ROYAL CARIBBEAN GOES BIG
Royal Caribbean celebrates its mammoth futuristic ocean liner
ABOARD ANTHEM OF THE SEAS
Earlier this week at portsandbows.com, I wrote about how surprised I was to be the only Canadian journalist here on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship. In an even bigger surprise, in addition to the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Australia and South America, there is print and electronic media representation from Mexico. Yes, Mexico!
During a media session, an executive pointed out that Mexicans are the biggest spenders on Royal Caribbean ships.
As the residents of Anthem of the Seas’ summer home (Southampton) might say: “Blimey.”
While North America is miles ahead of other nations when it comes to the number of cruisers — most of whom head to the Caribbean and Alaska — the rest of the world is catching up. And the new ships are heading there to meet them.
The middle classes of many of these countries are cruising now and they’re going all over the world to satisfy their wanderlust. So is Royal Caribbean. Anthem of the Seas is No. 2 in the highly touted, futuristic Quantum class. In a column last year, I suggested Quantum of the Seas would be the star of the class of 2014 ships and its successful winter home-porting in New York confirms that.
England is Anthem’s first home for a summer of cruising the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. A Transatlantic cruise will make this 150,000-tonne, 4,000-passenger ship the most advanced to make New York its permanent home. After wintering in the Big Apple, Quantum is off to Shanghai to become the newest ship home-porting in China.
Ovation of the Seas, No. 3 in the Quantum class, won’t even stop for a cup of coffee in North America. Next spring, it will sail from the Meyer Werft Shipyard straight to China for the summer, then move on — as just announced — to become the newest ship in Australia.
As for Anthem, there are some differences from its one-yearold sister.
The ship seems to have a better flow from bow to stern. The new and much-heralded Dynamic Dining problem — four dining rooms instead of a main one — is solved because veteran cruisers like having the same waiters. On Anthem (call it Dynamic 2.0), they can rotate dining rooms with the same crew. Anthem has rapid-fire, reasonably priced Internet, a first for the industry.
Like Quantum, it also has North Star, the Plexiglas ball that takes passengers 100 metres above the sea, Sea-Plex and its roller skating and dodge cars, rooms full of Internet games and RipCord, a skydiving simulator. Chef Jamie Oliver has his second at- sea restaurant, which on Quantum was far and away the most popular specialty dining site with main courses of $15 to $20.
If you’ve waited in line to board, you know it can be a pain. Now you can do the paperwork online from home and board, curbside to pool deck, in just 10 minutes — another industry first. At every turn, Anthem of the Seas is a favourite both with baby boomers, who have embraced technology and multi-generational families.
In North America, it will be sailing from New York to Bermuda, t he Caribbean and through the northeastern United States to the Maritimes. Sponsored by Expedia, CruiseShipCenters, Point Grey 1-855-738-8847 and completevacations.ca — for daily updates on cruise news, best deals and behindthe-scenes industry stories. You can also sign up for an email newsletter for even more cruise information. Contact Phil Reimer at portsandbows@gmail.com