Visiting the Isle of Wight as I do on a regular basis, I have got to know some of the best vantage places to view cruise ships as they come and go from the port of Southampton.
One of my favourites is the Bay Watch Café, situated right on the beach near Bembridge, where on a warm, clear evening last autumn I recall watching Ventura and QM2 both glide past lit up like mammoth Christmas trees.
However, today (Monday) is extra special not only for residents of the island but people on the mainland with a vantage point over Southampton Water.
The reason being that they will be among the first ever to catch a glimpse of the world’s largest cruise ship.
For Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas will be making a special guest appearance off the Hampshire coast en-route across the Atlantic to its new home in Florida.
The revolutionary 5,400-passenger vessel was handed over to the cruise line from its shipyard in Finland last week after six years of construction work.
Oasis of the Seas was scheduled to leave the yard on Friday to travel south in order to make its special guest appearance in The Solent today.
Be the first to spot the world’s biggest cruise ship
Those with their binoculars at hand will be able to spot the 16 decks that make up the 225,282 gross registered ton vessel.
With no less than 2,700 cabins, it is the first ship to tout the cruise line’s new neighbourhood concept of seven distinct themed areas.
These include Central Park, Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Centre, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.
The vessel is to sail into The Solent for a brief stop to let off 300 workers who do not need to be on board for the transatlantic crossing.
Sadly, there will be no on board access provided for the duration of the short stay in The Solent this afternoon.
Yet I can imagine the crew on board thumbing their noses as the ship gently manoeuvres within striking distance of the traditional Southampton home of rivals P&O Cruises and Cunard Line at around lunchtime.
Micky Arison, the boss of P&0 Cruises and Cunard Line parent Carnival Corporation, probably won’t be losing too much sleep, having already denied at a recent industry conference having “ship envy” over Oasis of the Seas.
High profile PR coup
But there’s little doubt that showing off the brand spanking £800 million-plus mega ship in the backyard of your nearest competition is something of a coup for Royal Caribbean not least in terms of positive PR.
All this Solent excitement comes in advance of Oasis of the Seas setting off on its transatlantic crossing in time to reach its Florida home base in time for an official naming ceremony on November 30.
Follow progress online
Royal Caribbean is harnessing the power of the internet to chronicle the ship’s transatlantic crossing via OasisoftheSeas.com as daily webisodes are posted.
The company will also being using micro blogging site Twitter to allow users to follow the ship’s progress @OasisandAllure.
A new feature to OasisoftheSeas.com will also allow users to view a Google Maps application and follow Oasis of the Seas’ journey.
A series of high profile media events are then planned in Miami prior to the formal naming ceremony at the end of the month.
The ship will then sail from its home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on seven-night Caribbean cruises from December.
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