Biggest isn’t always necessarily best. For example, would you really want to fly on a plane that carries 840 passengers as the new all-economy double-decker Airbus A380 will be configured?

Or would you take to the seas in a ship with around 6,000 other passengers when it is full?

Imagine a ship that if turned upright bow-to-stern would dwarf either the One Canada Square sky scraper in London’s Canary Wharf or the Chrysler Building in New York. How about one that is one and a half times taller than the O2 Arena?

I think you get the picture. And for that reason alone I’d certainly take the latter option, given the vast amount of space available across seven dedicated zones and spanning 16 decks.

There’s only one ship I can be talking about, of course – Royal Caribbean International’s 225,282-ton Oasis of the Seas – which enters into service from its home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on December 5.

This inaugural sailing will include exclusive entertainment and gifts for passengers to commemorate the special occasion.
The buzz of anticipation surrounding Oasis – and its sister ship Allure of the Seas which is due to start taking passengers in late 2010 – is reaching a crescendo this week with a range of pre-inaugural cruise events in Florida leading up to a massive formal naming ceremony on Monday (November 30).

Given that Oasis of the Seas is the largest cruise ship ever built – dwarfing even the likes of Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 – it comes as no surprise that it gets not one, but seven godmothers.

A gaggle of godmothers

Olympic medallists, a singer and actresses are among the seven women chosen to help with the official naming.
Royal Caribbean is involving multiple personalities to reflect the ship’s seven different ‘neighbourhoods’ on board instead of the traditional single godmother.

Amongst the gaggle of godmothers is singer Gloria Estefan, actress Jane Seymour, Olympic figure skater Michele Kwan, Olympic swimmer Dara Torres and Olympic medal winner Shawn Johnson. Granted, not all household names in the UK, but enough female talent to wow US audiences.

They are all going to be involved in the formal naming ceremony of the vast vessel on November 30 before Oasis enters service on December 5 running seven-night Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale.

Something makes me think the first zip wire at sea – nine decks above an open-air atrium – will be incorporated into the formalities, although I have admit to having no insider knowledge.

The costliest cruise ship ever

What I do know, however, is that the most expensive cruise ship ever built – at $230,000 per berth – is jaw-droppingly impressive.
The list of cruise industry ‘firsts’ on Oasis is too long to go into here in great detail. However, the highlights for me have to be a vast area planted with trees, 28 multi-level urban-style loft suites boasting floor-to-ceiling windows, and amphitheatre-style outdoor venue that serves as a pool by day and an ocean front theatre by night.

I am also impressed by the contemporary nature of the entertainment being offered including fun family Broadway smash Hairspray.

There’s also a private performance by superstar singer Rihanna on Thursday followed by an appearance on US TV’s Good Morning America the following morning.

The official naming ceremony takes place on Monday, November 30, during a one night inaugural celebration fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in aid of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Then there is a special four-night cruise on December 1 to Royal Caribbean’s private island of Labadee in Haiti before the ship sees action for the first time on its regular schedule of seven-night sailings.

What is clear about Oasis is that the ship is reliant on good weather cruising given the amount of the vessel given over to outdoor activities, hence the reason it is sailing in the Caribbean year-round.

For that reason alone – plus restrictions on the ports a ship of that size can actually visit – I’m afraid it is unlikely we will be witnessing cruises from the UK on either Oasis of the Seas or its upcoming sisters. Although I’m prepared to be proved wrong.

Phil Davies

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Posted in New Ships, Oasis of the Seas