Central Park Debuts on the High Seas

Real trees, gardens, grass and a town square combine aboard Royal Caribbean International Cruise Line’s latest fleet of ships in an unprecedented effort to create a Central Park atmosphere at sea.

The two 225,000 ton Project Genesis ships will be the largest cruise ships built to date.  Fifty percent larger than Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s current Freedom Class of ships, they’ll each accommodate 5,400 passengers.  The Central Park area, running the length of a football field, will be open air with its own micro-climate and irrigation to ensure the health of the living plants.  Modeled after New York’s famous Central Park, this newest engineering feat will replace the Freedom Class line’s popular shopping arcade known as the Royal Promenade.

                                                        

Along with outdoor dining, the ships will also feature a moving bar, called the Rising Tide, which will glide up and down three decks.  The park will be located on deck 8 of the 16-deck ships.  The first Genesis-class ship, as yet unnamed, now being built in Finland, is expected to begin it’s Caribbean itineraries in the fall of 2009.  Ft. Lauderdale, Florida is it’s scheduled home port.  The second ship’s expected launch is 2010.                                                       

 

With the launch of Project Genesis, the ships, rather than the ports, become the destination.   Cruisers admit to a curiosity and say they’ll probably try the larger ships once but many question why the Royal Caribbean Cruise Line needed such a large design.  Those who enjoy the ports believe those stops will be limited or phased out given the ship’s berthing size.  That could translate to some new business for the smaller, more intimate ships already popular among many veteran cruisers.    

                                                                                      

Royal Caribbean, Largest Cruise Ship, Biggest Cruise Ship, Central Park at Sea, Smart Money Cruises