In preparation for her April launch, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas took to the waters for the first time this weekend. The ship was floated out from dry dock in the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany as part of the ship’s preparations before her maiden voyage around Europe.
With the ship’s exterior outfitting now complete, the dry dock was flooded – exposing the ship to water for the first time. From the flooded dry dock, the Anthem was floated to a wet dock where the final stages of construction and flourishes are currently being completed.
Following the same basic design as sister ship Quantum of the Seas, built by the same team – the Meyer Werft construction crew is on schedule to meet Royal Caribbean’s delivery deadline. The float-out of the Quantum of the Seas represented a historic moment for the shipyard, with the ship representing the pinnacle of cruise ship technology – the world’s first ‘smartship’.
New features such as the first skydiving experience at sea, the 300ft high observation pod and the fastest internet connection on the seas have all required advanced engineering work.
Before the Anthem’s maiden voyage, the vessel will slowly make her way from the shipyard in Germany to Southampton – which will become her home during the first season of operation. The ship will relocated to New Jersey in November 2015, where she will spend the winter completing cruise itineraries to the Bahamas and Caribbean.
The work doesn’t stop here for the Meyer Werft team with the construction of the third ship in the Quantum Class of ships, Ovation of the Seas, well underway. The newly-named ship is planned for launch in the middle of 2016.
The Anthem of the Seas project was first announce in February 2012 (then called ‘Project Sunshine’), and the long wait for the launch is finally nearing its end.
Images via Royal Caribbean Press Center
