Royal Caribbean Begins Construction on Third Oasis-Class Ship

Royal Caribbean International cut the first piece of steel for its third Oasis-class ship, marking the first construction milestone for a vessel that will be the world’s largest cruise ship. Royal Caribbean Cruises' chairman and CEO, Richard D. Fain and Royal Caribbean International president and CEO Adam Goldstein together with Laurent Castaing, CEO, STX France, attended the event at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, where the ship will be built. The cruise line’s third Oasis-class ship is expected to be delivered in mid-2016.

Oasis 3 joins sister-ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, which were introduced in 2009 and 2010, respectively.  At 225,282 GRT and spanning 16 decks with 2,700 staterooms, the Oasis class ships each have an 82 foot-long zip line, a handcrafted carousel, the Rising Tide elevating bar, the AquaTheater high-diving performance venue, and the Central Park with more than 12,000 live trees and plants.  The Oasis class also offers amenities such as twin FlowRider surf simulators, cantilevered whirlpools, an ice-skating rink, the H2O Zone kids aquapark and the Royal Promenade, an interior boulevard that stretches nearly the length of the ship and flanked by restaurants, lounges and boutiques, among many others.

Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas sail weekly, alternating seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. In October 2014, Oasis of the Seas will sail a short autumn season in Europe from Barcelona, Spain before entering drydock for routine maintenance at the Képpel Verolme shipyard in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Details of the third Oasis-class ship will be revealed in the coming months.

For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.com.