It will soon be three years since Oasis of the Seas raised the bar on the size of cruise ships, by many hundreds of berths and millions of dollars.
Perhaps like no other ship before it, Oasis became known as the "biggest cruise ship in the world" — a title other vessels have worn with less fanfare, not to mention size. The Oasis, technically, became No. 2 when its near-identical sister, Allure of the Seas, was launched 363 days later.
News item: There is talk that a little sister (or at least third one) will arrive in 2016, to join Royal Caribbean's Oasis Class. According to CEO Richard Fain, if the order is placed — and while it's no guarantee it's likely to happen — the ship will be built at "a lower cost, with better energy efficiency" and will be a ship that "is very consistent with our balanced goals of prudent growth, return improvement and debt reduction."
At least until then, Allure of the Seas will maintain the title — it is about six inches longer than Oasis.
That and the name that's stenciled and painted onto the bow and stern is the only difference. Both can carry up to 6,296 passengers and 2,394 crew members, according to the independent "news" source known as Wikipedia. From a population standpoint, we have lived in towns smaller than that.
The arrivals of these mega ships raised the obvious question: Could cruise ships ever become destinations?
It's a question we have asked of ship captains, hotel directors and cruise-line executives. The answers run from "it will never happen" to "that's a possibility" to "they already are."
So, take your pick.
If the "BCSITW" was sitting in warm waters for a week, never visiting a port, would that be an attraction?
Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas
7 nights
February 9, 2013
New Orleans (return): Falmouth, Grand Cayman, Cozumel
Inside: $449
Cost per day: $64
www.royalcaribbean.com