www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/06/ap/business/mainD8FJQAOO1.shtml

Royal Caribbean Orders $1.24B Cruise Ship

MIAMI, Feb. 6, 2006
(AP)


(AP) Royal Caribbean International on Monday ordered the world's largest and most expensive cruise ship, a $1.24 billion vessel that will hold up to 6,400 passengers. It's the latest step in the industry trend of supersizing ships, which delight many passengers but are too crowded for other guests.

The ship, dubbed Project Genesis, will be 220,000 gross registered tons when it is delivered to the world's second-largest cruise operator in fall 2009 by Oslo, Norway-based shipbuilder Aker Yards. Gross registered tons is the standard way to measure a ship's size and is a unit of volume equal to 100 cubic feet.

Aker said its contract price of 900 million euros _ about $1 billion _ would be "the most valuable ship ever ordered in the history of commercial shipbuilding." The $1.24 billion figure includes all expenses for the ship, "from forks and knives and sheets to artwork and everything else," said Harri Kulovaara, the Miami-based cruise line's executive vice president of maritime operations.

Aker said the contract is contingent on final approval of financing and the ship will be built at one of its Finnish yards. The cruise line, a unit of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., has an option for a second ship.

"Project Genesis truly is a remarkable ship. Its bold design, daring innovations and technological advancements will delight our existing cruisers and help us draw in new ones," Richard Fain, the parent company's chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

The announcement also steals some of the spotlight from rival Carnival Corp., the world's largest cruise operator. Carnival has studied building a ship about the same size, but its Pinnacle project is "on the back burner" because of its prohibitively high price, spokesman Tim Gallagher said.

Kulovaara said in a phone interview that the new ship will be more fuel efficient than current vessels, but he declined to give a specific figure. He said plans for the types of onboard amenities were being finalized. Royal Caribbean has been an innovator in featuring ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls and surfing pools.

Royal Caribbean's ships are typically more upscale than the bargain Carnival Cruise Lines' vessels, but they aren't as traditional as those of luxury carriers such as Cunard.

Project Genesis will carry 5,400 passengers based on two people per cabin, Kulovaara said. But as most cruise cabins can accommodate more than two people using cots or other beds, that number rises to a maximum capacity of 6,400.

Ray Weiller, an owner of discount online travel agency Cruisequick.com, said many of his clients are drawn to the ever-growing size and number of amenities of ships, but others tire of waiting in long lines to get on and off the vessels. Many complain about the large ships overwhelming some ports of call with too many people trying to visit, he said.

Royal Caribbean still offers a variety of ship sizes, so customers who don't like larger vessels will have other options, Kulovaara said. The ship will sail in the Caribbean, where many ports already handle megaships, but ports will need some infrastructure impovements to handle it, he said.

Carnival Corp.'s Cunard Line currently has the world's largest cruise ship _ the Queen Mary 2 _ at 151,400 gross registered tons. But Royal Caribbean is scheduled to get an even bigger ship in June, the 160,000-ton Freedom of the Seas. It will carry 3,600 passengers double occupancy and 4,370 maximum.

Both will be eclipsed by Project Genesis, which will be 1,180 feet long, 154 feet wide at water level and 240 feet high.

Aker Yards employs about 13,000 people at 13 shipyards in Norway, Finland, Germany, Romania and Brazil.

Shares of Royal Caribbean rose 25 cents to $44.55 in afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange. The shipbuilder's shares rose almost 6 percent to 347 kroner ($52.47) in morning trading on the Oslo stock exchange.

Those fuckers really need to stay out of my private marina taking pictues of my toys!  That was my super secret BOV for a SHTF situation!  Now they went and ruined it!

Hell, they can;t even drive the ones they have without running them into the side of the ports...

Aviator

That would make one hell of a bass boat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

just think of how many people will be able to get explosive diarrhea and vomiting at the same time on that thing!

Quoted: Hell, they can;t even drive the ones they have without running them into the side of the ports... Aviator

Ports or Coral reefs.  I was on the Monarch of the Seas when it hit a coral reef. Big Fun.

Quoted: just think of how many people will be able to get explosive diarrhea and vomiting at the same time on that thing!

Just what I was thinking!  

Cool, just in time for the next hurricane season, too.
FEMA can book another whole damn ship, like they did for N.O.
Wonder how many crack whores can fit in this one's Honeymoon Suite?

READY BY 2009!

A Nimitz class is only a third this big and it takes us TEN YEARS to build one!

What the fuck is that!!

Quoted: READY BY 2009! A Nimitz class is only a third this big and it takes us TEN YEARS to build one! What the fuck is that!!

Um,,,, nuke power and guns n stuff....>?

Quoted: just think of how many people will be able to get explosive diarrhea and vomiting at the same time on that thing!

Seems to be happening on every voyage one of these damn ships take. If that doesn't happen someone goes missing overboard, and the ships crew covers it up.

Quoted: www.cbsnews.com/images/2006/02/06/imageNYBZ10302061513.jpg Those fuckers really need to stay out of my private marina taking pictues of my toys!  That was my super secret BOV for a SHTF situation!  Now they went and ruined it!

Ugly, no-style box, looks like a building on it's side  

Quoted: Quoted: www.cbsnews.com/images/2006/02/06/imageNYBZ10302061513.jpg Those fuckers really need to stay out of my private marina taking pictues of my toys!  That was my super secret BOV for a SHTF situation!  Now they went and ruined it! Ugly, no-style box, looks like a building on it's side

I agree. It needs flames or racing stripes.

Titanic ring a bell anyone?

Quoted: Quoted: READY BY 2009! A Nimitz class is only a third this big and it takes us TEN YEARS to build one! What the fuck is that!! Um,,,, nuke power and guns n stuff....>?

...combined with government organization/planning = a long, long time.

How big a plane could we land on a 220,000 AIRCRAFT CARRIER...

Quoted: How big a plane could we land on a 220,000 AIRCRAFT CARRIER...

C-130?

Quoted: Quoted: How big a plane could we land on a 220,000 AIRCRAFT CARRIER... C-130?

One landed on Forrestall back in 58 or 59...

I wonder if you could get a B-1 on it?

A 1200 foot through deck or.. how big WOULD the angle deck be?

Quoted: READY BY 2009! A Nimitz class is only a third this big and it takes us TEN YEARS to build one! What the fuck is that!!

You think just maybe a nuclear powered warship that LAUNCHES AND LANDS AIRCRAFT is a wee bit more complicated that a floating people warehouse.

And who the F&*k would want to get an a ship with 5400 other passengers.

Biggest coffin ever.

Looks like a good target!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: How big a plane could we land on a 220,000 AIRCRAFT CARRIER... C-130? One landed on Forrestall back in 58 or 59... I wonder if you could get a B-1 on it? A 1200 foot through deck or.. how big WOULD the angle deck be?

www.cgaux.com/C-130carrierlanding.htm

So what port is that monster going to berth in?  The Europeans have an inferiority complex and have to build the biggest.  

I still think one of the IOWA Class battleships would be a much cooler cruise ship.......and you wouldn't have to worry about pirates...

Quoted: Quoted: just think of how many people will be able to get explosive diarrhea and vomiting at the same time on that thing! Just what I was thinking!

I was wondering what it wouod be like at some little island when it pulled in and discharged it's "liberty party."

Quoted: I still think one of the IOWA Class battleships would be a much cooler cruise ship.......and you wouldn't have to worry about pirates...

Quoted: Quoted: just think of how many people will be able to get explosive diarrhea and vomiting at the same time on that thing! Just what I was thinking!

The ship is probably toilet-flush-propelled.  

I say ARFCOM group buy.  We just make it our own self propelled island nation.  Just imagine shooting skeet off the fantail with your AR.

That's a troop transporter. It pays for itself during peacetime using tourism, then "volunteered" into servic during wartime. I bet we can squeeze at least 10,000 Marines in there.

Dude....you just hot linked to CommunistBS news....what is WRONG with you???

Ban him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quoted: Quoted: How big a plane could we land on a 220,000 AIRCRAFT CARRIER... C-130?

Already been done.  IIRC on the USS "Zippo" (Forrestal)

Bet you it hits an icberg and sinks.

Quoted: Fhloston Paradise.

Gemini Croquet anyone?


ByteTheBullet  (-:

Quoted: Cool, just in time for the next hurricane season, too. FEMA can book another whole damn ship, like they did for N.O. Wonder how many crack whores can fit in this one's Honeymoon Suite?

Actually, the cruise ships here have been used for emergency workers. You know, cops, firemen, EMTs, hospital staff... But, please, do keep on embarrassing yourself with explosive diarrhia of the mouth (er, keyboard?)...

"That's no moon. That's a space station."

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: How big a plane could we land on a 220,000 AIRCRAFT CARRIER... C-130? Already been done.  IIRC on the USS "Zippo" (Forrestal)

ok time for a c5 to land then..

Two words:  Norwalk Virus.

I don't see the point of these huge cruise ships. If I pay to ride on a boat, I want it to feel like a boat. Your headline nails it spot on. The modern liners aren't really ships, they are just giant resort hotels with propellers.

Galland

Quoted: Quoted: Cool, just in time for the next hurricane season, too. FEMA can book another whole damn ship, like they did for N.O. Wonder how many crack whores can fit in this one's Honeymoon Suite? Actually, the cruise ships here have been used for emergency workers. You know, cops, firemen, EMTs, hospital staff... But, please, do keep on embarrassing yourself with explosive diarrhia of the mouth (er, keyboard?)...

Hate to break it to you, but the ships were also used for evacuees.

Hurricane Katrina destroyed the homes of countless South Mississippians For weeks, more than 14 hundred Mississippi Katrina evacuees have called the Carnival cruise ship Holiday home. After being docked in Mobile since the immediate aftermath, this cruise ship turned shelter finally pulled into port in Pascagoula on Saturday. ... "I was happy I was real happy because I wanted to be back home," said one Katrina evacuee. For weeks The cruise ship housed Katrina Evacuees in Mobile, a little too far from home for some residents. ...

You may want to find another subject to become touchy about.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I still think one of the IOWA Class battleships would be a much cooler cruise ship.......and you wouldn't have to worry about pirates... I know a few people here who would pay to get to cruise around blasting little pirate boats apart with a battleship. edit-Ever since I blurted out that it would be "Cool to shoot a nuclear missle at the moon to see what would happen" I have learned to say "a few people" instead

People think I'm nuts....but I think that the idea could be made to work. And would be a way to help pay for the upkeep on the old warships.

A terrorist's wet dream

Quoted: I don't see the point of these huge cruise ships. If I pay to ride on a boat, I want it to feel like a boat. Your headline nails it spot on. The modern liners aren't really ships, they are just giant resort hotels with propellers. Galland

The point is that you can stay at a floating all inclusive resort and wake up in a different country every morning.  

BTW,  I've been on  10 cruises and not one person died. A few got sick but that was eating or drinking too much.

Having been on both Carnaval's and Royal Caribean's mega ships I will say that they are awesome. However, I personally think that the  service and  food are better on the smaller ships.

First thought: DANG

Second thought: No way would you get me on that thing.

I've been on a total of two great cruises but thankfully, on much smaller boats... Geez that thing is massive!

Quoted: Quoted: Fhloston Paradise. Gemini Croquet anyone? ByteTheBullet  (-:

We green?

Quoted: A terrorist's wet dream

Heard that.  Would be pretty tempting target.  Crash an airliner or 747 cargo plane into that thing in the open ocean.

*shudder*

Quoted: READY BY 2009! A Nimitz class is only a third this big and it takes us TEN YEARS to build one! What the fuck is that!!

I don't know where you get your info, but a Nimitz class carrier is about 1,100 feet long and displaces nearly 100,000 tons. It's also wider at the deck than a cruise liner. An aircraft carrier is a much more durable and complex ship than a cruise liner. The cruise liner will displace more water, but that's probably because of the fat people.

Quoted: Quoted: I know a few people here who would pay to get to cruise around blasting little pirate boats apart with a battleship. edit-Ever since I blurted out that it would be "Cool to shoot a nuclear missle at the moon to see what would happen" I have learned to say "a few people" instead People think I'm nuts....but I think that the idea could be made to work. And would be a way to help pay for the upkeep on the old warships.

I think it will work. It can be just like any other cruise where people are eating, drinking, splashing, tanning, etc... But if they spot a pirate vessel, the captain sounds the horn and orders the passengers and crew to camera and battle stations. Who cares if it's only a lone Somali on a paddleboat with an AK47? The line would stretch around deck for an opportunity to open on him with a .50 cal.

But where are we going to find pirates stupid enough to take on an Iowa?