Royal Caribbean had its newest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, formally christened today at a ceremony in Southmapton, UK.

At the naming ceremony, the ship's godmother, Emma Wilby, performed the honor of naming the ship and then pressed a button that released a bottle of champagne that broke across the ship's hull.

Wilby, a travel agent that was selected to be the ship's godmother as part of a talent search, also sang the hit song "Firework" that was made famous by Katy Perry.

Anthem of the Seas is hosting members of the media and other VIPs for a short 2-night cruise before she embarks upon her first regularly scheduled cruise on April 22nd.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas has arrived and it is already generating a lot of buzz and interest.  She has a ton of amazing innovations, entertainment, dining choices and more, but what we really love is just how pretty she is, especially at night.

Check out these photos of Anthem of the Seas after the sun goes down to get a good appreciation for Anthem's beauty when the lights come on.

All photos by Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean reported its 2015 first quarter earnings today that came in notably higher than expected.

Royal Caribbean's adjusted net income was $45.2 million, or $0.20 per share, versus a forecast of $0.10 to $0.15 per share. Results were approximately $0.08 better than the mid-point of guidance, despite a $0.05 currency and fuel headwind.

Overall booking volumes during the first quarter were higher than prior year levels even after adjusting for an increase in capacity.  Caribbean itineraries enjoyed particularly strong demand, and bookings were also up year-over-year for Europe and China itineraries.

More recently, Royal Caribbean has taken further steps to improve the integrity of its pricing model including steps to eliminate last minute discounting.

European itineraries in general are booked at a higher load factor  than last year. Western Mediterranean itineraries have been booking well, while trends have been a little weaker for Eastern Mediterranean itineraries, particularly those that turn in Turkey.

Demand for China remains strong and bookings have been outpacing expectations despite the significant capacity growth in the region. 

Stay up-to-date with all the Royal Caribbean news from this week with our roundup of all this week's news.

There's no doubt the big news this week is Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas made her grand debut in Southampton, UK this week, marking the arrival of the cruise line's second Quantum-class cruise ship.

Anthem of the Seas will have her official inaugural ceremony tomorrow but already she's offering a pre-inaugural 2-night cruise as we speak and that means we have a lot of photos from onboard Anthem of the Seas to share.

Check out our photos from all over Anthem of the Seas, as well as a video of her arrival into Southampton.

Royal Caribbean News

• Ovation of the Seas will cruise to Australia in winter 2016-2017.
• Royal Caribbean is giving all past Quantum of the Seas cruisers $100 onboard credit.
• We have photos from inside the Puzzle Break room on Anthem of the Seas.
• Our guide of things to do in Old San Juan.
• Allure of the Seas will have her drydock at Navantia shipyard.
• What you need to know about Anthem of the Seas.
• Our full review of Silk on Quantum of the Seas.
• Legend of the Seas experienced a gastrointestinal virus outbreak.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The eighty-ninth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and this week we are reviewing Royal Caribbean's Dynamic Dining program.

In this episode, Matt and Don discuss what Dynamic Dining is, as well as how well it works and what they like about it and don't like about this new take on cruise ship dining.

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.

Join us aboard the largest cruise ship in the world!

We're so excited to announce the next group cruise for readers and staff of RoyalCaribbeanBlog.com aboard Allure of the Seas!  This is an exclusive group where we are inviting you, our readers, to join us on a fantastic Allure of the Seas sailing on an 7-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.

This Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise is all about enjoying a fun Royal Caribbean cruise along with other fans who are big fans of Royal Caribbean.  Don't miss this opportunity to check out the amazing ship as well as be a part of exclusive events for those that book with our group!

For more details on booking the cruise, the itinerary and prices, check out the Royal Caribbean Blog group cruise page and if you have any questions, email me!

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

Forbes interviewed Royal Caribbean COO Adam Goldstein about the growth and popularity of Royal Caribbean.

World of Cruising discussed life on board Anthem of the Seas with cruise director Joff Eaton.

The Motley Fool has a look at how Royal Caribbean plans to get U.S. and European cruisers to China.

Mirror reports when Thomson's acquires Splendour of the Seas, she will be renamed Thomson Discovery.

With Anthem of the Seas preparing for her inaugural cruise, we have photos from all over Royal Caribbean's brand new ship.

Anthem of the Seas is sailing out of Southampton, UK through October, where she will sail to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.

Royal Caribbean has packed Anthem of the Seas with quite a number of intriguing onboard activities, restaurants and amenities.

Later this year, Anthem of the Seas will reposition to Cape Liberty, New Jersey and offer cruises out of the New York area.

Anthem of the Seas is the second Quantum-class cruise ship and is labeled as one of the most technologically advanced cruise ships ever.  High speed internet, RFID technology, robotic bartenders and entertainment advances all make this ship a technological marvel.

We're getting our first look inside Royal Caribbean's brand new Anthem of the Seas, including the Puzzle Break room.

We first reported that Royal Caribbean was partnering with a company called Puzzle Break earlier this month, which will offer a new experience called "Escape from the Future."

The new room on Anthem of the Seas is based on the Crystal Maze game show and is a first of its kind at sea.

Royal Caribbean's next great adventure, Anthem of the Seas, has arrived. The world's most technologically advanced ship is now sailing from her homeport in Southampton, UK., through October where she will sail to the Mediterranean and Canary Islands.

Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas will have its upcoming drydock session take place at Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain.

Cruise Industry News reports that the dry dock work will provide ship-repair, revitalization, upgrading and related marine services for Allure of the Seas, as well as other future work on the fleet.

Royal Caribbean first started working with Navantia back in 2011, when when Navantia won the bid to refurb Splendour of the Seas. Since then, the yard has worked on ships across Royal Caribbean’s brands.

The agreement runs through 2016 and includes the current drydocking of Explorer of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas this May, as well as other ships.

Tip of the hat to Cruise Industry News for getting the information first.

Royal Caribbean released new photos today from all around its newest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas.

These photos show off many public spaces onboard the ship just days before the ship is scheduled to have it's inaugural ceremony.

Michael's Genuine Pub. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Gigi the Giraffe. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Cafe @ Two70. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Sunshine Bar in Solarium. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Schooner Bar. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Pool deck. Photo by Royal Caribbean

La Patisserie. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Jamie's Italian. Photo by Royal Caribbean

H2O Zone. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Devinly Decadence. Photo by Royal Caribbean

H2O Zone. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Devinly Decadence. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Artwork in the Royal Esplanade . Photo by Royal Caribbean

American Icon Grill. Photo by Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean CEO Michael Bayley sent an email to all past guests that have sailed on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas with an offer of $100 onboard credit towards a future cruise on Anthem of the Seas.

Bayley's email was sent in response to the negative feedback surrounding Dynamic Dining on Quantum of the Seas in the ship's first few months.  Since that time, Royal Caribbean has worked to refine Dynamic Dining and the general Quantum-class experience.

Here is the content of the email to past passengers:

Thank you for being one of the first to sail onboard Quantum of the Seas. As the newest ship in our fleet, Quantum introduced many new concepts—which, I'm sure, is part of the reason you wanted to be among the first to experience it all. I know that things were not perfect, especially in the first few months of the inaugural season as we worked to refine the experience we set out to deliver. We listened to your feedback and it was clear we had some room to improve, especially with Dynamic Dining.

Many of you liked the flexibility of Dynamic Dining, but encountered issues with making reservations. Others simply wanted the more traditional dining experience to which they were accustomed on other ships. I assure you that we learn more with every sailing and with every comment we receive, and I'm pleased to announce that we've come up with a way to satisfy diners in either camp. Now, our more traditional diners can choose Dynamic Dining Classic, a new option that gives you the familiarity of traditional main dining by having the same dining times nightly, same waiters and same table companions throughout the cruise. And those of you who liked Dynamic Dining can enjoy even more flexibility and improved service throughout the experience, with Dynamic Dining Choice. We've already received a lot of positive feedback about these new options, and I can't wait to hear how you like it once you experience it for yourself.

As a gesture of goodwill and a thank you for your loyalty to Royal Caribbean, I invite you to come back and try the new and improved Dynamic Dining on our newest ship, Anthem of the Seas, and enjoy a gift of $100 in onboard credit per stateroom when you secure your booking in May.
Again, thank you for being our guest. We hope to welcome you aboard soon.

Cruise must be booked April 13 - May 31, 2015. Offer applies to all Anthem of the Seas sailings. Offer includes $100 OBC and applies to all stateroom categories. Promo Code ANTHEM must be entered to receive onboard credit.