If the S.S. United States epitomizes the ocean liner of Blue Riband days, the recently delivered Voyager of the Seas takes the concept of the "post Panamax" cruise ship to the max...and beyond it. Few other places in the world can match the entertainment options available on the Voyager. Royal The ship is a "city within itself," according to Henrik Segercrantz, manager of corporate communications for the ship's builder, Kværner Masa-Yards. It contains elements of the Museum of Modern Art, La Scala, the Mall of America, and Madison Square Garden, all at sea. Royal Caribbean International hopes the mixture is a recipe for success. It has ordered two other 142,000 grt Eagle Class ships, the Explorer of the Seas and the Adventure of the Seas, from Finland's Kværner Masa-Yards as part of a $1.5 billion package.

Classed by Det Norske Veritas, the Eagle Class ships are the largest cruise vessels to be built so far, each having a total of 1,557 passenger cabins and a carrying capacity of 3,840 passengers. With a crew of 1,180, a total of some 5,020 persons are onboard the ship at any one time. Some statistics for this ship show the complexity of the building operation:

• 300,000 steel pieces were used for the hull area, of which 300,000 m2 were plates and 200 km were profiles;
• a total of 50,000 m2 of carpet was used;
• the ship carries 4,100 art pieces;
• there are 15,400 m2 of outside deck area;
• some 61,000 electrical outlets have been installed and approximately 3,000 km of electrical cabling has been run;
• over 140 km of pipes have been used throughout the ship.

For interior design, RCI tapped some of the best known names in business: Howard Snoweiss (U.S.), Njal R Eide (Norway), Robert Tillberg (Sweden), Thomas Tillberg (Sweden) and Yran & Storbraatewn (Norway & U.S.).
The interior design includes the four-deck high Royal Promenade, a design featured on a cruise vessel for the first time. The promenade runs virtually half the length of the ship and has, at each end, a 11 deck high atrium (The Centrums). The promenade features a wide selection of shops, the ambiance of this area changes according to the time of day.

DINING, ENTERTAINMENT
... AND ROCK CLIMBING
The passenger dining facilities comprise a three-level main dining room and three separate specially-themed dining rooms. Entertainment areas include the 1,350 seat La Scala Theatre, and the 900 seat Studio B, which is designed for a variety of events including ice shows. Sports facilities include an ice rink and a rock climbing wall. An outdoor sports deck includes a golf course, driving range, golf simulators, a roller blade track and a sports court for basketball, paddleball and volleyball.

AZIPOD PROPULSION
The main diesel electric propulsion system comprises six Wärtsilä Vasa 12V46 diesel engines, supplied by Wärtsilä NSD, Finland, linked to an ABB electric propulsion system comprising three ABB 14,000 kW Azipod units (two azimuthing and one fixed). Maneuverability is enhanced by three 3,000 kW thrusters supplied by Sweden's KaMeWa. The vessel's electrical power is supplied by ABB generators on a power-take-off system from the main Wärtsilä engines. An emergency diesel generating set has been supplied by Detroit Diesel (16 V 149 TI) and a Stamford HCM 734 H generator.

HIGH HEAD COUNT
With over 5,000 people aboard, sanitation is clearly a major concern. The system chosen for the Voyager of the Seas was developed by Finland's Evac.
The Voyager has been fitted with five 25 m3 collecting units and 2,500 vacuum toilets, featuring 100 digital input/outputs, four analog inputs and a PLC Telemecanique type programming device. A vital component of the Evac system is the Evac Master Units, two of which have been fitted, which integrate with the vessel's Damatic MAS (main automation system).

FIRE PROTECTION
The ship's HiFog water mist fire protection system is the largest ever supplied by Marioff. The Hifog system comprises: 11,000 sprinklers in the accommodation areas; 300 sprinklers in the machinery spaces; 88 section valves; and 8+1 Spau pump units. The HiFog installation, carried out by the shipyard, also involves around 60 km of stainless steel piping.
The vessel's air-conditioning (HVAC) system, which was supplied by Sweden's ABB Fläkt Marine, is of the newly-developed fan coil type, which was first introduced onboard the Costa Victoria and, more recently, onboard the two Disney vessels. This new system allows passengers a higher degree of control over the temperatures within their individual cabins.

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