The lifeboats for Royal Caribbean's Oasis-class ships, are very special because of the ship's size, since it's the largest cruise ship in the world. Austria's Palfinger Marine won the contract to supply the lifeboats for Symphony of the Seas, now under construction for delivery next year.
The contract was actually awarded two years ago in 2015 for 24 tenders, 12 lifeboats (larger than the tenders, which are also used as lifeboats), 36 davits (the cranes used to hoist the lifesaving boats) and six rescue boats for the series of ships being built at STX France. These “boats” have to be delivered well in advance of the ships since they have to be put aboard for sea trials and testing, so the ones for Symphony are now being completed and need to pass tests before delivery, including one rather unusual one because they are a completely new design.
The complete story appeared in the May 3 edition of Cruise News Daily.
