When the word ‘big’ isn’t big enough: FLORIDA TODAY looks at NASA’s VAB and giant cruise ship

Sometimes it’s fun to go big.

Sunday’s FLORIDA TODAY takes a deeper look at an iconic Space Coast building and a new boat docking at Port Canaveral — and in both cases, the word “big” isn’t even big enough to describe them.

Let’s start with the boat. Look for Business Editor Dave Berman’s detailed report on our Style cover of everything you need to know about Utopia of the Seas, the world’s second largest cruise ship, which started its twice-weekly sailings from Port Canaveral this weekend.

Dave’s story on this new Royal Caribbean ship covers everything from what to expect in the restaurants to the ship’s famous godmother. Here are some fun numbers from Dave’s story that really illustrate the size of this floating city: Utopia features 18 decks (including 16 passenger decks); 2,834 staterooms; a crew of 2,290; and is 1,188 feet long. It has 22 restaurants; 13 bars and lounges; five pools; eight hot tubs; two casinos with more than 370 slot machines and nearly 30 table games; two rock-climbing walls; and a mini-golf course.

Got Olympics Fever?: ‘A lot of jet lag’: L3Harris engineer Canyon Barry heads to Olympics for 3×3 basketball

Next up in the go big category is NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building. Whenever I drive over the State Road 520 causeway, I’m always awed by the site of the VAB in the distance. Space Reporter Brooke Edwards decided to take a deeper look at its history and future timed around the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, which, of course, the VAB was constructed to support.

The VAB stands 525 feet, making it the equivalent to a 50-story structure. That’s taller than the Statue of Liberty and just under half the size of the Empire State Building. But what’s so remarkable about this building is that it’s all one giant single-story structure; it’s not subdivided like a typical skyscraper. And, of course, what’s even more remarkable is what it represents: our nation’s space ambitions, both those already achieved and those still being planned.

“You kind of think about it, the elevator cars themselves are original to the building, and you think about the past and think ‘all those people have stood where I’m standing right now’,” Elizabeth Kline, the element operations manager for the VAB, told Brooke.

I hope you not only spend time with our VAB story but also go to floridatoday.com to scroll through the accompanying photo galleries. Our photographers have captured stunning images of this historic building through the years.

Other stories I hope you don’t miss in Sunday’s FLORIDA TODAY:

• Our front page story on Brevard County’s budget proposal for next year. Dave Berman walks you through the priorities — and what this budget would mean for your taxes. It’s probably no surprise that roads and other transportation-related infrastructure from bridges to sidewalks are top priorities. And topping that to-do list is widening and improving Ellis Road.
• Education Reporter Finch Walker showcases some of Brevard’s talented youth who competed this month in the Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics during the NAACP national convention in Las Vegas.
• Get some insight on investing from our financial planner columnist.
• For all those pickleball fans out there, Trending Reporter Michelle Spitzer tells you about an indoor pickleball facility coming to Brevard. Playing indoors might be particularly welcome to those of us who are extra vulnerable to insect bites. Michelle also gives us the scoop on mosquitoes and why they bite some people more than others.
• Finally, today is National Ice Cream Day. Read our story inside Sunday’s newspaper then get out there and enjoy a scoop (or two). What’s your favorite flavor? Mine is mocha chip.

Starting this week, we’ll be rolling out our local August primary election preview stories. We’ve got reporters working on many of the key races around Brevard County, so look for those stories at floridatoday.com and in your newspaper. Our goal is to make sure you have as much information as you need before casting your ballot.

Executive Editor Mara Bellaby can be reached at mbellaby@floridatoday.com. Thank you for subscribing and supporting local journalism.