Baked Alaska

I have been told by employees at Royal Caribbean and Celebrity that the Quantum Class ships were originally designed for Celebrity. That is why there is similarity between the Quantum Class and Edge Class.
As many have also said on here, personally the Quantum Class is my favorite Royal Class of ship. I especially love 270 for both breakfast in the morning, relaxing in the afternoon and enjoying the view, and entertainment in the evening. Also, I want to rave about the Junior suites on the Quantum Class and their split bathrooms. I also love that Royal has a newer, beautiful class of ship that has fine touches.
It's also smart of Royal to have different ships for different needs. Cold vs warm weather, young children focused vs more adult focused. Even if Royal is a family brand it doesn't mean that's all they have to do. It is important for people to research or to have a travel agent to research the right ship for them. If you have children in your traveling party, then definitely book a ship with all the slides, skating rink, etc. Twangster did an amazing job breaking down the size differential between Quantum and Oasis Class and the restrictions in venues/neighborhoods that imposes.
Just because it is spring break in the Caribbean, doesn't mean that every ship has to be for families that want all the bells and whistles. I was on Odyssey with my 10 year old nephew over Christmas and he loved it. We did the research, saw the activities in Playmakers, and other activities in the ship, and knew it would work for us. If my nephew needed slides and everything else, we would have booked another ship. 
I will agree though that the elevators on Odyssey were horrible. Even the captain joked they are a horrible design choices. 

I enjoy Quantum class because they are different.  I've sailed four of them and mostly to bucket list destinations like Alaska, Hawaii and New Zealand.  
Oasis class, until Icon came about, have always been in a league of their own and can't be compared to any other ship class.  Oasis and now Icon are very wide ships, much wider than all other classes of ship.  It's the extra width that allows things like Central Park and Boardwalk.  On any other platform without the extra width it's not practical to install these areas without removing all guest cabins in those areas.  Removing guest cabins to add more venues and features isn't practical for any cruise line.
Oasis class are much larger ships at 225,000+ GT while Quantum class are around 168,000 GT.  That extra 30% of space allows them to put more venues and areas on Oasis class.  
Why doesn't Radiance class have ice skating rinks and zip lines and central park and boardwalk and aqua theaters and so on?  Because Radiance class is one third the size of Oasis class and obviously you can't put the same features and venues on a ship that doesn't have the space for them.   
The Windjammer on Quantum class is my favorite across the fleet.  I really dislike the Windjammer on Oasis class.  The food stations are all over the place with some on the side and some around the corner on the back.  It's really hard to find seating on Oasis class Windjammers at peak times.  Oasis class Windjammers are truly jammers slammed with people.  Some Quantum class Windjammers have outdoor seating which I love.
The lack of waterslides is known before booking.  It appears odd to me to complain they are missing.  That's like buying a sedan then complaining it's not a 4x4 pick up truck.  Given where most Quantum class are deployed waterslides are impractical.  
It's okay not to like something but that doesn't justify calling it a dud.  
Royal's next class of ship, Discovery class, is not going to be a mini Oasis class ship.  They too will be much smaller ships that won't have the space for all Oasis class features.  Like Quantum class the smaller footprint will allow them to sail into ports that Oasis class can't fit into.  That's kind of the point.  They will be different too.  Different doesn't make them duds.  
Oasis and Icon class ships are the destination and the ports you visit are less important.  If the itinerary is boring it doesn't matter because the ship is as much the destination as the itinerary may be.
Other classes of ships can visit more unique ports of call where mega ships can't sail.  When visiting these areas the ship isn't the destination as much as the ports of call are the destination.  
Anthem out of Bayonne was a perfect pairing with two sea days down the coast and two sea days on the way back home in the cold Atlantic ocean where few would be using waterslides most of the time.  The indoor family pool means kids are not trying to sneak into the adult only solarium pools on those colder sea days in winter months.
What I love best of all my 14 Quantum class cruises are the memories of the destinations.  Alaska, Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand for example.  Greek islands and Europe for Odyssey is a great summer pairing.  
I like that Royal's fleet is diverse and not just ships that are variations of the same thing.  With research I can choose a ship that fits my needs based on the region I'll be sailing.  I suggest doing more research next time and avoid booking a ship that doesn't have features that are important to you.  

I thought I was the only one... not just on PDCC... but on the ship. We never use the servers on the pool deck and even rarely at the bars- I'm a walk up to the bar and get our drinks kind of guy. I even got "in trouble" on the rising tide because I walked up to the bar to order... he said "I got you this time..but next time use the server please"  

I'll report back about my experience next month (as long as my 4th attempt at attending the beach club isn't cancelled like my 3 previous attempts...)

This !!  You absolutely MUST address this kind of issue while still onboard.  Once you disembark, there is virtually -0- chance you will get any assistance.  If your room attendant is no help, and you speak with the floor supervisor and get no help, then next step is the Hotel Director.  You must escalate these things yourself and do not cease until you get some kind of resolution.  I'm not saying that there is anything they could have done....if they don't have any spare mattresses, they just don't....but if there is any kind of compensation looming, this is where it would come from.  Once you're off the ship, you are pretty much SoL.

Yeah, normally I would grab those points, but DS still vacays with us. He will be on his own C&A point pursuit once he has graduated from dental school (that's his plan. We'll see). 🙂

So I’m just wondering what it is you are expecting to get for your discomfort?   I mean, I feel badly about your experience but as @wordell1 noted…mattress comfort is subjective.  Royal’s mattresses have been known to be good…bad…soft…hard…comfortable…uncomfortable.  
I would concentrate on all the great aspects from your cruise and move on from there.

Best chance of ever getting any "customer service" is while you are still onboard.

I think you should be grateful they still want to refund anything since we're long past the pandemic.

Welcome to the board
In Royal's booking vocab, traveling party only means those in the room with you. You had two rooms and those rooms are each treated as a separate reservation, despite you being family. So not everyone traveling with you. I think you are reading it wrong, because traveling party only means those on the same room as you. If the rest of your traveling party stayed in the other room and you were the only one confined, then it is only an FCC for you. 

The bar at hideaway beach was wide open. In fairness however, we were the only  ship at coco  that day. Captain jacks may have quicker service? Agreed on the beach club bar, I’ve been twice and it’s been molasses both times. 

We sit by the Oasis Pool in between the Oasis Bar and Chill Grill. I used to walk up to the back of the Oasis Bar and it was busy but no real issues. 2 weeks ago I got my drinks from the little bar window inside Chill Grill and liked that better b/c it seemed like there was A/C in there so the frozen drinks were even more frozen. It was also less busy.
I'm not a fan of using servers, especially outdoors, between the wait and the melt factor but they are constantly walking past us and service seems reasonable there.
Hope that helps.

I thought the exact same thing! lol
Ah...that is good parenting lol, not like us when we ditched our freeloaders to sail Icon inaugural and they were in exam week lol

Yea I also found that part kind of a bummer.  Maybe we should all speak up in the survey!!!!

You can always consider pre-purchasing lunch at a specialty restaurant.  This is what we do.  Yes, it's additional $$ but it is so worth it for a calm, enjoyable boarding day reward.  Prices have gone up but lunch is still one of the few bargains left on Royal Caribbean.

Last trip on Mariner (11/23) , the minute we completed the muster drill routine, we entered the ship and fixed my gaze on the Schooner Bar, which was not busy. Since we tend to check in around 1230, it wasn't long after we finished our drinks and the cabins were open for occupancy. Went to our cabin, dumped the carry on and backpack, attacked the cheese platter we ordered; that held us until dinner at the MDR. 

I'm happy about this of course but when we booked a few weeks ago, maybe a month, on back to back cruises for next year we got 75 dollars onboard credit for both. No idea why Royal is even offering onboard credit with how bookings are going but it was nice to get.
The other day I saw it is now 100 dollars for each cruise. Ever see that before? Find it strange? I didn't say another, didn't see it was offered or anything, it just went up. 

I know that many tip by the meal at CK, but I do not. I always tip at the end in CK. I make note and remember those that I came across over the week, and tip accordingly. Almost always, they end up seating me with the same few servers anyway so there are not too many to keep track of.

I expect it will be quietly shelved at some point.

Your parents should contact the bank they had the debit card through.  They will probably just cut your parents a check once the refund goes through.  The funds should still come back to the bank.

Ironic. People will gamble in the casino and with their trip. They'll accept the loss in the casino, but not with their trip. At least you can insure one. COME ON, PEOPLE!

They can ask for any amount they like.  What would be bonkers is for one of the excursions to also have this:

That is bonkers! 😲

Reducing those Black Friday opportunities for long term planners. 😕

Is that Canadian or US dollars?