(Saint-Nazaire) The Wonder of the seas, presented as the largest liner in the world (362 m), left Saint-Nazaire on Friday where it was built by the shipyards of the Atlantic on behalf of the cruise line Royal Caribbean International, according to an AFP journalist on the spot .
Under the eyes of hundreds of curious people, camera or cell phone in hand to immortalize the moment, the Wonder of the seas set sail under a magnificent sun for Marseille where she is expected on Tuesday for the final finishing touches. Its commercial operation is scheduled from next March.
Wonder of the seas, which can accommodate, crew included, more than 9000 people on 16 floors, represents “a unique synthesis of innovation, advanced technology, and a know-how shared by thousands of workers, technicians and engineers ”, argued the Director General of Construction Sites, Laurent Castaing.
This cruise liner is part of the contract signed in December 2012 between Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Royal Caribbean. This contract, known as the Harmony class, covers four very large ships.
The first unit, Harmony of the Seas, was delivered to its owner in May 2016, followed by Symphony of the Seas in March 2018. The third unit in the series is Wonder of the seas.
362 meters long and 66 meters wide, the ships of this class are the largest ever built.
“By their architectural design, they are revolutionary ships. They have a superstructure open to an interior promenade offering a zip line, an artisanal merry-go-round and a veritable wooded park with restaurants, bars and shops ”, indicate the Chantiers on their website.
The ship, whose first sheet was cut in April 2019 for a float in September 2020 and sea trials last August, has 2,807 cabins and 64 suites. It can accommodate nearly 7,000 passengers (6,988) for 2,300 crew members.
the Wonder of the seas was originally designed for the Chinese market which turned away from international cruises with the COVID-19 crisis. Reoriented towards American customers in the Caribbean, it was therefore necessary to change all the signs and switch from Mandarin to English.
The shipowner had also set up Mahjong, poker and blackjack tables. It was therefore necessary to make changes to adapt the gaming rooms to an American clientele. Mahjong tables have notably been replaced by slot machines.