Tens of thousands of people turned out Sunday in France to see off the world’s biggest-ever cruise ship, the 120,000-tonne Harmony of the Seas, as it set sail for the first time. At 66 metres (217 feet), it is the widest cruise ship ever built, while its 362-metre length makes it 50 metres longer than the height of the Eiffel Tower. As the massive boat pulled away from a shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, where it was built on France’s Atlantic shore, some 70,000 people watched from along the coast, local authorities said. The crowd waved, cheered and clapped as the boat — built for the US-based Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) — eased away from France. “It’s gone,” said Christine, who did not give her full name. “We watched it develop and grow over three years. It’s like a child leaving home.” The floating town, which cost close to one billion euros (dollars), has 16 decks and will be able to carry 6,360 passengers and 2,100 crew members.