PHOTO: The North Star attraction will carry 15 people 300 feet above sea level.

The most highly anticipated cruise ship of 2014, Royal Caribbean International’s Quantum of the Seas, will debut in November and operate for six months out of Bayonne, N.J. After that, the ship will go to Shanghai, China, to take advantage of the booming Chinese cruise market. If that leaves cruisers here bereft, take heed: Sister ship Anthem of the Seas arrives in November 2015 to pick up the run to Florida, the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

So why is Quantum of the Seas so eagerly awaited? In a nutshell, it’s the use of technology to give the ships features that were unimagined a few years ago. You may have already heard of some of the features — bumper cars, a sky-diving simulator, a thrill ride high above the ship on a cherry-picker, ultra-high-definition video screens that will transform the entertainment, robotic bartenders, realistic-looking virtual balconies in interior staterooms, and the so-called Dynamic Dining that essentially does away with traditional assigned seatings.

Travel agents are, to put it mildly, looking forward to seeing and selling the ship.

“All I can say is ‘wow’,” says Drew Daly, vice president of sales performance for CruiseOne and Cruises Inc. “Royal Caribbean has outdone themselves with Quantum of the Seas. From the Dynamic Dining experiences, RipCord by iFly, ‘Mama Mia’ Broadway show, robotic bartenders, virtual balconies and the new Two70 venue, there is something for everyone. The industry and all cruisers are going to be wowed for sure. I cannot wait to experience the final product firsthand and encourage every agent to sell this product with confidence.”

PHOTO: Quantum of the Seas nears completion at the shipyard in Germany

Agreeing is Michelle Fee, CEO of CruisePlanners/American Express. “The technology on board this new vessel is second to none,” Fee says. “Just when you think they can’t possibly outdo themselves, they do. We are excited to see Royal Caribbean take it to the next level.”

Daly and Fee were among the top industry executives and cruise media who got a sneak peek at Quantum of the Seas in late August during a visit to the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, with top Royal Caribbean executives. Here are some highlights.

Public Areas

Two70° is an entertainment venue and lounge with a 270-degree, three-deck-high wall of windows called Vistarama, which turns into a set of ultra-high-definition video screens. The room also will have six 100-inch television screens on robotic arms that descend from the ceiling and swivel and twirl.

Other entertainment venues include Music Hall, which will feature live entertainment and bars, and the 1,300-seat Royal Theater.

The SeaPlex recreational area will offer bumper cars, roller skating, trapeze lessons and a DJ booth that floats near the ceiling. The Bionic Bar will have robot bartenders. Actually, they are two robotic arms similar to those found in manufacturing plants. Guests can order drinks on computer tablets at their table.

PHOTO: The sky-diving simulator will mimic the feel of a free-fall jump from an airplane

Two of the most eye-catching attractions are North Star and RipCord by iFly. North Star is an egg-shaped gondola attached to a crane arm that will carry up to 15 people for a 20-minute ride over the ship and 300 feet above sea level. There will be no charge, but passengers are urged to reserve a spot in advance through Cruise Planner or on Royal iQ, a new app also available at kiosks onboard.

RipCord by iFly is the sky-diving simulator that involves floating on a 125 mph shaft of wind blowing upward in a 28-foot-tall curved glass enclosure at the top of the ship. The experience is said to mimic a free-flight fall from an airplane and lasts about one minute. It’s also free of charge, although longer or premium experiences might be available for a fee and reservations are recommended.

Dining

PHOTO: The Bionic Bar will feature robotic arms that will mix drinks.

Quantum of the Seas turns traditional cruise ship dining on its head. The ship will have 18 restaurants, including five open-seating main dining rooms, five complimentary casual eateries and eight venues that will carry a cover charge or à la carte prices.

The main dining rooms each accommodate about 430 people and have no set dining times. Three are described as smart-casual while The Grande is a formal spot where guests are urged to dress up for a dinner that might include traditional favorites such as beef Wellington or chicken à l’orange.

The fifth main dining room, Coastal Kitchen, seats 128 and is reserved for suite guests.

The specialty restaurants with additional costs include Wonderland, which will feature the latest culinary techniques often called “molecular gastronomy,” an Italian venue by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, and an artisanal gastropub by James Beard Award-winner Michael Schwartz.

Technology

The much-vaunted technology will let passengers check in online well in advance of arriving at their homeport so they can get “from the sidewalk to the ship in 10 minutes.” Guests can even upload their own headshot, so they won’t have to submit to the unflattering portraits taken at check-in. There will still be humans at a desk in the cruise terminal for the technology-averse.

PHOTO: The removable RFID wristbands will work as a room key and shipboard charge card.

Guests can elect to get a wristband with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology so they can use it as their room key and SeaPass card to charge drinks and such. Guests have the option of getting the wristbands (which are removable) or the traditional keycard — or both. The cruise line thinks many will prefer the water-resistant wristband for days at the beach or pool.

Especially welcome — if it works as promised — is the new Internet service made possible by O3b Networks’ satellites that beam signals to the ship. It’s billed as more bandwidth than is currently available on all the other cruise ships in the world combined and will be a lightning-fast game-changer, executives say. We all hope so!

Accommodations

The 2,090 staterooms will accommodate 4,180 passengers on a double-occupancy basis and up to 4,905 when all berths are filled. Royal Caribbean says the staterooms and suites are, on average, about 9 percent larger than on the Oasis-class ships. Thirty-four are wheelchair-accessible.

The vast majority — 1,571 in total — are balcony staterooms and suites. There are 148 outside cabins. The Deluxe Ocean-View Stateroom with Balcony measures 177 square feet and has twin beds that convert to a king size, a sitting area with sofa and an 82-square-foot balcony. Ocean-view staterooms also have the twin-king convertible beds and sofa, measuring 182 square feet.

The Quantum will have 12 studio staterooms with balconies and 16 inside. They measure about 100 square feet or so, and some of the balconies are quite large.

The 375 inside staterooms, however, are equipped with what the line calls Virtual Balconies. The staterooms have 80-inch LED screens that look like a floor-to-ceiling window. A real-time, movie-quality video from the side of the ship is projected onto the wall, giving occupants the view they’d have if there was a real window or balcony there. It looks pretty realistic. Interior staterooms have the two twin/king beds and measure 166 square feet.

The ship also will offer larger accommodations, including three categories of Junior Suites, some with a split bathroom design, and the popular Loft Suites located across the stern to provide great views. The new Family Junior Suite will have a full bath and a half. Also new are up to 16 connecting staterooms designed for multigenerational families or groups of friends.

Cruising Style

So what type of cruiser will book the Quantum of the Seas?

“The ship will be perfect for all passengers — singles, couples and families,” Daly says. “I believe [the ship is] in a great position to attract more first-time cruisers, luxury travelers with a sense of adventure and the millennial passengers because of [its] technological advances. Royal Caribbean took a ‘quantum leap’ forward as it relates to technology, making it fitting for the ship to be called Quantum of the Seas.”