just happened to be in Auckland when this cruise ship arrived in
town. The ship is too big to dock in Auckland so the passengers were being disembarked via the yellow tenders on the side. Each one of these carries 100 people. The ship carries 4905 passengers, has 2092 state roos, 1572 rooms with balconies, 18 decks. Its 347m long and 41m wide. I believe the giant panda' is a piece of artwork and weighs 6.5 tonnes. You can also see the climbing wall, and people on the deck along side it, to give you some kind of scale. It dwarfs the Island Ferry in the foreground
I used to work in Southampton and often saw the QE2 ariving in the days when ocean liners were sleek and elegant and had style. This is a monstrosity, and would still be even without the giant panda. I'd rather go on holiday in one of those paddle boats shaped like a duck.
