On May 3, 2019, Royal Caribbean marked a major milestone in the development of its Odyssey of the Seas. Scheduled for delivery in fall 2020, the new vessel (under construction) received her first block as the keel was officially lowered and put into place at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
The keel laying signifies the beginning of the physical construction of the ship. During the keel laying ceremony, a 79-ton block was lifted into the dock via an 800-ton crane. Newly minted coins were placed under the ship's keel, which then stays in place through the end of construction. Once nearing completion, these coins are retrieved and presented to the Captain and crew, to be placed onboard the ship. According to maritime tradition, the coins bring luck to the vessel during the construction and then to the Captain and crew when at sea.
Odyssey of the Seas’ itineraries will be revealed later in 2019.