Gene Sloan

USA TODAY

SOUTHAMPTON, England (4:36 am ET, Oct. 31) — Eager for a glimpse of what some are calling the decade's hottest new cruise ship? USA TODAY is among a handful of U.S. media outlets today getting early access to Royal Caribbean's new Quantum of the Seas, and we're posting photos of the vessel in the carousel above and at our Twitter page and Facebook page.

We're also shooting videos on board, which should begin appearing soon here and at USA TODAY's Cruise Hub (check back throughout the day).

Click HERE to see the photos above in larger format.

Royal Caribbean is known for building the biggest and most innovative mega resorts at sea, and as can be seen in the photos above, the 4,180-passenger Quantum is no exception. The line's first new vessel since the 2010 debut of the record-size Allure of the Seas is chock-full of industry firsts, from a skydiving simulator to bumper cars to a deck-top mechanical arm that takes passengers into the sky for bird's-eye view. Photos from our exclusive first ride on the North Star.

The first of a new class of vessel, Quantum isn't quite as big as Allure and its sister, Oasis of the Seas — the world's largest cruise ships. But at 168,666 tons, it still ranks among the 10 largest passenger vessels in the world and features all of the signature attractions Royal Caribbean fans have come to love, from a 30-foot-high rock climbing wall to a FlowRider surf simulator to an H20 Zone kids water park. Look inside Oasis of the Seas.

Quantum sets sail Sunday on its maiden voyage, an eight-night trip from Southampton, England to the New York area's Cape Liberty Cruise Port. The ship will be christened in the New York area Nov. 14 before beginning a regular schedule of voyages to the Bahamas and Caribbean out of Cape Liberty through the spring.

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