1 1 2 CRUI SE ORDER BOOK The upcoming cruise order book sees the continuation of several cruise line’s flagship series, with the latest iteration of Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis-class ships, Wonder of the Seas, sailing her inaugural cruise in March following her delivery by French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique at the end of January. She overtakes her sister ship Symphony of the Seas to become the largest cruise vessel in the world, with capacity for a total of 6,988 guests and 2,300 crew. Wonder of the Seas features eight neighbourhoods, with the new Suite Class neighbourhood offering the private restaurant Coastal Kitchen, a suite lounge, the line’s biggest Ultimate Family Suite for 10 people, and an elevated Suite Sun Deck with a plunge pool, a bar and sun loungers. “Wonder of the Seas will energise cruising in a bolder and bigger way,” said Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group. “Adding this ship to our already best-in-class fleet elevates the company in continuing to lead the industry with new features and innovation. This is one more way that we’re delivering world-class and memorable vacations, responsibly, to guests around the world.” Emerald Cruises introduced the first of its new luxury ships, Emerald Azzurra, this March. Measuring 110 metres in length, Emerald Azzurra has capacity for just 100 guests, who will have the choice of three restaurants and bars, including a poolside café. The ship also features an onboard wellness area with a spa, gym and sauna. A second ship, Emerald Sakara, is scheduled to be completed in 2023. New British cruise line Swan Hellenic will welcome its second cruise ship SH Vega in April 2022 following her completion by Helsinki Shipyard in Now that some degree of certainty is returning to the shipbuilding industry, a range of innovative new vessel designs are set to be constructed in the coming years, while existing ship series will continue to evolve. Alex Smith reports Constructing the future Royal Caribbean International’s recently delivered Wonder of the Seas has become the largest cruise ship in the world
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