Oasis of the Seas Inaugural Season Bumped Up

"Inaugural" cruise. "Maiden" voyage. Call it what you want, but many veteran cruisers look forward to the bragging rights that come with sailing on the first cruise of a new ship, especially when it's one that's as unique and BIG as Royal Caribbean Intl's latest. In the past, booking a ship's first cruise could be problematic as shipyard construction delays wreaked havoc with sailing schedules and often the first cruise, or several, were cancelled. After giving away free cruises and other incentives to make up for the disappointment bumped passengers experienced, cruise lines began adding some cushioning to their building schedules and sometimes are able to take delivery of their new ships ahead of time.

And so it is that cruise passengers will now be able to experience the world's largest-ever cruise ship even sooner. Royal Caribbean Intl has announced two additional sailings to Oasis of the Seas' inaugural season: a 7-night inaugural Eastern Caribbean itinerary, sailing on Dec 5, 2009; and a special 4-night voyage departing Dec 1, 2009. On the Dec 5, 2009 inaugural voyage, guests will receive a special commemorative certificate to mark the occasion, and be among the first to enjoy Oasis of the Seas, with all of her venues and amenities, and premiers of the full array of breathtaking AquaTheater light and water shows, and new productions in the Opal Theater, and Studio B ice-skating rink. The 7-night itinerary will call at St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Nassau in the Bahamas. Throughout, guests will enjoy Gold Anchor Service from Oasis of the Seas' staff and crew, representing more than 70 nations around the world.

Guests booked on the original inaugural sail date of Dec 12, 2009 will be contacted by their travel agent or a Royal Caribbean representative, and given the opportunity to move their cruise vacation to the new inaugural sailing of Dec 5 before the sailing opens to the public for booking on Jan 12, 2009. During the re-accommodation period, which ends on Jan 11, 2009, the following special benefits will apply. Guests choosing to sail consecutively on both the Dec 1 and 5, 2009 voyages also will receive a $200 onboard credit per stateroom ($300 onboard credit per suite) for an extraordinary 11-night Oasis of the Seas cruise. Booked guests who wish to take either the Dec 1 or 5 sailing will be re-accommodated in the same stateroom and category. The cruise fare for the Dec 5 sailing will remain unchanged. Guests wishing to sail on the 4-night voyage, which will make a call at Labadee and spend two days at sea, will receive a prorated fare.

CruiseDiva.com has more Oasis of the Seas information:

• Oasis of the Seas — Details and Images of the first "reveal"
• More Oasis of the Seas Details — A second Oasis of the Seas reveal, includes more neighborhoods and surprises
• Oasis of the Seas — Two more neighborhoods make a splash when Royal Caribbean takes "the beach" to sea