Anthem of the Seas Shipyard Tour & Inspection

I've always been fascinated by cruise ships and have watched in awe the documentaries made about their construction. When I received the invitation from Royal Caribbean International to go to Papenburg, Germany I could hardly contain myself! We arrived in Papenburg on a deluxe charter flight direct from Miami and headed straight to the Meyer Werft shipyard to witness the materials being brought in on large trucks, the precision laser cutting, and the final welding into place of huge sections and hunks of steel. Somehow and someway German shipbuilders put together what amounts to a massive 3-D puzzle.

Following the tour of the shipyard, I was a member of an audience to a live webcast put on by the executive team of Royal Caribbean International as they unveiled the technological capabilities of Quantum of the Seas. From impressive entertainment spaces to promises of high-speed Internet and inside cabins with floor-to-ceiling LCD screens, this ship will prove to be a technological masterpiece.