Royal Caribbean held a press conference earlier today at STX France shipyard to discuss Harmony of the Seas with members of the European press.

Present at the question and answer session were Royal Caribbean Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations Mark Tamis & STX France Responsable d'affaire, Jean Yves Pean.  

The event was hoted by Royal Caribbean Vice President of Entertainment Nick Weir and also featured a video segment with Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley.

At the event, some tidbits and factoids were shared with those in attendance.

• Harmony of the Seas cost is "somewhere north of a billion dollars"
• Harmony of the Seas will be 20% more efficient than the other two Oasis class ships, thanks to improvements in hydronamic design, a new type of engine and product enhancements
  • Harmony of the Seas will benefit from bubbles to lessen hull friction in the water. Tiny bubbles stick to the bottom of the ship's hull so the ship literally is sailing on a cushion of air.
• Harmony of the Seas will be 33 centimeters longer than Allure of the Seas, making it the largest cruise ship in the world.
• Some of the technology from the Quantum class ships Two70 space will be utilized in Studio B.
• The AquaTheater will feature video projection mapping on the two "tusks".
• There will also be an aerial element in the AquaTheater that involves "3D flying", where acrobats can be flown all around the AquaTheater.
• Bionic Bar will replace Champagne Bar on Harmony of the Seas.
• Jamie's Italian will replace Giovanni's Table on Harmony of the Seas.
• A new menu with new offerings will be in Harmony of the Seas' main dining room.
• Wonderland will feature a bar that has "creative cocktails" for guests even if they are not dining in the restaurant.
• There will be more space available in the staterooms by making them longer, especially from deck 6 and above.
• The Stowaway piano player will be onboard Harmony of the Seas.
• Puzzle Break escape room will be on Harmony of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean is counting down the days until its brand new Harmony of the Seas debuts, so for the next 99 days we will be posting something every day about this amazing new ship.

DreamWorks Experience

Ever since Royal Caribbean partnered with DreamWorks to bring their characters onboard Royal Caribbean's cruise ships, it's been a big hit.  Not surprisingly, the DreamWorks Experience will be coming to Quantum of the Seas too.

DreamWorks Animation characters including Po of Kung Fu Panda; Shrek, Fiona and Puss in Boots of Shrek; and from Madagascar, Alex the Lion, Gloria the Hippo, King Julien and the Penguins will be available for guests to meet during their Harmony of the Sea cruise.

In addition to character meets, guests can enjoy DreamWorks Experience activities including

• A DreamWorks Character breakfast in the main dining room
• 'Meet and greet’ experiences throughout the day
• Photo opportunities with the characters

Kids can also get the chance to play with their favorite DreamWorks Animation characters at Adventure Ocean

• Story time
• Dance parties
• Adventures rooted in the popular character stories

Of course, you will be able to watch DreamWorks films in the ship’s 3D movie theater and on a dedicated DreamWorks TV channel in their stateroom.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!

Royal Caribbean's newest cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas, is scheduled to have her float out from Meyer Werft's covered building dock on February 18, 2016.

The 168,666-gt cruise ship is the third Quantum class cruise ship and has taken just 18 months of construction to reach this point.

The float-out of the ship will commence aroind 12:30pm local time.

Following the float-out, more tests will be carried out in the harbor and the ship will be berthed alongside the yard's outfitting pier.

Delays in the float out schedule may occur due to weather conditions.

An overview of Quantum class’ SeaPlex like you’ve never seen. From bumper cars to circus school, SeaPlex, brings out the playful side of guests. Get a unique look at some of the fun activities offered in this one-of-a-kind space onboard Quantum class ships.

Royal Caribbean has added two more of its vessels to its schedule of ships to receive refurbishments in 2016.

Radiance of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas are now appearing on the 2016 refurbishment schedule.

There is no word yet on what changes are coming to either ship.  

Royal Caribbean just wrapped up its Liberty of the Seas refurbishment and has a busy year ahead with changes coming to the ships.

To countdown the launch of Royal Caribbean's new cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, we're blogging about one aspect of the ship each day for 99 days. Check back each day for something exciting to read about this new ship.

Royal Caribbean's Oasis class ships have been known for offering guests a lot of dining options and Harmony of the Seas will continue in that tradition by offering a new restaurant to the Oasis class.

Wonderland is an imaginative take on specialty dining, where the experience is just as important as the food offered.

READ YESTERDAY'S POST ABOUT ULTIMATE ABYSS

Since Wonderland debuted on Quantum of the Seas, guests have fallen in love with the creative aspect of this specialty restaurant.

On Harmony of the Seas, guests will find the first two-story Wonderland restaurant, where guests can enjoy totally inventinve and "maddeningly delicious" cuisine.

Based on artist renderings, it also looks like Royal Caribbean will make this new Wonderland even more intriguing to look at, with a great deal of different decor choices.

Once in Wonderland, guests can enjoy six exciting themes from the menu: Sun, Sea, Ice, Earth, Fire and Dreams.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate 99 days of Harmony!

The port of Brisbane, Australia has proposed a brand new cruise terminal that is capable of supporting cruise ships 300 meters long with about 6000 passengers on board.

Photo by Port of Brisbane Authority

The $100 million cruise ship terminal concept is proposed by the Port of Brisbane Authority and backed by Royal Caribbean and Carnival Cruise Lines.

If approved, it would be built by the private sector without the needing for public funding. 

Brisbane's current cruise terminal can only support ships as large as 270 meters, but cruise ships these days are getting larger and larger.

We're counting down the days until Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas debuts, with our 99 days of Quantum countdown.  Each day we will post something about this amazing new ship.

Ultimate Abyss

Guests onboard Harmony of the Seas can look forward to a brand new thrill: a story drop on a brand new slide called, "Ultimate Abyss."

Ultimate Abyss will be the tallest slide at sea and also an epic adventure.

READ YESTERDAY'S POST ALL ABOUT GREASE

The Ultimate Abyss is more than 150 feet above sea level and offers side-by-side slides that send guests down 10 decks at a rate of 9 miles per hour.

Launching onto the ride from a glass platform, guests can take one last look at the Boardwalk 10 decks below before climbing onto a customized mat and taking the plunge into the depths of the daunting slides. Spontaneous audio effects within each tunnel create a multi-sensory thrill for daring guests willing to test their mettle while traversing 216 feet through the one-of-a-kind slide duo. The Ultimate Abyss is made up of two separate cylinders, a reflection of one-another, each with a diameter of approximately 2.6 feet and constructed of stainless steel.

Happy Valentine's Day! Hope your day is filled with chocolate, flowers and a Royal Caribbean cruise! We are spreading the Royal Caribbean love with our look at all the Royal Caribbean news from this week.

Unfortunately, the big news this week was word of Anthem of the Seas running into a large winter storm in the Atlantic that saw wind speeds over 150 miles per hour and waves over 30 feet in height.

Following the storm, Royal Caribbean made the decision to return Anthem of the Seas to her homeport early and offer its guests full refunds.

The ship sustained mostly superficial damage, but an onslaught of media attention painted the story very negatively.

Royal Caribbean apologized for the incident and added it has created a new weather team at its headquarters to provide additional assistance to ships in determining the severity of storms.

There is a lot more Royal Caribbean news to share...

• Liberty of the Seas returned to service after a month-long drydock.
• Some of the water slides opened on Liberty of the Seas this week.
• A new Royal Caribbean sale begins this week, with 30% off all fares.
• Here is a look at one of the big artwork pieces coming to Harmony of the Seas.
• Our list of the top decadent Royal Caribbean snacks.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The 132nd episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're talking about Royal Caribbean's Royal Promenade

In this episode, Matt talks about what the Royal Promenade is, what it offers guests and why he thinks it is such a great spot onboard for so many activities.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds

If you are on a Royal Caribbean cruise and spot something cool, new or just fun, share a photo with us on Facebook or Twitter so we can add it to our Royal Caribbean Blog Reader Finds each Sunday!

Ron shared a photo of treats from Cafe Promenade. 

Travis Kamiyama posted this amazing sushi platter.

Kayla Gillman shared this photo of the Royal Promenade on Independence of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean is counting down the days until its brand new Harmony of the Seas debuts and as of today, there are 99 days until that happens, so for the next 99 days we will be posting something every day about this amazing new ship.

Grease

Ever since Royal Caribbean introduced Broadway shows to its cruise ships, guests have been clamoring for more and Harmony of the Seas will feature a brand new Broadway show that has proven to be a classic for years, Grease.

The all-new, never-before-seen stage production, specially adapted by Royal Caribbean Productions, will boast a soundtrack of crowd favorites such as “Summer Nights,” “Greased Lightnin’,” “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee,” “Born to Hand-Jive,” “Beauty School Dropout” and more.

“Grease is a show that speaks to families of all ages and is sure to get guests out of their seats, singing and dancing, which is why we made the unprecedented decision to have it debut on Harmony and premiere it onboard Independence immediately, starting in July,” said Nick Weir, Vice President, Entertainment, Royal Caribbean International. “As the first cruise line to bring Broadway performances onboard its ships, it’s only fitting that we would also be the first to bring Grease to the hospitality industry.”

The fact that tickets to Grease are complimentary is a big deal when you consider how much Broadway show tickets cost, even if the show is on tour off Broadway.

Royal Caribbean has made a name for itself by offering Broadway shows on its cruise ships, including Cats on Oasis of the Seas, MAMMA MIA! on Allure of the Seas, Saturday Night Fever on Liberty of the Seas and now, Grease on Harmony of the Seas and Independence of the Seas.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post as we celebrate the 99 days of Harmony!