PT Barnum once said there’s no such thing as bad publicity, but Royal Caribbean International may beg to differ.
Sneak-peak proof of concept photos of the US owner’s huge new Icon of the Seas —what will be the world’s biggest cruise ship — have caused social media wags to dub the vessel “human lasagne”.
A shot from the aft certainly gives the impression of layers of passengers squashed on board the 5,000-berth ship, which is due in 2023 from Finland's Meyer Turku.
The nickname made it into the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
The 365-metre newbuilding, which can accommodate 7,600 passengers and 2,350 crew members, was described as “what you imagine a human lasagne might look like” in its pages.
There are 20 decks in all. The ship will boast the largest waterpark at sea, the tallest drop slide, the first open free-fall slide, the tallest drop slide and the first family raft slides.
And there will also be the first swim-up bar on a cruise ship, and the first suspended infinity pool.
“Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of delivering memorable experiences and our next bold commitment to those who love to vacation,” said Michael Bayley, president and chief executive of Royal Caribbean International, last month.
The phrase “Human lasagne” has been attributed to the son of Guardian writer Heidi Stephens, who then put it on Twitter.
The newspaper joked that once on board, passengers should not say: “Iceberg (lettuce) dead ahead.”
Let’s hope the actual vessel makes mincemeat of these petty quibbles.
