Royal Caribbean orders third Quantum ship

By Tom Stieghorst

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. said it signed a contract for a third 4,180-passenger Quantum-class ship to be delivered in 2016.

The price and terms for the unnamed ship are similar to the first two Quantum ships, Royal Caribbean said. The ship will be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

The stateroom configuration will include a greater proportion of higher-priced cabins than the other two Quantum-class ships. It will also "achieve some of the greatest energy efficiencies at sea," Royal Caribbean said.

The order will put Royal Caribbean's annual growth in capacity at about 4% between 2012 and 2017.

The first ship in the class, Quantum of the Seas, is scheduled for delivery next year with Anthem of the Seas to follow in 2015.