29/02/2020 03:05 PM
Two of the world’s biggest cruise ships meet in Sydney Harbour
Ovation of the Seas and Spectrum of the Seas pass by in style as thousands of firefighters and bushfire volunteers join a complimentary cruise from Sydney
It was a big weekend for Sydney Harbour (Saturday 29 February) as the two largest ships to ever visit passed by each other in spectacular fashion.
The 348m Ovation of the Seas, a regular visitor to Sydney and the Overseas Passenger Terminal, was joined in the harbour by the 347m Spectrum of the Seas.
Redeployed from Asia, the Spectrum of the Seas was in Sydney to provide a complimentary cruise for responders and volunteers for the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season that devasted huge swathes of the country. Thousands of firefighters and other emergency personnel joined the ship at the Overseas Passenger Terminal to begin a four-day cruise along the coast of NSW.
With a combined total capacity of over 10,000 passengers, it was the first time the two Royal Caribbean quantum-class ships had sailed together.
In a carefully timed operation by Port Authority’s cruise and marine operations team, the vessels passed by Fort Denison simultaneously as they swapped positions in the harbour. Port Authority deployed two escort vessels to lead the ships and to keep small vessels clear.
The manoeuvre was made even more complex as on the same day Sydney Harbour hosted the Sail GP event — one of the world’s fasted sailing competitions.
Royal Caribbean has announced it will hold a further two free cruises for bushfire volunteers taking place later this month.
Find out more about cruise in Sydney
Subscribe to our newsletter for all the news and stories from the ports and harbours of NSW.
