Royal Caribbean adds giant giraffe to Anthem of the Seas
Royal Caribbean International's giant animal menagerie has doubled in size with the addition to Anthem of the Seas of an outsized giraffe wearing a pink inner tube float.
Photos of the bandy-legged sculpture emerged on Twitter after it was hoisted onto the top deck in preparation for Anthem's christening ceremony on April 20 in Southampton.
Anthem is the second ship in a series that started last year with Quantum of the Seas. Observers were surprised when Quantum emerged from the shipyard sporting a 30-foot-tall magenta bear next to the ship's bumper car arena.
The eight ton bear was fashioned out of steel triangles. Denver artist Lawrence Argent called his sculpture "From Afar" but the Quantum crew nicknamed it Felicia.
At an inaugural function Royal Caribbean chairman Richard Fain was asked why Quantum has the bear, and he replied, "Why not?" adding "The bear is a little bit ridiculous and certainly unexpected, but isn't she great?"
On a practical level, the giant sculptures may help guests distinguish one Quantum series ship from another, and serve as an identifier for telling friends, neighbors and potential cruisers about which ship they cruised on.
Details are scant so far on the giraffe, which is bright yellow around the midsection, and has the natural giraffe patterning on its neck, head and forelegs.
However, Royal Caribbean media relations did retweet a photo of the giraffe with the caption "It's a bird… it's a plane…no, it's a Giraffe. Anthem of the Seas' larger than life art piece."
Tom Stieghorst covers cruises at Travel Weekly magazine.