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Across the Seas & Through the Stars - Actually a cruise live blog - Quantum 1 March


LogicallyLazy

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Stateroom

So we’re staying in the Owner’s Loft 8720. Just walking through the ‘gated’ area makes me feel so fancy. Lol. 
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I think it goes without saying that the room is gorgeous. It’s definitely the biggest room that I have stayed in, even on land. EF3D2B46-584A-4B3F-AB79-E8AB2E60B376.thumb.jpeg.608ae34d8f43ecf7f27ce1af91febcc9.jpeg17E94317-6DC1-484E-AFA4-4E8205C501F6.thumb.jpeg.5e6901ae4d554199d921dda043b67483.jpeg076BCD65-184E-422D-8291-61B64E65630D.thumb.jpeg.8d41b6579865bc1e2a01cf12aa41f2d5.jpegBBCEA560-D7F1-43A0-AE2C-1F01256A8C2D.thumb.jpeg.b94d95e2c4e8fe9d683d04861cfa700b.jpeg37A46550-FF05-42A1-BD40-32C2710CDFF0.thumb.jpeg.72c847ad5ade500017a6484b3396e29b.jpegD352CE0D-1905-4D01-9A4F-663518B27190.thumb.jpeg.8ae1987e72eed6b73dc7a70172a48bb1.jpegD96D5969-CC91-4217-95E0-70AEC5BB56C5.thumb.jpeg.d02625d48cedc033222eb7d0790eb0e8.jpeg

A little snack left by Eli

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Together with the standard information given like voom internet and our star class itinerary, they also provide 1 mask per guest as well as a bottle of hand sanitizer. 11F58A9D-9337-4F7F-B58B-FE598A0C76AD.thumb.jpeg.4ea637da765434263b5df75cb1f6b3cb.jpeg4F4F6193-0F4A-4335-9414-DDD14C554D9A.thumb.jpeg.78b5926fcb552dc8ac8f6df475a0cc69.jpeg1724C1E0-2002-4354-895F-AEA42E12AB1D.thumb.jpeg.5f1cd9be9d7d009ab5ec778dc8ca6c03.jpeg

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It is indeed. ?

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6 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

No host outside of CK on Quantum?

There was. It’s one of the measures to assist with contact tracing. When passing by certain checkpoints in the ship, you tap your seapass to pass. I feel like it’s a little too many checkpoints though, considering we are using the tracelet and the Singapore contact tracing app in addition. But hey, it’s a small inconvenience 

3 hours ago, Matt said:

I don't recall there being a green sticker on tracelet before (no sticker at all). Is there a reason you can tell why there's a green sticker on it?

It’s to help differentiate the different tracelets in your group. Since we’d remove the tracelets in our stateroom, our tracelets won’t get mixed with other people in your room. Everyone in my group has a different color code. 

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Good Morning everyone. Another lovely day out at sea and there nothing quite like seeing this outside your room E7149234-988A-4785-A5BA-2066066CBACB.thumb.jpeg.6ab4bab73fc89b3b1132e0029b856082.jpeg

Starting off the day with a little R&R in the thermal suite A89132B5-882D-4ABD-A04E-46907F2E03C9.thumb.jpeg.9cc83c68c8d9ea60c0b7a46ce5cccac1.jpegA66DC079-F604-41DA-AECB-001087BA8774.thumb.jpeg.5479f09658ca9b84da033183abd45974.jpeg44EA5500-C810-4E2B-B830-ACABFAC80E93.thumb.jpeg.5c3b16bcc0b81d8c728527fc80fa69e3.jpeg

The thermal suite pass is around $20 pppd but you do not need to get it for everyday of the sailing. However, you will be required to book a reservation. That said, the thermal suite will be private to you and your party which is kind of sweet

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7 minutes ago, Matt said:

Day 2 is my favorite day of the cruise. First full day onboard and all the day 1 footwork is over.

How was eMuster?

It was painless, the app was kind of buggy so when watching the safety video on my phone, I couldn’t mark myself that I was done. In the end we watched it on our stateroom TV. Reporting to your muster station was also hassle free. It overall took maybe 15 minutes from watching the video in the stateroom to finishing up at the station. They will put a sticker on your seapass once you’re done to indicate that you’ve completed the muster drill

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Okay time to catch up on our first day while I have some time. 
 

Activities

First off, we went for the bumper cars. As Star class guest, Eli brought us to the front of the line in a designated area for star guests. Before that, we also helped reserve the slots we wanted to seaplex activities like foosball, Table Tennis and pickleball. According to Eli, there is no basketball due to physical distancing. AF7B6BED-CCB1-4C52-A082-62F7E41BA230.thumb.jpeg.6b620acec73a3e3d48e63e00bf4ecd3b.jpeg0F93C224-A430-426E-8762-8B559CBF5B5D.thumb.jpeg.ee42753bd7d7cc68e3fbaa8154de5b16.jpeg75C42895-02E3-461E-8961-59B78B7A1546.thumb.jpeg.7f04e2e386a07df4d600aaddd7be643c.jpeg

After that, we decided to explore the top deck a little since we were already there. Walking around the outside to snap some shots before taking a break at the Solarium. Pina Colada anyone?

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Finally, we headed for our flight on the North Star. Let me just preface that I’m absolutely terrified of heights, but figured that I won’t be able to pass this up, so I put on a brave face and ascended to the skies. 31A52FA6-997B-4A2A-9117-EA7FC7C0D8D4.thumb.jpeg.4695d5e2640bcedd7f7eed3d56530809.jpeg73FE2880-E92C-404A-AC93-9D17D4E41FFF.thumb.jpeg.02ef1e1fa0cd30df7e1a2f641741b775.jpeg81C22F91-7B67-458D-836D-57E3C2CD4150.thumb.jpeg.c64bbe3fb8c18ed77d62e8bdd6f0bef6.jpeg

I’ll be covering dinner in a following post

 

 

 

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1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I’m not real comfortable with heights either but I was pleasantly surprised at how uneventful (for me) North Star was.  I think, b/c it is such a smooth movement, I hardly even realized I was going up.  I really enjoyed NS.  I think we went up 3-4 times during our 2 cruises on Anthem.

Unfortunately, it’s a paid activity for Singapore sailings so no unlimited rides. But we do have the 1 complimentary ride for star class

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Dinner

We headed to chops for dinner and of course, we had to do the customary star class seafood tower. Eli did mentioned that all up charges where waived for star class. While I was already aware of this thanks to the lovely people on this forum, she noted that many star guest don’t know and end up not taking things they may have wanted. On top of that we also took the mushroom soup, crab cake and beef carpaccio. 106FCFEA-E9C5-423F-AD6A-2482BF56A68E.thumb.jpeg.d661e99d46184c02382c8c43b5d3800b.jpeg68126C82-5122-438C-927F-4C43E7824220.thumb.jpeg.75ac5747abb7d411b690aad82ce19898.jpeg

As for the entrees, I took the bone-in ribeye, thinking that I’ll go for the filet on our second trip to chops. And I can say I was not disappointed at all. Dare I say, I prefer the ribeye to the CK filet at lunch. We also got the lobster because my dad’s a seafood fanatic. CDC206D0-FAB8-4709-9ABF-2CCDF7201D65.thumb.jpeg.1a0be22f54a015a4c7617cd16de8e240.jpeg30E0826A-7BFD-49DE-A0E2-8257C00967BC.thumb.jpeg.fc0bebb982e093f899c722de463365d2.jpegFA6771EE-5246-4BCB-B674-01FF4DA78929.thumb.jpeg.0c84ac3b059b7dbd604176c6a90458d1.jpeg
Now, I’m on the fence about ordering the ribeye again instead of the filet for the last night, but in the interest of science, I need to see this through. To give my take on the Chops vs CK debate 
 

Headliner Show

After dinner, we headed over to Two70 to watch headliner act Steve Rawling, who is a comedy juggler. While the show wasn’t bad, I think circumstances might have led to a less than stellar atmosphere. As a comedian, I think a lot of it depends on how the audience reacts. His show required a lot of audience participation and with it being a mainly Asian audience, who are a little more reserved, it left a lot of awkward silences. But still entertaining nonetheless. The show also started with the dancing robot screens  

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And that concludes day 1

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Fast forward to day 2. After our visit to the spa, we went for a quick (read: too filling) breakfast at CK. Here are some but not all our choices. FADB6695-9D98-4756-8B98-035606B8F8F3.thumb.jpeg.1a6af796cca7ff5b977bce6bc37dd475.jpeg9DA12D90-A258-450F-AD42-671B6BB00384.thumb.jpeg.7ee037e5d950e5edf2ffd5e7c31a3edf.jpegFD27B993-7190-4EC6-BF76-48B4B48540B3.thumb.jpeg.5743f6a7535d56277a11349877bd7d42.jpeg
 

After a quick break back at our stateroom, it seemed like too soon before we were already off to Jamie’s for lunch. You ever regret eating a good meal. Yeah that’s us in regards to breakfast. 
 

Jamie’s appetisers were definitely the stars of the meal. The pasta we ate was kinda meh but the baked mushrooms...hmm so good 8CEA9C8E-5FDE-4666-AA25-782597FBFFC4.thumb.jpeg.6cbcba5653cff446136df45fbeef0bc1.jpeg79543E4C-FCAC-4124-AF4C-D3D5E059F117.thumb.jpeg.f8a326defbd98b4bcb9cac94a6d261b7.jpeg84A9DE59-AD0B-41EA-8514-0F86633124A5.thumb.jpeg.8597a3e69cd7b87b96be073815a6d213.jpeg6C43EE20-2115-4AC3-9180-4EE745090BA5.thumb.jpeg.11fcffc7b3052cd4f4d55ff4571f150b.jpeg2B37B212-C8B6-4230-A512-0E0086022999.thumb.jpeg.043959427d1f773cc8bef81273f63667.jpeg

We were originally gonna head to the seaplex for some pickleball, but changed our plans on account of our full stomach. Headed up to the suite sun deck for some sun and to take some timelapse videos of the North Star.

Next up, we headed to the Royal Theatre to catch the production “Sequin and Feathers” a show with lots of music, dancing and show girls. LolFA794191-F844-4F3F-9BE7-DEF58538A9F7.thumb.jpeg.507d9f5e2621de056251b4fc5e518178.jpeg

 

Speaking of North Star, I decided to go for the extended experience today. Since we saved on a few things here and there due to star class privileges, thought I’d experience this. Gave me good shots from the exterior of the ship too. A0EA0014-3264-4183-BBDD-D8B305774296.thumb.jpeg.c8e81427ba48099dcd36ebddee28541d.jpegFA761948-AC9C-41B7-A633-B30B4CA9C3BE.thumb.jpeg.ccd49501a577815d98a16c4d909eb2b4.jpeg9814EF83-2718-4B8C-8451-9C0961119616.thumb.jpeg.18d4af1f061dc6831384d197a92d7b56.jpeg

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11 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

If you happen to pass by the casino, I would be interested in knowing what distancing protocols have been implemented. Please do not go out of your way...just if you happen by.

Thanks !

I walked through once and it was really crowded. Felt a little out of place to be taking pictures so I walked through with my 360 camera. The photos are screenshots from that. Sorry, it was the best I could do.

For the slots, there are machines not in used for social distancing, but I see people in the same groups next to them with no issue. Tables seem full and it looks like on lookers have to stand some distance away from the table. 
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9 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Wow... Very excited to see the North Star go out over the side.  They don’t do that at all anymore in NA.  Very cool.  I would have paid for that, too.

It was a little pricy at $40. Before the pandemic, the North Star cost around $10. They increased the price to $20 to make up for lost revenue due to a maximum capacity of 5 per ride. So in essence it cost double to bring us over the side. Which was why I was the only one in my group to do it. Lol. Only 1 person needed for photos 

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2 hours ago, LogicallyLazy said:

Dare I say, I prefer the ribeye to the CK filet at lunch.

That's it.  We cannot be friends anymore. (Kidding)

One time I had the ribeye in CK.  It was not good at all.  Probably one of the worst I've ever had.  I will have to try the Chops ribeye in the future.

2 hours ago, LogicallyLazy said:

We also got the lobster

I love the Chops Lobster!  Seeing those pics from Chops makes me so envious!

Has Star Class food coma set in yet?  It's a real condition you know?

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1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Wow... Very excited to see the North Star go out over the side.  They don’t do that at all anymore in NA.  Very cool.  I would have paid for that, too.

It seems they have settled on a model where free rides are shorter and only do a small turn at the top where the paid version such as in Alaska at glaciers does the full over the side version.

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I am a big fan of the CK filet but let's be honest... it's a cut of meat.  Even at an expensive "proper" steakhouse on land sometimes the cut of meat leaves something to be desired.  I have mostly had great filets in CK but I have also had an encounter with a less desirable cut of meat in CK.  It happens.  

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1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

One time I had the ribeye in CK.  It was not good at all.  Probably one of the worst I've ever had.  I will have to try the Chops ribeye in the future.

I was honestly really surprised. Not only was it massive, but it tasted so good. Maybe the bone-in gave it that extra kick of flavor

 

1 hour ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Has Star Class food coma set in yet?  It's a real condition you know?

I think it set in after dinner yesterday lol. With so little days, I think we’re trying to cram too many dishes into every meal and then realizing we were too ambitious. Haha. But well, we are on vacation. We’ll worry about our weight after. Haha. 

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1 hour ago, LewieE said:

@LogicallyLazy  Loving the blog!  Thanks for continuing to allow us to cruise along with you!  Ribeye is my favorite, so I'm really looking forward to trying that when I finally make it out.  Though I know I have to try the Filet night at CK to stay on @Lovetocruise2002's good side!

You should. I think I am always looking for good filets, I sometimes overlook the ribeyes which can be just as good

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In suite dining Dinner

Now this was the absolute motherload of dinner spreads. In a way, it was our own little version of the Taste of Royal meal.

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Firstly, an assortment of sushi sashimi and Japanese spread from Izumi. 

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Supplemented by some familiar items from Chops. 

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And to top it off, I saw they served the beef Wellington in the MDR on their Christmas and New Years sailing. I requested if they could have it prepared and they could. For such a thick slab of meat, it was surprisingly tender. We didn’t have steak knives, only the blunt table knifes and we had no trouble cutting through. 

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To close off the meal, we wanted desert from Wonderland. This is where Eli and the kitchen staff really went above and beyond. Due to our dietary restriction of pork, we are unable to take gelatin. Consulting with Eli prior to boarding, she checked with the Wonderland staff and confirmed that it did contain gelatin, to which they mentioned they would prepare something specially for us. Come today, and I receive a message from Eli, asking if I was able to take beef gelatin instead. (Yes, by the way). So, not only were they able to accommodate my needs, but managed to give me the authentic wonderland experience as well. 

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To end the day, we headed over to the Music hall to catch some after dinner music. 
 

We checked with Eli beforehand and she confirmed she wasn’t able to assist in reserving a space for us. Also, recuperating from our massive feast, we were a little late, which meant many of the seats were already taken. We still managed to get in and listen to the music, though we didn’t have a good view of the stage, so unfortunately no photos. 
 

And that’s day 2 wrapped up. Finally caught up to the present. Now hopefully I can keep it like that till tomorrow ?

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33 minutes ago, LogicallyLazy said:

I was honestly really surprised. Not only was it massive, but it tasted so good. Maybe the bone-in gave it that extra kick of flavor

Each time we ate at Chops I had the ribeye ? and it was delicious.  I am from a province that is known for its world quality beef so my expectations are high.  I can’t compare it to the filet in CK because I totally missed it. Rookie mistake LOL  

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Final post before heading to bed. 
 

In the past, some cruisers contacted their Genie through the loop app. For our sailing, that wasn’t mentioned at all. I heard some using Facebook messenger before. 
 

Once on board, Eli informed us to contact her through WhatsApp. I think this changes based on what’s most convenient where they’re sailing from. Almost everyone uses WhatsApp in Singapore which makes sense for them to use it too. 
 

Sorry, just a random thought before bed. 

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18 hours ago, LogicallyLazy said:

The thermal suite pass is around $20 pppd but you do not need to get it for everyday of the sailing. However, you will be required to book a reservation. That said, the thermal suite will be private to you and your party which is kind of sweet

We always book the 7 day thermal suite pass. With reservations now required it will be interesting to see how this process evolves.  Pre Covid we showed up spontaneously and always at separate times. Hubby would go early morning and me sometime much later. Lol It will be interesting to see if they encourage couples to attend together. 

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2 hours ago, Jax said:

Interesting that you were able to order from multiple venues for a meal. On Anthem our genie said it was limited to one. Maybe this policy has been relaxed due to Covid?? Or maybe it’s ship specific or maybe just another one of those star class inconsistencies. Lol ? 

Same here.  This has been the rule on all of our SC cruises HOWEVER, I will say that for our Harmony cruise with the Jim Twins, they had a party in their suite (more like a royal rumble....it was wild !) and food was coming in from EVERYwhere.  We had food from Sabor, the MDR, all of the specialties.  We finally had to start turning food away there was so much.

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1 hour ago, Matt said:

Weird that the Genies use a third party app to contact them. I'd feel super weird hitting them up on whatsapp.

It's very Genie specific.  Some prefer email.  Some prefer a call on their phones.  Some prefer messaging through social media.  Totally depends on the Genie.

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3 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I will say that for our Harmony cruise with the Jim Twins, they had a party in their suite (more like a royal rumble....it was wild !) and food was coming in from EVERYwhere.  We had food from Sabor, the MDR, all of the specialties.  We finally had to start turning food away there was so much.

I always get a laugh out of your choice of words. “Royal rumble” ? Love it!

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6 hours ago, Jax said:

On Anthem our genie said it was limited to one

Oh? I did not know this. I asked Eli before boarding while we were planning and she didn’t bat an eye. 

 

5 hours ago, Jax said:

It will be interesting to see if they encourage couples to attend together

They probably would. Especially if your cruise has many people who frequent the spa. I will say that the need to plan ahead what time to go to the spa makes it a smidge more inconvenient than simply popping in whenever possible 

 

4 hours ago, Matt said:

Weird that the Genies use a third party app to contact them. I'd feel super weird hitting them up on whatsapp.

Hmm, this is my first cruise so I don’t have anything to base it off of. Lol. But I will say that while researching, the method for contacting the genie was wildly inconsistent. 

 

4 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

We had food from Sabor, the MDR, all of the specialties.  We finally had to start turning food away there was so much.

That sounds way too familiar. Lol

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