Oasis of the Seas Christened by 7 Godmothers

Last night, Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis of the Seas was officially named at a gala ceremony at Florida’s Port Everglades with not one but seven Godmothers

To start with they went back to popular performer Gloria Estefan already a one-time Godmother for now retired ship Empress of the Seas, others were taken from other performing arts and include star-studded stable of talent ranging from actors to Olympians. Here they are

• Gloria Estefan, singer, songwriter, actor and author, who was godmother of Royal Caribbean’s Empress of the Seas
• Michelle Kwan, Olympic Games medalist is an all-time great and the most decorated figure skater in United States history, and is also an American Public Diplomacy envoy promoting education, positive health practices and respect for diversity
• Jane Seymore, Emmy and Golden Globe winning actor, as well as an Officer of the British Empire, who remains actively involved in the J and J Foundation benefiting children in need. Based on her philosophy that keeping an open heart despite adversity can bring a wealth of love, hope and inspiration into life, she founded the website www.KeepAnOpenHeart.com, a community where people can share stories and engage in a dialogue about living with an open heart.
• Dara Torres, twelve-time Olympic medalist and oldest female swimmer to compete in a record five Olympic games (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000 and 2008
• Keshia Knight Pulliam, film and television actress is well-known for her role as Rudy Huxtable on the classic sitcom “The Cosby Show.” The youngest actress ever nominated for an Emmy Award when she was only 6 years old, she presently stars on the TBS television comedy “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” and was most recently seen starring in the hit motion picture “Madea Goes To Jail.”
• Shawn Johnson, four-time medalist at the 2008 Olympic games for women’s gymnastics and cancer philanthropist, who in addition to serving as a godmother for Oasis of the Seas, will be granting wishes onboard as part of her work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
• Daisy Fuentes, international television personality and producer, beauty and fitness expert, and recognized role model for Latin-American women in the United States, who is committed to improving children’s health and treatments through St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Starlight Children’s Foundation and the March of Dimes
• The seven women will took their posts to officially name the ship at a ceremony during a one-night inaugural celebration-fundraiser onboard Oasis of the Seas to benefit the non-profit Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.Tickets for the once-in-a-lifetime event began at $500 per person. Guests who wished to continue their adventure onboard will receive an exclusive discount price, beginning at $650 per person, on a four-night cruise package sailing to the cruise line’s private beach destination, Labadee, departing today

New Video of the festivities

A great gift: Oasis of the Seas for $49*

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Just in time to forget shopping for the holidays.  One stop shopping right here for as low as about $11 per person per week.

Yep, that’s right.  I have  a plan set up where you can join our group cruise on  Oasis of the Seas sailing in September of 2011 several different ways.

• Pay $50 per cabin by 12-23-09, just in time to tuck the ship under the tree.  Then start paying monthly, automatically, in February, well after the holiday gift-giving hangover has faded.  This we call the EZ Payment Plan because it is just that:  easy.  Starting price for an inside stateroom go for as little as that $50 deposit and then $46.45 per person per month does it from then on for double cabins
• Pay $50 per stateroom by 12-23-09 then another $450 per stateroom by 05-22-10 and final payment by 07-05-2011
• Pay $500 up front, pick a stateroom and have no payments until 07-05-2011 whenever convenient.

Could this be any less painless?  I don’t think so and you who read this get first shot at it.  Click here to go to the group website for all the details over the weekend.  Starting Monday the whole world gets to see and there are a limited number of staterooms available.   The whole program is based on double occupancy (two to a stateroom) but if you have more, you can still go, it just costs you more up front.  See the “fine print”, a few rules at the group website.

Oh, you get stuff with this package too; $100 per cabin Onboard credit, a group cocktail party, Onboard Enrichment Seminars and more coming up as we go along.

Take a look today.  Y0u can register right on the group website if you are ready or let me know what questions you may have.

Oasis of the Seas staterooms- a primer

Oasis of the Seas offers 37 different cabin categories.  That may sound like a daunting list so let’s see if we can make some sense of it.

Let’s start with some lingo about staterooms

First of all, on Royal Caribbean we use the term “stateroom” rather than “cabin” because that’s what Royal Caribbean uses.  (sort of a “when in Rome… ” thing) The two terms are basically interchangeable though and someone selling you one will not correct you for saying one over the other.

You could also accurately say “room” but that makes us look like we don’t know what we’re talking about and not very nautical at all so let’s stay away from that one.  Cruise snobs will totally look down on us if we say “room” on a cruise ship.

On a regular cruise ship the cabin types are basically three:  Inside, Outside and Balcony.  On Oasis too we have Inside, Outside and Balcony staterooms (stateroom does sound cooler doesn’t it?) But types is a very general term.  Let’s move along to categories

Inside staterooms

• A standard inside stateroom is, indeed, inside the ship with no window- all cruise ships have these. On Oasis that would be categories Q, N, M and L- the same size and configuration all, the only difference being where on the ship the stateroom is located.  Q will be the least expensive, located on decks 10, 11, 12 and 14 aft.  N will be deck 6, 7 or 8 more midship or forward, a bit more in price for what is considered a “better” location. For a bit more in fare, we can go up to deck M which is on decks 9, 10 and 11, higher on the ship and more towards the middle.  On standard inside staterooms, all the cabins are the same size (172 sq ft) .  The price is determined by where they are located.  This goes back to the days of ships with sails that bobbed up and down a lot.  On those, the dead center of the ship was the best place to be located because there was less movement.  Modern ships have made this concern negligible and Oasis’ sheer size affords a very smooth ride and pretty much throws the “movement” concern out the window.  Still, this is a very big ship and closer to the middle means closer to everything
• A Promenade view stateroom (category PR) is technically inside but has a window that looks out onto the Royal Promenade- Royal Caribbean debuted these popular alternatives on the Voyager class ships, continued them on the Freedom class ships and have kept them on Oasis class ships but not as many are available

Outside staterooms

• A standard outside stateroom, called “Oceanview” has a window with a view of the ocean (duh) slightly larger than an inside, Oceanview staterooms are 179 square feet and begin with category I, midship on deck 3, go up to ,category H, also 179 sq ft but on deck nine or ten forward and category F again 179 sq ft but on decks 10 and 11
• Another category of outside stateroom, Central Park View (category CV), oversees the Central Park neighborhood- also new to Oasis class ships and bigger at 199 sq ft on deck nine only
• Still another outside stateroom is Boardwalk view (category BV) in which you have a view of the Boardwalk and possibly a partial view of the ocean by looking back towards the Aqua Theater area and located on deck 7 at 191 square feet

Balcony staterooms

• These start with category D8, 182 sq ft on deck six or seven, D7, same size puts you on decks 9, 10 or 11, D6 puts you on decks 12 or 14 and we go all the way up to D1 which is midship on decks 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12.   All of these look out to the ocean
• On Oasis we also balcony staterooms that look inside the ship and start with the Central Park view balcony staterooms at 182 sq ft split between two categories, C1 and C2 all on decks 10, 11, 12 and 14
• Still another balcony stateroom category is B1 and B2, Boardwalk view, offering both a view of the action below on that Boardwalk, a view of the Aqua Theater and in the distance a view of the ocean as well.  These are also 182 square feet and located on decks 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14

That pretty much does it for the standard inside, outside and balcony staterooms.  Above these in price is a big assortment of suite accommodations, the top end, which we will explore next in Oasis of the Seas- luxury accommodations.

Do you have specific questions about any of these different staterooms?  Let me know with an email to Chris@YourCruiseDream.com and I will get right back to you with answers.

Oasis of the Seas: It’s all about the cupcakes

Now in her new home at Port Everglades here in Florida, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas continues to draw attention.  Online message boards, bloggers and other sources are buzzing over the ship’s arrival and many of the new features.  While interest has reached a fevered pitch, not everyone is happy about what they see and hear.

Price is one of the first topics that comes up when discussing Oasis and her being-built sister Allure of the Seas, due out next year.  In a very price-conscious economy,  Oasis sells for as much as 30 to 40% more than other ships doing a similar itinerary.  As true as this is, equally true is that the Oasis class ships of Royal Caribbean are truly unlike any other ship in service.  To expect this ship to price along with others who have been in service for 5 to 10 years doing the same itinerary is not appropriate.  If you want a ride on this one, expect to pay more.

Size, rightfully so, is another topic that gets discussed quite a bit.  From environmental groups concerned over pollution potential to cruise purists who long for the olden days of smaller-ship cruising, many are eager to start and perpetuate a debate.  While both these groups and others mean well and are committed to their beliefs, at this point they are vocal over potential issues, not actualproblems.  The first revenue sailing of Oasis, marking the actual start of her cruise history,  has not even come to pass yet.  Yes, this is the biggest ship on planet earth.  Yes, more people will get on and off this ship on turnaround day than any other ship.  But also a resounding YES and kudos to Royal Caribbean for taking all that into consideration and building a ship for everyone.

Those opposed to this ship just don’t get it….or at least most don’t.  Some kind of do.

I read yesterday where someone said the ship was like a hotel on a floating barge.  Another said it should be called Theme Park of the Seas.  Those people kind of do get it.  They are right to a certain extent.  Where they lose it and don’t get it is the cupcakes.

Long ago and far away, cruise ships did not sell cupcakes.  Cruise ships might have made a cake or Baked Alaska might have been paraded around the dining room on formal night, but they did not sell cupcakes.

Oasis does.  Oasis gets it.  Oasis is relevant.

Dividing the ship up into neighborhoods, each with its own unique flavor was simply brilliant.   What if they had built this ship and done nothing different than make more cabins?.  There is no shortage of cruise ships to go from point A to point B.  But the cruise business has evolved from the transatlantic ocean liner that brought my ancestors here long ago to almost being put out of business by the airliner to being reborn by Carnival as a fun, hip thing to do to where they are today; poised to go off in yet another direction I believe led by visionary cruise lines like Royal Caribbean. Even Norwegian Cruise Line with their new Norwegian Epic coming out later which also redefines the cruise experience, maybe not to such an extent as Oasis, but in that direction.

Yes, Oasis of the Seas is all about being relevant.

From opening night this week with pop-singer Rihanna and a live broadcast of Good Morning America the next morning, to trendy gourmet cupcakes, food venues and areas of the ship embracing what is happening right now in the world, this one has it all.

But that is the flashy side of Oasis.  The company behind her, Royal Caribbean International, is  a solid organization that is in tune with it’s customers.  While other cruise lines may nickel and dime guests to death, make applying discounts and special offers difficult and are sticking with the old programs of yesterday, Royal Caribbean for many years has striven to be the one that is easy to do business with.  They commonly refer to what they do as “delivering the “Wow!” and work hard to make that happen.

When a guest steps foot on of their ships, they are totally into making that experience truly a “cruise of a lifetime” as they say.  There is a lot that goes into making and keeping this ship afloat as we have covered in our series of articles leading up to now. Those that get it will appreciate all that has gone into this ship, pay the price, and have a fabulous vacation that they truly can not get anywhere else.

Thinking about sailing on the Oasis?  Contact your travel agent today; right now Royal Caribbean is making it easier to enjoy those extras on Oasis and sister-ship Allure of the Seas with a special offer granting bonus onboard credit of $200 to those who book a December 2009 sailing of Oasis or $100 for a December 2010 through April 2011 sailing of Allure.  That’s not good for group sailings and other restrictions apply

I can get a whole lot of cupcakes for $200

Do be sure to join us right here, live on Oasis of the Seas starting early Thursday morning for the drive from Orlando to Port Everglades then look for reports throughout the day and night all about the ship

Online Cruise Vacation Resources

Yesterday, it was announced that due to weather conditions on the way, arrival of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas at Port Everglades will be delayed by two days.

Today our extensive coverage of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas continues with some interactive Internet sources sure to be favorites.  There are a lot of websites that mention Oasis but here are some I have run across that really do a great job of making sense of the worlds largest cruise ship. These first two from SunSentinel.com, offer some great insight and are really helpful if you’re trying to find your way around the ship, always a good idea before sailing.

• Take a virtual tour of the world’s largest cruise ship- allows us to zoom in and see where all the different areas we have been talking about actually are
• Terminal 18: The largest single-ship cruise terminal in the world- enables us to see where to go for both embarkation and disembarkation (click on “Inside Terminal”)
• CruiseCritic’s Countdown To Oasis- steadfast source of information, CruiseCritic.com has a special section just for Oasis of the Seas updates
• USA Today’s CruiseLog- Gene Sloan is right on top of things in the world of cruising with breaking news, in-depth reporting of on-going topics and more
• About.com:Cruises- Linda Garrison does a great job with cruising all over the world. Linda has cruised on a variety of ships from small sailing ships to mega-liners, budget-priced cruises to ultra-expensive.
• Orlando Cruise Vacations Examiner- that’s me. My main focus is on cruises that leave from Florida and we have a whole lot of those

All these are great sources of information.   Use them to research, keep up with what is going on and plan for the future.  When it comes time to book your cruise vacation don’t make a critical mistake; use a professional, certified travel agent.   As more and more of them go broke, the bad move of booking with an  Internet Cruise Broker is more and more like a hangover, totally avoidable.    Rule of thumb:  If all you have to do is click to order, you’re in the wrong place.

Oasis of the Seas- Amazing Staterooms

Royal Loft Suite

One of the biggest differences Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas will offer guests is in the stateroom choices available to them.  With all the different “neighborhoods” there are even more different categories of cabins available from which to choose, 37 at last count.   It will probably take some time to see which are the most popular, which ones sell out first, or which ones are likely to be discounted.

Most impressive of the staterooms are the loft suites shown here.  The unique feature is the two deck high floor-to-ceiling windows with solid glasss for spectacular views of whatever happens to pass by.

Other accomodations are impressive as well with the latest features including RCTV television network allowing the booking of shore excurions, specialty restaurante reservations and more as well as oversized showers, telephone, private bath and more

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Oasis At Sea: Report from the Captain

Fully into the Atlantic, Captain Wright turns the ship into the ocean, slowing down to just 6 knots speed to allow for a smooth ride in near-hurricane force winds.

The ship “continues to perform wonderfully” he said in the video we have for you here today which shows those conditions at sea and gives us a glimpse of what Oasis is capable of in this environment.

The environmental impact of cruise ships is a topic that has been discussed a great deal. “The Oasis of the Seas will have such a dramatic impact that she will help more people understand all that cruising has to offer,” said Richard Fain, CEO and chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises, parent company to Royal Caribbean International. “We are seeing a halo effect on the rest of our fleet,” he added. “We saw it when the Freedom entered service, too.”

Harri Kulovaara, executive vice president of maritime, said the size is a result of responding to guest expectations, and that more “real estate” allows broader product offering, more energy efficiencies and less environmental impact, and more safety by scale (more space enables more redundancies and better engine rooms, including double hull protection).

See and hear the Captain and Today’s Report

Oasis: Lots of little things make for a cool big ship

Royal Caribbean International

Now fully into the Atlantic Ocean on her way to Port Everglades the Captain reported yesterday that the ship was handling well in winds up to 60 knots. Without a doubt, advanced technology built into the ship is playing a big role in the handling and maneuverability they are experiencing on board right now.  The video you see here tells more of the technology that went into building the ship.

But with the exception of this video and others like it, guests rarely get a chance to see that side of technology.  There are some pretty amazing areas, some big and flashy, some small and subtle, that are built into Oasis of the Seas that guests will indeed experience first-hand.

Let’s take a look at Royal Caribbean International Chairman Richard Fain’s blog for some insight to what is in store for guests.

Gangway Button- If you have been on a cruise before you might know that guests do not always disembark from the same deck or side of the ship.  It depends on which port they are docked at or even which pier at a given port.  Many guests disembarking head down and follow the crowd.  On Oasis, they added a special button in each elevator marked “Gangway” which will be programmed to change at each port.  It’s a little thing but now all guests will have to do is find an elevator to know where to go, rather than listening to sometimes annoying announcements

Royal Caribbean has been working on announcements too though.  According to Fain, “We had three objectives: (a) ensure all safety announcements are clear and properly disseminated; (b) minimize all non-essential ship-wide announcements; and (c) make sure that we properly accommodate people who do not speak English.”  A lot of that will be taken care of with the very latest in-stateroom communication system.

As reported earlier, the ship’s Royal Caribbean Television network (RCTV) will have Internet capabilities, details on all ship venues, menus, hours of operation, etc as well as traffic flow updates for food venues, informing guests of which venue could best accommodate their party at any given time.

Communication has long been a strong point in the management of Royal Caribbean International. It is no surprise that they have gone to great lengths to examine what they are doing in this area and improve upon it for the launch of Oasis of the Seas.

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A complex array of offerings in the Adventure Ocean children’s program is a good example of this communication in action.  ”We have never had such an exciting Children’s Program or such extensive facilities with which to present it” Fain said along with a PowerPoint presentation to explain it all.

Stay tuned for more updates as they occur, right here

Oasis of the Seas- What about the shows?

Royal Caribbean International

With over 5000 guests on the ship, I have had several people ask me “How will all those people be able to fit in the theater for the show?”  Darn good question.  Little did I know that the Captain would start me on a path to get the answer to that which we have for you here today.

On route to Port Everglades, the cast and crew take advantage of this time at sea to practice and rehearse their roles in the production of the Broadway show, Hairspray which will be in the big Opal Theater aboard Oasis of the Seas.

While entertainment on cruise ships has commonly been of the Vegas-style extravaganza with lots of feathers and kick lines, Royal Caribbean is going all out with this first production, sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

Three months in advance of their sailing, guests may pre-reserve at seat at such entertainment options as ice shows, “Splish Splash,” or “Hairspray,” among other choices.

All shows onboard Oasis of the Seas are free to guests. Guests who pre-book shows will use their electronic cruise pass card to enter the theater. Charly McDonald, the line’s manager of guest activities and entertainment technical operations, said clients who pre-book a show will gain entry to the show but not be booked into a specific seat.

What if you are more spontaneous? What if you don’t want to pre-book? You will still be able to arrive at the entertainment venue unannounced and be granted entry if space is available. But if the show is fully booked, an on-site box office will give them a reservation at a show later the same evening or later in the cruise.

View a video about all this at today’s Examiner.com report