Wärtsilä powers Harmony of the Seas

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: Oasis-class Coverage Oasis-class Coverage

Published: 09 June 2016 09 June 2016

Royal Caribbean International's Harmony of the Seas, featuring Wärtsilä engines, propulsion equipment, exhaust scrubber systems, Wärtsilä NACOS Platinum navigation and dynamic positioning systems, as well as Wärtsilä CCTV systems and various electrical & automation solutions, is now in commercial operation.

The 'Harmony of the Seas' has also been included in a service agreement between Wärtsilä and Royal Caribbean covering technical management and monitoring under Wärtsilä Genius services. The ship was delivered from the yard on May 12. With a length of 362 metres the ship, which was built at the STX France shipyard in the French port of Saint-Nazaire, is the world's largest cruise vessel. .

Wärtsilä has also provided the engines and thrusters to the vessel's sister ships, the Oasis of the Seas and the Allure of the Seas, thus emphasising the trust and cooperation that exists between Wärtsilä and Royal Caribbean International.

"Wärtsilä congratulates both Royal Caribbean and STX France on this milestone delivery of the world's largest cruise ship. We are proud to have been selected to provide a comprehensive scope of Wärtsilä solutions and we wish good luck and success for the vessel throughout its lifecycle," says Fred Danska, Director, Cruise Business, Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

The Harmony of the Seas is powered by four 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines and two 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 46F engines, featuring best-in-class fuel economy, and outstanding power-to-weight and power-to-space ratios. For effective manoeuvring, the ship has four Wärtsilä CT3500 transverse thrusters.

The two Wärtsilä hybrid scrubber systems represent the world's biggest marine exhaust scrubber installation so far. They feature the latest in exhaust cleaning technology thus minimising sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions and allowing the vessel to comply with emission control regulations around the world. Wärtsilä hybrid scrubber system solutions have the flexibility to operate in both open and closed loop using seawater to remove SOx from the exhaust.

The Wärtsilä NACOS Platinum navigation and dynamic positioning systems are a popular choice of cruise ship operators and feature highly advanced integrated navigation technology. Other electrical & automation solutions have been provided by Wärtsilä Funa for this vessel, including a house light dimming system for all public venues, a dimming system for the suites, and a low resolution LED wall for the theatre.

STX France begins construction on world's largest cruise ship

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Oasis-class Coverage Oasis-class Coverage

Published: 23 September 2013 23 September 2013

Royal Caribbean International cut the first piece of steel today for its third Oasis-class ship, marking the first construction milestone for a vessel that, at approximately 227,700 GRT, will be the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard D. Fain and Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, Adam Goldstein together with Laurent Castaing, chief executive officer, STX France, attended the event at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the ship will be built. The cruise line’s third Oasis-class ship is expected to be delivered in mid-2016.

"The Oasis-class ships have fundamentally changed the cruising landscape with the cornucopia of amenities and innovations that can be found onboard,” said Fain. “We are delighted to be offering a third Oasis-class vessel for our guests as well as to be back at STX France after such a long tradition of building amazing ships together."

"We are excited to once again partner with Royal Caribbean International," said Castaing, "We have built 12 ships for Royal Caribbean and are extremely proud of the strength of our relationship. Oasis 3 is one of the biggest challenges ever undertaken in the history of our company and our teams are excited and ready to make this a successful project."

 Oasis 3 joins sister-ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas which took the cruise industry by storm with their introduction in 2009 and 2010, respectively, featuring a revolutionary design with a split superstructure and the cruise line’s neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas. At 225,282 GRT and spanning 16 decks with 2,700 staterooms, the Oasis class ships also introduced extraordinary “firsts” at sea such as an 82 foot-long zip line, a handcrafted carousel, the Rising Tide elevating bar, the AquaTheater high-diving performance venue, and the Central Park with more than 12,000 live trees and plants. The Oasis class also offers amenities that can only be found on Royal Caribbean, such as twin FlowRider surf simulators, cantilevered whirlpools, an ice-skating rink, the H2O Zone kids aquapark, and the Royal Promenade, an interior boulevard that stretches nearly the length of the ship and flanked by restaurants, lounges and boutiques, among many others.

"Our Oasis-class ships have led the charge in delivering the WOW for which Royal Caribbean is known," said Goldstein. "We are delighted to get the building process underway and look forward to the next chapter of this amazing class of ships."

Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas sail weekly, alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In October 2014, Oasis of the Seas will sail a short autumn season in Europe from Barcelona, Spain before entering drydock for routine maintenance at the Képpel Verolme shipyard in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Details of the third Oasis-class ship will be revealed in the coming months.