Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas Set to Resume Cruise Service

Posted on 7 September, 2021 by Spacejunkie2

After a 17-month pause, the Oasis of the Seas is back in cruise service for Royal Caribbean International.

Sailing on its first post-pandemic commercial cruise later today, the first Oasis-Class vessel is launching service from Bayonne, in the New York region.

Based in New York the first time, the vessel is now offering a series of seven-night voyages to the Bahamas.

Through the end of October, Oasis is making weekly visits to Nassau, Port Canaveral and Perfect Day at CocoCay – Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas.

Home to North America’s tallest waterslides, the popular port of call features unique attractions and saw a $250 million transformation in 2019.

After the New York program, the Oasis is repositioning to Miami for the winter season. Through December, the vessel is sailing alternate itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, including stops in Mexico, Honduras, St. Maarten and Puerto Rico.

One of the world’s largest cruise ships, the 2009-built Oasis of the Seas has a capacity for over 5,400 guests.

Built-in Finland, the vessel introduced a groundbreaking design that is highlighted by features such as Central Park, a park with real plants, surrounded by shops and restaurants.

The vessel also has its public areas divided into seven different zones, known as neighbourhoods. Each one of them has a different appeal, with unique attractions. The BoardWalk, for instance, reproduces a seaside pier, with a carousel, carnival games, retail outlets and eateries.

The Oasis of the Seas was also the first ship to feature a dancing-waters theatre, a zip-line and a moving bar.

In 2019, the vessel underwent a $165 million refurbishment in Spain as part of the Royal Amplification program.

After a two months period in drydock, the ship emerged with new additions, such as the tallest slide at sea – Ultimate Abyss; The Perfect Storm trio of waterslides; a reimagined Caribbean pool deck; and new kids and teens spaces.

The Oasis of the Seas is the 14th Royal Caribbean ship to resume service since the COVID-19 pandemic operational pause.

The ship is also the tenth to return to service for the operator in the United States after the Freedom of the Seas became the first ship to do so in July.

With a 25-ship fleet, Royal Caribbean plans to have 21 vessels in service by the end of the year.

Royal Caribbean Is Back Cruising in the Caribbean

Posted on 15 June, 2021 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean International is back in service in the Caribbean as the Adventure of the Seas departed from Nassau on Saturday, marking the company’s first sailing in North America in some 15 months.

The Adventure welcomed more than 1,000 vacationers on its opening cruise according to the company.

The ship set sail with the fully vaccinated crew and fully vaccinated guests 16 years of age or older, who make up 94 per cent of all guests onboard while the remaining 6 per cent of guests are children younger than 16.

The ship now begins a summer lineup of 7-night sailings to Perfect Day at CocoCay, Grand Bahama Island and Cozumel.

“The return of Adventure of the Seas marks a start in the tremendous step forward our guests have been waiting for and we’ve been working toward for more than 15 months. This is all possible thanks to the government of The Bahamas, the support of our partners and the hard work of our teams across Royal Caribbean,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.

“We are excited to welcome back our guests and crew and to help our Caribbean family regain the benefits of tourism their communities depend on. This is just the beginning, as we get ready to set sail from the U.S. for the first time on July 2.”

Royal Caribbean Relaunches Cruise Service in North America This June

Posted on 20 March, 2021 by Spacejunkie2

Royal Caribbean International will be the first major contemporary cruise line back in service in North America, relaunching cruises in June from Nassau with the Adventure of the Seas offering weeklong itineraries starting on June 12.

“We’ve been working on the return to service for well over a year for this market,” said Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support and service, Royal Caribbean International. “We’ve been sailing successfully in Singapore and feel very confident about our strong protocols that are in place.”

The weeklong sailings will operate below 100 per cent occupancy to start on the 3,100-guest Adventure, and ramp up occupancy rates over time, said Freed.

All crew will be vaccinated and guests will be required to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination. Guests under 18 will need a negative PCR test.

Freed said Nassau was a great jumping-off point for people to cruise from with 24 daily flights from 13 major U.S. airports.

The cruise will call on Perfect Day at CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island and its highest-rated port globally, where the ship will spend two days.

Other port stops include Grand Bahama and Cozumel, where the company will only allow guests off the ship on Royal Caribbean-organized shore excursions.

“With our own little bubble, we can really make sure the health and safety protocols are being followed,” Freed told Cruise Industry News via phone.

The Adventure will thus join the Quantum of the Seas, sailing from Singapore, and the Odyssey of the Seas, sailing from Haifa, as the Royal Caribbean ships back in service.

As for why the company decided on the 2001-built Adventure and Freed said the Voyager-class ship was the right ship for the deployment, with all the company’s bells and whistles, having come off a major refurbishment in 2018.

Itineraries are currently scheduled from June through August, and Freed said the next logical steps were getting more ships back in service in North America, as well as increasing occupancy on the Adventure over time.

Among major product changes, Freed pointed to the company’s e-mustering system, allowing guests to attend the muster drill from their stateroom or using a mobile device on an individual basis. She also noted a more digital cruise experience, using mobile phones to access restaurant menus, for example.