The world's largest Cruise Ship, Symphony of the Seas, has 18 decks and took three years to build. It is setting out from Barcelona on its first voyage around the Mediterranean. The cruise ship boasts an accommodation capacity of over 9,000 people, out of which around 6,680 will be guests. It is owned by Royal Caribbean which owns eight out of ten of the largest ships in the world today.
CNN reports that the ship is scheduled to visit tourist destinations in the Mediterranean covering Spain, Florence, Pisa, Rome, and Naples. Subsequently, in autumn, it will shift base to Miami, Florida, and undertake Caribbean cruises.
Unique features of this cruise ship
Everything on the Symphony of the Seas is super. It has the tallest waterslide at sea along with fastest internet on the ocean. Additionally, the ship is decorated with fantastic works of art that could compete with the best museums. The length of the cruise ship is nearly 1,200 feet and it has a number of restaurants and swimming pools to cater to its customers. The unique part of this Royal Caribbean ship is its neighborhoods. There are seven of these for like-minded people. A few examples are an adults-only lounge or a leafy park for nature lovers or a water park for families. The "Ultimate Abyss" slide spirals down from 150 feet above sea level.
Conservationists are usually not in favor of large size cruise ships because of their impact on small communities and less developed destinations.
Therefore, this ship will restrict its tours to destinations that are equipped to handle an influx of tourists.
Precautions to be taken
The Symphony of the Seas will have to handle more than 6000 tourists at sea and apart from known problems, there could be many unforeseen circumstances that will have to be taken care of. Royal Caribbean has faced such situations in the past and will have to be prepared.
CBS News reported an incident of December last year when 300 passengers of Independence of the Seas had to return to Port Everglades because of stomach ailments. That ship had nearly 5,500 people on board for the 5-night cruise.
When the cruise ship leaves port, it is equipped with everything necessary to handle any sudden arising.
There are qualified medical teams on board to take care of a crisis but, when a contagious disease strikes, action must be taken immediately to not only contain it but also to ensure that there is no panic. It must be kept in mind that the traveler wants to travel in comfort and enjoy their holidays. They do not want to be tied down to the bed gulping medicine for their entire trip..
