95. Cruising on Quantum of the Seas. What it's really like for a first time cruise.
In today’s episode we are giving you all the information about cruising on the royal Carribean’s Quantum of the Seas ship.
We sailed out of Brisbane, Australia on a 7 day South Pacific Island cruise.
This is the first cruise I have done as a passenger and the first one for Lyle in over 30 years – so we have all the helpful info you need if you are thinking about cruising for the first time – or if you just love everything about cruising, or even if you’re not sure cruising is for you.
We tell you all the answers to the most asked questions and also give you some really helpful hints that we learnt in our week on board.
You will also hear the best cruise story ever – as I said, I had never cruised as a passenger, but I did work on a cruise ship 14 years ago – and I’m not going to give anything else away – only to say I bet you have NEVER done a cruise like the one I did in March 2010!
If you want to see all the pictures from this week’s episode then check them out below.
SHOW NOTES AND PICTURES BELOW
Cruising out of the Brisbane International Cruise terminal is a very simple and quick process. The staff are wonderful and the organisation is fantastic. We parked at the Port Side Parking area and they shuttle you to and from the terminal. If you fly in there is a shuttle from the airport, that you have to book and pay for, that takes you directly to the cruise terminal as well.
We were able to board the ship around 11.00am and did our safety briefing as we boarded and then we were free to explore the ship. The rooms weren’t available until after 1pm. You can go to some cafes and the Windjammer buffet for lunch and drinks.
This is a great time of explore the ship and get your self orientated to where everything is.
We had a walk around the top deck where there is walking track that takes you all around the ship. From here you can see all the outdoor pool and bar areas.
Once we were able to go to our rooms, we found our luggage out the front, and then we unpacked and enjoyed the view from our balcony. I really believe it is worth paying the extra for a balcony room. We often chilled out on the balcony as it is really one of the only places on the ship where you can have some peace and quiet as well as privacy.
Decks 4 and 5 are where all the specialty bars and restaurants are. It is also where you can find the designer shops and art gallery. The bionic bar is a favourite area if you want a robot to make a cocktail for you. If you have any photos taken on board, you will find them on deck 5 as well. Sorrento’s pizza is a favourite on deck 4 as it is open until 3am. We enjoyed Vintages wine bar as they had the best wine selection. Also on deck 4 is where you will find the best coffee on board at La Patisserie.
There are many areas to sit and enjoy a drink or snack as well as lots of people watching.
Many families and groups dress up in matching outfits. There are matching Hawaiin shirts, specially printed cruise T Shirts plus lots more.
Deck 14 is where all the pools and bars are. There are outdoor pools, kids pools, hot tubs, and bars everywhere. There is a lot of seating, although in busy times it can be hard to find a chair. The ship doesn’t allow people to reserve chairs and we did find that people were always coming and going - so if you waited a while you could find a chair. The pool towels are complimentary, although you do need your ship pass to hire them and if you don’t return them your card will be charged at the end of the cruise. There are bands playing most of the day at the outside pool and movies every afternoon and at night by the main pool area. This is where you can also access free icecream cones all day.
Some things to know before you sail. There is a Royal Carribean app that you can use on the ship, even without Wifi. The app has all the information before your cruise and during your cruise. You can see what is happening around the ship everyday, what the dress code is for dinner and make reservations for shows if necessary.
If you don’t want to purchase the Wifi package you can buy just one day (24 hours) when you are sailing. The cost is approximately $30 AU a day.
The rooms have hairdryers, a safe, a mini fridge, tea and coffee making facilities. There are also US and Europe power plugs, so you will need adapters. There are two USB outlets for charging phones etc. The bed was comfy, the room surprisingly spacious and the bathroom had lots of shelving for all your toiletries.
The Quantum of the Seas has many unqiue activities. These include the Flow Rider surf ride, the I-fly by Ripcord - which is like parachuting and a rock climbing wall. There are a couple of the areas on the wall that are just for kids and the ones we saw using it absolutely loved the experience. Also, the indoor Seaplex area has bumper cars, roller skating, all sorts of sporting games as well as lazer tag. The kids will never be bored.
For us, one of our favourite areas was the Solarium. This is a large area at the front of the ship on Deck 14. It is for 18+ only, so a bit quieter, although when the cocktails start kicking in, some of the crowd can become a bit rowdy. Once again though, it is big enough that you can find a space that is a bit quieter. There are a couple of terraced pools, jacuzzies and of course a bar area.
One of the things we liked about the Solarium area is there is a buffet that has delicious food and isn’t anywhere near as busy as the Windjammer buffet at the back of the ship on the same level.
The Windjammer is the main buffet and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. It is always busy, but there is plenty of food and always someone leaving so you can find a chair. There are tables outside on the deck that are generally available and the bonus is they have a great view.
Every time you go to the eating areas, especially the Windjammer you have to “washy washy”. This means you have to wash your hands and there are about 6 sinks on each side of the entrance of the food area.
Overall, booking and embarkation on the Quantum of the Seas was an easy experience. The ship was home to 4,500 passengers for the week, so we met many new friends and had lots of fun with the friends we were travelling with.
If you want to know all the information about cruising on the Quantum of the Seas for the first time, then there is much more info in the podcast player below. Just click on the play button to listen directly from this page.