World’s largest cruise ship weighs anchor for maiden voyage –

Cruise ships are an absolutely mind-boggling concept to wrap your head around. For a boat that’s nearly 1,200 feet long, has 20 decks, accommodates more than 7,500 passengers, and all that with 40 restaurants, bars and lounges, plus water slides, a fairground and seven swimming pools, among other amenities, and yet manages to stay afloat when battered by huge sea waves, they are truly a remarkable feat of engineering.
Admittedly, these statistics are not for just any cruise ship, as they pertain to the world’s largest cruise ship, the Icon of the Seas, which has just departed on its maiden voyage, leaving Miami and heading to the Caribbean on an island-hopping trip. The boat is owned by Royal Caribbean Group and would cost $2 billion to build, all at a shipyard in Finland.
However, during the ceremony of the maiden voyage, several environmental groups raised concerns about the boat and the fact that it will emit tons of greenhouse gases that will affect marine life and contribute to global warming. The Royal Caribbean Group has come out in response, stating that the Icon is 24% more efficient than current guidelines expect it to be in energy terms.

Tickets for the Icon would range from $1,700 to more than $5,000 per person, depending on the length of the trip and when you want to board the boat.

Thanks, BBC News.