Posted on 03/10/2016 12:05:21 PM PST by Red Badger
A cruise liner longer than the Eiffel Tower and 100 metres longer than the Titanic will set sail from a French port for the first time on Thursday.
Harmony of the Seas will leave the western port of Saint Nazaire on Thursday afternoon and, if all goes well, not return until Sunday morning.
The purpose of the voyage is mainly to test the power on the boat and how well it manoeuvres, which, given it weighs some 227,000 tonnes and measures 362 metres in length, will be interesting to see.
There will be no passengers on board during the test voyage, just 500 staff.
If testing goes as planned, the boat will eventually head to British port of Southampton in May, from where it will set sail for Barcelona for its first cruise around the Mediterranean.
Harmony of the Seas makes the Titanic, which measured 269 metres, look like a little pleasure boat - and it is even 50 metres longer than the Eiffel Tower.
Harmony is also a metre wider than the current twin ocean-going monsters of the pleasure cruise world, which are also 362 metres long.
"Allure of the Seas" and "Oasis of the Seas", the world's biggest cruise ships in current service, are 65 metres wide and come in at 225,000 tonnes a piece. All three belong to Royal Caribbean International cruise lines.
The ship will have room for some 6,360 passengers and 2,100 staff members.
Maybe they have a Spent Uranium Keel....
Scrape off the top 11 decks or so, add a raised flat deck to create a hanger deck, put in a couple of lifts, and you might have a serviceable aircraft carrier.
I’ve lived in a couple of towns that size. Not bad when they are spread out over 100 square miles or so. And they all don’t want to leave or arrive at the same time.
No. thanks.
LOL! Complete with Japanese petty officers meting out corporal punishment for minor infractions. I have a good Japanese movie (with English subtitles) about the Yamato, BTW.
If it hadn't been destroyed a few years back by a Tsunami, I'm sure we would have gone back. They may rebuild it but last I heard but that was a while back.
I have always viewed cruise ships as expensive nursing homes.
I read an article (forget when) about some shrewd elders who proved that riding the waves 24/7/365 could be had for less than a highly rated nursing home would cost. They knew how to game the rate setting norms and took advantage of all the last minute deals. Two in particular have lived on cruise ships for several years, a lot more exciting than shuffling from dine room to their rooms and back for bingo in the eves.
If the sea wants the ship, the sea will take it. Really large ships don’t spend all that many years in service nowadays.
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/roguewaves/index
After taking a river cruise, to Normandy, with a total of 120 passengers, I’ll never step foot on one of those monstrosities.
All aboard Norovirus1.
That’s my idea of a boat!! We sailed, and one time considered living on one in NYHarbor, but alas— never did. Sob. He was the navigator and I was the helms-woman. I envy what you did.
World’s biggest Motel 6.
You are right and I say no thanks. I wonder how she will do in a hurricane?
My most memorable cruise was to Guantanamo Bay in late fall of '62 to evacuate military dependents and civvy contractors from the GTMO Naval Station. The even let me drive part of the way!
They even let me drive, of course.
It’s not dead! He’s resting!
Do the riverboat cruises in Europe and elsewhere. 2-300 at most. Love/loved it!
Okay, passengers, we’re all gonna play a game!
On the count of 3, everybody run to the Port side of the ship!
1, 2, 3!........................uh oh.................
He’s pining in the fjord................
“Folks who’ve never cruised don’t get it. Cruise ships have personalities. What works for some people doesn’t work for others. “
My parents been all over the world and they said the same thing. As for me, I wouldn’t go on a cruise if I won it with all expenses paid. Someone on this thread said floating petri dish. I agree.
Also world’s biggest floating petri dish.
^ This, I get a stomach virus just looking at that thing. I’d have to be room temperature to be locked up on that at sea.
My 1st husband and I went on a cruise once-we ended up instantly sick of the cheerleading staff herding everyone around like cattle and the whiny, impolite fellow passengers-when everyone was herded off the ship someplace in the Bahamas for a tour of the markets, we ditched the tour, went off and found a little airport-got on a charter flight to the rest of the islands-alone-and had a great 4 vaca days. Cruise ship=Klingon prison ship...
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