There's something new under the sun. The world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, commanded by Capt. William Wright, will make its official maiden voyage from the world's largest cruise terminal, Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, December 5, beginning regular cruises on the 12th.

The Day has featured photos of this mammoth vessel, five times larger than the famed Titanic. It's a radical departure from the sleek beautiful ocean liners so popular in my youth: Normandie, Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary and my favorite, United States. Their streamlined hulls suggested speed, luxury and sophistication until the advent of jet planes ended their era.

There's nothing sleek about Oasis of the Seas. Built in Turku, Finland's capital of shipbuilding, at a cost of 1.4 billion dollars, and nearly six years in the planning, it was launched Nov. 22, 2009. This vessel is 1,181 feet in length with a gross tonnage of 225,282. It towers 236 feet above the water line and has 16 passenger decks. A crew of 2,165 will attend to the needs of 6,300 passengers who will occupy the 2,700 staterooms.

In contrast, the United States, launched at Newport News in 1952, cost $78 million. Its length was 990 feet with a gross tonnage of 53,330. It had 12 decks and carried 1928 passengers with a crew of 900. This vessel was powered by four sets of steam turbines, attaining a speed of 36 knots, at one time holding the transatlantic speed record.

Oasis of the Seas is propelled by six marine diesel engines. There are no screw propellers. It is moved by Azimuth thrusters that rotate, so no rudders are needed. This mammoth vessel can attain a speed of 22.6 knots, not up to the United States by far, but there is no need to hurry to a port. Everything you could want is on board.

This revolutionary ship carries ice skating rinks, a golf course, cantilevered whirlpools, rock climbing walls, basketball and volleyball courts, a hand-carved carousel, a huge amphitheater and even a FlowRider surf simulator.

An entertainment boulevard stretches the length of the ship. One section, called Central Park, billed as "the first park at sea," will be landscaped with tropical foliage. There's something for everyone, including a fully-staffed nursery for infants and toddlers and a youth zone for teens only.

A huge vessel like Oasis of the Seas generates many adjectives. Beautiful is not one of them. In my eyes Oasis of the Seas is far from beautiful. To accommodate the large tonnage, a wide hull was necessary, so the ship is very broad in the beam. Only 30 feet of the hull sits beneath the water. This ponderous floating resort looks as if someone tipped a skyscraper on its side and placed it on a baking pan.

But with all has to it offer, passengers will choose Oasis of the Seas to enjoy themselves, not to criticize marine architecture.

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