Mass production of super 'floating cities' to put out to sea: Fierce race of 'big guys'

A series of 'unbelievable' yachts were born

Last January, Royal Caribbean launched the world's largest cruise ship - Icon of the Seas , measuring about 1,200 feet long, causing a stir around the world. Many thought this might be the last time we heard about super-giant cruise ships.

However, the principle of “bigger is better” is still being actively pursued by the world's largest cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, MSC Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line, as one mega-ship after another leaves the shipyard and heads out to sea.

This year alone, a series of “unbelievable” yachts will sail the oceans.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Norwegian Aqua, set sail from Port Canaveral, Florida, in late April, with a capacity of 3,600 passengers. The company has also ordered four larger ships, each with a capacity of 5,000 passengers, scheduled for delivery by 2030.

At the same time, MSC Cruises launched its second largest cruise ship, MSC World America, which has a capacity of up to 6,762 passengers and is about 333m long. This ship cruises around the Caribbean, departing from MSC Cruise Port Miami - the largest cruise port in North America, with the capacity to serve up to 36,000 passengers per day when operating three ships at the same time.

Two more MSC World Class ships are under construction and are scheduled for delivery in 2026 and 2027.

In the race, Carnival Cruise Line is also expected to launch its largest cruise line ever in 2029. They will take delivery of the first of three ships with more than 3,000 cabins and a maximum capacity of nearly 8,000 passengers.

This August, Star of the Seas - the 7,600-passenger sister ship to Icon of the Seas - will depart from Port Canaveral on seven-night year-round Caribbean cruises.

This ship has a maximum capacity equivalent to the Icon of the Seas and owns 20 decks, equally overwhelming, equipped with water slides, water parks, 7 swimming pools and 40 restaurants and bars serving food and drink.

Royal Caribbean continues its expansion plans with the Legend of the Seas (different from the company's previous ship of the same name) launching in 2026, scheduled to depart from Fort Lauderdale. A fourth ship, as yet unnamed, is scheduled for delivery in 2027.

According to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), more than 37 million passengers are expected to take cruises in 2025. The global cruise ship order book extends through 2036, with 77 new cruise ships.

For cruise lines, the more passengers they can get on board, the greater the revenue potential.

“Before the pandemic, cruise lines were having a boom, with so many ships on order. Then the pandemic hit and pretty much everything came to a halt,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic.

According to her, the world is witnessing a wave of cruise ship orders larger than before the pandemic.

'Flow' attracts tens of millions of tourists

McDaniel believes that the key to making the experience on a mega-cruise ship enjoyable is the flow of movement within the ship, as well as the design of separate spaces where passengers can relax and feel like it's their "own zone."

“Cruise lines have to make sure that even if you’re on a ship with 6,000 people, you can still move around comfortably and feel like your trip isn’t crowded,” McDaniel said.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis and Icon Class ships are designed around “neighborhoods,” while MSC’s World Class ships use the concept of “districts.” All are designed to make a massive ship more accessible and friendly to passengers.

Thanks to that, the ship feels like a real destination, which is what attracts so many tourists.

“The era of guests boarding a cruise ship just to get to a destination is over,” says Suzanne Salas, executive vice president of marketing, e-commerce and sales at MSC Cruises.

People no longer use cruise ships just to go to the Bahamas, he stressed. They want it to be innovative, with bars, restaurants and entertainment. The giant ships are the place to have all of that, in one fell swoop.

This is also the "formula" for resounding success and motivates major cruise lines to continue the race to create giant cruise ships.

But environmental concerns have also been raised. Bryan Comer, director of the maritime program at the International Council on Clean Transportation, notes that mega-cruise ships are essentially “floating cities.” With each new ship launched, we see an increase in fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and wastewater discharge.

Even when using bio-LNG or e-LNG, these ships still emit methane from their fuel tanks or engines, making it difficult to achieve net zero emissions targets.

In addition, there is the problem of overtourism and the impact on local infrastructure as thousands of tourists flock to ports, large and small.

According to CNN

Superyachts accused of illegally dumping waste in the Mediterranean Super-rich yachts accused of illegally dumping waste offshore. Local leaders call for a ban on superyachts anchoring in the Mediterranean.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/o-at-lam-sieu-thanh-pho-noi-dua-ra-bien-cuoc-dua-khoc-liet-cua-cac-ong-lon-2404180.html