The keel was laid for Royal Caribbean’s 4th Oasis class cruise ship today at the STX shipyard in St. Nazaire, France. The keel laying ceremony marks the formal recognition of the start of a ship’s construction.
The keel is a 1,000 ton block measuring 32 ft by 154 ft. The keel was place on newly minted coins and will stay there until construction is near completion. The coins will then be removed and presented to the Captain and crew of the ship. According to maritime tradition, the coins are said to bring luck to the Captain and crew when they are at sea.
The Oasis class ships are currently the largest cruise ships in the world at over 220,000 gross tons. This unnamed 4th Oasis class ship will be the largest cruise ship in the world when the vessel is completed in the spring of 2018, slightly larger than her sister ship Harmony of the Seas.
Royal Caribbean has yet to release features that this 4th Oasis class ship will have. Announcements about the ship’s home port and itineraries will be released at a later time.
Photo Credits: Royal Caribbean
