Oasis of the Seas: Sail of the century

Published on Friday 20 November 2009 21:46

NOT in the mood for deck quoits? Then how about a stroll in the park or a high-diving display? Stephen McGinty ponders the options on the Oasis of the Seas, the world's biggest, most advanced cruise ship

THERE was a time when to cruise meant days of quiet contemplation of grey seas punctuated only by the odd game of deck quoits. Boredom, it is safe to say, is forbidden from even clambering onboard the Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, which was officially unveiled yesterday and which boasts the first living park at sea.

From 5 December, when she embarks on her maiden voyage, guests will be able to wander through an oasis of trees, bamboo, vines and parkland then gaze up at the Caribbean sky – all while steaming from island to island at a steady 22 knots (26 mph for those unaccustomed to stripy jumpers and deck shoes). In an ever-escalating battle between cruise companies, the Oasis of the Seas is a veritable dreadnought, 40 per cent larger than existing liners and capable of entertaining 6,296 guests. Next year about 45,000 Scots will embark on cruises with Royal Caribbean, the owners of the new vessel, with thousands expecting to choose the Oasis despite the cost. Prices start at 1,786 for a nine-night eastern Caribbean fly-cruise.

According to Robin Shaw, managing director of Royal Caribbean International in the UK and Ireland, bookings among Scots have risen 25 per cent in the past year. "Scots appear to punch above their weight when it comes to cruising and now account for about 15 per cent of all our guests."

They will have to fly to Florida to embark, as there are no plans for the ship to visit Scotland.

The 225,000-tonne vessel was unveiled to the media and public at Fort Lauderdale in Florida yesterday. The inside of the 1,187ft ship had been a closely guarded secret as it travelled through the Baltic and across the Atlantic for its launch. Pop singer Rihanna has already performed a concert on board and two of the "godmothers" for the ship are British actress Jane Seymour and pop star Gloria Estefan.

The 800 million vessel has a "Central Park style" open air space about the size of a football pitch, with its own microclimate and trees, which means guests can have the option of a sea or tree view – 254 rooms with balconies overlook the park. Then there is a bar called Rising Tide that moves up and down on motors between three of the 16 passenger decks.

To ensure passengers cannot get lost, a computerised room finder on each floor near the lifts makes sure they can find their way home through the ship's seven neighbourhoods.

There is a 750-seat AquaTheater modelled on an ancient Greek amphitheatre at the stern of the ship, which allows guests the chance of lounging around the biggest pool afloat during the day and going back at night for shows including acrobatics, synchronised swimming, water ballet, and professional high-diving.

Other amenities include loft-style apartments and an ice rink, plus the usual pools, 24 restaurants, a casino and even a carousel. The ship has surf machines and climbing walls, as the company tries to lure younger passengers with children.

Oasis of the Seas, which was built in Finland, is so big its exhaust stack retracts so it can pass under bridges as it travels the world. Its owners claim it is the most advanced cruise ship in the world.

The man responsible for the 8,500 passengers and crew is Captain Bill Wright, a native of Miami, who has over 40 years' experience at sea and is delighted at the performance of his latest charge. "She is an amazing ship in every way and she handles really well," he said.

The vessel was able to sneak under a major bridge in Denmark as the funnel retracted like an automatic car aerial, but the captain admits he's only "parked" the ship once. "I didn't scratch the paintwork or make any dents," he joked. "I took it nice and slow and you get a sense that she is a big ship as there is a lot of water to shift but there is a huge amount of power available to me."

Oasis can be docked manually or by computer from the bridge – the captain is always on hand, as his cabin has a door leading to the bridge. He said finding his way around was a challenge but he goes a different way through the ship's 16 decks every day to see more and more. "I'm getting to know her. They have done a remarkable job in designing this ship." Captain Wright said his favourite part of the ship was the bridge, which spans over 200ft. It is "the mariner in me", he said.

Cruising continues to grow in popularity in Britain and America. Royal Caribbean is building another ship the same size, to enter service next year. This represents a 1.6 billion investment in the industry by the company. Competitors such as P&O and Cunard have also expanded their fleets in Britain and America in recent years.

Richard Fain, chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean, said the company would have preferred not to launch its ship in a recession, but added: "It has actually worked quite well. People are willing to pay for a unique experience."

THE SHIP BY NUMBERS

• Oasis of the Seas will be 40 per cent bigger at 225,000 tonnes than the present largest liners that come in at only 160,000 tonnes.

• The 1,187ft (362m) long liner is capable of carrying 6,296 passengers at maximum capacity and 2,296 crew from more than 71 different countries. Standing upright on its stern it would dwarf Britain's tallest building – the 800ft (243m) One Canada Square in Canary Wharf. It is as long as four football pitches.

• The ship is 208ft (63m) wide, and 240ft (73m) high, which is taller than Nelson's Column and has a cruising speed of 24 knots. Power comes from four bow thrusters with 7,500 horse power each or 10 times the horse power of a Formula 1 car.

• Royal Caribbean said it plans to build a second ship on the same scale as Oasis, to be called Allure of the Seas and this will be completed in 2010. It took 3,200 construction workers over 8,000 man years to build Oasis of the Seas.

• At a cost of around 155,000 per berth, Oasis of the Seas is the most expensive cruise ship ever to be ordered and will cost 800 million in total to build.

• There are 3,300 miles (5,310 km) of electric cables on the ship – almost enough to stretch between London and New York; 158,503 gallons (600,000 litres) of paint were used on the build and 110,231lb (49,999kg) of ice cubes are made on board every day.

• Royal Caribbean presently operates the three largest cruise ships in the world – Freedom, Liberty and Independence of the Seas.