Cruise lines seem to be in a perpetual race to have the “biggest ship in the world” in their fleets. Though Royal Caribbean has really set a new bar with the Oasis of the Seas, a brand new floating monster that’s five times the size of the Titanic and cost a whopping $1.4 billion to build. The bridge has a clearance of 213 feet above the water, and the ship normally has an air draft of 236 ft. To power this thing, you need six marine diesel engines: three Wärtsilä 16-cylinder common rail diesels producing 18,860 kilowatts, and three similar 12-cylinder engines each producing 13,860 kilowatts.
The ship boasts seven “neighborhoods,” including Vegas-style simulacra of Coney Island and Central Park, and can hold 6,300 passengers. Excess is the name of the game: For a mere $34,000 a week, you can have a private two-story loft-like cabin. Other features include Broadway shows playing off the boardwalk, a zip-line that runs nine stories above the main deck, a climbing wall (which, these days, is de rigeur on mega-ships), a mini-golf course, and the obligatory casino and theme parks and pools etc.
Here’s the captain’s first video log, which offers a fascinating description of the work behind the maiden voyage (seriously, the fact that this floating city can travel and maneuver is impressive in itself):
And here is Good Morning America’s bubbly segment on the ship’s amenities:
November 23rd, 2009 at 6:25 pm
Awesome Ship! Only certain ports can handle it from what I understand because of its behemoth size. I’d like to go on it I’m sure it will be quite an experience.
How is the security on it and around it, should an unfortunate event occur. It sure is a huge target.
November 24th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjvUnila4Wg
This one is even crazier, the Oasis going under the Storebaelt Bridge in Denmark, which is one of the worlds largest suspension bridges.