Quantum Class Moves Forward

Posted on 19 September, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Quantum Class Moves Forward

Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum and Anthem both see milestonesBy: Marilyn Green

Cruise

Royal Caribbean International commemorates two strategic developments at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. // © 2013 Royal Caribbean...

Royal Caribbean International marked two important milestones in the development of its Quantum-class ships at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, this month.

Quantum of the Seas received its first block, as the keel was officially lowered and put into place, and Anthem of the Seas, Quantum’s sister-ship, had its first piece of steel cut, signaling the first step in the ship’s construction.

“Today is a very special day in the development of our new Quantum class, as we are now two steps closer to delighting guests around the world with Quantum cruising,” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas coming together so well, and today we not only honor these two very important milestones, but also recognize the years of hard work and dedication from the team developing these ships.”

The keel laying marks the beginning of the ship’s physical construction. During the ceremony, a 430-ton block measuring 59 by 75 feet was lifted into the building dock with an 800-ton crane. Newly minted coins placed under the keel stay in place until the end of construction, when they are presented to the ship’s captain and crew to be placed onboard the ship. According to maritime tradition, the coins are said to bring luck to the ship.

Quantum-class ships will span 16 deck and carry 4,180 guests. The ships will debut new features, including as RipCord by iFLY, the first skydiving experience at sea; the North Star, which transports guests more than 300 feet above the ocean; and The Sea-Plex, the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars and a roller skating ring; and more.

The Quantum class will debut in autumn 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, followed by sister-ship Anthem of the Seas in spring 2015.

Royal Caribbean orders third Quantum ship

Posted on 31 May, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean orders third Quantum ship

By Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said it signed a contract for a third 4,180-passenger Quantum-class ship to be delivered in 2016.

The price and terms for the unnamed ship are similar to the first two Quantum ships, Royal Caribbean said. The ship will be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The stateroom configuration will include a greater proportion of higher-priced cabins than the other two Quantum-class ships. It will also “achieve some of the greatest energy efficiencies at sea,” Royal Caribbean said.

The order will put Royal Caribbean’s annual growth in capacity at about 4% between 2012 and 2017.

The first ship in the class, Quantum of the Seas, is scheduled for delivery next year with Anthem of the Seas to follow in 2015.

‘Transformational’ space on a cruise ship

Posted on 30 April, 2013 by Spacejunkie2

‘Transformational’ space on a cruise ship

By Tom Stieghorst

*Insight As cruise ships get larger, how do ship designers find ways to distribute passengers throughout the ship and not bunched at a few headline attractions?

Maximizing space so that it accommodates different activities is starting to get more thought.

Efforts at several cruise lines involve creating spaces with different activities for night and day. Designers refer to “transformational space,” and a prime example will be Two70Degrees on Royal Caribbean International’s coming Quantum of the Seas.

The space is an aft lounge with a three-deck-high wall of windows that wrap the stern of the ship, giving passengers a 270-degree view of the fantail, the wake and the ocean beyond.

For day use, Two 70 Degrees will resemble a grand den, with a library, an activities room, a gourmet market, a bar and nested seating zones that occupy terraces cascading from the entry to the floor. *TomStieghorst

At twilight, the lighting in the room will begin to change, and ambient music will clue guests that something is about to happen. Blackout screens descend to cover the glass, and fourteen hidden devices will use a new technology called 3D Mapping Projection to throw startling three-dimensional images across the curved blackout surface.

The scene can be anything from a jungle to a Spanish galleon to the daytime exterior view from the ship, said Tim Magill, a partner in the California firm of 5+Design, which helped create the room.

To date the technology has been mostly used to stage elaborate promotions on the sides of buildings, such as a 2010 installation on the side of New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

On the Quantum, the screens will be used to bring a feeling of outdoors inside the ship, expanding its visual volume, Magill said.

In front of the screens, entertainers will descend on apparatus from the ceiling or ascend through the floor on hydraulic platforms.

The next morning, like Cinderella’s carriage, the space will be a lounge with a view of the sea.

“If we can make the spaces transform over time through the cruise,” said Magill, “then it provides more variety, more excitement, more things for the guest to do.”