Photo courtesy of Meyer Werft shipyard.
The Pulse: Royal Caribbean Takes Delivery of Quantum of the Seas
Why It Rates: This highly anticipated new ship packs a punch with its eye-catching features - such as the sky-diving simulator, bumper cars, robotic bartender and glass gondola thrill ride - but also offers ground-breaking technological advances. Billed as the first Smartship, it offers "sidewalk to stateroom check-in," mammoth video walls, and what's billed as super-fast Internet connectivity. - Theresa Masek, TravelPulse cruise editor
Royal Caribbean International took delivery today of the newest addition to the cruise line's fleet, Quantum of the Seas, from Meyer Werft Yard. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.'s Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain and Meyer Werft Yard's Managing Partner Bernard Meyer attended the official signing ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany.
With Captain Srecko "Felix" Ban at the helm, the ship will begin her journey today to Southampton, U.K., where she will welcome her first guests on November 2, for a trans-Atlantic voyage to her home port of Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne, New Jersey.
Quantum of the Seas will sail from New York harbor to the Bahamas and the Caribbean for her inaugural season before departing for her new homeport of Shanghai (Baoshan), China, in May 2015. Sister-ship Anthem of the Seas will debut in Southampton in April 2015 and sail Mediterranean itineraries.
Quantum-class ships are the world's most technologically advanced in the world with "boatloads of bandwidth" which allow the cruise line to offer unprecedented connectivity - 500 times more than any other cruise ship; easy-to-use systems that expand guest choices and simplify schedules, plus, RFID technology that speeds up the boarding process and allows guest to track their luggage every step of the way.
The ships offer new unprecedented features, such as RipCord by iFLY, the first skydiving experience at sea; the North Star, an engineering marvel that transports guests more than 300 feet above the ocean; SeaPlex, the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and more; as well as the Bionic Bar powered by Makr Shakr which features the world's first robotic bartenders.
The ships also showcase the cruise line's largest and most advanced staterooms ever, including the industry's first-ever staterooms with Virtual Balconies, which offer expansive, real-time views of the ocean and exciting destinations from every interior stateroom.
Quantum-class ships span 16 guest decks; encompass 167,800 gross registered tons; carry 4,180 guests at double occupancy; and feature 2,090 staterooms.
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