1 June, 2016 by Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo

Vigo Welcomes the World's Largest Cruise Ship

This has been the major event of the year at the port of Vigo and will also be next Friday in Málaga and Sunday in Barcelona. This morning, at dawn, the ship “Harmony of the Seas” arrived on its first stop, which, as our readers know, holds the world record for size and passenger capacity. Although the port of Vigo has welcomed the first of the series, “Oasis of the Seas,” the arrival of the brand new “Harmony of the Seas” has been a milestone.

On board this time, on a journey from Southampton to Málaga, there are 5,409 passengers and 2,319 crew members. Among the passengers, the vast majority are British, along with some Americans and about two hundred Spaniards. During their stay, 21 buses departed for the excursions booked on board, while others took panoramic tours and many wandered around the port area and the city center, coinciding with the stop of the ship “Thomson Spirit.”

“A sunny day, with warmth typical of the season, created a festive atmosphere throughout the area, with the anticipation generated for days by the presence of the world's largest cruise ship,” comments our collaborator Alfredo Campos Brandón, the author of the accompanying photos. The ship “Harmony of the Seas” set sail again at 5 PM, dispatched by Bergé Marítima.

Arrived early, an hour ahead of schedule

Seen from the starboard side while maneuvering to dock at the cruise terminal

As we have already reported, the ship “Harmony of the Seas” is slightly longer, measuring 362.12 m (2.12 m more than its predecessors) and 5.5 m wider, resulting in a gross tonnage of 226,963 tons, compared to the 225,282 gross tons of the previous ships, which means a difference of 1,681 gross tons. In its external aesthetics, it is very similar, resembling a floating city capable of moving at a sustained speed of 22 knots.

It is the most expensive of all ships of its class built to date: one billion one hundred million euros. It is said to be the most environmentally friendly as well, thanks to the innovations it incorporates. The ship bears the stamp of the STX France shipyard, as the two previous ones were built in Finland. The formal delivery took place on May 12 and it has the capacity for 6,780 passengers accommodated in 2,740 cabins and nearly 2,400 crew members.

The fourth ship of the Oasis class is already under construction at the STX France shipyard, and a few days ago it was announced that the fifth has also been contracted and will be slightly larger than its predecessors, ensuring that Royal Caribbean International will maintain its global leadership in owning the largest ship in the world in its class. It will be in 2021, while the delivery of the fourth is scheduled for mid-2018. This type of ship is exceeding all expectations of the global tourism industry.