United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Royal Caribbean reveals Spectrum features
Royal Caribbean’s newest ship Spectrum of the Seas will be the first of the cruise line’s vessels to include a suite-only area.
Built for the Chinese market, the ship is the first in the Quantum Ultra class and it will boast never-seen-before-at-sea features, including a Sky Pad.
Accommodating 4,246 passengers, it will be the largest and most expensive ship in Asia when she sails from Shanghai in June 2019.
"When Quantum of the Seas made her debut in Shanghai three years ago, it changed the face of cruising in China. Fast forward to today, and we are revealing just how we’ll transform the cruise holiday market, yet again, with the debut of Spectrum of the Seas," said Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Michael Bayley.
"The introduction of our highly anticipated Quantum Ultra Class will represent a quantum leap forward in ship design and experiences specifically tailored to Chinese guests."
The new Sky Pad is a virtual reality, bungee trampoline experience where guests where a VR headset to ‘transport them to another time and planet’.
Other innovations include a karaoke venue, the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea including bumper cars, roller skating and basketball, and sky diving and surfing simulators.
Spectrum of the Seas will sail a 51-night Global Odyssey from Barcelona to Shanghai next April, taking holidaymakers to 13 countries.
Guests can choose to sail one or more of the five separate segments of the Global Odyssey.
From June 2019, she will introduce new itineraries with visits to new ports, such as Hakodate and Niigita, Japan; Ilocos, Philippines; and Vladivostok, Russia. In winter 2019, the ship will reposition to Hong Kong to offer special holiday cruises.
Meanwhile, the Quantum of the Seas will move to Tianjin next summer. Voyager of the Seas is set to return to Hong Kong and Shenzhen for the summer, and will sail a variety of itineraries calling on Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
Craig Ray and the Expansion of the Blues Trail
Presenting Mississippi’s Cultural Trails with Katie Coats
Robert Terrell: A Journey Through BB King’s Influence
Rochelle Hicks: Celebrating Mississippi’s Musical Legacy
Exploring Jacksonville with Katie Mitura: The Flip Side of Florida
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak
Turkish Airlines flight in emergency landing after pilot dies
Boy falls to death on cruise ship
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel