Good Example Of Quantum Of The Seas: A Special Report Research Paper

This reports describes a state of the art Quantum of the Seas adventure with your loved ones and family. It utilizes technology to cater to every need and preferences of its passengers. This trip is best suitable for families who enjoy advanced technology and are incorporated into a modern style of living. The ship offers various activities and entertainment which are mostly attuned to technological advancements such as its skydiving on deck, flying school, bar with robots, among others. A special feature of cruising in the Quantum of the Seas is waking up to an ocean view (Estes, 2014). The ship has virtual balconies, enabling even those passengers in an inside cabin to wake up to the ocean waves and the sun. It shows crystal clear colors of the ocean and sky. While it boasts of its very advanced technology on board, such as fast Internet access and digital technology features, the ship has just started its voyage and has been encountering what Archer (2014) described as “teething problems.” Some passengers have experienced delays in their Skype connections, for instance. Another complaint is when the supposedly high-speed internet access drops out as the passengers are hooked to their smartphones (primarily because their schedule and bookings are all integrated in their digital registrations). These are just some minor disappointments with the most sensationalized ship nowadays.
Just like any other Royal Carribean experience, the ship offers intimate, personal and smart customer service amidst excellent dining outlets, top quality amenities, among others. Play is one of the top features of its most popular venues, just like its SeaPlex. Its the biggest indoor active arena at sea with special and extraordinary features to inspire all family members. For extra entertainment, the ship also offers a new Music Hall, a performance hall and live music venue. Families can enjoy various performances, parties, dining, relaxing, and day to night activities which can make this cruising very memorable.

Quantum of the Seas: Main Ship Characteristics

Quantum of the Seas stand out by its remarkable design. It has a 3,000-piece, $5 million art installation onboard that enables the guests to enjoy the cruise all the way. Its amazing features also include a 30-foot-tall magenta bear and a lovely free-form mirror and glass sculpture called "Waves of Light," which lays outside of its Vintages and Jamie's Italian restaurant (Northwest Primetime Website, 2015). The ship’s layout concentrates the night action around the Royal Esplanade, a two-deck promenade, lining up the ship's array of restaurants, shops and bars (Northwest Primetime Website, 2015). Near this bustling place is “The Via,” a tiny venue that has funky cone-shaped pods for seating, watercolor art and a modern setting. The indoor promenade is similar to all the other Quantums of the Royal Caribbean. It is generally and distinctly a Royal Caribbean ship.
The trademark touches are distinctive in the ship’s small details such as its cabins, where green lighting, bathroom night lights and bedside outlets are Royal Carribean standards. Cabins and balconies are large by industry standards. They also provide greater storage than most people could fill during any weeklong crusiing (Grizzle, 2014). Smartly crafted bathrooms downplay its small sizes and tiny highlights like in-shower hooks, shaving bars, and shower and vanity shelves and hooks are intelligent use of the spaces inside the beautiful ship.
Like any other Quantum-class ships, the new ship spans 16 guest decks and carry about 4,180 guests at double occupancy (Trip Advisor, 2014). It also features 2,090 staterooms. Quantum of the Seas provide new and exciting cruise features like the following: RipCord by iFLY, the first skydiving experience inside a cruise ship; the North Star, an engineering arm that carries outdoor loving passengers above 300 feet from the sea level; the SeaPlex, the biggest internal sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and the like; and the Bionic Bar powered by Makr Shakr which showcases the world’s first robotic bartenders (Cruise Critic, 2015).
While the ship is hailed for its state of the art bar, some passengers wrote that the robotic bartenders in the Bionic Bar were not very effective (MacMillan, 2014). She and her friend waited almost an hour for their vodka and tonic drinks. Apparently, their drinks did not come. Another passenger was also disappointed with the cosmopolitan drink which she ordered. It was not the usual sophisticated drink and it was served in a plastic cup with too much ice and no taste of lime.

The Quantum of the Seas has 1,570 balcony staterooms, 147 ocean-view staterooms, and 373 internal staterooms (Cruise Critic, 2015). Features include:

North Star
It is an observation deck that allows passengers to see above 300 feet for a 360 perspectives of the places.
Source: Cruise Critic, 2015
RipCord by iFly
This feature is a first of its kind in cruise ships. It is a skydiving inside the ship. It allows cruisers to fly in the air in a safe, contained setting.

Circus School

Lets the passenegrs learn how to float in the atmosphere like a flying trapeze.
Bumper Cars 
The ship has thirty units for a fulfilling family time.
Source: Cruise Critic, 2015
 Two70°
This feature takes the setting of a spacious living hall, which is best for entertainment and games, lounging, and relaxation activities. At night, this area offers a spectacular 270-degree breathtaking spectacle of the sea through wide, floor to ceiling glass enclosures that slowly change into a huge lounge area for guests to relax until the wee hours of the morning. Two70 is a complete interactive entertainment deck. This entertainment area is the Quantum of the Seas’ most technologically advanced spot (Quantum of the Seas, 2015).
Source: Cruise Critic, 2015

SeaPlex

This is a big sports complex inside the ship. It changes its uses from day to night. The SeaPlex provides thirty for roller skating, car riding, an inside basketball court, and a circus facility.

Music Hall

This is a multi-purpose theater which provides dance classes and contests at daytime and enticing shows at night.
Solarium
This is a glass covered area which is good for relaxation of the adults.
Quantum of the Seas let its passengers have all the fun in the world by its cruise innovations through all these above mentioned amenities. Cruisers can go skydiving, ride in bump cars, fly on a trapeze at circus school, or run a big, wide track. The London Eye-inspired gondola linked to an auto arm allows its cruisers to sail 300 feet above sea level and capture the closest view of all the seas and ports (Lipsey, 2014). It is indeed a highly talked about feature of the Quantum of the Seas. According to Cruise Critic (2015), the other salient features of the spectacular ship include:

 • 34 staterooms are accessed through wheelchairs

• 28 studio staterooms (with 12 studio staterooms with balconies)
• Its “aft-facing” staterooms are 2-story "loft" suites
•  80 virtual balconies that showcase the live views of the outdoors inside the individual rooms
  Quantum’s staterooms provide accommodations that can be altered into queen size beds and they also have private baths, vanity corners, flat-panel TVs and telephones, electric mini-bars, hair dryers, and air conditioners (Quantum of the Seas, 2015).
Being technologically advanced, Royal Carribean’s new baby is said to be a “smart ship" (Quantum of the Seas, 2015). For instance, they offer the fastest Internet speed that enables cruisers to Facetime or Skype with their loved ones. On the dining front, Quantum of the Seas took off from the big dining idea of the past. It offers various small venues in a new dining concept called "Dynamic Dining" (Archer, 2014). It encourages its cruisers to explore new culinary experiences. The tradional travelers are also catered well through the ship’s reservation dining system.
Quantum of the Seas’ complimentary, full-service restaurants include the following: American Icon Grill, Chic, Silk, The Grande, Coastal Kitchen, Jamie's Italian, Wonderland, Michael's Genuine Pub, Solrium Bistro, Chops Grille, Izumi Japanese Cuisine, Johnny Rockets, and Chef's Table (Quantum of the Seas, 2015). Cruisers can also dine anytime in their Windjammer Marketplace, The Café @ Two70, SeaPlex Dog House, Café Promenade, Sorrento's, and In-Stateroom Service (Quantum of the Seas, 2015). These fine and casual dinings are mostly complimentary dining.
The ship also offers topmost customer service by their highly trained waiters, room stewards, customer service personnel, and event staff. It extends very intimate, fast and pampering customer services all the time. Crew members genuinely smile and they gracefully assist the passengers with grace and style (Lipsey, 2014).

Schematics of the Quantum of the Seas Ship

Cruise Ship Profile: Quantum of the Seas (n.d.) enumerates the basic facts about the Quantum of the Seas as follows:

The Basics

Builder: Meyer Werft
Entered Service: November 2014
Line: Royal Carribean International
Size
Tonnage: 168,666 g.r.t

Length: 1,141 feet

Beam: 136 feet
Draft: 28 feet
Speed: 22 knots (crusing)
Propulsion: 2 azipods
Bow Thrusters: four
Power Plant: Diesel Electric
People
Capacity: 4,180 passengers (double occupancy)
4,905 total
Crew: 2,090
Officers: International
Standard Operating Procedures
The main feature of the highly advanced Quantum of the Seas is its interactive scheduling service that allows passengers make reservations for dining, entertainment and activities (such as skydiving) through its Royal iQ (Coulter, 2015). It maintains the ship’s schedules through a calendar feature. This calendar is an available application for the passengers’ mobile device. It can also be accessed through the ship’s kiosks and tablets. The Royal iQ application can only be used on the Quantum of the Seas even when it can be downloaded outside the cruise. Other state of the art features include the robot bartenders at the Bionic Bar, interactive photo kiosks, USB ports for charging insde the cabins and RFID bands (instead of the common cruises’ key cards) (Coulter, 2015). Some critics consider the various reservation requirements as killing the fun out of their cruises. This is because the usual cruises do not require the passengers to pre registation and they just take a spur of the moment entry to restaurants and the likes.

Personnel

Master – Srecko Ban (Captain)
Captain Srecko started with the Royal Caribbean International in 1998 as 2nd officer on Vision of the Seas (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015). Since then, he has been with the company and he has travelled all over the world. As a 2nd officer, he also worked on Navigator of the Seas (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015). He was promoted as Captain on Enchantment of the Seas in 2007. He joined Quantum of the Seas in 2014 and is a very honored captain of the world’s most technologically advanced ship.

Staff Captain – Johan Malmberg

He first joined Royal Caribbean through the Explorer of the Seas, where he was a 2nd Officer. He was promoted to staff captain on Monarch of the Seas, Allure of the Seas andEnchantment of the Seas (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015). 

Hotel Director – Darren Budden

He has a professional experience of 20 years of management and customer service experience as he started with the Royal Carribean as a Marketing and Revenue Manager (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015). He makes sure that all the guests are accomodated in all their shopping, dining and entertainment activities.

Chief Engineer – Stig Erikson

A Norwegian, he began his career with Royal Caribbean International in 1996 when he got hired as a Chief Engineer for the Monarch of the Seas. He has been onboard Sovereign of the Seas, Majesty of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Allure of the Seas (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015).

Cruise Director – Jimmy Rhodes

Jimmy Rhodes first worked as a dancer at the Royal Caribbean in 1999 (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015). He moved his way up to being a Cruise Director’s Staff and Assistant Cruise Director. With his eleven years experience, he has worked as a Cruise Director on almost every ship in the Royal Caribbean.
Other personnel includes Una Twomey, the ship’s Human Resource Manager, Eric Aray, the Guest Services Manager, David Uddenberg, the Food and Beverage Director, and David Reheina, the Executive Chef.

Security

All of the Royal Carribean ships are crafted and operated according to the strict requirements of the International Maritime Organization, the UN agency that sets global standards for the safety and operation of cruise ships, codified in the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015). It applies rigid safety-related regulations. Over it, the ships allso maintain backup mechanical, navigational and safety provisions.
In any of its locations, the ships of the Royal Carribean comply with the U.S. Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act (CVSSA) standards, which include railing heights, access control, closed circuit TV, medical preparedness, crime allegation reporting and crew training (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015). Flag State authorities and other maritime safety regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Coast Guard or those from each location the ship visits also regularly inspect the ships. Aside from these inspections, the ships maintain an ongoing system of internal and external marine expert audits.
However, according to Walker (2014), the Royal Carribean does not subscribe to the 2010 Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of President Obama. This act requires an automatic man-overboard systems which are installed to instantly send a signal to the bridge and catch the image of the person going overboard. It enables the ship to take an instant search and rescue measures. Walker (2014) criticized that the Quantum of the Seas does not have an installed safety devices. It apparently lacks this salient security feature.
The swift entry to the Quantum of the Seas is very impressive. The ship has a new photo lab where a passenger scans his/her seapass card and the digital pass instantly pops up. However, it is more of a digital feature than a security protection for the passengers. At the start of a cruise, the passengers and crew complete a “muster” drill to ensure they know what to do and where to go in case of an emergency (Royal Carriben International Website, 2015). To further ensure they know the certain muster location, it is indicated on each of the passenger’s card keys. The location is also usually displayed on the back of every stateroom door. Aside from the regular drills, the crew also undergo comprehensive training, certification and simulations to be prepared for security measures. This includes training on ship evacuation steps. The Quantum of the Seas has ample lifesaving craft to protect every guest and crew member onboard. Overall, the ship is significantly more advanced in terms of safety and fuel efficiency (Nisen, 2014).
At present, a major area of concern is the opening of ship’s new port of call at Shanghai. It poses a security concern for the passengers (Nisen, 2014). Initially, all the crew members must speak English for safety concerns. A major portion of the crew must also speak Mandarin. This is a potential cause of miscommunications. However, the general security and safety concerns are well addressed. These include  the logistics, customer service issues, and competitive pressures. The ship manages all the different regulations in various ports where it docks (Nisen, 2014).

Itineraries and Ports of Call

For the early part of this year, Quantum of the Seas will leave from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey and it shall cruise throughout the Caribbean and the Bahamas. This long cruise shall include a short stop at the Royal Carribean’s very own private beach paradise called Labadee® and CocoCay® (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015). In the later part of the year, the cruise ship shall travel east for cruises in Asia. Quantum of the Seas has found its new home port in Shanghai, China (Royal Carribean International Website, 2015).

Sample itineraries of the Quantum of the Seas:

Daily activities
The ship distributes a daily Cruise Compass to each passenger that lists the daily events of the cruise. It has all the pertinent information about how a passenger will enjoy his/her stay throughout the day (Quantum of the Seas, 2015). However, some comments reportedly complained on the ineffectiveness of the Daily Compass in charting the actual activities on board. This is quite understandable, considering the vast activities inside the Quantum of the Seas. However, the glitches were mostly blamed on the Internet connections.
Families can enjoy all types of entertainment and activities since there are varied places dedicated to their children as well. The Adventure Ocean has six dedicated spaces and is divided into four age categories (Cruise Critic Website, n.d.). There are dedicated staff for each room. For instance, the children are chaperoned for dinner. Parents can avail of pager service in order to keep in touch with staff attending to their children. Teens also have the Living Room which is a great space for them. Activities include age-appropriate scavenger hunts, trivia, game show-style contests, painting, foosball competitions, and music video creation (Cruise Critic Website, n.d.). Families can also enjoy good performances at the Royal Theater. This is also a venue for watching Dreamworks 3D movies and these are available during the day on sea days.
Aside from enjoying the special features and facilities as mentioned above, the passengers can also enjoy the following amenities during the day: Vitality Spa and Fitness Center; Four Pools; Four Whirpools Adventure Ocean Youth Area; Sports Court; Rock Climbing Wall; FlwoRider Surf Simulator; Jogging Track; Outdoor Movie Screen; Video Arcade; Art and Photo Gallery; Dreamworks Experience; and Medical Center (Royal Caribbean International Website, 2015). There is so many stored activities at night. For instance, ther is a show in the Two70, there is also a sing along with the piano man at the Schooner Bar. Rock and roll music and other forms of entertainment are also featured in the Music Hall.

References:

Archer, Jane. (November 3, 2014). Quantum of the Seas: Patchy Wi-Fi and malfunctioning bionic bartenders. Telegraph. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/11204910/Quantum-of-the-Seas-Patchy-Wi-Fi-and-malfunctioning-bionic-bartenders.html.
Coulter, et. al. (2015). Quantum of the Seas Review. Cruise Critic Website. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=705.
Cruise Critic. (2015). Royal Carribean Quantum of the Seas Cruise Reviews. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.cruisecritic.com/quantum-of-the-seas-cruises_cl32-sh705/mra/.
Cruise Ship Profile: Quantum of the Seas. (n.d.). Quantum of the Seas: Royal Carribean. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.beyondships.com/RCI-Quantum-Profile.html.
Estes, Clark. (November 18, 2014). The World’s Most Futuristic Cruise Ship Made Me Miss the Past. Gizmodo Website. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://gizmodo.com/the-worlds-most-futuristic-cruise-ship-made-me-miss-the-1658893177.
Grizzle, Ralph. (November 12, 2014). From Cape Liberty: Quantum of the Seas Live Voyage Report. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.avidcruiser.com/2014/11/12/quantum-of-the-seas-cape-liberty/.
Lipsey, Sid. (November 20, 2014). Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas: Does This New Supership Live Up to the Hype? Yahoo Website. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, https://www.yahoo.com/travel/review-royal-caribbeans-quantum-of-the-seas-103096097397.html.
MacMillan, Sally. (November 17, 2015). Quantum of the Seas, cruise ship review: World's newest cruise giant launched. Traveller Website. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.traveller.com.au/quantum-of-the-seas-cruise-ship-review-worlds-newest-cruise-giant-launched-11npse.
Nisen, Max. (May 24, 2014). Royal Caribbean Decision to Base Ship in Shanghai is a Mission Statement. Skift Website. Retrieved on February 15, 2015 from, http://skift.com/2014/05/24/royal-caribbean-decision-to-base-ship-in-shanghai-is-a-mission-statement/.
Northwest Primtetime Website. (2015). Prepared to be Wowed by Quantum of the Seas. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://northwestprimetime.com/news/2015/jan/26/prepare-be-wowed-quantum-seas/?page=2.
Quantum of the Seas. (2015). Cruise Ship Profiles. Ship Detective Website. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.shipdetective.com/ships/rci_quantum.htm.
Royal Caribbean International Website. (2015). Ship Fact Sheet: Quantum of the Seas. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/fact-sheet/27/quantum-of-the-seas/.
Trip Advisor Website. (2014). Quantum of the Seas. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.tripadvisor.com.ph/ShowTopic-g1-i10703-k7560995-Quantum_of_the_Seas-Cruises.html.
Walker, Jim. (November 17, 2014). “Despite the Hype, Quantum of the Seas is Just Another Dumb Cruise Ship.” Cruise Law News Website. Retrieved on February 14, 2015 from, http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2014/11/articles/disappearances-1/despite-the-hype-quantum-of-the-seas-is-just-another-dumb-cruise-ship/.