Royal Caribbean International took delivery of its 25th ship, the 169,000-gross-ton Odyssey of the Seas, on March 31, and planned an online celebration for later that day.
Odyssey - which accommodates 4,198 passengers, double occupancy, and 5,498 when all berths are filled - will start operating cruises in May from first-time homeport Haifa, Israel, and in November from Fort Lauderdale.
Accepting the ship were Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean Group chairman and CEO; Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International; and Captain Per Kristoffersen, master of the ship. The virtual handoff was done by Bernard Meyer, managing partner of Meyer Werft Yard in Germany, and Managing Director Jan Meyer.
"Receiving Odyssey of the Seas into the Royal Caribbean family is a welcomed breath of fresh air," Bayley said. "The ingenuity, passion and hard work our dedicated crew, teams on land and partners at Meyer Werft put into building a new ship always deliver, and to pull it off so well during a time unlike any other is incredible."
The company will broadcast the virtual celebration during a Facebook event on Royal Caribbean International's Facebook page at 5 p.m. EDT on March 31. The event includes the ship's blessing led by Seafarers' House at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, a performance from signature venue Two70 on Quantum of the Seas in Singapore.
Odyssey, the second Quantum Ultra Class ship, will welcome Israeli guests above 18 who are fully vaccinated; crew members also will be fully vaccinated. The three- to seven-night cruises through October will visit destinations in the Mediterranean, including Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos and Athens, Greece and Limassol, Cyprus.
Following its inaugural summer season, Odyssey will embark on a transatlantic crossing for its North American debut in November from Fort Lauderdale, where it's slated to offer six- and eight-night Caribbean itineraries to ports of call such as Aruba, Curacao and Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean's private island in The Bahamas.
The ship features a Caribbean-inspired pool deck with two pools, four whirlpools and The Lime & Coconut bar. SeaPlex is the largest indoor and outdoor activity center at sea and now includes a Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade.
Restaurants include Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar and Teppanyaki. The top deck includes returning guest-favorites such as the SkyPad virtual reality bungee trampoline, FlowRider surf simulator, skydiving simulator, and the North Star all-glass observation capsule that boasts 360-degree views from 300 feet above sea level.
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