Quantum Class Cruise Ships: Everything You Need To Know

While the Oasis-class ships for Royal Caribbean are famous as the world’s largest, it isn’t the newest class in the fleet. The Quantum Class is newer, although new ships have been built for both simultaneously.

The Quantum Class was a change in direction for Royal Caribbean, introducing a new class that wasn’t bigger than the previous one.

So, what exactly is the Quantum Class? Which ships are in the class? And what should you expect on board these ships? Let’s take a look…

What is Quantum Class on Royal Caribbean?

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 ships launched since.

Oasis-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.

What is a Quantum Ultra Class Ship?

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 Skypad on the Sports Deck
• Quantum Ultra ships have a Teppanyaki restaurant

How Many Quantum-Class Ships Are There?

There are five Royal Caribbean 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

How Big Are Quantum-Class Ships?

The Quantum-class ships are not as large as the Oasis-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 and Oasis-class compare in this guide: Royal Caribbean Ships Size Comparison.

Where Do Quantum-Class Ships Sail From?

Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships cruise from ports across the world, including Seattle, Vancouver, Brisbane, Sydney, New York, Florida, Rome, Southampton 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 spends half the year sailing from Seattle and Vancouver, and the other half from Brisbane. She offers sailings around Alaska, and around the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia. You can sail on a transpacific cruise as she transitions from the US West Coast to Australia and back at the end of each season.

Anthem of the Seas Itineraries

Anthem of the Seas sails from Cape Liberty in New York during Winter, where she offers Caribbean cruises. For the summer, she sails from Southampton, offering various European itineraries. Twice per year, guests have the option to take a transatlantic repositioning cruise.

This will change in 2025, when she will move to offering Singapore-based cruises to Bali, Vietnam and Thailand in Winter and then Alaska cruises from Seattle during the Summer months.

Ovation of the Seas Itineraries

Ovation of the Seas runs a similar schedule to Quantum of the Seas, sailing from Canada and Australia, but her Australian base is Sydney rather than Brisbane. She also offers cruises around Alaska, the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia, and some Hawaii itineraries too.

Spectrum of the Seas Itineraries

Spectrum of the Seas was built for the Asian market and is primarily based in Singapore. She has been based in Shanghai in the past as well, and her cruises are based around Japan and Southeast Asia.

Odyssey of the Seas Itineraries

Odyssey of the Seas splits her time between cruising from Fort Lauderdale, for Caribbean sailings, and from Civitavecchia (Rome) for Mediterranean cruises.

In 2025, the newest Quantum-class cruise ship will change her winter home port to Cape Liberty in New Jersey.

What’s 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

What Is the Difference Between Oasis Class and Quantum Class?

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 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 or Norway. 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 cruises 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