Royal Caribbean cuts steel for fourth Oasis class

With apparently just the click of a mouse, Harri Kulovaara, Executive Vice President, Newbuild, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd, initiates the automated steel cutting of the fourth Oasis class watched by Jean-Yves Jaouen, SVP, Operations, STX France

FEBRUARY 3, 2015 — Royal Caribbean International today marked the official start of construction of a fourth Oasis class cruise ship with a steel cutting ceremony at shipbuilder STX France’s St. Nazaire shipyard, where the third Oasis class vessel is also under construction.

The first two Oasis class ships — Oasis of the Seas and  Allure of the Seas—were built by STX Finland’s Turku Shipyard (now Meyer Turku). The two ships being built in France are due for delivery in 2016 and 2018. They will take the title of the world’s largest cruise ships as they will be somewhat larger the preceding Oasis-class ships at an estimated 227,700 gt, 362.15 m in length, and 66 m in maximum width, an increase of 2,418 gt, 2.15 m length, and 5.5 m width. The ships will have 2,744 passenger staterooms with a capacity of 6,360 passengers an increase of 64 passengers over the previous ships in the class.

The existing Oasis class ships are stuffed with passenger amenities such as zip lines, ice rinks, cantilevered whirlpools and surf riders and it’s a safe bet that the two now under construction in France will pack in more. Royal Caribbean simply says details “will be revealed in the coming months.”