Looking around Spectrum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean International's Spectrum of the Seas is the first of the new Quntum Ultra Class. Since it's dedicated to the Chinese market and based in Shanghai, most Westerners won't have an opportunity to see it. Take this opportunity to take a quick look around Spectrum and see her unique features as well as some of her familiar ones.

And Another Ship You Won't Be Sailing

Knowing that none of our subscribers are in China, it's a safe bet you won't be sailing aboard Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas as it is dedicated to the local market in China.

It has arrived at Shanghai, and was named today in a “grand naming ceremony.” Chinese celebrities, Xiaoming Huang and Angelababy, who also happen to be Royal Caribbean brand ambassadors, also became godparents of Spectrum of the Seas. At the ceremony today, they named the ship and bestowed a blessing of safekeeping over all those who sail on Spectrum.

Details appeared in the June 3 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Spectrum of the Seas Delivered

Meyer Werft handed over the first Quantum Ultra-class ship today to RCCL in Bremerhaven. Spectrum of the Seas is now sailing to Barcelona from which it will sail its repositioning cruise on April 18.

That cruise will eventually take Spectrum to Shanghai where it will be homeported year-round beginning June 6.

Video of the day's events is below.

Details appeared in the April 11 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Video courtesy of Royal Caribbean International. All rights reserved.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - March 26, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• ABB winning a contract to supply the propulsion and Azipod systems for the first cruise ship built in China which will be operated by CSSC Carnival. Delivery of the ship is scheduled for 2023.
• Royal Caribbean releasing a video that follows Spectrum of the Seas from Meyer Werft down the Ems River during its careful conveyance. (The video is below)

Details appeared in the March 26 edition of Cruise News Daily 

Video courtesy of Royal Caribbean International. All rights reserved.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - March 19, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• Carnival Cruise Line and Port Canaveral broke ground on the new Terminal 3 which will be used by Carnival's Mardi Gras.
• Meyer Werft delayed the departure of Spectrum of the Seas' conveyance down the Ems River until Wednesday morning (local time in Germany) due to low water levels in the river. 
• There was a minor fire aboard Costa Smeralda in the Meyer-Turku yard on Monday afternoon.

Details were in the March 19 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Spectrum of the Seas beginning its departure from Meyer Werft. 

Photo courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - March 14, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• MSC finalizing their order with Fincantieri for four small luxury ships to be delivered beginning in 2023.
• Meyer Werft schedules Spectrum of the Seas' river transit to begin March 19. 

Details appeared in the March 14 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Spectrum of the Seas ready for river conveyance

Photo courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. 

Other Things You'll Want to Know - February 27, 2019

CND subscribers also read about:

• A delay in Norwegian Gem's turnaround
• A delay in a murder trial for an Alaskan cruise passenger
• A deal for leapsters down under
• Royal Caribbean's take on Spectrum of the Seas' float out.

Details appeared in the February 27 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Video courtesy of Royal Caribbean International. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Another Perspective on Spectrum of the Seas' Float Out

Meyer Werft provided their perspective on the float out of Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas on February 25, 2019.



Video courtesy of Meyer Werft. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

A Look under the Ship

Last week Meyer Werft attached the propellers to Spectrum of the Seas' Azipods. The five-day process was completed on February 20 in anticipation of this week's float out.

The two propellers each weigh 29 tons, which includes five blades weighing 3 tons each.

This story appeared in the February 25 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

Video courtesy of Royal Caribbean International. All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission.

Meyer Werft Floats Out Spectrum of the Seas

Meyer Werft floated Spectrum of Seas out of their covered building dock tonight (this afternoon US time) and parked it at the outfitting pier to get it ready to leave the yard in mid-March.

It also has set of a game of Musical Berths with a piece of Norwegian Encore.

The complete story appeared in the February 25 issue of Cruise News Daily. 

All rights reserved. May not be copied or used without express permission. 

Spectrum of the Seas' Azipods Attached

Work on Spectrum of the Seas is continuing at Meyer Werft. The latest milestone is the attachment of the podded propulsion system, which is built by ABB in Helsinki. It's not a matter of just screwing on the pods. It takes at least a day and a half to install the 200-ton unit. In this video, Royal Caribbean manages to shrink it all down to about a minute. Propellers will be attached to the pods in February. Spectrum of the Seas will enter service in China in June. It may take a few viewings to read everything and see everything in this video.

Other Things You'll Want to Know - September 13, 2018

CND subscribers also read about:

• NCL change the itinerary of Norwegian Escape again thanks to a change by Hurricane Florence. 
• It's not often you get something free in Alaska.
• Meyer Werft put the two parts of Spectrum of the Seas together. You can see it happen in the video below. 

Details appeared in the September 13 issue of Cruise News Daily.

A Whole New Spectrum of Features

Spectrum of the Seas, the first of Royal Caribbean's Quantum Ultra Class ships, is about a year away from entering service in China, and the line is ready to start talking about new features which will debut aboard Spectrum, and likely will then find their way onto other RCI ships.

The ship is currently under construction at Meyer Werft in Papenburg (Germany), and when we last talked about it at the beginning of the month, it was to look at Meyer's construction method for larger vessels, and a section of Spectrum has just been floated out.

The complete story appeared in the June 12 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Spectrum Construction Update

Photos released by Royal Caribbean and Meyer Werft this week graphically demonstrate Meyer's latest method of ship construction to maximize use of their indoor building dock at their Papenburg (Germany) facility.

Details appeared in the May 31 edition of Cruise News Daily. 

Spectrum of the Seas Takes Shape

Meyer Shipyards laid the keel today for Royal Caribbean's Spectrum of the Seas at their Neptune Weft at Rostock. Spectrum will be the first of the Quantum-Ultra class, a progression of Royal Caribbean's successful Quantum-class. When completed, it will have a gross tonnage of 168,800 tons and carry approximately 4,200 passengers.

Details appeared in the November 8 edition of Cruise News Daily.

Meyer and Royal Caribbean executives in front of the massive 938-ton first block of Spectrum of the Seas

Meyer Werft Begins Work on First Quantum Ultra

Meyer Werft began the first step of construction Tuesday on the next evolution of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class, called Quantum Ultra.

Officially designated by the yard as newbuild S.700, Royal Caribbean revealed the ship will be named Spectrum of the Seas.

The complete story appeared in the August 16 edition of Cruise News Daily.