Quantum of the Seas hosts three signature shows during most sailings. Of those shows, Starwater, which occurs in the innovative Two70, uses a mix of high definition technology, singing, and dancing to provide an all encompassing high energy show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Which, by the way, is much more comfortable than a typical theater seat.
On our 8-day Quantum of the Seas cruise, we were able to secure great seats, center stage with a nice little table. Now, we are here to report back to you on how impressive the show really was.
Early Arrival to Starwater on Quantum of the Seas
We always recommend getting to a cruise show early, but the benefits of arriving to Two70 early are even greater. We had heard that if you already had reservations for Starwater, when it came closer to showtime, staff would scan you in letting you remain in your seat, and ask those without reservations to exit.
Since Two70 is open during the daytime for guests to come and go as they wish, we headed over right after dinner, around 830pm, for our 1030pm showtime of Starwater. We were able to get prime seats on the main floor of Deck 5, one level up from the stage. Lucky for us, there was a space Vistarama playing, so we were able to enjoy some cocktails from the Two70 bar while watching these high definition displays.
Pre-Show: Starwater Quantum of the Seas
The cruise staff started coming around by about 9:30pm asking those without reservations to leave. I had to run and grab our camera that was charging upstairs in our room, so I asked the staff to scan me in as I exited the venue, leaving the wife to secure our seats. When I came back, there was already a long line forming for the show, which I was able to walk right past and return to my seat.
They began letting standby in for the show around 10:15pm. The place was standing room only. Whatever you do, please book this show on the Cruise Planner and get there early, if you are standing in the back of Two70 you really can not see everything that is occurring.
Even though the show is scheduled for 10:30pm, the pre-show starts at 10:20pm. The dancers begin to enter the theater, walking through the audience. Male performers walk around with costumes that look like they are theater ushers, and the female dancers were walking around in outfits from the 1920s era. As they make their way to the stage, Madonna’s “Vogue” starts playing, and they break into a choreographed dance. Go ahead, strike a pose…We will wait for you to get it out of your system!
The Muse Arrives
Starwater then begins with the arrival of the Muse, the main singer, who is the driving force behind the entire show. According to Royal Caribbean’s description of Starwater, the show revolves around this main character as she puts the performers under a “spell”, with the show exploring human desires as the entertainers journey from the stars to the sea.
All the while, the high definition, 12K Vistarama screens and the Roboscreens play supporting roles in this show as they incorporate images of the performers and the earthly elements to give the show animated backdrops with an immersive feel.
Not only is the technology a huge enhancement, but the music and choreography of the show are truly leaps and bounds above anything we have seen on a cruise ship. With modern music from the likes of Rhianna and Adele, interspersed with jazz and classical pieces, as well as high tempo covers of modern standards like “Feeling Good” and “Ain’t No Sunshine”, this is definitely not your typical cruise entertainment.
The design of Two70 allows the show to have a much more intimate feel that a normal stage production. The singers and dancers are also very high caliber, with many of the numbers including aerial feats. We were seated near one of these focal points, so many times throughout the show, we could see the performers literally dangling in front of us. As the show progresses, the tempo speeds up. By the end of the show, there is a ton of energy complete with fireworks on the Vistarama. And, the Muse has restored the elements to normal!
The crowd is left spell bound as the show comes to a finale. But, the entertainment is not over yet. There is a StarWater after party that takes place following the conclusion of the show. The cruise director staff is on hand, and the audience is invited on the stage to dance to music by the resident DJ.
Even if you are not a theater goer, we highly recommend you see Starwater on Quantum of the Seas. This is a high energy show with an almost Great Gatsby-like feel with a modern twist. It corporates a great musical selection, amazing singers and dancers, aerial artists, and technological enhancements to provide a truly immersive and wonderful experience. We were actually thinking of seeing it for a second time from the balcony to get a new perspective, but unfortunately, the lines for standby were always very long.
So, if you are sailing on Quantum of the Seas make sure to pre-book your entertainment, especially Starwater. Then, make sure you get to Two70 early, grab a “Starwater” cocktail, sit back, and be prepared to be blown away by this musical masterpiece. You have been warned!
Summary
- Length: 45 minute show
- Royal Caribbean Show Description: “A visual spectacle of groundbreaking technology and live performance artistry. Starwater explores human emotion as our muse brings together the magic of the stars and the mysteries of the seas for this awe-inspiring experience.”
Comments
Now that we have shared one of our favorite shows from Quantum of the Seas, you tell us your favorite entertainment. Have you seen Starwater? Or is there another show from a different cruise ship that really rocked your boat? Drop us an anchor below to tell us about your preferred onboard entertainment.
The show looks amazing! I did the Quantum of the Seas preview but I was so busy eating that I did not get to see any shows. The costumes are simply gorgeous!
Thanks Jessica for comment. The food on Quantum of the Seas is amazing, so I can’t blame you for missing the show! I guess you will need to sail on the ship again so you can experience all of the great entertainment. Thanks again for reading!
HI, im boarding quantum in june this year. but i notice that the cruise planner doesnt allow me to book entertainment currently. Usually how many months prior do they open for entertainment booking?
ive done by restuarants booking though. called the reservation helpdesk, royal carribean in fact told me entertainment shows require no booking. thought this reply was ridiculous.
Do drop me an email, chloe.weiting@live.com
Wei Ting.
Thanks for reading Chloe. Sorry for the delay getting back to you. The shows usually open up 90 days before your sailing for Quantum of the Seas. You are correct to call Royal Caribbean to book shows. Definitely do not go stand-by as you will not get good seats. For our Quantum of the Seas sailing, we booked shows about 6 months in advance, and then they changed them twice so we had to do a little altering to our dynamic dining schedule.
Most shows occur around 8 or 10pm. The first two nights of our sailing was the Broadway show in the theater. Toward the middle/end of the cruise there was at least one nightly showing of Starwater, the signature show in Two70. Then, throughout the cruise we had a few headliner acts. Only one of those acts could we pre-book. The last two nights of the cruise there was another signature show playing in the Royal Theater. For our 8 night sailing, we prebooked a total of four shows.
Are you sailing as part of the Global Odyssey? The ship is going through some major changes as it heads to China, so it is possible that some of the entertainment schedules will change to accommodate the cruisers preferences in that region of the world. I do know that they are changing a bunch of the venues, which could impact the show schedule.
We highly suggest staying vigilant with your cruise planner, and as soon as entertainment becomes available, book it. Happy sailing and do reach out to us again if you have any questions!
Thanks alot for getting back to me. Really appreciated.
Okay I will check it out closely and make the arrangements accordingly. Not sure if I may also ask, any restrictions to number of entertainment shows you can watch throughout the cruise? Unlikely the event we will book twice for show though, just hoping to ask if u may know?
One more thing, in quantum, on dining… be it the complinentary restaurants ie chic, silk etc, or payable ones like Jamie kitchen, any restrictions to how many or how little one can order for its appetisers/ main courses/ desserts? Is it just strictly 1 appetiser/ 1 main course per pax?
Understand the grande requires formal wear, happened to see royal carribean blog that actually on embarkation day, smart casual is acceptable. Any chance if you are aware or may confirm this understanding?
Thanks again,
Chloe
Ask all the questions you want Chloe, that is what we are here for! You can only pre-book one showtime for a particular production. For example, there are probably 3 or 4 showings of Mama Mia on your sailing, but pre-cruise, you can only book it once. You can go standby for the other shows, so in theory you can watch a show as many times as it is shown.
At all restaurants, you can eat as much as you like, including the specialty venues. I routinely ordered 2 and 3 starters and entrees at all restaurants. Especially, Wonderland, where they encourage you to order a ton of food.
While we can not confirm Grande’s casual status on embarkation from first hand experience, we have heard so many sources relay that information that I would say, yes, the first night at Grande is smart casual. We ate there twice, during the cruise, so we did wear formal wear those evenings!
Thanks for reading and happy sailing!
Thanks for your prompt reply. Your answers helped!
On the embarkation day, unlikely we will have our room ready early right?
Will you recommend a windjammer buffet lunch which may be overcrowded or restaurant like American icon grill which opens for lunch too? Am on the other hand worrying if we go for the latter, luggages will be left unattended outside cabins, believe the wristbands ( which work like cabin cards) and shore excursions tix etc which we bought online will be left in room, unlocked?
Not sure if you may know if the restaurants; complimentary and payable ones serve vegetarian meals. One of my passengers is a vegetarian. I understand probably buffet is the best place for meals but I want him to have more choices for meals.
As much as I saw menus of a few places in website which only serve 1 vegetarian entrée, not sure will there be more vegan selections on the day itself. Or even places like chops grille that doesnt put up any vegan entrees in website but small prints in website say “vegetarian options available, ask waiter.” Worry that I paid and reserved for dining but to find out on the spot there really isnt vegan food.
Chloe.
Hi Chloe, running out of space on the replies, so starting a new thread! LOL! Most cruise ships have rooms ready by 1:30pm. This is based on the embarkation time of 11:30am and a departure time of about 4:00pm. Depending on the departure port, sometimes ships leave later in the day, which would mean upping these times. I would say a safe bet is the rooms will be ready about two and a half to three hours before the ship is schedule to depart.
We do recommend skipping the buffet on embarkation day. We are partial the Two70 cafe for a quick bit on embarkation day- the American Icon Grill was not open on embarkation day during our Quantum sailing.
Do not worry about your luggage. The porters bring the luggage onboard for you and odds are, you will not get the luggage until well after your room is ready. Everyone’s luggage will be left in the hallway, so do not worry about that, your clothes will be safe!
All rooms are locked-one key card is left outside of the room, in a compartment near your cabin door, for a member of your party. Once you unlock the door, you will find the WOW Bands and any tickets for shore excursions/purchases you made pre-cruise sitting securely on your bed.
I do always suggest printing out a hard copy of your cruise calendar and email receipts for purchases you made prior to boarding, just to be safe. We have never had an issue when it comes to shore excursions or entertainment; however, our Wonderland reservation did not show on our online reservations when we boarded Quantum, but when I checked with the restaurant, they did have the reservation.
All complimentary restaurants have one vegetarian dish on the menu, as well as a standard vegetarian option across restaurants. You can also ask for custom meals. Believe me, you do not need to stick to the buffet because you are a vegetarian!
During dinner, ask to speak to a head waiter because of dietary restrictions. The head waiters know more about the kitchen and menu so they can meet your passenger’s specific needs. It may be smart to go during embarkation day and speak to someone at each restaurant to see what vegetarian options are available. The waitstaff want to accommodate your dietary restrictions, so if you tell them your preferences, they will do their best to find something that you will like.
For specialty restaurants, I can not speak to Chops Grille, but Wonderland has many vegetarian options, so you might consider switching your reservation. Chops Grille is a steak house, so they probably offer some bland vegetarian options as they are known for cooking up red meat.
If you have any other questions, just let me know.
Thanks for your reply, really appreciate your prompt replies.
Yes will take note on all these. If I do have any other questions before my departure on quantum in June, will check with you again!.
You are really helpful. Thanks!:)