Royal Caribbean International (RCI) took delivery of the second Radiance-class vessel, the Brilliance of the Seas, in Eernshaven in the Netherlands on July 5. She will be christened by Marilyn Ofer on July 13 in Harwich before embarking on a seven-day maiden cruise on July 15. The Brilliance was built by Meyer Werft where a third sister ship, the Serenade of the Seas, is under construction for delivery in fall of 2003.

The keel laying of Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 took place at Chantiers De L’Atlantique on July 4 – signifying 162 years to the date that Cunard’s first ship, the Britannia, sailed form Liverpool to Halifax and Boston. The QM2’s power plant will consist of two gas turbines and four diesel engines powering the industry’s first four-pod Mermaid installation.

The keel laying of Crystal Cruises’ Serenade also took place at the French yard on July 2 week.