Oasis #7 blocks are in the house?

[smokeybandit]

RC announced Oasis #7 will be built and expected to be delivered in 2028.

 

[RobInMN]

I'm surprised.

I would have guessed that Oasis was done, and the next announcement would have been either an Icon 4 or Project Discovery 1.

I sort of equate this to announcing a new Voyager class ship after the announcement Harmony (Oasis 3).

Interesting.

[Mikew0805]

I am not surprised, they have not even delivered OA 6 yet, and I am happy about another one being built. 

[gallagher123123]

Honestly, I did not see this coming. Thought they would be all in on Icon class at this point. Now the big question, what will the name of this ship be? My personal choice, Melody of the Seas.

[smokeybandit]

13 minutes ago, gallagher123123 said:

Honestly, I did not see this coming. Thought they would be all in on Icon class at this point. Now the big question, what will the name of this ship be? My personal choice, Melody of the Seas.

I'm expecting them to finally reuse an old name, call it Legend

[PhillyFan33579]

1 hour ago, RobInMN said:

I'm surprised.

I would have guessed that Oasis was done, and the next announcement would have been either an Icon 4 or Project Discovery 1.

I sort of equate this to announcing a new Voyager class ship after the announcement Harmony (Oasis 3).

Interesting.

At a luncheon with officers on Icon last week, the topic of a new smaller ship class (i.e. Discovery) came up. The officers we talked to said RCI would likely focus on bigger ships for the near future. Like you we took that to mean more Icon class ships (and a clever way not to address any truth to Discovery). Definitely surprised me to hear they plan to build another Oasis class ship. 

[gallagher123123]

19 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

At a luncheon with officers on Icon last week, the topic of a new smaller ship class (i.e. Discovery) came up. The officers we talked to said RCI would likely focus on bigger ships for the near future. Like you we took that to mean more Icon class ships (and a clever way not to address any truth to Discovery). Definitely surprised me to hear they plan to build another Oasis class ship. 

Darn! As intrigued as I am by the Oasis and Icon classes, sailing my first Oasis ship in May, I would love to see a class of smaller ships. Loved my sailing on Serenade last October, but I know she's getting up there in years. Vision class is even older. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

[Blue Eyed Belfast Belle]

1 minute ago, gallagher123123 said:

Darn! As intrigued as I am by the Oasis and Icon classes, sailing my first Oasis ship in May, I would love to see a class of smaller ships. Loved my sailing on Serenade last October, but I know she's getting up there in years. Vision class is even older. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

And the Voyager Class is older than the Radiance Class!  

 

At Captains Corner a while back it was discussed that the ships with the Royal Promenade, a feature that Royal is known for, will be built and maintained for as long as they are able to.

[Cruising89143]

https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/shipbuilding-equipment/royal-caribbean-orders-lucky-no-7-oasis-class-ship

 

https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2024/02/royal-caribbean-group-signs-agreement-with-chantiers-next-oasis-class-ship/

 

[RobInMN]

46 minutes ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

At a luncheon with officers on Icon last week, the topic of a new smaller ship class (i.e. Discovery) came up. The officers we talked to said RCI would likely focus on bigger ships for the near future. Like you we took that to mean more Icon class ships (and a clever way not to address any truth to Discovery). Definitely surprised me to hear they plan to build another Oasis class ship. 

This counters what Michael Bayley said recently. He said that if they can get everything lined up, we should be getting an announcement sometime this year.

 

To avoid hijacking this thread, this is the most recent Project Discovery thread that I think has the most recent info: 

 

Edited February 15 by RobInMN

[PhillyFan33579]

2 hours ago, RobInMN said:

This counters what Michael Bayley said recently. He said that if they can get everything lined up, we should be getting an announcement sometime this year.

My guess, for what it’s worth, is RCI leadership saw how the demand for Icon has skyrocketed with prices going thru the roof and made a change to their future ship building plans. RCI is clearly emphasizing/targeting younger adults with families. Most families are not going to be interested in a smaller ship without all the latest bells and whistles, even if it is a brand new ship. 
 

Closely related to this is RCI appears to be moving away from areas/options that appeal to older adults. Icon does not have a solarium and during my seven days on her I never found a pool area that wasn’t on the noisy side. The Hideaway, the adult area on Icon, has a party atmosphere and does not resemble the solarium on other ships at all. The Boardwalk area on Oasis class ships which appealed to everyone in my opinion, was replaced with Surfside on Icon and is clearly focused on families. Even Hideaway Beach in Coco Cay, which is adults only, has a party atmosphere and is definitely not a place to go to if you want to relax. 
 

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the new Oasis class ship replaces the Boardwalk area with Surfside like Icon. That would make this ship even more appealing to families. It also wouldn’t surprise me if they expand the pier at Coco Cay so four ships a day can dock there. RCI has already committed Oasis class ships to doing short cruises out of Florida that go to Coco Cay. I still enjoy RCI and will continue to cruise on RCI ships, but they are clearly not marketing themselves to someone in their late 50s like me. 

[Another_Critic]

Seven Oasis class and three (or more) Icon class for 3 FL winter homeports?

 

When will they sell the first Oasis class to make room for the new ones?

 

Edit:  I forgot that Galveston can do year round Oasis class.  Maybe add a second ship?

 

Edited February 15 by Another_Critic

[Tolkmit]

2 minutes ago, Another_Critic said:

Seven Oasis class and three (or more) Icon class for 3 FL winter homeports?

 

When will they sell the first Oasis class to make room for the new ones?

 

Galveston can handle these ships as well. And it's completely plausible for each port to have one every Saturday, another every Sunday, and a third doing 3 & 4 night cruises leaving Fri/Mon. So that's a dozen they could have going, just with the 4 ports they home these ships at during winter already. 

[smokeybandit]

Oasis 7 has been in the pipeline for some time. I bet it would have been announced sooner if there was no shutdown.

[Tolkmit]

I don't think this means anything one way or another for Discovery class, Discovery will be doing more of what Quantum & Radiance class are doing currently, they'll sell/scrap Vision class and have Radiance class ships do what Vision class ships are doing now.

 

It is really curious though that they are ordering another Oasis class not an additional Icon class. Possibly shipyard related? Oasis 1 & 2, along with Icon 1, 2, & 3 were all built by Meyer, while Oasis 7 is coming from Chantiers, just like Oasis 3, 4, 5, & 6.

[RobInMN]

38 minutes ago, Tolkmit said:

It is really curious though that they are ordering another Oasis class not an additional Icon class. Possibly shipyard related? Oasis 1 & 2, along with Icon 1, 2, & 3 were all built by Meyer, while Oasis 7 is coming from Chantiers, just like Oasis 3, 4, 5, & 6.

This actually makes a lot of sense to me. I'm going with your answer. I imagine that an Oasis 7 can enter the build process much faster than an Icon 4 due to shipyard scheduling.

 

[Tatka]

Maybe this ship will be for another market?

Wonder is not in China as was planned

[longhorn2004]

1 hour ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

My guess, for what it’s worth, is RCI leadership saw how the demand for Icon has skyrocketed with prices going thru the roof and made a change to their future ship building plans. RCI is clearly emphasizing/targeting younger adults with families. Most families are not going to be interested in a smaller ship without all the latest bells and whistles, even if it is a brand new ship. 
 

Closely related to this is RCI appears to be moving away from areas/options that appeal to older adults. Icon does not have a solarium and during my seven days on her I never found a pool area that wasn’t on the noisy side. The Hideaway, the adult area on Icon, has a party atmosphere and does not resemble the solarium on other ships at all. The Boardwalk area on Oasis class ships which appealed to everyone in my opinion, was replaced with Surfside on Icon and is clearly focused on families. Even Hideaway Beach in Coco Cay, which is adults only, has a party atmosphere and is definitely not a place to go to if you want to relax. 
 

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the new Oasis class ship replaces the Boardwalk area with Surfside like Icon. That would make this ship even more appealing to families. It also wouldn’t surprise me if they expand the pier at Coco Cay so four ships a day can dock there. RCI has already committed Oasis class ships to doing short cruises out of Florida that go to Coco Cay. I still enjoy RCI and will continue to cruise on RCI ships, but they are clearly not marketing themselves to someone in their late 50s like me. 

Why do you state that about the Oasis class ships going to short itineraries? Other than Allure, what other Oasis class ships shorter milk runs? Trying to imagine Oasis selling out of Miami to Bahamas for a three day cruise at $99 with 5K guests.

[PhillyFan33579]

2 minutes ago, longhorn2004 said:

Why do you state that about the Oasis class ships going to short itineraries? Other than Allure, what other Oasis class ships shorter milk runs? Trying to imagine Oasis selling out of Miami to Bahamas for a three day cruise at $99 with 5K guests.

Utopia will be doing 3/4 day cruises out of Port Canaveral starting this Summer and Allure will be doing 3/4 day cruises out of Miami. 

[longhorn2004]

1 hour ago, Tolkmit said:

 

Galveston can handle these ships as well. And it's completely plausible for each port to have one every Saturday, another every Sunday, and a third doing 3 & 4 night cruises leaving Fri/Mon. So that's a dozen they could have going, just with the 4 ports they home these ships at during winter already. 

While great for the consumer to have a four day cruise to Cozumel from Galveston, and include Costa maya ( axe Progresso) on an Oasis class ship, this may hurt the seven day sailings also on an Oasis class ship.

It would require a variety of seven day itineraries to maintain interest. Belize is working on a port island that will be a destination onto itself. Maybe send an Oasis class from Galveston, Jamaica, Belize, Cozumel then home. Or take somehow stretch it from Galveston to the private port in the D.R. and include Jamaica.

[loman]

I like it , Oasis class is my favorite . 

And hopefully they will lower the pricing on the older ships in the class.

I dont need to cruise on the new shiny ones .

[mo&fran]

2 hours ago, Another_Critic said:

Seven Oasis class and three (or more) Icon class for 3 FL winter homeports?

 

When will they sell the first Oasis class to make room for the new ones?

 

Edit:  I forgot that Galveston can do year round Oasis class.  Maybe add a second ship?

 

Or run 3/4 trips out of FLL.

[mo&fran]

After 1 and 2, they needed to build 4 additional terminals to use the other ports.

They bypassed that in Europe by  splitting boarding between BCN and Rome.

[ticketsunlimited]

3 and 4 day cruises do nothing for people that have to consider airfare nowadays.  Unless I do a back to back on Utopia we will not sail on her.  Too many other options than the headache of a back to back to places we have seen several times.  We will wait for Utopia to come out of that 3/4 day rotation and be moved to "switch things up" as they always do.  Not a big fan of the 3/4 day concept do to the traveling factor.  

Its a nice option for Florida residents to "getaway" for a long weekend

[djvcr]

I was a little surprised to read about Oasis 7. They will have 10 ships by 2028 with more total capacity than 20 ships on some of the other lines. All the other lines are adding ships at a rapid pace too, at what point is there just too many ships sailing from the same ports competing for the same dollars? I never would have expected to see an Oasis ship doing 3/4 night runs, especially not a new one (Utopia).

 

2024 has Icon and Utopia

2025 has Star (Icon 2)

2026 has Icon 3

2027 nothing on books

2028 Oasis 7

 

That is a lot of capacity being added. It's unusual that they are not doing any new ships in 2027.  Would be great if they left an Oasis (or Icon) ship in NY in winter, but I do understand why they keep bringing back Quantum class for the winter for the enclosed pool and the Sea Plex to keep the kids busy on the first sea day til it is far enough south to warm up. I could see them developing something private over in the western gulf like NCL's other private island so they could add more ships out of TX as well.