The world’s largest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas, which is almost as long as the Empire State Building, has been delivered to the Royal Caribbean International.
The ship has been built by STX France and joins its sister ship Harmony of the Seas two years after the latter’s delivery.
The official handover ceremony was held on Friday in Saint-Nazaire, France, with Michael Bayley and Richard Fain, President and Chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Laurent Castaing, General Manager of STX France, leading the traditional flag-changing ceremony.
“Symphony of the Seas is the latest example of how our people work to push the envelope of innovation with each new ship,” D. Fain commented.
“The Oasis Class has been a trend-setting design, but the team has evolved the design to build on that success to provide even more incredible family adventures.”
“Symphony will leave Saint-Nazaire yard as the ultimate example of our progress-driven spirit and commitment to innovation, which are at the heart of our partnership with Royal Caribbean, who is always challenging us in this direction, ” Castaing said.
With 362 meters long, 66 meters wide, 70 meters high and 2,750 passenger cabins Symphony of the Seas is able to host around 6,800 passengers and 2,000 staff members. The mammoth ship will soon welcome a third of its kind, due for delivery in 2021.
The very construction process lasted for 36 months and involved over 4,700 shipbuilders and crew.
The ship’s energetic balance has been improved by 25 pct and it is the 1st one to be granted with the SILENT-E class from DNV-GL due to its low level of noise under the water, according to STX France.
Symphony of the Seas will welcome its first guests on Saturday, March 31 for a 5-night preview sailing, calling on Naples and Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy.
The ship’s maiden 7-night Mediterranean voyage departs Saturday, April 7 from Barcelona, Spain, where it will be homported for the summer, before it homeports in Miami in November.
The giant cruise ship departed the Saint-Nazaire yard on March 24.
Image Courtesy: Royal Caribbean