Vision-class cruise ship

Vision of the Seas in Tallinn, Estonia on August 19, 2013.
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Preceded bySovereign class
Succeeded byVoyager class
Subclasses3
Built1993[1]–1998
In service1995–present
Planned6
Completed6
Active6
General characteristics
TypeCruise ship
Tonnage70,000–80,700 GT
Length867–990 ft (264–302 m)
Beam106 ft (32 m)
Decks11
Speed22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity2,076–2,446 passengers
Crew1,200 average

The Vision class is a group of six cruise ships built by Royal Caribbean International, and operated by themselves and Marella Cruises. Although called a class by Royal Caribbean, the Vision-class ships were built as three pairs of sister ships, each pair differing from the others in size and design. Unlike other Royal Caribbean classes, the Vision class is not named for the first ship built; Vision of the Seas was the last ship in the class to be built[2]. Royal Caribbean had been promoting "Project Vision" for some time before ordering the first two ships in the class in 1992,[3] but Vision of the Seas was not ordered until 1994.[4]

Vision-class ships were designed to have more glass windows than any other ships at the time they debuted, and therefore greater views of the oceans from interior spaces. Ships in the Vision class were also the fastest built in 25 years thanks to their diesel-electric propulsion systems (the first in the Royal Caribbean fleet), which allowed the larger engines to be placed closer to the middle of the ships for better weight balance.[5]

Two of the ships were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Helsinki New Shipyard, Finland, while the others were built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France.

  1. ^ DNV: Marella Dicovery, retrieved on 11 May 2024]
  2. ^ "Royal Caribbean makes a big commitment to 2026/27". Chris Frame Official (Maritime Historian). 20 Nov 2024. Retrieved 20 Nov 2024.
  3. ^ "Building Boom Coming?". Cruise Industry News. 18 August 1992. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  4. ^ "New Royal Caribbean Ships Ordered". Cruise Industry News. 17 October 1994. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  5. ^ Kraft, Randy (30 July 1995). "New Ship is of Legendary Proportions". LA Times/Washington Post News Service. Retrieved 8 April 2013.