STX Europe Laid Cruise Vessel Keel

The keel of Allure of the Seas, the second in the series of two of the world's largest cruise ships was laid on Dec. 2 at the Turku yards of STX  Europe.

The keel laying ceremony marked the placement of the very first block of Allure of the Seas in the dry dock where the ship will begin to take shape.  The event also included the coin laying ceremony, with representatives of the Owner, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and the Builder, STX Europe placing the lucky coins under the keel, the tradition for bringing luck.

The "keelblock" of this size of the vessel weighs several hundreds of tons.  A Newbuild of this size has been compared to a huge 3-dimensional puzzle. One vessel consists of 180 grand blocks, the biggest with a length of 72 ft, width of 98 ft and weight of 600 tons. The vessel‘s weight is 12 times the weight of the Eiffel tower

STX Europe in Turku has in its orderbook two luxury cruise vessels of the Oasis class to be delivered for Royal Caribbean in 2009 and 2010.  The vessels called Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas will be 154 ft wide and 1181 ft long, i.e. 131 ft longer than the height of the Eiffel tower!  Height over the water line will be 213 ft.

Allure of the Seas will be a floating resort with seven neighborhoods – themed areas offering experiences for passengers of all ages: the Promenade, a shopping mall with boutiques and restaurants, Boardwalk with the first amfi theatre at sea, Vitality Spa, Pool & Sports Zone with water park activities, Youth Zone with playing possibilities from babies to teens, Entertainment Place with casino and dance hall. And the Central Park with a revolutionary design in which the centre of the ship opens to the sky. With the length of a soccer field, some 361 ft and a width of 62 ft, the park will have growing lawn, trees and other vegetation. Sun will be shining to this unique open outdoor space surrounded with restaurants, shops and cafés.

(www.allureoftheseas.com)