Introducing Quantum of the Seas

Well! Royal Caribbean have done it again, taking your cruising experience to a whole new level with the introduction of their newest ship - the Quantum of the Seas!
Royal Caribbean are again leading the way with some amazing, unique features you will not find on any other ships. They have already introduced signature offerings such as the rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, FlowRider Surf Simulator, Central Park, the Aqua Theatre and your favourite Dream Works characters. This will now be enhanced  with some more "Firsts for Sea"- The North Star, RipCord by iFly and even bumper cars.

I have provided some information on the ship's features below for you - this being such a new ship and not being able to see this in person in Australia, i have also provided some links to Royal Caribbeans website. They have created some amazing videos that will demonstrate their offerings, hosted by the Quantum of the Seas' godmother- Kristin Chenoweth- and a host of other A-List stars.


The Quantum of the Seas will start sailing in the fall of 2014 out of New York harbour from her home port of Cape Liberty on 7-12 night itineraries. The Quantum ship spans 16 decks, encompasses 167,800 tons and will be able to carry 4180 guests at double occupancy with 2090 staterooms.

Explore Quantum of the Seas with Kristin Chenoweth here.



RipCord by iFly 
This is a skydiving simulator which will let you experience the thrill and exhilaration of flying! If you have ever wanted to skydive, but not had the courage to take that leap out of the plane then this is definitely for you!  You will keep afloat in a safe, controlled environment all without having to take a step off of the ground.

 View the clip here.

North Star

Think the London Eye at Sea! An engineering marvel , the North Star will take guests to new heights - with a large glass capsule transporting you 300 feet above sea level and delivering amazing 360 degree views above the ship and the exciting destinations you will be visiting.

View the clip here.

Transformational Signature Venues

Two70° is sure to become one of Quantum of the Seas' most iconic venues. Fusing together technology and entertainment, this one-of-a-kind grand room promises to take you on a transformative journey from day to night. During the day, the space is a modern, open area living room with  270° panoramic views — the perfect place to kick back and relax while taking in the scenery from vast floor to ceiling windows spanning two-and-a-half decks high. By night, Two70° transforms. As the lights go down and the music comes up, you'll find yourself immersed in the center of spellbinding performance art, mind-blowing light shows, and dazzling digital scenery. There is also an ice bar serving up your favorite cocktails!

View the clip here.

The largest indoor active space at Sea, SeaPlex is a flexible sporting and entertainment venue. Guests can experience a circus school with flying trapeze or play basketball on a full size court. By night, race and crash into your friends with the first ever bumper cars at sea or pop on some skates for some Roller Skating. Guests can also dance to orchestrated music from the floating DJ booth hovering above.

View the clip here.

The music hall is where you will find the hottest live music. You will get exclusive access to live performances, DJs, theme night parties, billiards and more. The music hall's two-story design is inspired by the spirit of rock'n'roll.

The Next Generation of Staterooms- Accommodations

Royal Caribbean debuts the most spacious and luxurious accommodations ever with staterooms on average 9% larger than Oasis class ships. 

*Now every room on the Quantum of the Seas has a view with the exciting introduction of Virtual Balcony Staterooms offering an expansive real time view of the ocean to Interior Staterooms.

*Family Connected Staterooms will deliver more flexibility, using 3 different stateroom categories which connect to form a layout offering separate bedrooms and bathrooms which will allow families and groups of friends travelling together the best of relaxing alone or all coming together.

*The ship will also have an even larger variety of Staterooms with the introduction of new Studio Staterooms, some with balconies for single travellers, 3 Junior Suite Categories and larger Loft Suites.

Signature features 

The adults-only Solarium, along with an outdoor pool, a new indoor pool with operable roof and a H2O Zone kids’ aqua park, will be featured on the top deck.  Signature Royal Caribbean venues and experiences popular with families such as the rock climbing wall, FlowRider surf simulator, the award-winning Adventure Ocean children’s program; the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery are still onboard the Quantum of the Seas. 

Bookings will be available to Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program members starting May 27, 2013 before opening to the general public on June 4. 

Photos and Videos are Courtesy of the Royal Caribbean website.

Stephen

Sailing on the Carnival Spirit

The Carnival Spirit is the newest addition to our Australian waters arriving into her new permanent home in Sydney late last year. She has underdone an "Aussie-fication to cater for her Australian and NZ passengers - so no need to worry about foreign currency on board,power adaptors and tipping is not required nor expected compared to other American based Cruise Liners!

I was lucky enough to sail on the Spirit in February on a 3 night Sydney- Melbourne cruise.  If you are new to cruising then I highly suggest these Shorter Sampler cruises to get a feel for what you can expect on a longer Itinerary.  The Spirit will be the largest Super-Liner to be permanently based in our Waters. She can carry 2,680 passengers and is an impressive 85,900 tonne.  The ship has all of your standard facilities you would expect from a ship of her size, but has some unique and impressive features too!

Still a great view!

Your first impression of a ship once on board will normally be your cabin. You will notice that the Spirits exterior cabins are predominantly Balcony Cabins. There is only one Deck Level of Ocean View Cabins on offer and these are located on Deck 1.  I stayed in an obstructed Balcony Cabin - category 7A.  I have to say I was very impressed and surprised at the lack of obstruction.  These cabins are located on Deck 5 , the top of the life rafts only reach up in line with your Balcony railing, so when standing on your Balcony you can still see over and above and out to see.  These cabins represent fantastic value if you want to upgrade from an Inside or Ocean view but not pay the full price of a fully unobstructed balcony!

The next standout feature is the Green Thunder. It is billed as the worlds steepest Water slide at sea at it certainly lives up to the hype! This slide begins with a trapdoor that opens and sends you free falling at up to 60km/h through a corkscrew and flying out the bottom!  There’s also a sports deck that includes mini golf and a great little water park for kids.

At the Aft of the ship  is a relaxing Adults only area known as Serenity. Here you will be able to relax and unwind with no kids to worry about!  Offering hammocks, large 2 person cabanas and plenty of deck chairs to relax on, you can also enjoy meals out here.  The entry to the dining hall is very close and it is also only a short stroll to Fat Jimmy's C-side BBQ - there is also a fully staffed bar. A medium sized swimming pool is located in the centre along with a spa. 

Carnivals Motto is "FUN". 
This is certainly felt from the moment you step on board! From the bar and wait staff to the entertainment team and your cabin stewards. There are a heap of activities to do on board as well,these are all listed in your 'Fun times" which will be delivered to your cabin every night.
One other thing you will notice is that the drink prices are very reasonable - The cocktails especially!  I have copied some sample drinks lists for you to see.

So if you are a first time cruiser or looking for a fantastic ship that will cater for your whole families needs then Carnival Spirit will be a great option for you.  She is in our waters year round and mainly sails the South Pacific with some NZ and shorter sampler Itineraries also.

View Sailings on the Carnival Spirit :
Australia
New Zealand

Photos Courtesy of Caribbean website and taken personally by myself.