Photo of the North Star on Quantum of the Seas courtesy of Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International's pioneering cruise ship Quantum of the Seas arrived in Shanghai, China, its new year-round homeport, on June 24.
The 167,800-ton, 4,180-passenger ship, which offers three- to eight-night cruises in North Asia, moved to China to capitalize on the explosive growth of the Chinese travel market.
Royal Caribbean moved one of its newest and showiest ships to the region to capture the attention of Chinese travelers.
"Chinese consumers have grown to expect the best the world has to offer, and Quantum of the Seas meets that standard like no other ship - this is a cruise from the future," said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. "The addition of Quantum of the Seas has increased our brand's capacity to the highest ever in the region. There is incredible potential in the Chinese market, and bringing our newest and most technologically advanced ship to China will cement our leadership position in the area."
Quantum of the Seas left Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J., to embark on a 53-night repositioning voyage to the Wusong International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan, near Shanghai. Its sister ship, Anthem of the Seas, entered service in April from Southampton, England, but will move to Bayonne in early November.
Royal Caribbean now has four ships in China. Quantum joins Voyager, Mariner and Legend of the Seas. A third Quantum-class ship, Ovation of the Seas, is due out in April and also is heading for China. It will be based in Tianjin, a port near Beijing.
The Quantum-class ships boast many eye-catching features, including the North Star, a glass capsule that carries guests more than 300 feet above the ocean, robotic bartenders, a sky-diving simulator, bumper cars, Virtual Balconies in inside staterooms, trapeze lessons and 18 restaurants.
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