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Today’s Blip shows the sheer size of today’s mammoth passenger cruise liners.

The ship Independence of the Seas, is back at her new home in Southampton, after a multi-million pound makeover and a two-day shakedown cruise to Paris. The revamped ship includes a host of new features, and is a real gem in Royal Caribbean International’s fleet of 25 ships, her return to Southampton not only adds innovation, but also investment to the area, as it is reckoned each ship visit is worth an estimated £2 million to city and local economy - totalling a whopping £44million a year.

Following her inaugural sailing, Independence of the Seas will call at destinations across Europe and the Mediterranean until November this year.

Independence spans 15 decks, encompasses 154,407 gross registered tons, carries 3,858 passengers at double occupancy and features 1,929 staterooms.