Page 21: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2, 2006)

World's Largest Cruise

Ship Launched

The first of three ultra-sized cruise vessels for Royal Caribbean Cruises

Ltd., Freedom of the Seas, was floated out recently at Aker Yards in Finland.

Freedom of the Seas is a floating urban community. There is 16.5 hectares of deck space for, in all, 5,740 passengers and crew. The 158,000-grt ship is 1,112.2 ft. (339 m) long and 126.6 ft. (38.6 m) wide. Ordered in September 2003, the newbuilding will be delivered to Royal Caribbean in April 2006. The second and third vessel in the series will be ready for delivery in spring 2007 and 2008 respectively. The ships in the

Freedom class build on the Voyager- class ships, but are 15 percent larger than those, and have new features, all not yet revealed. The Freedom of the

Seas takes ship design to the edge and beyond, e.g. with a top-deck aqua envi- ronment unparalleled in the industry, featuring three massive pool areas.

Main particulars:

GRT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .158,000

Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339 m

Breadth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38.6 m

Draft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.5 m

DWT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10,600 t

Passengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,375

Crew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,365

Classification . . . . . .+1A1, EO, RP, Passenger Ship,

Unrestricted Service, Underwater Survey, TMON, W1

Type of propulsion . . . .Diesel-electric Azipod drive

Main engines6 x Wärtsilä 12V46C, total output 75,600 kW

Propulsion . . . . .3 x Azipod, total output 42,000 kW

Bow thrusters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 x 3,300 kW

Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21.6 knots

Steel Plate for Hull . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .340,000 sq. m.

Weld seams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1,630 km

Paint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .420,000 liters

Cable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3,500 km

Pipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .160 km

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5,800 sq. m.

QM 2 Pod Damaged

The Queen Mary 2 was headed out to sea last month when the ship returned to

Port Everglades after a problem was dis- covered with a motor, according to local press reports.

According to the Miami Herald, the cruise ship hit a sea wall, damaging part of its propulsion system.

Shortly after the ship's 1 p.m. depar- ture from Port Everglades, a bridge instrument indicated there was a prob- lem with one of four propulsion motors.

The captain called the U.S. Coast Guard more than three hours later and said there was reason to believe the ship hit a submerged object when it was about five miles out. About 10 p.m., tugboats pulled the ship back to the port, where the vessel remained for two days.

The ship was able to continue its 38- night South American odyssey, originat- ing in New York and ending in Los

Angeles. However, enroute there were reports of many disgruntled passengers, unhappy that the ship was forced to alto- gether skip many ports of call to make up for lost time. The ship's damaged pod is expected to be repaired after it fin- ished its current cruise in late February in Los Angeles.

First Choice Sells Ships,

Completes INTRAV Buy

First Choice Holidays PLC has sold two coastal cruising ships to Cruise

West, a U.S.-based, family owned small- ship cruise line, for $16.7 million. The two ships were among the four cruise ships acquired as part of First Choice's purchase of U.S.-based leisure travel group INTRAV, the acquisition of which the company has completed. The net consideration for the purchase of

INTRAV, including the sale of the two ships, is $46.8 million.

February 2006 21

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