Quantum Class Cruise Ships: The Complete Guide

Royal Caribbean’s biggest ships usually grab all the headlines. Oasis Class. Icon Class. Floating cities at sea.

But some of the cruise line’s most innovative ideas didn’t debut on the biggest ships at all.

They arrived with the Quantum Class.

These ships took Royal Caribbean in a different direction. Not bigger. Just smarter, with brand-new technology, unique attractions and a few features you won’t find anywhere else.

So what exactly makes a ship “Quantum Class”? Which ships are included? And what surprising things can you actually do on board?

Quantum Class Explained

The Quantum Class for Royal Caribbean was designed to create a ship that focussed on modern technology, introducing a number of new features into the fleet for the first time. Some of these have remained exclusive to the Quantum Class, while others have been incorporated into new Oasis-class and Icon-class ships launched since.

Oasis-class and Icon-class ships are best suited to warm weather cruising – many of their best features are outdoors. So, with the Quantum Class, there was a focus on making a ship that could also sail to colder destinations such as Alaska without compromising on the experience. More indoor features were incorporated.

That’s not to say that Quantum-class ships don’t sail to hot places – often they do, but there are plenty of things to do inside the ship when the weather isn’t the best.

Quantum Ultra – An Advanced Sub-Class

The two most recent Quantum-class ships, the Spectrum of the Seas and the Odyssey of the Seas, are considered to be Quantum Ultra Class. This isn’t a completely separate class, but it’s considered a sub-class.

That means it’s not quite different enough to be its own class, but it does have some changes that make these ships different from the standard Quantum-class ships.

Differences between Quantum Ultra and Quantum

• Quantum Ultra ships are slightly larger, with a higher guest capacity
• Quantum Ultra ships have a unified Main Dining Room instead of separate dining rooms
• Quantum Ultra ships have a Teppanyaki restaurant

Quantum Ultra ships also used to have the Skypad – the VR trampoline activity you can see in the image below (the big yellow orb). Sadly they’ve since removed it from ships across the fleet.

There Are Five Quantum-Class Ships

These Quantum-class ships are:

• Quantum of the Seas – launched in 2014
• Anthem of the Seas – launched in 2015
• Ovation of the Seas – launched in 2016
• Spectrum of the Seas – launched in 2019
• Odyssey of the Seas – launched in 2021

Quantum Class Size

The Quantum-class ships are not as large as the Oasis-class and Icon-class ships that are famous as the biggest in the world. However, that doesn’t mean they are small ships – they are still some of the largest you can sail on, and they are packed with features.

Ship	Sub Class	Gross Tonnage	Maximum Passenger Capacity
Quantum of the Seas	Quantum	168,666	4,905
Anthem of the Seas	Quantum	168,666	4,905
Ovation of the Seas	Quantum	168,666	4,905
Spectrum of the Seas	Quantum Ultra	169,379	5,622
Odyssey of the Seas	Quantum Ultra	167,704	5,510

You can see how the Quantum-class compares to the rest of the fleet in this guide: Royal Caribbean Ships Size Comparison.

Quantum Class Destinations

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships cruise from ports across the world, including Seattle, Vancouver, Brisbane, Sydney, New York, Florida, Rome and Singapore. Each of the Quantum-class ships has a regular routine of where it sails from, with most offering cold-weather cruises.

Quantum of the Seas Itineraries

Quantum of the Seas is currently from Los Angeles, offering short cruises to Mexico. Later in the year she relocates to Brisbane, where she operates cruises around Australia and the South Pacific, visiting destinations such as Airlie Beach, Noumea and Port Vila.

In 2027, Quantum of the Seas is expected to sail Alaska cruises from Seattle during the summer season before repositioning to Singapore, where she will operate cruises around Southeast Asia.

Anthem of the Seas Itineraries

Anthem of the Seas used to be Royal Caribbean’s main ship sailing from the UK, but that changed in 2025 as the ship was redeployed to other regions. She now spends part of the year sailing in Australia and the South Pacific from Sydney, with cruises to destinations such as New Zealand and Pacific islands. During the summer season she moves to North America, offering Alaska cruises from Seattle before repositioning again for her next winter deployment.

Ovation of the Seas Itineraries

Ovation of the Seas operates a varied schedule, sailing in Alaska during the summer season, with cruises between Vancouver and Seward that visit ports such as Juneau, Sitka and Skagway. At other times of the year, the ship moves to Asia and the Pacific, offering cruises from ports such as Singapore, Tokyo (Yokohama) and occasionally Los Angeles, including longer repositioning voyages across the Pacific.

Spectrum of the Seas Itineraries

Spectrum of the Seas was designed specifically for the Asian cruise market and usually operates in East Asia, with cruises based mainly from Shanghai and Hong Kong. From these ports she offers a range of short and longer sailings to destinations across Japan and South Korea, including ports such as Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Busan and Seoul. From time to time the ship also operates repositioning cruises between major Asian cruise hubs.

Odyssey of the Seas Itineraries

Odyssey of the Seas mainly sails from the United States, with cruises from Cape Liberty in New Jersey to destinations in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, including Royal Caribbean’s private island, Perfect Day at CocoCay. During part of the year she also crosses the Atlantic to operate Mediterranean cruises from Civitavecchia (Rome), visiting popular ports around Greece, Italy and Turkey before returning to North America for the winter season.

Onboard Quantum-Class Ships

The Quantum-class ships have a lot of cool, modern features that make your cruise more special.

First, let’s take a look at some of the features exclusive to the Quantum Class:

North Star Observation Pod

While every cruise ship tends to have a good spot to get a view out over the sea, none can rival the North Star Observation Pod.

This pod is attached to a giant arm that lifts it over 100 metres above sea level, making it the Guinness World Record holder for the tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship. You’ll get incredible views across the ocean and the ship itself, appreciating just how immense she really is.

Ripcord by i-Fly Skydiving Simulator

One of the most popular features on Quantum-class ships is the Ripcord by i-Fly – a skydiving simulation tube that lets you feel the rush of skydiving without having to fly thousands of feet in the air.

You do still get quite the rush, with the option to soar high in the enclosed tube. And it’s a fantastic family activity too, as guests can enjoy it from three years and up. My five-year-old absolutely loved this ride!

SeaPlex

On most Royal Caribbean ships, the sports court area is on one of the upper decks and is situated outdoors. But Quantum-class ships are built for all-weather, hence the modern SeaPlex sports court indoors.

Various activities take place here during the day, including soccer, dance and exercise classes, roller skating and more. But most popular are the bumper cars, taking over the whole SeaPlex area.

Indoor Pool & Solarium

Because the Quantum-class ships were designed to sail in locations with cooler weather, they have both an indoor pool with a retractable roof and an adults-only indoor Solarium which has a pool and hot tubs. So even when you’re sailing to Alaska, you can relax in your swimsuit without feeling the chill.

Two70

A truly epic entertainment venue, Two70 has stunning floor-to-ceiling windows open during the day offering a – you guessed it – 270-degree view around the ship.

And at night, it comes to life with live music and virtual concerts. The centrepiece of the room is the six TV screens operated on robot arms that can move and synchronise, adding incredible ingenuity to performances.

Expedition Two70

Available in Two70 is a fun scavenger hunt. This augmented reality experience uses the Royal Caribbean app on guests’ smartphones and lets you complete tasks to earn virtual masks. It’s not the most thrilling activity but it’s a good way to keep kids entertained during the day.

And then there are the features that aren’t unique to the Quantum Class, but do feature on these ships – there are loads, but some of the highlights include:

FlowRider

Have fun hitting the waves without ever leaving the ship on FlowRider, the Royal Caribbean surfing simulator. The 12-metre-long simulator sends water rushing towards you while you bodyboard or try to stand up and surf like a pro. It’s great fun for all the family – especially those watching.

Read more about the FlowRider.

Bionic Bar

First introduced on the Quantum of the Seas and since added to Oasis-class ships as well, the Bionic Bar is a place where you can get your cocktail made by two robotic arms. The drinks are the same cocktails you’ll get at other bars on the ship, but it’s a unique experience to see them being made completely automatically.

Kids Pool – H2O Zone/Splashaway Bay

Quantum-class ships are ideal for families, so there, of course, has to be a kids’ pool area. The older Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas have the H2O Zone, which is a large splash pad with various sprayers.

Meanwhile, the Ovation of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas and Odyssey of the Seas get the upgraded Splashaway Bay, with multiple waterslides and a large water-dumping bucket.

Read more: The Best Royal Caribbean Ships for Kids

Differences Between Oasis and Quantum classes

Oasis-class ships are larger than Quantum-class ships – carrying between 1,500 and 1,800 more passengers. They’re also larger in terms of volume and have more features on board, including a zip line and a carousel, as well as the full open-air promenade.

Quantum-class ship cabins tend to be very slightly larger on average, but the difference is minimal – you wouldn’t really notice it going from one ship to the other.

The main difference is in the purpose of the ships. Oasis-class ships are essentially built with a view to being some of the biggest, with the most things to see and do. Meanwhile, Quantum-class ships are specifically tailored to be modern and technology-focused, as well as having features suited to cold-weather cruising, like indoor pools and the indoor SeaPlex sports area.

The Bottom Line

There’s a lot to love about the Quantum-class ships, especially if you’re someone interested in a cruise to a colder location such as Alaska. Most of the incredible experiences on board take place indoors, though there’s a lot to have fun with out on deck as well – and the choice of destinations reflects that.

The ships are also great for cruisers with younger kids – a lot of the entertainment is geared to younger cruises, and there’s the excellent kids’ club on board too. If you’re looking for the best Royal Caribbean ships for kids and families then Quantum Class is certainly high up the list.

Yet with the bionic bar, the Two70 live entertainment and the vast number of dining locations and other places to unwind, it’s also a great class of ship for younger couples who want a blend of great food and entertainment, and fun things to keep you busy during the day.

Read more: The Best Royal Caribbean Ships for Adults

Related Posts:

• Royal Caribbean Ship Classes Comparison
• Royal Caribbean Ships by Age
• Anthem of the Seas Vs Spectrum of the Seas