How was the first flight of the world's largest cruise ship. A PHOTO

The world's largest cruise ship made its first inaugural flight. Symphony of the Seas left Barcelona on March 31 and after 6 days returned, visiting the ports of Naples and Rome during this time. How everyday life is organized in the 18-storey house on the water, how the bar works without bartenders, what the pianist does in the elevator and who eats 60 thousands of desserts, the portal says iz.ru.

If we imagine that the ship can be put to the ground, the liner will be almost the height of the 103-storey Empire State Building
Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

Faster, higher, stronger

“It sounds a little funny when we say that size doesn’t matter,” says Michael Bailey, President and CEO Royal Caribbean Internationalcontrolling 25% of the global cruise market. "Symphony of the Seas" (Symphony of the Seas), the largest cruise liner in the world today, built the 3 of the year at the French shipyard STX, which, by the way, participated in the construction of Mistral helicopter carriers destined for Russia.

The length of the vessel is 362 m. If you imagine that you can put it on the ground with your nose, the liner will be almost the height of the 103-floor Empire State Building. The Symphony of the Seas is 25% larger in size than its predecessor from class liners Oasis "Harmony of the seas" (Harmony of the Seas). They promise that with the next airliner (it is planned that it will be launched in 2021 – 2025) will not change the tradition - it will be even more. “Well, you know, the 4 inches are there, the 4 inches are here,” Bailey jokes.

When you walk by Central Park on the eighth deck, and ten above you, it's hard to believe that there is only water around. You feel the same feeling when in a few minutes you take the elevator from the boutique-filled deck to an open area with several pools and a golf course. Having created the largest cruise liner, the company decided not to stop at the records.

At the “Symphony of the Seas” they made a hill with an 10-storeyed house, simulators for surfing training, a climbing wall and a bungee, having a ride on which you can see the liner from a bird's-eye view. Wherever you spit - there is either "the biggest" or "one of a kind."

When you walk along Central Park on the eighth deck, and there are ten more above you, it's hard to believe that there is only water around
Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

Pianist in the elevator and other surprises

The “Symphony of the Seas,” according to size, can receive a record number of guests - 5518, given the accommodation in double rooms. And this number of passengers accounts for 2,2 thousand crew members. People from all over the world, including Russians, are working on the ship. Order a cocktail from the bartender robot in Bionic bar The journalist is helped by a girl Elmira, a native of Ufa, before joining the liner team, she worked as a flight attendant.

The robot bartender is one of the innovations that the company management is proud of. One touch of the passenger card - and the robot begins to smoothly mix the cocktail ordered using a special tablet. When the drink is ready, the guest’s name is displayed on the mirror screen.

In the meantime, the cocktail is blended, you can find out from the information on the electronic panel, for example, that the most popular cocktail from the audience is about 80 years old - “Sex on the Beach”.

The robot barman at Bionic Bar is one of the innovations that the company’s management is proud of.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

The president of the company admits that his favorite highlight of the liner is a ladder imitating piano keys and playing different tunes depending on the pace of the walk. We decided not to stop at this and put one of the elevators ... a pianist. True, it will not be so every day that visitors will be so surprised at the “Symphony of the Seas”.

With humor about the main thing, or Russian villain

The captain of the "Symphony of the Seas" Rob Hamsted says that he attended construction in November, when the captain's bridge was not in sight. He speaks of “Symphony” with love, calling it the best, unsurpassed, and other superlative epithets. Before that, Hemstead managed the “Harmony of the Seas”, it was necessary to get used to the “Symphony” in advance: the new airliner surpasses its predecessor not only in size and range of entertainment, but also in technical equipment. "It's like five years to ride Mercedes E-Class one model, and then transfer to a new one, ”the captain compares.

Captain Rob Hamstead speaks of "Symphony" with love, calling it the best, unsurpassed, and other superlative epithets.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

He practically grew up with the company - he started working in it in 1999, when there were only 10 liners. Now there are already a quarter of a hundred.

The team works according to the established schedule: you work 4 hours, you rest 8. But without days off. Each crew member is available 24 hours a day, in an emergency situation, dozens of people can be raised to their feet. During the tests, according to Rob Hamsted, the team didn’t get up at sea to test all the capabilities of the vessel and find out how it behaves in a given situation. For example, at speed in 15 nodes, the liner during the emergency stop will pass 700 m.

The safety topic on the liner was approached at the same time scrupulously and easily. All passengers are collected in the hall, where they talk about safety precautions, showing a trailer-style movie for a Hollywood action movie. A spy girl needs to save everyone by mining the chip and defeating the villain (according to the tradition of American militants, Russian). And in the process of a spy operation, they show how the fire alarm system works, how to put on a life jacket and where the boats are located. The crew makes sure that every one of them is instructed - the staff members enter each cabin, and on the threshold of the show a signal is heard that you can hear even in headphones.

60 thousands of desserts and a ton of fries

The crew of the ship goes to breakfast, lunch and dinner with the passengers of the liner. Cooking on everyone separately is suicide, the chefs say. The crew gathered residents from all over the world than they use in the kitchen - listen to their comments about the dishes of their national cuisine.

Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

Kitchen on the ship - a separate world. They are distributed so as not to interfere with guests and allow in the shortest possible time to deliver food to restaurants. For carts that carry food, there is a strict route of movement. Cooks are working non-stop in 24 / 7 mode. The food is served only fresh, and therefore it is worth ending the dinner, as soon as the preparation for breakfast begins. 70% of products used on the liner are purchased in the United States. The scale of batches is measured in hundreds of tons, and the dates require serious preparatory work: by the first trip at the end of March they started to buy food in February.

Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

On the buffet, there are traditional American chicken wings in a barbecue sauce, Indian fish curry, and Italian bruschetta. Before traveling, the menu is revised depending on the liner load and the composition of tourists. For example, if there are a lot of Americans on board, twice as many fries are being cooked, and if there are many children, 60 has thousands of desserts in the plan.

Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

Traditional for hotel guests buffet only a small part of what the liner can offer. On the eighth deck in Central Park The franchise is run by the Italian restaurant Jamie Oliver. In the same place, there are several bars with cozy tables in the middle of the park, where 12 thousands of plants are gathered.

On the eighth deck in Central Park there is an Italian restaurant, Jamie Oliver.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

At the pools you can enjoy Mexican snacks. For lovers of sports broadcasts on the fifth deck, called Boardwalk, there is a sport bar next to the slot machine hall. And there the chefs tried to take into account the tastes of everyone by including vegetarian burgers and dishes for children in the menu.

For lovers of sports broadcasts on the fifth deck there is a sports bar next to the slot machine hall.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

Children, however, are unlikely to want to stay in the sports bar, when across the path, directly opposite the carousel (yes, there is also a large carousel on the deck, like in an amusement park) Sugar beach. The shop, decorated in sweet tones, offers over 100 types of sweets and ice cream - the main thing is not to leave a card to the child.

Opposite the carousel is Sugar Beach, a store decorated in sweet, delicate colors, offering over 100 types of sweets and ice cream. Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

For seafood lovers there is a Japanese sushi restaurant on the upper deck - Hooked seafood - with an oyster bar. However, we must remember that all additional culinary delights - for an additional fee.

On the upper deck - Hooked Seafood with an oyster bar. Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

Skating in the middle of the ocean and dancing in silence

Spa, gym, casino and swimming pools - on ships Royal Caribbean regular visitors of cruises will not surprise. No new products, and unique, as emphasized in the company, has not done. According to the vice president Royal Caribbean on Nick Weir's entertainment, the program began nine months before the first trip. For the audience that goes on a cruise regularly, it will be a surprise to change the traditional 1970's party to a party in the style of ... 1980's.

These are trivial things compared to the 1977 ice show, staged specifically for Symphony. In the middle of the liner, an ice rink was equipped, which with the help of 3D technology turns into the night sky, now into the ice ocean. The show’s soloists are Russian figure skaters.

In the middle of the liner, an ice rink was equipped, which with the help of 3D technology turns into the night sky, now into the ice ocean.
Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

The tastes of the older generation, which makes up the bulk of cruise passengers, have already been studied far and wide. And they decided not to change the traditions and include musicals in the evening program - for the “Symphony of the Seas” they acquired a franchise for the cult American “Hairspray”.

We also tried for representatives of the Y generation. To entice millennials on liners is one of the main tasks of the company today. This is one of the reasons why it is investing huge amounts of money in the development of digital technologies. At the "Symphony" for the first time tried a new mobile application that simplifies the trip before settling. With it, you can pre-register, sign up for procedures in the spa, check with the schedule of events and track the location of the liner. It also has its own messenger, so that passengers can do without Facebook. Well, a couple of surprises prepared just for the Millennials - for example, on the 12 deck you can find a picture, when you hover the camera at which you can see what is happening on the bridge.

Battle for planet Z on board. Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

The fact that there are only old people on the cruises, a common stereotype, says the president of the Neptun cruise center, Valentin Eliseev. Most young people are going on cruises in the Caribbean: the average age of passengers there is 40 years. On European destinations, of course, it is higher. "But you need to understand that on the liner with a capacity of 5,5 thousands of people, even 10% of young people is the same thing as a whole hotel, which is crowded with young people," said the source at iz.ru.

Turkey and Greece in one bottle

In addition to the Millennials, the company is actively working to expand the market at the expense of Chinese tourists. This also affects the interests of Russia. In the Vladivostok seaport, dredging has been planned for this fall, which will make it possible to take Royal Caribbean. And the entry of one liner is up to 2,8 million rubles of earnings only due to port charges.

Russian tourists can hardly be called frequent cruise guests. CEO Royal Caribbean Cruises in the region of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Gianni Rotondo said that so far they account for less than 1% of the total number of tourists. However, their number is growing rapidly, and therefore the company views Russia as one of the most promising markets. “In 2018, we expect at least 15 thousands of Russian tourists. Globally, where the volume of 24 million cruise passengers per year is a bit, but for Russia it is a real breakthrough, ”Gianni Rotondo emphasized.

The vast majority of Russians buy tours of the Mediterranean, said the president of the cruise center "Neptune" Valentin Eliseev. According to him, during the Soviet years, water travel was widespread inside the country. Now cruises are simply not perceived as a full-fledged form of recreation. “There are certain stereotypes that the best rest is to buy a ticket and go to the beach,” explains Eliseev. - People simply have no idea that you can relax quite differently. Get both Turkey and Greece in one bottle for one trip. ”

The “Symphony of the Seas” set off for the first six-day tour of 31 in March - from Barcelona to Italy, where travelers can visit Naples and Rome. All summer, the Symphony will be sailing around the Mediterranean with a starting point in Barcelona - in Provence, Florence, Palma de Mallorca. In the fall, the largest liner will go to Miami, from where you will be lucky to travel around the Eastern Caribbean.

Photo: Royal Caribbean International Press Service

The “Symphony of the Seas”, if necessary, will be modernized to the wishes of visitors, emphasizes the company's president. It is possible that another one-storey two-storey suite will appear on the liner, where the child can go down from the bed to the play area on a closed slide, and the parents on the loggia can relax in the jacuzzi. While this is a single sentence. And this is just one of many types of premium suites. The cheapest room on the lower deck will cost $ 1,2 – 1,5 thousand for a week - prices need to be checked due to seasonal changes.

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