In Pics: World’s Largest Cruise Ship Sets Sail

The 16-deck ship is longer than the Eiffel Tower is tall, and holds the record for the widest cruise ship ever built.

Tens of thousands of French well-wishers waved goodbye to the largest cruise ship in the world as it set sail on its maiden voyage to the UK after 32 months in a French shipyard.

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

At 362 meters (1,187 feet) long, the 16-deck ship is longer than the Eiffel tower is tall, and holds the record for being the widest cruise ship ever 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 massive park.

(With inputs from AP and Reuters)