The sea trips of the mastodons built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique are usually followed by thousands of curious on the coast.
Swollen by summer visitors, the crowd was gathered again this Friday afternoon to witness the departure of the
Wonder of the seas
.
The spectacle was guaranteed since the latest addition to the Saint-Nazaire shipyards is the largest liner in the world.
Its maneuver, using tugs, to leave its construction basin and the Loire estuary began around 4 p.m.
Commissioned by the American company Royal Carribean, the boat is 362 m long and 64 m wide.
It is a little more than its twin brother the
Symphony of the seas
, holder of the previous record, also built in Loire-Atlantique in 2018.
With 18 decks, 2,867 cabins (and four swimming pools!), The giant will be able to take more than 9,000 people on board, including 2,300 crew members.
Numerous tests during four days
Under construction for a year and a half, the
Wonder of the seas sets
sail for the first time on the ocean.
The navigation will not be a part of pleasure since it will be used to test the performance of the boat and its tools.
His return to Saint-Nazaire is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
The following months will be devoted to finishing and installing service equipment.
The official delivery of the ship will not take place until early 2022. It has been postponed by six months, at the request of the shipowner, due to a cruise market severely affected by the health crisis.
The home port of the
Wonder of the seas
will be Shanghai (China).
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