In early May, cruise line Royal Caribbean excited the cruise industry when it began construction on what will be the largest cruise ship in the world.
At a ceremony at the STX shipyard in France, workers laid down the keel for the cruise line’s third Oasis-class ship, officially initiating construction of Royal Caribbean’s newest vessel, which is expected to launch in summer 2016. During the festivities, Royal Caribbean’s chief executive officer, Richard Fain, also revealed that his company had entered an agreement with STX to build a fourth Oasis-class ship, to be completed in 2018.
The award-winning Oasis of the Seas, the first in this class, launched in 2009. She made a splash among industry watchers and fun-loving cruisers alike, and has since won several accolades for her many innovations, including a split-deck design with outdoor “Central Park” and “Boardwalk” areas running down the middle of the ship. Despite the ship’s huge size, designers engineered her to have the feel of a cozy community in each of her seven “neighborhoods.” She and her sister ship, Allure of the Seas, also provide cruisers with plenty of entertainment options, such as hit Broadway musicals, a handcrafted carousel, and surf simulators.
The newest Oasis-class ships are being built with the same philosophy in mind. The as-yet unnamed Oasis III will have a three-deck water slide and a more expansive adults-only Solarium. Aside from these features, Royal Caribbean representatives have said little about what new features and amenities the upcoming ships will possess. However, in the tradition of the cruise industry, the new ships will likely offer a great number of other new concepts in entertainment and dining.
The new ships will be slightly larger than their predecessors. Oasis III, for example, will be over two meters longer than her existing sister ships, and nearly six meters wider. This will give her a maximum passenger capacity of 6,360—greater than any other cruise ship currently sailing. In addition to their slightly greater size, modifications to the newest ships’ hulls and propulsion systems will make them at least 20 percent more fuel efficient than the first two Oasis-class ships.
