RCI-Royal Caribbean’s liner Odyssey of the Seas completed the final chapter in her construction milestone on Wednesday, March 31.
The newbuild is RCI's 25th fleet member, scheduled to debut from homeport Haifa Israel in May 2021, and from Fort Lauderdale Florida in November 2021.
RCG's Chairman and CEO Richard Fain, RCI's President and CEO Michael Bayley and the ship's Captain Per Kristoffersen received the newbuild from Meyer Werft Yard’s Managing Partner Bernard Meyer and Managing Director Jan Meyer in the handover ceremony with a virtual twist.
Later, fans had the chance to take part in the ceremony celebration during a Facebook premiere event – a first in Royal Caribbean’s 52-year history. The ship’s blessing was led by Seafarers’ House at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, a performance from Two70 onboard Quantum of the Seas sailing in Singapore, as well as executives of the company in Florida and Meyer Werft in Papenburg Germany.
Odyssey of the Seas is the second Quantum Ultra Class cruise ship, and she will welcome Royal Caribbean’s first passengers to sail from Israel on voyages where travelers above the age of 18 and crew are fully vaccinated.
Israeli residents will embark on 3- to 7-night trips through October 2021 to visit destinations in the Mediterranean, including Rhodes, Mykonos, Piraeus-Athens, Santorini, Limassol.
Following her inaugural summer season, Odyssey of the Seas will embark on a transatlantic crossing for her North American debut in November, where she will offer 6- and 8-night Caribbean rountrips from Fort Lauderdale to Curacao (Willemstad), Aruba (Oranjestad), and CocoCay (Royal Caribbean’s private island in The Bahamas).