The End Of An Era? A Change Due For Celebrity?

On the 21^st November, Royal Caribbean made an huge announcement that will change the UK cruise market for the better. Royal Caribbean started sailing out of the UK back in 2009 when the Independence of the Seas debuted out of Southampton for Royal Caribbean.  Since then Royal Caribbean have added to their collection with Brilliance of the Seas out of Harwich and now with Adventure of the Seas sailing along side Independence of the Seas from Southampton.

Along with all the excitement, I think it’s also sad to say that Independence of the Seas will be sadly missed as 2014 will see her sailing for the last time out of Southampton.

Royal Caribbean have decided to base Anthem of the Seas in Southampton to debut in April 2015.  Anthem of the Seas is the second ship in the Quantum class.  Quantum class will be made up of three ships, the first of which will join the fleet later this year with Quantum of the Seas  being based in the States. We are all very excited about this news as it also brings Quantum of the Seas to Southampton in the late part of this year as she is on showcase to the UK market.

So there will be Quantum of the Seas in 2014, Anthem of the Seas in 2015, and a 3^rd un-named ship in 2016.

But also with this news, a 3rd Oasis Class ship – also unnamed – is due to join the fleet in 2016 with the possibility of a fourth ship launched in 2018. There have been rumours that the 3^rd Oasis Class ship will be based in the Mediterranean, although this has not been confirmed as of yet. I would imagine if this is the case we will hear after Oasis of the Seas debuts in the Med next September and October.

So lots of big ships to whet the appetite but I think that Anthem of the Seas will be based in Southampton to rival the new P&O Ship, Britannia, which does make me wonder if maybe Royal Caribbean have realised how important the UK market really is as many of the American cruise liners have been pulled of Europe due to the American’s not wanting to pay the cost of transatlantic flights, leaving us Brits with many of the older ships.

With the news of the P&O ship, Britannia, there is also the possibility of a second Britannia class ship to be launched. Again, still to be confirmed but maybe another Ventura and Azura scenario. What do you think?

So not only will Anthem of the Seas be the largest ship based in Europe, at a total of 167,800 gross tonnes – about 15,000 gross tonnes larger than the Independence – she will also become one of the most technologically advanced cruise ships ever to be based in European waters.

Independence of the Seas is a total of 154,407 gross tonnes and has a total of 15 decks.  Anthem will have 16 decks.  The higher decks will run the full length of the ship on Anthem whereas on the Independence, deck 15 just has the ‘Sky Light Chapel’, deck 14 has a lounge and a few bars and deck 13 is where you’ll find the main sport area hosting the rock-climbing wall and FlowRider.

The Quantum class ships will be taking a mammoth step in the cruise world to bring some new firsts to the industry. We all remember the ‘Sky Walk’ on the Royal Princess although a walkway that hovers on the upper decks with a sheer drop below was actually a first by Royal Caribbean when they came up with the concept with the Cantilevered Whirlpools on the Freedom and Oasis Class, including Independence of the Seas.

One of the most exciting new features to ever be seen at sea is the ‘North Star’ taken from the concept of the London Eye.  This is an engineering marvel which is designed with a London Eye type capsule that extends 300 feet above the ocean and over the sides of the ship to give passengers outstanding views be it in port or at sea. You can also have private rides for those extra special moments.

Another new feature, ‘Two70 Degrees’, is a large open space made up of multi decks and is the heart of entertainment on the Quantum class ships. It’s named after the spectacular 270 degree panoramic views through the vast, floor to ceiling glass walls spanning almost three decks at the stern of the ship. ‘Two70 Degrees’ effortlessly combines entertainment and technology to create a transformative journey from day to night. The perfect place to relax and take in the sun during the day and in the evening as the sun sets and the light go down, this open and fantastic space is transformed and gradually reveals the magic through its evening personality, delighting every one of all ages with spectacular, mysterious and unexpected entertainment at night. Unparalleled technology means that each and every show that you see at ‘Two70 Degrees’ is multidimensional and immerses the audience through a combination of live performers including aerialists as well as breath-taking video and digital scenery.

Quantum Class also has ‘SeaPlex’ which is the largest indoor active space at sea.  Here you can experience lots of different activities including a circus school, have a go on the dodgems, play basketball on a full size regulation basketball court or you can dance the night away whilst the DJ floats above mixing tunes to keep all tastes happy!

Another lovely new concept is that every stateroom will now have a view with the ‘Virtual Balconies’.  These are designed to bring the outside inside offering real time views of the ocean and exciting destinations.

Quantum Class will also see the addition of new stateroom types and there are lots of different catergories to choose from over 35 different grades. The main new change is the ‘Family Connect Junior Suite’ that will sleep up to 10 people in three different categories of stateroom made up from an Inside, Balcony and Junior Suite offering 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms.

There will be the usual WOW factors onboard including the Solarium, rock-climbing wall, FlowRider and the Adventure Ocean children’s program along with the DreamWorks entertainment featuring characters from Shrek, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar. Quantum class will not feature the ice skating rink or Viking Crown Lounge. A brand new bonus and one we Brits will all benefit from is the indoor pool with retractable roof – great for cruising up to Norway and the colder climes, and even whilst in UK waters.

There is also the RipCord by IFly – again something completely new and in a league of its own. The first skydiving experience as sea, it allows everyone from the first timer to seasoned skydivers to experience this amazing attraction.

Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning global brand with a 40 year legacy of innovation and introducing industry firsts never before seen at sea and I am sure the new Quantum Class will not disappoint.

As I mentioned, Independence of the Seas will leave Southampton at the end of her summer season in 2014 and head back to Fort Lauderdale for her Caribbean sailings. Where she will be in the summer of 2015? Rumours are ablaze with speculation that she may be based in Northern Europe but only time will tell.

Personally I think Adventure of the Seas should go and that Independence of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas should sail out of Southampton.  Adventure of the Seas is only about 400 passengers less and at 138,000 gross tonnes, not a huge difference but I suppose it makes more sense to leave the smaller of the two in Southampton as not everyone wants the large ships. What do you think?

This got me thinking. Independence of the Seas came to Southampton in April 2009 and Celebrity added to the Royal Caribbean International family out of Southampton with the Celebrity Eclipse in 2010, which means that maybe 2016 may see a change.

I know that Celebrity have no ships on order as 2012 saw the last addition to the Solstice Class with the Reflection being the last of the five sisters, so nothing in the pipeline for a new ship but maybe the change from the Celebrity Eclipse to the Celebrity Silhouette or the Celebrity Reflection?? We all love the Celebrity Eclipse and personally I would be sad to lose her however seeing a more modern Solstice Class ship would be rather interesting.

However the cruise world is unpredictable and maybe we all might be surprised sometime soon!

What are your thoughts? Are you a true Indy fan and would rather she stayed? Or are you going to welcome Anthem of the Seas with open arms and what you say if it was suddenly announced that Celebrity are going to also be shaking things up? I look forward to, as always, hearing all of your thoughts.

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