“There’s nothing to do on a cruise except eat and gamble,” goes the common refrain.
Perhaps that was the case in the past, but modern day cruise ships have reinvented themselves as floating theme parks, filled with every manner of distractions. Whether it’s simulated skydiving, dance classes, bumper cars, big budget productions, rock wall climbing, video games or just lazing by the pool, there’s a plenty of activities to keep you from getting bored.
๐ข Cruise to Nowhere: Royal Caribbean |
In this post, we’ll run through the options available on Quantum of the Seas.
Planning Activities & Entertainment: Overview
One of the most annoying things about Royal Caribbean is that they don’t provide guests with advance copies of the Cruise Compass. This is a comprehensive listing of all the day’s activities, entertainment, facilities and restaurant hours, showing you at a glance where and when things will be held.
Update: It’s possible to see the full cruising schedule including timings for activities and shows via the Royal app around 48 hours before departure. Showtimes will only be uploaded 24 hours before departure. This at least helps you plan ahead a bit. |
Theoretically, you could get the same info from the app, but having it all on a single sheet of paper makes it much easier to digest.
Quantum of the Seas Cruise Compass
To help you with your planning, I’ve uploaded the Cruise Compass from my 28 January – 1 February 2021 sailing to the link above. Activities and timings are subject to change, but it doesn’t change all that much between cruises.
Physical Cruise Compasses are no longer distributed to staterooms by default; however they can be collected daily from Guest Services or in the Concierge Lounge.
Quantum of the Seas Activities
Gym
Quantum of the Seas’ gym is located on Deck 15, and prior reservations are required. These can be made 3 weeks before departure in the Cruise Planner (do note it’s found under “Onboard Activities”, not “Spa and Fitness”), or through the Royal app once onboard.
It’s a very large facility, although every alternate machine is blocked off for social distancing. You’ll find every manner of fitness equipment you need, and some machines are situated by the full length windows, letting you appreciate the ocean as you work out. Do remember to bring water from your stateroom, as the communal water dispensers are not in service now thank to COVID-19.
Swimming Pool/Jacuzzi
Quantum of the Seas has both outdoor and indoor swimming pools on Deck 14, so you can take a dip regardless of the weather. The pool will be closed during certain hours of the day for cleaning, and the schedule can be found in the Cruise Compass.
The outdoor pool area has a large movie screen, but to prevent large gatherings, movies aren’t screened at the moment. Instead, random clickbaity YouTube videos are flashed throughout the day (I’m convinced these make people vacate faster than they normally would have).
The indoor pool has both a wading section and a more regular shaped one, where limited lap swimming can be done. Take note that neither pool is heated, and the water can be, shall we say, refreshing.
Reservations are not required for any of the pools, though capacity restrictions apply. The ever-present lifeguards will monitor and restrict access as required.
But if you don’t like screaming kids, you might be more interested in the Solarium. This is an adults-only area (min. age: 16), set amidst a glass-canopied indoor garden.
The Solarium features several cascading lagoons, which aren’t big enough for swimming, but then again that’s not the idea here. This is a chill-out spot where you can sip a drink from the nearby bar and soak in the sun.
There’s also a few jacuzzi tubs, each of which (the two pools below are considered as one jacuzzi) can take a maximum of five people. There’s no requirement that they all be from the same group. During peak periods, lifeguards will monitor usage and request overstaying guests to leave so that others can have a turn.
SeaPlex
The SeaPlex is a multi-purpose activity hall that hosts bumper cars, pickleball, dance classes, soccer, volleyball, and other physical activities (check the Cruise Compass for schedules). Around the periphery, you can also find foosball tables, table tennis tables, air hockey tables and video game consoles.
Naturally, the biggest attraction are the bumper cars- who doesn’t love a bit of demolition derby? Bumper cars run for several hours a day, and are the only SeaPlex attraction that can be booked through the Royal app (it’s possible to make reservations for pickleball etc, but you’ll need to go down in person). For those of you with kids, do note that they have to be at least 5 years old or taller than 42″(106 cm) to drive the bumper cars.
The Xbox One consoles have a variety of racing, fighting and shooting games. As expected, it’s swarmed with teenagers throughout the day, but reservations can be made with the counter.
The SeaPlex also hosts the ship’s arcade, but all games here will cost additional money to play.
It’s possible to pre-purchase credits at 20% off via the Cruise Planner (confusingly, the prices are in SGD but the credit you buy is in USD, hence the weird visual of paying $108.80 for $100).
Social distancing regulations have led to some absurd restrictions, like the one below where the second controller is blocked off, because everyone knows you go to an arcade to play single player games.
FlowRider
FlowRider is a 12-meter long surfing simulator that blasts water at a high speed across an inflated ramp, simulating surfing on the ocean. This is a complimentary activity that does not require pre-reservation (although private sessions are chargeable).
There are two types of boards that can be used- a boogie board (where you lie stomach down) and a stand up board (where you channel your Beach Boy dreams [did you know only one member of the band could actually surf?]). Guests must be at least 132 cm tall to use the boogie boards, and 147 cm to use the stand up ones. Needless to say, the stand up boards are not for beginners- it’s hard enough to stay on the boogie board.
I’ve seen previous videos where the FlowRider area is segmented into two, effectively doubling its capacity and halving queue times. That’s not being done right now, and you can expect to wait up to 60 minutes for a turn. I’d advise you come early in the morning (you get to avoid the sun too), or else try this on embarkation day.
Oh, one final thing. The fast-moving water spat out by FlowRider is notorious for causing wardrobe malfunctions, so it’s best to wear a one piece bathing suit and/or t-shirts and (tightly tied) shorts. When we visited, an adventurous aunty had her bikini bottoms torn clean off by the water, exposing her behind for the whole world to see.
RipCord by iFly
RipCord by iFly used to be free on Quantum of the Seas, but it’s now a chargeable activity that costs S$54.40 per person (adult or child). Reservations can be made through the Cruise Planner before boarding, starting from ~12 days before departure.
If you’ve done iFly on land, it’s pretty much the same at sea. You get suited up and safety briefed, after which you’ll get 60 seconds of simulated free falling in a wind tunnel. It could be the priciest 60 seconds of your life, but it is whole lot of fun, especially if you never see yourself doing an actual skydive.
If you want a recording or photo of your experience, it’s best to ask a bystander for help. Royal Caribbean’s official photographers are on site, but they will only use their official cameras to take photos (you’ll need to pay through the nose for them).
Rock Wall Climbing
Next to Ripcord by iFly you’ll find Quantum of the Seas’ rock wall. There’s not much to say about this- it’s a wall that you climb, if you have arm core strength. If you don’t, you take a photo and tell people you climbed it anyway.
No reservations are required, and no fee is charged. Climbers must be at least six years of age and sign a liability waiver; all necessary safety equipment is provided. Bring a pair of socks, because you’ll need to wear special shoes.
North Star
I didn’t visit North Star (hence the stock photo above), but it costs S$27.20 for a 15-minute ride in this observation capsule that lifts you 300 feet above sea level. This would be splendid if you were sailing somewhere interesting, but I doubt the Strait of Malacca offers any views worth savoring (I mean, I’d love to do this in Alaska…)
North Star can also be reserved for proposals, although I imagine she’ll sort of know it’s coming if the two of you are the only passengers inside.
Casino
I suppose we have to talk about the casino at some point, although I don’t know enough about gambling to write a meaningful review.
Quantum of the Seas’ casino is called Casino Royale, and opens once the ship hits international waters. You can expect all your usual games, like slot machines, blackjack, poker and roulette. This is the only place on the ship where indoor smoking is permitted, but I was pleasantly surprised to find the air here no worse than elsewhere on the ship (this coming from someone with very bad dust allergies).
On the first night of the cruise, they had a tutorial session where the rules of each game were taught. I tried to learn Texas Hold ‘Em, and failed miserably.
Trivia
I love me a good pub quiz, and Quantum of the Seas holds several sessions per day, usually at Schooner Bar. Thankfully, each session is unique and questions aren’t repeated, so coming for a previous one gives you no advantage. Some quizzes have specific themes like music, others are a free-for-all.
Having put together a lot of quizzes myself, I’m sympathetic to the dilemma of a quizmaster (how do you create questions that are not too hard, not too easy?), but I’d like to point out that some of the answers were either based on urban legends (Q: What’s the only mammal that can’t jump?/ A: Elephants (false!)) or flat out wrong (Q: What’s the busiest airport in the world?/ A: London Heathrow or Dubai (I said Atlanta, which is correct if you look at total passengers)
The prizes, you ask? Don’t expect anything fabulous. Plastic pens, keychains, and highlighters were the loot.
Quantum of the Seas Entertainment
While those staying in suites can get pre-access to the show schedule through the concierge (released one day before boarding), everyone else will only learn the showtimes once they board the ship.
Again, this is annoying because it interferes with your ability to make dining reservations. For the record, Quantum of the Seas uses the following time slots for performances:
- 5 p.m (only once on my cruise)
- 7.45 p.m
- 8 p.m
- 10 p.m
- 10.15 p.m
Performances last about 45 minutes on average, and take place across three venues:
- Two70ยฐ
- Royal Theatre
- Music Hall
Shows in the Music Hall do not require reservations; shows in Two70ยฐ and Royal Theatre do. Reservations can be made once onboard, either through the box office (call them from your phone), or by visiting guest services. I can’t remember offhand if they were available for booking through the app.
I’d recommend you make a beeline for Guest Services (Deck 4) once you board and pick up a copy of the show schedule. Once you’ve completed your muster drill, you’ll be able to make reservations- and make them quickly! On crowded sailings, seats can disappear just like that.
While Star Class guests have their own reserved seats, it’s free seating for everyone else. Sky and Sea Class guests can enter the venue 30 minutes before and choose better seats (everyone else is let in at the 20 minute mark), but they’ll basically have to sit around and wait without anything in the way of pre-show entertainment.
During our cruise, the following productions were playing:
- Comedy Juggling by Steve Rawlings (comedy- this wasn’t originally scheduled, but replaced Starwater on the final night)
- Gold Art Duo (gymnastics)
- Sequins and Feathers (cabaret show)
- Starwater (musical)
- Viktoria Stryzhak (violin performance)
All the performances were entertaining in their own way, but if you’re pressed for time, I’d say I enjoyed Starwater, Gold Art Duo, and Sequins and Feathers the most.
Starwater is undoubtedly the blockbuster, an original performance created just for Royal Caribbean. I didn’t understand an ounce of the storyline, but the costumes, singing and production values were top notch. The performance makes full use of Two70ยฐ’s technological fixtures, with the roboscreens, stage lifts and Vistarama (a 100-foot wide, 20-foot tall curve projection backdrop) all called into action.
![Starwater](http://milelion.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/20210129_223807.jpg)
Sequins and Feathers may be a bit too racy for the kids, but it’s a spectacular extravaganza paying tribute to cabaret acts from all eras. Fun fact, this replaced Mamma Mia when Quantum of the Seas relocated to the Asia market- the idea was that this would work better for a non-English speaking audience. Ain’t non-verbal communication grand?
Gold Art Duo were semi-finalists on Ukraine’s Got Talent 2012, and their show is a best described as a mash-up of acrobatics, dance, comedy magic and aerial performances. The language barrier tended to be an issue, as the comedy sections were probably the weakest of all. But I’m hardly in a position to criticise, at least not until I can do things like this:
As an aside, those who love the Beatles will definitely want to catch the BeatleManiacs at the Music Hall. They’re one of the best cover bands I’ve ever heard, and the lead singer does an amazing George Harrison impression. They don’t take requests, but feel free to shout “anything by Yoko!” in the lull moments.
Conclusion
Royal Caribbean has made a concerted effort to offer a range of entertainment with broad appeal, and I can say I never felt bored throughout my four nights.
I was lucky enough that my sailing only had ~800 passengers (on a boat that normally takes 4,000, or 2,000 with the Safe Distancing restrictions), and I was in a suite, so reservations were easy to come by. I imagine that will be different during the March school holidays, so be sure to book as many things as you can once you board.
Quantum veterans- any other entertainment highlights?
Following this closely since I’m going to RCC soon in March. Thanks for all the guidelines sir!
glad you find it useful! i’ve yet to start writing the world dream reviews, but I definitely enjoyed RCC more.
How’s the Spa on RC?
expensive, in a word. so expensive i didn’t even consider visiting.
reference pricing: 75 minutes body treatment for US$149 + 18%.
Thanks for the information! Can I know the buy-in, small and big blind for Texas Holden? Howโs the crowd on the table?
sorry, this one i can’t tell you. the crowds were light, but it’s probably because my cruise was very empty.
Thanks!
I don’t think this is the kind of Texas Hold’em where you play against others, it’s this kind https://wizardofodds.com/games/ultimate-texas-hold-em/
Thanks!
We went on the four night cruise before Christmas (around 15-19 December). We had never been on a cruise before and therefore didn’t how stuff worked. We niavely assumed that RC would allocate the entertainment equally amongst the guests and so were very disappointed to discover at guest services at 7am on the first morning that EVERYTHING had been booked up the night before (and I do mean everything – shows, climbing, North Star, dodgems – everything). Accordingly, we were quite bored (particularly in the evenings). We found that at lot of the safe-distancing hadn’t been thought through particularly well… Read more »
$ is internationally used to represent USD, S$ is SGD that you are looking for.
You need to do your own research before boarding just like you would do for any other journeys. I won’t say the fault is on RC’s side.
Thatโs not true – $ is used to represent a dollar; which dollar it represents is dependent on context. The price paid directly to royal caribbean was in SGD, the boat was sailing from Singapore to Singapore and royal caribbean deluged us (literally daily) with special offers all of which were all in SGD, so the course of dealing was in SGD not USD. The only place that it says USD at all in hidden in the T&Cs and on the bill at the end; consumers shouldnโt have to search around to check this sort of thing – thatโs why… Read more »
If you check Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar the most common symbol for USD is $. In fact I hardly see US$ being used, primarily in coverage of US news by local media outlets. So RC as an American cruise liner, naturally uses $. Call it US supremacy if you want. For myself, I still think this is basic travel literacy. Similarly for the fuss about activity bookings. Can’t just expect things work out themselves, unless you have access to concierge service. On World Dream payment is in SGD, which I remembered they announced upon boarding by the ship-wide broadcast system, yet the… Read more »
This is a pretty stupid response. What the previous guy says about SGD / USD makes perfect sense.
Are you still able to receive a signal from your mobile data while on board? If not, what are the information about the wifi on board?
Hi Aaron, my son enjoy the bumper car, if we are booking the grand suite, do we have to queue? Or we can just sit at the โstar classโ area and wait for our turn?
Bumper cars can be booked via rcl app. Grand suite is not Star class, is sky class.
Hi Aaron, first-timers here, 25 March cruise. Would you qualify the whole experience (booking of venues, shows and activities) as stressful and would you mind summarizing (bullet points) the various booking milestones before boarding? Does it help to board separately (in case 1 person in the family cannot make it so early) and is that even allowed? And, most importantly (but only because I am having trouble opening up your Google Drive docs, maybe it’s just me), when was lobster night on your cruise?
I certainly thought that boarding day was going to be super stressful for the first hour or so while I rushed around booking everything, but in the end I suppose I “cheated” by booking a suite- the concierge did everything a couple days in advance. I think in the past it was possible for one person to board first, but with the revised arrangement you need to board together.
Yah, that’s what we gathered from your initial review and we booked a suite, so thanks for that. Now all the suites on that cruise are booked, so agree with your comment about price transparency (previous screens still say there are available suites). Still a bit confusing (I am definitely better at maximizing miles), but does the UDP help in terms of securing dinner reservations?
re: lobster night, it was 3rd night on my cruise, but it can vary from cruise to cruise. ah, if you have at least a grand suite, you’re all set. the concierge will reach out about a week before your cruise, and you can ask him to make all the bookings (dining, activities, shows). now, if you didn’t have the concierge, then your first hour onboard would be stressful in the sense that the minute you board, you will want to finish your muster drill asap (can be done on phone) and then start booking up everything in sight. fortunately… Read more »
Thanks for all that info. Did you get to see anything on the ‘way’ or it’s just international waters?
nothing to see at all.
Hi Aaron, is it worth being outside when the ship departs or it’s just uneventful?
Some nice views of the marina Bay area as you pull away
You can use VesselFinder or CruiseMapper to check the course. I’ve watched World Dream, and it sails to Malacca Straits on Sunday and Friday, South China Sea on Wednesday. Quantum seems always South China Sea. For sailing to Malacca Straits, you will less than 30km from shore, you will see the contour of land and mountain. (P.S. It also opens possibility of roaming using Malaysia/Indonesia telco service and paying less for network, but I won’t recommend as the WiFi on World Dream is actually quite fast and stable, and before you ask, you can set up Hotspot with the ship… Read more »
Ah, will try to spot Pedra Blanca, thanks! And does anyone know if Google ChromeCast works?
Never tried the TV.
โAll the performances were entertaining in their own way, but if youโre pressed for time, Iโd say I enjoyed Starwater, Gold Art Duo and Sequins and Feathers the most.โ
Needs a comma ๐
oxford comma, we meet again, and again.
Hi Aaron, in our case, we were able to book iFly more than 1 month ahead of departure
yes, i think they have changed the booking window for ifly. i have another RCL cruise end of March and I can see ifly bookings now
Hi Aaron, we might see you then if you’re on the March 25 cruise. On a separate note and since only Chops and, to a lesser extent, Wonderland, are worth trying, does not it make sense to pay per meal and book a specific slot 1 month ahead because the total price for 2 meals is almost the same as the UDP?
i certainly wouldn’t consider wonderland worth trying, but if you really want to…
in your case try chops + 1? get 2 meals for about $90 or so.
Ok, getting guaranteed restaurant reservations 1 month ahead was the decisive factor here. Thanks
Came back on Feb 18. Once onboard log in to ship wifi and book the shows. If u missed it or its full. approach the guest services. Cafe prom open 24hrs, pizza till 3am. Hotdog till 8.30pm corner of bumper car. Casino smoking n non. Smoking crowded even though most dun smoke. Carribean 2 tables $10. Beside is texas. Roulette $1. Will be going again March 11. Did not really enjoy my last trip cos stomach upset after smoked salmon sw frm Cafe.
without purchasing wifi on board, is it possible to text other passengers on board?
Dream Cruise’s app has this function for free. RC if I remember correctly you need to pay US$1.99 for this service for each user.
Loving this blog.
Are children permitted to take part in the quizzes? Also did you by any chance get to take part in yoga etc.
thank you again for sharing.
yes, children can join the quizzes subject to the restrictions on maximum group size etc. sometimes they know the answers to the questions faster than the adults (e.g. frozen stuff)
the only fitness activities i did were pickleball (very fun) and dance class (very fun to watch me).
Hello Aaron. Wanted to check if youโre familiar with how to gamble in the casino. Do I have to bring USD cash in or they accept card?
sorry! I don’t roll the dice, except on award space.
Taking USD if you have it will be simplest. You do have the option to charge to your room account in exchange for cash and then pay when checking out (and earn miles….) but doing this costs 5% (from memory) of your cash request
This was invaluable. Thanks David. Really love the comments section here.
Thank you for your post and for uploading your trip’s version of The Compass. Very useful! I’m looking forward to my cruise on 25 Aug 2021.
Hey Aaron, quick question. How was booking of activities & shows like on your second cruise when there was no concierge assistance? Is there a game plan we should follow? Thanks.
1. pick the earliest boarding slot
2. once onboard, don’t get distracted by anything else. connect to ship wifi and book bumper cars, shows for entire cruise, and dining reservations
3. some activities can only be booked in person, e.g. pickleball. head to seaplex and get it done
4. relax
some people make the mistake of doing (4) before (2) and (3)…and that’s it.
Hi, just wondering if itโs still worth pre-booking shows and activities if we are going on a longer, 2 1/2 week cruise? Iโd assume there would be less rush for people to do everything if given more time? I can understand it for shorter cruises
How do the SeaPlex games like soccer/volleyball/basketball etc. work during this Covid period? Pre-Covid we just played with other strangers but I’m guessing this isn’t allowed now? Or still allowed up to prevailing group size restrictions?
Hi all. Going on quantum on 20 Dec. How and when could we start booking the shows, activities please? Some blogs mentioned the portal is open for booking months in advance but we could not find anything on the planner.
Could we don reservations at the complimentary restaurants too?