Royal Caribbean: Odyssey of the Seas floated out
Royal Caribbean‘s new Quantum Ultra-class cruise ship, Odyssey of the Seas, has taken to the water for the first time, leaving her construction dry dock at the Meyer Werft shipyard this week. The float out of Odyssey of the Seas marks a major milestone in her construction timeline, with final fit out and finish, sea trials and delivery expected to take place throughout the first quarter of 2021 ahead of her spring delivery.
Odyssey of the Seas’ float out was marked with very little pomp or ceremony on the part of Royal Caribbean, reflecting the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that has hammered the cruise industry throughout 2020. With social distancing and other anti-COVID-19 measures in place, no float out ceremony was held and no executives from the cruise line flew to the shipyard to mark the occasion, mirroring changes other cruise lines have made to the way they take delivery of their ships.Odyssey of the Seas has now been moved to the shipyard’s outfitting pier so that work can continue on her interior, including the thousands of mattresses, chairs, tables, couches, curtains and other soft furnishings that will need to be installed. The Odyssey of the Seas is a sister to the China-based Spectrum of the Seas, which cruised from Dubai in 2019 on her repositioning voyage to Asia. However, unlike Spectrum, Odyssey of the Seas will be based in North America.
She is the first of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum-class ships to homeport in the US, and will sail roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale on 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries during the summer, 2021. Her winter, 2021 cruise season immediately after her delivery will be spent cruising roundtrip out of Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy, on Eastern Mediterranean itineraries.
Last week on Thursday, Meyer Werft completed Odyssey of the Seas’ Azipod propulsion pod installation ahead of her float out. The ship is now complete from the hull down to her keel, with only her superstructure requiring additional work. Odyssey will be externally identical to her sister ship Spectrum of the Seas at 169,379 gross tons and with a guest capacity of 4,246 at double occupancy.However, Royal Caribbean has said that Odyssey will have more entertainment and activity options up top than any other ship in the fleet. Dialed-up onboard adventures include a two-level pool deck with the ultimate SeaPlex activity space delivering new thrills and a reimagined Adventure Ocean where young adventure seekers can choose their own immersive experiences across an entirely new layout.
A new maxed-out teen lounge with gaming consoles, music and movies will provide endless hangout options indoors and outdoors on an exclusive patio.
When it comes to dining, guests can enjoy the new Teppanyaki restaurant serving Far East flavors, and Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar with rustic Italian dishes and a contemporary flair. Entertainment across the ship will be punctuated by high-tech signature productions in the Royal Theater and Two70, where art and multimedia merge for performances that will be available only on Odyssey.
