Royal Caribbean to expand in New York area

Cruise giant Royal Caribbean will have two ships sailing out of the New York area during the summer of 2017.

The line Tuesday announced the 2,040-passenger Rhapsody of the Seas would join the 4,180-passenger Anthem of the Seas in operating out of the Cape Liberty cruise terminal in Bayonne, N.J.

Rhapsody will operate 7-night trips to the Bahamas for the summer months.

Anthem sails out of Cape Liberty year-round on 5-, 7- and 9-night voyages to various destinations including Bermuda and the Caribbean.

Construction begins on another record size Royal Caribbean ship

The deployment marks the first time Royal Caribbean has positioned two ships at once at the Cape Liberty terminal.

USA TODAY Cruise was among a handful of U.S. media outlets to get early access to Anthem in 2015 before its christening in Southampton, England. For our deck-by-deck tour of the vessel's interior areas and cabins, scroll through the carousels at the top of this story and below.