The biggest cruise ship in the world set sail for the high seas over the weekend as onlookers watched with a fireworks show in the background.
The ‘Icon of the Seas’ officially set sail from Miami, Florida, with its launch captured in stunning drone footage.
The ship, which boasts a long list of extravagant features, is the world’s largest ever to be built and runs 365 metres from bow to stern.
It’s a brainchild born from ’50 years of dreaming, innovating and living our mission,’ Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty said ahead of the voyage.
The ship cost roughly US$2 billion to build, weighs more than 225 tonnes, measures 350-metres long and boasts over 40 restaurants on board. The ship is split into eight neighbourhoods across 20 decks, can hold almost 8,000 passengers and is crewed by more than 2,000 people.
While it had the single largest booking day in the company’s history when it was revealed in October 2022, and people are following the journeys of passengers aboard, some environmentalists have raised concerns over the ship’s use of liquid natural gas, which they say could increase methane emissions.
The company behind the ship has defended the use of LNG, claiming every kilowatt used “is scrutinized for energy efficiencies and emission reductions.”
With files from The Associated Press
