Hot on the heels of the announcement that Royal Caribbean’s second Quantum Class vessel, Anthem of the Seas will call the port of Southampton home when it makes its debut in 2015, is the news that the vessel will feature a number of the world’s headline music acts as part of its entertainment programme.
According to Royal Caribbean’s UK Managing Director, Stuart Leven, the ship would boast two different music venues, the 270 Club and the Music Hall. He explained how he thought music was a big part of British culture, saying: “A survey showed that nine out of 10 British people said music was really important to them and 75 per cent of people were really inspired by a music anthem.”
The comment goes a long way to explaining why the ship was given the name Anthem of the Seas and it seems like the musical theme will be a prominent feature of the ship. The 270 Club will be a traditional, larger musical venue, while according to Leven, the Music Hall will be more intimate and have “a more Brixton Academy-type feel than the O2”.
Royal Caribbean international Vice President, Dominic Paul, meanwhile, said he believed that the Anthem of the Seas would be the most innovative ship in the world, citing such key attractions as the North Star viewing capsule, dodgems and skydiving experiences as features which would be sure to wow guests.
If you’ve any ideas about who you’d like to see perform on-board the Anthem of the Seas, please do comment below with your suggestions.
In other musical cruise ship news, Cunardhas announced that award-winning singer songwriter James Taylor will be returning to the Queen Mary II to help celebrate the ship’s 10th anniversary in 2014 with two special concerts. Both performances will take place on the ship’s August 27 transatlantic crossing, which will depart from New York and call at Halifax, Nova Scotia before arriving in Southampton.
An artist who knows all too well the rigours of international travel, Taylor explained his joy at combining musical performances with a slightly more laid-back journey, saying: “I am looking forward to celebrating the ship’s 10th Anniversary alongside her crew, staff and guests by performing two on board concerts as my band and I make our next European passage. Hallelujah, no jet lag!”
James Taylor and his band first performed on the Queen Mary II back in 2009.
By Simon Brotherton
Google
Have booked our cruise on the Anthem of the Seas for May, 2015 and can't wait to try out all the exciting new innovations and eateries. As for an anthem song, Rocking All Over The World would be my choice and to possibly have Status Quo on board to perform it would be my dream.
The band for the Anthem off the seas next year should be Rock The Boat from the ship Independence of the seas. So brilliant, wot a show. We would all be rocking The boat with them on board.