It was a memorable day at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard. On July 16, 2005 more than 2,000 invited guests flocked to the northern Italian town from all corners of the earth to board Carnival Cruise Lines' newest "Fun Ship", the 110,239 ton Carnival Liberty. That same afternoon, the giant vessel set off on a short pre-inaugural voyage to Dubrovnik and her summer home of Civitavecchia, signaling the starIn 33 years, Carnival Cruise Lines have grown from a one-ship budget operation to being the most popular cruise line on earth, strongly drawing on millions of die-hard Carnival fans in the Americas. So, what has made them so successful? First and foremost, Carnival has always managed to deliver what they promise: an upbeat cruise experience on well-designed ships that are a destination in themselves. Better call them "Fun Ships", a brilliant marketing slogan that has worked for decades and still says it all. t of a sell-out Mediterranean season.

She is big. She is bold. And whether she is beautiful remains to be seen as we travel to Southampton, England on a sunny day in May, 2001 to witness the birth of a new Princess. At 108,865 gross register tons, Golden Princess is not exactly a lightweight, but after getting to know Princess Cruises' new baby it seems she was well worth the 2 year pregnancy. Delivered well in time for her spring debut, Italian builders Fincantieri managed to create a stunning sister to the 1998-delivered Grand Princess. Costing an amazing US$ 450 million, Golden Princess spent her first summer in Mediterranean waters before heading to Florida for a winter in the warm Caribbean.

At age 15, Prinsendam has seen the world. More than once! Designed for upscale worldwide cruising as flagship of the now defunct Royal Viking Line, she was constructed at Wärtsilä Marine's Helsinki shipyard and entered service as the widely acclaimed Royal Viking Sun in December of 1989. At the time, the ship was the epitome of luxury with her huge single seating dining room, lap pool, large standard staterooms with walk-in closets and bath tubs, plus some of the most extravagant balconied suites afloat. In 1994, Royal Viking Line was taken over by Cunard. Once Cunard joined the Carnival family a few years later, a tonnage reshuffle brought Royal Viking Sun to the five-star Seabourn fleet as Seabourn Sun. That career move didn't really work out as the 37,845 ton, 793-guest vessel proved difficult to market amongst Seabourn 200-guest super yachts. http://http://www.shipparade.com/cruise%20reviews/prinsendam/Prinsendam.htm

MS Splendour of the Seas is a Vision Class cruise ship for Royal Caribbean International. Her itineraries include European cruising in the Mediterranean and Baltic along with South America and other more "exotic" locations in Royal Caribbean's worldwide destinations. Dedicated towards an international clientele, official languages on the Splendour of the Seas include English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. The second in the line of Vision Class ships, she features a seven-story lobby, rock-climbing wall, and a 12-hole miniature golf course. Her sister ship is Legend of the Seas

Splendour of the Seas has a total of eleven decks, the first eight of which are indoors. These decks house all the guest rooms, the theater, casino, shops, and main dining room. Decks 9 and 10 make up the outdoor portion of the ship, which includes the main pool, the rock climbing wall, and the spa and solarium with sliding roof. Deck 11 is the indoor Viking Crown Lounge atop the ship. The crew resides in quarters on Deck 1, separate from the guest facilities. The bridge is the most forward portion of deck 8, and the bridge extends out both sides of the ship several feet such that the bridge crew can walk on the extensions for an unobstructed side view. The miniature golf course is located on the aft top deck.http://http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Splendour_of_the_Seas

At approximately 84,000 GT (gross tonnage), these were the first "mega-ships" in the industry (with the exception of the SS Norway, an ocean liner converted into a cruise ship), built at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The first one, Sovereign of the Seas, was launched in 1988. The Sovereign Class ships were the first ships ever to have an open atrium area.[citation needed] Like larger Royal Caribbean ships, the Sovereign Class ships have pools, open bars and lounges inside, and grandtheaters.
In 2005 Monarch of the seas received a refit, and the Majesty of the Seas in 2007. New features include enhanced staterooms, public areas, Compass Deli, Jade, addition of rock walls, re-painted pool floors, new carpeting and more spaces enhanced for guest comfort.

Technically speaking the Vision Class consists of three pairs of sister ships and is not a "class" of ships in the same sense as the Radiance, Freedom or Voyager classes. The Legend and Splendour, built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, Saint-Nazaire, France have a gross tonnage of approximately 70,000 and are the only ones which have a golf course. The Grandeur and Enchantment were built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards, Helsinki, Finland and have a tonnage of approximately 81,000 gross tons. The final pair, Rhapsody and Vision were also built at Chantiers de l'Atlantique, and have a tonnage of 83,000 gross tons. All ships of this class feature over 2 acres (8,100 m2) of glass.
In 2004, a 74-foot (23 m) midsection was added to the Enchantment of the Seas, allowing for the addition of a pool, suspension bridges, specialty restaurants, additional staterooms, and expanded areas for guest comfort.