[Geoff Gower]

Freedom Cruise Line International is proposing the largest vessel in maritime history. It will be 4,500 feet long, as wide as 2 1/2 football fields, and 350 feet high. The ship will be the first mobile City at Sea and carry the name Freedom Ship. The cost to build Freedom Ship? $11 Billion.The 20+ story superstructure would contain condominium housing for 60,000, a hospital, schools, hotel, casino, duty free shopping, and commercial and office occupancies.
The commercial district aboard Freedom Ship will sustain a population of 100,000 people comprised of 40,000 residents, 20,000 full time crew, 30,000 daily visitors, and 10,000 overnight guests to the hotel and casino.

 

[CliveH]

Not so much a ship, more a floating island.

 

[Erimus]

Where do you anchor such a beast.....? and is there room for the flying pigs?

geoff

 

[Barrie Youde]

No doubt eyebrows were also raised when the plans for the Great Eastern were published.

If somebody can dream up the economics, there will be somebody else who will try to make it work.

Do I wish it success? Certainly not until I know more about it!

 

[ART6]

Where could such a ship ever dock, or would it forever have to anchor off to take supplies or let passengers ashore (if they ever could be bothered)? What sort of anchor would hold such a ship? Like those used on oil rigs that need support vessels to place them? The command "Drop anchor!" could take days to comply with.

What happens when the ship needs a refit? Where in the world could a nearly a mile long ship be docked? A mile long dry dock? Perhaps it doesn't ever need a refit because modern technology that we all love and respect has made that unnecessary, and the hull is impervious to marine growth.

How to maneuver such a ship when the extremities can only be seen through binoculars, and then only in clear weather. What about the windage on such a massive superstructure that would take a fleet of heavy tugs to control? How to get all of those thousands of passengers replete with gourmet dinners out of their cabins and casinos and into lifeboats if the damned thing decides to sink, as ships have been known to do?

Why even bother with such outlandish ideas when, for a fraction of the cost a city of luxury apartments could be built, each apartment equipped with virtual reality systems that would permit residents to visit and experience exotic places without fear of bad weather or sinking? (K)

 

[Ron Stringer]

The immediate question that comes to mind is "Why?". What is wrong with terra firma as a site for buildings and communities? Ships are intended to transport people and goods from one place to another, a service that terra firma cannot provide.

 

[Barrie Youde]

#6

Commercial expectation can be the only answer to the question "why".

Of great expectations are disappointments born.

We shall see.

 

[YM-Mundrabilla]

I am glad that the dimensions are to be in 'football fields'. Clearly it is to be a precision vessel.

I wonder too how many Eiffel Towers of steel will be required, how many double decker busses will fit in the funnel, how many jumbo jets will be needed to power the beast and how many Olympic swimming pools it will displace.

The lifeboats will be counted in Titanics.

 

[G0SLP]

It sounds like something that would be found in a Clive Cussler novel plotline. Oh, hang on, there was one such beastie in one of his offerings...

 

[duquesa]

Cruise line Proposes 60,000 Passenger cruise ship

Before getting excited about the prospect of this "thing" appearing at the breakwater, it might pay to re read the initial media report and look at the final paragraph. The chances of it ever getting off the drawing board are less than winning a major lottery. Pie in the sky.

 

[Rob Pithers]

If it is to get 30,000 daily visitors and 10,000 'overnight guests, I suspect the intention is for it to go nowhere. What would be the costs of planning etc to build the same on land? Could it be cheaper to build a 'ship' or maybe a barge and permanently moor it somewhere? Maybe no rates?
Rob

 

[Barrie Youde]

The same blurb indicates an intention to visit different places around the world.

 

[Laurie Ridyard]

My question is - Who would want to go on such a monstrosity ?

Fred Olsen cruise liners are big enough for me !!!

ATB

Laurie.

 

[Barrie Youde]

There is much irony in the name Freedom!

 

[Stephen J. Card]

If it is to get 30,000 daily visitors and 10,000 'overnight guests, I suspect the intention is for it to go nowhere. What would be the costs of planning etc to build the same on land? Could it be cheaper to build a 'ship' or maybe a barge and permanently moor it somewhere? Maybe no rates?
Rob

Ten miles off shore.... NO TAXES!!!

How long will it take to physically MOVE 30,000 people to and from the ship? 30,000 to go through security? What about the 15,000 'crew'? What even you decide to 'live' on board, how do you go to work? Worst commuter run in the world! I would not even want to come for a visit!

Stephen

 

[majoco]

Totally impractical surely - how do you feed 100,000 people, how do you get the food, the beer and the fuel to the ship, moored or otherwise. Would you want to be moored in the North Sea in a howling gale - perhaps the Great Southern Bight off Australia with those long swells, the middle of the Pacific doldrums with nowhere to go - I'm sure Rarotonga would love 100,000 tourists but not all in one go. Anyway, how wide is 2½ football pitches?

 

[YM-Mundrabilla]

'Anyway, how wide is 2½ football pitches?'

It is a combination of an unspecified number of Eiffel Towers, Statues of Liberty, double decker busses and one jumbo jet.
EDIT: I forgot to add in the piece of string.

 

[bobharrison2002]

Hmmmm-- it's only the 28th today....

 

[TommyRob]

.....or the old adage there's no such thing as bad publicity?

 

[Geoff Medhurst]

I suspect that the Chinese will build it and anchor it in the South China Sea.