About The American Flagship:

The key is space. Space for larger accommodations, ...for more and larger facilities, ...for extensive programming in education, wellness, business, and entertainment. The city-ship will feature three hotel towers, a "downtown" of streets and boulevards lined with shops, restaurants, bars, bistros and cafes, entertainment facilities including a 2,000-seat theater, and an entire 100,000 sq. ft. conference world for the meeting market. A university, a health and wellness center, a world-class spa, even a TV production and broadcast center -- these and much, much more.

In the stern of the ship massive doors will open to reveal an internal marina, home port to four 400-passenger high-speed daycruisers that will ferry guests to and from the ship even while she is underway and serve even the smallest ports and coastal destinations.

Sailing from Maine to Virginia for half of each year and along the Southeast and Gulf coasts from its Port Canaveral home port in the Winter months, America World City will perform coastwise voyages which are exclusively reserved by law to U.S. built, American flag ships.

Years in detailed development, fully designed, U.S. Coast Guard approved, contract ready, benefiting from the participation by a National Collaborative of some of America's leading corporations, final government approval is being sought for a construction loan guarantee for the billion dollar ship under an existing federal program for this purpose. Target for construction contract: early 1997. Target for delivery and start of operations: late 2000.

In addition, the construction and outfitting requirements of the city-ship will require components for the following onboard facilities:

thirteen restaurants
30 bars, bistros, and cafes
major fully-equipped wellness and medical facility
world-class spa
30,000 sq. ft. of retail space
100,000 sq. ft. of meeting, conference, and exhibition space with latest audio-visual features
house of worship
television production and broadcast center
complex of educational studios (music, art, crafts, photography, etc.)
2,000-seat main theater and other entertainment sites and facilities
major library
a high-tech "Spectacusphere" exhibit area with hands-on interactive displays of emerging technologies and products
a "Planetarium" featuring the wonders of earth and space
an array of sports facilities and programs ("Tennis-at-sea, anyone?")
interactive communication and information links in all guestrooms.
In short, a highly diverse, fully equipped and "wired" prototype community.

I consider myself largely open-minded, although when it comes to ships, I have a preference for a certain style of design. It's not to say that this vessel cannot fulfill its own purpose. Clearly, as I said, its builders are probably not thinking about the ship as a cruise ship or liner, but rather as a new way of living. I never thought of liners and cruise ships in terms of living space for the long term. I suppose I could be persuaded to change my thinking on the subject, however, I should require a sound reason as to why. Granted, there have been precedents set (eg., ResidenSea, basically a mobile condominium complex for the ultra-rich).

I can assure everyone here that I will never have to worry about boarding unless the president of the company of my employment decides to move on board and invites me to visit his new "summer home" or I win the local lottery.

As interesting as I'm sure it will be, as Joe stated "it is not for cruising", at least not in the sense that we have become accustomed.
I look at the deck plans for RCI's Voyager of the Seas and wonder if I really would want to cruise with an ice skating rink, rock climbing wall and all of the other amenities, if that is what they would be called. I'm not opposed to change. I can't be since I'm a computer network programmer/manager and trying to even keep up with change is a full time job in itself.

Maybe I'm just old-fashioned or maybe I'm just trying to get away from run-away technology... give me the Club Internationale aboard the S/S Norway any day.

I took no offense whatsoever with your post. If my reply gave any cause to think I did, then I am the one who will apologize. I realize that English is not your native language and, if I could converse 1/10th as well in French as you do in English I would consider myself extremely fortunate.

I understood your post to indicate that you feel, as I do, that change is not a BAD thing and you would be willing to attempt to keep up with the times and at least see what this new marvel of the seas has to offer. I have cruised on the modern ships (Majesty, Enchantment and Legend of the Seas and the Dream(ward) and have thoroughly enjoyed myself. However, it was a different kind of enjoyment than I felt on the S/S Norway. Not any less enjoyable, just different.

PLEASE, do not even consider withdrawing from this forum on my account. I have so much enjoyed reading your insightful posts regarding a variety of topics especially those on our favorites, the classic liners.
I have made some very large faux pas (whatever the plural is) in my days of posting to this and other web sites. Believe me, I was shocked at your last posting because all of the points that you seem to have read into your and my post, I did not see at all. You stated your opinion and I accepted your statement as just that, your valued opinion.

Looking forward to your next post!!

R4

Please reconsider your thoughts of leaving this forum as I trust others who have been here much longer than I would also encourage you to stay. This is an exchange of ideas and opinions. An opinion is as diverse as a fingerprint and unique in that way. Facts on the other hand are facts and the way we precieve those facts may also differ from time to time. This concept ship is just that and hasn't even been fleshed out yet. It insites a lot of emotion and opinions as it is such a grand concept at that. That is part of the purpose for me starting this particular thread. I believed there would be no person who would be indifferent when it comes to such an undertaking of this magnitude.