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Anthem of the Seas will sail from Southampton
Royal Caribbean has confirmed that its new ship, Anthem of the Seas, will be based from Southampton in 2015.
It will replace Royal Caribbean International’s 3,634-guest Independence of the Seas, which has sailed from the UK port since its launch in 2008.
At that time, Independence of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world.
"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 for 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."
The cruise line claims the 4,180-guest Anthem of the Seas will be the "most innovative and technologically advanced cruise ship ever to be based from the UK".
It will have sky diving, dodgems and the North Star, featuring a glass pod that extends 300 feet above the ocean and over the sides of the ship to deliver 360-degree views for guests.
The ship, currently being built in the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenberg, Germany, will arrive in Southampton in spring 2015 before relocating to Fort Lauderdale for the winter.
Royal Caribbean will showcase the ship to UK agents in spring 2015 during launch celebrations in Southampton.
The ship is one of four currently on its order books.
Quantum of the Seas, built to the same specifications as Anthem of the Seas, will enter service in autumn 2014 offering its first sailing from Southampton and then sailing from New York.
In mid-2016, a third Oasis class ship will join existing ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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