Falmouth welcomes 'MS Anthem of the Seas'

The historic Falmouth port, Trelawny, was back into the limelight last Friday, as it played host to Royal Caribbean International's (RCI) newest vessel, the MS Anthem of the Seas, which made its inaugural call on the seaside town.

The MS Anthem of the Seas is the second ship of the Quantum class, the second-largest class of passenger ships behind the RCI's Oasis class ship. It was christened on April 20, 2015.

The mega vessel has 16 passenger-accessible decks, the capacity for 4,905 guests and a crew complement of 1,600. There are a total of 2,090 staterooms: 1,570 balcony staterooms, 147 ocean-view staterooms, and 1373 inside staterooms. Of the staterooms, 34 are wheelchair accessible and 28 are studio staterooms for single travellers.

HISTORIC FALMOUTH PIER

Speaking at the plaque exchange ceremony during the inaugural call, Norwegian captain Anders Ingebrigtsen, who has made several visits to Jamaica, but was making his first stop in Falmouth, described the historic Falmouth Pier as one of the best he has seen around the world.

"We certainly value these opportunities to host your crew and valued passengers and will ensure that your visits will always be memorable experiences," Jason Hall, the Jamaica Tourist Board's deputy director of tourism, told Captain Ingebrigsten.

In expressing his delight at having the mega ship visiting Falmouth, Delroy Christie, president of the Trelawny Chamber of Commerce, said every new vessel that adds Falmouth to their itinerary means more commerce for his members, as well as an opportunity for each passenger to take back a piece of Jamaica with them.

According to iCruise.Com, Anthem of the Seas will be offering several Bahamian-themed packages throughout the month of December, and will return to Jamaica in January, March and October of 2016.