Photo Gallery The World's Largest Container Ship
On Monday, the Marco Polo departed from Southampton in England as it begun its first trip to Europe. The ship is 396 meters long (1,300 feet) and 54 meters wide, making it larger than a US Navy aircraft carrier.
Guided by tugboats, the massive ship navigated the Elbe River towards Hamburg in Germany early on Wednesday morning.
The ship's arrival presented a challenge for both crew and tugboats alike. The ship had only a short amount of time to turn as the tide crested and moor in a protected slip.
Despite icy cold temperatures, a number of spectators lined the shores to watch the giant container ship dock. Hamburg is currently at the center of a major legal dispute over plans to dredge the Elbe River so that it can accommodate the next generation of much larger container ships. A German court recently ordered a halt of the work until it could consider a case by environmentalists against plans to deepen and widen the river.
The Marco Polo won't be the biggest container ship in the world for long. Despite its outsized dimensions, larger ships are currently under construction.
The ship is capable of carrying 16,000 standard containers. But vessels are already under construction that will be able to transport up to 20,000 at once.
Hamburg isn't the only place where the ship has turned heads. Here, a woman in Egypt takes photos of it as it sailed through the Suez Canal on December 2.
Shipping companies have warned Hamburg that it will need to dredge the Elbe River if it wants to remain competitive. Here, a man watches as the Marco Polo passes through the Suez Canal.
