Royal Caribbean International has certainly upped the WOW factor with Quantum of the Seas, which is the first of a new class of ship for the leading cruise line in the Irish market.
Irish Travel Trade News went to view this magnificent new ship at the Meyer Werf Shipyard in Papenburg, North Western Germany, ahead of her sea trials in September.
To say that this is a ‘smart’ ship is an understatement because Quantum-class ships will take technology to a new level, with a host of cruise industry firsts such as RFID (radio-frequency identification) luggage tracking, the fastest Internet at sea, check in at home and go from ‘shore side to ship’ in 10 minutes, with no check in counter or queue to stand in.
Quantum of the Seas will be the third largest cruise ship in the world. She weighs 167,800 tons, can accommodate 4,180 passengers, and is one the top three largest cruise ships afloat – Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas being number one and two respectively.
The Quantum class ships will introduce a new range of first-at-sea onboard experiences, such as Ripcord by iFly, an amazing skydiving experience that will take your breath away; North Star, a thrilling experience that transports guests more than 90 metres into the air for a breathtaking journey; cutting edge transformative venues including Sea Plex, the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and much more.
Food lovers will be spoilt for choice with no less than 18 restaurants onboard, including specialty outlets created by partner-chefs Jamie Oliver, Devin Alexander and Michael Schwartz.
This ship will also have the cruise line’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever. Two-storey loft suites come with a private balcony and windows that are double in height. There are 375 virtual balcony staterooms, which are interior storerooms that offer expansive real-time views of the ocean and destinations through virtual balconies.
This is the ship on which the Irish Travel Agents Association will hold its annual conference at the end of October. The agents attending will certainly be blown away by this ship, which is opening the door to a plethora of exciting passenger experiences. Quantum of the Seas will also create new sales opportunities for Irish travel agents, with subsequent higher profits.
Quantum will cruise from the Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey to the Caribbean during 2014/2105 before relocating to Shanghai for summer 2015.
Next April its sister ship, Anthem of the Seas, will commence sailings from Southampton.
