More than two years after announcing it would build two 5,000 passenger ships, Royal Caribbean International finally offered a sneak peak at what the Project Genesis vessels might look like. The ship's central area, called Central Park, would be a massive, midship open-air promenade filled with canopy trees, grass, tropical flowers and bars and restaurants with outdoor seating.
Imagine a balcony cabin inside the ship where you look below to people enjoying life on a ship a cobblestone street with live plants and trees and where you look up to the tropical sky! At night, the promenade has alfresco dining, concerts and street performances. What pleasure! There will be five decks and 254 balconies overlooking the park.
There will be a moving bar, The Rising Tide, a bar that ascends and descends a three deck span of the ship. The bar will stop at each level to let people on and off. (For those friends and relatives who can, and those who know how to just take a special architectural tour)
There will be several new restaurants, upscale boutiquest, an art gallery and a photo studio.
Royal Caribbean will slowly disclose more details of the ship in the coming year before its 2009 debut. Next reveal scheduled for June 18.
Royal Caribbean long has been an innovator in cruise ship design, unveiling the first atriums at sea in the 1980s and the first indoor promenade in 1999. Other firsts include rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks and, most recently, a pool for surfing. The gigantic size of the coming Genesis ships has led to speculation that the line planned more ground-breaking new features, but until now the line has been mum on its plans for the ships.
Royal Caribbean says the Central Park area is one of seven "neighborhoods" that the line plans for the ships, part of a new strategy to divide up passengers based on their personal tastes and interests. The line will unveil other neighborhoods over the next year.
Royal Caribbean has the most innovative ships at sea. We always like the way they address our temperament by providing "more!" We will have a wonderful Gratitude Cruise onboard this ship and make arrangements as soon as deployments are announced!
Project Genesis
Fast Facts
- Launching late 2009
- 220,000 GRT
- 7 Neighborhoods
- 5,400 passengers
- 2,700 staterooms
- 16 decks high