A mechanical arm with pod that lifts guests 300 feet above the water, skydiving, bumper cars, a circus school, and inside staterooms with virtual video balconies. These are just some of the cruise ship firsts that will be onboard Royal Caribbean’s newest vessel Quantum of the Seas. Launching in November 2014, the 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas will be based from Bayonne, New Jersey and will offer cruises to the Caribbean.

This vessel is the line’s most ambitious ship to date. Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein said the design concepts for the new Quantum vessel started right after the launch in 2009 of Oasis of the Seas. On Quantum, firsts at sea include RipCord by iFly and North Star. North Star features a glass pod at the end of a mechanical arm that extends from the top deck. The 14-passenger North Star will offer guests 360-degree views from 300 feet above the ocean. On the Sports Deck aft will be the two-story vertical wind tunnel which will be home to RipCord by iFly. The skydiving is a safe, controlled, and simulated environment that allows passengers to hover in the air just like a real skydiver. The line says both experiences are complimentary to all passengers.

With Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean introduces the largest variety of stateroom categories, including new Studio staterooms, some with balconies for single travelers, three Junior Suite categories and larger Loft Suites. The 2,090 staterooms are slightly larger than the standard staterooms offered on the Oasis-class ships. Many interior staterooms will feature 80-inch video display monitors offering real-time views of the ocean and destinations allowing guests to feel like they have a real balcony albeit with no sea breeze. Additionally, the line is offering new staterooms for families with more interconnecting rooms.

Royal Caribbean is making areas more multipurpose in order to transition for different activities from day to evening. At the aft of the ship is Two70°, a venue with floor-to-ceiling windows that tower three decks high and provide a 270-degree panoramic view. During the day, the room will be a lounge with casual dining, and the upper level will house a library, and scheduled activities including workshops, lectures and demonstrations. At night, Two70° becomes a hip energetic space featuring a combination of aerial artists, along with laser digital projections. The largest indoor active space at sea, SeaPlex is a flexible sporting and entertainment venue with exciting new features. It features a full-size basketball court and during select times a circus arts training center. At night, the floor can transform to accommodate bumper cars, roller skaters, and dance parties. Rooms surrounding the area feature table tennis, air hockey and foosball. Another multi-purpose area is the Music Hall a place for guests to enjoy intimate and exclusive access to live performances, DJs, theme night parties, billiards and more. Rebellious and edgy, Music Hall’s two-story design is inspired by the spirit of rock and roll.

The ship will offer a number of the line’s standard highly-touted amenities on Quantum: the rock climbing wall, FlowRider surfing, the H2O Zone, the Solarium, DreamWorks Experience, spa, outdoor movies, and children’s play area. However, there are a few things missing from the ship that have been on the line’s newest ships for the past decade. The ice skating rink and the Royal Promenade will not be on Quantum. Goldstein noted that with all the new additions there simply wasn’t room to accommodate the ice rink. The Royal Promenade which has been a staple on the majority of the line’s newest ships will be altered as well. There will be similarities, but there will be many new features for guests to enjoy. Additional details about dining, entertainment and other unexpected features and amenities on Quantum of the Seas will be unveiled in the coming months.

Its clear Quantum of the Seas is certainly a game changer in an industry that desperately needs some good news lately.

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Royal Caribbean International today unveiled first details of the next generation of cruise vacations – Quantum cruising. The Quantum class of ships will take a dramatic leap forward, introducing more game-changing “firsts at sea” such as a skydiving experience, a thrilling adventure that transports guests more than 300 feet in the air on a breathtaking journey; cutting-edge transformative venues including the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and more; and the cruise line’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever. These new, larger staterooms enable innovation in design, storage and comfort including the industry’s first virtual balconies. Every stateroom on Quantum of the Seas will have a view. The much anticipated details were unveiled by stage, television and film star, Kristin Chenoweth – Godmother of Quantum of the Seas – at an exclusive event for media and special guests in New York City this morning.

“This new generation of ships gave us an opportunity to make another leap in vessel design. Innovation has always been part of our DNA and we have taken advantage of all that creativity to design Quantum cruising,” stated Richard D. Fain, chairman & CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd. “The unique features on Quantum will boggle our guests’ minds, but the real strength of the design is how our people have integrated all these diverse components to create a comfortable and exciting experience.”

Unprecedented “Firsts At Sea”

Having led the industry by introducing incredible signature offerings such as the Rock Climbing Wall, ice-skating rink, FlowRider surf simulator, Central Park and AquaTheater, Royal Caribbean will advance the onboard experience even further by delivering a groundbreaking lineup of “firsts at sea” on Quantum-class ships. New features exclusive to Royal Caribbean include:

RipCord by iFly, the first skydiving experience at sea which allows everyone from first-time flyers to seasoned skydivers to enjoy the sheer thrill and exhilaration of skydiving in a safe, controlled, and simulated environment. North Star, an engineering marvel, takes guests to new heights – literally – with a jewel-shaped, glass capsule, transporting them on a spectacular journey more than 300 feet above the ocean and over the sides of the ship to deliver awe-inspiring 360-degree views. “We are excited to be introducing major advancements in ship design and offerings on Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas,” said Adam Goldstein, president & CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “The innovative spirit of our brand is alive and well, and with Quantum class, we will deliver more unexpected activities in the most extraordinary spaces. Our guests should prepare to be wowed.”

New Transformational Signature Venues

With Quantum class, Royal Caribbean marries new innovations with significant architectural design elements to introduce spectacular spaces. On Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas guests will find endless possibilities with three new signature venues.

A revolutionary concept, Two70° is a multi-level great room that is sure to become one of the most iconic venues onboard Quantum class. The space is aptly named for its magnificent 270-degree panoramic sea views through vast, floor-to-ceiling glass walls spanning almost three decks at the stern of the ship. Two70° seamlessly fuses entertainment and technology to create a transformative journey from day to night. The perfect setting to connect with the sea during the day, Two70° provides a modern and comfortable living room space for guests to sit back and relax. As the sun sets and the lights go down, the dazzling space gradually reveals its evening persona, delighting guests with spectacular, mysterious and unexpected entertainment at night. Unparalleled technology means every show at Two70° is multidimensional and immerses the audience through a combination of live performers, including aerialists, as well as breathtaking video and digital scenery.

The largest indoor active space at sea, SeaPlex is a distinctive and flexible sporting and entertainment venue with thrilling new features that will inspire guests of all ages to let loose and connect with their playful sides. Delivering more first at sea experiences, guests can experience a circus school with flying trapeze, or play basketball on a full-size regulation basketball court. By night, the first-ever bumper car and roller skating offerings deliver fun and excitement. Or, guests can dance to music orchestrated from a floating DJ booth which hovers above the activity below. A performance hall and the hottest live music venue on Quantum class, Music Hall is the place for guests to enjoy intimate and exclusive access to live performances, DJs, theme night parties, billiards and more. Rebellious and edgy, Music Hall’s two-story design is inspired by the spirit of rock and roll.

The Next Generation of Stateroom Accommodations

With guest comfort and convenience in mind, Royal Caribbean debuts the most spacious and luxurious accommodations ever, introducing rooms that on average are nine percent larger than those of Oasis class ships. Sophisticated, upscale design, layouts and finishes create a home away from home. Boasting Royal Caribbean’s new smart design concept, each stateroom features contemporary designs with easy-to-use customizable layouts and intuitive larger storage solutions.

Now every room on Quantum of the Seas has a view, with the exciting introduction of Virtual Balcony staterooms. This design concept brings virtual balconies to interior staterooms offering expansive real-time views of the ocean and exciting destinations. For multi-generational families, Family-Connected staterooms deliver more flexibility, using three different stateroom categories which connect to form a special layout that provides separate bedrooms and bathrooms for all. These accommodations allow families and groups of friends traveling together to enjoy the best of both worlds when it comes to together and alone time. With Quantum of the Seas, Royal Caribbean introduces the largest variety of stateroom categories,including new Studio staterooms, some with balconies for single travelers, three Junior Suite categories and larger Loft Suites.

Signature Features Return and More New Surprises To Come

The adults-only Solarium, along with an outdoor pool, a new indoor pool with operable roof and a H2O Zone kids’ aqua park, will be featured on the top deck. Signature Royal Caribbean venues and experiences popular with families such as the Rock Climbing Wall; FlowRider surf simulator; the award-winning Adventure Ocean children’s program; the Royal Babies and Tots Nursery; and the DreamWorks entertainment and events featuring the characters from animated movies: Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar; will all be back on Quantum class. Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas also will make a quantum leap forward in its culinary offerings providing the most flexible dining options and more specialty restaurants than ever before. Additional details about dining, entertainment and other unexpected features and amenities on Quantum of the Seas will be unveiled in the coming months.

Quantum class will debut in fall 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, followed by her sister-ship Anthem of the Seas in spring 2015. Quantum ships span 18 decks, encompass 167,800 gross registered tons, carry 4,180 guests at double occupancy and feature 2,090 staterooms. Quantum of the Seas will sail out of the New York Harbor from her homeport of Cape Liberty on 7- to 12-night itineraries during the winter 2014/15 season. Bookings will be available to Crown & Anchor Society loyalty program members starting May 27, 2013 before opening to the general public on June 4. More information on Quantum of the Seas is available at www.RoyalCaribbean.com/Quantum.

Reported by © www.expertcruiser.com – Your online consumer guide for cruise travel and information.

Take a photo tour of Celebrity Cruises newest ship the gorgeous Celebrity Reflection. Also remember to follow @ExpertCruiser on Twitter to get live updates from the ship.

ExpertCruiser will be onboard the brand new Celebrity Reflection this weekend.  Reflection is the fifth and final Solstice-class vessel for Celebrity Cruises and while it offers all the great amenities of its sister ships it has some new and exciting features to boast.

The biggest addition is the extra deck, which has increased passenger capacity from the 2,850-2,886 of its sister ships to 3,030. 

The extra deck has allowed the line to expanded the spa area and offer premium stateroom categories including new AquaClass suites, five Signature Suites, and the most talked about stateroom in the industry – the  1,636 –square-foot Reflection Suite, with an all-glass shower that extends over the side of the vessel.  Stay tuned for more blogs and tweets about the new Celebrity Reflection.

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Royal Caribbean International continues to provide its guests with the ultimate vacation experience by enhancing its onboard dining options with the addition of Oasis-class amenities to even more ships. Next in line is Serenade of the Seas, which is scheduled for an extensive revitalization this fall.

Serenade of the Seas will wow guests in December when she re-emerges from her dry dock with a new lineup of specialty restaurants, which will include Giovanni’s Table Italian restaurant, Izumi Asian cuisine and the intimate Chef’s Table dining experience, as well as dining packages for guests to enjoy all of them at incredible value. Guests will have the option of choosing the Royal Choice Dining Package, which includes dinner at Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table and Izumi for $55 per guest, or the Chef’s Table Dining Package for $130 per guest, which includes all of the specialty restaurants as well as the Chef’s Table.

Serenade of the Seas also will offer additional dining deals at Giovanni’s Table. Groups of four or more can take advantage of the Celebration Dining Deal, which is valid for the first two nights of each sailing and allows groups of four or more to enjoy a delicious meal plus a $30 beverage credit at a cost of $20 per person. Groups of eight or more can opt for the Set Sail Dining Deal which includes dinner on the first night of their cruise for $14 per guest.

Further enhancing its onboard culinary offerings Royal Caribbean is expanding its partnership with renowned wine producer Domaines Barons de Rothschild by offering the exclusive Lafite Wine Tasting Experience onboard. Available for $23 to $25 per person, depending upon ship and itinerary, the experience, which was first introduced onboard Allure of the Seas, offers guests a unique tasting showcasing the renowned vintages from France’s Bordeaux region.

Developed in conjunction with Château Lafite Rothschild, the premier estate under the Rothschild name, and Master Sommelier John Blazon, the Lafite Wine Experience aims to expand guests’ understanding of growing regions within Bordeaux. A Royal Caribbean cellar master leads the tasting, sharing details about the wines and the winemakers and the history and suggestions for food pairings. A souvenir packet allows guests to take a piece of the experience home with winemakers’ notes, recipes and more.
The Lafite Wine Tasting Experience is now available for pre-booking on select ships, including Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Independence of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas, Mariner of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Adventure of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas and Enchantment of the Seas.
Guests can book the Serenade of the Seas dining packages or the Lafite Wine Tasting Experience online at www.RoyalCaribbean.com.

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Anti-American demonstrations have erupted in several countries in the Middle East and North Africa in response to an anti-Muslim movie that was produced in the United States. Since tensions are high some cruise lines have elected not to stop at ports that are near violence. Cruise lines are keeping close tabs on the situation and determining if itineraries need to be changed. Two lines have elected to make changes.

Royal Caribbean International canceled Mariner of the Seas’ port call to Alexandria, Egypt scheduled for September 18 and will instead stop in Messina, Sicily and Valletta, Malta on Monday September 19. A Royal Caribbean spokesperson stated that the decision to change course was “in an abundance of caution” and stated the company will notify guests and travel agents of the changes. Additionally, Holland America Line’s Ryndam skipped its scheduled Tunis, Tunisia port of call on Friday and elected to visit Sardinia, Italy instead.

Stay tuned for more updates from © www.expertcruiser.com - Your online consumer guide for cruise travel and information.