"Jewel of the Seas" from the U.S. to La Palma

Although Royal Caribbean International does not maintain a regular presence, the port of Santa Cruz de La Palma appears on some itineraries of this giant of the global maritime tourism industry, as well as repositioning trips between Europe and America and vice versa. In this case, it is the ship "Jewel of the Seas," which arrived this morning from Fort Lauderdale (Florida, USA) and will remain until tonight, when it will continue to Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

This ship is part of a series of four units powered by gas turbines, a propulsion system that is uncommon in this type of vessel. It features two General Electric turbines that provide a total power of 39,000 kW, allowing it to maintain a speed of 24 knots.

Construction number 658 from the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg (Germany) entered service in April 2004. Weighing 90,090 gross tons, it measures 293.20 m in overall length, 32.40 m in beam, and 9 m in draft. It has a capacity for 2,500 passengers, although the usual accommodation is limited to 2,100 in lower beds. IMO Code 9228356.

It is a ship with an eye-catching design

View of the stern section of the ship 'Jewel of the Seas'

Photos: Alberto Pérez