| Spectrum keel laying

THE start of construction on
Royal Caribbean International’s
new cruise ship Spectrum of
the Seas was celebrated with
an official keel laying ceremony
this week.
RCI’s Kevin Douglas &
Sebastian Brunila were on hand
to place a lucky coin under the
block of the ship.
The vessel will be the fifth
largest cruise ship in the
world when it debuts in 2019,
boasting a gross tonnage of
168,800 and capacity of 4,200.
Pictured are: Thomas
Murken, DNV GL; Thomas
Weigend, Meyer Werft; Carsten
Pengel, Meyer Werft; Mathias
Kopitzki, Neptun Werft;
Stephan Schmees, Meyer
Werft; Raimon Strunck, Neptun
Werft; Kevin Douglas, Royal
Caribbean & Sebastian Brunila,
Royal Caribbean.
MEANWHILE Royal
Caribbean International has
released its itineraries for the
2019/20 season, with the big
ticket items in the program to
include four new ports of call in
Europe and the announcement
of the first Quantum Class ship
to set sail for Alaska.
The European stops available
for the first time in the next
itinerary will include Visby
in Sweden; Zadar, Croatia;
Portofino, Italy; and Porto in
sunny Portugal.
The Alaskan segment will
include seven-night sailings on
Ovation of the Seas from Juneau
to Victoria, British Columbia.