The incredible new £1.4bn cruise ship ‘so big’ it has 6 water slides | Cruise | Travel
Royal Caribbean’s newest cruise ship, Star of the Seas, is set to be one of the world’s largest cruise ships when it launches in August 2025.
Costing a whopping £1.4 billion to build, this enormous ship is currently in the final stages of construction in Finland.
When finally completed, it will offer those lucky enough to afford it six water slides, seven swimming pools and more than 40 dining and entertainment options.
The Star of the Seas will measure 1,196 feet (365m) in length and will have 20 decks.
It will carry nearly 8,000 people, including 5,610 passengers and the crew.
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On September 25, the ship entered its final construction stage in a process known as a “float out”.
Over 92 million gallons of water filled the dock, slowly pushing the 250,800-ton ship onto the pier.
Jon Sandham, the project manager at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, told the New York Times that the process was incredibly complex and required good weather.
He added: “The float out is an incredible milestone for us. But it’s amazing how seamless some parts of it can be and how it all comes together in the end.”
Like its sister ship, Icon of the Seas, the Star will feature a variety of “neighbourhoods” designed for different experiences.
The water park with six slides is set to be finished next year and is being built from the ground up, with multiple contractors working on the project.
The ship will also include attractions like ‘The Pearl’, that will be a large kinetic art installation that will light up the Royal Promenade with floor-to-ceiling windows.
What’s more, the Star will have a massive Aquadome structure weighing 367 tons and made up of 673 glass panels. This dome will give residents stunning ocean views by day and host entertainment events by night.
Royal Caribbean has made sustainability a focus for the Star of the Seas, which will be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a cleaner fuel option.
It will also include systems that convert onboard waste into energy and treat wastewater.
In a statement, the company said: “We continue to grow and advance our portfolio of energy sources, and future-proof our ship designs so we can adapt as alternative fuel sources become viable and scalable.”
