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ST. NAZAIRE, France, May 14 (UPI) -- Royal Caribbean International held a ceremony on Thursday celebrating the completion of construction on its new ship the Harmony of the Seas. Some of the company's top executives gathered at the delivery and flag changing ceremony in Saint Nazaire, France, celebrating the completion of the world's largest cruise ship, which will become the 25th in Royal Caribbean's fleet.
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The Harmony of the Seas took 32 months to complete at the STX France shipyard and costs more than $1 billion.
"Harmony of the Seas is the product of our zealous spirit of continuous improvement, where we have combined revolutionary ship design with the technological strides that have defined the Royal Caribbean brand," said Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Richard Fain. "Thank you to STX France for their ongoing partnership in building our ships, which continue to introduce unexpected industry innovations."
The ship will eclipse its sister vessels Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas in size and will span 16 guest decks, encompass 227,000 gross registered tons, carry 5,479 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,747 staterooms.
It will also feature The Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea with a 100-foot drop, and the first double-story Wonderland specialty restaurant.
"The ship is the best of the best of what our guests love most about Royal Caribbean, combined with new and thrilling experiences never before found in one place," Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said
Harmony of the Seas' home port is Barcelona and it will embark on its the first of 34 seven-night cruises on June 7, before moving to a new home port of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in November.
