World's largest and most lavish cruise ship makes waves as she hoves into view off Portsmouth coast
By James Tozer
Last updated at 7:17 PM on 02nd November 2009
Nautical fans got a treat today when the world's biggest cruise ship sailed into British waters.
The 20-storey, 1,180ft Oasis of the Seas dwarfed the Isle of Wight ferry as it made its way along the south coast to drop off hundreds of workers who have been making the finishing touches to its on-board luxuries.
Enthusiasts flocked to the cliffs of Hampshire in the hope of catching a glimpse of the ship - not that they could miss it. It is three times the size of the QE2 - and five times as big as the Titanic.
A big deal: The world's newest and largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas dwarfs the Isle of Wight ferry (left) as she enters The Solent en route to Fort Lauderdale, Florida
It is en route from its shipyard in Finland before crossing the Atlantic for its official unveiling in Florida.
The £855m vessel can accommodate a staggering 6,360 passengers and 2,160 crew in recession-defying luxury, with cabins including 'multi-level urban-style loft suites' boasting floor-to-ceiling windows.
On-board entertainment will be enough to satisfy even the most jaded millionaire, including the aquatic amphitheatre, handcrafted carousel, zip-wire racing diagonally down nine decks and even what is billed as the world's first floating park.
It also features not one but four swimming pools plus various whirlpools, volleyball and basketball courts, rock climbing wall and a 'youth zone' with theme parks and children's science labs.
The ship is so vast it is divided up into 'neighbourhoods' with special themes, including a tropical zone with palm trees and vines among the total 12,000 plants on board.
Limbo dance: The Oasis Of The Seas clears a crucial obstacle, lowering its smokestacks, to squeeze under the Great Belt Bridge as it leaves the Baltic Sea with barely 2ft to spare
Last night, at shortly after midnight, hundreds of people gathered on beaches at both ends of the Great Belt Bridge, which connects the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, to see the ship make its way out of the Baltic Sea.
It was a very tight squeeze indeed considering there was only a 2ft gap between the ship and the bridge as it passed beneath. It only cleared it by lowering its telescopic smokestacks.
'It was fantastic to see it glide under the bridge. Boy, it was big,' said Kurt Hal, 56.
Details of today's arrival in the Solent were kept a closely guarded secret, and the ship won't come into port, instead meeting a tender for the transfer of around 300 shipyard workers.
But enthusiasts kept a close eye on websites charting its course.
Once the drop-off has been made, the Oasis will make its way across the Atlantic where operators Royal Caribbean - who have already ordered a sister ship, Allure of the Seas - will officially name it before its first cruise, to Haiti next month.
Company officials are banking that its novelty will help guarantee its success.
Sensitive to charges of conspicuous consumption, its builders say it is also the world's most environmentally-friendly cruise ship, reusing all its water and discharging no sewage into the sea.
Staggering: The 20-storey liner, which is five times larger than the Titanic, looms over onlookers as it leaves Finland
The cruise liner is so vast it is divided up into 'neighbourhoods' with special themes. It boasts 21 swimming pools, a carousel, a rock climbing wall and even a science lab
Fully on board: a cutaway image shows the layout of the Oasis of the Seas
What shall we do today? Take your choice from surf machines, volleyball and basketball courts, a miniature golf course and even an 82ft zipline. There are even two 43ft-high climbing walls
Workers put the finishing touches to one of the dining room's tables in the ship: The £855million ship can carry 6,360 passengers and 2,160 crew
Grand old lady: The Oasis of the Seas is more than three times the size of Queen Elizabeth 2 (above), which has been at sea for 40 years
OASIS OF THE SEAS - Will it fit in my marina?
Length - 1,180ft; weight - 225,282 tons; decks - 16; passengers - 6,360; crew - 2,160
Cost to build - £800million; price for a two-week cruise - from £1,300
630,000 gallons of paint needed to decorate it
2,300 tons of water in its swimming pools
12,000 plants on board including hundreds of palm trees
3,300 miles of electrical cables to keep the lights in its 2,700 cabins blazing
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