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Looking to sail on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas? Keep reading below to learn the good and the not so good on this Quantum of the Seas review! My family and I sailed on the Quantum of the Seas in July 2024 for an Alaskan voyage. After leaving departing from Seattle, our ports were Sitka, Skagway, Endicott Arm/Dawes Glacier, Juneau, and Victoria.
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
FOOD & DINING
First up on this Quantum of the Seas review is review is… food! The complimentary food options include the following restaurants below. At a high level, we were very impressed with the food and didn’t find a need to do any specialty restaurants because the complimentary options offered everything we needed. Here’s each complimentary restaurant on board in a little more depth:
CAFE @ TWO70
Open for breakfast and lunch, this cafe offered a variety of pastries, wraps, soups and salads. We found this to generally be one of the “”less busy” dining options on the ship. My husband & I loved the caesar salad they made fresh in front of us. We also tried several of the soups, which were delicious too.
SOLARIUM BISTRO
This bistro is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While we had heard this was a more “unknown” food spot of the ship, it seemed to be quite busy anytime we visited or tried visiting. The breakfast and lunch options seemed very similar to the Windjammer buffet. However, dinner (which requires a reservation) is a California Mediterranean style. The dinner menu included salmon, red snapper, chicken, and lamb for entree options.
SORRENTO’S PIZZA
This is a New York-styled pizza joint offering pizza by the slice or by the pie. Every day they offered a cheese and pepperoni pizza along with some sort of specialty pizza. The pizza was thin style and tasted good. My only complaint here is that this was really the only “late dining” option. I like pizza so it worked for me, but for those that don’t care for pizza, there’s not really any complimentary late night dining options that I found. Sorrento’s was open from 11:30am-3am most days.
WINDJAMMER MARKETPLACE
The seemed to be by far the busiest food place on the ship. However, don’t let the first day’s crowds stop you from going here. Onboarding the ship, most of the staff recommend people go here to eat for lunch and it’s kind of crazy! It was a struggle to find tables the first day, but the rest of the time was fine. The tables also go back pretty far (and outside), so don’t forget to check there too. I’d recommend trying out Cafe Two70 or the Solarium Bistro for the first day’s lunch though if you want to hopefully avoid crowds.
Other than the crowds, I found this buffet to have typical all-inclusive buffet options for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They also had vegetarian and gluten free options for those with dietary restrictions! Here are some buffet options I remember:
Breakfast – Hash browns, fruit, bacon, eggs, donuts, pastries, pancakes, waffles, rice, omelettes, juice, coffee. I really liked the setup of the omelette station because you would place your order and receive a buzzer that would ring when it was ready. It was nice that you didn’t have to stand in a long line and wait for it.
Lunch/Dinner – they generally had themes for lunch and dinner like Asian, Mexican, etc. Other items included chicken, rice, roast beef,
One last thing that impressed me at the Windjammer was cleanliness. Everyone was sent through an area with ~5 sinks to wash their hands before entering the entire restaurant.
MAIN DINING
Royal Caribbean offers reserved dining and my time dining. Reserved dining means you pick a time (5:00pm or 7:30pm) and you/your group dines at that time every night. My time dining means you walk up and wait in line for a table. If you have a large group and want to eat together, I recommend doing the reserved dining.
As for the food, we had pleasant service and meals each time. A special shoutout to the waiter Louis – he was outgoing, accommodating, funny and our favorite waiter the whole cruise! Some of our favorites dishes were the baked french onion soup, caesar salad, warm chocolate cake, royal cheesecake, salmon, tenderloin steak, New York Strip steak, and lobster (which was offered complimentary one night, otherwise offered for an extra charge other nights.) I did not care for the lobster Mac n cheese, but that was the only thing I think!
SEAPLEX DOGHOUSE
Located in the SeaPlex, this “food truck” offers a variety of hot dogs. From an American classic Coney Island to a chicken-apple sausage to a German Thuringer, there’re several different options. Offered toppings included sauerkraut, onion, peppers, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise.
SOFT SERVE
A classic kid (and adult) favorite near the pool deck, you’ll find the soft serve ice cream machine! It offers vanilla, chocolate and twist flavors with a classic ice cream cone. There was always a worker serving the ice cream, so it wasn’t self serve like I have seen in other ships.
SPECIALTY DINING
There are also the following specialty restaurants, however, we did not go to any of them. Prices for specialty restaurants ranged from $25-30/person for lunch and $55-$100/person for dinner with some a la carte options as well.
Chef’s Table – Six course private dining experience with wine pairings.
Chops Grille – Offers a variety of steaks and seafood.
Izumi Sushi – Offers sushi, sashimi & nigiri for a la carte prices.
Jamie’s Italian – Offers a variety of pasta and Italian-styled food.
Splash Away Cafe – Near the pool deck, this restaurant offers. complimentary chicken tenders, hot dogs, and cookies. The remaining items on the menu are Asian-style for a la carte prices.
Wonderland – This “imaginative” dining experience includes your choice of 5 dishes based on the five natural elements: Earth, Sea, Fire, Ice and Sun.
Here photos of some of my favorite dishes on the ship!
BEVERAGES
I was very impressed with the timeliness of beverage service on this ship. On previous cruises, we found ourselves waiting 10-15 minutes often when we wanted a drink amongst crowded bars and that was not the case here.
As for drink selection, there was a common drink menu, but some of the bars offered some specialty drinks too. We had the deluxe beverage package which included drinks up to $14 USD. Anything above that, you just pay the difference. Most drinks were under the $14 though except some fancier wines. Here were two of my favorite cocktails:
Coconut Mojito – This drink is found at Boleros Bar and is a fun twist from a normal mojito. The rim was filled with coconut flakes!
Pretty n Pink – This drink is found on the generally drink menu. It’s gin based with lime juice, pineapple juice, and guava syrup.
ACTIVITIES
Whether you’re a kid or adult, these are lots of physical activities to do on board!
RIPCORD BY iFLY
This is a skydiving simulator that is like a giant wind tunnel. We did the extended experience and I thought it was fun! The normal experience includes a one minute ride in the simulator and the extended experience includes two, one minute rides. The minimum age for this is 3 years old. Pictures below!
FLOWRIDER
There is one FlowRider on board and it simulates a surfing and bodyboarding experience. It looked like a fun activity, but we didn’t do it because most of the time it was chilly outside. If you’re willing to brave the cold or if you get a warm day, I’d recommend giving your surfing skills a try! The minimum height is 52” for boogie boarding and 58” for surfing.
ROCK CLIMBING
Located on the side of deck 15, you’ll find a rock climbing wall. The minimum age is 6 years old for climbing and equipment is provided.
SEAPLEX
The SeaPlex is the Quantum of the Seas sports court. It transforms to allow several different kinds of activities like bumper cars, pickleball, bags/corn hole, basketball, soccer, laser tag, dodgeball and more! They have tons of different open play times and tournaments for kids and adults. The minimum age for bumper cars is 5 years old. Everything is complimentary in the sports court, but you have to make reservations for laser tag. I’d recommend doing this sooner rather than later because it sold out on our ship!
NORTH STAR
Located 300 feet above sea level, the North Star is the winner of the Guinness World Record for tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship. The observation capsule offers 360 degree views of the ocean. Unfortunately, the is broken/down for maintenance during our cruise and sounds like it’s going to be down until at least October 2024.
ENTERTAINMENT
My biggest complaint was not the entertainment itself, but the timing of entertainment. Maybe it was just me, but the shows I actually wanted to attend seemed to always fall at late or inconvenient times. Here’s a breakdown of a couple of the shows we did and didn’t get to:
The Perfect Couple – I liked this one! They grabbed three “crazily dancing” couples from the audience and had them compete is silly challenges together. This is recommended for ages 18+.
The Crazy Quest – I really wanted to do this one, but unfortunately the timing just didn’t work out. It didn’t start until 10:30pm and the next morning was the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier viewing from 5-10am. (The journey to/from the glacier and the glacier itself was well worth going to bed at a decent time for!)
How to Feel Like a Caribbeanaire – Modeled after “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” this show was a series of random questions. I live game shows, but felt this one to be kind of lame.
Starwater – this is the only “reserved” show on the cruise to my knowledge. It had some neat visual effects, but was overall just okay in my opinion. There was a lot of dancing but not much a storyline to follow (or at least one that I caught on to lol.)
Sonic Odyssey – We were able to catch the second half of this show and this one was a lot more engaging than Starwater in my opinion! They have a large and permanent “Earth Harp” that extends from the stage to the back of the theater almost. It’s only one of two in the world per Royal Caribbean’s cabin video. So that itself was cool to see, but the show itself is a “masterpiece of unique sounds.”
Disco Party – in my opinion, this was another poorly timed event. The theme night on the ship was 70s disco. However, the real disco party (for kids and families) didn’t start until 10:30pm! They had other 70s related trivia and a silent disco earlier in the night, but I was shocked that the main party was music out loud didn’t start until 10:30pm. It would have been nice if this started around 8pm in my opinion, so the kids could go for a little bit before bedtime.
STATEROOMS
We had a balcony stateroom and if you’re taking the Quantum of the Seas to Alaska, I’d say balcony is the way to go! Nothing like waking up to stunning views most mornings 🙂
The room itself had plenty of room for storage (two closets, a dresser, and overhead bed space.) Another nifty tip is that almost all the walls, doors and ceilings are magnetic! So, if wanted, I’d recommend bring some metal hooks like these. They are useful for lanyards, jackets, etc. if you need extra hanging space.
I totally forgot to take pictures of the room, but check out this video I have posted on YouTube that provides a better visual anyways. We were room 7562.
POOLS
There are three main pools on the Quantum do the Seas.
INDOOR POOL
The indoor pool is for adults and children. There is a small splash area for babies/tots and then two hot tubs and one pool for everyone else.
OUTDOOR POOL
The outdoor pool is for adults and children. The area for babies is smaller than the inside pool, but there’s a mini wave-pool for potty trained toddlers and older kids outside too. Also similar to the indoor facility, there are two hot tubs and one main pool.
SOLARIUM
The Solarium is for adults (18+) only and has a series of small infinity pools along with 4 hot tubs. It offers beautiful views with glass windows and ceilings, making it a great spot on a warm or cold day!
ALASKAN CRUISE PORTS & ITINERARY
SITKA
While docked in Sitka, we took the shuttle downtown and explored the town by foot. More details on the Sitka cruise port and things to do in Sitka here.
SKAGWAY
Nestled in beautiful mountains and by pretty blue/green water, this town was one of my favorites! I’d highly recommend doing the White Pass Train ride. Click here to learn more about the Skagway cruise port and things to do in Skagway.
ENDICOTT ARM & DAWES GLACIER
Sailing through Endicott Arm, which is a breathtaking fjord located in Southeast Alaska, is an awe-inspiring experience! The water in the Endicott Arm is a pretty turqiouse, and you are surrounded by towering granite cliffs, waterfalls and lush forests. As you sail through it, the anticipation builds for the spectacular sight of Dawes Glacier at the end of this majestic inlet. Once at Dawes Glacier, the cruise shop will generally rotate (dependent on conditions) so everyone can get a view from each side of the ship.
Our viewing was from 5am-10am and trust me, it’s worth getting up early to see these sights!!
JUNEAU
Another favorite town nestled in mountains is Juneau. Similar to Skagway, there are several restaurants and gift shops available as soon as you step off the ship. I’d recommend doing the helicopter tour to Mendenhall Glacier or whale watching. Click here to learn more about the Juneau cruise port and things to do in Juneau. Or click here to learn about a must-do whale watching tour in Juneau!
VICTORIA
We were onto docked here for a few hours so we opted to walk the town and not do an excursion. However, if I were to go back, I’d do the excursion to the Butchart Gardens. Click here to book your garden tour otherwise check out these other Victoria excursions below:
Are you enjoying this Quantum of the Seas review? If you’re looking to take the Quantum of the Seas to Alaska, check out more information on Alaskan ports and excursions here!
This blog post may contain affiliate links, which are at no cost to you. It just helps support me so I can continue to put out free content for you like this! Thank you for your support!