World’s largest passenger ship delivered to RCI

The world’s largest cruise ship, the Independence of the Seas, is ready to begin passenger services.

The 160,000-tonne vessel is owned by Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and based in Southampton, UK. It will set off on its maiden voyage on 2 May, following an official naming ceremony on 30 April.

The ship, built by the Åker shipyards in Turku, Finland, is 1,222ft (372m) long and able to carry 3,600 passengers.

It is larger than rival Cunard’s flagship liner, the 150,000-tonne QM2, which until now has held the title of the largest in the world.

Specialist facilities onboard the Independence of the Seas include a 126-station ShipShape health club, a health spa and cantilevered whirlpools suspended 112ft above the ocean in the adults-only Solarium.

Other onboard attractions include an ice rink, a FlowRider surf simulator; a 43ft-tall rock-climbing wall; a H20 Zone-branded water park with an interactive sculpture garden for families and a full-size boxing ring.

There are also a wide range of restaurants and bars.

RCI currently owns and operates 21 ships with two further vessels under construction.