Oasis-class cruise ship

Ship features

The Oasis-class ships surpassed the earlier ships as the world's largest and longest passenger ships. Oasis of the Seas is also 8.5 m wider, and with a gross tonnage of 225,282, is around 70,000 tones larger. Oasis-class vessels can carry over 5,400 passengers.

Oasis-class ships are split into a number of different themed neighborhoods. Common to all ships are Entertainment Place, Central Park, Boardwalk and Royal Promenade.

Oasis-class ships feature a split structure, with the 5-deck high "Central Park" and "Boardwalk" outdoor areas running down the middle of the ship. These areas feature tropical gardens, restaurants, shops, and a working carousel.

Differences in design

Each successive ship has variations in the design and layout.

Harmony of the Seas introduced new bars and restaurants from the first-generation Quantum class, the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, a new waterpark and an Escape The H2O Zone kids pool was replaced with an upgraded kids facility called Splashaway Bay.

Symphony of the Seas carries around 200 additional guests at double occupancy and 100 additional crew, and includes a refurbished pool deck with a large movie screen and an additional pool on board, though far fewer hot tubs. The adults-only pool area is now enclosed and climate-controlled. It also has a new neighborhood: the Suite Neighborhood. The ship's buffet is located on Deck 15 aft rather than Deck 16 under the funnel and is the largest buffet in RCI's fleet. Other additions include a new playground and new food and drink venues.

Technical details

The displacement—the actual mass—is estimated at 100,000 tonnes, equivalent to the displacement of a .

To keep the ship stable without increasing the draft excessively, the designers created a wide hull. The cruise ship's officers were pleased with the ship class's stability and performance during the transatlantic crossing, when the vessel slowed and changed course in the face of winds "almost up to hurricane force" and seas in excess of 40 ft.

The ship's power comes from six medium-speed, marine-diesel generating sets: three 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 16V46D common rail engines producing 18480 kW each and three similar 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V46D engines producing 13860 kW each. The fuel consumption of the main engines at full power is 1377 USgal of fuel oil per engine per hour for the 16-cylinder engines, and 1033 USgal per engine per hour for the 12-cylinder engines.

The total output of these prime movers, some 97020 kW, 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 provided by three 20000 kW Azipods, ABB's brand of electric azimuth thrusters. These pods, suspended under the stern, contain electric motors driving 20 ft propellers. Because they are rotatable, no rudders are needed to steer the ship. Docking is assisted by four 5500 kW transverse bow thrusters.

The ship carries 18 lifeboats that hold 370 people each, for a total of 6,660 people. Inflatable life rafts provide for additional passengers and crew.

The sixth ship needs 25 percent less energy than the first.

Ships

There are 6 vessels in the class, the most recent being Utopia of the Seas. A further seventh ship has been ordered and will join the fleet in 2028.

Ship construction

Oasis of the Seas, the first vessel of the class, was ordered in February 2006 and designed under the name "Project Genesis". Her keel was laid down in December 2007 by STX Europe Turku Shipyard, Finland. The name Oasis of the Seas resulted from a competition held in May 2008. and full financing for Oasis of the Seas was secured in April 2009. 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 in October 2009. The bridge has a clearance of 65 m above the water. Oasis of the Seas normally has an air draft of 72 m. The passage under the bridge was possible due to retraction of the telescoping funnels, and an additional 30 cm was gained by the squat effect where vessels traveling at speed in a shallow channel are drawn deeper into the water. Approaching the bridge at 23 kn, the ship passed under it with less than 2 ft of clearance.

Proceeding through the English Channel, Oasis of the Seas stopped briefly in the Solent so that 300 shipyard workers who were on board doing finishing work could disembark. She then left for her intended home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship arrived there on 13 November 2009, where tropical plants were installed prior to some introductory trips and her maiden voyage on 5 December 2009.

The keel of the second ship, Allure of the Seas, was laid on 2 December 2008 at the STX Europe Turku shipyard, Finland, during a ceremony involving Royal Caribbean and STX representatives. She was launched on 20 November 2009, with further outfitting taking place while afloat in the shipyard. Allure of the Seas was delivered to Royal Caribbean on 28 October 2010. She left the Turku shipyard on 29 October 2010, heading directly to her home port of Port Everglades. The ship is equipped with telescoping funnels to pass under bridges such as the Storebælt Bridge, which she passed on 30 October 2010. While media has reported that there was only 30 cm of clearance, the mean water level was closer to 2 -. The squat effect, where vessels traveling at speed in a shallow channel will be drawn deeper into the water, did not have significant effect on the draft of the vessel.

Royal Caribbean confirmed in October 2012 that they were engaged in negotiations to build the third Oasis-class ship, which became Harmony of the Seas. The ship was ordered from STX France in December 2012, after failing to come to an agreement with the Government of Finland for additional financial support to build the ship at the STX Finland shipyard that built the first two ships. Steel cutting began in September 2013, and the ship was delivered in May 2016. The ship is larger than the earlier Oasis-class ships at an estimated 227,700 GT, 362.15 m in length, and 66 m in maximum width, representing an increase of 2,418 GT and 2.15 m length.

The ship has 2,744 passenger staterooms with a capacity of 6,360 passengers (5,488 double occupancy), an increase of 64 passengers over the previous ships in the class, as well as 1,197 crew cabins capable of berthing 2,100 crew. It cost about €1 billion (US$1.35 billion) and entered service in May 2016.

In May 2014, Royal Caribbean exercised their option for a fourth Oasis-class ship, which became Symphony of the Seas. and the name of the ship was announced in March 2017. The ship was delivered in April 2018.

In May 2016, Royal Caribbean signed an agreement for a fifth Oasis-class ship, later named Wonder of the Seas. Steel cutting began in April 2019, and the keel was laid in October 2019. The ship name was announced in October 2019. A hull section was built at Crist at Gdansk and delivered to the yard in November 2019. She was launched in September 2020. Wonder of the Seas entered service in March 2022 as the largest ship in the world. She initially offering Caribbean sailings from Ft. Lauderdale, FL before repositioning to Europe to offer Western Mediterranean sailings from Barcelona, Spain and Rome, Italy.

In February 2019, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. ordered a sixth Oasis-class ship, named Utopia of the Seas. Steel cutting began in Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in April 2022. Keel laying was held in July 2022.

Negotiations about a seventh vessel, to be built as B35 and to be delivered in 2026, were stopped in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. In February 2024, Royal Caribbean and Chantiers de l'Atlantique announced that they signed an agreement for a seventh Oasis Class ship to be delivered in 2028. The construction of the ship started on 23 October 2025.

References

References

1. (23 September 2013). "New Oasis from STX France to be 227,700 Tons". Cruise Industry News.
2. (23 May 2008). "Press Release: Royal Caribbean selects ''Oasis of the Seas'' and ''Allure of the Seas'' as the names for its Project Genesis ships". [[Royal Caribbean International]]}}{{dead link.
3. (23 May 2008). "Royal Caribbean's next ships will be Oasis, Allure". [[USA Today]].
4. (2 April 2007). "Royal Caribbean orders another giant cruise vessel from Aker Yards".
5. "Wonder of the Seas {{!}} Royal Caribbean Blog".
6. (2019-02-18). "Royal Caribbean orders sixth Oasis-class ship to be the largest in the world -".
7. (2024-02-15). "Royal Caribbean announces order for new Oasis Class ship {{!}} Royal Caribbean Blog".
8. "Symphony of the Seas Fact Sheet". Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
9. "Genesis Milestone Reached: Keel Laid in Turku".
10. (12 December 2007). "Work starts on world's largest cruise ship".
11. "What Are the Oasis-Class Ships?".
12. (17 April 2008). "Royal Caribbean Cruises bringing Central Park replica to ocean".
13. (15 April 2008). ["Royal Caribbean Press Release"](http://www.royalcaribbean-genesis.com/releases/Genesis_Fast_Facts.pdf}}{{Dead link).
14. "NEW GENERATION OASIS-CLASS SHIP HARMONY OF THE SEAS UNVEILS NEW THRILLS AND ADVENTURES".
15. "Symphony of the Seas vs Wonder of the Seas".
16. (2022-03-18). "Wonder of the Seas vs other Oasis Class ships".
17. (3 November 2009). "How the World's Largest Cruise Ship Floats".
18. Bryner, Jeanna. (3 November 2009). "How the World's Largest Cruise Ship Floats". Livescience.com.
19. Wright, William S. (Captain), "Blue Seas, Green Practices", ''Captain's Log, Day Six'', search for video at [http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/ Oasis of the Seas] {{webarchive. link. (20 June 2010 . [[Royal Caribbean International). Royal Caribbean]], 2009.
20. Wright, William S. (Captain), "Back to the Bridge", ''Captain's Log, Day Ten'', search for video at [http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/ Oasis of the Seas] {{webarchive. link. (20 June 2010 . [[Royal Caribbean International). Royal Caribbean]], 2009.
21. (28 October 2009). "Wärtsilä powers Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas - the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world". Wärtsilä Corporation.
22. {{cite ship register |register=DNV |id=27091 |shipname=Oasis of the Seas: Machine Summary |access-date=28 October 2010 }}
23. Hall, Nick. (10 December 2009). "World's largest lifeboats for Oasis of the Seas".
24. "Chantiers de l'Atlantique : commande d'un nouveau paquebot géant de la classe Oasis {{!}} Mer et Marine".
25. "Royal Caribbean orders a seventh Oasis-class ship".
26. (18 November 2009). "Royal Caribbean International Appoints Seven Godmothers for Oasis of the Seas". OasisoftheSeas.com.
27. {{DNV
28. Heslin, Rebecca. (30 March 2010). "Royal Caribbean pushes up Allure's debut again". [[USA Today]].
29. {{DNV
30. (17 May 2016). "Vacations Reinvented as the World's Largest Cruise Ship Sails Into Southampton". Royal Caribbean International.
31. {{DNV
32. "Ship Fact Sheets: ''Symphony of the Seas''". Royal Caribbean Press Center.
33. {{DNV
34. (2022-03-04). "Largest Cruise Ships Enter Service as Industry Restarts More Sailings".
35. "Wonder of the Seas Fact Sheet {{!}} Royal Caribbean Press Center". Royal Caribbean Group.
36. [https://vesselregister.dnv.com/vesselregister/details/38209n DNV: Wonder of the Seas], retrieved 24 June 2024.
37. (20 June 2023). "Utopia of the Seas: Itinerary, features, and more | Royal Caribbean Blog".
38. [https://vesselregister.dnv.com/vesselregister/details/42320 Utopia of the Seas], [[DNV]], retrieved 15 June 2024.
39. (15 February 2024). "Royal Caribbean orders seventh Oasis Class ship for 2028 By Investing.com".
40. (2025-10-23). "IT’S OFFICIAL: ROYAL CARIBBEAN’S SEVENTH OASIS CLASS VACATION BEGINS CONSTRUCTION".
41. (6 February 2006). "Royal Caribbean orders a giant cruise vessel from Aker Yards". Media Digital AS.
42. (30 October 2009). "Royal Caribbean's newest ship, the world's largest, makes maiden voyage". NJ.com.
43. Milojevic, Aleksandar. (1 November 2009). "Oasis of the Seas squeezed under bridge". Maritime Denmark.
44. (1 November 2009). "Kæmpeskibet klarede broen". [[DR (broadcaster).
45. (25 October 2012). "Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. : Royal Caribbean Reports Third Quarter Results And Updates 2012 Guidance | MarketScreener".
46. (27 December 2012). "Royal Caribbean Orders Third Oasis-Class Ship from STX France".
47. (3 October 2012). "Finnish Authorities Discussing Financing Third Oasis-Class Vessel?".
48. (3 October 2012). "RCCL said to be close to order third Oasis class ship from STX Finland".
49. (26 November 2012). "Saarikangas laivatilauksesta: Vireillä on jotakin, tilanne ei ole toivoton".
50. (21 December 2012). "Valtio tyrmäsi Turun telakan hakeman lainan".
51. Honeywell, John. (23 September 2013). "First steel is cut for Royal Caribbean's Oasis 3 which will become the biggest cruise ship in the world".
52. "Oasis 3".
53. (24 March 2014). "ANALYSIS: Third Oasis Renderings".
54. (23 September 2013). "Work starts on world's largest cruise ship at French shipyard". Digitaljournal.com.
55. (17 May 2016). "Harmony of the Seas: World's largest cruise ship in Southampton". BBC News.
56. "ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL BEGINS CONSTRUCTION ON FOURTH OASIS-CLASS SHIP". royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com.
57. (10 March 2017). "Announcing Our Newest Ship: Symphony of the Seas | Royal Caribbean Blog".
58. (25 May 2016). "Royal Orders Oasis Five, Two More Ships for Celebrity".
59. (27 November 2019). "Crist livre à Saint-Nazaire une section et des blocs du Wonder of the Seas".
60. (2020-09-05). "New Royal Caribbean ship floated out in France".
61. (2020-09-05). "Saint-Nazaire : Premier bain de mer pour le Wonder of the Seas".
62. . (2019-10-10). ["Royal Caribbean to Send 2021 Oasis-Class Newbuild to Asia"](https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/21704-royal-caribbean-to-send-2021-oasis-class-newbuild-to-asia.html).
63. "ROYAL CARIBBEAN REVEALS HOMEPORT AND NAME OF FIFTH OASIS CLASS SHIP".
64. . (2019-02-18). ["Sixth Oasis-Class Ship to Be Largest"](https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/20394-sixth-oasis-class-ship-to-be-largest.html).
65. (2019-11-17). "Crist livre à Saint-Nazaire une section et des blocs du Wonder of the Seas".
66. (2020-05-05). "chantiers-de-latlantique-la-livraison-du-msc-virtuosa-repoussee-de-plusieurs-mois".
67. (8 November 2021). "Royal Caribbean Takes Delivery of World's Largest Cruise Ship | WONDER OF THE SEAS".
68. (2024-02-15). "Royal Caribbean Group Signs Agreement with Chantiers de l'Atlantique for its Next Oasis Class Ship".
69. (2024-02-15). "Royal Caribbean Group Signs Agreement with Chantiers de l'Atlantique for Seventh Ship in its Oasis Class".
70. (2024-02-15). "Royal Caribbean Group Signs with Chantiers For Next Oasis Class Ship".
71. (November 2008). "Creating the Incredible". STX Europe via CruiseWeb.nl.
72. (10 September 2009). "Oasis of the Seas: Fast Facts". OasisoftheSeas.com.
73. {{cite ship register
74. {{cite ship register
75. {{cite ship register
76. Sloan, Gene. (23 May 2008). "Royal Caribbean's next ships will be Oasis, Allure".
77. Singh, Timon. (24 November 2009). "The World's Largest Cruise Ship". US Infrastructure.
78. Fain, Richard. (15 April 2009). "Thanks a Billion". Royal Caribbean International.
79. Behling, Frank. (31 October 2009). ""Oasis of the Seas" hat Kurs auf Fehmarn". Kieler Nachrichtan.
80. (2 November 2009). "Huge cruise ship stops in Solent". BBC News.
81. Asklander, Micke. "M/S Allure of the Seas (2010)".
82. "Allure of the Seas".
83. (2 December 2008). "STX Europe laid keel of Allure of the Seas".
84. Sjöström, Pär-Henrik. (10 December 2010). "Larger than her sister". Shipgaz.
85. Tong, Xiong. (29 October 2010). "The world's largest cruise ship Allure of the Seas put into service".