Awesome
Oasis
Oasis of the Seas is
a city on the ocean
Oasis of the Seas
a city on the ocean
By Ralph Grizzle
IN DECEMBER, Royal Caribbean Inter-national® will introduce the world’s largest
cruise ship: the Oasis of the Seas SM. Let’s start
by getting the size factor out of the way. Yes,
the ship is mammoth— 50 percent larger than
the next largest cruise ship. It will span 16
decks, encompass 220,000 gross registered
tons and, if full, could hold 6,200 guests.
It is natural to focus on Oasis’ size. Will it
float? Will it fit into ports? Will it take half a
day to get on and off? With Oasis, however,
size is not the story behind the ship.
the ocean. Other cabins will have views of
the line’s seven “neighborhoods,” such as
Central Park, the Boardwalk, home to the
Carousel, and other venues.
Parks, pools and more
Oasis will have amenities never seen afloat
before, such as a zip-line and a carousel. It will
also feature the first moving bar at sea,
which will ascend from the ship’s
Promenade area—with indoor
stores and cafés—to its Central
Park, an open-air “park” with
pathways, flower gardens
and canopy trees that spans
the length of a football field.
The Youth Zone features 28,700 square
feet just for kids and teens, with Kids Avenue,
a central boulevard connecting various themed
play areas; a nursery for infants and toddlers; and a theater for children. This
gives parents time to enjoy the
adults-only retreat, the open-air Solarium. Adults will have
their own swimming pool
and six whirlpools—four of
them cantilevered 136 feet
above the ocean.
The Costco
Connection
Costco Travel offers seven-
day Eastern and Western
Caribbean itineraries on Oasis
of the Seas. For more infor-
mation, visit Costco.com and
click on “Travel” or call toll
free 1-877-849-2730.
A pool situated at the
very back of the ship (the
deepest at sea) will by night
be an outdoor amphitheater,
hosting synchronized swimming events and diving shows
featuring Olympic athletes who will
jump from as high as 72 feet up. During the
day guests can swim or take scuba lessons in
the pool, or choose to relax on loungers
located on the surrounding tiered platforms.
Oasis has four pools: Two will be made to feel
like a beach, with sloped entries you can walk
into just as if you were walking into the ocean.
At night, the Solarium
becomes an adults-only setting for specialty dining and
outdoor dancing.
In Fort Lauderdale, where
Oasis and its similarly sized sister
ship Allure of the Seas (arriving in 2010) will
homeport, Port Everglades is building the
world’s largest terminal for the ships, with a
goal to get passengers from curbside to the
vessel in just 15 minutes.
Rooms with a view
Oasis revolutionizes cruise ship accommodations, with 37 different categories and
unique offerings such as duplex “loft suites”
that have 18-foot windows looking out to
Royal Caribbean’s “Nation of Why Not?”
campaign defines its fleet as the ideal destination to declare independence from ordinary
vacations. Clearly, Oasis will offer anything
but the ordinary. C
Ralph Grizzle is an American journalist
living in Europe.
Oasis Seas THE OF
Sail aboard Oasis of the SeasSM
round-trip from Fort Lauderdale for a
weeklong exploration of the Eastern
Caribbean featuring St. Thomas,
St. Maarten and the Bahamas.
Sail aboard Oasis of the SeasSM
Added values:
A $150 per-stateroom
shipboard credit†
From $949 per person*
Inside Stateroom
Valid for 8/28/10 sailing.
Visit
Costco.com or call Costco
Travel toll free at 1-877-849-2730.
*Price is per person based on double occupancy, is valid for select
stateroom categories only, is true and accurate at time of printing,
and might not include government taxes/fees and gratuities.
Restrictions and blackout dates might apply. All offers and
inclusions are subject to availability, may change or be terminated
without notice and are valid for new bookings only. Unless
otherwise noted, offers are not combinable with select rate codes,
coupons or other offers. Travel purchases are not included in the
Executive Membership 2% Reward program. Offer shown is cruise-only and is valid on select dates. Cancellation and change fees
might apply. Costco Travel disclaims liability for any inaccuracies or
typographical errors. Ship’s registry: The Bahamas.
†Shipboard credit is per stateroom based on cruise-only fare. Value
of shipboard credit is determined by the specific category booked
for 1st and 2nd passengers only. For bookings made within three
weeks of departure, shipboard credit is not guaranteed. Costco
Travel is registered as a seller of travel in each of
the states listed: California registration number:
CST 2054248-50 • Florida registration number: ST
32555 • Hawaii registration number: TAR 5595
• Iowa registration number: TA 620 • Nevada
registration number: 2007-0060 • Washington
registration number: WST 602042600. Registration
as a California Seller of Travel does not constitute
approval by the state. 09TR0301 11/08
