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.
Im booked and paid for to ride on Harmony as soon as she gets stateside.
Looks amazing
Good, as long as your captain isn't a cowardly nutcase.......................
Nope ,it’s not top heavy
World’s biggest Motel 6.
As long as the Captain is not Italian.
Also world’s biggest floating petri dish.
Top heavy is what I wonder about when I see these things.
Yeah, but can you ski behind it?
and no one gets sick ...
Other than hopefully the ride, what is the upside to being on the biggest ship? Every port visit will be a mad house.
That’s an amazing vessel, although not my cup of tea. A pleasure boat’s intended purpose is to get the occupants away from humanity, not to crush them into inescapable confines. The little lady and I lived-aboard for four years back in the ‘80’s. Love the sea.
I hear what you're saying
but, f*ck off anyway, mayonnaise face
I have always viewed cruise ships as expensive nursing homes.
Folks who've never cruised don't get it. Cruise ships have personalities. What works for some people doesn't work for others.
How big is too big?
-PJ
It’s never a good idea to sail too close to the rocks to impress an old girlfriend while having dinner with a new girlfriend. Your wife will always find out.
Oh really now I’m kidding and I’m Italian.
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