We're just weeks away from Royal Caribbean launching its newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, and each day we are showcasing something different about this amazing ship to get everyone ready for its debut.

Cape Liberty Quantum of the Seas construction photo update

While Quantum of the Seas is slowly making her way from her shipyard in Germany, Royal Caribbean is quietly working on expanding the port facility that will Quantum will call home.

Cape Liberty cruise port in Bayonne, New Jersey will be home to Quantum of the Seas and the port facility is being expanded to meet the needs of this massive new ship.

Our friend Mike Sobbell of Autism on the Seas sent in these photos from just a few days ago of how the port is looking.  

Many thanks to Mike for these photos and especially all he does with the Autism on the Seas organization.

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

Each week on Fridays we share our blog readers Royal Caribbean cruise photos.  It's our way of offering a quick "mental escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise and show off the great shots people that read this blog have taken.  

Our first photo this week is from Paul Westbrook of an empty chair on Orient Beach in St. Maarten.  Looks like paradise to me!

Next is this photo of a rainbow in the clouds taken from John Siegmund's Majesty of the Seas cruise.  Things like this you can only see at sea.

Freedom of the Seas and Labadee, two of my favorite things in this photo by Scot.  Looks like another beautiful day in paradise.

Here we have Phil Catarella's wife trying out the FlowRider on Allure of the Seas.  Phil is a brave man, not because he tried out the FlowRider himself after this photo was taken, but because he sent in a photo of his wife to be posted on the internet.  Enjoy the couch Phil!

We will round things out this week with this photo of Legend of the Seas as seen from Garry Flaws' window as she was anchored in Lerwick, Shetland Isles on September 12, 2014.  Now that is a house with a view!

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

To countdown the launch of Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, we're blogging about one aspect of the ship each day for 99 days. Check back each day for something exciting to read about this new ship.

Windows Tablets

There's so much exciting things coming for guests to experience on Quantum of the Seas but there is a really big chance coming on Quantum of the Seas that benefits the people that make Quantum of the Seas function.

Royal Caribbean is rewarding each crew member on Quantum of the Seas with a free, personal Microsoft Windows 8.1 tablet with a suite of services and apps that is theirs to keep.

In fact, as the technology upgrades make their way across Royal Caribbean's fleet, every shipboard employee will get their own free Windows tablet.  In total, Royal Caribbean will give out 40,000 tablets.

All of this ensures crew members will stay conneceted with friends and family as well as have an opportunity to have one of the best technology options out there.

The tablets are 8-inch Windows-based tablets built by HEXA special for Royal Caribbean.

The tablets will feature services such as Bing, Skype, Office 365 and OneDrive. Rollout will begin in October and is expected to be completed by the end of December with every shipboard employee in the Royal Caribbean fleet receiving a tablet.

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

Each day we are posting a brand new blog post to countdown until Royal Caribbean launches its newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas.  There's a lot to get excited about on this amazing ship and we're highlighting it all.

H2O Zone

Royal Caribbean first introduced the kid-friendly pool area known as the H2O Zone back on Freedom-class and it's been a staple of all its new cruise ships going forward. On Quantum of the Seas, the H2O Zone has been completely redesigned.

Quantum of the Seas will feature the first wave pool at sea in its H2O Zone where guests can splash in the waves along with their favorite Dreamworks characters.

Also returning to the H2O Zone is the large "vortex" whirlpool to swim around in.

The wave pool is the focal point of the H2O Zone and its introduction is yet another "WOW" factor Royal Caribbean is banking on impressing customers to try the ship out.  There's no question kids will love playing in the wave pool (and adults too).

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

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 60 is available for downloading and this week we are looking at Royal Caribbean's social media presence.

These days everyone is on social media and Royal Caribbean is included too.  Joe Tolley joins us to discuss how well Royal Caribbean is doing tweeting, posting and sharing.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 60. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

We're counting down the days until Quantum of the Seas debuts later this year with our 99 days of Quantum blog series. Each day we will post something about Quantum of the Seas to share with all of you!

Coastal Kitchen

To reward its suite guests, Royal Caribbean has created a brand new complimentary restaurant just for their pleasure, Coastal Kitchen.

Coastal Kitchen is a new restaurant concept for Royal Caribbean centered around the the idea of combining Mediterranean influences with California fresh food.

Royal Caribbean designed the restaurant to be all about fresh food. From Pacific Coast favorites like sea bass ceviche, to the Central Valley’s sliced avocado and homemade blueberry pie, to Med-inspired tastes like Serrano ham, whipped goat cheese and roasted grapes.

Coastal Kitchen will feature gourmet California-Mediterranean fare that are healthy and made with the freshest ingredients.

Of course, California is also known for its wines and at Coastal Kitchen you will find an extensive selection of vintages await by the glass or bottle from Napa as well as Tuscany.

Coastal Kitchen is a complimentary restaurant available to guests in Junior Suite and above category staterooms.  It will be included in your cruise fare and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

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

Royal Caribbean is getting closer and closer to launching its newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas. Each day we are counting down until this amazing new ship launches with a new blog post.

Quantum of the Seas conveyance

After a few delays, Quantum of the Seas began her river conveyance, exiting the Meyer Werft shipyard and taking anther step towards launch.

Earlier today in Germany, the 348-meter-long Quantum of the Seas set out with the help of two tugs to go down the River Ems to the North Seas.  During the process, thousands of onlookers watched what will be the third largest cruise ship in the world leave Papenburg.

The first phase will be the Dutch North Sea port of Eemshaven. There, Quantum of the Seas will engage in a first short "test drive"  Quantum should reach Eemshaven on Tuesday.  The conveyance takes 10 hours to sail the 32 kilometers down the River Ems.

The river conveyance is necessary because the Meyer Werft shipyard is located inland to avoid the North Sea's unpredicatability.  

Check out these photos below of Quantum of the Seas' conveyance.

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.

Accommodations frequently asked questions

Last year we ran across a list of Quantum of the Seas frequently asked questions that Royal Caribbean created and this list has since been updated to now include entertainment.

We know many of you, like us, can't get enough Quantum of the Seas information so here's some Q&A regarding the onboard accommodations.

Can you give us a breakdown of accommodations that will be offered on Quantum Class? 

Quantum-class ships will feature 2,090 of Royal Caribbean’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever, including 1,570 staterooms with balcony, 147 oceanview staterooms and 373 staterooms with virtual balconies. Among these staterooms, 34 are accessible and a number of these can be combined to form family-connected staterooms. 

Will there be an “On/Off” switch for the virtual balcony view in the interior staterooms? 

Yes, guests will have the option of having the screen either on or off. 

Can the virtual balcony screens be used for TV viewing or customized logos to cater to corporate clients? 

No, for the viewing pleasure of our guests, the content will be scenic only at this time. 

More detail about the Family-Connected staterooms…

For multi-generational families, Family-Connected staterooms deliver more flexibility, using three different stateroom categories which connect to form a special layout that provides separate bedrooms and bathrooms for all. These groundbreaking layouts allow families and groups of friends to enjoy the best of both worlds when it comes to together and alone time.

We’re also introducing the largest variety of stateroom categories, including new Studio staterooms with balconies for single travelers, three Junior Suite categories and larger Loft Suites – which were introduced on our Oasis class and are extremely popular.

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

We're counting down every day until Royal Caribbean launches its brand new cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, with a new blog post each day.  Join us for a daily look at this amazing ship as we get ready for the official launch.

Beautiful light show on Quantum of the Seas

Earlier this year it was announced Quantum of the Seas would serve as the backdrop for the Papenburg Festival in Papenburg, Germany.  

When night fell during the festival, Quantum was the focus of a light show that made the ship change colors and it came out beautifully.  Andreas Depping took these amazing photos and allowed us to share it with all of you.  Enjoy!

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.

Silk

If there's one restaurant on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas that I'm really excited about it's Silk, the new Asian restaurant.

Silk is a pan-Asian restaurant that will include Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian cooking in one restaurant.  I've always felt one of Royal Caribbean's most underrated specialties is their Asian food.  As a Royal Caribbean chef told me once, considering how many crew members are from countries like India, Japan, Thailand and others, you know there's going to be good food to try.

At Silk you will find Turmeric, cumin and red chili in a slow-cooked lamb curry. Ginger and sesame on crusted tuna. Sake-glazed salmon and teriyaki steak.  It's all about bringing the different flavors of Asia together in one restaurant.

Royal Caribbean also wants you try everything so sharing is going to be encouraged here. In fact, it is more of a family style offering when you get the dishes.

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