It was an intense day for Royal Caribbean yesterday as a memorable ceremony was put on for the keel laying of Anthem of the Seas.
Marking the start of the ship’s construction, the ceremony saw a 620 ton block lifted into the building dock at the Meyer Weft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
The keel laying of a ship is a huge milestone in any ships journey and can be a very emotional time for all involved in the building process.
Anthem of the Seas will be the sister of Quantam of the Seas, who is set to debut in 2014. Both ships will hold around 4,900 guests and weigh in at 167,000 gross tons. Whilst not as large as the Oasis class ships, which are currently the largest ships in the world, they sit as the second largest in the Royal Caribbean fleet, just 13,0000GT above the Freedom Class.
Debuting in spring 2014, Anthem of the Seas will boast 16 passenger decks of fun and innovative designs. Bumper cars, an indoor skydive and an elevating pod are among some of the new features she will showcase.
It has not yet been announced where the Anthem of the Seas will sail from, but rumours have suggested she will call Southampton her home.
Stay tuned for more exciting news on the journey of Quantam of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.
By
Sally Grimes