The keel for the second mammoth Oasis-class cruise ship to be operated by Royal Caribbean International has been laid at a shipyard in Finland.
The keel laying ceremony for the 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas marks the placement of the first block in the dry dock where the ship will begin to take shape.
Allure of the Seas will share the title of the world’s largest cruise ship with sister vessel Oasis of the Seas.
The 220,000-ton Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas will both sail from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Oasis of the Seas, with seven themed areas, is due to enter service at the end of next year, with Allure of the Seas following in 2010.
by Phil Davies
