Quantum of the Seas is a Quantum-class cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and the lead ship of her class. The Quantum class is the third largest class of cruise ships behind MSC Cruises's Meraviglia class and Royal Caribbean International's Oasis class by gross tonnage. Quantum of the Seas was delivered to RCI on 28 October 2014 and is sailing from Shanghai, China.

Concept and construction

On 11 February 2011, RCI announced that it had ordered the first of a new class of ships from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, scheduled to be delivered by Fall 2014. At the time, the project was code-named "Project Sunshine". Later that year, two 20.5-megawatt ABB Azipod XO propulsion units were ordered for that ship. On 29 February 2012 the company announced that a second "Project Sunshine" ship had been ordered and would be delivered by Spring 2015, and ordered identical Azipod propulsion units shortly thereafter. Just under a year later, on 31 January 2013, steel cutting for the first ship began with a silhouette of the ship being cut by lasers. The same day, RCI announced the official name of the new class of ships, Quantum Class, as well as the names of the first two ships in the class, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. Details on the major features of Quantum of the Seas were announced on 16 April 2013.

Service history

Quantum of the Seas spent its inaugural 2014–2015 season sailing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, United States, before repositioning to China in May 2015. In June 2015, the ship commenced to operate cruises from Shanghai to Japan and Korea. On 20 June 2015, the ship visited Hong Kong.

Its christening ceremony occurred on 14 November 2014; the ship's godmother is American actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth.