Keel Laid for Royal Caribbean’s Seventh Oasis Class Ship
Royal Caribbean announced that it has celebrated a construction milestone for the seventh Oasis-class vessel with a keel-laying ceremony at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
The event marks the start of assembly of the company’s new ship and kicks off the next two years of construction ahead of its anticipated 2028 debut.
Royal Caribbean said in a press release that during the ceremony, teams from Royal Caribbean and Chantiers de l’Atlantique placed a layer of freshly minted coins beneath the first steel block in the drydock, known as the keel.
The long-standing maritime tradition celebrates the beginning of the ship’s journey by wishing good fortune to the ship, its crew and future vacationers.
More details about the seventh Oasis Class vacation will be announced in due course.
The vessels arrived in the region in May, kicking off a series of cruises departing from Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada.
The Disney Magic started its first season in the region in late May following a drydock in Victoria.
The 1998-built ship is now offering weeklong cruises that sail roundtrip from the Canada Place Cruise Terminal and include visits to Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan and Skagway.
Following a winter deployment on the West Coast, the Disney Wonder also began its season in Alaska in May.
Offering similar itineraries, the 1,750-passenger vessel is sailing roundtrip from Vancouver for seven-night cruises to Ketchikan, Juneau and Skagway.
Disney’s itineraries in the region are also highlighted by scenic cruising at Dawes Glacier and the Inside Passage.
The two ships are set to remain in Alaska through late September, each offering over 15 departures in the region.
Both ships are scheduled to offer fall cruises on the West Coast after the record-breaking season in the Pacific Northwest.
The Disney Magic will operate a series of itineraries to the Mexican Riviera and Baja California before embarking on a repositioning cruise to Texas.
The vessel’s season in the region runs through early November, when it is scheduled to offer a 14-night Panama Canal voyage that ends in Galveston.
Operating on the West Coast year-round, the Disney Wonder is set to offer cruises from San Diego through early 2027.
The vessel’s schedule includes both short cruises to Baja California and six- and seven-night itineraries to the Mexican Riviera.
In addition to Isla Catalina and Ensenada, the 1999-built ship is scheduled to make visits to Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán.
Carnival to Introduce New Cruise Card Design; Updated Milestone Program
Carnival Cruise Line is introducing a new design for its Sail & Sign cards, as well as a new milestone recognition system as part of the new Carnival Rewards loyalty program.
In a recent interview with the company’s Brand Ambassador John Heald, President Christine Duffy detailed the changes.
“We know how important it is to recognize our guests’ loyalty, and I’m excited to share that in the new program we are actually changing the way we count milestones,” she explained.
Instead of taking into consideration the number of cruises each guest has taken, the new system will be based on the number of days spent onboard.
“For people who tend to take longer cruises, it used to take them just as long as someone who has taken shorter cruises to get to the milestones,” Duffy added.
“With the new program, passengers will be able to achieve milestones faster using days sailed rather than just counting individual cruises,” she continued.
Once a guest opts in for the new program, past cruises will be converted into days, she added, noting that rewards for milestones also changed.
Passengers will receive 5,000 Carnival Rewards points once they achieve 50 days sailed with the company.
The program also offers 10,000 points for guests who reach 100 days onboard, as well as an additional 10,000 points when reaching 500 days sailed.
Carnival is also offering onboard recognitions, commemorative coins, onboard credit, and other rewards.
After the initial milestones, passengers will receive an additional 10,000 points every time they add another 100 days to their count.
As part of the changes, the company is also introducing redesigned Sail & Sign cards, which will now include the number of days passengers have sailed with Carnival.
With a vertical design, the new cards will also feature the Carnival Rewards logo, in addition to different colors for each of the program’s tiers.
Duffy also explained that passengers who are part of the company’s current loyalty program have until the end of 2030 to take advantage of unused benefits.
“They’ll still have to opt in to the new program; their number of total days will show on the card, and then they can work towards the new milestone on the new program,” she said.
The new system replaces the VIFP Club, which has been in use since 2012, and is a point-based reward loyalty program.
Duffy highlighted the new system, noting that the new points can be redeemed for “almost anything onboard,” from shore excursions to spa treatments, specialty dining and beverage packages.
Passengers can also earn points at the company’s private destinations of Celebration Key and RelaxAway at Half Moon Cay.
Users of the company’s Mastercard credit card earn points with everyday spending as well, Duffy added.
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