Isn't she beautiful!!! (a parade of ugly cruise ships!)

[richc1977]

If I look at ships like the QE2, but also others like the Normandie they were innovative in their appearance, very much unlike anything that had gone before.

So what I'm waiting for is a cruise line to come up with the next QE2.  The QM2 is a pale imitation of the style of the QE2, and these Vista class liners are ten-a-penny, boxy things crammed with balconies with massive out of proportion superstructures. 

I can be impressed by these new ships, in their size, construction etc, but i can't look at them like I look at the QE2 and say, "that is a beautiful ship". 

[Twynkle]

The Modern face of shipping?
scroll a little way down, to Alan Smillie's image
http://www.shiptalk.com/newsletter.html
(sorry - unable to copy the pic for you!)

[luzparis]

carnival create a new monster after refit!! the carnival sensation  become a real uggly cruise ship

[highlander0108]

Yeeks!   They take a homely looking ship and turn it into downright ugly.  Ahh..the draw of the infamous balcony cabin.  Thanks for posting and making the QE/QV sister look beautiful in comparision.

[Bob C.]

It was a happy new year until I saw those pictures!

[Chris]

On no... that is terrible!

[richc1977]

My goodness that is a really ugly was to add extra balconies to a ship.  Looks really nasty.  Wouldn't those cabins get lots of vibration and noise from the propellers?

And as for the "Pacific Dawn", she looks like a balloon that is about to burst.

[Twynkle]

This is the very first picture in Cruise Critic's QE2 gallery :

http://photos.cruisecritic.com/showphoto.php?photo=13705

Does this picture win first prize in this thread here? It must at the very least be a strong contender    !

Pacific dawn - looking anything but....!
An oversized, bloated sea cat, complete with ears and whiskers - not a pretty sight.

Whereas on the image above - there's the finest ship the world will probably ever know
What a contrast!

[Rob Lightbody]

carnival create a new monster after refit!! the carnival sensation  become a real uggly cruise ship

Wow!  Ugly but fascinating to see what they've done - cutting away the hull plating to make balconies.  Hope that doesn't give Isithimar any ideas!

[Rob Lightbody]

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/95588574

[Mauretania1907]

Oh, Richard and Twynkle, how dare you insult the Pacific Dawn ! She is the 'newest' cruise ship in the Australasian trade (sob). She used to be the Regal Princess. At least she does not have new balconies on her bum, er stern. (balconies on the bum sound (and looks) a bit like boils). All these poor bitches cannot help their ugliness, they were all born that way. O, where is the ship that will entice me back to sea. Only SAGARUBY, but unfortunately I cannot go anywhere with her, no money and the day after she comes to Auckland, I will have to do jury service.
And yes, I agree that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and in every age peope dislike the new ships that don't look like the old ones. I can remember my uncles discussing the look of Canberra. They did not like her funnels side by side down aft, nor that she had her boats ' tucked under her arms like a wash woman' but they came to like her. However, I am not so sure the Behemoth of the Seas will become so popolar as Canberra did.

[Twynkle]

From the L A Times

For sail: 200 homes on a cruise ship
About half of the cabins on the $1.1-billion Utopia, set to launch in 2013, will be offered as permanent residences ranging from about $3.7 million to $26 million....

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-cruise-ship11-2010jan11,0,2549020.story

[Peter Mugridge]

That's not as bad looking as most of the recent bunch, but it's still a floating block of flats - literally if they're selling cabins as permanent residences!  What happens during refits?  Would they put the permanent residents up in the nearest hotel for the duration or expect them to find their own hotel?

I notice it has a pointy rather than a blunt bow and proper propellors rather than pods, but are those lifeboats really adequate?

[Matt]

I suppose this is similar to "The World" which is home to residents - however this is 100% residents plus the crew, where as the "Utopia" would basically be 50% residents, 50% cruise patrions.

 Also an interesting note on "The World" is the 6 Bedroom, 6.5 Bathroom Penthouse (Currently forsale if anyone has the money )

Matt

[Rob Lightbody]

Would someone please explain why the exhaust pipes have to stick up beyond the funnel casings on ALL the ships in this topic??