Work on Genesis May Fall Behind Schedule

A newspaper in Finland reports today that the country's Aker shipyard is in danger of falling behind on the construction of Genesis, the much-ballyhooed Royal Caribbean ship scheduled to launch next year.

The Finnish-language publication Talous Sanomat cites information obtained from Aker subcontrators, according to an English-language synopsis by Thomson Financial News published on Forbes.com.

At 220,000 tons, Genesis will be by far the largest cruise ship ever built, and its construction is being closely watched by cruise industry officials and Royal Caribbean fans alike. The history-making vessel will have room for a record-breaking 5,400 passengers at double occupancy (and even more when you add in children sleeping as "thirds" and "fourths" in cabins).

The Thomson report on Forbes.com says Aker Yards has dismissed the Talous Sanomat story. An Aker spokeswoman told Thomson the shipbuilder is still on course to have the first Genesis ship ready by the fall of 2009. But Thomson notes the company has had difficulty finding enough skilled workers for its shipyards in Finland and has had trouble with subcontractors.