New Cunard/Carnival Mega Cruise Ship?

[cruisin'fool2]

This report comes from the Southampton Daily Echo:

 

Date Published: Saturday 04 June 2005

 

Size does matter!

by Keith Hamilton

 

An extraordinary battle has broken out between the two giants of the cruising industry to see which holds the crown of the biggest vessel afloat.

And Southampton ship-watchers are going to get a front seat view in this battle of the heavyweights.

 

At present the city's luxury liner Queen Mary 2 - owned by Cunard - is officially the world's largest passenger liner.

 

However, she is set to lose her crown when rival Royal Caribbean International's Freedom of the Seas takes to the water for the first time in May 2006.

 

Not to be outdone, Cunard bosses are drawing up plans for a mega cruise ship that would dwarf them both.

 

The project - codenamed Operation Pinnacle - is being designed at the UK headquarters of the Carnival Corporation, which owns Cunard, in Town Quay, Southampton.

 

It is likely that the new ship would be almost a third bigger than Freedom of the Seas and capable of taking up to 5,000 passengers.

 

Carnival Corporation chairman Micky Arison is unwilling to divulge any more information about the proposed new ship but it is clear that his company is jealously guarding its crown of biggest liner on the seas.

 

A Cunard spokesman said: "QM2 is a true liner as opposed to a cruise ship and on that basis she will still be the biggest in the world. The Cunard flagship can do many things others can only dream about, such as operating a regular transatlantic service between Southampton and New York.

 

"Together with Queen Elizabeth 2, Cunard still has the most famous vessels in the world.''

 

QM2, which arrived in Southampton on Boxing Day 2003, is the largest, tallest, widest and most expensive passenger liner in history, capable of accommodating 2,620 paying passengers.

 

It is longer - the length of 41 double-decker buses - but narrower than Freedom of the Seas. Both weigh the equivalent of about 375 jumbo jets.

 

Freedom of the Seas, which is expected in Southampton in May next year, is billed as a vast floating resort, complete with water park, ice rink and rock climbing wall.

 

One of her most amazing features will be two huge hot tubs that will be cantilevered from the sides of the ship and suspended 112 feet above the waves.

 

Freedom of the Seas, which will be permanently based in America and undertake Caribbean itineraries, will be able to accommodate up to 3,600 passengers including a Presidential Suite with room for 14 people in four bedrooms and four bathrooms.

 

Royal Caribbean International boss Richard Fain said: "Freedom of the Seas will be the most head-turning, most innovative and most forward-looking ship in the cruise industry.

 

"Its name was chosen deliberately to convey the enormity of features and amenities offered on this extraordinary ship."

[JohnEZ]

Nope, sorry, I have my doubts that any company in the near future would be willing to put a 5,000 passenger ship into service. Too big, too costly, too impersonal. I've heard such things about QM2, and she holds less than 3,000, so I think you get the idea. ;)

[TrentS]

"Operation Pinnacle" has been talked about for some time now, but as a Carnival branded ship, not Cunard.

[Vic The Parrot]

Funny...

 

I thought Cunard,er Carnival already had an uber-sized megaship.

The QM2

[guernseyguy]

Funny...

 

I thought Cunard,er Carnival already had an uber-sized megaship.

The QM2

 

Vic,

 

Yes, and the point the article makes

A Cunard spokesman said: "QM2 is a true liner as opposed to a cruise ship and on that basis she will still be the biggest in the world. The Cunard flagship can do many things others can only dream about, such as operating a regular transatlantic service between Southampton and New York.

is that unless they build a liner Cunard will still have the largest liner. This (Pinnacle/Freedom) is really about who can build the biggest Caribbean Condo......

 

Peter

[Vic The Parrot]

 

This (Pinnacle/Freedom) is really about who can build the biggest Caribbean Condo......

 

 

 

Hey there Peter

 

 

Guess I jumped the gun on that. There is a BIG difference between a 'liner' and a Caribbean condo... IMO, the QM2 has both those features, but not as severe as that "THING" those two companies are planning. Well, 2 "THINGS" ... RCI is in the lead.

 

 

:cool: