The biggest cruise ship in the world, ‘Allure of the Seas’ is now moored at thePort de Barcelona and on Tuesday afternoon sets off on the first of 23 cruises planned for this season. The company Royal Caribbean chose Barcelona as the base for the vessel as it will also undertake two transoceanic cruises. Next year the company will have ‘Harmony of the Seas’ ready, a twin vessel which will also operate from Barcelona making the Catalan capital the first city to have seen the three biggest cruise ships in the world.
The vessel is 362 metres long, equivalent to four football pitches, and 66 metres wide, allowing for 6,318 passengers on board along with 2,384 crew members. Accommodation consists of 2,706 cabins, as well as luxury suites, all housed on 16 decks.
Central park on a ship
Some of the most notable facilities on ‘Allure of the Seas’ include a sports area with a pool for high diving, a mini golf course, a death slide and an ice rink. There are also a wide range of recreational and eating facilities, as well as a central park with 12,000 natural plants. A theatre, children’s areas and of course swimming pools with jacuzzis suspended 41 metres above the water make up the other features the ship has to offer.
Over 2.5 million cruise ship passengers for 2015
The chairman of the Port de Barcelona, Sixte Cambra, was satisfied that Royal Caribbean chose Barcelona and backed this up explaining there are “efficient facilities” to provide service for the company and that the city is also attractive for cruise operators. For Cambra, this ship is the confirmation that the Mediterranean is “a great destination” in the world of cruises and he considers the fact that Barcelona is a base port a “success” to be shared among all sectors involved in the city.