TURKU, Finland – The world’s biggest cruise ship was launched yesterday when its milestone float-out ceremony took place.
The 220,000-tonne leviathan, called Oasis of the Seas, is being built by American company Royal Caribbean at the STX Europe shipyard in Turku, Finland.
The 1,187ft vessel, capable of carrying 6,296 passengers, is so big that its exhaust stack retracts so it can pass under bridges as it travels the world. The ship is 300ft longer than the Titanic, 154ft wide, and 240ft high, and has a cruising speed of 22 knots.
Representatives from the owners and the shipyard turned a wheel to let the water into the enormous dry dock where the vessel, 65 per cent finished, is still being built. It will take about 15 hours to fill the dock as it needs 87 million gallons of water to float the ship.
The €830 million vessel is 40 per cent bigger than any other cruise ship afloat.
At a cost of about €160,000 per berth, Oasis of the Seas is the most expensive cruise ship ever to be ordered.
It has a Central Park-style open-air space aboard, the size of a football field, with its own micro-climate and featuring lush, tropical plants and trees. The park will be located on Deck 8 of the 16- deck ship and be open to the sky. Guests can have the option of a sea or tree view.
In addition there is a bar called Rising Tide that will move between three of the passenger decks. Completing the major new attractions is a 750-seat AquaTheatre concept, modelled on an ancient Greek amphitheatre, located at the stern of the ship.
It allows guests onboard the chance of lounging around the biggest pool afloat in the day and then going back at night for shows including acrobatics, synchronised swimming, water ballet, and professional high-diving.
Other amenities include loft-style apartments, an ice rink, and the usual pools, restaurants and a casino.
Cruising continues to grow in Europe and America, with Royal Caribbean also building another ship of the same size due to enter service in 2010.
This represents a €1.65 billion investment in the industry by the company, with competitors such as PO and Cunard also expanding their fleets.
Chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean Cruises Richard Fain said the company did not consider the ship just to be the biggest, but also the most flexible, with more attractions for passengers because that is what they want.
But the credit crunch is beginning to bite in the industry, with Royal Caribbean suspending its dividend payments to shareholders. Oasis is due to go on its first cruise in December next year, operating from Fort Lauderdale in Florida. Prices will start from €1,530 for a nine-night eastern Caribbean fly-cruise.