hcsf
LIF Adolescent
Member since 8/07 792 total posts
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Re: Cruise Out of NY???
Someone mentioned QOTS out of NJ....this was my brothers experience on that ship.....
My wife and I have been cruising with a group of friends (three professional couples) for about six years now, but some of us used to be in the cruise business, so we have an insider's perspective. We also know as passengers that there are good and bad in every cruise (put 4,000 in a small space - try to feed them and keep them entertained for a week or more - not so simple). So this should not be considered a nit-picky review. But holy moly, the Quantum of the Seas was not ready to sail. We spoke with many passengers, and some of them started a conversation by causally asking "So, how do you like the ship?" Not wanting to be overtly negative, I would respond with something like "It's not my favorite," at which point they would inevitably spill their guts about the long litany of the same problems we were all experiencing. In some strange way, it was bonding. But I would have preferred a different camaraderie. I will format this review in a daily log approach, which I hope will More ?capture the feel of this experience the best.
Day 1 - embarkation - we drove as a group to the port and parked on site. Very convenient if you're within driving distance, and much cheaper than a limo ($20/day - short walk to the ship). We were early, so we had to wait a bit, but nothing unusual. Check-in was fairly smooth, although some of the technology wasn't working on the automatic scanners, so when they opened for boarding, there were lines. It was an omen - "the most technologically advanced ship at sea" didn't have working scanners. The fun begins...
We all booked relatively late (two weeks before the cruise), so our first order of business was to make reservations for shows and meals. Ship staff at the gangway were yelling to "download the app!" and "make reservations!" Not sure what some of the folks who aren't tech savvy were supposed to do, but we all had cell phones, so we stood in the passage outside the elevator on our deck to get a jump on things. WiFi was strong, but the app was a complete disaster. First, they only have an iPhone version (not Android), so some in our party couldn't use it. Second, it was VERY cumbersome to use. You had to enter and re-enter the same info over and over again, and if you were trying to coordinate with other passenger's schedules, it was longer still. But the biggest problem was that the darned thing just didn't work. We made 1 or 2 reservations in 20 minutes, but then it stopped working altogether. Since the ship was chock-a-block full, we started to get nervous that there would not be any convenient times available for either shows or meals, so I went on a mission to book in person. I started with dining.
Good luck with that. First, dynamic dining means the passenger does all the work. There was no central location in which to book dining. Some restaurants could accommodate some locations, but none could do all, and some could only do their own. For an 8 day cruise, I went to 4 different locations and stood on 4 different lines to make 8 dinner reservations. It was never clear which locations could access which restaurant's systems. Very few were for convenient times, but I wasn't too upset about that, since we booked late. However, it was a nightmare.
I then checked the all-knowing, all-powerful app - the technological heart of a QOTS vacation. Some reservation info was there, some were not. I had reservations for restaurants that I didn't make, at times that we couldn't attend. When I went back and asked about this, more than one crew member told me that they were having tech problems, and that the reservations were in the system - not to worry. In the end, only one reservation for our party was incorrect (we ended up sitting down at Chops at 9:15 for an 8:45 rez), but many other folks with whom we spoke had reservations completely disappear, especially if they made them on-line prior to sailing. More than one person told me there were nights they ate at the Windjammer buffet because their confirmed dining reservations evaporated and the restaurant could/would not accommodate them. Sad that RCCL is making the passengers do their work by arranging dining, but then it doesn't even work.
Okay - remember - still on Day 1 - next was to tackle entertainment. The app wasn't working for show reservations either, so we asked crew where we could make rezzies in person. Eventually we ended up at one of the clubs (Bolero's), and it took about a half an hour of reviewing each dining rez against each day's show possibilities with a real, live crew member.
By the time we finished with all this, it was after 1 p.m. Not the best start to a relaxing cruise vacation. I was spent.
On a good note, we found seats at the Windjammer and got something to eat without too much aggravation. Bags showed up quickly, and the room was very nice. A little noisy, but we chalked it up to typical embarkation activity. The safety drill went smoothly (although there was a very creepy animated video reminding people to wash their hands a lot), and at the end the Captain got on the PA and announced that they would be offering every passenger FREE WIFI for the entire voyage. Very nice, but the cynical New Yorker in me couldn't help but ask himself "Why would RCCL give up such a huge revenue opportunity? - It's not sheer generosity." I hate it when I'm right about these things. More to come....
Dinner was at The Grand. Because it was day 1, we were allowed to be casual (you normally need to be formal or semi-formal at this venue). It's what passes on this ship for a traditional dining room. Food was OK, and service was what I would expect.
We took in the signature entertainment show that evening - Mamma Mia. Not all that bad. Not Broadway, but better than average for a ship performance. Was surprised they only offer that show on the first two days of the cruise. After that, you're out of luck.
That night, the ship was a little noisy. Creaky, banging. But again, it's day 1. Let's cut them some slack.
Day 2 - Sunrise. We wanted to order breakfast in the room, but we didn't have any door-hanging cards. We tracked down one of the cabin stewards (ours was not to be found), and he suggested we either call someone, or order through the TV. Of course, the technology on this ship is king! Tried ordering on TV, but there's no way to actually do that. I called Guest Services, who transferred me to somebody. Turns out this ship only offers continental breakfast in the room for free. If I wanted a poached egg, it was $4.00. Everything above a muffin was an extra charge, a la carte. Skipped breakfast and went right to the gym. I had already signed up for Flywheel classes (like spinning). I thought the cost was pretty steep at $25 a class, but the instructors were great and the equipment was awesome. I also bought a week long pass to the Spa saunas. Also a little steep at $120 for the week, with a tip on top of that (for what???). It was cold out (leaving NY in January is cold for a day or more outbound), so the ship was crowded. Ordered a beverage package (basic non-alcholic), which had special machines (more technology) that used a special cup with an RFID (like an EZ Pass) to allow you to get sodas and such. Problem - the ship never received the cups. So we couldn't get what we paid for. Had to get small glasses at bars - Coke on tap tasted like cough medicine, and we couldn't get cans of soda with the package.
Nice day on board. Had lunch at Divine Decadence, the light dining option. Food was very good. Service was terrible. Took 45 minutes between the appetizers and the main course. Waiter felt bad and didn't even charge us.
Dinner was at Chic. I have absolutely no recollection of this restaurant. Not the food, not the service. Could not have been either great or awful.
After dinner, we caught the 10:30 Starwater performance at Two70. Two70 is a small theater (270 degrees around) with lots of moving screens and visual projection equipment. Starwater was.... a really hot mess. The performance had no cohesion - a bunch of dancers and singers doing goodness knows what. Dancers were good, acrobats were good, singers were average, and the show was just a confusing jumble of all of that stuff poorly integrated with the technology. We left stunned.
Headed to bed. Didn't sleep well. Lots of noise. Banging and clanking all through the night. I called Guest Services about 1:00 a.m. and they sent someone up to investigate. Sounded like it was coming from right above our stateroom. We were directly underneath the Windjammer. No one ever got back to me.
Day 3 - Another day at sea. Complaints from passengers starting to mount. The line at Guest Services was always long, and the complaints were always the same. Noises, poor service, the app wasn't working, missed dinner reservations, where are my cups? I would stop in every morning to raise one issue or another - my room was supposed to have a complimentary bottle of wine on boarding, which we still hadn't gotten; the noises above the ceiling were getting louder; bars were missing the specific brands advertised.
Dinner that night was at Silk. Food was good, service was decent. Fun place with a lazy susan in the middle of the table for sharing. They were not shy about bringing dishes to share. Overall good experience.
No show that evening. Went to bed, and at 2:30 in the morning it sounded like someone was banging a hammer in our stateroom. My wife actually jumped up and yelled. I decided to investigate myself. Ran up to the Windjammer in my PJ's and followed the noises into the galley. There was a dishwashing machine located directly above our stateroom, and a crew member wearing headphones cleaning racks by dropping them on the deck and hosing them off with a steam hose. Ba-boom! Spray. Ba-boom! Spray. Another man next to him was tossing silverware and containers into the machine. Ba-boom! I started yelling and told them to stop. They had to go get the night Food Service supervisor (Dan - nice guy) who apologized and told me he would have them stop, and he would speak to his supervisor about what to do going forward. So the noise stopped for that night, but I was already wound up and had a hard time going back to sleep. Woke up grouchy.
Day 4 - San Juan, Puerto Rico. Not sure why we even had a port call. We arrived at 4:30 in the afternoon for an overnight stay, but we were leaving at 1:00 p.m. the next day. So there was no time for any shore excursions on Tuesday, and only a quick tour in the morning on Wednesday. It was also the Festival of the Three Kings, so pretty much all the shops ashore were closed. Bad planning here. Most everyone on the ship stayed aboard and sat outside on deck. Very crowded, and very few pool bar servers. I went myself to the North Star bar for Pina Coladas, and they said they were out. Of Pina Coladas. At a pool bar. Whatever.
Dinner that evening was at American Icon. Very nice waitress, until she spilled a tray of drinks on one of the ladies in our group. Not really her fault, and accidents happen. She did the right thing, apologized, and immediately went to the Wait Staff Captain and informed him. And he immediately did - nothing. Nothing at all. Ignored the whole thing. No busboys came by to clean up. The lady left to change her dress, and her husband eventually caught the eye of the Wait Staff Captain who only then came over and apologized. Then he pushed the wet chair back in. No one cleaned up the ice on the floor. After we made a fuss, they moved us to another table. It took a half an hour for someone else to come by and offer to clean our lady's dress. Shocking, really.
After dinner, we just took a quick walk around the town close to the pier. No show tonight. Very little noises tonight coming from the Windjammer. Sleep was OK.
Day 5 - leaving San Juan. Lazy day by the pool. Pina Coladas only available at a different bar this time. And no Blue Moon beer. Sometime during the day, our cups showed up! Yay! And our bottle of wine. And shampoo, and body lotion! Things were looking up.
Dinner was at Jamie's Italian, our first "premium" restaurant. This was a great meal. They kept bringing food until we were all stuffed, and it was top notch. Aside from the fact that I am apposed to up-charges for specialty restaurants on cruises, it was almost worth it. $25/person seemed like a decent compromise at this point, considering how pedestrian the rest of the "free" restaurants were.
Tonight's show was Earl Turner. Decent performance. He's an energetic guy catering to the 50+ crowd, singing and dancing to 70's and 80's music. Singing may be a stretch, but he could dance and definitely got the crowd into it. It was fun if nothing else.
That night, it sounded like a steel drum band was playing. The noise from the Windjammer was awful. I called Guest Services, and eventually it quieted down. But sleep was edgy....
Day 6 - Labadee, Haiti (RCCL private beach). One couple in our group (that had booked a suite, supposedly with Concierge service, but they never once saw or heard from a Concierge) called to see if our group could rent a cabana at the area reserved for Suite guests. Guest Services said they would check, but they never heard back. So we ended up at the regular beach. Which was fine, except for the nickel and dime stuff ($16 to rent a floating mat worth $10 brand new?). The lunch BBQ was marginal at best. My wife got chicken that turned out to be necks and back, not real meat. We trudged back to the ship hungry and tired.
Dinner this night was Chops Grill steakhouse. I was looking forward to a good steak, which had been lacking on any menu so far. When we arrived at 8:30 for our 8:45 reservation, they only had it for 3, not 6. So we had to wait in the bar. The maitre d told us to have a drink. I asked her if she was buying, since they messed up the rez. Didn't even get a response. We were finally seated about 9:15. The menu had a really attractive steak house menu, and some dry-aged special steaks that listed upcharges ($18-$21). Couldn't really tell if they were the only items with an upcharge, or if they were in addition to whatever uncharge they were going to charge us for the basic menu (FYI - prices for these specialty restaurants are noticeably absent anywhere on board - not on the menu, not listed on any literature - if you want to know what they gouge you for, you need to ask. But don't call before 4:00 p.m. or after 10:00 p.m. because they are not open. And when I called during open hours, no one ever picked up the phone). Appetizers and sides were OK. I ordered the NY Strip, which was a small piece of regular-venue-quality beef, overcooked and salty. Everyone in our group mentioned the poor quality and saltiness of the meat. Disappointing. Our waiter was very good. When I ordered a wine with dinner, they were out of it (notice a pattern?). He didn't like my second choice (good job!), so I asked if I could taste it and he brought me a splash in a glass. The Maitre D started to chastise him for giving me free wine. Bizarre. We struck up a conversation, and talked about the problems on board. He was very open about the many problems the boat has. He mentioned the crew coined a catchphrase for the issues - when something goes wrong, they say "You've been Quantified!" Even the crew is frustrated. Right about then, another waiter dropped a tray in the dining room. Frightening. When the bill came, I almost fell off the chair - $35/pp uncharge for crappy steak. I pay that at Peter Luger's for the best steak on the planet. I couldn't imagine if I had paid an additional $20 for the dry-aged steak. There was absolutely no justification for that kind of charge. Terrible.
Earlier that evening, we visited Guest Services and asked if we and our traveling companions in the adjacent room could switch staterooms. We just wanted to sleep. They offered us rooms on opposite sides of the ship, and didn't offer to pack us up and move us. It was basically - we can switch you, but you're on your own. After checking out the rooms, we decided not to make the effort. But I did talk to the Windjammer crew before bed that night, and told them to keep it down or I would come up and shut the dishwasher off myself. It was a relatively quiet night.
Day 7 - Another day at sea. Sat in on a cooking demonstration in 270. The Executive Chef was showing how they cook different items. I thought it would be boring, but it was one of the highlights of the trip. He was hysterical, and I learned a few things about cooking that I will use at home. The best was how much he ripped the ship. His hotplates weren't working - "Why should the hotplates work? Nothing else works on this ship. Been to the Bionic Bar? No one else has, either. It doesn't work..." Ironically, this was the day the toilets stopped flushing on our deck for awhile.
Went to the sauna and ended up getting into a fight with two big Russian guys. They said I stole their seat. Real problem was the sauna itself - place was packed on sea days, and no one from the crew reviewed the expectations with anyone. People would talk loudly amongst themselves, bogart the very few heated lunge chairs. Not very relaxing.
Dinner that night was back in The Grand. For the most part, food was good, and the wait staff that night was really excellent. I would have eaten in The Grand more often in retrospect, even with the very limited menu that never changes.
The show that night was Sonic Odyssey. I liked this one. Music, dancing, strange instruments. It was the same cast from Mamma Mia, which explained why they only did that show for 2 nights. They were going for something different, and here it succeeded. Not like Starwater. I still have bad dreams about that one.
Relatively quiet night from the Windjammer.....
Day 8 - at sea. Got to the Solarium early and stayed the whole day. It was frigid outside, and the only warm place was the Solarium. Only problem was that there's no good dining option here for lunch. Divine Decadence is an upcharge even for lunch, and the service as noted is awful. Very slow. They should make it a buffet on sea days and let people move through quicker.
Dinner was at Wonderland, a very odd nouveau cuisine place. Menu is bizarre, as is the decor, the wait staff, and everything else. Having said that, I thought the food was outstanding. Unfortunately, some in our party were more meat-and-potatoes folks and didn't enjoy it as much. To each his own, and I understand that. Even I had to open my mind about some of the stuff. Should you find yourself on board this vessel, if you want an out-of-the-box dining experience, and you can look past some very different foods and presentations, I highly recommend this place, although this was the highest upcharge yet at $45/pp.
No shows on the last night here. Went to pick up photos which was a zoo. Watched football in the Schooner Bar waiting for the prints. Very confusing process. Many of the kiosks don't work, and when they do, I couldn't easily tell how to order.
When we went back to the room to back for disembarkation, there was a voicemail message from someone in Guest Services offering a 30% discount on our next RCCL cruise because of all the problems we experienced. She said I would get a letter delivered to my stateroom with the offer. It never came. Not sure if I can talk my way into that with a phone reservation agent, should we choose RCCL again.
Our last night on board was the noisiest yet. Lots of dishwashing getting ready for the next group of suckers, and we wouldn't be around in the morning to complain. Bang bang bang! all night.
Day 8 - Disembarkation - smooth as silk. Nothing unusual for a ship this big. Glad to be home. But I am tired.
General observations:
- Ship is woefully understaffed, and they are a surly bunch. No "good mornings" in the passageways, no moving aside when you are walking by. Not many smiles from the bar servers. I truly believe that because tips are now automatically added to each transaction, the general mood is that no one has to go out of their way to provide exceptional service. Sad.
- The ship is advertised as the first "smart ship" in the world, with stunning technology. Most of it didn't work. If it did work, some if it would be helpful, but a lot of it is just a way for RCCL to have you do their job. Make your own reservations for everything? Really? That's a cost saving measure, not "what the customer demands."
- They nickel and dime you to death on this ship. I know the business model for cruising. And yes, cruise companies make money by getting you to spend for lots of extras. But this ship took it to another level. With the dining uncharges, I completely blew my budget for this vacation. I couldn't imagine what my cost would have been had we paid for WiFI (the free benefit was probably a tonic for many to limit griping), or if we hadn't been Diamond-level Crown and Anchor Members and not paid for drinks during happy hour (5:30-8:00 p.m.)
- I personally never saw a senior officer on this ship. Not even on TV. We heard the Captain's noon announcement every day, but that was it. There is a noted lack of leadership.
- In spite of all of this, the ship has a lot of good things to offer. I think everything is fixable. If they get it worked out, it could be a great vessel. But RCCL better get moving. And learn from this effort before they launch the Anthem.
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we like NCL- their "Freestyle" dining is nice- you have a lot of choices included- on the Breakaway there was even an Irish pub that was one of the included restaurants. They also have a couple you can pay extra for. they had a ropes course on the ship which was kind of cool, rock wall, mini golf, lots of pools and hot tubs. they have an adults only pool area, too if you are going with out kids. the ship is nice and clean and new.... so i would say it would be a good pick 
