Oasis of the Seas

Southern Daily Echo reports: [edited]

It looked as if a large chunk of Hampshire, complete with trees, apartments, and a street lined with shops and bars, had broken off and floated out into the middle of the Solent.

But this was no monster piece of flotsam and jetsam but one of the biggest man-made objects to move across the face of the planet, the vast new cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas.

At 220,000 tons, and able to accommodate 6,300 passengers and 2,000 crew, Oasis of the Seas breaks all records. She is divided up into seven separate 'neighbourhoods' including one called Central Park which is open to the sky and features trees, grass lawns and flower-beds.

Other passenger attractions include an ice rink, a cocktail bar that rises up and down the decks, a water theme park, a full-size fairground carousel, and a shopping area with bars, restaurants and cafes.