Quantum of the Seas
Anthem of the Seas
Your Ultimate Cabin Guide
What cabin on the Anthem / Quantum is right for you?
This is a video introduction to Anthem of the Seas / Quantum of the Seas Cabin Review:
Balcony Selection Summary
What a disappointment to find out that your balcony actually has no sea views, squeezed in a dark corner or has a smoking station a few feet below...
This is my Ultimate Anthem / Quantum Cabin Selection Guide to help you find a cabin that is right for you.
You will see photos and description of all the most important cabin categories on the newest Royal Caribbean ships.
In this part of the review we'll observe the best and the worst balcony locations on the Anthem / Quantum of the Seas.
I colored areas from where you have the best views Dark Green.
The worst ones - in dark Red.
So-so areas are in Yellow. For example, Deck 13 balconies on the humps provide great views but are located under public decks that means potential noise.
Your cabin choice is safer if there is no public rooms above and below.
The best views are from the balconies on the Middle Hump, Forward Hump.
Decks 10 and 11 are very good.
So is the aft part of the Deck 12.
I would thoroughly avoid: Deck 6 behind lifeboats, Deck 7 (Red area), Deck 13 under overhang and a few more spots that are marked in Red in the diagram.
Pay attention to the Pink (warning) areas. It's a wise decision to stay away from that area too.
Click to enlarge:
Take the best.
Avoid the worst.
Below are most typical cross-sections of the Quantum/Anthem with comments:
Regular (Standard*) Balcony Cabins
on the Anthem of the Seas and the Quantum of the Seas
We start from the most numerous cabin category on the Anthem / Quantum - Balcony Cabins.
Balcony cabins are the best representatives of the cruise ship accommodations in general.
We will study all the amenities of the balcony cabins. Please note that these amenities are the same for other cabin categories (with some exceptions).
The Quantum / Anthem feature about 1530 balcony cabins.
What is a standard balcony cabin on a cruise ship?
There is no international convention or regulation that define standards for balcony cabins (for the purpose of this review - I am not speaking about safety, environmental regulations, etc.).
But there are principles that are practically implemented by cruise line industry, so they are de facto cruise ship standards.
A standard is "an idea or thing used as a measure, norm, or model in comparative evaluations".
* "Standard balcony cabin on the Quantum" means "most typical for a particular cruise ship called Quantum of the Seas".
A standard balcony cabin on the Quantum is about 198 sq. ft. You can see that number in many online resources. I am glad to confirm it (Source: Quantum of the Seas - measured).
For our comparative evaluation we'll use the most typical (i.e. standard) configuration of a balcony cabin on many cruise ships (industry standards). This is very important for understanding Anthem / Quantum cabin design.
A standard cabin is as wide as needed to accommodate the bed and the passage between the bed and the opposite wall. A standard width is 270 cm or 106". It cannot be smaller because this size is a minimum determined by human body size.
A standard cabin is as big in length as needed to accommodate a bathroom, a bed with two nightstands and a sofa. Unlike the minimal width, the minimal length may vary slightly depending on configuration of the sofa and bathroom.
Balcony width is determined by the cabin width.
Balcony depth may vary significantly depending on shipbuilders' generosity.
Cabins on the Quantum class ships are squeezed in width.
They are only 250 cm or 98" wide (median width).
To be "in compliance" with the 270 cm / 106" minimum for the bed & passage the cabin walls are curved. The curved walls also necessitate the alternating bed scheme, with one near the door, the next closer to the balcony.
"Saved" inches allow for approximately 110 more cabins to be added on each of the Quantum Class ships.
Left: Quantum / Anthem principal scheme. The saved space colored in Red.
Right: A standard width cabin with the same layout is given for comparison.
Now I would like to emphasize a design feature that I rate as a Smart Thing #1 on the Quantum class: walls zigzags are hidden inside the closets.
This is a genius improvement over Celebrity Solstice cabins.
Quantum designers have swapped curved walls.
Wall zigzags are visible on Celebrity making the cabin look like a curved grotto.
On the contrary, on the Quantum - the visible wall is straight like in a "regular" cabin.
I will repeat the comparison diagram because this fact is a key to understanding Quantum cabins design.
At this point it's necessary to have a look at the Royal Caribbean ships that are closest to the Quantum / Anthem in size: the Freedom Class Ships (Freedom, Independence, Liberty).
Balcony cabins on the Freedom Class vary from 184 to 199 sq. ft. with balconies as large as 65 sq.ft. (Source: RCI).
Combining cabins and balconies:
Quantum / Anthem of the Seas - 249 sq.ft.
Freedom of the Seas - from 249 to 264 sq. ft.
Cabins on the Quantum appear to be longer and narrower.
Freedom decor looks a bit dated but the wider cabins definitely feel more spacious.
How do YOU choose the Right Cabin on cruise ships?
If you do it from listening over the phone or operating by cabin category codes alone (SB, DO, etc.) you are at risk of making a wrong choice.
My suggestion is that you do your home work.
Studying deck plans is a must.
How to study deck plans?
That is not a trivial task.
Deck plans may be confusing, incorrect, misleading.
Some price categories may include cabins of different sizes and location that changes their value significantly.
Internet sites that offer "cabin choice services" often copy-paste cruise lines advertising materials that is not correct and/or do not say anything but general words.
What to do?
Anyway we have to study deck plans of the ship we are going to take a cruise on.
The Anthem (Quantum) of the seas deck plans are not exceptions.
They are accurate for the most part.
Cabin and balcony sizes are realistic and well done. I have found just one important mistake.
There are slanted (extra deep) balconies in the areas where "humps" meet "recessed in" areas.
All the balconies from deck 7 to deck 13 at the aft end of the forward hump are shown in the wrong way on deck plans (on both sides of the ship).
Deck 11 is shown as an example.
You see a slanted balcony for 11162 and a regular balcony for 11164.
In fact both balconies are slanted.
Both balconies are larger.
How does this mistake affect our choice?
According to Anthem / Quantum deck plans (wrong) my preference among two similar cabins (11164 or 11168) would be in favor of 11168 as 11164 is same size balcony, and has privacy issues (observed from 11162).
That would be a wrong choice because in fact 11164 has a larger balcony and is not observed from 11162.
So a better option is 11164.
The official deck plan is valid for deck 6 only. Balconies on deck 6 have been designed this way to give room for a lifeboat near the balcony.
Devil hides in details.
Who knows, may be someone will have more exciting cruise vacation after reading my reviews...
Misleading colors and cabin categories
This is a very important note.
We should not confuse cabin categories by design with cabin price categories.
Cabin categories by design is what cabins really (physically) are: size, amenities, location, issues. This is determined by cruise ship design. It lasts for many years and can be changed only during ship's reconstruction.
Cabin price categories (SG, DH, DO - all the alphabet) are what you see on deck plans and price lists. They are set arbitrary according to a cruise lines marketing strategy.
They may or may not reflect cabins' real value for us consumers.
More over, cruise lines may change price categories (colors) any time.
That is why I normally use physical descriptions in my reviews ("small square shape", "standard size", etc.) as primary descriptions and support them with deck plans examples.
My suggestion:
Choose the cabin (design, location, amenities) first.
And then decide if it is within your travel budget.
This Anthem (Quantum) of the Seas Confidential Cabin Guide is your tool that helps you make the best choice.
Click on the links below to take a tour of:
