Quantum of the Seas Moving to China

Royal Caribbean rendering

By John Roberts

Royal Caribbean dropped the huge news last week, announcing that its highly anticipated and revolutionary new megaship Quantum of the Seas would be homeported in China after its initial debut period in Bayonne, N.J.'s Cape Liberty cruise port. The news received mixed reviews, as many in the New York area were disappointed to learn that they would be losing the ship after a six-month sailing season.

Royal Caribbean says the move of the 4,180-passenger Quantum of the Seas helps the line "accelerate the growth of this vital market" in Asia. Quantum will sail out of Shanghai beginning in May 2015 after a six-month season sailing to the Caribbean from Cape Liberty beginning in November.

Quantum of the Seas will feature an industry first with its "Dynamic Dining" concept of no traditional main dining room. To make up for the loss of Quantum in the New York area, Royal Caribbean will bring Liberty of the Seas to Cape Liberty for the 2015 summer and fall seasons, and the new Anthem of the Seas, which launches in April 2015 and is the sister ship to Quantum will sail from Cape Liberty in winter 2015-16 after an initial season in Southampton, England.
  

Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Live concert program got off to a rocking start with performances by Styx onboard Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Fascination. The band performed one show on each ship during port stops in the Bahamas in the first week of April. The concert series allows cruisers to watch music stars perform in intimate settings in ship show lounges. There are 49 shows scheduled for 2014, including performances by Gavin DeGraw, 38 Special, Jewel, Chicago, Jennifer Hudson, Olivia Newton-John, Kansas and more.  

Carnival last week unveiled a revamped and rebranded kids program. Camp Ocean, a marine-based program for children ages 2 to 11, replaces Camp Carnival on all 24 ships in the fleet. The program will debut of Carnival Freedom on May 24. Camp Ocean, which aims to immerse kids in the wonders of the sea through educational activities, also will be rolled out on Carnival Magic, Breeze and Triumph by the end of the year and fleetwide by 2016. The line's tweens and teens programs remain the same. 

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Norwegian Cruise Line wants to give you a lift. More cruisers from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic area can use an expanded bus-transport service from Norwegian to get to their ships leaving out of New York. NCL has arranged with Academy Bus to offer more service to passengers sailing on Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Gem. You can buy transfers right to the Manhattan Cruise Terminal, without having to worry about driving into the city or finding and paying for parking. A range of new routes add to the line's current program with Yankee Trails World Travel.

Beginning May 3, cruisers from Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire can get direct motor coach service from 11 New England departure cities, including Warwick, R.I., New London, Conn., New Haven, Conn., Bridgeport, Conn., Braintree, Mass., Worcester, Mass., Springfield, Mass., Hartford, Conn., Woburn, Mass., Framingham, Mass., and Salem, N.H. As of May 31, service opens from Arlington, Va., Baltimore, Wilmington, Del., Philadelphia, and East Brunswick, N.J. The transfers cost $110 roundtrip per adult and $75 per child.

Crystal Cruises will have your legs spinning with 16 cycling adventures available on European sailings on the luxury line's ships. Half- and full-day excursions from Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity take you past some of the world's most stunning architecture, beautiful villages and brilliant seaside sights -- all viewed from your bike seat as you glide along on routes ranging from 5 to 13 miles. Choose from outings in Copenghagen, Tallinn, Bordeaux, Malta, Barcelona and more. 

"Many guests have become increasingly interested in more athletic pursuits that allow them to enjoy a destination in a more up close and personal way," says John Stoll, Crystal's vice president of land programs. "The bicycle excursions not only foster personal connections with the scenery and surrounding cultures, but also with each other. Each cycling group builds a special camaraderie as they share these experiences."