oasis of the seas cruise

Monday, November 30, 2009

Oasis of the Seas Docks in Fort Lauderdale

By LowFares

Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, has arrived safely at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship set sail from Finland in October 2009, and has finally made its way to the United States. Port Everglades serves as the ship’s homeport, and Captain William Wright has been keeping fans and passengers updated on the status of the ship’s arrival with daily video updates on www.oasisoftheseas.com.

Oasis of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean ship that has taken a 14-day translatlantic trip from Turku, Finland to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship made its national television premiere on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on November 20 and the a single night inaugural fundraiser, benefitting the Make-A-Wish Foundation, is scheduled for Monday, November 30.

The Oasis of the Seas cruise ship is the first ship ever to be designed with a unique “neighborhood” floor plan where the ship is divided into seven different theme areas. These include Central Park, the Royal Promenade, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, the Entertainment Place and a Youth Zone. Guests can enjoy a variety of activities in each ‘zone’, and the ship has its own dedicated children’s area. Oasis of the Seas boasts 28 multilevel urban-style lofts with floor-to-ceiling windows, the first living park at sea, zip lines that race across the deck and through the open-air atrium, and an amphitheater style theater. Guests can also relax in a pool by day and enjoy oceanfront theater events at night.

The ship can carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy and has been designed with 2,700 staterooms. More information about the ship’s arrival and the floor plan of this unique ship can be found on The Oasis’s website and on Royal Caribbean’s website.

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Oasis of the Seas staterooms- a primer

Oasis of the Seas offers 37 different cabin categories. That may sound like a daunting list so let’s see if we can make some sense of it.

Let’s start with some lingo about staterooms

First of all, on Royal Caribbean we use the term “stateroom” rather than “cabin” because that’s what Royal Caribbean uses. (sort of a “when in Rome… ” thing) The two terms are basically interchangeable though and someone selling you one will not correct you for saying one over the other.

You could also accurately say “room” but that makes us look like we don’t know what we’re talking about and not very nautical at all so let’s stay away from that one. Cruise snobs will totally look down on us if we say “room” on a cruise ship.

On a regular cruise ship the cabin types are basically three: Inside, Outside and Balcony. On Oasis too we have Inside, Outside and Balcony staterooms (stateroom does sound cooler doesn’t it?) But types is a very general term. Let’s move along to categories

Inside staterooms

A standard inside stateroom is, indeed, inside the ship with no window- all cruise ships have these. On Oasis that would be categories Q, N, M and L- the same size and configuration all, the only difference being where on the ship the stateroom is located. Q will be the least expensive, located on decks 10, 11, 12 and 14 aft. N will be deck 6, 7 or 8 more midship or forward, a bit more in price for what is considered a “better” location. For a bit more in fare, we can go up to deck M which is on decks 9, 10 and 11, higher on the ship and more towards the middle. On standard inside staterooms, all the cabins are the same size (172 sq ft) . The price is determined by where they are located. This goes back to the days of ships with sails that bobbed up and down a lot. On those, the dead center of the ship was the best place to be located because there was less movement. Modern ships have made this concern negligible and Oasis’ sheer size affords a very smooth ride and pretty much throws the “movement” concern out the window. Still, this is a very big ship and closer to the middle means closer to everything
A Promenade view stateroom (category PR) is technically inside but has a window that looks out onto the Royal Promenade- Royal Caribbean debuted these popular alternatives on the Voyager class ships, continued them on the Freedom class ships and have kept them on Oasis class ships but not as many are available

Outside staterooms

A standard outside stateroom, called “Oceanview” has a window with a view of the ocean (duh) slightly larger than an inside, Oceanview staterooms are 179 square feet and begin with category I, midship on deck 3, go up to ,category H, also 179 sq ft but on deck nine or ten forward and category F again 179 sq ft but on decks 10 and 11
Another category of outside stateroom, Central Park View (category CV), oversees the Central Park neighborhood- also new to Oasis class ships and bigger at 199 sq ft on deck nine only
Still another outside stateroom is Boardwalk view (category BV) in which you have a view of the Boardwalk and possibly a partial view of the ocean by looking back towards the Aqua Theater area and located on deck 7 at 191 square feet

Balcony staterooms

These start with category D8, 182 sq ft on deck six or seven, D7, same size puts you on decks 9, 10 or 11, D6 puts you on decks 12 or 14 and we go all the way up to D1 which is midship on decks 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12. All of these look out to the ocean
On Oasis we also balcony staterooms that look inside the ship and start with the Central Park view balcony staterooms at 182 sq ft split between two categories, C1 and C2 all on decks 10, 11, 12 and 14
Still another balcony stateroom category is B1 and B2, Boardwalk view, offering both a view of the action below on that Boardwalk, a view of the Aqua Theater and in the distance a view of the ocean as well. These are also 182 square feet and located on decks 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14

That pretty much does it for the standard inside, outside and balcony staterooms. Above these in price is a big assortment of suite accommodations, the top end, which we will explore next in Oasis of the Seas- luxury accommodations.

Do you have specific questions about any of these different staterooms? Let me know with an email to Chris@YourCruiseDream.com and I will get right back to you with answers.

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It’s Not the Size of Your Ship That Matters, It’s how you use it!

While the Oasis of the Seas is a magnificent engineering feat and Royal Caribbean must be given credit for their visionary approach and willingness to push the proverbial envelope, I fear that the Oasis-class ships may be as detrimental to the cruise industry at large as they are beneficial.

Conceieved as the ultimate floating resorts at sea, these ships will undoubtedly attract a new class of passenger, consumers who would have never considered setting foot on a cruise ship. Now given the Atlantis-like proportions and resort amenities found in these mega-resorts, Oasis opens up many, many doors to attract what John Maxtone Graham loving refers to a “new passengers”. They will be awe struck by the size and sheer number of attractions and will regale in the many diversions such as zip-lining, cupcaking and aqua theatre shows.

But what they will miss out on what the core of a cruise experience is and what the majority of ships provide - a relaxing vacation at sea that takes you to distant and not so distant lands and exotic and not so exotic ports. Instead, they must schedule every minute of every day in advance to take full advantage of Oasis of the Seas experience. They will not know the laissez-fare of a relaxing evening at dinner followed by the ponderance of a night cap and genial conversation or to take in the show or prhaps a spin around the dance floor. They will not experience wanderlust or the goose-pimpled excitement of the ship sailing away from dock at the end of a memorable day. And after a cruise on Oasis, there is very little chance that these thrill-riding cruise passengers would ever step foot on a ‘lesser’ ship that is bereft of all the ‘look at me, look at me, look at me’ amenities.

Instead, they will run from aqua theatre to Boardwalk carousel, to zip-line, flow-ride and Las Vegas show with nary a relaxing moment in between.

Many have termed Oasis a ‘game changer’ and yes indeed she is, she changes the ‘game’ in so many ways. But the same was said of Atlantis, Dubai and the new generation of Las Vegas mega-resorts. Oasis, like the aforementioned destination resorts, is an ill-conceived loved child of the financial excess of the first decade of this new millennium. She is the floating equivalent of a Hummer H1. She is a ship that mirrors the sheer excess that our society now eschews. When I was at the Atlantis in October, its occupancy was below 40%. And Vegas resorts are failing faster than airlines. Now Dubai is looking to get a break from its debt.

While in all of her glitzy excess, Oasis of the Seas is amazing, she is a ship of gimmicks while the Seabourn Odysseys, Norwegian Gems, Oceania Marinas, and Celebrity Solstices of the industry are ships of superlatives. And aren’t superlatives what this industry gained its fame from?

Oasis and the Cruise Industry

I think Carnival’s Micky Arison had the right idea when the cruise line backed away from building a super-ship to go head to head with Oasis. While the new breed of social climbing yuppie and wanna-be affluent may flock to Oasis, they won’t be flocking to the greater cruise industry at large. The cruise industry I know cherishes great food and promises pampering and personalized service. Its akin to staying at a fine hotel and having a truly relaxing vacation. I have sailed everything from the uber-ships of RCI’s Voyager Class to the smallest and most intimate of ships. And while they all delivered different experiences, you always got that thrill associated with going to sea.

If people who have never cruised before want a truly memorable vacation, they SHOULD try a cruise, a REAL cruise on a human-sized ship that does not rival a large city or even a small state, such as Delaware, for size. Where the glamorous dining rooms serve fine meals, where lounges and bars glimmer with luxurious trappings and the bartenders might actually remember your preference and where every waing moment of your day need not be scheduled to ensure a memorable vacation.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

MS Oasis of the Seas on 30 October 2009

General characteristics
Name:	Oasis of the Seas
Owner:	Royal Caribbean International
Operator:	Royal Caribbean International
Port of registry:	Nassau, The Bahamas^[1]
Route:	Caribbean
Ordered:	February 2006
Builder:	STX Europe, Turku, Finland^[2]
Cost:	US$1.4 billion (2006)^[3]
Laid down:	12 November 2007^[4]
Launched:	22 November 2008^[4]
Completed:	28 October 2009^[5]
Maiden voyage:	5 December 2009 (planned)
Status:	in active service, as of 2009^[update]
Class and type:	Oasis class cruise ship
Tonnage:	225,282 GT^[1]
Length:	360 m (1,181 ft) overall^[6]
Beam:	47 m (154 ft) waterline 60.5 m (198 ft) extreme^[6]
Height:	72 m (236 ft) above water line^[7]
Draught:	9.3 m (31 ft)^[6]
Depth:	22.55 m (74 ft)^[6]
Decks:	16 passenger decks^[2]
Installed power:	3 × Wärtsilä 12V46D engines (13,860 kW/18,590 hp each) 3 × Wärtsilä 16V46D engines (18,480 kW/24,780 hp each)^[7]^[8]
Propulsion:	3 × 20 MW ABB Azipod, all azimuthing^[7]
Speed:	22.6 knots (41.9 km/h; 26.0 mph)^[2]
Capacity:	5,400 passengers double occupancy; 6,296 total^[2]
Crew:	2,165^[2]

MS Oasis of the Seas

MS Oasis of the Seas is a cruise ship in the fleet of Royal Caribbean International. The first of her class, she is expected to be joined by her sister ship Allure of the Seas in November 2010.^[9] Both vessels are expected to cruise the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in the United States.^[10]

The ship replaces the Freedom-class cruise ships (also owned by Royal Caribbean) as the world's largest passenger vessel.^[11]

[hide]

1 History
2 Technical details
3 Amenities
- 3.1 Neighborhoods
4 Images
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The vessel was ordered in February 2006 and designed under the name "Project Genesis". Her keel was laid down on 12 November 2007 at STX Europe (formerly Aker Yards) in Turku, Finland. The company announced that full funding for Oasis of the Seas was secured on 15 April 2009.^[12]

The name Oasis of the Seas resulted from a competition held in May 2008.^[13]

The ship was completed and turned over to Royal Caribbean on 28 October 2009. Two days later, she departed Finland for the United States. While exiting the Baltic Sea, the vessel passed underneath the Great Belt Fixed Link in Denmark on 1 November 2009. The bridge has a clearance of 65 m (213 ft) above the water; Oasis normally has an air draft of 72 m (236 ft). The passage under the bridge was possible due to retraction of the telescoping funnels, and an additional 30 cm (12 in) was gained by the squat effect whereby vessels travelling at speed in a shallow channel will be drawn deeper into the water.^[14]^[15] Approaching the bridge at 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph), the ship passed under it with less than 2 feet (60 cm) of clearance.^[16]

Proceeding through the English Channel, Oasis stopped briefly in the Solent to disembark 300 shipyard workers who were onboard doing finishing work,^[17] then left on the way to her intended home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.^[18] The ship arrived there on 13 November 2009, where tropical plants will be installed prior to some introductory trips and her maiden voyage on 5 December 2009.^[16]

[edit] Technical details

Oasis measures 225,282 gross tons,^[1] almost half again as large as the runners-up, the vessels of the Freedom class, and several times larger than Titanic, of 46,329 gross register tons (a different measure of tonnage).^[19] To displace the volume of water necessary for the ship to float, and to keep the ship stable without increasing the draft excessively, the designers created a wide hull. About 30 feet (9 m) of the ship sits beneath the water, a small percentage of the ship's overall height. Wide, shallow ships such as this tend to be "snappy", meaning that they can snap back upright after a wave has passed, which can potentially be uncomfortable.^[19]

The ship's power comes from six marine diesel engines, three Wärtsilä 16-cylinder common rail diesels producing 18,860 kilowatts (25,290 hp) each, and three similar 12-cylinder engines each producing 13,860 kilowatts (18,590 hp).^[7]^[20] The total output of these prime movers, some 97,020 kilowatts (130,110 hp), is converted to electricity, used in hotel power for operation of the lights, elevators, electronics, galleys, water treatment plant, and all of the other systems used on the operation of the vessel, as well as propulsion. Propulsion is not provided by screws on the end of long shafts piercing the hull, as on most prior ships, but by three, 20,000 kilowatts (26,800 hp) "Azipods", Asea Brown Boveri's brand of azimuth thrusters. These pods, suspended under the stern, each contain an electric motor driving a 20-foot (6 m) propeller.^[7] As they are rotatable, no rudders are needed to steer the ship. Docking is assisted by four 5,500 kilowatts (7,380 hp) bow thrusters in tunnels.^[20]

[edit] Amenities

Oasis of the Seas will offer passengers features such as two-story loft suites and luxury suites measuring 1,600 sq ft (150 m²) with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades. The ship features a zip-line, a casino,^[21] a mini-golf course, four swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, theme parks and nurseries for children.^[16]

[edit] Neighborhoods

Onboard recreational, athletic, and entertainment activities are organized into the seven themed neighborhoods below,^[22]^[23] a concept which bears resemblance to theme park planning.^[9]

Central Park features boutiques, restaurants and bars, including access to the Rising Tide bar,^[9] which can be raised or lowered to three separate levels.^[16]^[21] It will house the first living park at sea with over 12,000 plants and 56 trees.^[16]^[24]
The Pool and Sports Zone features a sloped-entry beach pool and two surf simulators.^[9]
Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center features a spa for teens.^[9]
Boardwalk features a handcrafted carousel,^[9]^[11] restaurants, bars, shops, two rock-climbing walls, and a tattoo parlor.^[7] Its outdoor 750-seat^[16] AquaTheatre amphitheater hosts the ship's largest freshwater pool.^[11]
Royal Promenade features restaurants and shops and is viewable from a mezzanine.^[7]^[9]
Youth Zone features a science lab and computer gaming.^[24]
Entertainment Place