Talking to auctioneers aboard Royal Caribbean’s new ship, Harmony of the Seas
The art gallery on Harmony of the Seas (photo courtesy of William Roberts)
Take a peek at the world’s largest cruise ship with our auctioneers sailing aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Harmony of the Seas.
On May 12, 2016, Royal Caribbean International unveiled their newest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, at the STX Shipyard in Nazaire, France. The ocean liner has 18 decks and can hold 6,360 passengers and 2,100 crew members, making it the world’s biggest cruise ship. The vessel is 227,000 tons and — at 217 feet — is also the widest cruise ship ever built. It’s also 1,187 feet long, 164 feet longer than the Eiffel Tower. The ship cost upwards of $1.1 billion, which earns it the title of the most expensive cruise liner ever built.
Park West Gallery auctioneer William Roberts will be aboard the Harmony of the Seas for its maiden voyage.
“There are a handful of pinnacles in a career, and this is one of them,” said Roberts. “Taking out the largest ship ever built is something that I take pride in for myself and my team.”
Photo courtesy of Oliver Tregoning
Harmony adds to a string of impressive new ships from Royal Caribbean. In the past three years, the cruise line unveiled three world-class ships: Quantum of the Seas (October 2014), Anthem of the Seas (April 2015) and the Harmony’s sister ship, Oasis of the Seas (October 2009). The two former ships are part of Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class, categorized as the second largest group of passenger ships in the world. Harmony of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, however, are part of the line’s Oasis class, which is categorized as the largest group of passenger ships in the world. The only other Oasis-class ship is Allure of the Seas, which set sail in December of 2010.
The name of the ships in color corresponds to the colors on the timeline.
Beginning on June 7, the ship will embark on a series of Mediterranean cruises for 34 weeks.
There are copious amounts of amenities on the new ship. The 210-foot tall behemoth houses 23 swimming pools, a water park, two FlowRider surf simulators and water slides. One water slide is 10 stories high, with a 100-foot drop, and is aptly named the Ultimate Abyss. According to Royal Caribbean, it’s the tallest water slide at sea.
“I was a [water slide] tester, so I got to go on it before we set sail and it was phenomenal,” said Roberts of the Ultimate Abyss slide. “Every drop, turn and straightaway is exhilarating. It’s one of my highest recommendations.”
Come November, after its tour of the Mediterranean, Harmony will set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on voyages to the Caribbean.
