A BIG BIG BIGGEST ship Not Princess thankfully

[FredS]

Aker Yards, the Norwegian shipbuilder, has won a new cruise ship order worth about €900m ($1.1bn) from Royal Caribbean International. The vessel to be built is the most valuable ship ever ordered in the history of commercial shipbuilding, the company said.

 

The 220,000-gross-registered-ton new vessel will be 360 metres long and carry 5,400 passengers, making it more than 40 per cent bigger than the world's biggest cruise ship now under construction for Royal Caribbean by Aker Yards in Finland.

[macmax]

Here is a drawing of her.

 

http://www.akerfinnyards.com/imagebank/mr/genesis_mr.jpg

[Zebboriah]

Admittedly I'm a mega-ship fan (Grand class), but this is going in the category of "absurd". Just the logistics of it -- embark/disembark, tendering, being on a ship with THAT many people!?!? Could you imagine being on another ship and seeing that one pull in behind you in port? Think about it -- that is bigger than the Sapphire AND Diamond slapped together.

Someday the consumer will say enough is enough. QM2 is a masterpiece. Freedom of the Seas is simply a response. It's all about the title.

I say "WHATEVER!"

[Dreamer333]

Here is a bit more info:

 

Royal Caribbean Orders 220,000 Ton Ship!

Royal Caribbean has announced it will build cruising's biggest ship ever with the development of a 220,000 ton, 5,400 passenger ship. To be developed under the project name Genesis, the first ship is planned for delivery in fall of 2009.

1,180 feet long, 154 feet wide and 240 feet high

[Drumbum1977]

That's ridiculous....I don't want to be on holiday with 5400 other people.

[scootepie66]

With this size I don't think you would cruise on her because of going to different ports I think the ship would be the vacation. Tendering would be a problem anywhere she goes. I don't think bigger is necessarily better.

[minke]

They would be able to fill it cruising out of China on gambling cruises!!

[mr green]

I saw it sugested a couuple of months ago that the Statendam, 55,000 tonnes, be commisioned as tender for the new ship. :rolleyes: john

[mii]

Well personally that is too big for me. Want to make a bet that ship will be sailing in the Caribbean? My gosh there is more ships there now than ever before.Marilyn

[Hucc]

No -- this kind of ship won't suit everyone's fancy. I don't think they're trying to do that at Royal Carib. They *are* trying to be innovative, and the "biggest" and "coolest" ship at sea. I'm sure they are considering the logistics of loading (and unloading) 5400 passengers, and all the food, luggage, etc., and other logistics involved with the process. Perhaps they'll do a dual terminal with certain pax go to one building, and others to another, making it more like 2700 pax to deal with at a time, with separate entry dockways for each.

[Cruising89143]

Well since Mickey Arison has the Pinnacle class ship ready to go for Carnival, you darn well believe that he will have one built for Princess too. If there is money to be made on a ship that size then Carnival will build for more than one line.

[Cruising89143]

No -- this kind of ship won't suit everyone's fancy. I don't think they're trying to do that at Royal Carib. They *are* trying to be innovative, and the "biggest" and "coolest" ship at sea. I'm sure they are considering the logistics of loading (and unloading) 5400 passengers, and all the food, luggage, etc., and other logistics involved with the process. Perhaps they'll do a dual terminal with certain pax go to one building, and others to another, making it more like 2700 pax to deal with at a time, with separate entry dockways for each.

 

Hucc, I think that you have it down with the embarkation and debarkation of a ship that size. The cruise lines have thought this out before building something of this size.

[A Sixth?]

We I for one think that its a great idea. Variety and choice is a good thing, not a bad thing IMHO

While a ship this big may not appeal to many, it will to some. It wasn’t that long ago that the thought of a 100,000 ton ship was unheard of. Now it’s about the standard for the major players.

If they build them big enough the bow will be at the destination while the stern still rests at the departure point!

Bring it on!

[Ethel5]

YUK :(

 

Can you imagine tendering, the buffet, the casino, the ports, embarkation, disembarkation with that many on board?

 

I can safely say I will NEVER get on that ship.

[Pam in CA]

First of all, RCCL embarkation and disembarkation is no where near as efficient as Princess so I would think it'll be a nightmare to board/disembark.

 

That said, I wonder if they're considering adding snowboarding, ski jumping or water skiing to the list of activities onboard. Maybe bungee jumping for the real daredevils. :) Heck, they already have ice skating and surfing.

 

I sure wouldn't want to be in port at the same time as this ship.

[TexasMom2]

First of all, RCCL embarkation and disembarkation is no where near as efficient as Princess so I would think it'll be a nightmare to board/disembark.

 

That said, I wonder if they're considering adding snowboarding, ski jumping or water skiing to the list of activities onboard. Maybe bungee jumping for the real daredevils. :) Heck, they already have ice skating and surfing.

 

I sure wouldn't want to be in port at the same time as this ship.

 

I'm not sure if your last cruise with RCI was really in 1986 or not, but we sailed them last year and in 2003 and the process was very efficient. It probably depends on the departure port more than anything else. The Grand out of Galveston is a good example.

 

I want to sail on the Freedom, but not until the novelty wears off and the prices come down. Probably 2007 or 2008.

[spongerob]

Here is a bit more info:

 

1,180 feet long, 154 feet wide and 240 feet high

 

Sounds like it's going to take up two parking spots wherever it goes. Maybe they'll call it Hummer of the Seas. :)

[TexasMom2]

Suburban of the Seas. Saw one at the car show on Saturday and I can't believe you can park that thing anywhere.

[spongerob]

You're right on the name, TM2. If it were Celebrity's ship, it would be a hummer, but for RCI the more mass-market Suburban is a propos.

[Pam in CA]

I'm not sure if your last cruise with RCI was really in 1986 or not, but we sailed them last year and in 2003 and the process was very efficient. It probably depends on the departure port more than anything else. The Grand out of Galveston is a good example.

Our last cruise on RCI was a couple of years ago, on the Nordic Empress out of Tampa. We were the first in line with the check-in Rep and it still took us 15 minutes. We were on the Explorer of the Seas the year before that and it was horrible. We were there at check-in at 2:15PM but didn't board until almost 5PM due to the slow lines and crowds. At 4PM, they closed half the check-in windows. I couldn't believe it!

[TexasMom2]

The Suburban was much larger/longer than the Hummer, which I thought was downright homely. At least the Suburban had "curves". :)

[spongerob]

Actually, I think the best choice of name is Wagonmaster Family Truckster of the Seas...maybe the ship could be the location for a "National Lampoon's Cruise Vacation" with the Griswalds.

[GeminiA]

QM2 is already very big, but a beautifully built ship (with some design flaws though), but this is getting ridiculous.

 

However, I might still cruise on it once just to take a look at the ship out of curiosity . . . . .

[TexasMom2]

Actually, I think the best choice of name is Wagonmaster Family Truckster of the Seas...maybe the ship could be the location for a "National Lampoon's Cruise Vacation" with the Griswalds.

 

That's going a little bit too far :confused:

[bdjam]

If Princess were to commission a ship this size, it would certainly be good news for this board. We’ve already got threads about crowded pools, crowded buffets, inability to tender in a reasonable amount of time – a 5400 passenger ship is only going to magnify those problems and that type of Wal-Marting of the industry will mean lower quality. The cruise lines can barely process the number of people they have now on a 7-day cruise. And I doubt that this will mean more choice for anyone – the additional room on these ships will be used to house the additional 2000 passengers. Island will be overrun – think tendering in Grand Cayman is an issue now? – and ecosystems will not be able to handle the influx of people.

Great idea, RCI. :rolleyes: