Royal Caribbean's Odyssey of the Seas Starts Sea Trials

Royal Caribbean's latest Quantum Class cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas has set sail for sea trials in the North Sea ahead of planned delivery in the coming weeks, German shipbuilder Meyer Werft said.

Trials for the 348-meter, 169,379 GT cruise ship include technical and nautical tests while final interior work remains underway on board.

Meyer Weft said teams from the shipyard, its suppliers as well as the shipowner and the classification society DNV are working hand in hand to ensure the successful completion of the ship, which will come later than the initially planned Fall 2020 delivery due to delays from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thomas Weigend, managing director of Meyer Werft, said Odyssey of the Seas will be the third cruise ship delivered by the shipyard during the pandemic. "This is a tremendous achievement that is only possible due to the far-sighted and responsible actions of all people at the shipyard and on board," he said.

Project manager Thorsten Kroes said, "The current situation shows how important it is to act quickly and transparently. We have prevented the virus from spreading and can therefore now start the sea trial. All of us on board are glad that we can now take this important step. With the experience gained in the last few days, we are now even better positioned to counter the virus."

The shipbuilder said extensive protective measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus on board during construction and sea trials include a task force to provide support in order to work out and implement further measures at short notice. "The aim is to reduce the number of contacts even further," the shipbuilder said.

Antigen testing of the several hundred people on board is also being performed daily, and new persons are only allowed on board if they can present a PCR test that is not older than 48 hours. All persons are required to strictly observe hygiene measures and distances on board and to reduce contacts to an absolute minimum, Meyer Werft added.

The fifth cruise ship of Royal Caribbean's Quantum Class, Odyssey of the Seas has capacity for 4,284 passengers and 1,551 crew members. The newbuild is slated to make its debut in the Mediterranean later this year.