To countdown the launch of Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, we're blogging about one aspect of the ship each day for 99 days. Check back each day for something exciting to read about this new ship.

Wonderland specialty restaurant

Most people were expecting some new restaurants for Quantum of the Seas but I'm not sure anyone was fully prepared for Wonderland.

Royal Caribbean describes Wonderland as, "an elaborate feast for the senses in a setting where Royal Caribbean chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes to invent a dreamscape of never-before-seen fare".  When I try to describe Wonderland to someone, I basically say take everything you know about a restaurant and turn it upside down because Wonderland bends the realities of what a restaurant is.

READ YESTERDAY'S POST ALL ABOUT VIRTUAL BALCONIES

Wonderland is named after the place Alice visits from the tale of Alice in Wonderland.  Just like in the book, guests enter a place where nothing is what it seems and the chefs have taken time to create a gastronomic experience that is inventive and elaborate.

The creativity with Wonderland is what caught my eye during a Quantum of the Seas dining event in New York City earlier this year.  Royal Caribbean has really tried to create something completely unique and the result was a restaurant I cannot wait to visit over and over again.

Before you even sample a morsel of food, you will be dazzled by the room itself.  It's odd in an eccentric kind of way but the experience of eating here is an adventure in itself.  Royal Caribbean is using color, sclae and reflection to really create something original.

In terms of food, it's bleeding-edge modern cooking that is categorized by theme rather than course.  Wonderland features a variety of flavors, textures, temperatures and portion sizes, each presented in a non-traditional, progressive and creative fashion.  Did I mention this place is different?

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Quantum!

We're counting down the days until Royal Caribbean's next cruise ship debuts, Quantum of the Seas, with our 99 days of Quantum countdown.  Each day we will post something about this amazing new ship.

Virtual balconies

Cruisers love balconies on their Royal Caribbean cruise for the fantastic views but sometimes the price is just a little too high.  Royal Caribbean came up with a way to bring the balcony experience to inside staterooms for a fraction of the cost of a real balcony stateroom.

READ YESTERDAY'S POST ALL ABOUT NORTH STAR

Virtual balconies are inside staterooms with an 80-inch high definition LED screen attached to a wall that delivers views outside of the ship, just like a real balcony stateroom.

The screen stretches from floor to ceiling and will show you exactly what you would see if you had a real balcony.  Using high definition cameras, these virtual balconies give you a glimpse of what's outside.

Guests can turn the virtual balcony off at any time, especially at night when sleeping but it's available anytime they want.

There's even natual sounds that are piped into your stateroom to provide as authentic an experience as possible.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Quantum!

Royal Caribbean is counting down the days until its brand new Quantum of the Seas debuts and as of today, there are 99 days until that happens, so for the next 99 days we will be posting something every day about this amazing new ship.

North Star

Royal Caribbean has been pushing the envelope for years in terms of what a cruise ship can include and North Star is another example of "they can put that on a cruise ship?".

Northstar is an observation pod that is attached to a giant arm on top of Quantum of the Seas.  North Star will allow passengers to go up in the sky above the cruise ship 300 feet above the sea.

For the the first time ever, guests can get an amazing view around their cruise ship and take what is sure to become amazing photos of the scenery.  

Imagine the view from North Star of the port you're in and the feeling of being able to see it all from the safety of North Star.  What may have required an expensive helicopter ride before now allows for a complimentary experience that is found on no other cruise ship.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Quantum!