MS Quantum of the Seas is a cruise ship for Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and the lead ship of the Quantum class of cruise ships. The Quantum class surpasses RCI's earlier Freedom-class ships by over 14,000 GT, becoming the second largest class of passenger ships behind RCI's Oasis class ships on a gross tonnage basis. Quantum of the Seas was delivered to RCI on October 28, 2014 and is sailing from Shanghai, China.

Concept and construction

On February 11, 2011, RCI announced that it had ordered the first of a new class of ships from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, scheduled to be delivered by Fall 2014. At the time, the project was code-named "Project Sunshine". Later that year, two 20.5-megawatt ABB Azipod XO propulsion units were ordered for that ship. On February 29, 2012 the company announced that a second "Project Sunshine" ship had been ordered and would be delivered by Spring 2015, and ordered identical Azipod propulsion units shortly thereafter. Just under a year later, on January 31, 2013, steel cutting for the first ship began with a silhouette of the ship being cut by the lasers. The same day, RCI announced the official name of the new class of ships, Quantum Class, as well as the names of the first two ships in the class, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. Details on the major features of Quantum of the Seas were announced on April 16, 2013.

Service history

Quantum of the Seas spent its inaugural 2014–2015 season sailing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, United States, before repositioning to China in May 2015. Beginning late June 2015, the ship began to sail three- to eight-night itineraries year-round from Shanghai to Japan and Korea. On June 20, 2015, the ship visited Hong Kong.

During the ship's relocation cruises from New Jersey to Shanghai, several venues on the ship were reworked for the Asian market. Changes included increasing the size of the casino, incorporating a "high-rollers" room in a section of the Music Hall, and modifying menus to include more Asian food. A "Kung Fu Panda"-themed noodle bar was added on the pool deck.

Architecture and equipment

Staterooms

Quantum of the Seas has 16 passenger-accessible decks, 8 of which feature balcony staterooms overlooking the ocean. Like the Celebrity Solstice class, those staterooms above the life boats are recessed into the superstructure and do not look down directly at the ocean. There are a total of 2,090 staterooms: 1,570 balcony staterooms, 147 ocean-view staterooms, and 373 inside staterooms. Of those staterooms, 34 are wheelchair accessible and 28 are studio staterooms for single travelers (including 12 studio staterooms with balconies). All aft-facing staterooms are 2-story "loft" suites. Expanding on the "Virtual Porthole" concept introduced by Disney Cruise Line on the Disney Dream, all the interior staterooms feature a floor-to-ceiling 80-inch high-definition TV screen showing live views from the outside of the ship, which Royal Caribbean calls a "Virtual Balcony". On average, staterooms on the Quantum class are 9 percent larger than those on the preceding Oasis class.

Activities and entertainment

As on the earlier Freedom and Oasis-class ships, the "Sports Court" on deck 15 aft features a Wave Loch Flowrider surf simulator and a rock-climbing wall. A new feature on the Quantum of the Seas is "RipCord by iFLY", a skydiving simulator set in a recirculating indoor recreational vertical wind tunnel. Reservations for RipCord are able to be made online in advance of the cruise. All the features of the Sports deck are complimentary, although Royal Caribbean charges for pictures and videos taken of RipCord participants.

The "NorthStar" observation tower, located at the forward end of the top deck, uses a 7.1-tonne (7.8-short-ton) glass-walled capsule on the end of a 41-meter-long (135 ft) crane arm to lift groups of up to 14 guests up and over the edge of the ship, reaching heights of up to 300 feet above sea level. Rides on the NorthStar are complimentary, with the exception of sunrise, sunset, and private trips which have a charge, and can be reserved online in advance.

Deck 14 features an outdoor pool with a large video screen, an indoor pool with a retractable roof, an indoor "Solarium" with an adults-only pool, the "H2O Zone" kids' water park featuring the first wave pool on a cruise ship, and at least 4 whirlpools. Other included features that have become standard on recent Royal Caribbean ships include a Spa and Fitness Center on decks 15 and 16, the "Adventure Ocean" kids club on decks 11 and 12, a Broadway-style "The Royal Theater" on decks 3–5, and a Casino on deck 3. Unlike the earlier Voyager, Freedom, and Oasis class, Quantum of the Seas does not feature a Viking Crown Lounge or ice skating rink, and the Royal Promenade mall down the center of the ship is replaced with the two-story "Royal Esplanade".

The ship also features a number of multi-purpose venues:

The Royal Theater

The Royal Theater is a Broadway-style theater on decks 3–5. It is home to the ship's fully licensed production of the Broadway musical Mamma Mia!, the original stage production Sonic Odyssey, headliner acts, 3D movies, and other entertainment.

Two70°

Two70° is a lounge on decks 5–7 at the stern of the ship, which features three-story-high 270-degree panoramic ocean views, a café, and an ice bar. Automatic window shades can cover the windows to limit the amount of sunlight entering, and a 13-projector projection mapping system can project live views from outside the ship and other imagery onto those screens. At night, movable furniture and retractable dividers and chandeliers allow the space to be reconfigured to be used as a performance venue for a nouveau-cirque-style show or as a disco. Both nighttime uses will take advantage of the projection system and 6 robotically controlled 100-inch LCD television screens to provide digital backdrops.

SeaPlex

Located at the middle of deck 15, the SeaPlex is a large indoor gym with a full-size basketball court that can be converted into a dance floor, a flying trapeze school, a roller-skating arena, or a bumper cars ride. The "SeaPlex" also features the SeaPlex Dog House food truck and table tennis, air hockey and foosball tables on a second-level mezzanine.

The Music Hall

The Music Hall is a 2-story lounge on decks 3 and 4 that also serves as a nightclub and small music performance venue. The Music Hall features the self-leveling pool tables first seen on the Radiance-class ships.

Dining

Unlike previous Royal Caribbean ships, Quantum of the Seas does not have a main dining room, nor does it have an option for traditional cruise dinners where passengers have the same table and servers each night. Instead, the ship uses a Dynamic Dining concept similar to the Freestyle concept used on Norwegian Cruise Line, with guests being required to make reservations for their choice of restaurant for each night in advance. Each venue will maintain the same menu and staff throughout the cruise.

Complimentary

There are five complimentary main restaurants (four of which are available to all passengers):

• American Icon Grill — American comfort food (Smart Casual, open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
• Chic — Contemporary cuisine (Smart Casual, dinner only).
• Coastal Kitchen* — California Mediterranean fusion (Smart Casual, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner). *Restaurant available only to guests staying in junior-suite-level staterooms and above.
• The Grande Restaurant — Continental cuisine (Formal, dinner only).
• Silk — Pan-Asian fusion, served family style (Smart Casual, dinner only).

Other smaller complimentary dining venues include:

• The Café @ Two70° — Made-to-order sandwiches and salads, similar to the Park Café on other Royal Caribbean ships (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
• Café Promenade — Sandwiches and pastries (breakfast, lunch, and dinner).
• SeaPlex Dog House — Hot dogs and sausages, similar to the Boardwalk Dog House on other Royal Caribbean ships (lunch and dinner).
• Devinly Decadence at Solarium Bistro — Spa cuisine by Devin Alexander (breakfast, lunch and dinner).
• Sorrentos Pizza (lunch and dinner)
• Windjammer Marketplace — Complimentary buffet (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Includes a new The Grill area, which is open 24 hours and features all-day breakfast, cheese steak sandwiches, rotisserie chicken, and other food items.

Additional fee

There are several smaller dining concepts debuting on Quantum of the Seas that are available to passengers for an additional fee:

• Jamie’s Italian by Jamie Oliver (lunch and dinner)
• Michael's Genuine Pub — À la carte gastropub from chef Michael Schwartz (lunch and dinner).
• Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine (dinner only)

Other additional-fee restaurants available on Quantum of the Seas that are also offered on previous Royal Caribbean ships are:

• Chef's Table (dinner only)
• Chops Grille — Steakhouse (dinner only).
• Izumi Japanese Cuisine — À la carte sushi and Japanese food (lunch and dinner).
• Kung Fu Panda Noodle Shop — À la carte restaurant serving Chinese dishes including dim sum, savoury noodle bowls, and traditional Chinese dessert.

Bars and lounges

Quantum of the Seas includes numerous bars and lounges, including the Royal Caribbean signature Schooner Bar, the Ice Bar located in Two70°, Michael's Genuine Pub, and the Bionic Bar which features robotic bartenders from Makr Shakr.