Here is a brief bit of background about me that regular readers of my journal probably already know. I enjoy boats. Currently, I have a rowboat, four canoes, and four kayaks, plus an additional kayak that is near completion. I like to build and repair boats. I have built a sailing rig for one of my canoes. I subscribe to Wooden Boat magazine. I often hang out around the docks just to look at the boats there. Last fall, Susan and I went on a three-day, two night cruise aboard an historic sailing vessel that allows guests to participate in crewing the boat including shifts at the navigation station, behind the wheel, and duties for raising and lowering sails. It was a really fun adventure and aside from the fact that we generally don’t do things quite that expensive, I’d do it over again. I like boats and I like going out on the water in boats.

Another bit of trivia about me. I spent last week at a large hotel and convention center. The center, housed in what once was the train station for St. Louis, Missouri, now has more than a thousand guest rooms, five or six restaurants, a coffee shop, an ice cream parlor, a bakery, an aquarium, a ferris wheel, a carousel, a mini-golf course, a health club, bars, and meeting rooms that will accommodate large groups. We had a banquet one evening in which they served over 500 people in a few minutes after we sat down. I had a good time. After a few times of walking around the facility to become oriented, I developed a couple of routines about where to get my meals, where to meet my colleagues for conversation, and where to go to attend the worship, workshops, and meetings. Although I found a way to go outside of the building each day, I knew how to conduct the various parts of my day within the convention center. For example, I ate all of my meals in the facility from Monday dinner through Saturday breakfast.

However, I’m not attracted to the idea of spending a week or more in a hotel that is on a boat. Recently, Royal Caribbean International launched what is currently the largest cruise ship in the world. The Icon of the Seas is 1,198 feet long. That’s over a thousand feet longer than the sailing ship on which we took our sail. It displaces over a quarter of a million tons. For comparison, it is more than five times the size of the Titanic.

This boat is really big. It has 20 decks. It has room and crew to support 7,600 passengers. I that seven swimming pools, six water slides, more than 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges.

I have read several articles about the mammoth ship. The fact that it was built in the first place is interesting to me. I have tried to imagine what the shipyard in Turku, Finland, where it was built might be like. It would have taken thousands of tradespeople to build all of the staterooms, bathrooms, and various components of the ship. There must be thousands of miles of pipes and electrical conduits in such a vessel. It would be interesting to me to see the bridge and to know the size of the crew that is required to keep such a vessel operating. The giant liquefied natural gas tanks required to serve the ships’ engines and generators must be enormous. The communications systems required to move such a vessel alongside and away from the docks have to be incredible.

But I have no desire to dip into our savings for the cost of a cruise on such a ship. Tickets for its initial seven-day, six night, trip around the islands of the Caribbean cost between $1,723 and $2,639 per person. A high-season cruise around Christmas next year will set purchasers back $5,124 per person.

I’ve never been on board such a gigantic vessel, but I imagine that it doesn’t feel much like riding a kayak on the small swells of our sheltered bay. I wonder if there is much sensation of motion at all when riding on such a ship. A giant, 20-story hotel must be designed for the majority of the guests to take elevators to get around the boat. With 7,600 passengers, I’m pretty sure that most guests don’t get to meet the captain or tour the bridge or engine room. I enjoy swimming pools and restaurants, but I generally avoid crowds when engaging in dining or recreating.

I’m having trouble imagining what the lure of such a vessel might be. Being just one of thousands of guests doesn’t appeal to me very much. I imagine that it might feel a bit closed in to be on board such a ship. When I stayed in the convention center, I could go outside and walk down the street away from the hotel whenever I wanted. Even though I didn’t venture far, I had access to areas that were not indoors. If there had been a fire or another emergency, I knew how to get out of and away from the building. You can’t do that with a cruise ship. I wonder how many life rafts such a boat must carry and how passengers determine which one to board. I suppose they must do some kind of emergency orientation for guests, but the thought of having to evacuate 7,600 people plus all of the crew seems like a nearly impossible task. The ship must have a clinic and hospital just to deal with potential health crises. I imagine it has a deck where a helicopter can land for an emergency medical evacuation. It might even carry one or more helicopters at all times.

It interests me that such a vessel could bear built and that it has been launched and is floating. The logistics of maintaining such a ship are impressive. But I won’t be lining up to purchase a ticket anytime soon.