Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure

ABBEY:

Activities

Still we haven’t left the “hotel at sea” as there are a lot things to do.

We did wall climbing and this time the belay is automatic. I managed to reached the top. Make sure not to climb when the sun is at its peak else you burn your hands.

Next is Flowrider. I was afraid I will get another fall like when I was on skates but good thing is you can ride the waves in your belly. Balancing is hard but I enjoyed it. Being hit and wiped out by a jet stream of water is also part of the fun.

Bump cars are also there. This is the time that you want to crash into a car. Remember to turn the wheel for continuous movement.

Next is Laser Tag. Our team lost but my consolation is that I was the top scorer. This is workout in itself.

They also have game consoles and table tennis.

All these activities are for free. You either just make a reservation or queue in line.

Room

Our room this time has no physical balcony but instead a virtual one. There’s something in the water at night that makes me feel that something would just grab me and no one will notice. Haha. The room has enough space to store our clothes for the whole trip. The bed is comfortable as well as the pillows and the sheets are clean. Our attendant really pays attention to our needs.

Ship

Quantum of the Seas is definitely bigger than our first cruise ship Mariner of the Seas. What I like is the Solarium; a serene place for adults where you can lounge or dip in the pools. Yup, no kids. Hehe. We got a chance to alight the ship at Port Penang and really had a good view its massive size. It has 15-16 decks. They removed the outdoor basketball court though. An indoor area was allocated for it as same as bump cars and laser tag.

Quantum of the Seas | First Revolutionary Cruise Ship - Singapore

Activities, Rooms and FREE Dining 

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure 

Jamie’s Italian

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure 

Wonderland

WILL: Royal Caribbean is not contented with their previous services. Well, they gave a huge effort to exceed every cruisers expectations. Bigger ship, high tech rooms, more exciting activities, and add up a fabulous entertainment. 

Let’s go with the bigger vessel. The quantum fleet is humongous. It has 17th floors. Floors that holds a room, restaurants, activity floors, pools and gym. 

How can I say high technology rooms. Because I do not like to look on a black emptiness every night outside through balcony’s glasd door. I requested Abbey for us stay at inner— stateroom. No windows. But this doesn’t stop Royal Caribbean ingenuity. They install a 72-inch tv beside the bed for  witness what us happening outside the ship. Well, I feel more comfortable on that. 

Quantum of the Seas do really have an array of activities. I enjoyed the bump car, laser tag (reservation needed), the Vitalis gym, Solaris’ (adult only area) jacuzzi, and quite diffucult wall climbing. For the Flowrider, I hated it. Tried once and I will not do it again. Haha! Put some hoops at the basketball court too. 

Please indulge in their complimentary restaurants. The Windjammer which is open from breakfast to dinner. Please look out for their juicy grilled porkchop. The Solaris Restaurant have the almost same food with the Windjammer but that place is quieter and serene. There’s a timing for the hotdog and ice cream booth. Do not miss those out. Main Restaurant’s waiters are absolutely cool. They will treat you like a king and queen. The menu changes every night and there’s a live entertainment by your very own waiters too. You want a sandwich for your lunch? Go to The Cafe @Two70. The best!  Italian cuisine? Sorrento's Pizza is open to serve you. Craving for sweet pastries? Cafe Promenade is there! Do not hold yourself. Just eat! You are in holiday! And it is FREE! 

Abbey and I decided to have our first dinner at Wonderland Restaurant. I can only describe it in one word.. WONDERFUL! Gosh! All the dishes are bursting with uncommon but delight flavours! Yummmm! The dinner costs us USD98 per pax. Please alot 2-hours to enjoy the magical presentation and explanation of dishes and it’s every bite. Haha. If you want to double up the serving, do not hesitate to request. They will sure give you another serving. 

Jamie’s Italian is present in most of malls in Singapore but someone told us that the food on board of Royal Caribbean tastes different. Oh gosh! We pigged out! Please watch the YouTube video of Abbey here. There’s a warm hospitality from the crew of Jamie’s. Everybody is checking on us if we are enjoying our time. Well, yes it is everybody because even the Sous Chef went to our table to see if everything is fine. The food? Delizioso!  

The shows are highlighted for Chinese speaking cruisers. Still acceptable as there’s only one language for smile and laughter. Oh! The performers are interacting more with the audiences. 

Bravo! Royal Caribbean! 5-days is not enough to enjoy all amenities in your ship! Of course! We will book and book and book again with Royal Caribbean on our next cruise!

***

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas - Singapore Departure 

(W) https://www.royalcaribbean.com

Royal Caribbean Singapore - Mariner of the Seas (February 2 - 6, 2015) Singapore - Port Klang - Langkawi

ABBEY: We've tried having vacation here, in foreign land, in the Philippines. Why not try the seas? Yes, a cruise vacation. I remember When the cruise ships docked in Harbourfront bay and daydreamed on being there. We have no idea which shipping line we'll go so we checked Royal Caribbean as advised by our housemate.

The budget that we set for the tour will only get us to ordinary room. Good thing that we saw their roadshow at Vivo City. For little over than 1500 SGD, you can stay for 5 days and 4 nights at a Deluxe OceanView Stateroom with balcony. Beside Singapore port, the cruise will also visit Port Klang and Langkawi in Malaysia. We got a room on deck 7.  This is an advantage for us as we can go down to Deck 5 (where the activity and party happens) or in Deck 11 for the buffet restaurants if the lifts were fully loaded.

Thanks to the crew who made this journey happier and more enjoyable.

Our Captain

Cruise Director

Rebecca - who became our tour guide on our first day

Linda - for organizing the entertainments for the entire sailing.

Mahrus and Angbao - who always delight our appetites during dinner and keep the water flowing to wash down the food.

Rooms for improvement?

1. Please have the flag of your crew's nationality be the background of their name plates. It would be easier which part of the world they represent. We got a hard time reading their nationality and have to look awkward whenever they see us checking their name plates.

2. Can the hotdogs also be a part of the room service menu?

3. Please announce or include in the cruise compass when the barbecue party will happen. We missed this. :)

Tips that I can part based on my experience.
1. Before entering the ship, you will be given a card which you can use in all the transactions in the ship. Be it going to your room or purchasing souvenir items. So do not lose this card.
2. You will be given two timings of choice to have a 3-course dinner and once you give your preferred time make sure that you'll not be late. Late comers will not be welcomed as the doors on the hall will be closed.
3. If you plan not to have short excursions upon arriving on the ports, then please plan your day on the ship. They have dance lessons (cha-cha), inline skating, mini golf, ice skating, wall climbing, bingo and casino.
4. Every evening, a presentation will be witnessed on the theatre like magic and variety shows. Who knows you can be a guest participant on one of them.
5. Street disco party and live band will be seen in the Promenade at Deck 5.
6. For chilling out with munchies, you can go to Cafe Promenade or the buffet restaurants.
7. There are also specialty restaurants but it is on top of the payment for your cruise fare. This also the same with wine or beers.
8. Lazy to come to the restaurant? Then have room service. They will always say that it will be delivered 30-45 minutes after your call but they will be knocking at your door after 10 minutes. :)
9. Ice cream, hotdogs, burgers, bread, pastries, fruits, and other food are overflowing. Make sure to have a taste on them but in moderation.
10. Appreciate the staff and commend them for their hard work. You can give them more gratuities aside from the one you already paid.

WILL: Eat..Sleep...Eat...Sleep!!! Who cares? We are in vacation. :) 

We dreamed, we planned and we achieved. A dream to reality. For only $1,538 (gratuities included) we got to stay at one of the finest cruising line known in the world. Thanks to Hazel of Chan Brothers who assisted us without fail in this booking. 

Here are some of the things that really caught my attention. 

Stateroom

We stayed at 7290 - Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony. The closet size is just fine, bed is so fluffy and clean, the tv is good to go and the bathroom is so cute. 

As usual they will provide you towels of three different sizes. You need a new one? Just leave the towel on the floor as they will replace it for you. Shampoo, bathroom tissues and facial tissues are readily available. Hairdryer is at the vanity table waiting to be switched on. 

What are the things you need to bring? Shampoo if you are weary to try other brands, toothbrush, toothpaste, slippers for inside the room. 

Everything inside the fridge if consumed will be charge to your room. So better call the room service for a hot water or cold drink.  

Food 

Next time we jump in to a cruise again. Abbey and will make a weigh-in. For a 5-day stay I know and I feel that I gained weight. I think their primary mission is to fattened up all of their guests. Haha! 

Windjammer is the restaurant at Deck 11. I ate here thrice for lunch. This is buffet, so eat-all-you-can..all-you-want. Haha! I love their pasta, white and red sauce is delightfully good. No seat reservation so be early for you to get a good view of the ocean. It is open for lunch from 11:45-3:00pm, 7:00-10:30am for breakfast and 6:30-9:00pm for dinner. 

Rhapsody in Blue Dining Room. Please check your cruise compass if they are serving breakfast or lunch for that day. But the dinner was always held here. Unlike the Windjammer, Rhapsody have a dress code even you are going there for breakfast. So please do not roll your eyes when you were not allowed to go inside because of what you wear.

You will surely love the ala-Titanic scene when you set your foot here in this part of the ship. 

This restaurant is fine dining. So expect a waiter and his helper to get your order. Bread and butter will be served to you before your three-course meal. Oh if one main course is not enough for you, you can get another plate of your choice without extra charge. 

Please take note that wines, sodas, beer and freshly-made juices are available with extra cost. 

Room Service

Get a nice breakfast in bed or midnight snack serve by room service. It is available for 24hours but US$3.95 will be billed for delivery from 12am-5:00am. My favorite in here is the gyoza and cheese pizza. 

Cafe Promenade

Of course located at Promenade. Open for 24 hours and ready to serve all the guests with light snacks. Breads, cake, pizza slices, non-stop flow of tea and brewed coffees are in here. 

Arctic Zone

Is it too hot at the pool deck of the ship? Why not take a few steps to get your vanilla or chocolate flavored ice cream. 11:30am-6:30pm open. So take a queue and taste the lovely ice cream of the Royal Caribbean. 

Dog House

Unlimited hotdog on stick or in bun? Get a chair and munch the hotdog of your choice in front of the big screen in the deck 11 pool area. 11:30-6:30pm is the availability of this hotdog haven. 

Specialty Dining is available like Johnny Rockets, Chops Grille and Giovanni's table for additional costs.  

Activities 

This is the reason why we never get out of the ship (except for sleeping all day haha). You can schedule a full pack day of activity inside this cruise ship. 

We hit their gym to sweat up some of the food we intake. We used their jacuzzi and awed by their clean and spacious sauna and steam bath. I love their wall climbing. I want to have a second round but I need to cover almost all activities of the ship so we move on at the basketball court. Golf, wind is against me and I just realised how Tiger Woods is really good in this sports. Hands-down to him. 

They have a board game/mahjong area. The ice in the ice skating rink is not fine as the others I got skate with. No wonder some of their performers in here have some failed landing. 

They have chacha lessons, handkerchief-folding sessions, bingo and casino. 3D movie is available in afternoons and 2D movies starts as early as 11am at screening room at deck 2. Karaoke is at Dragons Lair. 

Kindly check the opening of ice skates to guest at Studio B. Please be in pants ok? Or else you will blew away your chance to be on ice. 

Music performances are non-stop so check your cruise compass for the band or performers schedule. 

The Savoy Theatre caters concerts, magicians and buskers for you to get entertained. And before you kiss the night away, get merry at the parade, 70's party and pool deck party (which was canceled because of the rain). 

Are we going back for a cruise? Yes! Yes! Yes! We have a pleasant stay. A total relaxation and a good bonding time with my husband. 

We are officially one of the Royals of the World. See you again. Hopefully at the Oasis of the Sea. 

LEGOLAND® (Malaysia) Water Park

ABBEY: After a fun-filled half-day at Legoland Theme Park, we were drenched with sweat. The water is calling us at the adjacent water park. After filling up our hunger, we headed to the pools. First stop is the Buil-a-Raft River. This is their version of lazy river. Since we got tired on the park, we grabbed floaters, laid back and let the current drive us. Lego bricks were scattered along the river stretch and you can build your own raft.

Then we tried their slides : Brick Blaster, Splash N Swirl, and Tidal Tube.

We got most fun in the LEGO Slide racer. Each of us went to a different tunnel aiming to be the first. Both instances, I won. I'm the heaviest and I built the most momentum. 

The wave pool is boring as the waves are not that high but it is the best location to take snaps along with the Legoland sign. 

We definitely had a great time on Joker Soaker pool. We were waiting for the giant pail to fill up and soak us with cold water. Even the lifeguards participated on the fun. 

We really enjoyed the water park. Recommended for a family getaway.

WILL: Two birds one stone. We are already there so why waste time not to visit the Legoland Water Park.

My target is to finish the Legoland Theme Park by noon, hmmm, some of the rides was really fantastic that we gotta go for twice. In short we are an hour late for water splashing. Haha. After our lunch at KFC, we changed for our swimwear and excitedly went to Build-A-Raft River, this is for us to rest our tired feet and full tummy. After 2 rounds, we headed to Joker Soaker. 

This a dream come true! We thought that only kids were allowed to climb and slide but hey even Abbey was permitted to enjoy this. Joker Soaker's lifeguards singing very delightful songs. We always wait for the bell to ring as that would be the sign of 300 gallon bucket was about to spill. Excuse me kill joy people, if you don't want to bombared by water here by strangers this is not for you. Haha!

Lego Wave Pool. Ahmm, forget about it. Nyahaha!

Slides! It seems everything is just normal like  other water parks but I am shocked that Sam was allowed to Lego Slide Racers. We are so unsure for Samuel's safety but we asked him to swear that he shouldn't take off his hands on the mat. He swore and we have two rounds for this. Abbey is the fastest, followed by April, Sam and I were always the last. Hello gravity!

After all the slides was experienced, its time for photos. I took the snaps and while they are enjoying another rounds of water activities.

3hours of enjoyment then we rinsed off ourselves. 100points for cleanliness of the washroom and shower area.

You can save time and money by buying two tickets at the Legoland website and 20% discount if you booked your visit a week
before. 

Thanks Legoland Malaysia. We enjoyed the visit.

Legoland Malaysia Theme Park

ABBEY: We went to Legoland last April 7 as part of our "payment" to our Ate Sol for helping us in paperworks of our "cashcows". We were there at 9AM when the park opens at 10. Why? To have our pictures taken without any obstruction just like we had on our visit to Hong Kong Disneyland. We got our jumpshots, wacky and Facebook-profile poses. We also had some snaps at the hotel. We even had our breakfast before the gates open. 

When it is about time, we queued up on the gate and the Red Lego brick is welcoming the guests. The staff shouted "Are you ready?" and the crowed roared with a deafening "Yes". The gates opened and we headed on the left side of the park where Project X is located. It was not yet open as testing is still on-going for a couple of minutes. We then decided to try AQUAZONE Wave Racers. This water ride is good. Turn right and you'll be on the outside track and you'll get wet. Turn left if you just want to get dizzy. Then we boarded Project X; a roller coaster with a 4-man car that will take you maybe 10-storeys high and put a ton of butterflies on your stomach as you go down very fast.

You will be fascinated by the lego structures of the famous landmarks like Petronas Towers, Singapore Flyer, Taj Mahal, and Angkor Wat. They also have their 4D theater but Universal Studios Singapore's is better. We also tried their 2 dragon roller coasters (The Dragon and Dragon's Apprentice). We enjoyed The Dragon so much that we requested for a second round. Dino Island is a water ride and make sure all electronics are not there with you on the ride as they might get wet.

We all got dizzy first in Technic Twister and on Merlin's Challenge; they will just want to lose your orientation :)

Sam had the ride of his life when he entered Legoland's driving school. He even got his driving license just for a day. Last stop is the Legoland Express. I'm expecting to see some sceneries of the park but all I saw is the back of their park rides (maintenance rooms).

We got to try Beetle Bounce (a tower ride that will bounce you up and down) and Observation Tower (a 360-degree view of the theme park). 

Already hungry and thirsty by the heat of the sun, we headed to a fast food chain and to prepare for Legoland Waterpark.

WILL: I heard a lot of "not-so-good" reviews from people went to Legoland in Johor Bahru Malaysia. It so hot because there is not enough roof/tree to cover the people; the rides are so childish; construction is still on going. Those were the rants I've heard from colleagues, friends and even relatives. So Abbey and I decided not to go until my nephew came here in Singapore for a 10-day vacation. I know he can't enjoy the Universal Studios, as there are age and height restrictions at the rides. And that's time for us to go to Legoland Malaysia.

As usual we were early, this is for us to take picture of the themed park logo "alone", haha! Friends told us that it seems we rent out Legoland for the whole day. We hate long queues so we went there on  Monday. When mascots arrived at the entrance hall, there's a burst of enjoyment and excitement is high. When the gate opened, we rushed to the middle of park and turned left for us to take the every ride that we can have.

Firstly and so early we got wet, not just once but twice! Haha! The Wave Racers was so exciting we had it with a second round. Samuel is naughty that he intentionally put the car in front of the splashing waters. 

Abbey is afraid of roller coasters but he have the guts to get this on. Hey, no loops ahead! 

We went at a 4D theatre  I hope that the management will look on the sanitation of the area. The stench is unbearable. 

Waste of time in the train. Nothing to see. Maybe if you are tired walking and you still want to be on the move, train ride is an option.  

My nephew enjoyed a lot the driving school. They were taught how to drive and how to follow the traffic lights. 

Overall, this is a great place to go not only for children but for young-at-heart.

KKKL Bus - Melaka to Singapore

ABBEY: This is our bus for the return trip to Singapore. The same fare price with the bus we had going to Melaka at RM 19.

We left Melaka with only less than 10 people including the driver; meaning they stand on their departure and arrival times. Tips for travellers: be sure to wear jacket and you visit the loo before riding the bus.

WILL: While we were waiting for our late Mayang Sari Bus, we saw KKKL very early at their designated parking area waiting patiently to its commuter, then I decided to get a slot on our way home. Hitting the Melaka Sentral and after eating our breakfast, we directly went to their counter and bought 4 tickets for MYR19 each. 
     The time for departure is 5pm, just enough to roam Melaka. 
450pm, the bus departs, ha! Too early isn't? As usual, we sleep, and it is like we were on on our own beds. 
    Just woke up, before we reach the Larkin Terminal. :) Recommendable! 

Mayang Sari Malaysia

ABBEY: Upon arrival in Johor Bahru we don't know which bus liner to choose. We went to one of the counter and they said that the next schedule is at 10:30am. One lady caught shouting "KL-KL-KL" caught my ear. I asked the counter in Mayang Sari if they have a bus to Melaka earlier than 10am and replied they have. Once we got our ticket (RM 19 each), we waited for the bus. It arrived 20 minutes past the scheduled time. 

We made an honest mistake on taking seats of other passengers as we were not aware of the seat plan :) We were seated at last row of the bus. The coldness of the air conditioner made us crawl to a fetal position to keep warm. Arriving at Melaka Sentral, we went to comfort rooms before anything else.

WILL: And then we were at Johor Bahru Malaysia. :) we bought a ticket to melaka at their ticketing counter, be early, their tix sells like a hotcake. But their bus departs late for almost 15mins from the scheduled time. 
      The bus? Very spacious and it seems the seats were bigger compared to the budget planes. The aircon? Damn cold!!! Our fault, we don't know that food was allowed to be consumed inside this bus, but in a brighter side, we just slept the full three hour ride. 
      For MYR19 to Melaka Sentral. 

Malacca Malaysia

ABBEY: Another trip outside Singapore. We had a day tour only. We went our way at 30 minutes past 5 in the morning. We reached Johor Bahru at 7am. For 19 Malaysian Ringgit we boarded a 3-hour bus ride. This is the best time to sleep. We alighted the bus at Melaka Sentral and proceeded in the ticket counter to purchase ticket on the way back. We had our brunch at one of their hawkers for RM 12 for all our food. We hired a taxi for RM 20 and dropped us in the tourist destination proper. 

We visited their numerous museums like philatelic and maritime. We struck a pose like Jack and Rose in one of their warship :) Another attraction is their revolving tower at RM 20 per person. We also tried A&W at their megamall. 

As the day is about to end we headed to Melaka Sentral and had dinner. At Johor Bahru we cheked in at McDonald's for a snack in preparation for the travel back home.

WILL: After a long planning to go here, hehe. Thanks to Katherine, step by step she told me how to go here. 
      3am, we already muster our feet to have a blast and go out of the country. Hehe. At Queens Bus Station exactly 530am we boarded the first bus that took us to Johor Bahru Malaysia. It was 45mins travel when we reached Woodlands and alight for the immigration and customs stop of Singapore. Same bus, we hop in and 10mins alight again for immigration of Malaysia. Hopped on the same bus then pass 30mins, we alighted at Larkin Bus Terminal. And from there, we are really in different country   hehe. 
      At Larkin, you can see many bus companies that offers their services to Malacca and KL. I really chose this and not the coach one because, I know, this will be a great adventure and lesser cost. Haha. The coach from SG to Malacca is $22 one way, but on this it only costs us $10.90. Hehe. Good choice, is it? Hehe. From Larkin to Malacca is 3hours but do not worry, just sleep. Nice leh. Hehe. Arrived at Malacca Sentral 10am and we ate in a buffet-like restaurant, we put a lot of food in our plate and you know how much it costs us? For 4 pax, we were billed 11RMB($5). So amazing. Hehe. After filling up our tummies, we hailed a taxi and to go to the tourist stop for $20 and I haggle up to $18. Hehe. 
     Malacca seems cannot move on from the past. Haha. But I am saying this on a positive note lah. The red church, the trickshaw, and the remains of forts is all amazingly still there. We are pretty sad when we saw the Bukit St Paul, vandalism is all over and there are many vendors in the place. 
     Museums are all over, here they showcase the life on the rise and fall of this land. We also go up and up and up with their Melaka Revolving Tower, this we saw the vibrant colors of their buildings the busy tourists roaming around the city. 
This is really nice place to visit. No wonder why almost all people here in Singapore goes here. We got home 10PM. Hehe. Tiring but fulfilling. :D All in all we spend 160$ for 4pax in this trip :)