Silversea Cruises marked the official beginning of the construction of Silver Ray, its second Nova-class ship, with a traditional steel-cutting ceremony.

“We are proud to have started constructing Silver Ray in collaboration with Meyer Werft, as we continue to push boundaries in sustainable cruise travel,” said Roberto Martinoli, president and CEO of Silversea Cruises.

“As part of Royal Caribbean Group, Silversea has long stood at the forefront of innovation when it comes to environmentally conscious cruising. The launch of the Nova class represents a giant leap forward in this regard and we are introducing pioneering technologies. Given the worldwide issues that have affected the construction of Silver Nova, it has been decided to amend her launch date by approximately one month—in order to uphold the signature level of experience that our discerning guests have come to expect when traveling with Silversea.”

The ceremony was held on November 23 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

According to a company statement, the Silver Ray will join the Silversea fleet in the summer of 2024. It will join its sister ship Silver Nova scheduled to launch on August 14, 2023 sailing a round-trip from Fusina (Venice) on her maiden voyage.

The company’s Nova-class ships are some of the most environmentally conscious ships ever built, the company said. These low-emission cruise ships use a hybrid technology that relies on fuel cells, batteries, and dual-fuel engines that run on liquefied natural gas, resulting in zero emissions while in port.

Both Nova-class ships will feature a horizontal layout and asymmetrical design with public spaces and suites spanning the entire length of the ships.