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Maurer Rides begins assembling Global Dream's roller-coaster

PHOTO: MAURER RIDES CRUISE Space Cruiser for Global Dream.jpg
A section of what's touted as the world's longest offshore roller-coaster
Maurer Rides has started shoreside assembly of Space Cruiser, its Spike-Coaster model for Dream Cruises' new ship, Global Dream.

Space Cruiser will be the highlight of the ship's Dream Park at the Pier theme park at sea.

Test site near MV Werften

The animations and graphics are now becoming reality as one of the most exciting cruise ship attractions is being set up on land for testing purposes in the immediate vicinity of MV Werften, where Global Dream is under construction.

'Among other things, the test setup will be used to test the installation methodology especially designed for ship assembly,' said Marco Hartwig, project manager, Maurer Rides. 'Furthermore, the conductor rail and gear rack along the roller-coaster track, which is necessary for the generation and transmission in the electric motor, can be installed on land in advance. This saves valuable time during the ship assembly.'

Maurer Rides will collect all the 93 support base points coordinates after the roller-coaster has been completed and forward them to the shipyard for preparation and positioning for the deck foundations. 'With the help of this elaborate procedure, we can ensure that the support base points on the deck of the ship are in the correct positions later,' Hartwig explained.

After the installation, three Spike vehicles will be put into operation step by step and the system control will be thoroughly tested. Before the roller-coaster leaves the test site in Güstrow, Germany, the system will be dismantled and transported to the shipyard for final assembly.

Up to 60 km/h (37 mph)

Space Cruiser is touted as the world's longest offshore roller-coaster.

The ride starts with an acceleration section followed by two closely spaced inclined 90-degree curves. Maurer Rides said the following two 'camelbacks' provide a spectacular and breathtaking launch above the railing and the heads of the passengers, with a maximum speed of up to 60 km/h (37 mph.) A 360-degree downward and upward helix form the end of the 303-meter/994-foot-long track before the vehicles reach the starting station again.

'Dream Cruises is extremely excited to be working with Maurer Rides to create this spectacular new attraction at sea on board Global Dream. We are thrilled with the progress of the construction of the roller-coaster and are excited to unveil this ride to our guests when our ship launches,' said Michael Goh, president of Dream Cruises.