By Rebecca Gibson From Cruise and Ferry

Anthem of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class vessels

Royal Caribbean International has confirmed that its second Quantum-class ship, Anthem of the Seas, is to homeport in Southampton, UK when she debuts in spring 2015.

The 167,800 gt Anthem of the Seas – currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenberg, Germany – will arrive in Southampton in spring 2015, where she will offer Mediterranean cruises. She will then relocate to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, for the winter season.

More than 80,000 people will sail on the 348 m ship from Southampton in 2015, which is expected to generate around £50 million for the city and surrounding areas.

“Our business has a long history with the port of Southampton, and over the last ten years we have annually increased the number of cruise opportunities from the port,” said Adam Goldstein, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “We are eyeing more growth with the introduction of the new ship Anthem of the Seas in 2015. Our commitment to providing unrivalled holiday experiences on-board the world’s most advanced and activity-packed ships is unwavering.”

Anthem of the Seas will replace Royal Caribbean’s 3,634-passenger Independence of the Seas, which has sailed from Southampton since its launch in 2008. Adventure of the Seas will continue to operate from Southampton and Royal Caribbean will also be operating cruises to northern Europe from Harwich.

“The UK and Ireland is a key market for us and the new ship will reward our trade partners who have continued to support us,” said Stuart Leven, the newly appointed managing director of Royal Caribbean International, UK and Ireland. “We are gearing up to have a full team dedicated purely to this brand, including an extensive Royal Caribbean International specific sales team on the road. It is a really exciting time for the Royal Caribbean International business and our strive for continued growth could not be clearer.”

As one of the line’s Quantum-class ships, Anthem of the Seas will offer a range of new features including The SeaPlex, RipCord by iFLY and the North Star, which transports guests more than 300 ft above the ocean and more. The ships will also have the industry’s first Virtual Balcony staterooms, which offer real-time views of the ocean from interior staterooms.

The first of the Quantum-class ships, Quantum of the Seas, will also sail her maiden voyage from Southampton when she enters service in autumn 2014. She will then homeport sail from New York, US. In mid-2016, a third Oasis class ship will join existing ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

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