SeaTrade 2008 Model Ships

Soltice looks quite different in 3D. I'm not sure I like her looks, but she is certainly very distinctive.

I had hoped that more new ships would have two funnels, but these appear to be of the wrong size and in the wrong place - the profile is just all wrong. Why can't the bridge be on top of the decks so they do not appear to be 'extra'?

No 'Genesis' then?

[ 03-11-2008: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Great images Rich!

Soltice looks quite different in 3D. I'm not sure I like her looks, but she is very distinctive.

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Wow, she looks like a top-heavy ferry. Just from the photos she looks like she has an extra two decks - counting from the promenade - compared to the others.

[ 03-11-2008: Message edited by: joe at travelpage ]

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:
Wow, she looks like a top-heavy ferry. Just from the photos she looks like she has an extra two decks - counting from the promenade - compared to the others.

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Nevertheless, from the models and renderings, she doesn't look terribly attractive. As she has been designed by the renowned yacht designer, Martin Francis, it is rather disappointing - but making a big box like her look good can't be easy.

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Originally posted by Thad:
And her rear superstructure looks even more upright than Eurodam.[/IMG]

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Best,

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Originally posted by sunviking82:
I happen to be staying in South Beach on business I wasn't aware that Sea Trade was going on. Can anyone go? Is there a cost? Which convention center is hosting it? I hope I can stop in.
.

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SeaTrade still has two days left, Wed. 3/12 and Thu. 3/13. It's at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Typically the people that go are connected with cruise industry, but anyone can go. The cost is $50.00 for just a Visitor's Badge, to be allowed into the exhibits area (normally this is pre-arranged and paid for, but I'm sure they will register walk-ins.) It seems pricey, but the cost for exhibitors, and a full conference pass, is something like $995.00!

The other models are cool but nothing we haven't already seen. COSTA LUMINOSA is disappointing from the exterior. Obviously yet another Vista derivative. She is a bit of EURODAM and QUEEN VICTORIA all thrown into one, but with the lifeboat arrangement of COSTA ATLANTICA so we see a return to the Spirit Class as well. It's amazing just how much mileage Carnival Corp. is getting out of this design. Will it ever end?

The newer Vista ships (and I guess the ones to be modified such as Arcadia) look very unbalanced with the near vertical stern though I guess the extra revenue from the new cabins is a compelling reason and aesthetics don't really count.

Ventura would be OK if P&O had insisted on a P&O funnel. As it is it appears the funnel will always look like it is under construction.

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Originally posted by eroller:
COSTA LUMINOSA is disappointing from the exterior. Obviously yet another Vista derivative. She is a bit of EURODAM and QUEEN VICTORIA all thrown into one, but with the lifeboat arrangement of COSTA ATLANTICA so we see a return to the Spirit Class as well.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
She's longer than the others, too, isn't she?

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She would have to be extended several hudred feet to get anywhere near the proportions the other ships have.

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Originally posted by eroller:
My concern grows regarding deck space on SOLSTICE. I think it's going to be a big problem.

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Originally posted by eroller:
She is a bit of EURODAM and QUEEN VICTORIA all thrown into one, but with the lifeboat arrangement of COSTA ATLANTICA so we see a return to the Spirit Class as well.

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EURODAM retains the lifeboat arrangement of the Vista-class ships, due to her glass elevators.

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Originally posted by Carlos Fernandez:
The models are impressive, Solstice looks very boxy but who says boxes can't look good, in architecture look at Richard Meier, he does great things with boxes.

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It's true that Richard Meier has built some wonderful buildings, e.g. the Getty Center, though I am not terribly fond of the US District Court a few minutes away from where I live.

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:
She would have to be extended several hudred feet to get anywhere near the proportions the other ships have.

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I still don't think she looks especially bad, though she could certainly be better-looking. Clearly a lot of effort was put into attempting to make her look distinctive, though the basic shape is still pretty much the same as the basic shape of every other modern ship.

It would be interesting to know what Martin Francis thought of designing a cruise ship as opposed to a yacht. I would imagine that at least in some cases, there is far more flexibility with a yacht.

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:
And the natural grass is taking up far more deck space than the previous illlustrations suggested.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
...It would be interesting to know what Martin Francis thought of designing a cruise ship as opposed to a yacht. I would imagine that at least in some cases, there is far more flexibility with a yacht.

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In my discussions with Francis he did say that he usually has more flexibility desinging yachts over cruise ships. Seems like the cruise companies are more particular about the budget and design than the folks he designs yachts for.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
...Assuming all that green stuff is grass, then it does seem like a lot more than I was led to believe there would be.

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:
In my discussions with Francis he did say that he usually has more flexibility desinging yachts over cruise ships. Seems like the cruise companies are more particular about the budget and design than the folks he designs yachts for.

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If you look at his yacht designs a lot of them have rather small superstructures etc.; as attractive as that may be, I don't think it would fly for a cruise ship.

Most megayachts don't have that monolithic "box" look that cruise ships do these days.

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:
When I was briefed about the the ship they said that the green stuff was grass. When did you have your personal briefing? Maybe it was before they took the arial photos of the model.

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(It is possible to be led to believe something without a personal briefing. I am sorry if I lead you to believe otherwise .)

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Originally posted by joe at travelpage:

And the natural grass is taking up far more deck space than the previous illlustrations suggested.

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You think? Pretty much every rendering shows "The Lawn" as encompassing most of the area around the two aft funnels. I always thought it would be this big. Unfortunately even without "The Lawn" I felt deck space would be limited on SOLSTICE. Perhaps Celebrity knows something we don't? Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships are usually very well thought out, so I can't imagine they have not considered the lack of deck space.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
The lifeboat arrangement on QUEEN VICTORIA is the same as COSTA LUMINOSA. It's very similar to the SPIRIT-class, but not exactly the same. (The davits themselves are a different type.)

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I don't think so. Actually QV has two different davit types. Three aft tenders have a different davit design than the forward four lifeboats. This is different then any of the other Vista's and Spirit's. Also, on QV there are four lifeboats forward, then three tenders aft and a forth boat behind the tenders for a total of 16 boats. This is different than COSTA LUMINOSA which will have a total of 20 boats.

The Spirit Class and COSTA LUMINOSA have the same boat arrangement in that there are three tenders aft (or boats on the Spirit Class), and seven boats forward (the forward most is actually the rescue boat which may differ on LUMINOSA). Again a total of 20 boats.

So while LUMINOSA is not exactly like QV, the Vistas or Spirits, I think her boat arrangement most resembles the Spirit Class. The davits are a different story, and they seem to be standard Vista Class.

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Originally posted by eroller:
... then three tenders aft and a forth boat behind the tenders ...
Ernie

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Hi, When looking at my photos from the Maiden Voyage I realised that she has three tenders and one boat on the portside but two tenders and two boats on the starboard. Wonder why?

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