Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, the Spectrum of the Seas, passed another construction milestone with a keel-laying ceremony at Neptun Werft in Rostock, Germany.
The keel-laying signifies the beginning of the ship's physical construction. During the ceremony, a 620-ton block measuring 59 feet by 121 feet (18 x 37 meters) was lifted into the building dock with an 800-ton crane.
Set to debut in 2019, Spectrum of the Seas will be the next evolution of the cruise line’s Quantum class of ships, Royal Caribbean said, placing the ship in a new class of its own called the Quantum Ultra. The new ship will specifically be designed for guests in China and the Asia-Pacific region, and will include new guest experiences and amenities.
Some of those amenities could include portions of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s new Excalibur technology initiative, which is scheduled to roll out to the entirety of the Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises fleet by the end of 2019. Excalibur includes a number of enhancements to the guest experience, such as the use of facial recognition and digital keys to allow guests to bypass the traditional boarding line, or the ability to order drinks, control the stateroom’s lighting and temperature, or book excursions and spa treatments from anywhere on the ship. Designed to be device-agnostic, Excalibur works with any guest smart device, or one of the cruise line’s WOW Band wearables.
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