Los Angeles is about to get one of its biggest cruise ships ever
Cruise fans on the West Coast are about to have a major new option.
Cruise giant Royal Caribbean on Wednesday announced that its giant, amenity-packed Quantum of the Seas will sail from Los Angeles starting in October 2025. It'll become the largest Royal Caribbean ship ever to be based in the city.
The Miami-based line said the 4,180-passenger vessel will join its 3,388-passenger Navigator of the Seas in sailing year-round from LA, a major expansion for Royal Caribbean on the West Coast.
Like Navigator of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas will operate voyages from LA to the west coast of Mexico.
The ship's itineraries will range from two to six nights in length and bring calls at either Cabo San Lucas or Ensenada in Mexico — or both ports, depending on the departure date and length of the trip.
At 168,666 tons, Quantum of the Seas will be one of the biggest cruise ships ever from any cruise line to be deployed to LA.
Only Norwegian Cruise Line's 3,998-passenger Norwegian Encore is bigger among vessels that have sailed out of LA — and only by a tad. Norwegian Encore measures 169,116 tons.
Two other Norwegian ships that sail from LA at times during the year, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy, are slightly smaller than Quantum of the Seas when measured by tonnage. They measure 168,028 tons and 167,725 tons, respectively.
Other major ships sailing regularly from LA — including Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Radiance and Carnival Panorama — are significantly smaller than Quantum of the Seas. Carnival Radiance and Carnival Panorama measure 102,000 tons and 133,500 tons, respectively.
Related: The best Royal Caribbean ships for every type of traveler
Another Carnival ship scheduled to begin sailings from LA in the coming months, Carnival Firenze, is also significantly smaller than Quantum of the Seas at 135,000 tons.
Quantum of the Seas will be the first vessel from Royal Caribbean's popular Quantum Class of ships to sail year-round from LA.
Unveiled in 2014, the Quantum Class is known as one of Royal Caribbean's most innovative series of ships ever. In addition to a wide range of restaurants, bars and showrooms, the five ships in the class feature some of the most unusual attractions you'll find at sea. This includes bumper car pavilions and skydiving simulators.
The ships also have glass-enclosed capsules mounted on mechanical arms that will take you soaring into the sky for bird's-eye views.
Quantum Class ships also feature unusual, multilevel entertainment spaces with floor-to-ceiling glass walls called Two70. The spaces are home to innovative shows that often feature aerial performers, singers and dancers who emerge from openings in the floor or the ceiling. At certain times of the day, the glass walls transform into an expansive ambient surface called Vistarama that projects real and imagined scenes.
Related: 35 tips and tricks that will make your Royal Caribbean cruise better
Royal Caribbean has operated Quantum Class ships out of Seattle during summers for sailings to Alaska, but a Quantum Class ship has never been based in California for sailings to Mexico.
Fares for Royal Caribbean's newly announced voyages from LA on Quantum of the Seas start at $141 per person, based on double occupancy, for a quick two-night voyage to Ensenada. Three-night sailings start at $240 per person, based on double occupancy. Four-night trips start at $271.
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