MS Oasis of the Seas
Encyclopedia
MS
Oasis of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship
in the fleet of Royal Caribbean International
. The first of her class, she was joined by her sister ship Allure of the Seas in December 2010. Both vessels cruise the Caribbean from Port Everglades
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
. She set a new record of carrying over 6,000 passengers.
The ship surpasses the Freedom-class cruise ships (also owned by Royal Caribbean) as the largest cruise ship in the world.
) in Turku
, Finland
. The company announced that full funding for Oasis of the Seas was secured on 15 April 2009.
The name Oasis of the Seas resulted from a competition held in May 2008.
During the first float-out
of the vessel the tugboat
s that were pulling the ship from its dock failed to control the ship, resulting in the port side of the ship colliding with the dock. This resulted in some cosmetic damage and minor damage to the hull, which was repaired and did not affect the final delivery date of the vessel.
The ship was completed and turned over to Royal Caribbean on 28 October 2009. Two days later, she departed Finland for the United States. While exiting the Baltic Sea
, the vessel passed underneath the Great Belt Fixed Link
in Denmark on 1 November 2009. The bridge has a clearance of 65 m (213 ft) above the water; Oasis normally has an air draft
of 72 m (236 ft). The passage under the bridge was possible due to retraction of the telescoping
funnel
s, and an additional 30 cm (12 in) was gained by the squat effect
whereby vessels traveling at speed in a shallow channel will be drawn deeper into the water. Approaching the bridge at 20 knots (10.9 m/s), the ship passed under it with less than 2 feet (61 cm) of clearance.
Proceeding through the English Channel
, Oasis stopped briefly in the Solent
so that 300 shipyard workers who were on board doing finishing work could disembark, then left on the way to her intended home port of Port Everglades
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship arrived there on 13 November 2009, where tropical plants were installed prior to some introductory trips and her maiden voyage
on 5 December 2009.
While Royal Caribbean's chief of captains William S. Wright was in command of the ship's journey across the Atlantic and also for the first few sailings, navigation of the Oasis of the Seas is regularly handled by Trym Selvag and Thore Thorolvsen.
The ship was featured in an episode of the second season of Mighty Ships
, a production of Discovery Channel Canada
which aired during the summer of 2010.
Oasis had a minor refit in winter 2011, adding the DreamWorks
Experience which is when passengers are able to interact with characters such as Shrek
on board the ship. The Oasis class also now features 3D
movies. Oasis is scheduled to enter dry-dock in Spring 2014.
As of November 14, 2011 Royal Caribbean has stated that Starbucks
will now be featured on the Oasis of the Seas. Therefore now all the Oasis class ships have a Starbucks
since Allure of the Seas has had one since its inaugural sailing. Since Starbucks has been added to the Oasis class ships on Allure of the Seas Starbucks has raised sale percentage up 3.9 % since June 2011.
of the Oasis of the Seas is 225,282. Her displacement
—the actual mass of the vessel—is estimated at approximately 100,000 tons, about the same as that of an American .
To keep the ship stable without increasing the draft excessively, the designers created a wide hull. About 30 feet (9 m) of the ship sits beneath the water, a small percentage of the ship's overall height. Wide, shallow ships such as this tend to be "snappy", meaning that they can snap back upright after a wave has passed, which can be uncomfortable. This effect, however, is mitigated by the vessel's large size. The cruise ship's officers were pleased with the ship's stability and performance during the transatlantic crossing, when the vessel, in order to allow finishing work to go on, slowed and changed course in the face of winds "almost up to hurricane force" and seas in excess of 40 feet (12 m).
The ship's power comes from six marine diesel engines, three Wärtsilä
16-cylinder common rail
diesels producing 18860 kW each and three similar 12-cylinder engines each producing 13860 kW. The fuel consumption of the main engines is 1,377 gallons of fuel oil per engine per hour for the 16-cylinder engines and 1,033 gallons per hour per engine for the 12-cylinder engines. The total output of these prime mover
s, some 97020 kW, is converted to electricity, used in hotel power for operation of the lights, elevators, electronics, galleys, water treatment plant, and all of the other systems used on the operation of the vessel, as well as propulsion. Propulsion is provided by three 20000 kW Azipod
s, ABB's brand of electric azimuth thruster
s. These pods, suspended under the stern, contain electric motors driving 20 feet (6 m) propellers. Because they are rotatable, no rudders are needed to steer the ship. Docking is assisted by four 5500 kW transverse bow thruster
s.
The ship carries 18 lifeboats that hold 370 people each, for a total of 6,660 people. Inflatable life rafts provide for additional passengers and crew.
, a casino, a mini-golf course, multiple night clubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, comedy club, five swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, theme parks and nurseries for children.
Onboard recreational, athletic, and entertainment activities are organized into seven themed areas called "neighborhoods", a concept which bears resemblance to theme park planning. These neighborhoods are:
on 30 November 2009 during a charity sailing for Make a Wish Foundation. At this ceremony the ship was sponsored by seven "godmothers", each representing one of the seven neighbourhoods on board. The godmothers were Gloria Estefan
, Michelle Kwan
, Dara Torres
, Keshia Knight Pulliam
, Shawn Johnson
, Jane Seymour
and Daisy Fuentes
.
On 1 December 2009, a four-night pre-inaugural sailing began from Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, calling at Labadee in Haiti (3 December) and returning to Port Everglades, before the ship left Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 5 December 2009 on its maiden voyage, calling at (8 December) St. Thomas, (9 December) St. Maarten, and (11 December) Nassau.
Motor ship
A motor ship or motor vessel is a ship propelled by an internal combustion engine, usually a diesel engine. The name of motor ships are often prefixed with MS, M/S, MV or M/V.- See also :...
Oasis of the Seas is an Oasis-class cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
in the fleet of Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
. The first of her class, she was joined by her sister ship Allure of the Seas in December 2010. Both vessels cruise the Caribbean from Port Everglades
Port Everglades
Port Everglades is a port in Broward County, Florida. As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Already one of the three busiest cruise ports worldwide, Port Everglades is also one of Florida's leading...
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
. She set a new record of carrying over 6,000 passengers.
The ship surpasses the Freedom-class cruise ships (also owned by Royal Caribbean) as the largest cruise ship in the world.
History
The vessel was ordered in February 2006 and designed under the name "Project Genesis". Her keel was laid down on 12 November 2007 at STX Europe (formerly Aker YardsAker Yards
STX Europe AS, formerly Aker Yards ASA, a subsidiary of the South Korean industrial chaebol STX Corporation, is the largest shipbuilding group in Europe and the fourth largest in the world. With headquarters in Oslo, Norway, STX Europe operates 15 shipyards in Brazil, Finland, France, Norway,...
) in Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. The company announced that full funding for Oasis of the Seas was secured on 15 April 2009.
The name Oasis of the Seas resulted from a competition held in May 2008.
During the first float-out
Float-out
Float-out is the process in modern shipbuilding that follows the keel laying and precedes the fitting-out process. It is analogous to launching a ship, a specific process that has largely been discontinued in modern shipbuilding...
of the vessel the tugboat
Tugboat
A tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
s that were pulling the ship from its dock failed to control the ship, resulting in the port side of the ship colliding with the dock. This resulted in some cosmetic damage and minor damage to the hull, which was repaired and did not affect the final delivery date of the vessel.
The ship was completed and turned over to Royal Caribbean on 28 October 2009. Two days later, she departed Finland for the United States. While exiting the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
, the vessel passed underneath the Great Belt Fixed Link
Great Belt Fixed Link
The Great Belt Fixed Link is the fixed link between the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen across the Great Belt. It consists of a road suspension bridge and railway tunnel between Zealand and the island Sprogø, as well as a box girder bridge between Sprogø and Funen...
in Denmark on 1 November 2009. The bridge has a clearance of 65 m (213 ft) above the water; Oasis normally has an air draft
Air draft
Air draft is the distance from the surface of the water to the highest point on a vessel, similar to the "deep draft" of a vessel which is measured from the surface of the water to the deepest part of the hull below the surface, but "air draft" is expressed as a height, not a depth.The vessel's...
of 72 m (236 ft). The passage under the bridge was possible due to retraction of the telescoping
Telescoping (mechanics)
Telescoping in mechanics describes the movement of one part sliding out from another, lengthening an object from its rest state. In modern equipment, this is often done by hydraulics....
funnel
Funnel
A funnel is a pipe with a wide, often conical mouth and a narrow stem. It is used to channel liquid or fine-grained substances into containers with a small opening. Without a funnel, spillage would occur....
s, and an additional 30 cm (12 in) was gained by the squat effect
Squat effect
The squat effect is the hydrodynamic phenomenon by which a vessel moving quickly through shallow water creates an area of lowered pressure that causes the ship to be closer to the seabed than would otherwise be expected. This phenomenon is caused when water that should normally flow under the hull...
whereby vessels traveling at speed in a shallow channel will be drawn deeper into the water. Approaching the bridge at 20 knots (10.9 m/s), the ship passed under it with less than 2 feet (61 cm) of clearance.
Proceeding through the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, Oasis stopped briefly in the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
so that 300 shipyard workers who were on board doing finishing work could disembark, then left on the way to her intended home port of Port Everglades
Port Everglades
Port Everglades is a port in Broward County, Florida. As one of South Florida's leading economic powerhouses, Port Everglades is the gateway for international trade and cruise vacations. Already one of the three busiest cruise ports worldwide, Port Everglades is also one of Florida's leading...
in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The ship arrived there on 13 November 2009, where tropical plants were installed prior to some introductory trips and her maiden voyage
Maiden voyage
The maiden voyage of a ship, aircraft or other craft is the first journey made by the craft after shakedown. A number of traditions and superstitions are associated with it....
on 5 December 2009.
While Royal Caribbean's chief of captains William S. Wright was in command of the ship's journey across the Atlantic and also for the first few sailings, navigation of the Oasis of the Seas is regularly handled by Trym Selvag and Thore Thorolvsen.
The ship was featured in an episode of the second season of Mighty Ships
Mighty Ships
Mighty Ships is a documentary television program produced by Exploration Production Inc. in Canada. It is aired on Discovery Channel Canada and also broadcast around the world...
, a production of Discovery Channel Canada
Discovery Channel Canada
Discovery Channel is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel devoted to nature, adventure, science and technology programming. Discovery Channel is currently owned by CTV Specialty Television Inc...
which aired during the summer of 2010.
Oasis had a minor refit in winter 2011, adding the DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
Experience which is when passengers are able to interact with characters such as Shrek
Shrek
Shrek is a 2001 American computer-animated fantasy comedy film directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson, featuring the voices of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. Loosely based on William Steig's 1990 fairy tale picture book Shrek!...
on board the ship. The Oasis class also now features 3D
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
movies. Oasis is scheduled to enter dry-dock in Spring 2014.
As of November 14, 2011 Royal Caribbean has stated that Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
will now be featured on the Oasis of the Seas. Therefore now all the Oasis class ships have a Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
since Allure of the Seas has had one since its inaugural sailing. Since Starbucks has been added to the Oasis class ships on Allure of the Seas Starbucks has raised sale percentage up 3.9 % since June 2011.
Technical details
The gross tonnageGross tonnage
Gross tonnage is a unitless index related to a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage...
of the Oasis of the Seas is 225,282. Her displacement
Displacement (ship)
A ship's displacement is its weight at any given time, generally expressed in metric tons or long tons. The term is often used to mean the ship's weight when it is loaded to its maximum capacity. A number of synonymous terms exist for this maximum weight, such as loaded displacement, full load...
—the actual mass of the vessel—is estimated at approximately 100,000 tons, about the same as that of an American .
To keep the ship stable without increasing the draft excessively, the designers created a wide hull. About 30 feet (9 m) of the ship sits beneath the water, a small percentage of the ship's overall height. Wide, shallow ships such as this tend to be "snappy", meaning that they can snap back upright after a wave has passed, which can be uncomfortable. This effect, however, is mitigated by the vessel's large size. The cruise ship's officers were pleased with the ship's stability and performance during the transatlantic crossing, when the vessel, in order to allow finishing work to go on, slowed and changed course in the face of winds "almost up to hurricane force" and seas in excess of 40 feet (12 m).
The ship's power comes from six marine diesel engines, three Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
16-cylinder common rail
Common rail
Common rail direct fuel injection is a modern variant of direct fuel injection system for petrol and diesel engines.On diesel engines, it features a high-pressure fuel rail feeding individual solenoid valves, as opposed to low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors...
diesels producing 18860 kW each and three similar 12-cylinder engines each producing 13860 kW. The fuel consumption of the main engines is 1,377 gallons of fuel oil per engine per hour for the 16-cylinder engines and 1,033 gallons per hour per engine for the 12-cylinder engines. The total output of these prime mover
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
s, some 97020 kW, is converted to electricity, used in hotel power for operation of the lights, elevators, electronics, galleys, water treatment plant, and all of the other systems used on the operation of the vessel, as well as propulsion. Propulsion is provided by three 20000 kW Azipod
Azipod
Azipod is the registered brand name of the ABB Group for their azimuth thruster. Originally developed in Finland jointly by Kvaerner Masa-Yards dockyards and ABB, these are marine propulsion units consisting of electrically driven propellers mounted on a steerable pod.The pod's propeller usually...
s, ABB's brand of electric azimuth thruster
Azimuth thruster
An azimuth thruster is a configuration of ship propellers placed in pods that can be rotated in any horizontal direction, making a rudder unnecessary...
s. These pods, suspended under the stern, contain electric motors driving 20 feet (6 m) propellers. Because they are rotatable, no rudders are needed to steer the ship. Docking is assisted by four 5500 kW transverse bow thruster
Bow thruster
A bow thruster is a transversal propulsion device built into, or mounted to, the bow of a ship or boat to make it more maneuverable. Bow thrusters make docking easier, since they allow the captain to turn the vessel to port or starboard without using the main propulsion mechanism which requires...
s.
The ship carries 18 lifeboats that hold 370 people each, for a total of 6,660 people. Inflatable life rafts provide for additional passengers and crew.
Amenities
Oasis of the Seas offers passengers features such as two-story loft suites and luxury suites measuring 1600 ft2 with balconies overlooking the sea or promenades. The ship features a zip-lineZip-line
A zip-line consists of a pulley suspended on a cable mounted on an incline...
, a casino, a mini-golf course, multiple night clubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, comedy club, five swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, theme parks and nurseries for children.
Onboard recreational, athletic, and entertainment activities are organized into seven themed areas called "neighborhoods", a concept which bears resemblance to theme park planning. These neighborhoods are:
- Central Park features boutiques, restaurants and bars, including access to the Rising Tide bar, which can be raised or lowered between three decks. It has the first living park at sea with over 12,000 plants and 56 trees.
- The Pool and Sports Zone features a sloped-entry beach pool and two surf simulators.
- Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center features a spa for teens.
- Boardwalk features a handcrafted carousel, restaurants, bars, shops, two rock-climbing walls, and a temporary tattoo parlor. Its outdoor 750-seat AquaTheatre amphitheater hosts the ship's largest freshwater pool.
- Royal Promenade features restaurants and shops and is viewable from a mezzanineMezzanine (architecture)In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
. - Youth Zone features a science lab and computer gaming.
- Entertainment Place
Naming ceremony and launch party
The ship was formally namedShip naming and launching
The ceremonies involved in naming and launching naval ships are based in traditions thousands of years old.-Methods of launch:There are three principal methods of conveying a new ship from building site to water, only two of which are called "launching." The oldest, most familiar, and most widely...
on 30 November 2009 during a charity sailing for Make a Wish Foundation. At this ceremony the ship was sponsored by seven "godmothers", each representing one of the seven neighbourhoods on board. The godmothers were Gloria Estefan
Gloria Estefan
Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo García de Estefan; known professionally as Gloria Estefan is a Cuban-born American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known as the "Queen Of Latin Pop", she is in the top 100 best selling music artists with over 100 million albums sold worldwide, 31.5 million of those...
, Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Wingshan Kwan is an American figure skater. She is a two-time Olympic medalist, a five-time World champion and a nine-time U.S...
, Dara Torres
Dara Torres
Dara Grace Torres is an American international swimmer and a twelve-time Olympic medalist. Torres was the first swimmer from the United States to compete in five Olympic Games , and, at age 41, the oldest swimmer ever to earn a place on the U.S. Olympic team...
, Keshia Knight Pulliam
Keshia Knight Pulliam
Keshia Knight Pulliam is an American actress. She is most recognized for her childhood role as Rudy Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show. Currently, she appears as reformed con artist Miranda Lucas-Payne on the TBS comedy-drama Tyler Perry's House of Payne.-Personal life:Keshia...
, Shawn Johnson
Shawn Johnson
Shawn Machel Johnson is an American artistic gymnast. She was the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and all-around, and floor exercise silver medalist, the 2007 all-around World Champion, and the 2007 and 2008 U.S. all-around champion...
, Jane Seymour
Jane Seymour (actress)
Jane Seymour, OBE is an English actress best known for her performances in the James Bond film Live and Let Die , East of Eden , Onassis: The Richest Man in the World , and the American television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman...
and Daisy Fuentes
Daisy Fuentes
Daisy Fuentes is a Cuban-American television host, model, and comedian. Daisy Fuentes broke barriers as MTV's first Latina VJ , and as Revlon's first Latina spokesperson to be signed to a worldwide contract.-Early life:Fuentes was born in Havana, Cuba to a Cuban father and Spanish mother...
.
On 1 December 2009, a four-night pre-inaugural sailing began from Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, calling at Labadee in Haiti (3 December) and returning to Port Everglades, before the ship left Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on 5 December 2009 on its maiden voyage, calling at (8 December) St. Thomas, (9 December) St. Maarten, and (11 December) Nassau.