Royal Caribbean International officially welcomed its newest ship, the Utopia of the Seas at a handover ceremony in Saint-Nazaire, France. 

The Chantiers de l’Atlantique handed Royal Caribbean the keys to Utopia five weekends ahead of its July debut in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida.

After over two years of construction, over 1,600 crew members and workers celebrated the special occasion in the AquaTheater. Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley, and Chantiers de l’Atlantique General Manager Laurent Castaing hosted Utopia’s first party to honor the nautical engineers, designers, architects, and other contributors.

“Taking delivery of Utopia of the Seas is an incredibly important milestone, as it marks yet another evolution of our game-changing ships and our mission to create the best vacation experiences responsibly,” said Liberty. “From the ultimate multigenerational vacation on this year’s earlier debut of Icon of the Seas to now the ultimate weekend getaway on Utopia of the Seas, we are laser-focused on delivering a variety of vacation options and priceless memories for our guests.”

Set to make its debut on July 19, the Utopia will head to the U.S. to undergo finishing touches before it welcomes its first guests. The Utopia of the Seas will operate three-night weekend and four-night weekday getaways, all featuring a visit to Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean’s private island in The Bahamas.

“With the delivery of Utopia of the Seas, we have the keys to the ultimate weekend,” said Bayley. “This is the short vacation that packs every way to make amazing memories in a three-night weekend or four-night weekday getaway. Vacationers want every minute to be a minute well spent, and the unmatched combination of Utopia and Perfect Day at CocoCay will deliver that. We are proud and excited to soon debut Utopia in a big way!”