Just off Oasis....it's going to China

[Retired LEO]

It can't go to China - It's coming up here to Port Canaveral:p

 

Just got off the Freedom this morning. Captain Tor assured us that Oasis is not coming to Port Canaveral and the Freedom is staying put.

[molly361]

Can't wait to try DD!

 

I think you're tricking me.

[Clarea]

I think you're tricking me.

So looking forward to Jan 1, when I can fight with Royal's website and try to make dining reservations convenient to shows, while not knowing any showtimes.:rolleyes:

[Hoopster95]

No locks in the Suez canal. For Oasis, the limit would be a bridge at around 220 ft above the water, but that's higher than the Great Belt Bridge that Oasis has already been under, so I'd say she could make it through the Suez.

 

Damn... was hoping the only way she could get to China was down and around the horn. What an itinerary that would be down to Brazil/Argentina... back up around Peru and the Inca world, then maybe the TP from LA through Hawaii. I'd have to quit work for 2 months to book the whole thing!! :p

 

As a poster mentioned on the deployment thread the spot she wouldn't really be "built for" (with regard to a warm weather ship going through a cold weather environment) would be the segment around the horn through the colder weather. But Brazil and across the equator on both sides of South America would be unreal! Ah well... like the other thread.... I'm still dreamin'... I wonder how many were dreamin' when news hit that Q was deployed to China out of nowhere ;)

[Hoopster95]

So looking forward to Jan 1, when I can fight with Royal's website and try to make dining reservations convenient to shows, while not knowing any showtimes.:rolleyes:

 

No worries Bob, I think it'll be easy for you. I suspect if you book all your dining between 6-6:30pm you'll make every "early seating" show. That's exactly how it worked for me on Q, and I booked my dining about 2 months before the entertainment came out... I never had to change a single reservation. Vice versa if you like late seating... I see shows on my planner at 10 or 10:30 just like on traditional sailings for the late seating guests. I can't remember reading any Q review yet of cruisers complaining that they missed shows due to their dining reservation issues :)

[peteukmcr]

Don't know why the surprise, remember this rendering which was reported quite awhile ago when the new cruise terminal at Kai Tak Hong Kong was announced?

 

 

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[RDC1]

That would be a heck of a journey. Can it fit through Suez Canal or does it have to go the long way around Africa? The other alternative is the long way around South America.

 

The new Panama canal should be completed by then and it will fit through the new one.

[extremecolors]

I must have misunderstood his English about the month of 2016. He is from India, so I could have gotten March and May mixed up. He saw how surprised I was that both oasis and Q would be in China, but said that market has lots of interest now.

 

 

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[shutterbug63]

Just got off Oasis yesterday and I was told by our waiter that Oasis is going to China in March 2016. Not sure if this is known info but that I would post just in case.

 

 

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This wouldn't bother me one bit. Especially if Oasis 3 ends up somewhere in Florida. :-)

[Clarea]

No worries Bob, I think it'll be easy for you. I suspect if you book all your dining between 6-6:30pm you'll make every "early seating" show. That's exactly how it worked for me on Q, and I booked my dining about 2 months before the entertainment came out... I never had to change a single reservation. Vice versa if you like late seating... I see shows on my planner at 10 or 10:30 just like on traditional sailings for the late seating guests. I can't remember reading any Q review yet of cruisers complaining that they missed shows due to their dining reservation issues :)

Thanks for the tip, I will certainly try to make reservations for the 6-6:30pm time frame.:)

[zekekelso]

Damn... was hoping the only way she could get to China was down and around the horn. What an itinerary that would be down to Brazil/Argentina... back up around Peru and the Inca world, then maybe the TP from LA through Hawaii. I'd have to quit work for 2 months to book the whole thing!!

 

No matter how she gets to China (I for one believe the waiter) there's going to be a fantastic repositioning cruse.

 

PS - Musical interlude for you Jimmy Buffet fans:

[orville99]

The new Panama canal should be completed by then and it will fit through the new one.

 

While she may physically fit through the new locks, she won't fit under the bridge on the Pacific side.

[rolloman]

You will have to wait for Oasis 4 to come out. Then one goes to PC.

 

As I have stated before...they did not build a new multi million dollar terminal, dredge the channel for the largest ships and start the building of a new entertainment complex to have this now set empty for 3 years. Port Canaveral will be getting a new (er) RCCL ship soon. Count on it.

[LMaxwell]

 

PS - Musical interlude for you Jimmy Buffet fans:

 

[orville99]

I must have misunderstood his English about the month of 2016. He is from India, so I could have gotten March and May mixed up. He saw how surprised I was that both oasis and Q would be in China, but said that market has lots of interest now.

 

 

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May would make sense, since that is approximately when Oasis 3 will be delivered.

[rolloman]

 

Sometimes I think they plant info with staff to start rumors, who knows,

 

Everyone has to keep in mind this is a business decision. There is strategy involved between all the lines on where to put each ship and who to match up their fleet against. It only makes sense, we the public would be the last one to know. Secondly, I am sure waiters, room attendents and the like are virtually in the same 'need to know' category as us.

[Tall-Cruiser]

As I have stated before...they did not build a new multi million dollar terminal, dredge the channel for the largest ships and start the building of a new entertainment complex to have this now set empty for 3 years. Port Canaveral will be getting a new (er) RCCL ship soon. Count on it.

 

I would tend to agree with you on this.

[RDC1]

While she may physically fit through the new locks, she won't fit under the bridge on the Pacific side.

 

I believe that they have addressed that. The new canal was designed to allow passage for any ship currently afloat and even those under design (super tanked, cruise ships, super carriers, etc.. Would do no good to spend billions on the larger canal if it did not address that issue? The size of the Oasis class was specifically addressed in the write-up I read on the new canal.

[Ourusualbeach]

I believe that they have addressed that. The new canal was designed to allow passage for any ship currently afloat and even those under design (super tanked, cruise ships, super carriers, etc.. Would do no good to spend billions on the larger canal if it did not address that issue? The size of the Oasis class was specifically addressed in the write-up I read on the new canal.

 

Could you provide a link to that article. Everything that I have heard here from many sources have stated that the bridge height is an issue.

[orville99]

I believe that they have addressed that. The new canal was designed to allow passage for any ship currently afloat and even those under design (super tanked, cruise ships, super carriers, etc.. Would do no good to spend billions on the larger canal if it did not address that issue? The size of the Oasis class was specifically addressed in the write-up I read on the new canal.

 

Oasis class is taller than Freedom class, and RCL is already on record stating that Freedom class (209 ft) will not fit under the Bridge of the Americas (201 ft. height restriction), so there is no possibility that Oasis class ships (236 ft.) would fit. Remember that the larger locks are being built to facilitate movement of larger freighters and tankers though the canal, not to facilitate cruise ship traffic, which - from what I've read - the canal zone views as an annoyance because it slows down the transit for cargo.

Edited November 16, 2014 by orville99

[jackaboo]

Why would private protection forces be needed if she were to go around Africa? More likely to need them if they go through the Suez Canal and through the gulf of Aden into the Arabian Sea.

 

 

 

She would go past Somalia if she went round Africa

[Hoopster95]

I believe that they have addressed that. The new canal was designed to allow passage for any ship currently afloat and even those under design (super tanked, cruise ships, super carriers, etc.. Would do no good to spend billions on the larger canal if it did not address that issue? The size of the Oasis class was specifically addressed in the write-up I read on the new canal.

 

http://www.stxeurope.com/sites/Finland/Products/Pages/Cruise%20Ships%20and%20Ferries/Voyager-of-The-Seas.aspx

"The total length of the ship is 311.1 metres (1020 ft), the breadth is 38.6 meters (126 ft) at waterline level (49.1 metres / 161 ft breadth at the bridge wings) and the height is 72.3 metres (237 ft) from keel to the top of the funnel."

 

With a 29 foot draft, Voyager Class would stick up a total of 208ft. Even Voyager Class cannot fit under the Bridge of Americas, and therefore neither can freedom Class nor Oasis.

 

 

As far as Oasis goes, max beam is 213ft... below is the new canal project. Note max width of the new canal is 180 feet, therefore Oasis doesn't fit into the new locks anyways, let alone get under the Bridge of Americas.

 

[LMaxwell]

http://www.stxeurope.com/sites/Finland/Products/Pages/Cruise%20Ships%20and%20Ferries/Voyager-of-The-Seas.aspx

"The total length of the ship is 311.1 metres (1020 ft), the breadth is 38.6 meters (126 ft) at waterline level (49.1 metres / 161 ft breadth at the bridge wings) and the height is 72.3 metres (237 ft) from keel to the top of the funnel."

 

With a 29 foot draft, Voyager Class would stick up a total of 208ft. Even Voyager Class cannot fit under the Bridge of Americas, and therefore neither can freedom Class nor Oasis.

 

 

As far as Oasis goes, max beam is 213ft... below is the new canal project. Note max width of the new canal is 180 feet, therefore Oasis doesn't fit into the new locks anyways, let alone get under the Bridge of Americas.

 

 

That is great info and infographic, however I believe the beam at the waterline is considerably narrowed. I am not sure if the widest part of the beam is high enough up to not be an issue with the locks? It certainly could be.

 

Either way, doesn't sound like Oasis class is traversing the Panama Canal.

[orville99]

That is great info and infographic, however I believe the beam at the waterline is considerably narrowed. I am not sure if the widest part of the beam is high enough up to not be an issue with the locks? It certainly could be.

 

Either way, doesn't sound like Oasis class is traversing the Panama Canal.

 

The problem is that the walls of the locks are 180 ft. apart, and when they pump the water out to lower a ship, the beam at the waterline isn't the determining factor, it's the width of the ship 30-40 ft. above the waterline. On Oasis, the widest part is probably the lifeboats four-five decks up from the waterline;)

[BillB48]

Oasis class is taller than Freedom class, and RCL is already on record stating that Freedom class (209 ft) will not fit under the Bridge of the Americas (201 ft. height restriction), so there is no possibility that Oasis class ships (236 ft.) would fit. Remember that the larger locks are being built to facilitate movement of larger freighters and tankers though the canal, not to facilitate cruise ship traffic, which - from what I've read - the canal zone views as an annoyance because it slows down the transit for cargo.

 

 

The 201' clearance is at max high water, the Canal already permits ships with 205' air draft to pass under the Bridge of Americas depending on the tide. Since the O and A boats can shrink down to clear the Great Belt Bridge that has 213' clearance, the BoA won't be a deal breaker. The tidal range is over 20' Balboa and the Canal is very lenient for granting waivers for a limited number of transits. The real question will be does Royal really want to take one of those ships on that route to head to Asia. They maybe inclined to send it via the Suez after a season in the Med.

 

While it is true that if all the cruise ship traffic vanished tomorrow, the Canal would not be in a bind for lack of ships. Cruise ships account for less than 2% of vessel traffic. On the other hand the Canal is not quick to turn away customers either. Cruise ships pay top shelf prices, plus they will pay an extra $30,000 for daylight transit guarantee, something most cargo vessels don't do. Considering that the cruise ships ships handle well, move much faster than some deeply laden bulk carrier, they are not normally a source of congestion. At the end of the transit whether it is a white cruise ship or a black bulker... it's all green:D!

Edited November 16, 2014 by BillB48