From the ashes of history, a legacy is reborn. Welcome to *Phoenix*.

**Stats:**

* LOA: 1,200' (365.76m)
* LWL: 1,150' (350.52m)
* Beam: 160' (48.76m) waterline, 200' (60.96m) extreme (bridge wings)
* Height: 122' (37.19m) waterline to Deck 18
* Tonnage: \~200,000 GT
* Decks: 16 passenger, 18 total
* Capacity: \~4,500
* Crew: \~2,000
* Lifeboats: 450 pax (x20) + rafts, FRB (x2)

But how did we get here?

To understand the ship, you have to understand what she was designed for. So let's take it from the top.

**Origins:**

In December 2017, back when I was in my *Poseidon* phase, I had a vision for the future of ocean liners. Looking at the titular vessel from the 2006 film, I was intrigued by how much it resembled a cruise ship despite it supposed to being an ocean liner. So much so that it took me a while to tell if it really was a liner or just a cruise ship built to look like one, à la the Disney cruise fleet >!*(the fwd superstructure extending so far up the fo'c'sle was what threw me off b4 I homed in on the sharp, flared bow)*!<.

This gave me the idea to develop a new class of liner which share the same basic design language that can be adapted for a given line or market, in the same vein as Carnival Corp.'s Vista class or Fincantieri's Project Mille. Using the *Poseidon* as a foundation, then being further influenced by other conceptual modern liners such as [ZeroGal5](https://www.deviantart.com/zerogal5)'s [*Queen Anne*](https://www.reddit.com/r/Oceanlinerporn/comments/13zhzqd/rms_queen_anne_by_zerogal5_modern_oceanliner/), which featured in my Modern Oceanliner Concepts series, in June 2018 I developed my first sketch during a trip to Paris. This was seen in the previous, final update post from a month ago.

That drawing served as my guiding light going forward. I wanted a ship that obviously had the size and balconies of *Queen Mary 2,* but as well as the streamlined symmetry of *Titanic,* and the robust build of the *United States.*

**Performance:**

Additional influences came and went not just from other liners, but also from different types of vessels. Perhaps the most notable was Noah's Ark, which provided the proportions for what was still initially called the Poseidon class. A ship with a length that is 6 times its width and 10 times its height is the gold standard for seakeeping, which is one of the several traits that I intend my liner to excel at. Since I already wanted her to be the first passenger vessel to reach the 1,200' mark >!*(most likely though Carnival's new Destiny will beat me to the punch; the fact that Royal hasn't done so yet even with its Icon class has me stunned)*!<, that made it all the easier to work from there. This originally called for a beam of 200' and a height of 120', before in later years when I began work on the final design, these were tweaked to 160' at the waterline *\[to ensure hydrodynamic efficiency at speed w/o sacrificing stability\]* and 122' to the topmost deck. Although it goes without saying, her stability is further aided by two pairs of stabilizer fins as well as multiple large bilge keels.

Additionally, the ship's superstructure is built of aluminum. This not only lowers her center of gravity and contributes still more to her seakindliness, but it also reduces her weight and thereby improves her efficiency, which brings us to the next big trait she's made to excel at. Her waterline length was specifically chosen as the greatest length reasonably possible to allow for maximum hydrodynamics when at speed. And while I won't speak to certain details, she utilizes all the latest in marine technology to reduce friction to the lowest point possible so that hardly an ounce of energy is wasted when underway.

**Interior:**

The ship has four different grades of accommodation: Vienna, Aurora, Columbia, and Mayflower. Each being a previous choice of name for the ship; each with their own unique identity. She isn't meant to be just another floating old-world hotel, nor is she meant to be just another theme park at sea. Rather, she combines the best of both into what I call a luxury resort experience. Grand and classy in parts, yet casual and inviting in others. Like a young lady who was raised to be formal yet also knows how to have fun.

Starting with Vienna and Aurora, the two lowest grades. Both are comparable to your standard contemporary cruise ship interiors; however, they are designed in a way to have the familiar cozy feel of a vacation home, rather than the same spartan, minimalist layouts of most mass-market ships today. Vienna providing the ambiance of a beach/waterfront community, while Aurora provides that of a country house. Already, this is a case of the lower classes on newer ships being of equal or superior quality to first class on previous generations as was common in the golden age of liners, and we've only just begun.

The next step up is Columbia. Almost right away, the atmosphere changes from an otherwise atypical cruise experience to something more premium. It is set to feature a unique blend of multiple design languages: predominantly Art Deco with a 21st century touch and a hint of Space Age, then complemented by Neoclassicism. For the discerning traveler, to step into Columbia accommodation is to experience a sense of occasion unlike any other at sea. Except for one.

Last but most certainly not least, Mayflower is by far my favorite section of the ship interior-wise. Edwardian and Victorian influences against an Art Nouveau backdrop harken back to that romantic era of Atlantic voyages while stimulating the senses with an extraordinary flair simply never before seen on a modern vessel. While most of this portion of the ship is still open to other passengers, it should almost be no surprise that this is also where the equivalent of the ship-within-a-ship concept that is becoming increasingly popular with the big cruise lines is centered. Guests who book this grade can expect the highest level of service - comparable to that of a (ultra) luxury brand - and an air of exclusivity to retreat to after a busy day.

**Amenities:**

The name *Phoenix* was ultimately chosen over all others for two reasons. The latter of course was symbolism for the rebirth of the ocean liner as a premiere travel option after being very nearly consigned to the history books. The former though was to be a reference to the ill-fated Phoenix >!*(later America)*!< World City project, spearheaded by Knut Kloster of S.S. *Norway* fame. In fact, the ship's overall length of 1,200' was also inspired by that project, which would have been some 63' longer. While it doesn't commit to the literal residential ship concept as the Phoenix World City or other similar vessels, the sheer offerings on board that would be simply unheard of on the liners of old make this the truest example of a floating city yet built.

Aside from the usual main dining halls, restaurants and lounges you'd expect to find on an ocean voyage, there includes also but not limited to a:

* Chapel
* IMAX Theaters
* 3 Olympic-sized pools (1 interior)
* 3 infinity pools
* Conference hall + complimentary Wi-fi throughout
* Sports arena
* Ice rink
* Trampoline park
* Arcade
* Barber Shop + adjacent salon
* Tailors
* ... and much, much more.

Ships \[ocean liners\] have been boring long enough. As I said before, if you went into this expecting this ship would be a repeat of the same glorified giant ferryboats steeped purely in tradition and formality, nothing more, then you can just forget about it. Because that's not what she is. They may feature as a part of her identity, yes, but they don't define her. Nor should you get the idea that she would end up being a pure party boat like the hundreds of other cruise ships around today, but she has to embrace more of those mass-market elements if she is to not be relegated as some niche experience like *Queen Mary 2*. Throughout the entire design process, *Phoenix* has become something of great affection to me, as though she were my own daughter. And like any good parent with their child, the one thing I want for her is not to merely survive, but to thrive.

**Itineraries:**

I don't think this needs to be said since *QM2* should already provide a pretty good idea of what to expect, but I'll mention it anyway.

Transatlantic crossings are the main attraction obviously; however, unlike *QM2*, *Phoenix* would only be sailing in the peak season, mostly Summer. This also happens to be when the Atlantic is at its calmest, meaning guests will have even less reason to worry about the weather.

In other seasons, she'll offer cruises to the usual Caribbean and Mediterranean routes that the big cruise ships frequent, though voyages on both sides of the North American coasts and around the world would also be in the cards.

**Endgame:**

All of this brings me to why I came up with this idea in the first place, and there are two answers to that. The first is my primary objective, where everything began: **to design a ship with the seakeeping abilities of a liner and all the facilities of a modern cruise ship.** Far too often, cruise ships have to either divert, delay, or outright cancel voyages to avoid storms. For those which have no choice but to sail through them, the experience is hardly pleasant: even in mild swells with the stabilizers engaged, the vessels will roll and pitch noticeably. In a full-blown storm, that effect is only exacerbated along with water pooling onto the top decks and leaking through the overheads, due mainly to the pool water sloshing onto the decks. We've all seen the viral videos, so there's no need to imagine here.

That simply does not happen with *Queen Mary 2*, and having finally done my first crossing on her in May, I can now say so from experience. Although even she is not immune to pitching and rolling with the sea, her hull form alone makes her so well suited to dealing with rough weather that she can sail through hurricane force storms and one wouldn't notice the severity of the situation until they looked outside. The same conditions every cruise ship will run from, she takes the fight to and handles with ease. The weather may stop for no one, but a liner won't stop for the weather.

So, with a hull shape that can more comfortably ride out big swells, a cruise ship won't have to worry as much about rocking so excessively that people and fittings go sliding back and forth across the deck. As a result, they won't have to dodge as many adverse weather conditions *\[save still for a full-blown hurricane\]* by cancelling port calls, sparing the cruise lines from a logistical headache and the passengers from a spoiled vacation. It is this emphasis on improved comfort and reliability that I wish to push in future vessels, and I firmly believe that the benefits of a better seaboat not only outweigh the status quo of ducking even mildly foul weather or getting pummeled trying to go through it with the way all current cruise ships are built, but that such a ship that combines being a party boat and a good seaboat can effectively compete with today's cruise ships that are all successful party boats but poor seaboats. The idea is not without precedent: one need only look at the reputations of *QE2* and especially *Norway* throughout their careers even as larger and more advanced cruise ships eventually came online.

But of course, I am not oblivious to the fact that it's more than just the hull shape alone that makes a true ocean liner. One has to also consider hull thickness; the depth of hull *\[beneath the waterline\]*; horsepower: things that are not at all relevant to passenger vessels that will ultimately spend the majority of their working lives in warm coastal waters with seldom more than a day between ports of call. Project Phoenix is not limited to the namesake flagship vessel, so while *Phoenix* herself lays the foundation for future branches of her class, she is not fully representative of the objective outlined. Though she incorporates more cruising elements than any other liner, she was still designed for the Atlantic express service first and foremost.

That is where my game plan splits into its secondary objective, a side goal not nearly as important, but one that I wouldn't seriously entertain if I didn't think there is a chance it could work: **to make transatlantic crossings a more viable travel option again.** Being a larger ship than *QM2* with a passenger count of 4,500 or greater makes it possible to sell cheaper transatlantic tickets than ever for starters. A dedicated conference hall along with fast complimentary Wi-fi make it possible for one to not miss a day of work on the go. She is intended to be capable of regularly crossing the Atlantic eastbound in under a week. I mention eastbound specifically for a reason: that being taking into account the lack of vacation time working Americans get *\[10-15 days\]* compared to their European counterparts *\[20+ days\]*. It is no wonder that most choose to fly to Europe for overseas holidays rather than take *QM2*, who even if asked can only cross in \~5 days at best. Finally, of course are all the activities aboard that match what you would find on a Caribbean cruise. I am willing to bet that if this combination of even faster crossings with complimentary Wi-fi and a host of fun activities aboard while still being priced competitively with the airlines were to be offered, you would see more interest from the general NA public in booking a transatlantic crossing instead of a flight than we currently see with *Queen Mary 2.* Then returning westbound, the ship can slow right back down to longer voyages of 5-6 days or more for the European travelers who have more time to spare.

**Conclusion:**

So, I come to the end of this presentation. We've gone over a lot, and there's still a lot that I've neglected to mention. This is where I'll now open the floor to you for questions and what you think about this dream project of mine.

Regardless of whether *Phoenix* ever sees the light of day, she is the culmination of everything I've learned and all of the hard work I've done to get me to where I am in life today. Thank you very much.

Reimagining the Ocean Liner: Project Phoenix