Editorial Cruise Ship Wiki's take on Quantum of the Seas
Quantum of the Seas is the ship that introduced Royal Caribbean's Quantum class in 2014, and almost everything unusual about it comes from one design decision: it was built to work when the weather doesn't. It carries 4,180 passengers with about 1,500 crew, and where an Oasis-class ship spreads its life across an open-air Boardwalk and Central Park, Quantum pulls the equivalent indoors. Two glass-roofed pools, a climate-controlled sports hall, and a two-deck entertainment room that turns a wall of windows into a video screen after dark. That is why the ship spends its seasons in Alaska, Asia, Australia and New Zealand rather than chasing Caribbean sun.
The headline attractions have aged well. North Star lifts a glass pod 300 feet above the ship on a mechanical arm; RipCord by iFLY is a skydiving simulator; SeaPlex runs bumper cars, roller skating and basketball under cover. Two70 is the one most people remember - a lounge with a wall of glass by day that becomes a hybrid theatre at night, with robotic screens and aerialists. The Bionic Bar, where two robot arms mix the drinks, is more novelty than bar, but it is a genuinely odd thing to have on a ship.
The criticisms are consistent enough across published reviews to take seriously. Food quality is the recurring one - Cruise Critic's editors put it plainly, noting you have to work at finding the good stuff, and passenger reports of lukewarm or bland dishes in the main dining rooms and buffet are common. The ship also feels its capacity: reviewers describe excursion queues running half the length of the ship, headline attractions selling out, and 45-minute waits for a three-minute bumper car ride. Signage is poor for a vessel this size, and North Star's glass fogs in bad weather, which is awkward on an Alaska sailing where bad weather is the point. Cruise Critic rates it 4.0 out of 5 overall.
It suits families with children of any age, and anyone who would rather be doing something than lying still. It suits cold-weather itineraries better than almost any ship afloat. It suits food-led travellers considerably less well, unless they plan to pay for the specialty restaurants.
What this means for choosing a cabin: about three-quarters of Quantum's 2,099 staterooms have a real balcony, which is a high proportion, and interior cabins get a virtual balcony - a floor-to-ceiling screen showing a live view from outside. Because so much of the ship's activity is indoors and stacked vertically, what sits directly above and below your cabin matters more here than on a ship where the noise disperses into open air. SeaPlex in particular is a hard-surfaced sports hall, and it is not quiet.
We have traced Quantum's full deck plan, so you can browse every cabin by deck and category. Our computed quiet and convenience scores are not yet live for this ship - they depend on venue positions we are still mapping.
Sources
This is Cruise Ship Wiki's own editorial summary of published reviews and reference sources. It is not a guest review and does not describe a stay aboard. Member reviews appear separately below.
Photo: Flickr user 34128007@N04, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
Quantum of the Seas is the lead ship of Royal Caribbean's Quantum class, a design conceived to pack technological novelty into a hull smaller than the Oasis giants. Built by Meyer Werft at Papenburg, Germany, at a cost of roughly US$935 million, she was delivered in the autumn of 2014. At about 168,666 gross tons and 348 metres long across sixteen decks, she carries some 4,180 guests at double occupancy and up to about 4,900 at maximum, served by roughly 1,500 crew, and her construction required a delicate conveyance down the shallow River Ems to the North Sea.
The ship became a showcase for a suite of firsts. The North Star, a jewel-shaped glass observation capsule mounted on a mechanical arm, lifts guests more than 90 metres above sea level for panoramic views. RipCord by iFly brought a vertical wind-tunnel skydiving simulator to the sea, the Bionic Bar deployed robotic arms to mix cocktails, and the multi-purpose SeaPlex offered bumper cars and a circus-style trapeze school under one roof. Two-deck 'Two70' lounges used robotic screens and floor-to-ceiling windows to transform from a daytime observation space into a night-time theater.
Quantum of the Seas was christened in 2014 with Broadway and television star Kristin Chenoweth serving as godmother, and after an inaugural season out of Cape Liberty, New Jersey, she was repositioned to Asia, spending several years based in China.
Registered in Nassau, Bahamas, Quantum of the Seas has since become a seasonal traveler, alternating between Alaska cruises out of Seattle during the northern summer and voyages based in Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific during the southern season. She remains in active service, the founding vessel of a class built around innovation rather than sheer size.
Cabins by Deck
All 2,099 staterooms on Quantum of the Seas, listed deck by deck with cabin numbers, categories and sizes.
Three things only CruiseShipWiki does
Onboard Highlights
Signature attractions, dining, bars and entertainment aboard Quantum of the Seas.
Top attractions
- RipCord by iFLY
The first skydiving simulator at sea. - FlowRider
A 40-foot-long surf simulator with 30,000 gallons of water. - North Star
An observation pod that lifts above the deck for 360-degree panoramic views. - Two70
A transformative venue by day with panoramic views and by night featuring aerialists, robots and performances. - SeaPlex
The largest indoor activity space at sea featuring bumper cars and other activities.
Specialty dining
- Chop's Grille
A classic American steakhouse with white tablecloth service. - Jamie's Italian by Jamie Oliver
Tuscan-inspired dishes served family-style.
Bars and lounges
- Bionic Bar
Features two robotic bartenders that shake, stir and sling cocktail combinations. - Boleros
A bar pairing mojitos with live merengue music.
Entertainment
- Tuned to the Room
An original production featuring an epic fusion of music, performance, art and innovation.
Where She Sails
Ports of call on Quantum of the Seas itineraries, with a signature highlight at each.
Specifications
| Status | In service |
|---|---|
| Entered service | 2014 |
| Cruise line | Royal Caribbean International |
| Class | Quantum class |
| Gross tonnage | 168,666 GT |
| Guests (double occupancy) | 4,180 |
| Guests (maximum) | 4,819 |
| Crew | 1,300 |
| Est. annual guests | ≈ 220,000 / year (estimated) |
| Length | 348 m (1,142 ft) |
| Beam | 41 m (135 ft) moulded |
| Draught | 8.8 m (29 ft) |
| Decks | 16 |
| Staterooms | 2,099 |
| Shipyard | Meyer Werft (Papenburg, Germany) |
| Build cost | ≈ US$935 million |
| Christened by | Kristin Chenoweth |
| Flag | Bahamas |
| Port of registry | Nassau, Bahamas |
| IMO number | 9549463 |
| Call sign | C6BH8 |
| Home port | Seattle, Washington (seasonal) |
| Region | Alaska / Asia-Pacific (seasonal) |
About the Quantum class
Technology-forward ships with the North Star observation pod, RipCord by iFLY skydiving, and SeaPlex. Later Quantum Ultra ships refine the design.
Ownership & loyalty
Part of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL).
Sister brands: Celebrity Cruises, Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
Loyalty status match - members keep an equivalent tier across the group's brands:
- Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Captain's Club (Celebrity Cruises)
One-for-one tier status match across Royal Caribbean Group brands: Gold <-> Classic, Platinum/Emerald <-> Select, Diamond <-> Elite, Diamond Plus <-> Elite Plus, Pinnacle Club <-> Zenith. - Crown & Anchor Society (Royal Caribbean International) ↔ Venetian Society (Silversea Cruises)
One-for-one status match with Silversea Venetian Society: Gold <-> 1 day, Platinum/Emerald <-> 100 days, Diamond <-> 250 days, Diamond Plus <-> 350 days, Pinnacle Club <-> 500 days.
References
Descriptions on Cruise Ship Wiki are original write-ups paraphrased from public sources; facts are compiled from the references below and cross-checked. How we source our information.
- Photograph by Flickr user 34128007@N04 (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons - Primary ship photograph