Royal Caribbean Cruises chairman and chief executive Richard Fain beamed with pride upon seeing Symphony of the Seas in Port Miami for the first time.
After all, he was gazing upon the world's largest cruiseship as it dwarfed North America's largest cruise terminal -- his company's brand-new Terminal A -- during a naming ceremony for the huge vessel.
At 1,184 feet long and 18 decks high, the behemoth ship can accommodate 6,680 guests and is home to the Ultimate Abyss, a 10-story water slide.
And the new terminal not only makes a grand statement in size but also takes terminal engineering to the edge of tomorrow, he said.
"Behind the scenes, there are dramatic improvements in the way we handle baggage, how we perform check-ins, and the operation of security screening," he said Friday evening to more than a thousand attendees.
He said his company is grateful for the hard work of the US Coast Guard, Customs & Border Patrol and other project partners in "finding numerous improvements to get our guests from 'bar to car' in less than 10 minutes."
Fain said the also brand-new Symphony of the Seas -- the fourth ship in Royal Caribbean's Oasis class -- is loaded with improvements, from being 30% more efficient than sister ship Oasis of the Seas.
The restaurants, the attractions, the accommodations ... they're not just updated, they're elevated," he said.
"Because who wants to quit while you're ahead?"
