Sailing the high(tech) seas with Quantum Of The Seas

When I was offered an opportunity to go on a cruise, I wasn’t terribly excited. You see, I am a rather restless soul and the prospect of being confined in a ship for three days when I neither gamble nor enjoy stuffing myself silly at buffets was not particularly appealing.

But when I was told that Quantum Of The Seas — the second largest of Royal Caribbean’s fleet and the largest to have berthed in waters here — had set sail 15,288km from New Jersey, I was intrigued. Why would anyone want to sail for that long?

SAILING THE HIGH (TECH) SEAS

t 41m high and 348m long (about three football pitches in length), the 16-deck behemoth is quite a sight to behold. This liner certainly reimagines the cruising experience with an indoor skydiving area (like the iFly on Sentosa) and surf/wave simulators or flow riders and a mobile observation pod that lifts passengers 91m above sea level.

The observation pod or capsule, known as the North Star, is said to be inspired by the London Eye and is easily one of Quantum’s most popular attractions, with eager passengers getting in line up to 30 minutes before each day’s first ride at 8am. However, with almost 4,905 guests on board, these novel attractions are often overcrowded. The indoor skydiving tunnel slots were already full, but riding the waves on the flow rider was pretty exhilarating.

Other unconventional, tech-enabled highlights on this smart ship include an entertainment complex that houses bumper car rides on a roller skating rink, which can also be converted into a basketball court or a dance floor with a DJ hovering above in a see-through pod. (A decidedly non-tech but nonetheless entertaining activity was the ship’s circus school, which offers trapeze lessons.)

But back to the tech — and the amazing automated BionicBar. As its name suggests, it’s staffed by robot bartenders who mix drinks for you, down to the number of times you want it shaken or stirred. You can also name your creation — though I was conservative and opted for a Cosmopolitan — and robo-bartender remembers it the next time you drop by. It was fun watching them mix the booze to a tune, or delivering cheesy pickup lines on the digital screens. (“If I said you had a beautiful arm, would you hold my hand?”)

Smart TV screens inside the staterooms also allowed me to make reservations for meals, shows and shore excursions, which meant I didn’t need to run up and down to the crowded concierge desks. Even the most basic cabins have “virtual balconies” offering a live video feed of the sea. I was also pleased with the radio frequency wristband that doubled up as a room key and cashcard. (For someone with a forgetful mind, this definitely put me at ease.)

DIFFERENT STROKES

Besides hardware prowess, this cruise also scores with its focus on programming for different tastes. Like other cruise liners, Quantum gives daily updates via a newsletter called the Cruise Compass, which is placed in each stateroom the evening before. It lists activities that have been lined up for every moment of the day, from the quirky silent disco and glow party, to the more typical trivia challenges and movie screenings. There is even a community bulletin which guests can use to organise for unique activities.

A separate Teen Daily curates activities for 15- to 17-year-olds, while younger guests will love the Adventure Ocean Youth Programme, which includes activities such as family scavenger hunts, science experiments and craft projects. The staff hail from some 18 countries — including Brazil, Canada, China, Portugal, the Philippines, Ukraine and the United States — and are affectionately known to the children by nicknames, such as “Snow White” or “Kungfu Panda”.

Programme director Pierre Megallanes — or “Botak” as the kids call him — observed that children too, are culturally distinct. For instance, Western kids are an active and restless bunch while the Asian kids tend to be more meticulous in finishing their craftwork. “But kids are kids and play is play, regardless of culture or language,” Pierre said.

Royal Caribbean International’s cruise director Ken Rush said each day’s line-up is put together with an international team and based on staff and passengers’ feedback. “We put ourselves in the guests’ shoes. It’s all about giving them options with the resources on the ship,” he said.

Rush is also the brains behind the silent disco, in which partygoers don headphones and boogie away to the music in their ears — that nobody else hears. Others — Singaporeans mostly — joined the fun by taking pictures. It was a crazy sight to watch people dancing in silence — although some might say it’s even crazier to take part in.

Culture is an important consideration when customising the Quantum experience, especially when it comes to food. When Quantum cruised into Asia for example, staff from its pubs and bars were rotated to serve at its restaurants instead, food and beverage manager Raymond Xue said. This was because they observed that Asians were not as big on booze as Westerners but they consumed far more burgers. He added that most of the produce used by the restaurants are sourced at the ports of call, which meant the menus are regularly refreshed. And while dishes are not exactly customised for Asians, the restaurant does offer wider a spread of Asian dishes when in the region.

Service has always been the subtle hallmark of Royal Caribbean cruises and Quantum lives up to it. The housekeeping staff, each attending to 16 staterooms, remembers all the occupants under their care by name. When he learnt that I preferred tea to coffee, my attendant Derek, who was from the Philippines, placed additional tea sachets whenever he made up my room each morning.

Meanwhile, its captains engaged with crew and guests. Captain Srecko Ban, one of the two men in command of the ship, regularly holds meetings with end-to-end passengers — those travelling from New Jersey to Shanghai — to listen to feedback and discuss the challenges of cruising through certain rough waters. Srecko sees to every situation and makes sure all the passengers are taken care of, from diverting the ship’s course so that an ill passenger could disembark for treatment to fielding complaints about dining queues. “Our job is to deliver the highest standards day after day,” he said. “It’s not easy.”

As far as achieving high standards are concerned, they are probably not far off — if the packed crowds in Quantum are anything to go by. As a solo cruiser, I enjoyed chatting with the other guests and crew from all over the world. Midge Gray from Rochester, New York, who is sailing the entire 54-day voyage with her husband, said such cruises are a hassle-free way to explore another part of the world and make lifelong friendships.

I can see her point, although I’m not sure if I can take such a long voyage. While I had fun, the three-day cruise was just nice for me. Blame it on my lack of sea legs, but I still prefer exploring foreign lands by keeping my feet on the ground.