It doesn’t seem that long ago that my then girlfriend and I took our first cruise.
At the end of the 1980s we boarded 2,300-passenger Sovereign of the Seas in Miami, thinking this was the height of modern floating fun and relaxation.
Although built more than 30 years ago, the ship – now operating for Spanish company Pullmantur – gave newcomers like us a fantastic first insight into the whole cruise experience.
Sovereign was twice as large as its predecessors, Song of America and Sun Viking, with a dazzling five deck atrium containing glass elevators, grand staircases and fountains.
This was the first time such a huge atrium had been constructed in a passenger ship.
Wind forward to a decade ago, (and another girlfriend) and we were lucky enough to be amongst the first people to step on board the then largest cruise ship in the world – Voyager of the Seas.
So overcome I proposed
We couldn’t believe not only the size of the 3,114-passenger vessel towering above us but all the ground-breaking innovations to be found on board. Ice skating, rock climbing, a Royal Promenade with its shops, cafes and bars; inward facing cabins and what seemed to be an infinite number of places to eat and drink. There were even self-levelling pool tables. In fact, I was so overcome I proposed to said girlfriend on that cruise…
What’s more, the size of Voyager and its four sister ships didn’t make ports of call inaccessible. With a draught of just 29ft, the ships are able to visit the vast majority of destinations around the world, with the obvious exception of the Panama Canal.
We thought nothing could top that for the Wow factor. But then came the even bigger Freedom-class ships – an extension of the Voyager concept with larger pool areas, a surf simulator, hot tubs cantilevered over both sides and a boxing ring added.
How could we not fall for the fun-packed facilities on such a grand scale?
Although squarely aimed at parents and children of all ages, the five Voyager class and three 3,634-passenger Freedom class ships cater just as well for couples, singles, multi-generational families and groups of friends.
While originally built to be deployed for cruising in the Caribbean, both class of vessel has become a regular sight in European waters with Independence of the Seas extending its departures from Southampton to year-round rather than summer-only.
Floating my boat
The one thing these vast floating resorts have in common is they are all operated by the same company, Royal Caribbean International, a cruise business which has built its reputation on ‘pushing the envelope’ in terms of design and innovation.
Which leads me up to today and the official naming ceremony in Florida of the line’s momentous new £800 million Oasis of the Seas, a ship that has surpassed all others in terms of size, space and the spectacular on board offering (as you will have had difficulty missing, given the extensive newspaper, TV and online media coverage over the past week).
Back in the days when Sovereign of the Seas was cutting edge, I would have never imagined that the same company would be building a cruise ship capable of carrying 6,000-plus passengers with 12,000 plants in a giant open air park.
Yet this is now a reality with Oasis of the Seas, together with its sister ship Allure of the Seas, which is currently under construction in preparation for entering into service in just a year’s time.
Where else for Oasis?
While Oasis is to sail out of Fort Lauderdale – making an amazing cruise and stay option for lovers of Florida’s nearby theme parks – Royal Caribbean bosses have not ruled out the ship operating in other parts of the world.
As I intimated in last week’s blog, the mammoth new vessel could be making future appearances away from the Caribbean as and when port facilities allow, following in the wake of Navigator and Independence of the Seas, both of which have been based outside the US.
Girlfriends may have come and gone over the years but my love of these big ships remains constant.
While smaller, intimate ships, have their distinct merits due to their off the beaten track itineraries, I am still in awe of the sheer scale of these vessels.
And two children later, the cruise bug is contagious, it’s not only my wife who nags to step on board every holiday but our two young children who can’t get enough of the round the clock treasure hunts, ice cream parties, days at in the pool and quick bites of culture in between.
It makes me wonder what kind of ships they’ll be cruising on 30 years from now…
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