Royal Caribbean takes delivery of the Oasis of the Seas – the largest cruise ship in the world

by Scott Carmichael on

Royal Caribbean must be one very proud cruise line. Today they took delivery of the Oasis of the Seas. Cruise lines are ordering and signing for new ships all the time, but the Oasis of the Seas is something very, very special.

With 16 decks, 2,700 rooms, and seven different “districts”, Royal Caribbean actually achieved two things today – they got a new ship, and they became the owners of the largest cruise ship in the world.

The Oasis of the Seas is unlike anything ever built, and brings some amazing innovations to the oceans. A nine level zip line lets guests race through the massive open air atrium, kids can take a ride on a handcrafted carousel, and at the end of the day, you can relax in one of the 28 multilevel loft suites with floor to ceiling windows, or head up to the aquatic amphitheater. The list of attractions, restaurants and amenities is endless.

The Oasis of the Seas will be named at her inaugural celebration fundraiser on November 30. Funds will benefit the Make-A-Wish foundation. The inaugural sailing is on December 5 and guests will receive special entertainment and gifts to commemorate the occasion.

I highly recommend visiting the site of the Oasis of the Seas to discover all the innovations and fun. If you’d like to participate in the fundraiser, or the inaugural voyage, contact Royal Caribbean at (800) ROYAL-CARIBBEAN.

If you can’t make the voyage, you can still get up close and personal – On Friday November 20th, the ship will be welcomed to her home port of Fort Lauderdale on a live “Good Morning America” broadcast. In the coming weeks we’ll take a closer look at everything this ship has to offer.

See the world’s largest cruise ship (again)

by David Breisch on

Man, it seems like just a couple years ago that Royal Caribbean took home the “world’s largest cruise ship” award (oh, wait, it was.) Well, they’re at it again, with construction of the new Oasis-class of cruise ships. Ships, in case you didn’t know, are measured by their gross tonnage. Back in 2006, Royal Caribbean held the aforementioned title with the Freedom of the Seas, which weighed in at 160,000 gross tons. And actually, I went on a cruise in (if I recall correctly) 2001 on a Royal Caribbean ship called Voyager of the Seas, which at the time was billed as the “world’s largest cruise ship.”

Well, kids, they’re at it again, only this time the ship – the Oasis of the Seas – weighs in at 222,900 tons. That’s a horrifying 39% bigger than the Freedom, in case you didn’t feel like doing the math yourself. (Well, horrifying depending on your point of view, I suppose.) Now, Royal Caribbean has a lot of practice with this whole “biggest ship” thing, and as is typical with a new launch, they’re debuting a number of “firsts at sea” on-board amenities. There’s Central Park, a six-deck-tall open-air atrium. The Boardwalk features a full-sized carousel. The Sports Deck has pools, basketball and volleyball courts, a rock climbing wall and a mini-golf course. And, oh yeah, there’s apparently a zip-line ride over the Boardwalk.

Now, I’m not as opposed to cruises as other Gadling bloggers, but this is a pretty ridiculous ship.