The newest, biggest cruise liner in the world has set sail on the open water for the first time for a three-day sail trial.  

Thousands of people gathered at the port of Saint-Nazaire in western France to witness the maiden voyage of Royal Caribbean International's highly anticipated Harmony of the Seas on Thursday, in advance of its scheduled debut this May at Southampton, England. The new title holder is a sister to previous record holders Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas.

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Harmony will surpass its siblings by in terms of weight, which is 1,700 tons more, and capacity, which could reportedly hold about 100 more passengers at double occupancy, according to USA Today. It can also accommodate well more than 6,000 people, excluding the 2,000 crews.

Harmony will have a lot of things to offer to its guests who love mega-resorts. It will be the first Royal Caribbean ship to sport a 10-storey water slide, called The Ultimate Abyss. It will also be the first Oasis class ship to showcase a Bionic Bar, where robots served as the bartenders. Other amenities on board include a casino, theatre and an ice rink.

The $1.1 billion ship will also provide larger cabins and virtual balconies that will offer real-time outdoor sceneries. The 16-deck cruise ship is 362 meters long.

Harmony is scheduled to sail with paying passengers on May 22. Following its first series of Mediterranean cruise, it will be positioned to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to cater an alternate, week-long Eastern and Western Caribbean trips.

Sea trials include testing maneuvers for propulsion as well as its steering and navigational equipment. Around 500 people, including crews, owners, suppliers and engineers, boarded the cruise liner on its first trial, which is expected to last until Sunday. A second trial is scheduled for the end of April before it will be delivered on May 12.

TagsRoyal Caribbean International, Boko Haram, Cruise Ship, biggest ship worldwide, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, maiden voyage