Name Oasis of the Seas Route Caribbean Length 362 m Launched 21 November 2008 Beam 65 m Builder STX Europe | Port of registry Nassau, Bahamas Ordered February 2006 Construction started 12 November 2007 Draft 9.3 m Place built Turku, Finland | |
 | ||
Owner Royal Caribbean International Operator Royal Caribbean International | ||
MS Oasis of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship owned by Royal Caribbean International. Her hull was laid down in November 2007 and she was completed and delivered to Royal Caribbean in October 2009. At the time of construction, Oasis of the Seas set a new capacity record of carrying over 6,000 passengers. The first of her class, she was joined by sister ships MS Allure of the Seas in December 2010 and MS Harmony of the Seas in May 2016. Oasis of the Seas conducts cruises of the Caribbean from her home port of Port Canaveral in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Contents
Oasis of the Seas surpassed the Freedom-class cruise ships (also owned by Royal Caribbean) to become the largest cruise ship in the world at that time. She was herself surpassed by her sister ship Allure of the Seas, which is 50 millimetres (2.0 in) longer, although this may have been caused by ambient temperature differences at the times the measurements were made. In May 2016, her second sister ship Harmony of the Seas became the new record holder with a length of 362.12 metres (1,188.1 ft).
History
The vessel was ordered in February 2006 and designed under the name "Project Genesis". Her keel was laid down on 12 November 2007 by STX Europe Turku Shipyard, Finland. The company announced that full funding for Oasis of the Seas was secured on 15 April 2009.
The name Oasis of the Seas resulted from a competition held in May 2008.
During the first float-out of the vessel the tugboats that were pulling the ship from its dock failed to control the ship, resulting in the port side of the ship hitting the dock. This resulted in some cosmetic damage and minor damage to the hull, which was repaired and did not affect the final delivery date of the vessel.
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 31 October 2009 at 23:18 UTC. 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 traveling at speed in a shallow channel will be drawn deeper into the water. Approaching the bridge at 23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph), the ship passed under it with less than 60 centimetres (2 ft) of clearance.
Proceeding through the English Channel, Oasis stopped briefly in the Solent so that 300 shipyard workers who were on board doing finishing work could disembark, then left on the way to 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.
While Royal Caribbean's chief of captains William S. Wright was in command of the ship's journey across the Atlantic and also for the first few sailings, navigation of Oasis of the Seas is regularly handled by Trym Selvag and Thore Thorolvsen.
Oasis had a minor refit in winter 2011, adding the DreamWorks Experience which allows passengers to interact with characters, such as Shrek, on board the ship. The Oasis-class also now features 3D movies.
Oasis underwent a second drydock refit in October 2014. During drydock the ship was modified to support Dynamic Dining, adding the suite-only "Coastal Kitchen" restaurant to the Viking Crown and dividing the main dining room into three separate restaurants: "American Icon Grill", "The Grande", and "Silk". In addition, the Broadway-style production of Hairspray was replaced with a production of Cats.
Technical details
The gross tonnage of Oasis of the Seas is 225,282. Her displacement—the actual mass of the vessel—is estimated at approximately 100,000 metric tons (110,000 short tons), slightly less than that of an American Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.
To keep the ship stable without increasing the draft excessively, the designers created a wide hull; 9.3 metres (31 ft) 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 be uncomfortable. This effect, however, is mitigated by the vessel's large size. The cruise ship's officers were pleased with the ship's stability and performance during the transatlantic crossing, when the vessel, in order to allow finishing work to go on, slowed and changed course in the face of winds "almost up to hurricane force" and seas in excess of 12 metres (39 ft).
The ship's power comes from six medium speed marine diesel generating sets: three 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 16V46D common rail engines producing 18,860 kilowatts (25,290 hp) each and three similar 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V46 engines producing 13,860 kilowatts (18,590 hp) each. The fuel consumption of the main engines at full power is 1,377 US gallons (5,210 l; 1,147 imp gal) of fuel oil per engine per hour for the 16-cylinder engines and 1,033 US gallons (3,910 l; 860 imp gal) per engine per hour for the 12-cylinder engines. 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 provided by three 20,000-kilowatt (26,800 hp) Azipods, ABB's brand of electric azimuth thrusters. These pods, suspended under the stern, contain electric motors driving 20-foot (6 m) propellers. Because they are rotatable, no rudders are needed to steer the ship. Docking is assisted by four 5,500-kilowatt (7,380 hp) transverse bow thrusters.
Additional power comes from solar panels fitted by BAM Energy Group, which provide energy for lighting in the promenade and central park areas. The installation cost US$750,000 and covers 1,950 square metres (21,000 sq ft) on deck 19.
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.
Amenities
Oasis of the Seas offers passengers features such as two-story loft suites and luxury suites measuring 150 m2 (1,600 sq ft) with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades. The ship features a zip-line, a casino, a miniature golf course, multiple night clubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, comedy club, five swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, theme parks and nurseries for children. Many of the ship's interiors were extensively decorated by muralist Clarissa Parish.
Onboard recreational, athletic, and entertainment activities are organized into seven themed areas called "neighborhoods", a concept which bears resemblance to theme park planning.
- Central Park features boutiques, restaurants and bars, including access to the Rising Tide bar, which can be raised or lowered between three decks. It has the first living park at sea with over 12,000 plants and 56 trees.
- The Pool and Sports Zone features a sloped-entry beach pool and two surf simulators.
- Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center features a spa for teens. The gym has 158 cardio and resistance machines, classes, and a range of spa services.
- Boardwalk features a handcrafted carousel, restaurants, bars, shops, two rock-climbing walls, and a temporary tattoo parlor. Its outdoor 750-seat AquaTheatre amphitheater hosts the ship's largest freshwater pool.
- Royal Promenade features restaurants and shops and is viewable from a mezzanine.
- Youth Zone features a science lab and computer gaming.
- Entertainment Place features the ship's main theater, as well as an ice skating rink, a nightclub, the casino, and smaller venues for jazz and comedy performances.
Naming ceremony and launch party
The ship was formally named on 30 November 2009 during a charity sailing for Make-A-Wish Foundation. At this ceremony the ship was sponsored by seven "godmothers", each representing one of the seven neighbourhoods on board. Her godmothers are Gloria Estefan, Michelle Kwan, Dara Torres, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Shawn Johnson, Jane Seymour and Daisy Fuentes.