With its twin funnels lowered for the first time, new cruise ship Allure of the Seas will pass under the Storebaelt Bridge* on Saturday 30 October with less than a metre (3 feet) of breathing space.

The 18km long Storebaelt Bridge stretches between the Danish islands of Zealand and Flynn and towers to a height of 254 metres (833 feet) with the road it carries at 65 metres (213 feet) above the sea.

Allure of the Seas also stands at 65 metres (213 feet) at its highest point – the twin funnel stacks. The architects from Royal Caribbean International behind the design of the new ship developed funnels that retract inside the ship to reduce its height by one meter to allow the ship to pass under the bridge.

The tight manoeuvre takes place when Allure of the Seas is on route to its new home, Fort Lauderdale in Florida via the North Sea, Dover Straits and English Channel. Allure of the Seas left the STX shipyard in Turku, Finland on 28 October 2010.

The first paying guests will join Allure of the Seas on 1 December 2010 when the ship begins offering cruises in the Caribbean for the first time.

At 225,282 GRT (gross registered tonnes) Allure of the Seas can accommodate over 6,200 guests and is 360 meters and 5 mm long (1,187 feet) – if stood upright bow to stern the ship would dwarf the One Canada Square building at London’s Canary Wharf and New York’s Chrysler building.

Featuring huge outdoor spaces onboard, highlights of the new Allure of the Seas include an open air park – Central Park – longer than a football pitch, a two-level shopping street, 17 different bars, over 20 restaurants and cafes, two rock climbing walls, two FlowRider surf simulators, a zip wire and even an large amphitheatre outdoor AquaTheater for high diver performances and water shows.