MS Voyager of the Seas

Voyager of the Seas in Sydney, Australia,
following her 2014 refurbishment
History
Bahamas
Name: Voyager of the Seas
Operator: Royal Caribbean International
Port of registry:
Route: Asia, Australia and New Zealand
Builder:
Cost: US$650 million
Yard number: 1344
Launched: November 27, 1998
Sponsored by: Katarina Witt
Christened: November 20, 1999
Maiden voyage: November 21, 1999
Identification:
Status: In service
Notes: [1][2]
General characteristics
Class and type: Voyager-class cruise ship
Tonnage:
  • 138,194 GT
  • 108,654 NT
  • 11,132 DWT
Length: 311.1 m (1,021 ft)
Beam:
  • 38.6 m (127 ft) - Waterline
  • 47.4 m (156 ft) - Max[1]
Height: 63 m (206.69 ft)
Draught: 9.1 m (30 ft)
Depth: 24
Decks: 15
Deck clearance: 7
Ramps: 4
Installed power: 6 × Wärtsilä 12V46 (6 × 12,600 kW)
Propulsion:
Speed: 23.7 knots (43.9 km/h; 27.3 mph)
Capacity: 3,138 passengers
Crew: 1,181 crew
Notes: [3]

MS Voyager of the Seas is the lead ship of the Voyager-class of cruise ships operated by Royal Caribbean International (RCI). Constructed by Kværner Masa-Yards at its Turku New Shipyard in Turku, Finland, she was serviced on November 27, 1998, and christened by Olympic gold medal-winning figure skater Katarina Witt on November 20, 1999.

Upon her departure on her maiden voyage the following day, November 21, 1999, Voyager of the Seas was the largest cruise ship in the world, although she was overtaken the following year by her sister ship Explorer of the Seas. She measured 137,276 GT at launch with a displacement of 58,000 t (57,000 long tons; 64,000 short tons), and a 2015 refurbishment increased her tonnage to 138,194 GT.[1][4] She is 311 m (1,020 ft) long overall, has a waterline beam (width) of 36.8 m (121 ft) and a height of 63 m (207 ft).

Design

Voyager of the Seas contains the first rock climbing wall at sea (mounted on funnel) and the first ice-skating rink at sea, as well as a horizontal atrium concept known as the Royal Promenade.[5]

During Voyager of the Seas' first weeks at sea, there were doubts about how effective the ice rink would be due to the ice occasionally cracking in places due to the instability of the ship and hot ventilation pipes on the deck below, although these merely turned out to be teething troubles. Today the ice rink is used throughout the cruise as a public ice-skating venue and for professional ice shows.

The Royal Promenade is a marble floored street stretching just over 3/4 the length of the ship including shops and light dining venues. This area is the heart of the ship of evening activity, along with the 3 story high La Scala theatre in which some of the latest production technology is used to produce Broadway standard production shows at night.

All cabins on Voyager of the Seas feature en-suite bathrooms and an interactive television service, and most outward facing cabins on the upper decks feature balconies.

In October and November 2014, Voyager of the Seas underwent dry dock refurbishment to receive "Royal Advantage" upgrades.[6] These upgrades included the installation of an outdoor movie screen near the pool, replacing the inline skating track with a flowrider surf simulator,[7] changing the Italian restaurant from Portofino to Giovanni's Table, and adding the Izumi asian fusion restaurant, Chops steakhouse, Diamond Club, digital signage, and ship-wide Wifi.[8][9]


References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 "Voyager of the Seas (19902)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 18 June 2010.
  2. ↑ Smith 2010, p. 166.
  3. ↑ "Cruise Ship Guide". Cruise Travel. Lakeside Publishing Company: 37–43. January–February 2009. ISSN 0199-5111.
  4. ↑ Seaward SEA GUARD Marine Fenders Protect World's Largest Cruise Ship at “The Cruise Ship Capital of the World”
  5. ↑ Saunders 2013, p. 94.
  6. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  7. ↑ "VOYAGER CLASS FLOWRIDER REFURBISHMENT". Mobimar.com. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Voyager of the Seas". Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "NOW OUR BEST SHIP IS EVERY SHIP" (PDF). Royal Caribbean International. Retrieved 25 October 2012.

Bibliography

  • Saunders, Aaron (2013). Giants of the Seas: The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848321724.
  • Smith, Peter C. (2010). Cruise Ships: The World's Most Luxurious Vessels. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 9781848842182.

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