Cruise - Start of steelcutting for ROYAL CARIBBEAN QUANTUM-ULTRA -Class

With the first steelcutting for the first ship for ROYAL CARIBBEAN´s new QUANTUM-ULTRA-Class begins with the construction number S.700. The construction for the new cruise ship for ROYAL CARIBBEAN began with this firing of the first steel plate at MEYER WERFT in Papenburg, Germany.
by Earl of Cruise

First steel cutting at MEYER for SPECTRUM of the SEAS - courtsey MEYER WERFT

The ROYAL CARIBBEAN new building with the construction number S.700 at MEYER WERFT is already the fourth unit of ROYAL CARIBBEAN´s QUANTUM series and is to be named SPECTRUM of the SEAS. The similar near sister ships QUANTUM of the SEAS, ANTHEM of the SEAS and OVATION of the SEAS were delivered to the shipping company in autumn 2014, spring 2015 and spring 2016. For MEYER it is perfectly suiting, as it covering their plattform ship constructing philosophy, as single ship development and construction is getting more and more expensive, as the mass market companies are nowadays only interested in "cheap construction costs". Mass market budget pricing dictates this strategy.

These mass market vessels will be financed for 12 years with a first loan,, which has to be refinanced with another 12 years loan as the revenues cannot finance these ships from the passage fares and the added extra revenues by further costs to pay by the passenger when onboard. Therefore these mass market cruise vessels generated into floating shopping mals, extra paid dining venues ... everything aside the "normal cruise experience" has to be paid extra!
The completion of the SPECTRUM of the SEAS is planned for spring 2019. The ship of the new QUANTUM-ULTRA -Class with a GT of 168 800, a length of 347,1 m and a beam of 41,4 m, is to accommodate about 4200 passengers in 2090 cabins.

The new QUANTUM-ULTRA-Class vessels with have so called suites, and "virtual balconies"! ... Virtual Balconies?
The project manager Carsten Pengel (MEYER WERFT) and Sebastian Brunila (ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES Ltd.) participated in the small celebration ceremony on the occasion of the first steel cutting of the computer-controlled combustion engine in the laser center at MEYER´s. "We are very pleased to be able to build these innovative ships for ROYAL CARIBBEAN and to continue our long-term business relationship", said Stephan Schmees, Project Manager of MEYER WERFT.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN has signed a contract to build a second QUANTUM-ULTRA-Class vessel with MEYER.

(from left) Sebastian Brunila, Stephan Schmees and Carsten Pengel during the start of steel cutting - Source: SCHIFF&HAFEN

The name for the new ship was announced this week. It will be called SPECTRUM of the SEAS and continues the successful energy saving potentials of the predecessors.

QUANTUMof the SEAS of ROYAL CARIBBEAN, what will be next on the ULTRA-Class? A London Eye? For sure these new vessels will have the "NORTH STAR" on board! - Source: Wikipedia

It is planned to position the new construction of the QUANTUM-ULTRA-Class, which will be delivered by MEYER WERFT shipyard in Papenburg in the spring of 2019, in Hamburg. "This will be the best ship in Hamburg", said Geisler, and a challenging AIDA, TUI CRUISES, MSC and NCL.

Once the audience had been astonished by uncluttered decks, shown by NORMANDIE. We admire him for this! But when we look at the new "fun pressure floating resorts" we see cluttered upper decks with a variety of structures to amuse and distract the masses on board.

As long, as cruise companies are fixed to their mass market strategies, we will see similar "vessels" resembling a floating run factory resort, where passengers are amused till they drop.

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