Quantum's Home Port

[life_dizzy]

This may have been asked, but I couldn't find it...

I know it is only in NJ for the winter (I think ?)...but how do they choose the home ports for the ships? In particular, I am curious as to why they chose Cape Liberty for Quantum, given that it cannot dock in Bermuda due to its size.

 

Is it just that Florida already has the Oasis class ships??

[cruisenfever]

This may have been asked, but I couldn't find it...

I know it is only in NJ for the winter (I think ?)...but how do they choose the home ports for the ships? In particular, I am curious as to why they chose Cape Liberty for Quantum, given that it cannot dock in Bermuda due to its size.

 

Is it just that Florida already has the Oasis class ships??

Quantum will only be in NJ until May 2 when it repos over to China on a 53 day Global Odyssey segmented journey.

Edited August 26, 2014 by cruisenfever

[DEIx15x8]

Cape Liberty has been successful with the Explorer of the Seas for almost a decade without a change. The Quantum class was designed to sail from cold ports which is why she has so much enclosed top deck space rather than open. That means that they were limited to the cooler ports (to logically be able to really sell her on what she was designed for). Since Southampton no longer is used in the winters that just leaves Cape Liberty (Baltimore is to small to fit Quantum). They could have also sent her to Alaska routes but like Southampton it's the wrong season for that and that route is not currently proving the need for greater capacity.

[UCF_Knight]

This may have been asked, but I couldn't find it...

I know it is only in NJ for the winter (I think ?)...but how do they choose the home ports for the ships? In particular, I am curious as to why they chose Cape Liberty for Quantum, given that it cannot dock in Bermuda due to its size.

 

Is it just that Florida already has the Oasis class ships??

 

 

Here's the story.... Royal Caribbean fully intended on having Quantum of the Seas sailing from New York year-round and taking over all itineraries formerly sailed by Explorer of the Seas (Caribbean in Winter, Bermuda in Summer, Canada/New England in the Fall). New York is a growing and lucrative cruise market, and Royal Caribbean wanted to make a big splash with their newest ship sailing from there all year. That's why so much of the initial marketing and reveals were all centered on New York.

 

In their planning, Royal Caribbean thought Bermuda would be capable of accommodating Quantum without issue. However, some simulation testing done caused the authorities in Bermuda to say the channel would need to be deepened and widened before Quantum would be allowed to sail there (even though deeper and wider ships than Quantum were allowed already).

 

Bermuda dragged their feet on committing to the dredging which they said would be required. Royal Caribbean waited as long as they could earlier this year when it came time to announce 2015 sailings, but they couldn't release Summer 2015 sailings to Bermuda on Quantum if Bermuda did not commit to the dredging project being completed by then. The Bermuda authorities were still "studying" the feasibility of dredging when Royal Caribbean had to make a firm decision and release the deployment schedule.

 

Instead of risking announcing sailings to Bermuda they might not be able to make, they decided to significantly alter their original deployment schedule. They decided to use this opportunity to change Quantum's home port to China to try to significantly bolster their efforts to tap into and grow the rapidly expanding market over there.

 

Meanwhile the 2nd Quantum class ship, Anthem of the Seas, was supposed to sail from the UK in summer and from Florida in the Winter (basically taking over all cruises which are now sailed by Independence of the Seas). When they were forced to make the decision to move Quantum from New York to China, they decided to give the Winter sailings of Anthem to New York instead of Florida. So Anthem will be doing the Winter sailings out of New York which Quantum was going to be doing. Meanwhile, to do the summer sailings to Bermuda and the fall sailings to Canada/New England out of New York they decided to use Liberty of the Seas.

 

When the 3rd Quantum class ship comes out in 2016, we'll have to see if they go back to the original plan of having 1 Quantum class sailing from New York year round and one splitting time between UK and Florida. If Bermuda gets the dredging done, it is still possible.

[life_dizzy]

Ah, I understand more now. I have read up on a lot of the technology on the new ship, but I don't think I realized how much it was built for cooler weather like that. It makes sense.

 

Thanks for the replies!