The world's largest supership: Advantages and disadvantages go hand in hand

Just when it seemed that cruise ships couldn’t get any bigger, one cruise line launched a new, longer, taller, and more impressive ship that could carry passengers equal to the population of a small town. Despite the economic benefits, these mega-ships also have a significant impact on the environment of the countries they pass through.

Icon of the Seas

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Measuring 365m long, 64.9m wide, with a gross tonnage of 250,800 tonnes and a maximum passenger capacity of 7,600, Icon of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship when it launches this January. The mega-ship is part of the first Icon class of the US-based Royal Caribbean Group and is the first of three ships to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is considered a more sustainable alternative to other fuels.

The ship will have 2,805 guest rooms and can accommodate up to 2,350 crew members, with eight unique areas featuring family-friendly accommodations. Other features on board include seven swimming pools, nine whirlpools, and six water slides. There will also be more than 20 dining venues, with a diverse menu featuring cuisine from around the world.

Wonder of the Seas is 362m long, 64.3m wide, 235,600 tons, maximum passenger capacity 7,084, first launched in March 2022. Royal Caribbean's Oasis class ship has 2,867 guest rooms with a crew of 2,204 people. Features include 8 unique entertainment areas such as: Central Park, wooden walkway and the new Suite Class neighborhood, a space dedicated to guests staying in the suite...

Guests can enjoy the AquaTheater, an outdoor live entertainment venue with a 30-foot-high diving platform and stunning ocean views. Wonder Playscape is an underwater-themed outdoor space for kids with slides, rides and more. There are also some high-end favorites like the FlowRider surf simulator, rock climbing wall, or laser tag at Battle for Planet Z. In particular, Ultimate Abyss is billed as the tallest water slide at sea, standing 150 feet tall with a 13-second slide through 10 winding floors.

337m long, 43m wide, 184,600 tonnes gross tonnage, 6,654 passengers maximum, AIDAnova is the first Helios class ship of German AIDA Cruises launched in December 2018, this is the world's first LNG-powered cruise ship. The ship is equipped with 2,626 rooms, including a 2-storey Penthouse Suite and can carry a crew of 1,500 people. It has a distinctive exterior design with bold red lips at the bow and blue and yellow eyes on the sides.

Guests can visit 17 restaurants, along with 23 bars, party all night at the Beach Club; take in live performances on the 360-degree stage in the theater. Book a massage, soak in the hot tubs or sauna, take a dip in the private pool and relax on the sundeck.

P&O Cruises' P&O Iona is 344m long, 43m wide, 184,000 gross tonnage, 5,200 maximum passengers, launching in spring 2021, is the UK's first LNG-powered cruise ship. The family-friendly ship has 2,614 staterooms and carries a crew of 1,800.

Iona's top features include: the SkyDome (a two-story glass dome designed by award-winning British engineer Eckersley O'Callaghan), a craft gin distillery, four swimming pools, 10 entertainment venues and 30 restaurants and bars offering a wide range of dining options. Guests can dine while watching aerial performances at the Grand Atrium or enjoy dinner at The Limelight Club, an adults-only dining venue featuring classical and other live music performances…

Benefits and risks

Cruising is cheaper than it was a decade ago, thanks in part to tax havens and the hiring of thousands of workers from developing countries. The larger the ships and ports, the greater the economic benefits. The focus on building mega-ships and reducing the number of small boats also indirectly contributes to greener tourism.

According to data provided by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), there were only about 1.4 million cruise passengers in 1980. By 2024, CLIA expects to welcome 36 million passengers and the number of ocean-going ships will surpass 300. Many cruises are now inexpensive, sometimes even bargains, as operators look for ways to lure passengers back after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Even in a recession, some mass-market operators manage to keep fares low enough to fill trains. Once passengers are on board, more than a third of revenue can come from spending on things like drinks, spa treatments, restaurants and casinos.

In addition to the economic benefits, mega-cruises also have environmental impacts on the places they pass through, with residents of Southampton, England, for example, raising concerns about health risks, including asthma and chest pain, linked to air pollution caused by mega-cruises.

With thousands of passengers, megaships emit so much smoke that locals can smell, see, and even taste it in the air. People living near the docks say that the fumes from cruise ships and cargo ships contribute significantly to the poor air quality in the area. They also say that road traffic from passengers and cargo moving to and from the ships is another cause of poor air quality.

According to CLIA, companies have invested heavily over the past decade to develop new technologies to reduce emissions. But marine pollution analysts in Germany and Brussels say a ship that large could burn at least 150 tons of fuel a day and emit more sulfur than several million cars, more nitrogen dioxide than all the traffic passing through a medium-sized town, and more particulate matter than thousands of buses in London.

According to Germany’s leading independent pollution analyst Axel Friedrich, a large cruise ship will emit more than 5 tonnes of NOX and 450kg of ultrafine particles a day. “These ships burn as much fuel as entire towns,” said Bill Hemmings, a maritime expert at the Brussels-based Transport and Environment group. “They use more energy than container ships, and even if they burn low-sulphur fuel, it is 100 times worse than diesel on the road.”

While Royal Caribbean and its partners say the latest control systems are in place, it’s hard to ignore the fuel demands of a megaship. For example, the Harmony of the Seas uses 35 percent more fuel per year than previous Royal Caribbean designs, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 77,000 U.S. homes.

Royal Caribbean has launched the 274-night Ultimate World Cruise on the Serenade of the Seas, visiting all seven continents, more than 150 destinations in 65 cities and 11 world wonders. The epic journey, departing from Miami, USA in December 2023, is considered the longest cruise in the world. The price of this journey is about 60,000-70,000 USD.

VIET ANH synthesis

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/sieu-tau-bien-lon-nhat-the-gioi-loi-hai-song-hanh-post722003.html