressed in everything from t-shirts and shorts to (a few) formal gowns in the MDR on this formal night. So perhaps for the first time in his life, Mr. Cruise wouldn’t have been the most underdressed person there and would not have been turned away. Also, since I was alone, I was seated in a different section with a different wait staff. They were kind, efficient, and…not weird. No lectures. Just quick, helpful service.
Here’s the menu and what I ordered:
Photo 1: My date who thankfully doesn’t have a mouth or digestive system, so I got the pictured bread basket all to myself.
Photo 2: Creamy butternut squash soup (vegan)
Photo 3: Spring pea risotto (vegan)
Photo 4: Warm apple cobbler
Photo 5: Crème brûlée
I know it’s not right to compare your children and you should love them all the same. And, like my children, I love all cruise ships. But, let’s face it, one of my kids pees all over the bathroom floor and the other licks his butt (one’s a dog and one’s a human – I’ll let you guess which is which). That’s to say that, while I love them both dearly, they have some less than desirable characteristics. And while I’ve loved my most recent two cruises, this one on the Quantum and my prior one NCL’s Encore, there are few things about each of them that bug me. On the Encore, one was her extremely narrow stateroom hallways. So narrow that I took a pregnancy test when I got home just in case – it felt just about that intimate when you had to pass by someone in one of those hallways!
So I was very relieved to see the wider stateroom hallways on the Quantum of the Seas.
About last night. When we reached the front of the line for Rock ‘n Roll Bumper Cars, the crew member in charge looked at me and my 11-year-old and asked us if we had a parent present because kids under 13 need adult supervision. I was both flattered and amused and kind of mad that I wasn’t getting any acknowledgment of my hard earned wrinkles and white hairs. Mr. Cruise was standing behind us and said, “I’ll take responsibility for the boy, but that girl looks like trouble.”
Anyway, for those wondering about the bumper cars, they are complimentary, no reservation is needed, and they are offered numerous times during each sailing. Do show up around 15 minutes before the start time for the shortest wait (the line can get very long) and bring a parent if you’re 45 (or under 13). Check the app, Cruise Compass, or electronic board in the SeaPlex to see the scheduled times.
On night 3, we dinnered at the Solarium Bistro. Located on deck 14 forward near the adults only Solarium, this complimentary venue offers a slimmed down alternative to the Windjammer buffet for breakfast and lunch (props to me for figuring out how to use “slim” and “buffet” in the same sentence) and a lovely Mediterranean dinner in the evenings. While the dinner is complimentary, you do need a reservation and, if interested in trying it, it’s wise to make one via the app before your cruise date or right after you board to get the day and time you want (it’s a small space that can only accommodate so many).
Upon being seated, you will be presented with a menu describing some of the featured offerings, but everything (except for a few upcharge items) is served buffet style. Full drink service is provided and you will have a dedicated server to clear dishes and assist you with any questions or needs you may have.
While you can enter the Bistro through the solarium area, there is also a separate entrance near the forward stairs and kids CAN dine there.
As far as the food, it was fresh and delicious and we enjoyed the many (many) different items we tried. Highlights for me included the watermelon salad and the baklava. I’m told the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest on earth, so I’m going to start eating baklava for three meals a day when I get home to shed some of this cruise weight.
While you should NEVER take diet advice from me, I feel confident in recommending dinner at Solarium Bistro on Quantum of the Seas. 10/10.
Here’s the Solarium Bistro menu:
And here are some photos of the space and food:
A mother’s love looks like playing video games on a cruise. And a son’s love looks like snuggling with your mom in her favorite comfy spot in Two70. The Xbox stations are located on the upper level of the SeaPlex. They are complimentary, but you’ll need to check out a controller from the desk and will be limited to 30 minute sessions during crowded times. These cool, comfy seats are located on the starboard side of Two70 (yesterday I heard someone call “starboard” “starburst,” but I’ve yet to find any hidden candy).
No towel animals on my three recent NCL cruises, so I was happy to see them on the Quantum. I like to name them and I sometimes give them elaborate backstories. I also like to picture the discarded ones in a remote area of the ship smoking cigars together and gossiping about all the freaky things they’ve seen guests do in their staterooms when they think no one is watching: “Yesterday I saw this crazy lady doing yoga in her underwear while stuffing her face with doughnuts!” (Wasn’t me
As much as my mother-in-law tries to lure me into cruise casinos to spend all my money doing something I abhor so I can score a cheap rate on a future cruise, I don’t do cruise ship casinos. Or any casinos, at sea or on land or in space with a free shuttle ride to and from, $10 dollars in free play, and a complimentary buffet. I hate them. So while the Quantum of the Seas is easy to navigate, it took me a long time to finally find the casino tucked away down on deck 3 all by its lonely.
I love not having to walk through the casino to get anywhere. They are loud and smokey and I just find the pressure to add numbers quickly very stressful (Mr. Cruise is an avid blackjack player and when we cruise together I have to take a Xanax before collecting the free cosmo he scored me at his table before spilling 90% of it as I sprint to the nearest ocean-facing lounger to breathe into a bag).
Anyway, here’s a photo of as close as I got to the casino (you’re welcome) for those of you whose eyes rolled so far up into your heads at reading those last two paragraphs that they might dislodge and continue to travel down toward your neck before popping out of your ears. Sorry, but when you see some of the modern art on the Quantum, you might better understand where I drew inspiration for that particular visual.
Night 4 was the USA menu in the MDR, but the Indian dish was by far the tastiest. Go figure.
Photo 1: Fudge brownie
Photo 2: Indian vegetarian (rotates nightly)
Photo 3: New York strip steak
Photo 4: Lobster mac ‘n cheese
Photo 5: Eggplant burger
Photo 6: Warm apple cobbler
Photo 7: Key lime shortcake
Photo 8: Zucchini fries (a miss)
Photo 9: Buffalo chicken dip (a miss)
Photo 10: Royal cheesecake
This is the result of a steady diet of cruise ship soft serve:
No, actually this and a plastic hamburger on wheels and a classy, understated ring is what $50 in arcade credit buys you (we did get a $10 discount by purchasing the credit in advance of our sailing).
Seriously though, a word on the soft serve. It took us until day two to find the soft serve station because it was closed on embarkation day (probably saved us from losing our teeth altogether). It’s located near the main outdoor pool on the starboard (starburst) side and, unlike on many cruise ships is NOT self serve and open 24/7. And as I discovered, even well trained crew members in charming hats will roll their eyes at grown-ass women asking for a foot-long twist like it’s a suburban Subway.
As I’ve mentioned, the Quantum of the Seas is a huge ship, one of the hugest (is that even a word? Where’s my 11 year-old to show me how to AI it?) and I don’t generally prefer huge ships. However, she’s laid out so well and so easy to navigate that she doesn’t *feel* like a huge ship. In fact, I became acclimated so quickly, crew on the first afternoon kept asking me if I was on a back-to-back (that may have also had something to do with the fact that I arrived to Pier 91 about 3 hours prior to my already earliest check-in time, so I was the 3rd person on the ship…lol). I was strutting around like a local, grabbing a quick slice of pizza at Sorrento’s, partaking of every free dessert, and parroting Dave Ramsey’s signature line, “better than I deserve” every time a crew member asked after my well being like we were long-time neighbors.
Seriously though, the Quantum of the Seas is really easy to get around and much of her square footage is dedicated to giant venues like the casino, Music Hall, SeaPlex, etc. Getting from one place to another doesn’t feel like running an ultra-marathon after winning a cupcake eating contest (see last photo for how many cupcakes I ate at lunch today).
*Warning, literally everyone will find this entry offensive. Read on at your own risk!*
Tonight in the MDR:
Go easy on us in the comments.
Here’s the menu and everything we ordered:
Photo 1: Not lobster (Cheese tortellini)
Photo 2: Not lobster (Chicken Marsala)
Photo 3: Not lobster (Baked Alaska)
Photo 4: Not lobster (Avocado and melon salad)
Photo 5: Not lobster (Stuffed red bell pepper)
Photo 6: Not lobster (Vidalia onion tart)
Photo 7: Not Lobster (Warm chocolate cake)
Photo 8: Not lobster (Vegetarian Indian)
Photo 9: Not lobster (Red velvet cake)
Photo 10: Not lobster (Baked French onion soup)
In addition to the standard supervised kids’ program (or as us parents call it, the “FREE BABYSITTING so I don’t have to hang out with my kid on vacation!”), arcade, and pools, the Quantum of the Seas has so many other unique offerings for kids, teens, and uh hum, grown ass adults who act like kids. I’m not gonna lie, I did hop in a bumper car and pretend I was crashing into that person who leaves like 3 car lengths between their car and the one in front of them at a red light: move up! CRASH!
To be real though, I don’t really care about the “amusement parks at sea” on these huge Royal Caribbean ships. In fact, they’re kind of a turn-off for me. BUT, I was really, really excited for my 11 year-old to experience Quantum and hoped he’d forget it wasn’t Icon once he boarded (he referred to Quantum as like the “parting gift” you get when you lose at Wheel of Fortune. The dude next to you walks away with 25k and you have to figure out how to get a set of cheap knives through airport security).
Thankfully, he loves the Quantum, especially the SeaPlex, a sports complex with a myriad of activities from basketball to bumper cars to rollerskating to laser tag to video games. AND, while it’s no Icon, it also has a climbing wall and surf and sky diving simulators, which, I’m told, are better than a knife set.
There’s almost nothing in life I love more than a buffet. Honestly, if it wouldn’t reduce my life span by like 60 years, I’d probably subsist on an enormous mid-day buffet meal every day (with some smuggled out pocket cookies and honey-buttered yeast rolls to tide me over until the next day). But it turns out it’s actually less expensive for me to go on a cruise every few months, buffet included. And (groan) I can eat some green sh*t in between to keep myself chugging along long enough to see if my grandchildren inherit my sharp wit and perfect pitch (ha, more like my terrible memory and exceptionally hairy and stubby toes).
Anyway, the breakfast and lunch offerings on Quantum were extensive and of high quality and the dinner spread had us consistently regretting those 3,000 calories we wasted getting lectured in the MDR (FILL. OUT. THE. SURVEY., 10/10, etc). But seriously, my favorite items were the avo toast, yogurt parfaits, Indian selections, breakfast rice, and doughnuts at breakfast and the international selections at lunch and dinner. Every evening there was a different region of the world featured (oddly enough, these didn’t correspond with the themes in the MDR) and the food was outstanding. I really wanted to try the new (to me) menus in the MDR, otherwise I’d have eaten dinner at the buffet every night. Here’s a quick tour with some buffet tips (filmed at breakfast) and some pics:
If the world’s cruise ships were competing in a high school popularity contest, with looks and style taking priority over brains and substance, the Quantum of the Seas would be crowned prom queen while the quaint, if somewhat drab Holland America ships I love so much huddle dateless in a corner rolling their eyes while musing on about how she doesn’t even have a book club or a naturalist onboard.
As much as I love my humble little Holland America ships and while my wardrobe is always at least two decades behind, I actually strongly prefer contemporary art, design, and decor and the Quantum of the Seas does not disappoint in this area. While sometimes I can’t tell if it’s art or a scene from the medical center, the ship’s art is both modern and prolific, my favorites being animal-themed. There are also many large and impressive indoor and outdoor installations. Come for the buffet doughnuts, stay for the art!
This complimentary thin crust style pizza, very similar to what you’d get at Mod Pizza (land-based, fast-food pizza joint), was really good for cruise ship pizza and I found myself there frequently grabbing a second lunch or dinner or late-night snack. They generally had 3-4 pizza options available, but would also take requests for those willing to wait while they prepared it. If you want to make a full meal of it, head next door to Cafe Promenade for some fruit and dessert. There was ample seating available and the service was fast and friendly. It was open from 11:30am-3:00am.
Cafe Promenade, located in the Royal Esplanade on deck 4 midship next to Sorrento’s, is a small walk-up cafe that offers a selection of grab-and-go items for breakfast and lunch/dinner/late night. Breakfast items include yogurt, pastries, fruit, and breakfast sandwiches, lunch/dinner/snack items include wraps and sandwiches, fruit, and desserts. As I mentioned before, it’s a great spot to grab a dessert to go with your pizza or a little snacky snack to take back to your cabin. It’s open 24/7.
This hot dog stand is located in the SeaPlex sports complex on decks 15 and serves the following menu (unfortunately there’s no veggie option for my vegetarian friends):
The North Star is a giant glass globe arm that rises over 300 feet above sea level and offers a dozen or so passengers at a time dramatic 360-degree views. However, I was planning on using the North Star on debarkation morning as a crane to transfer me directly from an outdoor deck of the Quantum to a Weight Watchers meeting since I feared I would no longer fit through interior doors. But alas, it remained broken as it had been for months, so I needed to rely on butter and the crew being so sick of me, they banded together to push me out. The North Star is scheduled to be removed via crane (not butter) and repaired during an upcoming dry dock in Singapore in October 2024. If you’re scheduled to cruise after that time, you can book a complimentary ride (usually offered while the ship is docked at port) or a ride for an extra fee (usually offered during more desirable times while at sea) via the app.
There was a brunch offered in the MDR on day 7 (which was essentially a sea day since we didn’t dock at our last port of call until the evening). We apologize for once again failing you by not ordering either of the most popular brunch items. Here’s the menu and what we did order:
Photo 1: NOT NY bagel and lox OR chicken and waffles (French toast)
Photo 2: NOT NY bagel and lox OR chicken and waffles (Royal chocolate cake)
Photo 3: NOT NY bagel and lox OR chicken and waffles (butternut squash risotto)
Photo 4: NOT NY bagel and lox OR chicken and waffles (Royal burger)
Photo 5: NOT NY bagel and lox OR chicken and waffles (key lime pie)
Photo 6: NOT NY bagel and lox OR chicken and waffles (seasonal fruit plate)
I don’t hate the Quantum. Which you should consider a rousing endorsement for a ship of this size. However, there are a few things about her that require a qualifier like, “I don’t hate the Quantum except for…her lack of an outdoor wraparound promenade deck.”
Instead I have to make do with this area on deck 5 (there’s one on both the port and starboard side):
The blue track doesn’t wrap all the way around the ship (so I have to go out and back), views are mostly obstructed by life boats, and it’s very narrow, making passing others tricky. I really wish the new mega ships included old-school promenade decks. I realize it’s a small, weirdly specific thing, but it really does impact my experience.
Also, I was listening to “People We Meet On Vacation,” one of the audio books I downloaded for my trip, while walking out there one afternoon. Poppi and Alex, two fictional strangers who were carpooling home to a shared small town in Ohio from school in Chicago identified only one thing they agreed on during their hours-long car ride: how irritated they got when people referred to ships as “she.” Well I’ll tell you right now, I refer to ships as “she.” Always have, always will. And I refer to towel animals as “he.” If my feminization of the Quantum of the Seas and masculinization of Buster, Cody, Biscuit, Honey Bear, and Cliff bothers you, well there are literally thousands of much better cruise blogs out there (honestly, how did any of you end up here?)!
You can pick up a copy of “People We Meet On Vacation” by Emily Henry via this affiliate link (and help fund my next cruise, and cruise review – dumb jokes included free of charge).
The last dinner on a cruise ALWAYS comes with a side of tears. But anyway, here’s the night 7 dinner menu and what we ordered:
*Sorry, the desserts got cut off, but they were: Warm apple cobbler, crema catalana, dark chocolate brownie, no sugar added layered peach trifle, vegan black forest tart, ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, no sugar added selection, vegan selection).
Photo 1: Pan-seared asparagus
Photo 2: Spaghetti marinara (kid’s menu)
Photo 3: Dark chocolate brownie
Photo 4: Artisan cheese plate (ordered as an appetizer)
Photo 5: Vegetarian Indian (rotates each night)
Photo 6: Warm apple cobbler
Photo 7: Layered peach trifle (sugar free)
Photo 8: Vegetable Greek moussaka
Photo 9: There, fixed it (#OliveHatersUnite)
Yes. And no. I know Royal Caribbean has many fiercely devoted fans who are #loyaltoroyal, but I’m more fickle than my 16-year-old rescue dog Henry who, after nursing him back to health after he was tied to a poll at a horrible kill shelter in the middle of the night and then lovingly caring for him for 15+ years, would abandon me in two seconds for anyone who points him in the direction of some sidewalk pizza crust. Much like Henry, I will love any cruise ship that offers up some good buffet Indian food and desserts and delivers peaceful ocean views before dropping me off in multiple beautiful locations. And Quantum certainly did that.
However, if I were cruising by myself, I’d never choose a ship this big. Or one with so many kids and amusement park-y features onboard. And especially not for the price I paid (earlier this year I cruised a very similar itinerary on two newer, similar-sized ships on NCL for about 1/3 the cost per person of this cruise). HOWEVER, for a cruise with my son along, I’d book Quantum again for the chance to slam into him in a bumper car and shoot at him with a laser gun and accidentally knock him down rollerskating in retaliation for all those times he put his grubby fingers in my food or pooped in the bath or pretended like he couldn’t hear me when it was time to turn the TV off for bed. Ha! Just kidding (mostly). Seriously, we had a blast and I treasured all the time we got to spend together and not having to convince him of how lucky he was to be on a cruise even though there was literally nothing onboard for kids (I’m practicing this speech for our upcoming 16-night cruise on Holland America: but there’s trivia and bridge, buddy! Fun, fun!!!).
I think with Royal Caribbean, it’s really about prioritizing a ship with a ton (ton!) of great family activities (most with no extra charge). And if you think your family will really take advantage of those activities, it’s probably worth the higher fares (because the cost of those experiences on land can be significant and, you know, memories are priceless, blah blah). So with that…
Class Dismissed!
I always buy travel insurance (especially during these uncertain times) to cover my cruises, but I never purchase it through Royal Caribbean. It costs more and usually covers less than policies you purchase on your own. I go through sites like travelinsurance.com to compare plans and prices, read reviews, and get the best deal for the coverage I want. Spend less on insurance and spend more on excursions, special onboard cruise experiences and…future cruises!
Homework (10 points): If you’re booked on or considering Quantum, please ask in the comments about anything I missed. Or if you’ve sailed on Quantum before, share your experience and tips. I always love to hear how others experienced the same ship (mine is only one opinion and I’m super weird).
And don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to receive new Cruising 101 content direct to your e-mail (scroll up to the top right if on a computer or keep scrolling down if on a mobile device) and follow Prof. Cruise on social media:
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Looking for current MSC menus? See all the dining menus for 2025 here! MDR, Yacht…