Keel Laying and Steel Cutting Ceremonies Held for new Quantum Class
Excitement was palpable at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany on Friday as Royal Caribbean International marked two important milestones in the development of its Quantum class of ships. Quantum of the Seas, scheduled to be delivered in the autumn of 2014, received its first block as the keel was officially lowered and put into place. In conjunction, Anthem of the Seas, Quantum's sister-ship, had its first piece of steel cut, signalling the first step in the ship's construction.
"Today is a very special day in the development of our new Quantum class, as we are now two steps closer to delighting guests around the world with Quantum cruising," said Adam Goldstein, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. "It's incredibly rewarding to seeQuantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas coming together so well, and today we not only honour these two very important milestones, but also recognize the years of hard work and dedication from the team developing these ships."
The keel laying marks an important milestone in the development of Quantum of the Seas as it signifies the beginning of the ship's physical construction. During the ceremony, a 430-ton block measuring 59-ft by 75-ft (18 x 23 meters) was lifted into the building dock with an 800-ton crane. Newly minted coins were placed under the keel which then stays in place until the end of construction. Once the ship is nearing completion the coins are retrieved and presented to the ship's Captain and crew to be placed onboard the ship. According to maritime tradition, the coins are said to bring luck to the ship during its construction and then to its Captain and crew when she is out to sea.
The groundbreaking Quantum class ships will debut new unprecedented features, such as RipCord by iFLY, the first skydiving experience at sea; the North Star, an engineering marvel that transports guests more than 300 feet above the ocean; transformative venues, such as The Sea-Plex, the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and more; and the cruise line's largest and most advanced staterooms ever, including the industry's first-ever Virtual Balcony staterooms, which offers expansive, real-time views of the ocean and exciting destinations for interior staterooms.
The Quantum class will debut in autumn 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, followed by her sister-ship Anthem of the Seas in spring 2015. Quantum ships span 16 decks, encompass 167,800 gross registered tons, carry 4,180 guests at double occupancy and feature 2,090 staterooms. More information on Quantum of the Seas is available at RoyalCaribbean.com/QuantumoftheSeas.
For additional information or to make reservations, visit royalcaribbean.com.au or celebritycruises.com.au, call 1800 754 500 or contact your travel agent. Travel professionals can call 1300 754 500 or visit cruisingpower.com.
Image 1 - Royal Caribbean International took a major step this week in the development of the cruise line's next generation of cruise ships when the first piece of steel was cut for Anthem of the Seas, sister-ship to Quantum of the Seas. The steel cutting took place at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
Image 2 - Quantum of the Seas, scheduled to be delivered in the autumn of 2014, received its first block today as the keel was officially lowered and put into place. The 430-ton block measuring 59-ft by 75-ft (18 x 23 meters) was lifted into the building dock with an 800-ton crane and signifies the beginning of the ship's physical construction.
Image 3 - Quantum of the Seas, scheduled to be delivered in the autumn of 2014, received its first block today as the keel was officially lowered and put into place. Newly minted coins were placed under the keel which then stay in place until the end of construction. According to maritime tradition, the coins are said to bring luck to the ship during its construction and then to its Captain and crew when she is at sea. Present at the event were (lefto to right): Bernard Meyer, Harri Kulovaara, EVP, Newbuild and Design, Royal Caribbean International; Mika Heiskanen,
Project Manager, Royal Caribbean International and Jan Meyer, Managing Partner, Meyer Werft.
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