We're counting down to the 99 days until Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, launches with a brand new blog post every day. Be sure to check back for something new everyday here.

Royal Esplanade

You've probably heard by now Royal Caribbean has opted to offer a Royal Esplanade instead of a Royal Promenade on Quantum of the Seas, but this new innovation will offer a brand new experience that is not to be missed.

So what is the difference between the Royal Esplanade versus the Royal Promenade.  Personally, I think of the Royal Esplanade as more of a shopping and entertainment district onboard the ship than the cavernous strip that the Royal Promenade is.  

The Royal Esplanade runs the length of deck 4 with a mezzanine level on deck 5 both of which offer shopping, a variety of restaurants, pubs and the brand new Music Hall.

The Royal Esplanade is a combination of shops, luxury boutiques, restaurants and lounges.  The Via is part of the Esplanade and will offer luxury boutiques whereas the main part of the Esplanade will offer other shops, including a new collection of logo items that will be available in 2015 in a new boutique called "The Shop".

Just like the Royal Promenade, there will be entertainment offered throughout each cruise on the Royal Esplanade.  

You will also find Michael's Genuine Pub and Wonderland specialty restaurants as well as Vintages, Chops Grille, Izumi, Cafe Promenade, Sorrentos and more.

You may also notice the incredible art work in the Royal Esplanade, including digital and traditional sculpture and artwork.

From the sounds of it, the Royal Esplanade will be the kind of place you will be spending a lot of time onboard Quantum of the Seas with everything going on.

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

Royal Caribbean accepted delivery today of its newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, from ship builder Meyer Werft.

The ceremonial exchange occured at Bremerhaven, Germany where officials from Royal Caribbean met with Meyer Werft officials to officially welcome Quantum of the Seas into Royal Caribbean's fleet.

Quantum of the Seas will depart from Bremerhaven to Southampton, England later today, October 28, 2014.  Once she reaches Southampton, she will set off to her Atlantic crossing on November 2nd.

Royal Caribbean has scheduled her official maiden voyage for November 23 from Cape Liberty, New Jersey to the Bahamas.

Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain (pictured right) and Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer (pictured left) attended the official signing ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany.)

Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas debuts in less than 100 days so we're counting down all the great things about Quantum of the Seas. Each day we will post something about Quantum of the Seas to share with you.

Roboshow rehearsal video

You may have heard about Roboshow, a brand new experience on Quantum of the Seas featuring seven foot screens mounted to robot arms.

Robotic Arts, the company that is installing the robot arms, are testing the robot programming and preparing the images for content to arrive soon.

This is expected to be one of the premier shows on Quantum of the Seas and here's a good preview of the tech behind the show.

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

Royal Caribbean Vice President Commercial & New Business Development, John Tercek, spoke at a recent tourism conference in Greece where he advocated the country invest in its ports to win over more cruise business.

The growing demand for cruise ships forces companies to order bigger ships so if Greece wants to get its share of the cruise business, it must modernize its ports and expand other ports in the coming years.

In Tercek's speech, he indicated the Greek cruise destinations that can best attract the interest of cruise companies are Piraeus, Santorini, Heraklion, Chania, Corfu and Katakolon, but others, such as Rhodes and Mykonos need more modern infrastructure to support the growing demaind.

Global competition for cruise ships is on the rise and Tercek noted that Australia's cruise tourism has increased by 77% over the last 10 years and that demand is still increasing.  Greece will close 2014 with about 2.5 million cruise visitors but that is still less than Italy and Spain.  Tercek believes the big disadvantage for Greece is most cruises do not home port from there. Last year only 212,000 passengers departed from Greek ports whereas 2 million left from Italy.

There's less than 99 days (22 to be exact) until Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas debuts so we're counting down each day with a brand new blog post all about Quantum of the Seas. Read our blog each day for a new post all about this amazing cruise ship.

Quantum of the Seas docking in Hamburg

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, is in Hamburg as part of its final sea trials in the North Sea.  In fact, the new ship has had its final adjustments made and is nearly ready for handover to Royal Caribbean on October 27.

Today we've got a great video of Quantum of the Seas docking in Hamburg harbor along with the North Start in use.  Can't wait to get onboard myself!

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

We're counting down to the 99 days until Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, launches with a brand new blog post every day. Be sure to check back for something new everyday here.

Chef's Table

The Chef's Table has become a coveted experience on Royal Caribbean ships.  It's an intimate dinner with just you and a few other guests who get a five-course meal created by the Chops Grille chef just for you.

Located inside a special part of Chops Grille, the Chef's Table offers just 16 spots for a culinary adventure.

GUEST REVIEW OF CHEF'S TABLE ON OASIS OF THE SEAS

If you like gourmet food and good wine to accompany it, Chef's Table is for you.  The idea behind the Chef's Table is to give guests an unique five-course dinner with wine pairings.

It's meant to be educational as well, as with each course the Chef de Cuisine specially prepares and presents each course, while explaining its cooking techniques, ingredients and flavors.

With each course, a sommelier pairs every course with wine chosen to enhance your enjoyment of the dish. 

Chef's Table is the premier dining experience on Quantum of the Seas and it's also going to be the priciest but if fine dining is what you desire, this is the place for you.

Chef's Table is a specialty restaurant and has a cover charge to dine there. There is a formal dress code and it will be open for dinner.

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

Earlier today Royal Caribbean and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey dedicated the new cruise terminal at Cape Liberty Cruise Port, which will be the home for Quantum of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean President and COO Adam Goldstein and Vice President of Port Operations Juan Trescastro along with Bayonne Mayor James Davis, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey’s Director of Port Commerce Richard Larrabee dedicated the new cruise terminal to Art on the Working Waterfront.

Together, the gentlemen unveiled 10 photographs that capture the unique energy and character of historic New York Harbor through the eyes of photographer and International Longshoreman Association-member John Bacaring.

Following the unveiling, the officials and executives were invited to the very first preview of the new terminal, slated to welcome guests for the first time when Quantum of the Seas, arrives in New York Harbor on November 10, 2014.

“The development of the new cruise terminal is another example of how public private partnerships are supposed to work. By working together, Royal Caribbean and the Port Authority have been able to bring this world class terminal on line which can service the newest generation of large cruise ships,” said Port Authority Port Commerce Director, Richard Larrabee. “We look forward to continuing passenger growth with the arrival of the Quantum Class vessels to the harbor in 2014 and 2015. It’s been a pleasure working with Royal Caribbean on this important project.”

Thew new terminal is located at 4 Port Terminal Boulevard is a successful partnership between Royal Caribbean and the Port Authority to develop the Bayonne waterfront for cruise tourism. The first phase of the $55 million port expansion includes a new, state-of-the-art guest terminal, with 125,000 sq. ft. of check-in, customs and immigration, and luggage processing space, as well as a 950-car parking structure and pier improvements. The new facility is adjacent to the first cruise terminal, opened in 2004.

“Royal Caribbean thanks the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the City of Bayonne for this successful collaboration to develop Cape Liberty for cruise tourism.,” said Adam Goldstein, president and COO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “The planned state-of-the-art cruise terminal at Cape Liberty will perfectly complement our Quantum-class ships, which will be the most technologically advanced ships in the world, and help generate jobs and grow the cruise industry regionally.”

There's less than 99 days until Royal Caribbean's brand new Quantum of the Seas debuts and we're counting down each day with a brand new blog post all about this amazing ship. Check into the blog every day for something new to read about Quantum of the Seas.

Bionic Bartending: Quantum of the Seas' Robots Serve Precision Straight Up

Royal Caribbean has another new video to share, this one features another Royal Caribbean first at sea - the robot bartenders at the Bionic Bar!

Shaken or stirred, the cocktail concoctions are endless at the Bionic Bar powered by Makr Shakr. Go behind-the-scenes to see what it took to create Royal Caribbean's two newest crew members B1-0 and N1-C, onboard Quantum of the Seas.

If you're new to cruising or just Royal Caribbean, dinner onboard may seem different than you're used to, so here's a guide to how dinner is handled in the main dining room on your cruise ship.

There are two types of dinner experiences you can expect on a Royal Caribbean cruise.  Which type you have the opportunity to get to experience depends on the ship you pick.

Traditional dining

As the name implies, traditional dining is the classic means of experiencing dinner on your Royal Caribbean cruise.

There are two seatings, first and second seating.  First seating is usually around 6:00pm and second seating is usually around 8:00pm. Exact times will vary.

When you book your cruise, you can choose which seating you like. Typically families choose first seating because it's harder to keep kids up later for the second seating.  You will still see kids in second seating, but there tends to be more families in the first seating.

You will be assigned a table in the main dining room that can be as small as two people or as large as 16 or even larger.  Royal Caribbean can also place you at a table with other guests onboard your ship.  Who you sit with (if anyone else) depends on a few factors but it's usually the norm to be seated with others.  

You can change your seating if you prefer not to sit with others or are unhappy with whom you are seated with.  Speak to the head waiter to arrange a change, although changes are subject to availability.

Once seated, you will be taken care of by your main waiter, assistant waiter, and to a lesser degree, head waiter.  

The main waiter takes your orders and brings you your food.  Your main waiter is your primary point of contact and will do most of the serving.  The assistant waiter is the head waiter's help and brings you beverages, bread and otherwise assists the main waiter.

The head waiter largely manages the wait staff he or she is responsible for and can handle special requests.  You may not see the head waiter that much but it's usual to have the head waiter visit your table once every night or two.

Eating at the main dining room is a lot like eating at any restaurant at home in that you get a menu of appetizers, entrees and dessert and you can choose anything on the menu.  In fact, you can order as much food as you want so feel free to get a few entrees and appetizers.

THE TRUTH ABOUT DINNER DRESS CODES

My Time Dining

My Time Dining is a lot like traditional dining with one big exception: you do not have a set time that is the same every night of your cruise.

You will still dine in the main dining room, but you can choose between making reservations or showing up and waiting for a table.  

My Time Dining advertises its benefit as being you do not have a set time to eat each night.  So if one night you feel like dinner at 6pm but another night you want to stay at the pool later, you can come eat at 8:30pm.

Like the main dining room, you may be seated with other people at your table.  Where you sit is subject to availability.  Unlike the main dining room, you may not have the same wait staff each night.  You can request certain waiters but you may have to wait to be seated at a table they serve.

The my time dining experience once seated is nearly identical to traditional dining.  You order off of the same menu as traditional dining and can order as much food as you like from that menu.

The calendar says it is Friday so that means we are sharing Royal Caribbean photos our readers sent in with all of you!

The photos we have to show this week are fun and of course anyone can send us their Royal Caribbean photos to use as well!

We will begin this week with a photo by Michael Poole of the pool deck on Enchantment of the Seas.  With the weather getting chillier this time of year, I would love to be able to swim here!

Here's another Enchantment of the Seas photo, this one by Ken Slusser.  It's of the deck party during a cruise back in June 2012.  In addition to a swim, a deck party also sounds like a great idea!

Love this photo by Paul Westbrook of enjoying a little Royal Caribbean while at home.  If you can't be on the ship, I think this has to be the next best thing!

Danny sends in this photo of Oasis of the Seas docked with cars in view behind it.  Leave the car behind and get on that ship!

We will round things out with a photo by Christine Wenman of Rhapsody of the Seas in Sydney harbor after Christine wrapped up a 17 day cruise to Hawaii and back. Great vacation!

Thanks to everyone who sent in their photos this week.  Be sure to send your photos in as well by using this form.