The 5,479-passenger Harmony of the Seas has been officially delivered to Royal Caribbean International ahead of the largest ship in the world making its debut in Southampton.
The $1 billion mega ship, also carrying 2,100 crew members, is to run two preview sailings from Southampton on May 22 and May 27 before re-positioning to Barcelona to run a summer season of Mediterranean itineraries.
New features on the giant vessel include Ultimate Abyss, claimed to be the tallest water slide at sea with 100-foot drop.
Hit Broadway musical Grease will be performed in the ship’s theatre, while there will be 23 swimming pools, whirlpools, two FlowRider surf simulators and waterslides.
Royal Caribbean Cruises’ chairman and chief executive, Richard Fain, said: “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.”
Royal Caribbean International president and chief executive, Michael Bayley added: “Harmony is truly magnificent in every sense of the word, from her architecture and design to the level of care and attention to detail with which our incredible crew are taking to prepare for our first guests.
“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 but it is the passion and dedication of our crew that will make everlasting memories for our guests.”