World's biggest cruise ships: Royal Caribbean's three giants create new world record

Kylie McLaughlin
  • PHOTOS: On board Harmony of the Seas, the world's biggest cruise ship. 
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  • The Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea: Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Even interior rooms have balconies. 
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  • Renderings of the new slides on Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas at STX Shipyard, St. Naizaire, France. 
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  • An interior state room on board Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • A junior suite on board Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Royal Caribbean International's Harmony of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas, the world"s largest cruise ship. 
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  • The Wonderland restaurant on board Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Surf on board. 
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  • Zipline 
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  • Central Park restaurant. 
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  • Food on board Harmony of the Seas. Photo: Picasa
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  • The rear of the Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Taking the waterslide between decks. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • The traditional delivery and flag changing ceremony that was held on 13 May 2016 in Saint Nazaire, France: Harmony of the Seas. Photo: Michel Verdure
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  • Under construction: Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas at STX Shipyard, St. Naizaire, France. 
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  • A loft suite on Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas at STX Shipyard, St. Naizaire, France. 
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  • Under construction: Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • The traditional delivery and flag changing ceremony that was held on 13 May 2016 in Saint Nazaire, France: Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Renderings of the new slides on Harmony of the Seas. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas at STX Shipyard, St. Naizaire, France. 
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  • Harmony of the Seas will make its maiden voyage in April 2016. Photo: Reuters
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  • Harmony of the Seas will make its maiden voyage in April 2016. Photo: AFP
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  • Once built, Harmony of the Seas will weigh 227,000 tonnes and measure 362 metres in length, 50 metres longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. 
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  • Once built, Harmony of the Seas will weigh 227,000 tonnes and measure 362 metres in length, 50 metres longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. 
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  • Mammoth in the making ... Cruise liner Harmony of the Seas is towed by tug boats into its new moorings at the STX Shipyards in Saint-Nazaire. Photo: AFP
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  • Harmony of the Seas at the STX Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard site in Saint-Nazaire, France. Photo: Reuters
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  • Passenger cabins on Harmony of the Seas under construction at the STX Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard site in Saint-Nazaire, France.  Photo: AFP
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  • Harmony of the Seas at the STX Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard site in Saint-Nazaire, France. Photo: Reuters
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  • Harmony of the Seas under construction at the STX Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard site in Saint-Nazaire, France. Photo: AFP
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  • Harmony of the Seas at the STX Les Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard site in Saint-Nazaire, France. Photo: Reuters
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  • Harmony of the Seas will make its maiden voyage in April 2016. Photo: Reuters
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  • Harmony of the Seas will make its maiden voyage in April 2016. 
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  • The 16-deck vessel. 
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The world's three biggest cruise ships made history over the weekend, conducting their first ocean meet and greet.

The Royal Caribbean ships Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and the new Harmony of the Seas met mid-ocean on the eve of the latter ship's debut in US waters at her new home port of Port Everglades in Florida. 

The meeting occurred on Friday, local time. The combined capacity of passengers for the three ships is more than 20,000 guests and 6800 crew.

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World's largest cruise ships meet for the first time

The world's three largest ships, Harmony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, have arrived together in the same place for the first time. Video: Royal Caribbean

The new ship has officially claimed the title of the world's largest cruise ship, weighing 1700 tonnes more than Royal Caribbean's older 'Oasis Class' ships, and 30cm longer.

Harmony of the Seas will travel from Florida across to the Caribbean to Mexico over seven-night itineraries during its season.

On board the giant ship, you'll find seven themed 'neighbourhoods', fast wi-fi, a 10-storey slide, robot bartenders and Jamie Oliver restaurants, and even a 'Central Park' - containing 12,000 plants and trees.

It's hard to imagine finding time in the seven days for all the entertainment on board Harmony - the ship also contains a zipline, old world arcade games, a carousel, and waterslides - and this is just for the adults.

For some serious fun, though, there's no shortage of inventive bars, and 20 different restaurants to dine in, all which need to be able to feed and water a grand total of 5479 passengers on board, or 6780 if every berth is booked.

Harmony is unlikely to retain its title of world's largest cruise ship for long; Royal Caribbean are already constructing another, code-named Oasis IV, scheduled for launch mid-2018.

See also: Life aboard the world's biggest cruise ship

See also: 25 insider tips about cruise ships

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