Grat Cruise Ships of 2000

Vessel name Explorer of the Seas Shipyard Kvaerner Masa-Yards Owner Royal Caribbean Cruises Explorer of the Seas, the second cruise ship in the Voyager-class was delivered by Kvaerner Masa-Yards' Turku New Shipyard on September 28. Explorer of the Seas is the second in a series of five Voyager-class cruise ships for Royal Caribbean Cruises, which are reportedly the largest in the world. The first ship in the Project Eagle series, Voyager of the Seas, was delivered in October 1999, and has proven very successful in operation.

Explorer of the Seas has a gt of 137,300, and a passenger capacity of 3,840, and a crew capacity of 1,180. In addition to the vessel's length of 1,020 ft. (311.1 m), the most striking feature of its physical size is undoubtedly its breadth of 126 ft. (38.6 m) at waterline level and height of 237 ft. (72.3 m) from keel to the top of the funnel. This Post- Pamamax size has allowed for unique design features and interior solutions specifically a four deck high horizontal promenade.

Vessel name Millennium Shipyard Chantiers de I' Atlantique Owner Celebrity Cruise Lines Incorporating old-world style with new-world technology (the first application of gas turbine propulsion on cruise ships) Celebrity's newest vessel truly exemplifies a bridge between two centuries.

Celebrity, owned by Royal Caribbean, made history in the cruise industry with its decision to install the gas turbine system on the 965-ft. (294 m), 91.000-ton Millennium. Comprised of 11 guest decks, the vessel can move at 24 knots holding 1,950 passengers and 999 crew. Celebrity opted to install a pair of GE LM2500+aeroderivative gas turbines, using a combined gas and steam turbine integrated electric drive system (COGES) configuration — an extremely efficient use of energy: Energy that would otherwise be lost in the exhaust from the gas turbines is captured to produce steam from boilers for the steam turbines. The vessel also boasts the latest black and gray water treatment systems equipped with technologically advanced waste handling environmental equipment. While the turbines offer the environmentally friendly 80 to 90 percent reduction in exhaust emissions and noxious gases, Celebrity has gone a step further in its environmental safety precautions with a flue gas cleaning system and de-ashing incinerators.

Vessel name Aurora Shipyard Meyer Werft Owner P&O Cruises In April 2000, Meyer Werft shipyard of Papenburg, Germany delivered the 76,000-gt Aurora to P&O Cruises at Eemshaven in the Netherlands. The second luxury liner to be built by Meyer Werft for P&O, Aurora melds Britishstyle decor with state-of-the-art technology for voyages in the Mediterranean, the North Sea and the Baltic. Divided into seven main fire zones, the ship is compliant with the rules for a two-compartment vessel and is designed in accordance with the latest IMO Regulations.

Aurora is equipped with two "Marine Evacuation Systems," which enable passengers to be evacuated via a chute onto the liferafts. The vessel also holds four tenders, 10 lifeboats and two rescue boats. An integrated navigation and command system. Atlas Nacos 65-3, is fitted onboard Aurora to ensure safe navigation — even in much travelled and narrow waters. With the system's main feature noted as the Multi Pilot II, all radar units have high-resolution color monitors that provide the navigator with advanced means of distinguishing between the different symbols used. An automation system is supplied by Siemens. Electrical power is supplied by four diesel generator sets by MAN B&W, each of which are developing an output of 14,700 kW at 514-rpm driving an ABB generator.

Vessel name Olympic Voyager Shipyard Blohm+Voss Owner Royal Olympic Cruises Royal Olympic Cruises celebrated the U.S. arrival of its newest flagship, Olympic Voyager - dubbed the fastest cruise ship in the world. Able to travel comfortably at speeds of 28 knots, the 590 ft. (179.8 m) Olympic Voyager is the fastest ship of its class in the world. The ship's high speed, attributed to its proprietary Fast Monohull design, enables it to introduce unique destination focused itineraries in the Mediterranean and South America.

Olympic Voyager will be the only ship to sail roundtrip cruises from Ft. Lauderdale to South America. Olympic Voyager is the first newbuild for Royal Olympic Cruises and the first new cruise vessel in a decade to fly the Greek flag. The 25,000-ton, 836-passenger ship was built by Blohm + Voss GmbH Shipyard in Hamburg.

Vessel Name Costa Atlantica Shipyard Kvaerner Masa-Yards Owner Costa Cruises Costa Atlantica, a 85,700-ft cruise ship for Costa Crociere, was delivered from Kvaerner Masa-Yards Helsinki New Shipyard. Measuring 960 ft. (292.5 m) with a maximum breadth 127 ft. (38.8 m) and a draft of 25 ft. (7.8 m), the vessel is the first ship in a series of Panamax-Max size cruise ships of a completely new type for Costa Cruises and Carnival Cruise Lines. The largest ship in the Costa fleet, the vessel is the largest ever to be built for a European operator — and at Kvaerner's Helsinki yard. Compared to earlier cruise liners of Panamax- size, the relative number of outside passenger staterooms and staterooms with balcony are very high; 80 percent of all the 1,057 passenger staterooms face the sea and 70 percent are fitted with a balcony. This is achieved, compared to the Panamax-ships built in the 1990's, by adding one passenger cabin deck to a narrower superstructure.

The vessel left the yard in early July for Venice, Italy, where the naming ceremony took place. Subsequent to this, on July 16, Costa Atlantica began weekly cruises from Venice in the Eastern Mediterranean, to Greece and Turkey. In November, the vessel was repositioned to begin seven day cruises from Fort Lauderdale alternating to the western and eastern Caribbean. Able to move at 22 knots, Costa Atlantica has a diesel-electric machinery, consisting of six Wartsila NSD 9L46D diesel engines, with a total power of 62,370 kW, each connected to an alternator producing electricity to the ship's main electric network. The propulsion units consist of two azimuthing electric Azipod propulsion units, with a power of 17.6 MW each.