In April, Royal Caribbean unveiled the first of its next generation of ships, the impressive Quantum of the Seas, in a splashy news conference in New York City. The attraction that captivated the audience was the North Star, a pod that will take 
passengers up and out over the side of the ship.
If Quantum has a signature feature, this is it.
Now, three months later, a company that builds cranes announces it has secured the contract to get North Star up and out over the side of the ship.
Is it just us, or does it strike anybody else as being unusual that drawings of the North Star would be on display before Royal Caribbean knew who was building it? Or did Royal Caribbean know in April but the company — called MacGregor — wanted to have its own little splashy announcement?
For the record, in charge of the North Star's safety will be "an electro/hydraulically-driven slewing crane with an outreach of 41 meters [135 feet]." It will have its own stabilizer, to keep it level with the deck and to prevent "damp gondola movements"…in other words, make it less like a roller-coaster ride and more like a viewing stand.
"We are the first crane supplier involved in anything like this type [of crane] for a cruise ship," says Sales Manager Jonas Hägglund.
There is a reason for that. No other cruise line has done this. And if there is a reason for delaying MacGregor's announcement…well, it worked, didn't it?
Carnival Splendor
8 nights
September 14, 2013
New York (return): Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay, Nassau
Inside: $369
Cost per day: $46
www.carnival.com