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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