Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas successfully completed its first sea trials, with 500 people on board, including three pilots and engineers to help navigate through the Saint-Nazaire estuary in France. The ship, with a height of 70m (210 feet), has been an imposing presence at the shipyard, visible from miles away.

For months, tourists have been allowed on board to take a peek at the ship that has 16 decks and stretches 362m (1,187 feet), 50m longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. Approximately 2,000 crew will to cater to more than 6,000 passengers on Harmony, which is a metre wider than it’s sister ships - the Allure of the Seas and the Oasis of the Seas, which are also 362m long. When the first passengers board in May from Southampton they will need help navigating the massive ship and the route to their cabins - a wristband GPS will help with that. The next trials will take place before the end of April, with delivery set for 12 May. Royal Caribbean has two other ships under construction – Anthem of the Seas, due to launch in April – and Ovation of the Seas, which will also debut in April 2016. The three new vessels will increase the size of the company's fleet to 25.