Ovation of the Seas, the third Quantum-class ship, received its first block on the 5th of March as the keel was officially lowered and put into place. Newly minted coins were placed under the keel which then stay in place until the end of construction. According to maritime tradition, the coins are said to bring luck to the ship during its construction and then to its Captain and crew when she is at sea.
The ground-breaking Quantum class ships offer new unprecedented features, such as RipCord by iFLY, the first skydiving experience at sea; the North Star, an engineering marvel that transports guests more than 300 feet above the ocean; transformative venues, such as The Sea-Plex, the largest indoor sports and entertainment complex at sea with bumper cars, roller skating and more; and the cruise line’s largest and most advanced staterooms ever, including the industry’s first-ever Virtual Balcony staterooms, which offers expansive, real-time views of the ocean and exciting destinations for interior staterooms.
The Quantum class debuted in November 2014 with Quantum of the Seas, and will be followed by her sister-ship Anthem of the Seas which is due to launch in April 2015. Ovation of the Seas is scheduled to be delivered in the northern hemisphere autumn of 2016 and is currently under constructions at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Quantum ships span 16 decks, encompass 167,800 gross registered tons, carry 4,180 guests at double occupancy and feature 2,090 staterooms.
SOURCE RCI