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Oasis of the
Seas
 
As we
approached Charlotte Amalie, we saw what we thought was a massive cruise liner
 
Her nose looked "normal" but her rear
end was the like we had never seen before
As soon as I could I wanted to find out about this giantess of the
seas. We had never seen her before because her maiden voyage was only
on the 5th of December 2009. The first of her class, she is expected to be
joined by her sister ship Allure of the Seas in November this year. Both vessels
are expected to cruise the Caribbean from her home port in Nassau to the USVI's.
The Oasis class surpasses the Freedom-class cruise ships (also owned by Royal
Caribbean) as the world's largest passenger vessel.
TOP
LINE FACTS
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Tonnage: 225,282 gross
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Length: 1,181 feet
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Beam: 154 feet waterline. 198 feet
extreme
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Height: 236 feet above the
waterline
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Draught: 31 feet
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Depth: 74
feet
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Decks: 16
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Engines: 3 x 18,590 hp and 3 x 24,780
hp
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Speed: 22.6
knots
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Capacity: 5,400 passengers double occupancy with a
6,296 total
-
Crew:
2,165
History:
The vessel was ordered in February 2006 and designed under the
name "Project Genesis". Her keel was laid down on the 12th of November 2007
at STX Europe Shipyards (formerly Aker Yards) in Turku, Finland. The company announced that full funding for Oasis of the Seas
was secured on the 15th April 2009. Her name resulted from a competition held in May 2008.
The ship was completed and turned over to Royal Caribbean on
the 28th of 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 the 1st November 2009. The bridge has a
clearance of 213 feet above the water; Oasis normally has an air draft
236 feet. The passage under the bridge was possible due
to retraction of the telescopic funnels, and an additional 12 inches was gained by
the squat effect whereby vessels travelling at speed in a shallow channel will
be drawn deeper into the water. Approaching the bridge at 20 knots or 23 mph,
the ship passed under it with less than 2 feet of clearance.
Proceeding through the English Channel, Oasis stopped briefly in the Solent to disembark 300 shipyard workers who were onboard doing
finishing work, then left on the way to her intended home port of Port
Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship arrived there on the 13th November 2009, where
tropical plants were added prior to some introductory trips and her maiden
voyage was on the 5th December 2009. While Royal Caribbean's chief of captains Mr. William S Wright
was behind the controls on the ship's journey across the Atlantic and will be
for the first few sailings, Oasis of the Seas will normally be navigated on a
regular basis by two Norwegian captains, Mr. Tor Isak Olsen and Mr. Thore
Thorvolsen.
Technical details:
Oasis measures 225,282 gross tons. Its displacement -
the actual weight of the vessel - is estimated at approximately 100,000 tons,
about the same as that of a nimtz-class aircraft carrier and about twice as much
as the Titanic at 53,310 tons. To keep the ship stable without increasing the draft
excessively, the designers created a wide hull. About 30 feet 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 potentially be uncomfortable. This
effect however is mitigated by the vessel's large size. The cruise line'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 40 feet.
The ship's power comes from six marine diesel engines, three
Wartsila 16-cylinder common rail diesels producing 18,860 kilowatts (25,290 hp)
each, and three similar 12-cylinder engines each producing 13,860 kilowatts
(18,590 hp). 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 not
provided by screws on the end of long shafts piercing the hull, as on most prior
ships, but by three, 20,000 kilowatts (26,800 hp) "Azipods", ABB's brand of azimuth thrusters. These pods, suspended under the stern, each contain an
electric motor driving a 20-foot (6 m) propeller. As they are rotatable, no rudders are needed to steer the
ship. Docking is assisted by four 5,500 kilowatts (7,380 hp) bow
thrusters in tunnels.
Amenities:
Oasis of the Seas offers passengers features such as
two-story loft suites and luxury suites measuring 1,600 square feet with
balconies overlooking the sea or promenades. The ship also has a zip-line, a
casino, mini golf, multiple night clubs, several bars and lounges, a Karaoke
club, comedy club, four swimming pools, volley and basketball courts, theme
parks and nurseries for the youngsters. Onboard recreational, athletic, and entertainment activities
are organized into seven themed areas called "neighborhoods", a concept which bears resemblance to theme
park planning. These neighborhoods are:
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Central Park features boutiques, restaurants and bars,
including access to the Rising Tide Bar, which can be raised or lowered to
three separate levels. It will house the first living park at sea with over
12,000 plants and 56 trees
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The Pool and Sports Zone features a sloped-entry beach pool
and two surf simulators
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Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Centre features a spa for
teens
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Boardwalk features a handcrafted carousel, restaurants,
bars, shops, two rock-climbing walls and a tattoo parlor (just what you need
on a seven day cruise). It's outdoor 750-seater AquaTheatre amphitheatre hosts
the ship's largest freshwater pool.
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Royal Promenade features restaurants and shops and is
viewable from a mezzanine
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Youth Zone features a science lab and computer
gaming
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Entertainment Place
Naming ceremony and launch party:
The ship was formally named on the 30th of 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 onboard. The
godmothers were Gloria Estefan, Michelle Kwan, Dara Torres, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Shawn Johnson, Jane
Seymour and Daisy Fuentes. On the 1st of December 2009, a four-night launch celebration
began before the ship left Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the 5th
December 2009.
ALL IN ALL INCREDIBLE, NOT FOR US, BUT WE
WOULD LOVE A GUIDED TOUR
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