The world's largest cruise ship has been built and is now being prepared to be launched.
Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas has now reached its final and mammoth 365 meters length following years of construction in a Finnish shipyard.
The enormous vessel has a projected 250,800 tonnes, which is the same weight as 2,758,800 average British men.
Once a Champagne bottle has been smashed against its hull and its officially at sea, the Icon of the Seas will take the big ship record from its Royal Caribbean sister Wonder of the Seas, which is 14,000 tonnes and 3m lighter and shorter.
When the ship is launched into Caribbean waters at the start of next year, 5,610 passengers and 2,350 will be aboard it, CNN reports.
Arguably the most exciting feature of the ship is the world's largest at sea waterpark, named Category 6, which will feature six record-breaking water slides, seven pools and nine whirlpools.
Those lucky enough to find themselves on an Icon of the Seas cruise will have a huge amount to get stuck into, including more than 40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained.
The ship has 20 decks and eight 'neighbourhoods' to explore, with each designed to appeal to a different demographic. Some are designed for young families, others are adult only spaces, and some are built around piano bars.
There are 28 different types of accommodations, with more types of family set-ups, more layouts with ocean views and more space for group travellers.
The ship has been built at the Meyer Turku shipyard and will join the Royal Caribbean fleet at sea on October 26, ahead of its 2024 debut.
It successfully completed its first sea trials last week, with hundreds of staff members onboard to make sure everything was working smoothly.
Royal Caribbean International president and chief executive Michael Bayley said: “We are positioning it as the ultimate family vacation and when you step back and look at all the energy and time that has gone into creating this ship it is mind-blowing.
“During her first set of sea trials, Icon of the Seas travelled hundreds of miles, during which the main engines, hull, brake systems, steering, noise, and vibration levels were all tested,” the statement said. “Everything was done on time as outlined in the schedule, despite her departure being delayed due to wind conditions.”
Royal Caribbean hopes the ship can be a little more environmentally friendly than other cruise ships, being its first to be powered by liquefied natural gas and fuel cell technology.
The firm's bosses have been very positive about reaction to the ship so far, with Mr Bayley reportedly saying that it was “literally the best-performing new product launch we’ve ever had”.
It will sail seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean vacations from Miami all year round, with each stopping off at Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island destination.
Cruise fans already had a sneak peek at the new ship when the cruise line shared first look images last year.
One person wrote: "Looks fun! Especially if you have kids. All activities in one space."
Another wrote: "This looks crazy!!! I need to go on a cruise…" And someone else said they would not choose to travel on a cruise ship, but added: "As far as feats of engineering go, they are absolute futuristic marvels."
Meanwhile, several people compared the colourful, tiered design to cake. One Twitter user asked: "Cake or ship?" And in a separate post, a jokester said: "Yeah I'd eat that cake."
