Anthem of the Seas, Royal Caribbean's second Quantum-class cruise ship that is under construction, had her keel-laying ceremony today in Meyer Werft shipyard.

The first block for Anthem of the Seas put in place and marks the official start of construction of Anthem of the Seas.

Anthem of the Seas will be ready for service sometime in Spring 2015.

Royal Caribbean in the United Kingdom is beginning to spin up the public relations machine to prepare its fans for a big announcement on November 21, 2013.  Many are speculatiing it will be the formal announcement that Anthem of the Seas, the new Quantum-class cruise ship, will be based out of Southampton, England.

Royal Caribbean UK is teasing the event with the phrase, "A date that'll be music to your ears", which seems to play on the ship's name of Anthem.

The special event will be held in London at 4:30pm local time.

There's been speculation for months that Anthem of the Seas will be based in the UK, with a cruise port schedule site tipping many off earlier this year.  Royal Caribbean has been quiet on details for Anthem of the Seas beyond it had its first steel cutting back in August.

Anthem of the Seas will be the second Quantum-class ship behind sister ship Quantum of the Seas.  She is expected to debut in the spring of 2015.

Royal Caribbean announced today that interior designer and HGTV star Genevieve Gorder is the first advisor for the design of Quantum of the Seas.  Gorder is the first member of the Quantum Experience Advisors program, that features a group of celebrity experts in fields such as design, sports & fitness, entertainment and others who will work hand-in-hand with Royal Caribbean’s internal teams to provide their expertise to help shape interior design, key amenities and activities on the Quantum-class.

The Quantum Experience Advisors is bringing these industry professionals in to help ensure every aspect of the guest experience has been maximized to the fullest extent.

Gorder will be tasked with being the Quantum Experience Advisor for Design.  Gorder is collaborating with Royal Caribbean’s newbuild and design team to offer insights and opinions and influence the décor and furnishings of the loft and suite accommodations onboard Quantum of the Seas.

Working in secret since May 2013, Gorder has reviewed plans, fabrics, carpets and furnishings for the ship’s luxurious accommodations.  Gorder and her team have helped to provide a more cohesive look and feel to the onboard suites and lofts.

Royal Caribbean Executive Vice President of Operations, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, commented on the announcement, "Our teams at Royal Caribbean are always leading the charge in terms of delivering innovative and industry-leading ships and programming and now, by teaming up with some of the brightest and most talented professionals in their respective fields, we are sure to make the Quantum-class some of the most amazing ships to ever set sail.  Guest experience is our number one priority and ourQuantum Experience Advisors are bringing fresh insights, opinions and perspectives to help us deliver the kinds of WOW moments that can only be found on Royal Caribbean."

Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas are set to debut in November 2014 and April 2015 respectively.

Royal Caribbean has been quiet on details related to its second Quantum class ship, Anthem of the Seas, to this point but we may know a little more about where this new cruise ship is going.  

A schedule of cruises from the Port of Le Havre, France shows a number of ports of call by Anthem of the Seas in 2015, which gives more evidence that Anthem of the Seas will be based out of Southampton, England.

Upon further inspection, the schedule of calls to Le Havre matches Independence of the Seas' current itineraries for 2014.  Some are speculating that Anthem of the Seas will replace Independence of the Seas.

If you have your doubts about this information being accurate, keep in mind we saw a similar occurence with Quantum of the Seas in February when the Port of St Maarten posted a schedule similar to Le Havre with Quantum of the Seas listed and that turned out to be accurate.  

Tip of the hat to Cruise Critic and RCI Fans for reporting this news.

Royal Caribbean's next three cruise ships, Quantum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas and a yet-to-be-named third Oasis class ship, will utilize processing technology supplier Metso DNA for its integrated alarm, monitoring and control systems.

Metso is being contracted by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, where the ships are being constructed.  Each ship will recieve integrated alarm, monitoring and control systems that are capable of producing 18,000 input/outputs in the machinery, air conditioning and emergency shutdown systems. The diesel electric power plant will also be managed by the system.

Previously Metso had provided the automation system components for Royal Caribbean's Radiance class of ships.

Just before Royal Caribbean celebrated the keel-laying of Quantum of the Seas today, another milestone was reached for another brand new cruise ship.  Sister ship Anthem of the Seas had her first steel-cutting at Meyer Werft shipyard's laser centre.

The steel-cutting for Quantum of the Seas took place in February 2013 and today's event is the next step for Anthem of the Seas, which has been relatively quiet in terms of news about her.  

Delivery of Anthem of the Seas is scheduled in the spring 2015.

UPDATE 11:09AM: Royal Caribbean President and CEO Adam Goldstein commented on the ceremonies for both Anthem of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas today, "Today is a very special day in the development of our new Quantum class, as we are now two steps closer to delighting guests around the world with Quantum cruising.  It’s incredibly rewarding to see Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas coming together so well, and today we not only honor these two very important milestones, but also recognize the years of hard work and dedication from the team developing these ships."

We've gotten word that later today construction will begin on Royal Caribbean's two newest cruise ships, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas.

These two Quantum-class cruise ships will take steps forward in becoming a reality when at 1:00pm, Anthem of the Seas will have her steel cutting ceremony.  This will be followed by the official keel-laying for Quantum of the Seas at 2:00pm.  (We aren't sure if these times are local or eastern)

Both events will take place at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Quantum of the Seas' keel-laying has been expected for some time now, as photos of what appears to be her keel popped up online.  Meanwhile, Anthem of the Seas' steel cutting will be the first substantial news we've heard regarding her since her name was announced.

Quantum of the Seas is scheduled for her first cruise in November 2014, with Anthem of the Seas offering her inaugural cruise sometime in Spring 2015.

Royal Caribbean has been working hard, along with the rest of the cruise industry, to prepare its cruise ships for new air pollution rules set to go into effect in 2015.  The fear is these new laws will make North American cruises more expensive and so Royal Caribbean has been slowly rolling out a solution to its cruise ships that will aim to be compliant without being too expensive.

The new rules are part of the North American Emissions Control Area (ECA), which surrounds the United States and Canada and extends up to 200 miles offshore.

Royal Caribbean's plan is to add "scrubbers" to their ships.  Scrubbers remove pollutants from engine exhaust as a kind of filter.  The downside to scrubbers is the technology is still a work in progress and requires a variance permit from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Royal Caribbean is planning on installing scrubbers on Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas when they are built.  They've already been testing scrubbers on Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas and the EPA has granted trial exemptions for six Royal Caribbean ships.   In addition, it has authorized an “emissions averaging” solution in certain subregions of the ECA in which Royal can use fuels with differing sulfur levels, as long as the average equivalent sulfur emissions meet the ECA limits.