Construction Begins on Third Royal Caribbean Oasis-class Ship in France

Royal Caribbean International cut the first piece of steel earlier this week for its third Oasis-class ship, marking the first construction milestone for a vessel that, at approximately 227,700 GRT, will be the world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship. Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard D. Fain and Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, Adam Goldstein together with Laurent Castaing, chief executive officer, 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.

The as-yet unnamed Oasis 3 joins sister-ships Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas that took the cruise industry by storm with their introduction in 2009 and 2010, respectively, featuring a revolutionary design with a split superstructure and the cruise line’s neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas. At 225,282 GRT and spanning 16 decks with 2,700 staterooms, the Oasis class ships also introduced extraordinary “firsts” at sea such as 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 that can only be found on Royal Caribbean, 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.

“Our Oasis-class ships have led the charge in delivering the WOW for which Royal Caribbean is known,” said Goldstein. “We are delighted to get the building process underway and look forward to the next chapter of this amazing class of ships.”

Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas sail weekly, alternating 7-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.