The biggest cruise ship in the world is a winner. That’s what Royal Caribbean is telling everyone about the Oasis of the Seas, the ship that was six years in the building and now Royal’s flagship.
Oasis was launched in December, in Fort Lauderdale, after a 12-day ocean voyage from its birthplace, Finland. It continues to operate from Fort Lauderdale in its maiden season of cruising the Caribbean.
Unless you’re a big-ship person – and we happen to be two people who like cruise ships of all shapes and sizes – you may find the success of the Oasis of the Seas interesting only because it can impact on your cruise budget.
Look at it this way: The more big ships there are, the more heads are needed to fill those beds at sea. That means big ships, while you may find them a little pricier, actually help control the cost of cruising for everybody.
If you buy into that theory, the news that Royal plans a period of consolidation after the Allure, sister ship to the Oasis, hits the water next December could be interpreted as sad news. On the other hand, how long is “a period” of consolidation?
That’s it, we’re done.