The Oasis and Allure of the Seas Ships
♦ Routes (free): Detailed travel itineraries in USA
Royal Caribbean is known for breaking records in the size of its cruise ships and their special facilities. When the Voyager of the Seas was launched over a decade ago, weighing 138,000 tons, it was the largest ship in the world with facilities never before seen in the oceans, including a five-story high internal promenade, a climbing wall, mini-golf, an ice skating rink, and more. After seven years, the record was broken by the Freedom of the Seas, weighing 160,000 tons, which included additional innovations such as a surfing pool and giant whirlpools protruding from the sides of the ship.
But there is no doubt that the Oasis of the Seas (launched at the end of 2009) and the Allure of the Seas (launched at the end of 2010) are a true revolution in the shipping industry. Amazing and unique ships that represent a masterpiece of creation and technology with facilities beyond all imagination! Sailing on them is a magical experience, and even veteran passengers find themselves amazed and enraptured by the ship and its facilities.
These are the largest ships in the world (at the time of their launch) and are significantly larger than any other ship launched until then. They broke the previous record (also held by Royal Caribbean) by about 40 percent! The weight of each is 225,000 tons! The length of the ships is 360 meters, their width is 64 meters, and their height above sea level is 65 meters. The ships have 16 floors, 24 passenger elevators, and are designed to accommodate 6,296 passengers at full capacity ("only" 5,400 at double occupancy) and 2,165 crew members (from over 70 countries!).
Since their launch, the company has already launched more ships of this class from then until today, so there are now six giant ships in this series.
Names of all ships in the series: Harmony®, Allure®, Symphony®, Oasis®, Wonder® and Utopia of the Seas℠
About two of them, you can read in my other articles(: Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas .
Did you know? There are ten medical staff members on the ship, including three doctors, six nurses, and one administrator. Most of their work is treating the large crew of ship workers, more than the passengers themselves.
In addition to their massive size, they represent a real revolution in the field of cruise ships and include facilities, areas, and attractions never before seen on water. The ships have seven defined "neighborhoods": The most innovative neighborhood of all is "Central Park". This is a huge park, longer than a football field, entirely open to the air, abundant with (natural) vegetation located in the center of the ship, with over 12,000 plants including tropical vegetation, bamboo, tall trees reaching 2.5 stories high, climbers, vines, and landscaped gardens combining a variety of artworks from around the world. Four expert gardeners will be happy to teach passengers about the vegetation, gardening methods, and the ecology of Caribbean flora. The park features walking paths, a selection of restaurants and cafes, and rooms with balconies overlooking the park. Street performances and entertainment shows are held in the park in the evening.
The most prestigious restaurant on the ship (for an additional fee) is located in the park and is called: 150 Central Park. This is a trendy restaurant with branches in New York and Los Angeles, whose chef won the title of "Best Young Chef in the World". Another unique neighborhood is the "Boardwalk", reminiscent in character of the seaside boardwalk in Coney Island or Atlantic City. The neighborhood simulates a pier full of activities and attractions. Two cool attractions are the Zip Line, where you glide above the neighborhood (from the sports deck) at speed at a height of 9 floors (this is the first zip line in the heart of the sea) over a length of 25 meters, and a hand-carved carousel with classic figures of horses, a lion, a tiger, a zebra, and more (total of 21 figures), loved by the little ones and evoking nostalgia in adults. The process of making the carousel took eight full months.
Classic carnival shooting games invite passengers to try their luck at various aims, at "Madame Zamra's" booth they will paint tattoos (temporary, don't worry...) on your body (for a fee), and of course, there is no lack of classic food stalls, such as: a "Donuts" stand (free), an ice cream stand (for a fee), and a candy store (for a fee). A bar, a classic Johnny Rockets diner, and a Seafood Shack restaurant (both for a fee) are also located on the boardwalk in the middle of the sea.
A favorite shop especially for children is "Pets at Sea", where children can make a plush toy to their liking. They choose the animal, fill it, dress it, and decorate it as they wish (for a fee, of course).
The highlight of the "neighborhood" and the main innovation is the "Aqua Theater" located at the stern of the ship: this is an amphitheater overlooking a pool 5.4 meters deep, considered the deepest pool on cruise ships. It is also used as a pool for various water activities such as diving lessons (for a fee), water games, and day shows, but mainly as a stage for various water shows including impressive fountain shows combined with lights and music. The sight of a hundred water jets shooting into the air to a height of over 20 meters is spectacular. The most impressive of all is the evening show, which includes acrobats and jumps from high diving boards above the pool, among which is a trampoline and behind them a trapeze, as well as water ballet performances. Additionally, a humorous day show is held featuring stunts and spectacular jumps into the water. This is the only pool in the heart of the sea whose height can be adjusted to suit the different shows (deep pool for jumpers and shallow for water ballet). Inside the pool, there are cameras filming the performers from an interesting angle. Everything is broadcast on two giant screens on the sides of the main stage. The pool is surrounded by an amphitheater with about 700 seats.
On both sides of the Aqua Theater are giant climbing walls rising to a height of six stories. Surrounding the "Boardwalk" are rooms with balconies overlooking all the action of the "neighborhood". The balconies of six unique suites overlook the Aqua Theater, so those living in them can watch the show every evening without leaving the room.
The third "neighborhood" is the "Royal Promenade", a central space serving as a giant shopping and entertainment center. The "Voyager" and "Freedom" series ships also have an impressive "Royal Promenade", but that of the "Oasis" series has been upgraded and enlarged: its width is twice that of previous ship series and its length is the length of a football field. The enormous space has a glass ceiling from which "Central Park" is visible. Between the Royal Promenade and Central Park moves back and forth, rising and falling three floors, a bar called Rising Tide Bar, the first moving bar at sea, where you can enjoy a cocktail while hovering slowly and peacefully to a height of three floors.
The Royal Promenade serves as the main shopping area on the ship. It has eight shops selling everything from clothes and jewelry to cosmetics and products with the Royal Caribbean logo. An art gallery and even a barbershop for men can be found on that very same floor.
Nine restaurants and bars are located on the Royal Promenade, including a pizzeria (free), a cafe called "Cafe Promenade" (food is free, quality coffee for an additional fee), a coffee bar, a karaoke bar, a Latin dance club, a pub called "Atlas Pub", and several other bars. In front of the "Atlas Pub" is a giant globe, which can open, from which a bridge and a performance stage are deployed, upon which various shows take place. At the rear of the Royal Promenade, there is a mezzanine floor (where the bar and the "Frequent Traveler" club are located) from which you can look down on what's happening on the floor below. There are also 18 rooms with views of this neighborhood, where colorful parades and processions are held from time to time, as well as dance parties. The ship's captain delivers his speech and takes photos with his passengers in this "neighborhood".
Children and teenagers also received their own "neighborhood": "The Youth Zone". This is the largest area dedicated so far to children and youth on passenger ships. It stretches over more than 2,500 square meters and includes three main areas: "Kids Avenue", which serves as the main hangout and entertainment area for children aged 3-11. From this avenue, you reach various children's clubs: "Aquanauts" - for ages 3-5, "Explorers" - for ages 6-8, and "Voyagers" for ages 9-11. These three groups also have shared recreation areas: "Adventure Ocean Theater", a theater with a stage, screen, audience seats, and modern production equipment, which will allow children to participate in various shows, such as a young talent show. Among the activities offered to children, drama and acting classes will be given. Other unique rooms include the "Imagination Studio" which serves as a craft workshop (the company has a special program in collaboration with "Crayola" for colors) and the "Adventure Science Lab" equipped with the best technology and intended for curious children who will perform various educational experiments (such as: creating a volcano from baking soda). Energetic children can play in an area called "Play" with various sports facilities, such as an indoor soccer field, and in the game facilities at "Kid's Arcade": various video games especially suitable for children up to age 12.
In the "Oasis" series, the first nursery on Royal Caribbean ships for toddlers aged six months to three years was inaugurated: "Royal Babies and Tots nursery", where parents can leave their children in the hands of a professional and skilled team or play with them in a playroom with a variety of Fisher-Price and Crayola games. Teenagers have a unique area for themselves called: "Living Room" (similar to the area of the "Voyager" and "Freedom" series but of course, larger). In the "Living Room" there is a large selection of computers, a bar serving non-alcoholic "Mock-tails", and they teach the youth how to be a DJ. Adjacent is a teen disco called "Fuel" as well as a private deck intended for teenagers only. On the ship, there is also a large video game room called: The Challenger's Arcade featuring the latest in video games (for an additional fee).
Did you know? On the Oasis there are 21 swimming pools and whirlpools that together contain 2,300 tons of water.
One of the productions in the main show hall is a musical shown on Broadway stages with great success for many years: in "Oasis" it is "Hairspray" and in "Allure" the musical "Chicago".
Did you know? In the scenery for the "Hairspray" musical on the ship, 9 million LED bulbs are used, exactly like in the theater on Broadway.
Of course, the ship also has an ice skating rink, Studio B, similar to the one in the "Voyager" and "Freedom" series where passengers can demonstrate their skating skills or receive skating lessons during the day, and in the evening, an impressive ice skating show full of effects is held at the venue.
During each cruise, six shows are presented in the different halls of the ship. In order to avoid crowding, lines, and an unequal distribution of spectators, it is possible (and highly recommended) to book the shows for all days of the cruise in advance (free of charge). This can be done ahead of time via the internet, on the first day of the cruise in one of the halls, or via the interactive TV screen in the room, which also allows you to book excursions and view your account status at any given moment.
The ship has a large variety of rooms in different sizes and types. It has 2,706 rooms, of which only 496 are internal, 254 external with a window, and 1,956 rooms with a balcony. In addition to them, there are rooms facing various "neighborhoods" such as Central Park (see above) and two-story "lofts" of four different types, where the principle in all is that the living room and guest toilets are on the lower floor, while the bedroom with toilet and shower is on the upper floor. There are also a variety of luxury suites on the ship, some with a double whirlpool and some even with a piano! The largest suite of all, the Presidential Family Suite, is intended for 14 passengers and includes four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
Did you know? On the ship there are 28 kitchens in which 19 chefs and 221 cooks work. In the ship's food and beverage department, 1,075 people work!
The "Oasis" series ships are considered the "greenest" ships built so far in terms of their carbon emissions. It is estimated that they are about 30-40 percent greener compared to average passenger ships. They are also considered the most stable ships: during a voyage in the Atlantic Ocean in stormy seas with waves over 13 meters, the ship swayed at a maximum of 3.5 degrees.