Enchantment of the Seas Vessel Sliced, Stretched to 989 Feet Long

Engineers in Europe´s largest port have just finished adding 151 cabins, swimming pools, water fountain, restaurants, two suspension bridges and a bungee-trampoline to a giant cruise ship.

The “Enchantment of the Seas”, a giant 916-foot cruise liner in the past, is now a 989-footer. Project director Harold Linssen said the two-month job actually wasn´t exactly a cakewalk.

"This is the first time a cruise ship of this size is being extended in such a short period of time," he said.

"The ship will grow to 81,500 tons and the parts will be realigned with an accuracy of 10-15 millimeters to be welded together again,” he beamed.

At around $54.5 million, the price tag of the addition was less than a tenth of the cost of buying a new ship with similar features.

In 2004, nearly 10.5 million people took a vacation cruise, an increase of nearly 40 percent from 2001, according to figures on the Cruise Lines International Association´s Web site.

Jaye Hilton, a spokeswoman for Royal Caribbean, said the makeover of the company´s Enchantment of the Seas was intended to cater to the needs of younger travelers who want more from a high seas vacation than tanning on the deck.