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WORK IS ONGOING ON ADDITIONAL GIANTS FOR CRUISING
DETAIL INFORMATION
The speed of building the upcoming generation of ultra-large cruise ships is accelerating. The vessels are being launched from their construction docks and heading out for sea trials, while steel cutting and block assembly have commenced for additional giants.
For years, Royal Caribbean International’s two Oasis-class vessels, weighing 225,000 gross tons, stood apart, as no other large, contemporary cruise liners were ready to surpass the 200,000 gross ton threshold. Innovative ideas were introduced, like Kloster’s World City (suggested at 250,000 GT), yet the companies persisted in constructing vessels within the 150,000 to 180,000 gross ton category.
Shifting economics and the necessity to accommodate additional amenities, however, are transforming that. At present, twelve vessels have surpassed the 200,000 GT threshold, with MSC Cruises breaking the record and now Disney Cruise Line, which has acquired and finished Genting Hong Kong’s partially constructed Global Dream. Together, these vessels account for about 68,000 berths (around 3.8 million travelers each year), a comparatively minor portion of the overall sector, which the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimates is approaching 40 million passengers annually.