Aker Yards unveils Genesis construction

The secretiveness around the world's largest cruise vessels, Project Genesis, was partly unveiled yesterday in Aker Yards' Turku shipyard.

For the first time the press could see how the building of the giant floating resort is proceeding, and the huge "Central Park" with two hotel towers to take shape. The two colossal cruise vessels of the Genesis class will be delivered to Royal Caribbean in 2009 and 2010. They will be the world's largest cruise vessels. "Central Park" is a new design in which the centre of the ship opens to the sky. On each side rise six-storeyed hotel towers including 334 staterooms overlooking the park, 254 with balconies. With a length of around 110 metres and a width of 19 metres, the park will have growing lawn, trees and other vegetation. "Central Park is another example of revolutionary innovation in ship design and building," said Juha Heikinheimo, President of Aker Yards, Cruise & Ferries. "Cruise passengers are expecting new unparalleled experiences, and that is what the owners, the yard and the maritime cluster continuously are creating in good cooperation. The vessel, built under the working name ‘Cruise 5', will be delivered to Tallink in 2009. The 212-metre-long and 29-metre-wide vessel will be one of the biggest and fastest cruise ferries in the Baltic Sea, with a capacity of 2,800 passengers and a speed of 24.5 knots.

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