Biggest capacity ship in the world, surprising source?

It has been announced this week that a certain cruise line has placed an order for two new ships, which, when finished will be the largest guest capacity ships in the world.

The new Costa ships will have over 2,600 passenger cabins, which will allow for a total of 6,600 passengers each when at full capacity. The current record for the largest capacity is held by the Allure of the Seas, Royal Caribbean. The Allure weights in at a rather chubby 225,000, and carries 5,400 passengers. It is not yet known what new features these ships will have, however, we do know that each ship will weigh more than 180,000 tonnes! This means that it is smaller in tonnage than Allure of the Seas, despite the larger number of people! I have a feeling it may well feel cramped??

They new ships will also feature a revolutionary new green design which will see them using Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which is the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel. The use of LNG will reduce the emissions that are produced by each ship which can damage the environment and will help to make cruising more sustainable. A very welcome move and a benchmark for future planned builds surely!

The ships will be built in the Meyer shipyards and are expected to be completed for 2019 and 2020.

Michael Thamm, CEO of the Costa Group said: “The multibillion dollar contract with Meyer mirrors our strategy to constantly innovate our vacation offers and to deliver unmatched cruise experience to our guests.”

Nick Palomba, president of Costa said: “The two new ships are real innovation for the market, setting new standards for the whole industry: they will be the first green ships powered with LNG and they will offer an extensive number of guest-friendly features.”

I’m not the most clued up person when it comes to Costa Cruises, however, I know from speaking to my customers’ there is still a feeling of doubt over travelling with them. Will they manage to fill these super ships? What do you think?