The world is witnessing the world’s largest cruise ‘Icon of the Seas’ ship on its first voyage. The new cruise ship will attract all the rich and famous people with its humongous size, comprising 20 decks, a guest capacity of 7,500 people, and over 40 dining establishments. If reports are to be trusted, the cruise ship is higher than the Eiffel Tower. On its maiden voyage, the ship began its journey from Miami, United States.
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With its size, the Royal Caribbean International’s cruise ship now has the attention of all travel enthusiasts and has a record length of around 1,200 feet (365 meters). The inaugural voyage of the cruise ship will have a seven-day journey covering a tropical island-hopping journey. The ship houses eight neighborhoods covering 20 decks.
For people looking forward to having fun with water-related activities, it has six waterslides, an ice skating rink, seven swimming pools, a theatre, over 40 bars, restaurants, and lounges. To manage all of the requirements, the cruise ship can carry 2,350 crew members, along with a maximum capacity of 7,600 passengers.
The inaugural vessel of Royal Caribbean’s new Quantum Class of ships is priced at $2 billion. The ship is equipped with the latest technology and, despite its massive size, claims to be more environmentally friendly than some smaller cruise ships. As per Royal Caribbean, the ship is 24 percent more efficient than required by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).
With six dual-fuel engines, the Icon of the Seas can be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), a fuel alternative endorsed by the Cruise Lines International Association for its ability to reduce sulfur and greenhouse gas emissions. The experts believe that LNG as a fuel burns cleanly when compared to traditional marine fuel. However, there is a risk of Methane leakage which poses a great risk to marine life.
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As far as cruise ship culture in India is concerned, the Indian government recently approved the Beypore-Kochi-Dubai cruise service, as the first international cruise journey from India. This move by the government is aimed to boost tourism while simultaneously producing international travel under a budget.
Currently as handful of cruise ships operate from Goa to Mumbai and vice versa. As per a report the project got a green signal because of huge demand from the non-resident Indian passengers in the region.