Delivery of Odyssey of the Seas postponed after a fire

The delivery of Royal Caribbean’s new cruise ship, Odyssey of the Seas, being built at German shipbuilder Meyer Werft, has officially been delayed, the company confirmed.

The keel for the ship was laid in May 2019 and Odyssey of the Seas was scheduled to be delivered in autumn 2020.

The ship is scheduled to become one of the five largest cruise ships in the world with a gross tonnage of about 169,000.

“The health crisis has unfortunately also impacted shipyard operations, as well as our supply chain. As a result, the debut of our newest fleet member, Odyssey of the Seas, will be delayed, resulting in the unfortunate cancellation of all sailings between November 5, 2020 – April 17, 2021,” Royal Caribbean said.

As disclosed by Meyer Werft the ship experienced a second fire on June 24 at the construction site, which resulted in property damage leading to construction delays. The fire erupted on the second deck of the ship.

It took place just a month after another fire was reported on deck 8 near a stateroom.

The incident has also impacted the delivery dates of other ships, which combined with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, have further complicated things for the shipyard.

Meyer Werft, which specializes in building cruise ships, has already sustained a significant blow from the pandemic, amid dwindling orders and inability of cruise shipping firms to meet their financial obligations for ships already on order.

The company said it was working on securing short-term loans to boost its liquidity and overcome the current crisis.