Monster cruise liner order

A Finnish shipyard has been awarded the contact to build the world’s largest cruise liner which will weigh in at 160,000 tons.

The Ultra Voyager, will be 1,112-feet-long, 18 storeys high and have accommodation for 3,600 passengers.

It will require a crew of 1,400 and cost €632.5m to built.

Norway’s Aker Kvaerner group said the ship will be built at its Masa Yard in Finland for delivery to Royal Caribbean Cruises in May 2006.

It also said Miami based Royal Caribbean has signed an option for a second ship to be delivered in 2007.

The ship is expected to be about 15% bigger, and have space for 500 more passengers, than the line’s five Voyager class ships, currently the largest cruise ships in service.