Voyager-class cruise ship
The Voyager class refers to a design of post-Panamax cruise ships owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. The Voyager-class ships were built at Kværner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland.
There are two generations of Voyager-class ship which feature slight differences in design. The first generation ships,, and, were launched between 1999 and 2001. The second generation ships and were launched in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
History
The Voyager class was named Project Eagle prior to launch. The project began in 1995 after a series of marketing studies. Eagle aimed to attract cruisers who did not consider themselves "cruise ship people".Voyager of the Seas was the first of Royal Caribbean's ships to feature a large open space in the centre of the ship known as the Royal Promenade, which has become a staple of future Royal Caribbean International ships, as well as being adopted by other cruise lines in various forms. The Royal Promenade was inspired by Harri Kulovaara, who was VP of Quality Assurance at RCI in the 1990s, who designed a similar feature on a Silja Lines ferry.
Design
Voyager-class ships have a diesel-electric powertrain. They are powered by six Wärtsilä 46 diesel engines, giving a total output of. The generated electric power supplies power to the 14 megawatt ABB Azipod azimuth thrusters.The Voyager class featured some world firsts for cruise ships when it debuted, including the first rock climbing wall and ice-skating rink at sea.
The class' architecture was assigned to different architects and firms, some of which had no previous cruise ship experience. For example, the 1,350-seat La Scala Theatre on Voyager of the seas was designed by architect Wilson Butler Lodge, inspired by the Milan Opera House and bringing cruise-first features of Broadway theatres. This is the first time Royal Caribbean used theatre planning and design consultants for its onboard theatres.