Ocean View with Balcony - Stateroom 626, Deck 8 (8626) for Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas #royalcaribbeancruise

My first cruise was over twenty years ago and there were a few things that I still remember; the room that was a tight squeeze for 4 persons and the ridiculously tiny washroom! Would it be the same for my most recent, and second cruise onboard Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas? 

Narrow yet brightly lit corridor outside the staterooms (as they are called on the cruise). Despite the brightness, it was still rather eerie when I returned from a late night jog at close to midnight. 

Entering the stateroom via the keycard. 

Room

At almost 19 square metes, this stateroom (ocean view with balcony) didn't feel claustrophobic at all; wasn't as wide although it was compensated by its depth. It was a huge departure from my first cruise and aside from a queen sized bed, there's a dressing table and even a sofa bed! 

One of the questions on my mind before I embarked was whether I can connect my laptop to the TV using my own HDMI cable. Answer: I couldn't reach the port behind the TV and I am so worried the device will topple if I attempt to push it out. 

Note: no smoking allowed! Welcome leaflet on your bed; the stateroom attendant would also place a daily planner for the next day every time they service your room. No complaint about the bed; I slept well despite my companion's snores. 

A long sofa that could also function as a bed if you happen to have another person joining you. I always feel it's not worth for the 3rd person as he/she would be paying the same price. No matter what, a sofa bed is definitely not as comfortable as a proper one. 

One-person dressing table; two things to note here. 

Firstly, there are direct USB ports for you to charge your digital gadgets. For power, it's the type A, 2-pin sockets used commonly in USA; hence, do bring along a travel adaptor!    

Given the pandemic, a bottle of hand sanitizer and three packets of face masks were placed on the table. There's also a sticker on the table with the extension of the onboard medical centre to call should we experience any unwell symptoms. Frankly, the cruise operator would be more scared than us as many of the crew members were unvaccinated then. 

Two complimentary bottles of plain water throughout your trip. It will not be replenished unless you are willing to pay for them. To save money, we filled up the electric kettle using the tap water in the washroom and boiled them.

Need ice? Ask your stateroom attendant!

p.s. I only noticed this tiny sign on my last day! 

Dryer available for those who need. 

A mini-fridge to keep all your snacks that require refrigeration! For me, the first thing I need to put in would be my bottle of Brown Brothers Cienna; it tastes best when chilled. 

Two wardrobes on each side of the bed, each with their own configurations. One had an in-room safe which wasn't large enough to keep my laptop, which means I had to lug it when I went out of the room, unless my travel mate were to decide to stay in. 

To make it easier, we took the wardrobe nearest to the side of the bed that we would be sleeping at. Above was mine and I was happy to be able to keep my cabin-size luggage in it! 

Washroom

The very important room; the washroom. For my first cruise, I recall it was horrendously tight and everything was within reach once I stretched out my arms. Would it be the same case here? 

Thankfully not at all; it's way more spacious with the shower area separated from the toilet. Granted some of you would still grumble about the size but to me, this is a good enough size for me to do my 'dirty' business. 

Wash area with the little sink. Not sure what that spittoon looking thing is for; figured it's some sort of a dustbin. There's even a toilet brush right behind if you decide to clean up after your number two. By the way, don't expect hotel bathroom amenities like toothbrush, shower caps etc. 

There's a hair and body wash dispenser in the shower though. 

Hot and cold shower with grab bar and a shelf for your other stuff. 

Anyone has any idea what the bar is for? You can't sit on it unless you have a real tiny butt. I can't figure it out but would put one leg on it to better clean the hard to reach area at the back of my legs; where the biceps femoris is. 

Balcony

Going towards the balcony! Don't be worried about the sunlight as the blackout curtains did a great job in blocking the sunlight from disturbing our sleep! 

Adding on a balcony means paying more for the fare. Hence, you would have to determine if it's really necessary. Some people prefer the occasional fresh air within reach from the room, whereas some opt to sunbath with privacy. 

One of the reasons why I prefer a stateroom with balcony was the convenience to take time-lapsed videos using my DJI OSMO Pocket 2. p.s. the structure ahead of us was Singapore Cruise Centre as the photos were taken on day one, before the cruise ship departed. 

At about 5 square meters, the balcony housed two deck chairs. As you can see, the separation from your next door neighbors was just a metal sheet on both sides. Not sure why it wasn't sealed all the way at the bottom... Bet a baby can crawl through. 

I didn't bump into any of our next door neighbors even though, interestingly, I managed to strike a conversation with a kid in the stateroom on our left. Not so much a conversation; he was hollering "where am I" and my response was "I am here", and this went on a few minutes on two days. 

Stateroom 8626 had an obstructed view but it wasn't that big a problem for me. If privacy is an issue for you, you can choose the room with unobstructed view on the booking website, at a slightly higher premium. 

Sun tanning is not something I enjoy doing at this age but the balcony was a relaxing place for me to play Homescapes, especially with a light breeze on a sunny day. If I am not that hyperactive a person, I might have just dozed off. 

Lastly, always remember to keep a look out for your emergency escape route. As we are not on land, the assembly station would be at a deck on the lower levels, where the lifeboats are. 

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For the summary of my 4 nights' ocean getaway cruise on board Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas, please click here.