Big, Bigger, Biggest

Cruise Ship (2x8)

: 15, 2009

Powering through the waters of the Caribbean, the Independence of the Seas is longer than New York’s Chrysler Building is tall and wider than the White House is long. The largest cruise liner in the world, this 18-deck leviathan cost some $800million to build and generates enough electricity through its six diesel-electric engines to power the city of Southampton. The Independence carries 4,370 passengers in unrivalled luxury, while some 1,360 staff work behind the scenes in the control rooms, kitchens and engine rooms. Nearly four million square feet of steel in the form of prefabricated blocks were required to build the ship, while hi-tech ‘azipod’ propulsion units and bow thrusters make it incredibly manoeuvrable for a vessel of its size. However, the Independence of the Seas was not built in a day. The 160,000-ton giant and the maritime engineers that designed it relied on a number of historic engineering achievements. ‘Big, Bigger, Biggest’ charts the technological developments that preceded the completion of the Independence, focusing on six iconic ships that embodied the advancements of their ages.