Vision-class cruise ship
Class overview | |
---|---|
Builders: | |
Preceded by: | Sovereign class |
Succeeded by: | Voyager class |
Subclasses: | 3 |
Built: | 1995-1998 |
In service: | 1997- Present |
Planned: | 6 |
Completed: | 6 |
Cancelled: | 0 |
Active: | 6 |
General characteristics | |
Type: | Cruise ship |
Tonnage: | Multiple, 70,000 GRT - 80,700 GRT |
Length: | Multiple, 867 ft (264 m) - 990 ft (300 m) |
Beam: | 106 ft (32 m) |
Decks: | 11 |
Speed: | 22 Kts |
Capacity: | 2,076-2,446 Passengers |
Crew: | 1,200, Average |
Vision class is a term Royal Caribbean International uses to refer to six of its cruise ships. Although called a "class" by Royal Caribbean, the Vision-class ships were built as three pairs of sister ships. Each pair differs from the others in size and design, so the six ships do not constitute a single ship-class by the common usage of the term. The class was further split when Enchantment of the Seas was lengthened by 73 feet in 2005. Unlike other Royal Caribbean classes, the Vision class is not named for the first ship built (Vision of the Seas was named for the class, not vice versa).
Vision-class ships were designed to have more glass windows than any other ships at the time they debuted, and therefore greater views of the oceans from interior spaces. Ships in the Vision class were also the fastest built in 25 years thanks to their diesel electric propulsion systems (the first in the Royal Caribbean fleet), which allowed the larger engines to be placed closer to the middle of the ships for better weight balance.[1]
Two of the ships were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland, while the others were built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France (both shipyards are now a part of STX Europe).
Ships
Legend of the Seas & Splendour of the Seas
Built in 1995 and in 1996 by Chantiers l'Atlantique, approximately 70,000 gross tons. The only two ships in the Vision class to feature miniature golf courses.
Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Legend of the Seas | 1995 | May 16, 1995 | 69,130 | Asia | Legend of the Seas is the most-traveled ship in the Royal Caribbean fleet, having been based in Asia, Australia and New Zealand, the South Pacific, Alaska, Central America, the Caribbean, the Baltic, Mediterranean and the Middle East during her career. Retrofitted in 2013. | |
TUI Discovery | 1996 | March 31, 1996 | 69,130 | Sold to TUI Cruises, renamed TUI Discovery in 2016.[2] |
Grandeur of the Seas & Enchantment of the Seas
Built in 1996 and 1997 by Kvaerner Masa-Yards, approximately 74,000 gross tons when built. Enchantment was lengthened by 73 feet in 2005, making it over 80,000 gross tons.
Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grandeur of the Seas | 1996 | December 14, 1996 | 73,817 | Baltimore, Maryland | A collision occurred in 2005 where a long hole was torn in the hull of the ship
|
|
Enchantment of the Seas | 1997 | July 13, 1997 | 82,910 | Cape Canaveral, FL | In 2005, a 74-foot (23 m) midsection was added to Enchantment of the Seas, allowing for the addition of a pool, suspension bridges, specialty restaurants, additional staterooms, and expanded areas for guest comfort. |
Rhapsody of the Seas & Vision of the Seas
Built in 1997 and in 1998 by Chantiers l'Atlantique, approximately 78,000 gross tons.
Ship | Year Built | Entered service with Royal Caribbean | Gross tonnage | Current Home Port | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rhapsody of the Seas | 1997 | May 19, 1997 | 78,491 | Sydney, Australia | Received upgrades in 2012 to add an outdoor movie screen, new dining venues, digital signage, Wi-Fi internet access, concierge and diamond lounges, and a nursery. | |
Vision of the Seas | 1998 | May 2, 1998 | 78,340 | Santos, São Paulo, Brazil | Received upgrades in 2013 to add an outdoor movie screen, new dining venues, digital signage, Wi-Fi internet access, concierge and diamond lounges, and a nursery. |
References
- ↑ Kraft, Randy (30 July 1995). "New Ship is of Legendary Proportions". LA Times/Washington Post News Service. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
- ↑ http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/12277-splendour-of-the-seas-sold-to-tui-for-thomson-cruises.html
|