Do not take the Quantum of the Seas to Alaska

[pierces]

After spending thousands of dollars on a cruise to Alaska to see the glaciers and all the wonderful sights, we discovered that the Quantum of the Seas does not get within a mile of any glacier. It dips its toe into the fjord, turns around and runs away. On asking why , we were told that the ship is too large to safely approach the glacier. So if you see an ad that says voyage of the glaciers keep in mind that on the Quantum of the Seas, it's the voyage to see part of a fjord. Very disappointed. Not necessarily at the crew but very disappointed at Royal Caribbean marketing that failed to mention this glaring omission. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by pierces

[reallyitsmema]

We did Quantum last year to Alaska and would do it again if the price was right.  We didn't get very close to the glacier because of all the ice in the fjord.  It is very common for ships not to be able to get close to the glaciers, not just Quantum.  Sorry you were disappointed but it is best to read reviews from prior sailings to see what others have experienced on the same itinerary.

[deliver42]

I don't care what ship, if there's ice, they can't get close. Our first Alaska cruise was on the NCL Jewel, and we couldn't get close to any glacier. It's a smaller ship and in May when the ice is still floating. We were on the Ovation ( the same as the Quantum ) and we got very close to the Dawes GGlacier, which was in September with minimum ice.

[MLBFan24]

Even though Royal Caribbean is my favorite, there was a reason why I chose the Majestic Princess for my Alaska cruise this past May. The Glacier Bay experience was phenomenal, due to the advantages Princess has in Alaska over other cruise lines.

 

 

[NightOne]

1 hour ago, pierces said:

After spending thousands of dollars on a cruise to Alaska to see the glaciers and all the wonderful sights, we discovered that the Quantum of the Seas does not get within a mile of any glacier. It dips its toe into the fjord, turns around and runs away. On asking why , we were told that the ship is too large to safely approach the glacier. So if you see an ad that says voyage of the glaciers keep in mind that on the Quantum of the Seas, it's the voyage to see part of a fjord. Very disappointed. Not necessarily at the crew but very disappointed at Royal Caribbean marketing that failed to mention this glaring omission. 

 

Glaciers are overrated 🙂

 

[pierces]

I am quite aware of navigatiomal hazards. I wasn't complaining that they weren't brave enough. I was complaining that they did not make it the least bit clear that we would not be actually approaching the glacier. When we asked, we were told it was her policy with the Quantum ships not to approach the glaciers. There was no ice. We just stopped over a mile short turned around and sailed out. No mention of this in any literature promoting "Voyage of the Glaciers". Now we know. If you want to visit the glaciers, book your trip on a smaller ship. The Celebrity Radiance class would be our choice in the future.

 

 

This was our closest approach. Note the significant lack of ice.

[FSHLOT]

Did you at least see a bear?  😁

[soremekun]

This post conjured up an image from my childhood.  There was a cartoon character whose eyes stretched through a pair of binoculars in one scene due to amazement / shock / awe.  I forgot the name of the cartoon and character.

 

Please help me relive my childhood by sharing the picture.

[reallyitsmema]

10 minutes ago, pierces said:

I am quite aware of navigatiomal hazards. I wasn't complaining that they weren't brave enough. I was complaining that they did not make it the least bit clear that we would not be actually approaching the glacier. When we asked, we were told it was her policy with the Quantum ships not to approach the glaciers. There was no ice. We just stopped over a mile short turned around and sailed out. No mention of this in any literature promoting "Voyage of the Glaciers". Now we know. If you want to visit the glaciers, book your trip on a smaller ship. The Celebrity Radiance class would be our choice in the future.

 

 

This was our closest approach. Note the significant lack of ice.

 

There is definitely ice in that picture!  Have you ever looked at the ice you pass?  The majority of the iceberg is under the water.  You have no idea how big that large piece of ice is and what damage it can cause.  Radiance wouldn't have gone further in either.

[not-enough-cruising]

18 minutes ago, pierces said:

I am quite aware of navigatiomal hazards. I wasn't complaining that they weren't brave enough. I was complaining that they did not make it the least bit clear that we would not be actually approaching the glacier. When we asked, we were told it was her policy with the Quantum ships not to approach the glaciers. There was no ice. We just stopped over a mile short turned around and sailed out. No mention of this in any literature promoting "Voyage of the Glaciers". Now we know. If you want to visit the glaciers, book your trip on a smaller ship. The Celebrity Radiance class would be our choice in the future.

 

 

This was our closest approach. Note the significant lack of ice.

You didn't look at the itinerary before booking?  This should not have been a surprise, unfortunately.

[kitkat343]

I really like RC, but please note that Princess has the older Panamax ships that fit through the old locks of the Panama Canal (Coral and Island Princess).  they aren't flashy ships at all, but they are serviceable and would offer you the best chance if you want to maximize viewing in Alaska.  Princess does a really good job in Alaska, and pre-covid they were also a really nice line (I haven't had a chance to sail Princess post covid, but really liked both Princess and RC so hopefully people will be happy on both lines and it will offer you more options).

[pierces]

I'm terribly sorry that my complaint offended the vast collection of knowledgeable cruisers on this particular board. Even though I studied the itinerary and it said "voyage of the glaciers", I foolishly assumed that we would actually see a glacier like we did on the last five times we've been here. I know better now. In the future I will consult this board and it's incredible group of knowledgeable travelers before even thinking of venturing onto my 7th cruise to Alaska.

 

Or not.

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, pierces said:

ed. Not necessarily at the crew but very disappointed at Royal Caribbean marketing that failed to mention this glaring omission. 

So you didn’t research the itinerary? Any cruise lines marketing is going to highlight the positives and omit the negatives. When I was researching Alaska cruises I learned that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do not do Glacier Bay. So I narrowed down my cruise line choice to Princess and Holland America which go into Glacier Bay. I read a lot of reviews on Cruise Critic and the Alaska port board. I ended up on Holland America which had a great itinerary and the ship went into Glacier Bay. It was wonderful.  If you had done due diligence you would not have chosen Ovation for a glacier cruise. I do think you post provides a service. Others might be misled by the marketing. So it is a good warning. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by Charles4515

[not-enough-cruising]

16 minutes ago, pierces said:

I'm terribly sorry that my complaint offended the vast collection of knowledgeable cruisers on this particular board. Even though I studied the itinerary and it said "voyage of the glaciers", I foolishly assumed that we would actually see a glacier like we did on the last five times we've been here. I know better now. In the future I will consult this board and it's incredible group of knowledgeable travelers before even thinking of venturing onto my 7th cruise to Alaska.

 

Or not.

May help you out, this board is a pretty amazing resource

[Etta1213]

24 minutes ago, pierces said:

I'm terribly sorry that my complaint offended the vast collection of knowledgeable cruisers on this particular board. Even though I studied the itinerary and it said "voyage of the glaciers", I foolishly assumed that we would actually see a glacier like we did on the last five times we've been here. I know better now. In the future I will consult this board and it's incredible group of knowledgeable travelers before even thinking of venturing onto my 7th cruise to Alaska.

 

Or not.

I really appreciate your post. I've never cruised Alaska and would not have known to choose a smaller ship.

[BirdTravels]

2 hours ago, pierces said:

After spending thousands of dollars on a cruise to Alaska to see the glaciers and all the wonderful sights, we discovered that the Quantum of the Seas does not get within a mile of any glacier. It dips its toe into the fjord, turns around and runs away. On asking why , we were told that the ship is too large to safely approach the glacier. So if you see an ad that says voyage of the glaciers keep in mind that on the Quantum of the Seas, it's the voyage to see part of a fjord. Very disappointed. Not necessarily at the crew but very disappointed at Royal Caribbean marketing that failed to mention this glaring omission. 

So, this is totally inaccurate. 
 

How close you get to any glacier is totally dependent upon how much ice there is in the water on that specific day. That is true of any cruise ship on any cruise line. 
 

Do you remember the titanic??? Hitting a chunk of ice (remembering that 75% is hidden under the water) has negative affects on cruise ships. The Captain and Pilot onboard will determine how close you can get. 
 

We cruise Alaska every year. We were on the Quantum last year. And would sail on her to Alaska any time. 
 

If you want a really up close glacier experience, you can helicopter onto a glacier. Or you can be like the smart people from your cruise and take the Glacier Explorer shore excursion 

[BirdTravels]

6 minutes ago, Etta1213 said:

I really appreciate your post. I've never cruised Alaska and would not have known to choose a smaller ship.

A smaller ship would not got any closer than the Quantum on that particular day. Any cruise ship is limited by the amount of ice in the water. The OP is totally inaccurate in their description of the issue. You could take a small tour boat called the Glacier Explorer shore excursion if you want to get closer. 

Edited July 21, 2023 by BirdTravels

[Kiki and The Noush]

1 hour ago, pierces said:

I am quite aware of navigatiomal hazards. I wasn't complaining that they weren't brave enough. I was complaining that they did not make it the least bit clear that we would not be actually approaching the glacier. When we asked, we were told it was her policy with the Quantum ships not to approach the glaciers. There was no ice. We just stopped over a mile short turned around and sailed out. No mention of this in any literature promoting "Voyage of the Glaciers". Now we know. If you want to visit the glaciers, book your trip on a smaller ship. The Celebrity Radiance class would be our choice in the future.

 

 

This was our closest approach. Note the significant lack of ice.

We feel your pain.  We went on Ovation this past September and they totally skipped the Dawes Glacier visit due to "lack of daylight" - I call BS.  They went to the glacier the week before and the week after.  I can find out the daylight hours for a hundred years from now.  We booked a "7 Night Dawes Glacier Cruise" that never went...  

Edited July 21, 2023 by Kiki and The Noush
Error

[Merion_Mom]

1 hour ago, pierces said:

 The Celebrity Radiance class would be our choice in the future.

 

 

Radiance class ships are in the Royal Caribbean fleet, not Celebrity.

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, pierces said:

I am quite aware of navigatiomal hazards. I wasn't complaining that they weren't brave enough. I was complaining that they did not make it the least bit clear that we would not be actually approaching the glacier. When we asked, we were told it was her policy with the Quantum ships not to approach the glaciers. There was no ice. We just stopped over a mile short turned around and sailed out. No mention of this in any literature promoting "Voyage of the Glaciers". Now we know. If you want to visit the glaciers, book your trip on a smaller ship. The Celebrity Radiance class would be our choice in the future.

 

 

This was our closest approach. Note the significant lack of ice.

 

Again, it is not the “policy” to not approach the glacier. The Captain and the Pilot know exactly how much ice there is. If you moved a little closer, there would be no view of the glacier because it would be obstructed by the walls of the fjord until you get around the point. And once you are there, there was probably too much ice to turn the ship. We’ve need to the Dawes Glacier many times and understand the geography of the area. 

[alfaeric]

Fwiw, almost a decade ago, we did Alaska on the Rhapsody. Did the fjord before dawn, and the captain woke up the ship a 6 am to see the glacier. This was in mid May, and we only got about a mile away- but we prepared by taking binoculars. Later in the season, we saw some pictures where the ship got way, way closer than we did. So even small ships have issues.
 

Also, we didn’t see the glacier that was on the itinerary, the captain mentioned both a lot of ships were doing that and there was a lot of ice. So we were by ourselves, which was nice. The captain circled the ship  3-5 time (I can’t recall). 
 

while we love the Quantum ships, I’d rather be on a small one. 

[Another_Critic]

We hit a large chunk of ice while cruising Prins Christians Sund on Voyager in Greenland.  It shook the entire ship.  😲

[lovesthebeach2]

1 hour ago, MLBFan24 said:

Even though Royal Caribbean is my favorite, there was a reason why I chose the Majestic Princess for my Alaska cruise this past May. The Glacier Bay experience was phenomenal, due to the advantages Princess has in Alaska over other cruise lines.

 

 

Can I ask what advantages they have.

[Etta1213]

15 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

A smaller ship would not got any closer than the Quantum on that particular day. Any cruise ship is limited by the amount of ice in the water. The OP is totally inaccurate in their description of the issue. You could take a small tour boat called the Glacier Explorer shore excursion if you want to get closer. 

I obviously have homework to do if I decide to cruise Alaska. I also read of messy embarkation issues for folks cruising from Vancouver instead of Seattle. 

[NightOne]

3 hours ago, pierces said:

After spending thousands of dollars on a cruise to Alaska to see the glaciers and all the wonderful sights, we discovered that the Quantum of the Seas does not get within a mile of any glacier. It dips its toe into the fjord, turns around and runs away. On asking why , we were told that the ship is too large to safely approach the glacier. So if you see an ad that says voyage of the glaciers keep in mind that on the Quantum of the Seas, it's the voyage to see part of a fjord. Very disappointed. Not necessarily at the crew but very disappointed at Royal Caribbean marketing that failed to mention this glaring omission. 

 

Did they not have the small boat excursion available?

 

For example: Endicott Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer