Royal Caribbean announced today it has ordered a fourth Quantum-class cruise ship that will be ready for delivery in 2019.

Royal Caribbean entered into an agreement with Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany to build the fourth Quantum-class cruise ship.

The fourth ship in the Quantum-class does not have a name yet but will be the sister ship to Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas.

“Today’s announcement is a reflection of the success of the first two Quantum-class ships,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “We have received a       remarkable response from travel agent partners and travelers, and are thrilled that we’ll be able to deliver another revolutionary ship with our partners at Meyer Werft.”

“The fourth Quantum class vessel will be a trailblazer in smart-ship design and vacation innovation,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Royal Caribbean International is synonymous with adventure, and the icons and amenities on this ship will continue to challenge and expand guests’ expectations of the cruise experience.”

The order is contingent upon the completion of customary conditions, including financing.

Royal Caribbean has signed a deal with Alfa Laval to provide Royal Caribbean ships exhaust gas cleaning systems known as scrubbers.

Freedom of the Seas, Independence of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas will each receive a hybrid scrubber with multiple inlets, while Adventure of the Seas will receive an inline hybrid with one main engine connected.

The Alfa Laval PureSOx exhaust gas cleaning system is gaining ground in the cruise ship market. Following a lengthy selection and qualification process, four PureSOx scrubbers have been ordered by Royal Caribbean. Three of these will be PureSOx 2.0 systems as presented at SMM 2014, while the fourth will be the first test inline version of PureSOx. 

Royal Caribbean Executive Vice President, Maritime Harri Kulovaara, commented on the deal, “SOx scrubber systems are part of our commitment to meeting or exceeding important environmental standards, as they allow compliance even where low-sulphur fuels have limited availability,” says . “We chose Alfa Laval and PureSOx on the basis of strong references, a strong technical platform and a strong willingness to cooperate in implementing the technology on our vessels.” 

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 92 is available for downloading where friends join Matt to discuss their recent cruise aboard Anthem of the Seas.

Anthem of the Seas is now offering cruises to the public and she's been the subject of so much attention lately that Matt invited back to the podcast a few friends who were also onboard to discuss their experiences on this impressive new ship.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 92. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

The Ports of Auckland, New Zealand might be saying "no thank you" to Royal Caribbean's brand new cruise ship, Ovation of the Seas.

Earlier this week, the porth authority decided not to build a wharf extension that is necessary for a ship the size of Ovation of the Seas to dock at.  Now the Auckland Council has taken over negotiations in an effort to have the ship stop in Auckland.

Royal Caribbean still believes Ovation of the Seas could still stop in Auckland after meeting with port and council representatives yesterday.

"Absolutely, after that meeting I believe Auckland will be a possibility.  It was very positive, we put our requests and got the promise they will look at that, and come back with a final answer," Royal Caribbean port captain Nik Antalis told Radio New Zealand.

A flurry of political warnings and maneuvering began on Friday when Ports of Auckland announced the 98-metre-long Bledisloe 3 extension would not be completed and thus, Ovation of the Seas would not be able to visit.

Royal Caribbean is celebrating Military Appreciation Month by offering servicemen and womenup to $100 in bonus onboard spending when they book a cruise.

Members of the military that book any Royal Caribbean cruise that departs between July 1, 2015 – April 30, 2017 are eligible for a bonus onboard credit offer as follows

• $25 OBC per stateroom for 3-5 night cruise

• $50 OBC per stateroom for 6-9 night cruise

• $100 OBC per stateroom for 10 night or longer cruise

Bookings must be made between May 1 -31, 2015.

Offer applies to active and retired U.S. and Canada Military personnel who meet the qualifications listed at royalcaribbean.com (“Military Personnel”).  

The offer is combinable with the other current promotions Royal Caribbean is offering.

Royal Caribbean brings another smash hit musical to guests - We Will Rock You! Written by British-comedian Ben Elton, this hilarious award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon is built around 24 of the greatest hits of British rock legend, Queen.

Royal Caribbean announce dtoday John Sulley will be its new vice president of Food and Beverage Operations.

Chef Suley will oversee more than 265 individual restaurants aboard 23 of the most innovative cruise ships sailing around the world.

Prior to this position, Chef Suley was the associate vice president of Food and Beverage Operations for Celebrity Cruises, where he led all menu development and implementation, chef recruitment and training. Most recently, he was instrumental in the brand’s many recognitions in the Wine Spectator 2014 Restaurant Wine List Awards, as well as the lauded launch of Celebrity’s suite-class restaurant Luminae.

Prior to joining Celebrity Cruises in 2011, he was the executive chef at three-time James Beard Award-winner Alfred Portale’s Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City and Gotham Steak, fomerly at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. The innovative Chef Suley also has worked at high-profile hospitality brands, including the Ritz Carlton, South Beach, Waldorf Astoria and St. Regis Hotels, and alongside some of the world’s most accomplished chefs, including Daniel Boulud.

Royal Caribbean senior vice president of Hotel Operations for Royal Caribbean, Mark Tamis, commented on Suley's promotion, "We are very excited to welcome John to Royal Caribbean.  John brings awesome experience and unmatched skill in delivering delicious dining experiences on land and at sea. His high-energy leadership will continue to elevate the onboard dining experience for our guests as part of the best vacations that only Royal Caribbean can deliver."

Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley confirmed the company will release a new Suite Class package of amenities in 2016.

Travel Weekly is reporting Bayley made the announcement at a conference last week.  Details about the program are still being determined.

The announcement confirms an earlier report by Royal Caribbean senior vice president of sales Vicki Freed made about the new endeavor.

The program will likely be similar to sister-company Celebrity Cruises's Suite Class program, where guests in suites have access to tiered benefits. 

According to Travel Weekly, Bayley indicated Royal Caribbean's Suite Class is intended for the high-value customer.

It's time for sushi at Izumi on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas!

Izumi is the Japanese specialty restaurant that first debuted on Oasis of the Seas and has been spreading across Royal Caribbean's fleet ever since. 

Izumi specializes in mainly sushi, although there are some non-sushi items on the menu.  I've been to Izumi on Oasis of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas and it's been a great option because, well, I love sushi.

Going on Quantum of the Seas, I had to give Izumi a try even if I had trouble getting a reservation.  On my cruise, Izumi did not take any reservations for lunch but did take reservations for dinner.  I was able to get a table for lunch just as they were opening up at noon!

I've always enjoyed eating at Izumi because of the great quality sushi available, especially compared to the sort of sushi you would find in the Windjammer on other cruises.  

Atmosphere

Izumi is located on deck 5, in the heart of the Royal Esplanade.  It's nearly dead center in the ship, located between the Schooner Bar and Wonderland.

Izumi has a very open floor plan, with much of the restaurant exposed to the walk way that literally cuts through the restaurant.  There's bound to be a lot of other passengers walking by you, especially the tables closest to the entrance.  If you're looking for a quiet, intimate spot for a meal, this is not it.

The layout of Izumi is essentially a rectangle with a few extra tables opposite the entrance. There's also a sushi bar you can sit at for smaller groups or for those that want to see the chefs in action.

The furniture and look of Izumi is of a modern Japanese restaurant, with lots of reds and whites.  

It's interesting to see where Royal Caribbean placed Izumi, because of the complete lack of separation from the areas around it.  Unlike other Izumi restaurants on other ships that have dedicated rooms, on Quantum of the Seas, Izumi is much more open and feels like a "junior specialty restaurant".  

Eats

The menu on Quantum of the Seas is the same, whether you eat at Izumi for lunch or dinner.  

Nearly all of the items on the menu are sushi and we did not see the hot rock Japanese food that I first sampled on Oasis of the Seas (my wife would not have been pleased).  If you're okay with just sushi, the menu will be fantastic.

Like all Izumi's I have ever dined at, the miso soup and edamame soy beans are complimentary and you can have as much of either as you like.  

Both appetizers are very good and there is plenty of edamame to go around (as well as salt).  It's a great way to start off your meal.

The sushi offerings break down between nigri/sashimi, rolls and combinations.  Personally, I love to get a few different rolls to sample what appeals to me.

I found the prices of rolls at Izumi to be about average for what you would pay for similar rolls on land.  The chef's signature rolls tend to be more expensive but  most of the rolls will run you between $9 and $12, with most in the $10-11 range.  In the grand scheme of sushi roll prices, it's neither cheap nor expensive.

I opted for the box yellowtail in garlic ponzu roll as well as crispy spicy tuna roll.  I also ordered two yellowtail sashimi.  Tuna and yellowtail are my favorite types of fish for sushi, so I stuck with my guns.

Both rolls had excellent flavor and I thought the size of the rolls were about the same as what I might get on land.  I did not order any kind of crazy sushi rolls either, so what I received is right in line with my expectations.

I received six pieces for the box yellowtail roll and eight pieces for the crispy spicy tuna.  That's a great value for sushi.

My friends dining with me also had other kinds of sushi, including this DX sushi combination plate.  Both of them reported it was quite good.

Overall

Izumi is exactly what it advertises, a great spot for anyone that is in the mood for sushi.  

Royal Caribbean has set the bar for Izumi restaurants across its fleet and the Izumi on Quantum of the Seas easily meets that expectation.  Royal Caribbean did not reinvent what Izumi is with Quantum of the Seas, but instead offers another good choice for a specialty restaurant lunch or dinner meal.

I mentioned earlier I felt like Izumi was a "junior specialty restaurant", because I don't think it's on par with restaurants like Chops Grille, Wonderland or Jamie's Italian in terms of overall experience.  Please do not take this to mean Izumi is not worth your time or is in anyway substandard. Rather, it's a different kind of experience.  Izumi more closely matches up with specialty restaurants such as Michael's Genuine Pub or Johnny Rockets because they are smaller and have lower price points.

If it were up to me, I would eat sushi everyday and certainly Izumi is a great spot to do just that.  If you want really good sushi on your Quantum of the Seas cruise, then Izumi is the place for you.

What do you think of Izumi? Please let us know with a comment!

Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas is back in service after a dry dock refurbishment and she's sailing from Southampton, UK.

The refurbishment took place over six weeks in Cadiz, Spain.

The changes to Explorer of the Seas include:

• Complete refit of the pool deck
• Addition of Flowrider surf simulator
• Addition of 24 new panoramic staterooms
• Addition of 80 virtual balcony staterooms
• New outdoor movie screen by the pool
• Stateroom televisions have been upgraded to flat screen televisions
• New restaurants
  • Chops Grille
  • Giovanni's Table
  • Izumi
• ​​Refit of the main dining room
• Addition of R-Bar

Royal Caribbean’s UK and Ireland managing director Stuart Leven commented, “To all intents and purposes this is a brand spanking new ship operating in the UK market this summer."

Explorer of the Seas began cruising to the Canary islands this week and will make Southampton her home port until the fall, when she will reposition to Australia.