Cape Liberty News

Anthem of the Seas is forced to run around again after suffering a norovirus outbreak just weeks after being battered by 30-foot waves. Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, is cutting another trip short and heading back to Bayonne early, according to reports. Royal Caribbean tweeted that the ship is turning around to, "provide guests with a comfortable journey back home." The reason given for the return is a norovirus outbreak and possible severe storm, according to the Associated Press. The Associated Press staffer aboard the ship said Sunday that the ship's captain and its cruise director have made announcements about the norovirus issues but it's not clear how many people have been affected by the illness.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd faces at least two lawsuits by passengers accusing the company of negligently endangering their lives by letting its Anthem of the Seas cruise ship sail into a fierce Atlantic storm this month. The lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court in Miami claim that Royal Caribbean knew, or should have known, that a coastal storm carrying hurricane-force winds had been forecast before the ship set sail from Cape Liberty, New Jersey on Feb. 6 for a scheduled seven-night cruise to the Bahamas.

The storm-damaged Royal Caribbean cruise ship Anthem of the Seas is scheduled to return to New York Harbor Wednesday evening where it will be met by a team of inspectors from U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York. Once the vessel’s docked in New Jersey, the Coast Guard team will inspect the vessel to verify the extent of damages and ensure repairs are satisfactorily completed before the ship will be allowed to depart on its next voyage. The Coast Guard will participate in an investigation…

A Royal Caribbean cruise ship forced to turn back early after being battered by an Atlantic storm was expected to return to its New Jersey port at 9 p.m. on Wednesday (0200 GMT Thursday), bringing with it 4,500 rattled guests and 1,600 crew, cruise line officials said. The Anthem of the Seas ship departed Saturday for what was supposed to have been a seven-night cruise. On Sunday it encountered a storm with high winds and 30-foot (9 meter) waves off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Multiple media outlets including CBS News report that Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship Anthem of the Seas was hit by a strong strom, reportedly resulting in no serious injuries but causing some damage to public areas and guest staterooms. The ship is reported enroute to port in Florida. While social media footage and posts purportedly depict minor damage to the ship, including fallen over chairs, any real damage to the ship will only be ascertained once it arrives to port. The ship is one of the newest in the Royal Caribbean fleet…

Maritime innovation never stops, and 2015 was certainly no exception, as a number of “world firsts” hit the high seas. In its December 2015 edition Maritime Reporter & Engineering News (http://digitalmagazines.marinelink.com/nwm/MaritimeReporter/201512/) presented its “Great Ships of 2015;” MarineLink.com takes the process one step further, and here confer the “Top Five Ships” of 2015. With a gross tonnage of 168,666, somewhat smaller than the world's largest Oasis class vessels, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Royal Caribbean’s 2nd Quantum Class cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, was officially delivered to the cruise line by Meyer Werft in a signing ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany. Royal Caribbean Cruises chairman and CEO Richard Fain officially received the 16-deck-high vessel from Germany’s Meyer Werft shipyard. “I am very happy to receive Anthem of the Seas from Meyer Werft Yards,” said Richard. “We’ve always broken the mould with each successive ship we build, and Anthem of the Seas is no different. Anthem of the Seas is 168,666-tons and a sister ship to Royal Caribbean's much-hyped Quantum of the Seas, which launched in October with a number of first-for-the-industry features such as a deck-top ride into the sky and a bar with robot bartenders.

Royal Caribbean International took delivery of its 23rd ship, Anthem of the Seas. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain officially received the new ship from Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer in a signing ceremony held in Bremerhaven, Germany. Anthem of the Seas will now sail to Southampton, U.K., where the ship will homeport through October and sail to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands. The ship will be inaugurated in Southampton on April 20…

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Quantum of the Seas, arrived in the New York Harbor in the early morning hours on November 10. The 167,800-gt cruise ship, built by MEYER WERFT, departed from Bremerhaven to Southampton October 28, 2014, from where she embarked on her Atlantic crossing on November 2. Quantum of the Seas arrived to New York Harbor Monday, passing under the Verazzano Bridge and past the Statue of Liberty before heading into her homeport, New Jersey’s newly refurbished Cape Liberty port.

MEYER WERFT delivered the 167,800-gt cruise ship Quantum of the Seas to the U.S. cruise operator Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. yesterday in Bremerhaven. According to the builder, the first ship of the Quantum class sets new standards in terms of eco-friendliness, featuring highly energy-efficient systems, optimized hydrodynamics, heat recovery, an effective underwater paint coating, a state-of-the-art exhaust gas treatment plant (hybrid scrubber) as well as energy-saving LED lighting systems. The ship can accommodate 4,180 guests in 2,090 cabins, and is staffed by a crew of approximately 1,550.

Royal Caribbean International took delivery today of the newest addition to the cruise line’s fleet, Quantum of the Seas, from Meyer Werft Yard, at an official signing ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany attended by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain and Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer. With Captain Srecko “Felix” Ban at the helm, the ship will begin her journey today to Southampton, U.K., where she will welcome her first guests on November 2, for a trans-Atlantic voyage to her home port of Cape Liberty Cruise Port, Bayonne, New Jersey.

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has announced that it has entered into an agreement with The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey for the cruise company to develop the next phase of Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, N.J. The $55 million project will include the construction of a new, state-of-the-art guest terminal, with 125,000 sq. ft. of check-in, customs and immigration, and luggage processing space, as well as a 900-car parking structure and pier improvements. The new…

Royal Caribbean International unveiled first details of its next generation of cruise vacations – Quantum cruising. The details were unveiled by stage, television and film star, Kristin Chenoweth – Godmother of Quantum of the Seas – at an exclusive event for media and special guests in New York City. The Quantum class of ships will introduce a skydiving experience that transports guests more than 300 feet in the air; transformative venues including the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars…

Royal Caribbean International's first Quantum Class cruise ship will feature a unique crane and viewing gondola supplied by MacGregor; the North Star will lift guests 91m above sea level to give them panoramic views of the sea and surrounding ports of call. MacGregor has won the contract to deliver North Star, an engineering marvel that takes guests to new heights with a jewel-shaped, glass capsule, transporting them on a spectacular journey more than 91 m (300 feet) above the…

The Port Authority of New York & New Jersey Board of Commissioners has approved plans by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to build a new cruise terminal building at the Port Authority-owned marine terminal facility in Bayonne – a major public investment that will spur continued growth in the New Jersey cruise business. As part of its expansion plans, Royal Caribbean also agreed to base its new Quantum of the Seas vessel – the largest cruise ship serving the New York-New Jersey region – at Bayonne beginning in 2014.

Tech-savvy modern travelers will be wowed by Royal Caribbean International's newest ship, 'Quantum of the Seas', which incorporates unprecedented levels of technology to amp up the vacation experience, say owners Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. A brand new venue onboard Quantum of the Seas, 'Bionic Bar', is set to make waves with robots at center stage. Guests place orders via tablets and then have fun watching robotic bartenders hard at work mixing cocktails. Boatloads of bandwidth keep guests connected says the cruise line; easy-to-use systems expand guest choices and simplify schedules; and RFID technology speeds the boarding process and allows guests to keep track of their luggage every step of the way.

The steel cutting for 'Ovation of the Seas', scheduled to be delivered in the autumn of 2016, took place at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, where 'Quantum of the Seas', 'Anthem of the Seas' and now 'Ovation of the Seas' are being built, say owners Royal Caribbean International (RCi). RCI add that the groundbreaking Quantum-class ships will debut new unprecedented features, such as dancing Roboscreens in the unique Two70 entertainment venue; robotic bartenders in Bionic Bar; RipCord by iFLY, the first skydiving experience at sea; the North Star, an engineering marvel that transports guests more than 300 feet above the ocean…

During the second quarter of 2006, occupancy rates on North American cruises rose to 112 percent, the highest second quarter occupancy over the last 4 years, according to figures released by the U.S. The report found that 15.7 million passenger nights were booked on North American cruises, up 2 percent from the same period a year earlier. About 2.4 million passengers were carried on 1,065 cruises by the seventeen largest cruise lines, Growth figures (year to year) were lower than in recent years, due in part to a lull in new ship deployments. “The cruise ship industry is one of the fastest growing marine transportation sectors in the world and is very important to the American economy,” said Maritime Administrator Sean T. Connaughton.

With a dramatic smash of the champagne bottle against its brand new hull, Royal Caribbean International’s 21st cruise ship, Liberty of the Seas, was officially named by travel agent godmother Donnalea Madeley at the Port of Miami. The naming ceremony included performances by the Miami Children’s Chorus, blessings by Rabbi Terry Bookman and Pastor Sverre Tofte, as well as remarks and a tribute by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Chairman and CEO, Richard Fain. Holding the dual-title of world’s largest cruise ship along with sister ship, Freedom of the Seas, Liberty is the first Royal Caribbean ship to showcase the line’s enhanced onboard programming in the wellness, family and teen, and weddings arenas – implemented to give all guests more onboard options and activities.