Sarah Bretz, ContributorRoyal Caribbean International and thousands of workers celebrated the new Star of the Seas as it was floated out at the shipyard. This marks an important milestone in the construction process, as it is the first time the vessel touches water.
To kick off the milestone, a ceremony took place at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Turku, Finland, celebration 19 months (and counting) of work put in by the thousands of people behind the construction of the mega ship. Then, the floodgates opened and the dry dock was filled with 92 million gallons of water — an overnight process that took nearly nine hours.
Star of the Seas was then floated out of the dock and over to the outfitting pier, where construction will continue — including interior build-out.
Star of the Seas will sail from Port Canaveral, a central eastern Florida port that’s about 45 minutes from Orlando, offering seven-night cruises to the Caribbean. It will join Utopia of the Seas — an Oasis-class ship — at Port Canaveral, which offers short three and four-night getaways.
Star is the second vessel in Royal Caribbean’s Icon-class following the debut of Icon of the Seas this past January. Together, they are the largest cruise ships in the world. Highlights of the Icon class include an adults-only sundeck with suspended infinity pool, a “neighborhood” just for families called Surfside, six waterslides, an ice skating rink, the glass-enclosed AquaDome with indoor AquaTheater shows, and dozens of dining venues and bars.
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