The first building block for the Regent Seven Seas Cruises (RSSC) newbuild named “Explorer” has been placed during a special keel laying ceremony at the Fincantieri shipyard in Genoa, Italy on 21st January 2015. The keel laying signals a significant milestone in the construction for what will be the most luxurious ship ever built, and brings the vessel one step closer to its July 20, 2016 maiden voyage.
The ceremony marked a significant milestone in Seven Seas Explorer’s construction, bringing the ship closer to July 2016 debut.
During the ceremony, a black Rolls-Royce Phantom transported three symbolic coins to the keel laying event, before they were placed on a pillow by a butler and carried to the ship.
The coins included a rare 1921 US silver coin known as the Peace Dollar, which symbolises the safe passage of Seven Seas Explorer; a 1959 silver Italian Lire representing the year the Fincantieri shipyard was established; and a commemorative coin specially minted for the occasion.
All three coins were welded into the newbuild’s keel by Jason Montague, president and COO of Regent Seven Seas Cruises; Robin Lindsay, executive vice president of vessel operations; and Franco Semeraro, senior vice president of hotel operations. The building block was then lowered into the dry dock.
Earlier this month, RSSC revealed Seven Seas Explorer is to offer the line’s first 3,875 sq ft suite, as well as lounges, gourmet restaurants and more.
