By
Rebecca Gibson |
STX France laid the keel for Royal Caribbean International’s fourth Oasis-class ship at its Saint-Nazaire yard in France on 29 October.
During the ceremony, engineers used a crane to lift a 1,000-ton block measuring 32ft by 154ft into the building dock. Newly minted coins were placed under the keel and will remain there until they are removed and presented to the ship’s captain and crew to be placed onboard the vessel. According to maritime tradition, the coins will bring good luck to the ship during the construction process and then to her captain and crew when she is at sea.
The vessel, which is yet to be named, is due for delivery in spring 2017. She will join the fleet's other Oasis-class vessels, including Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas, which will launch in April 2016.