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World's largest cruise ship lowers smokestacks to squeeze under Danish bridge on maiden voyage

Sun Nov 1, 1:10 PM
By Jan M. Olsen, The Associated Press

KORSOER, Denmark - The world's largest cruise ship cleared a crucial obstacle Sunday, lowering its smokestacks to squeeze under a bridge in Denmark.

The Oasis of the Seas - which rises about 20 stories high - passed below the Great Belt Fixed Link with a slim margin as it left the Baltic Sea on its maiden voyage to Florida.

Bridge operators said that even after lowering its telescopic smokestacks the giant ship had less than a 2-foot (half-meter) gap.

Hundreds of people gathered on beaches at both ends of the bridge, waiting for hours to watch the brightly lit behemoth sail by shortly after midnight (2300GMT; 7 p.m. EDT).

"It was fantastic to see it glide under the bridge. Boy, it was big," said Kurt Hal, 56.

Company officials are banking that its novelty will help guarantee its success. Five times larger than the Titanic, the $1.5 billion ship has seven neighbourhoods, an ice rink, a small golf course and a 750-seat outdoor amphitheatre. It has 2,700 cabins and can accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,100 crew members.

Accommodations include loft cabins, with floor-to-ceiling windows, and 1,600-square-foot (487-meter) luxury suites with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades.

The liner also has four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a youth zone with theme parks and nurseries for children.

Oasis of the Sea, nearly 40 per cent larger than the industry's next-biggest ship, was conceived years before the economic downturn caused desperate cruise lines to slash prices to fill vacant berths.

It was built by STX Finland for Royal Caribbean International and left the shipyard in Finland on Friday. Officials hadn't expected any problems in passing the Great Belt bridge, but traffic was stopped for about 15 minutes as a precaution when the ship approached, Danish navy spokesman Joergen Brand said.

Aboard the Oasis of the Seas, project manager Toivo Ilvonen of STX Finland confirmed that the ship had passed under the bridge without any incidents.

"Nothing fell off," he said.

The enormous ship features various "neighbourhoods" - parks, squares and arenas with special themes. One of them will be a tropical environment, including palm trees and vines among the total 12,000 plants on board. They will be planted after the ship arrives in Fort Lauderdale.

In the stern, a 750-seat outdoor theatre - modeled on an ancient Greek amphitheatre - doubles as a swimming pool by day and an ocean front theatre by night. The pool has a diving tower with spring boards and two 33-foot (10-meter) high-dive platforms. An indoor theatre seats 1,300 guests.

One of the "neighbourhoods," named Central Park, features a square with boutiques, restaurants and bars, including a bar that moves up and down three decks, allowing customers to get on and off at different levels.

Once home, the $1.5 billion floating extravaganza will have more, if less visible, obstacles to duck: a sagging U.S. economy, questions about the consumer appetite for luxury cruises and criticism that such sailing behemoths are damaging to the environment and diminish the experience of travelling.

It is due to make its U.S. debut on Nov. 20 at its home port, Port Everglades in Florida.

Have you ridden one of these before, Glacier?

Quote from: Lorenzo on November 02, 2009, 06:14:09 AM
Have you ridden one of these before, Glacier?

nope. is it good?

I have not.

hehehe 20 stories? grabe ka taas ni barkoha oi!

wow

tagpila kaha ang sakay ra ani. dili lang gud ko mokaon, moinom ug mogamit sa ilang ammenities.

Quote from: bol-anon nga cebuano on November 03, 2009, 04:52:59 AM
tagpila kaha ang sakay ra ani. dili lang gud ko mokaon, moinom ug mogamit sa ilang ammenities.

kung mosakay ko ani, balor og tulo ka buwan nga sweldo nako ni. hahaha

Quote from: bol-anon nga cebuano on November 03, 2009, 04:52:59 AM
tagpila kaha ang sakay ra ani. dili lang gud ko mokaon, moinom ug mogamit sa ilang ammenities.

My colleague took a cruise to the Caribbean, pare, and he said that the cost was $1500 (tax not included). This didn't include cost of drinks, and gambling.  A reasonable price between 2k-2.5k dollars is a conservative estimate.

Murag lami mag-second honeymoon diri da. Hadlok lang kay maiden voyage pa lang niya, naa na'y near miss pag-agi sa ilawom sa tulay sa Denmark.

hastang mahala diay. kung ang minimum ka mga $2k, 3 months gross salary jud.

nindot ni pang-experience lang...

kung moari ni sa pinas, tungtong lang ta ug magpa picture aron ingnon gud.

My brother-in-law was one of the hundreds of people there to take pictures.

He took a great pic. I would like to post it here, but first, I have to ask his permission

Quote from: Happy on November 08, 2009, 07:04:00 PM
My brother-in-law was one of the hundreds of people there to take pictures.

He took a great pic. I would like to post it here, but first, I have to ask his permission

post palihog, happs...

Mananghid sa ko Glace kay awayon nya ko hehe

I've got the permission Glace, and here it is:

Quote from: Happy on November 09, 2009, 02:04:34 AM
I've got the permission Glace, and here it is:

wow...it almost didn't make it through the bridge...

beautiful, haps. thanks.

Thanks, Glace. He will be glad to hear it

Perti jud paningkamot ana para maka-agi hehe

Oi naa koy high school classmate nag work sa cruise ship aning Royal Caribbean. Wa hibal i ma assign siya aning barkuha. Manawag unta tong tibaghak ug balik diri kay mangutana ko pila ang bayad ani. Di jud ko mosakay ani pud kay tungod sa kadako ug naay katalagman unya malunod buhi pay ginamos nato magkasaag saag tag asa ta lusot aron moambak.
Ok ra ko inig dunggo ani pa picture pero mag cruise ani di gyud ko bisan pag suhuwan hehhehe.