Reflection

[RCCLCARIB]

I remember opening the front page of the paper at my house in Miami and reading a great article about a company, called Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, that would bring three new ships to the port of Miami. Creator, Ed Stephan, stood next to a model of what would become the Song of Norway.

After cruising on that beautiful ship, another article appeared in the paper in the 1980s of the Worlds Largest Cruise Ship, the Sovereign OTS. She would feature a fabulous Lido Deck, a spectacular cafe, and a 360 degree Vikibg Crown Lounge. When she made her debut in 1988, she was spectacular. I remember going to Watson Island to see her arrival.

In 1997, rumor of Project Eagle surfaced. She would be as innovative as the Sovereign was in 1988. Vertical Atrium, multiple dining venues, an ice skating rink, and the rock wall. In 2004, memo of the Ultra Voyager Class made headlines, a ship to top all ships, and reclaim title of the Worlds Largest from the QM2. My TV rocked the house with Iggy Pops lust for life and a man surfing on the FlowRider. I thought one could never top this.

Today, I look at the Miami Herald Article of the announcement of Project Genesis. The headline that day was 220,000 GRT and 6400 pax. If I had thought of zip lining, surfing, cantilevered whirlpools, central park and boardwalk open to the sky and 8 stories of balcony cabins, people would have thought I was talking about the year 3000.

At this time of reflection, I'm in awe of human engineering and anxiously awaiting the future ships that await us all.

My question to you is, Where has the time gone?