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Ever wondered what it takes to build a cruise ship? On May 24th, 2003 I was
introduced to the
mind-boggling world of modern shipbuilding when I visited Royal Caribbean
International's new
Serenade of the Seas
at her birthplace: Papenburg, Germany. With a history that dates back to
1795, the
family-operated Meyer Werft must be one of the oldest shipyards still
operational in the western hemisphere. They sure have come a long way since
they delivered their first ship 218 years ago! |
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The 90,090 ton Serenade of the Seas
officially came to life on February 16th, 2002 when the
first steel block was lifted into position in the covered
dry dock and work started on assembling the 66 individual
blocks. Each of these blocks is made separately and can
weigh up to 400 tons. Like an oversized jigsaw puzzle, |
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all blocks are put in their
meticulously prepared position and welded together. Voila, a ship is born! Ah,
if only it was that simple... Once the "skeleton" of the ship is in
place, work starts on the inside of the ship. Hundreds of people alone are kept
busy assembling all 1,050 passenger cabins. Other than on sister ships
Radiance and Brilliance, cabins on Serenade of the Seas were
delivered to Meyer Werft pre-fabricated and were put on board through holes in
the hull before being moved into position. These cabins are delivered to the
yard in a completely finished stated with bathroom fixtures, lamps and curtains
already in place. Once welded in position on the ship, each cabin
is sealed to prevent them from getting dirty. Before the
ship sets sails the cabin is thoroughly cleaned and provided with the
necessary linens and towels, ready to welcome the first guests. When I visited
the ship some ten weeks before delivery, all cabins were installed and work concentrated on the indoor public
spaces. Workmen could be seen everywhere laying carpets, putting up ceilings
panels
and generally keeping VERY busy. |
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The logistics of building a ship like
Serenade of the Seas are beyond all imagination. The contractors and
sub-contractors (companies hired by the shipyard to help
them build the ship) work according to a very strict
timetable and any delays will create a domino effect that
could ultimately result in a late delivery of the ship
which will cost the |
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shipyard huge amounts of money.
That said, Serenade of the Seas is slated
for delivery on July 31st and work is progressing completely according to
schedule. With Meyer Werft having an enviable reputation for on time delivery,
all should be ready when the first official guests are welcomed on board in
Amsterdam on August 2nd. During a thorough 2-hour tour of the ship I was
able to visit the bridge, have a look at one of the gas turbines deep down in
the ship and wander through restaurants and lounges under the expert guidance of
Serenade's personable Staff Captain Karin Stahre Janson and Chief Officer
Malcolm Rodger. As a twin sister
to Royal Caribbean International's Radiance of the Seas and Brilliance
of the Seas, Serenade represents no sensational changes over her older
sisters' layout. Instead, minor design changes have been planned to prevent the
ships from being complete clones.
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First and foremost, Serenade of the
Seas will of course boast her own huge collection of art objects. Focal
point will be a huge "paddle wheel" structure in the atrium, apparently in the
colors of the rainbow. The Solarium will have a Thai theme and the
elephants guarding the pool have already received a gold paint layer.
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Let's wait and see if they will have
earrings, too just like on Brilliance...! The
main show lounge on decks 4 and 5 is named Tropical Theatre and features a blue,
yellow and green decor. Large expanses a multi-colored fabric adorn the
walls on both sides, creating a a more magical atmosphere combined with the
blue ceiling panels overhead.. The main two deck high Reflections
Dining Room features the familiar opulent decor of her earlier sisters,
albeit in a "cinnamon roll" color scheme. Directly adjoining the
Centrum are the RCI Online Internet Cafe, Guest Relation Desk and the ever-popular Latte-tudes
Coffee Bar. The beautifully detailed inlaid wooden panels in
the Boutiques of Centrum show the craftsmanship that has gone into these
ships. In fact, it would be a waste to spend a week on board and not look at the
many design details that make this ship one of a kind.
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Last but not least, we
have a look at the Safari Club. This secondary show lounge (named Colony Club on
the Radiance and Brilliance) all the way aft on deck 6 features an
African look and feel, with lots of wood accents. Of course you will again find
two computer-controlled pool tables that will remain completely horizontal
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even when the ship is rolling. The Staff Captain told us the story of one of the
contractors on the rather rough crew-only delivery trip of Radiance of the
Seas. The man was very prone to motion sickness and decided to sleep on one
of the pool tables in the Colony Club. Every night, he would grab a blanket and
climb on his stabilized "bed" to get a decent night's sleep. Of course this
practice was never repeated again... |
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After my visit to the beautiful lady
of Papenburg, I can only express my admiration for the workforce that are able
to turn tons of bare steel into an exciting new cruise ship. The sheer logistics
of building Serenade of the Seas are mind boggling and Meyer Werft has
swiftly adapted to the changes in shipbuilding techniques ever since they built that small wooden ship back in 1795.
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