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Video: How One of the World’s Largest Cruise Ships Sails into St. Thomas

In:
14 Aug 2018

For Oasis of the Seas, one of the world’s largest cruise ships, arriving to St. Thomas in the Caribbean can be daunting. With narrow water ways, sailboats anchored in the harbor, a tight turn and just six feet of clearance below the keel, the water around this popular port is one of the most difficult to maneuver. But thanks to an expert marine team using the industry’s leading technology, arriving is just another day at the office for the Oasis of the Seas crew. With a local pilot offering his expertise on the currents and local marine environment, and powerful bow thrusters which gives the captain the control he needs to pull the 1,187-foot ship, this is nothing but smooth sailing.

Royal Caribbean announces enhanced online check-in process

In:
07 Aug 2018

Royal Caribbean announced today an easier online check-in process that aims to cut down the check-in process by 25%.

Guests will be asked to enter fewer data fields and can apply information, like credit card data, to multiple parties on their reservation. These improvements help guests move through the check-in process faster and easier.

The new online check-in features:

  • Fewer steps needed for check-in completion
  • Option to check in one person or your entire party simultaneously
  • Ability to edit previously entered information without repeating any steps
  • Easy add-guest or remove-guest functionality from check-in process
  • The ability to stop and save at any point
  • Easily pick up where you left off on either the website or the Royal Caribbean mobile App check in
  • Convenient digital SetSail pass for mobile use at terminal

The new online check-in process is already available for sailings onboard Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Grandeur of the Seas. Royal Caribbean plans to expand this functionality to other ships "in the near future".

Guests can check-in from 90 days to 72 hours prior to the sail date. If a guest misses the check-in window, the guest has the option to check-in at the Port.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas changes itinerary to avoid Hurricane Beryl

In:
07 Jul 2018

 Royal Caribbean informed guests sailing on the July 8th sailing of Oasis of the Seas their itinerary has been changed due to Hurricane Beryl’s projected path. 

Thanks to Royal Caribbean Blog reader Nick Vitani, we have a look at the email sent to guests booked on the affected sailing. 

Instead of sailing to the Western Caribbean as originally scheduled, Oasis of the Seas will opt for an Eastern Caribbean itinerary that will visit Nassau, St. Thomas and St. Maarten.

Video: Royal Caribbean Adventurist Shay Mitchell shares Caribbean cruise fun

In:
13 Nov 2017

Actress and avid traveler Shay Mitchell is Royal Caribbean's "Adventurist," and recently shared a number of video shorts that show off the kind of fun to be had on a Royal Caribbean cruise.

Having experiences Oasis of the Seas, Mitchell is featured in three new videos all about the kind of fun experiences onboard and onshore.

Known for her role in the TV drama, "Pretty Little Liars," Shay has made a name for herself visiting some incredible destinations around the world, from hot-air ballooning over Morocco to skydiving in Dubai.

Royal Caribbean expands new smartphone app to Oasis of the Seas

In:
05 Oct 2017

UPDATE: The app has been updated again and Oasis of the Seas references have been removed. Support for Oasis of the Seas will come in "a few weeks".

The latest version of Royal Caribbean's new smartphone app that is under development has been expanded to work on Oasis of the Seas.

Version 1.1.0 of the Royal Caribbean App was released, which expands functionality and makes it work on Oasis of the Seas, in addition to Allure of the Seas.

The new app version includes a few new features:

  • Learn about the hundreds of activities, movies, and shows available onboard
  • Explore off-ship adventures in places like the Bahamas, St. Thomas, Cozumel, and more
  • Peruse complete restaurant, bar, and lounge options
  • Plan a day of indulgence with our array of Vitality at Sea Spa offerings
  • Use deck plan illustrations to navigate the ship

Additionally, the daily planner is easier to navigate, and added a daily ticker with port, weather, and sunrise/ sunset information.

The app is available on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast Episode - Cruise firsts

In:
04 Oct 2017

Listen to the Show

Whether it's your first or fiftieth Royal Caribbean cruise, there is always something new to try.  It may not be new to Royal Caribbean, but trying something for the first time is a great experience.  This week, Justin and Wendy join us to talk about a number of first time experiences they had on a recent Oasis of the Seas cruise.

Share with me your thoughts, questions and comments via...

On this episode:
Running time:

7 things you might not know about Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas

In:
01 Oct 2017

Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas offers a lovely family vacation opportunity, and has some interesting anecdotes related to the ship's development and operation that we wanted to share.

This list is not a list of hidden secrets of things and ways to improve your Oasis of the Seas cruise experience.  Rather, this is an opportunity to share fun tidbits and factoids about a very popular Royal Caribbean cruise ship that continues to capture the attention of the cruising public.

Oasis of the Seas has seven Godmothers

It is maritime tradition for a ship to have a Godmother, which is a ceremonial position that serves more of a marketing role than anything else these days. Royal Caribbean decided to change things up and have not one, but seven Godmothers.  Why seven? The answer is one for each neighborhood on Oasis of the Seas.

Oasis of the Seas' Godmothers are Shawn Johnson, Daisy Fuentes, Jane Seymour, Michelle Kwan, Gloria Estefan, Darra Torres and Keisha Knight Pulliam.

Oasis of the Seas was known as Project Genesis

It's common in the cruise industry to begin working on a new class of ships under a project name and then announce a formal name later on. In the case of the Oasis-class, it was known as Project Genesis.

There is a small homage to the Project Genesis name on the Royal Promenade of Oasis of the Seas.

Name for crew area

The crew-only super highway that funnels food, services, and supplies to the 16 decks above stretches the entire length of the ship, and is called I-95. This is a reference to the major American highway that runs north and south on the eastern seaboard, from Maine to Florida.

A new terminal was created for Oasis of the Seas

When Royal Caribbean designed Oasis of the Seas, they realized she was so large and so different that they needed to also build a brand new cruise terminal to accommodate her.

The new terminal would need to be able to handle all the passengers, equipment, and supplies for the largest cruise ship in the world, so Royal Caribbean built the largest cruise ship terminal in the world at Terminal 18 in Port Everglades/Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

A 9,000 piece art collection

Oasis of the Seas is proud to blend spectacular art with its revolutionary architecture-over 9,000 art pieces have led it to be dubbed ’’a museum at sea.’’ 

The Boardwalk's inspiration

The Boardwalk neighborhood is a fun spot onboard for guests to catch a show, a bite to eat, or enjoy the ocean breeze any time of day or night.  Royal Caribbean's ship designers were inspired by the seaside piers that dot the coast of England and the nostalgic boardwalks of the past, such as Coney Island.

The centerpiece of Boardwalk is a one-of-a-kind carousel. The Boardwalk Neighborhood on Oasis is designed to be a breathtaking space for families inspired by the nostalgic seaside boardwalks of yesteryear; so the carousel was created using inspiration from turn-of-the-century carousel designs down to the very last detail.

Solar panels help light up the ship

21,000 square feet of thin solar film that produce enough power to light the ship’s Royal Promenade and Central Park areas.

Oasis of the Seas received the solar panels, after Royal Caribbean tested solar panel use on two of its Celebrity Solstice class ships.

While the solar panels may not a rapid payoff on its solar panel investment, the installation of these solar panels is what sustainability architects call “future proofing.” In other words, utilizing imperfect existing technology will pave the way for easy adoption of more efficient solar panels in the future. Old panels can be ripped off and new ones installed.

Other Royal Caribbean efforts to include more energy-efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems that can turn off automatically when balcony doors are left open too long.

Royal Caribbean delays Oasis of the Seas sailing further due to Hurricane Irma

In:
09 Sep 2017

Royal Caribbean announced today that Oasis of the Seas next sailing will be delayed by one additional day, and will now sail on Wednesday, September 13.

Oasis of the Seas had been scheduled to sail on September 10th, but Hurricane Irma has forced Royal Caribbean to keep the ship at sea to avoid the storm. As a result of the delay, Oasis will sail a 4-night itinerary to Cozumel instead. 

Guests scheduled to sail on the shorted sailing will have an increased refund of 50% of their cruise fare paid in the form of a refundable onboard credit, as well as an additional 50% future cruise credit.

Also due to Hurricane Irma, Royal Caribbean cancelled a chartered sailing of Majesty of the Seas that was scheduled to depart on September 11. Thirty One Gifts has made the decision to cancel this sailing. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Hurricane Irma is a category 3 storm with sustained winds of 130 mph. The storm is currently located north of Cuba and is moving northwest at 12 mph. The current forecast suggests that the eye will be coming ashore in the Lower to Middle Keys and Naples early Sunday morning, followed by Tampa Bay Sunday evening. The storm should exit the Florida area late Monday, pre-dawn Tuesday. This farther west track we have seen over the last couple days is due to Hurricane Jose's strength and its proximity to Hurricane Irma.

Video: Bonnie Tyler & DNCE sing Total Eclipse of the Heart on Royal Caribbean cruise ship during an eclipse

In:
21 Aug 2017

Bonnie Tyler performed a duet with DNCE of the Welsh singer's hit song, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" during a total solar eclipse.

The artists shared the AquaTheater stage aboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas as part of the Total Eclipse Cruise. The performance coincided with the Great American Eclipse that was 99 years in the making.

“As if moving our ship to sail along the eclipse’s path of totality to give our guests 100 percent visibility of this phenomenon wasn’t enough, we wanted to take it to another level – just above ‘out of this world’,” said Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International. “Royal Caribbean is known as the most innovative cruise line, always pushing to create bigger and bolder adventures for vacationers. We’re excited to have DNCE and Bonnie on board, and even more thrilled to have seen the looks on our guests’ faces when she was brought on stage to sing ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart.’ This is what we live for – to make unforgettable memories. ”

As the moon made its way to cover the sun for the celestial event of the century, DNCE took center stage in Oasis of the Seas’ open-air AquaTheater, performing the band’s chart-topping hits, including “Kissing Strangers,” “Body Moves” and, of course, “Cake by the Ocean.” The concert culminated in the ultimate performance by DNCE and the Welsh-born singer. All eyes were on Joe Jonas and Tyler, alongside DNCE bandmates Cole Whittle, JinJoo and Jack Lawless, as they sang a powerful remix of Tyler’s classic, paying tribute to the solar eclipse.

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