Construction Begins on Royal Caribbean’s Fourth Oasis Ship
A ceremony was held at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire to mark the beginning of construction for Royal Caribbean’s fourth Oasis class cruise liner. (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean)
The first of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class, Oasis of the Seas, was introduced in 2009. (Photo courtesy of Royal Caribbean)
Today marked the steel cutting for a Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis class cruise ship. Scheduled to be delivered in 2018, the new vessel will join Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and the third Oasis-class ship as Royal Caribbean’s fourth in the Oasis class. The steel cutting, marking the official start of construction, took place at the STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the third Oasis-class ship also is being built.
The first Oasis class ship, Oasis of the Seas, was introduced in 2009, bringing a number of new and innovative design features to the cruising industry, including a split superstructure and the cruise line’s neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas. At 225,282 GRT and spanning 16 decks with 2,700 staterooms, the Oasis-class ships also introduced “firsts” at sea such as an 82 foot-long zip line, a handcrafted carousel, the Rising Tide bar, a high-diving performance venue and a park with more than 12,000 live trees and plants, Royal Caribbean noted. The Oasis class also offers amenities such as surf simulators, cantilevered whirlpools, an ice-skating rink, an aquapark, and the Royal Promenade, an interior boulevard that stretches nearly the length of the ship and flanked by restaurants, lounges and boutiques, among others.
Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas sail alternating seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries every Saturday and Sunday, respectively from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., visiting destinations in the Caribbean. During the 2015 Europe season, Allure of the Seas will be homeported at Barcelona, Spain, for the first full Oasis-class Europe season.
