New giant cruise ship dazzles with innovations
ABOARD THE QUANTUM OF THE SEAS -- Craig Harvey, 51, of Bradenton, Fla., says he would never think of jumping out of an airplane. But here he is on the back of Royal Caribbean's newest ship, all suited up in a special outfit, ready to give a different kind of skydiving a try.
"This is awesome," the Royal Caribbean regular says of the soaring, glass-enclosed wind tunnel known as RipCord by iFLY -- the first skydiving simulator on a cruise vessel. "The instructor just pulls you in, and up you go."
Awesome, indeed. And it's not the only gee-whiz attraction on Quantum of the Seas, which is being christened today in Bayonne, N.J. More than 1,000 feet long and 16 decks high, the massive ship also is home to a first-of-its-kind-at-sea ride called North Star that takes passengers high above the vessel for bird's eye views. There's also a new deck-top fun zone called the SeaPlex that features such improbable-for-a-ship offerings as the first bumper cars and roller skating at sea.
Known for building the biggest and most innovative mega resorts on the world's oceans, the line behind the first rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks and surfing simulators on a cruise ship is taking its pack-in-the-activities formula to a new level with Quantum of the Seas -- the first of a new class of vessel. But as passengers saw on a pre-inaugural sailing this past week across the Atlantic, the innovations on Quantum go beyond dazzling new deck-top attractions. With an eye to drawing more first-time cruisers to the line, everything from the boarding process to onboard dining has been reinvented.
"There was a lot of effort put into what does this new class mean for the brand," says one of Royal Caribbean's top executives, operations chief Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. "We've got to open up the (first-time cruiser) category again and ... a lot of the things that we've designed on this ship are specifically designed to do that."
Lutoff-Perlo is speaking over an elegantly plated grilled salmon in Coastal Kitchen -- an exclusive, no-extra-charge restaurant for passengers in suites that is an example of the changes.
Gone on Quantum is that long-time staple of cruising: The cavernous main dining room where passengers by the thousands eat banquet-style dinners (often at a giant tables with strangers). In its place: Coastal Kitchen and an array of four other smaller, more intimate restaurants of the sort that passengers might find on land.
Each of the four other eateries -- open to everyone at no extra charge -- offers a different cuisine, from contemporary American to pan-Asian, and passengers can visit them when and with whom they like. There also is a wide array of extra-charge venues on board from a steakhouse to a sushi outlet.
Including a couple bars that serve small bites, Quantum offers 18 distinct places where a passenger can dine in the evening -- the sort of bountiful choice found at the biggest mega resorts of Las Vegas or Orlando. Only one other major big-ship operator, Norwegian Cruise Line, offers something similar.
"It's long overdue," Lutoff-Perlo says of the move away from one large dining room. Transforming the dining experience into something closer to what is found at land resorts is critical to expanding cruising's draw, even if some longtime cruisers balk at the changes, she says.
"You have people who are afraid of it because they just don't like change," she says. "But the vast majority (of our customers) are in favor of it, even our most loyal guests."
The overhaul of dining on Quantum included the addition of the line's first restaurant by a celebrity chef, Jamie's Italian -- a branch of TV star Jamie Oliver's growing chain. There's also a healthy-eating option from The Biggest Loser chef Devin Alexander, and a gastropub from Miami-based James Beard Award winner Michael Schwartz.
Royal Caribbean also looked hard at entertainment when designing Quantum. In recent years, the line has been breaking new ground in the industry by bringing big name Broadway shows such as Chicago and Hairspray to its shipboard theaters, and Quantum continues the trend. The ship houses a unabridged, two-and-a-half-hour version of Broadway's Mamma Mia!
But Quantum also is home to a first-of-its-kind-at-sea entertainment and lounge venue called two70 that features some of the most dazzling stagecraft found at any resort in the world. Filled with comfy seating areas, an attached cafe and floor-to-ceiling windows that offer stunning, 270-degree views (hence the name two70), the soaring space at the back of the ship serves as a giant family room during the day. But it is at night when it really shines. The panoramic windows morph into a giant wraparound screen that is filled with visual delights, while periodic performances bring aerialists who descend from hidden openings in the ceiling, dancers who pop up from openings in the floor and even robotic screens that move through the air.
Two70 is just one example of how Royal Caribbean is weaving new technology into its vessels to transform the passenger experience. The ship also is home to the first bar with robot bartenders at sea (or almost anywhere, for that matter). The high-tech venue features two drink-slinging robotic arms that take orders from passengers via tablets located around the bar. Royal Caribbean also has outfitted 373 of Quantum's windowless interior cabins with "virtual balconies" -- electronic walls that offer a real-time view of the world outside the ship.
"It's absolutely gorgeous," says retiree Andee Waddle, 59, of King of Prussia, Pa., who is staying in one of the cabins. No longer is being in an interior cabin akin to being in a darkened cave, she says. "I was actually sitting in the middle of the bed yesterday watching it, just fascinated."
Touted by Royal Caribbean as the world's first "smart ship," Quantum also boasts innovative technology that makes checking in, reserving shows and restaurant tables, or even tracking luggage a breeze. The photo shop on board that sells the photographs taken by shipboard photographers is Royal Caribbean's first that is entirely digital (no more wasteful walls of printouts). And the vessel is the first with truly fast Internet, thanks to an exclusive deal with a new low-orbit satellite company.
"It's like you're at a resort at land and not on a cruise ship," says Jennie Wong, 67, of Vancouver, a cruising regular on her 15th voyage. "I am amazed with everything this ship has on board."
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USA TODAY Cruise reported live from Quantum's maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Click on the carousel at the top of this story for our "first look" tour of the ship or the carousel below for a glimpse of its swankiest suites. For more of our coverage of the ship's debut, including nearly a dozen videos, follow the links at the bottom of this page or head to USA TODAY's Cruise Hub.
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