The Oasis of
The Seas, the world's largest cruise
ship ever set clears a crucial obstacle, lowering its smokestacks. … Associated
Press—Sun Nov 1, 9:23 am ET.
The majestic
Oasis
And here is the Oasis of the Seas passing
KORSOER,
The Oasis of the Seas—which rises about 20 stories high—passed
below the Great Belt Fixed Link with a slim margin as it left the Baltic Sea on
its maiden voyage to
Bridge operators said that even after lowering its
telescopic smokestacks the giant ship had less than a 2-foot (half-meter) gap.
Hundreds of people gathered on beaches at both ends of
the bridge, waiting for hours to watch the brightly lit behemoth sail by
shortly after midnight (2300 GMT; 7 p.m. EDT).
"It was fantastic to see it glide under the
bridge. Boy, it was big," said Kurt Hal, 56.
Company officials are banking that its novelty will
help guarantee its success. Five times larger than the Titanic, the $1.5
billion ship has seven neighborhoods, an ice rink, a small golf course and a
750-seat outdoor amphitheater. It has 2,700 cabins and can accommodate 6,300
passengers and 2,100 crew members.
Accommodations include loft cabins, with floor-to-ceiling
windows, and 1,600-square-foot (487-meter) luxury suites with balconies
overlooking the sea or promenades.
The liner also has four swimming pools, volleyball and
basketball courts, and a youth zone with theme parks and nurseries for
children.
Oasis of the Sea, nearly 40 percent larger than the
industry's next-biggest ship, was conceived years before the economic downturn
caused desperate cruise lines to slash prices to fill vacant berths.
It was built by STX Finland for Royal Caribbean International
and left the shipyard in
Aboard the Oasis of the Seas, project manager Toivo
Ilvonen of STX Finland confirmed that the ship had passed under the bridge
without any incidents.
"Nothing fell off," he said.
The enormous ship features various
"neighborhoods"—parks, squares and arenas with special themes. One of
them will be a tropical environment, including palm trees and vines among the
total 12,000 plants on board. They will be planted after the ship arrives in
In the stern, a 750-seat outdoor theater—modeled on an
ancient Greek amphitheater—doubles as a swimming pool by day and an ocean front
theater by night. The pool has a diving tower with spring boards and two
33-foot (10-meter) high-dive platforms. An indoor theater seats 1,300 guests.
One of the "neighborhoods," named Central
Park, features a square with boutiques, restaurants and bars, including a bar
that moves up and down three decks, allowing customers to get on and off at
different levels.
Once home, the $1.5 billion floating extravaganza will
have more, if less visible, obstacles to duck: a sagging U.S. economy,
questions about the consumer appetite for luxury cruises and criticism that
such sailing behemoths are damaging to the environment and diminish the
experience of traveling.
It is due to make its
http://www.oasisoftheseas.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yPoNsCMZoM&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3Z1pJZ9_Bo&NR=1&feature=fvwp