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World’s biggest cruise ship sets sail from France

The “Harmony of the Seas” docks at the STX Shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, western France in February. (Laetitia Notarianni / Associated Press)
Associated Press

PARIS – Tens of thousands of French well-wishers waved goodbye to the largest cruise ship in the world as it departed on its maiden voyage to the U.K. after 32 months in a French shipyard.

The $1 billion Harmony of the Seas cut a gargantuan silhouette Sunday as it left the western port town of Saint-Nazaire.

At 1,187 feet long, the 16-deck ship is taller than the Eiffel Tower and holds the record for being the widest cruise ship built – boasting a 6,360-passenger capacity.

It’s been compared to a floating city, with more than 2,500 staterooms, 20 dining venues, 23 swimming pools and a park with more than 10,000 plants and 50 trees. The ship is expected in Southampton on Tuesday, before its inaugural voyage on May 22 to Barcelona.