Janiqueel has a good look at the facilities and service of the newly refurbished Quantum of the Seas by Royal Caribbean.

It is not that life ashore is distasteful to me. But life at sea is better.

Sir Francis Drake, Sea Captain

Teaming with the Singapore Tourism Board and the Changi Airport Group, Royal Caribbean has entered into a campaign to promote FLY-CRUISES. Fly-cruising will bring international visitors to Singapore and see them off on adventures in and around Southeast Asia. As part of a five-year deployment of Quantum-class ships the aptly named Quantum of the Seas ship slipped into the Marina Bay Cruise Centre last week. Janiqueel and other travel buffs were lucky enough to spend half-a-day exploring the vessel under the friendly leadership of Royal Caribbean hosts who definitely knew their way around the ship. Given the size – 136 feet wide and 1,141 feet long – and a layout rife with hidden corners and serendipitous discoveries, that is no small feat.

Fresh from a multi-million dollar refurbishment, The Quantum of the Seas is ready to be a center-piece in the fly-cruise holiday empire. The features and opportunities for fun and relaxation are too numerous to mention individually, but here are a few highlights of our tour:

• We had a delightful sit-down lunch in the American Icon Grill. Between courses, it was a great chance to network with other travel professionals and to luxuriate in the attentive and jocular service and the succulent lunch. Chic, Silk, The Grande, and Coastal Kitchen are the other main dining options. Signature restaurants include Wonderland, Jamie’s Italian, Harp & Horn Pub, Chops Grille, Izumi Japanese Cuisine, Chef’s Table, and Noodle Shop.

For more laid back dining one can try Windjammer, The Cafe @ Two70, Seaplex dog House, Sorrento’s, Cafe Promenade, La Patisserie, and Solarium Bistro.

Spoiled for choice, cruisers will NOT go hungry aboard the Quantum!

• We were lifted high above the deck on the North Star capsule crane. What a thrill! With 14 of us aboard, the capsule lifted us to get amazing views of the deck below and the piers and city-scape of Singapore in the near distance. 

• To ‘heighten’ the experience, one might visit the Bionic Bar before the capsule launches. Here, the bartenders are robots who might be as comfortable on the assembly line of an auto manufacturing factory as they are behind the Quantum’s bar. Watch these machines take the order from a bar-coded iPad, then mix it up and (this is really good) shake it up, Baby! What a way to get your favorite cocktail or mocktail.

• We didn’t have time to try other activities, but they are there aplenty. For active pursuits, there is a running track around the whole deck, 2 indoor pools, 2 outdoor pools, the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, a rock-climbing wall, the Flowrider Surf Simulator, and a sports court. 

• We saw all four types of rooms: Interior with a virtual balcony, Ocean View with a large window to the sea, Balcony with its own private balcony and deck chairs, and the Suites and Lofts. Glorius to behold, the Royal Loft Suite includes a king-size bed on the upper loft, in-suite dining at a table for eight, a fully-appointed sitting area with couch and chairs, and bathroom on each level. Not wanting to leave at the end of a cruise is the inherent danger of this Royal accommodation.

Another part of the Fly-Cruise concept is a check-in transfer service at Changi airport’s Jewell. It provides yet another amenity in the Royal Caribbean package. As the Quantum of the Seas prepares for its longest deployment to date, it is clear from our tour that the ship, its crew, and staff are ready to provide the very best in cruising for the 2019-2020 season.