Pat Jukes Posted January 30, 2020 Report Share Posted January 30, 2020 We have recently booked a cruise from Singapore on Quantum which is described as a “fully immersive experience” As the ship had been converted to suit the Chinese passenger, I wondered whether anyone had any tips for things we need to differently, best places to go etc. We do want to experience the culture, just don’t want to risk offence or miss the best bits! thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted January 30, 2020 Report Share Posted January 30, 2020 KristiZ ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KristiZ Posted January 30, 2020 Report Share Posted January 30, 2020 Welcome to the Blog! We've cruised quite a bit in the Asia region in the past 6 years. Specifically out of Singapore, there was very little difference, past the superficial, to the "regular" Royal experience. Off the top of my head, you'll see signage in Chinese around the ship, but always also in English. A larger percentage of the staff will be Chinese, but they will all still speak English. There will be regional food offerings in the MDR and Windjammer (yum!) but also classic western dishes. As for the passengers, there will to be lots of Asians, of course (just like cruises out of Miami have tons of Floridians! ). There will be a lot of extended families/large groups, as cruises are marketed for reunion-style vacationing in the region. Likely the only thing that may feel odd (if you're American/Australian particularly) is the whole personal space thing. We're used to in now, living over here, but initially it felt uncomfortable to me to have people standing right next to me all the time. Once you realize that it is totally normal and not at all rude or personal, you don't even notice it anymore. For example, in a crowded elevator -- in America, we avoid cramming what we consider too many people in an elevator, and as soon as one person leaves, everyone else spreads out to put as much distance as possible between everyone. This is "normal" for us. In much of Asia, as people leave the elevator no one moves. This is because "normal" is to get in and stand in your spot, staying still until it is time to go. Less jostling that way. Just a different perspective. I'm happy to answer any questions you might have, but you're going to love your cruise so don't worry! DaiC01 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Jukes Posted January 31, 2020 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2020 That is really helpful, and exactly the sort of things I needed to know. Thank you KristiZ and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Unhappy Diamond Member. Have just returned from Quantum, sailing out of Singapore on 24th January. We are also Diamond Members, and have done this cruise at the same time every year, for the past 3 years, (Singapore to Malaysia over 4 or 5 nights) All we enjoy now is the sanctuary of the Diamond Lounge. Our extended family is Asian and we travel from Australia to Singapore to visit them annually. In the past the ships doing this route were Voyager and Mariner (beautiful Diamond Lounge, food, facilities, natural light , open decks and staff) Having only sailed on other ships , we thought we would try the larger Quantum (unfortunately we found the casino very smoky , believe it or not the ship claustrophobic and having no real "soul") A bit like a floating Shopping Mall. There was no Diamond Lounge, which upset us, as we were not made aware of this when booking. All we look forward to is this bit of luxury and refuge from the noise. Guest Services said there had never been a Diamond Lounge " as there was not enough room" although websites and staff confirmed there had been one. Surprisingly, every drinking venue was empty as the majority of passengers do not drink. So there was plenty of room. We were looking forward to the Cultural Immersion, but unfortunately struggled a bit. There were about 70% Mainland Chinese passengers, It was Chinese New Year , with the other passengers being Singaporean etc. Probably only 2% from other countries. We met some lovely people. Staff were fantastic, Solarium and cabin beautiful. We eat a lot of Asian food, but found the Windjammer food repetitive and un appetising. Surprisingly, not a good selection of Asian or Western food. Main Dining was nice. Be prepared for passengers to gather in large groups in the Windjammer and not vacate the tables, it was loud and crowded. . We are cancelling our next cruise with them for 2021. Let me know if you need any more information, I will gladly try and assist you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpeedNoodles Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 15 minutes ago, Birdy said: Unhappy Diamond Member. Have just returned from Quantum, sailing out of Singapore on 24th January. We are also Diamond Members, and have done this cruise at the same time every year, for the past 3 years, (Singapore to Malaysia over 4 or 5 nights) All we enjoy now is the sanctuary of the Diamond Lounge. Our extended family is Asian and we travel from Australia to Singapore to visit them annually. In the past the ships doing this route were Voyager and Mariner (beautiful Diamond Lounge, food, facilities, natural light , open decks and staff) Having only sailed on other ships , we thought we would try the larger Quantum (unfortunately we found the casino very smoky , believe it or not the ship claustrophobic and having no real "soul") A bit like a floating Shopping Mall. There was no Diamond Lounge, which upset us, as we were not made aware of this when booking. All we look forward to is this bit of luxury and refuge from the noise. Guest Services said there had never been a Diamond Lounge " as there was not enough room" although websites and staff confirmed there had been one. Surprisingly, every drinking venue was empty as the majority of passengers do not drink. So there was plenty of room. We were looking forward to the Cultural Immersion, but unfortunately struggled a bit. There were about 70% Mainland Chinese passengers, It was Chinese New Year , with the other passengers being Singaporean etc. Probably only 2% from other countries. We met some lovely people. Staff were fantastic, Solarium and cabin beautiful. We eat a lot of Asian food, but found the Windjammer food repetitive and un appetising. Surprisingly, not a good selection of Asian or Western food. Main Dining was nice. Be prepared for passengers to gather in large groups in the Windjammer and not vacate the tables, it was loud and crowded. . We are cancelling our next cruise with them for 2021. Let me know if you need any more information, I will gladly try and assist you. This is a fan message board - you'd have to contact Royal Caribbean directly with your concerns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KWofPerth Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 1 hour ago, Birdy said: Unhappy Diamond Member. Have just returned from Quantum, sailing out of Singapore on 24th January. We are also Diamond Members, and have done this cruise at the same time every year, for the past 3 years, (Singapore to Malaysia over 4 or 5 nights) All we enjoy now is the sanctuary of the Diamond Lounge. Our extended family is Asian and we travel from Australia to Singapore to visit them annually. In the past the ships doing this route were Voyager and Mariner (beautiful Diamond Lounge, food, facilities, natural light , open decks and staff) Having only sailed on other ships , we thought we would try the larger Quantum (unfortunately we found the casino very smoky , believe it or not the ship claustrophobic and having no real "soul") A bit like a floating Shopping Mall. There was no Diamond Lounge, which upset us, as we were not made aware of this when booking. All we look forward to is this bit of luxury and refuge from the noise. Guest Services said there had never been a Diamond Lounge " as there was not enough room" although websites and staff confirmed there had been one. Surprisingly, every drinking venue was empty as the majority of passengers do not drink. So there was plenty of room. We were looking forward to the Cultural Immersion, but unfortunately struggled a bit. We met some lovely people. Staff were fantastic, Solarium and cabin beautiful. We eat a lot of Asian food, but found the Windjammer food repetitive and un appetising. Surprisingly, not a good selection of Asian or Western food. Main Dining was nice. Be prepared for passengers to gather in large groups in the Windjammer and not vacate the tables, it was loud and crowded. . We are cancelling our next cruise with them for 2021. Let me know if you need any more information, I will gladly try and assist you. I'm not a Diamond member so I can't speak to those concerns, but your other views on Quantum struck a chord with me. I found it a bit soulless too, although the Solarium was gorgeous. A floating shopping mall is spot on. The Windjammer was without fail mega-crowded, port days and sea days alike. And bars were always empty. However, a cruise is a cruise and we still had a lovely time. I loved the indoor pool, and 270* was a beautiful space. There is always somewhere you can find that you enjoy. All those other concerns are just minor irritants. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Jukes Posted February 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 Thanks very much for this feedback, it’s good to be aware of the differences so that we can prepare. Already I think we will avoid the Windjammer early on and use MDR more. As new diamond members last cruise we haven’t really had time to get to appreciate the diamond lounge facilities, so I can live with this situation, but I’ll be looking out for it in October when we do Eastern Med thanks a lot for your time pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atlantix2000 Posted February 2, 2020 Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 13 hours ago, Birdy said: Unhappy Diamond Member. There was no Diamond Lounge, which upset us, as we were not made aware of this when booking. All we look forward to is this bit of luxury and refuge from the noise. Guest Services said there had never been a Diamond Lounge " as there was not enough room" although websites and staff confirmed there had been one. Surprisingly, every drinking venue was empty as the majority of passengers do not drink. So there was plenty of room. There is no Diamond Lounge shown on the deck plans for Quantum of the Seas on Royal's website or a couple others I just checked. Did you look at those before booking your cruise? What else do you think Royal should have done to inform you about what was available on the ship? Quantum was designed for the Chinese market. It has much more casino space (yes at the expense of the diamond lounge). Not sure what else to tell you but research the ship before you book. SpeedNoodles and DaiC01 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Jukes Posted February 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2020 This is someone else who is unhappy about the lack of a diamond lounge as detailed in his response. To be honest we don’t mind at all, I just wanted to understand any different customs that there may be on Quantum as she had been converted to a different culture pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted February 3, 2020 Report Share Posted February 3, 2020 Quantum of the Seas is the exception, because it was "Asiafied" when she went to China years ago. Even Spectrum of the Seas offers a Diamond Lounge now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobS Posted February 11, 2020 Report Share Posted February 11, 2020 Whilst there has been no Diamond Lounge on Quantum, when numbers are sufficient, they open Music Hall (Deck 4) from 4.30 to 8pm for drinks and Canapes. This was the case on repositioning cruise in Oct 19 from Beijing to Singapore. Deck 4 was a large area and it was packed each night. Someone posted elsewhere, that this was still the case on a recent cruise, even though area shows as high end Casino. Doing cruise shortly so guess will find out first hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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