Oasis of the Seas? - The DIS Discussion Forums

lucas · 11-13-2009, 09:21 AM

The ship arrived in Fort Lauderdale today!

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/bro...,5794779.story

South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
'Oasis' on its way in to Port Everglades
By Jaclyn Giovis, Sofia Santana and Cindy Kent, Sun Sentinel

November 13, 2009

Cool temperatures didn't keep hundreds of tourists and locals from flocking to key vantage points around Fort Lauderdale on Friday morning to catch a glimpse of the largest cruise ship in the world.

The $1.5 billion Oasis of the Seas is slowly headed to its new home at Port Everglades. Although it was still several miles out to sea at 7 a.m., its 16 decks were hard to miss.

A reporter who was able to take a boat close to the cruise ship compared it to an aircraft carrier.

"It's just absolutely amazing, but a bit unfortunate that it's such a gray day," said Gary Smith, 61, of Pittsburgh, who was at the south end of Fort Lauderdale filming the ship with his camcorder.

Written near the southern tip of the beach in red and blue paint was a 50-foot-long greeting: "Fort Lauderdale welcomes Oasis of the Seas."

"It's a floating city," said Linda Glassholm, 42, of Dania Beach, who caught a glimpse of the boat while out on her morning walk.

About 250 people stood on the sand near the condos that line the beach. Temperatures were in the 50s, and an occasional breeze made the air feel even crisper.

Owned by Royal Caribbean International, the 1,184-foot ship is scheduled to arrive later this morning. It'll spend three weeks at the port before it makes its first regular voyage on Dec. 5.

During that time, the cruise ship will host charity and VIP cruises, be loaded with provisions and outfitted with plants, serve as backdrop for a network morning news show, and undergo safety and health inspections.

The 226,000-ton ship's arrival can be viewed by the public from John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, the 17th Street Causeway or the southern tip of Fort Lauderdale beach.

Near the 17th Street bridge, about 30 people gathered to watch the Oasis. Some were bundled in jackets, while others wore shorts. A few brought binoculars.

The ship's arrival took on a festive air. Several helicopters hovered around the Oasis, while boaters and kayakers took to the water for a better view. Planes flew overhead with banners welcoming the ship.

Mobs of gawkers lined beaches and perched on rocks.

People started lining up outside John U. Lloyd State Park around 6:30 a.m.

Hundreds of people gathered at the north end of the beach as sponsors handed out free coffee and T-shirts that read "Welcome Oasis of the Seas."

Tammy Micensky, 41, of Coral Springs, will be one of the first to set sail on the ship. Micensky will travel on the ship's maiden voyage to Haiti on Dec. 1, and says she can't wait to see the zip line amusement ride on board.

"I did it once on an island in Jamaica, but on a ship, it seems impossible," she said.

Another person who watched the Oasis' grand arrival was Sandra DiVello, 30, of Coral Springs. In February, she and her fiancée will tie the knot on the ship, she said.

The couple heard about the Oasis while on another Royal Caribbean cruise in September 2008. A few months later, she called up and reserved her wedding date, she said.

"I was the psycho bride who called Royal Caribbean and said I want to book a courtesy hold for my wedding date," DiVello said.

Here's what's happening aboard Oasis of the Seas while in port.

Nov. 13: The $1.5 billion Oasis arrives from Finland after a two-week journey.

Nov. 13-18: Ship will be inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Public Health Service to make sure it meets international safety and sanitary standards. The ship must pass the inspections to operate from a U.S. port.

Nov. 14: A towering special-purpose crane will install tropical plants in Central Park. This first-ever "park at sea" features 12,175 plants, 62 vines and 56 trees.

Nov. 19: A one-night cruise departs from Port Everglades with top Royal Caribbean executives, the media team from ABC's Good Morning America and other VIP passengers. Pop star Rihanna will perform a special concert that night from the AquaTheater stage.

Nov. 20: Good Morning America will broadcast live from Oasis from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., offering an exclusive first look at the ship.

Nov. 20: A two-night cruise to nowhere will preview the ship for company officials, media, travel agents and invited guests. A second two-night preview cruise leaves Nov. 22.

Nov. 29: One-night preview cruise and fundraiser supporting the local chapters of the United Way and American Red Cross. Royal Caribbean donated more than 1,000 cabins to the organizations to sell to the public.

Nov. 30: One-night preview cruise and fundraiser supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Royal Caribbean donated 1,300 cabins to the organization to sell to the public. Highlights include the official christening and naming ceremony.

Dec. 1: First full-revenue voyage, a four-night trip to Labadee, Haiti.

Dec. 5: Inaugural departure on a regular seven-night itinerary, this one to the Eastern Caribbean, stopping at St. Thomas, St. Martin and Nassau, Bahamas.

Va-bear · 11-13-2009, 09:32 AM

Not the Oasis, but it's 'twin' the Allure - summer 2011. (Yes, we are already booked that early!!!!

)

Those things are crazy big, huh?!Cant wait!

DMickey28 · 11-13-2009, 09:51 AM

I want to but need to convince DH. We went on the Freedom and didn't like it. It was just too big. It felt like they stretched the Voyager class and added 1,000 people but didn't add enough new public space so all those people where crammed into the same spaces that were just a few feet bigger.

I tried convincing him that Oasis was different because it was a new design but he is not sure!! Hopefully someday we can go on it.

DrCavin · 11-13-2009, 09:51 AM

Im torn as whether or not we want to go on her. It would be amazing to see what she has to offer, but Im not sure I want to be on a ship with that many passengers.

They are limited in which ports they can stop at since they cant tender that many people.

Maybe in a couple years we will try Oasis.

4nana · 11-13-2009, 10:12 AM

We'll wait, so to speak, till they iron all the bugs out and price drops

! We sailed her sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, last May for our anniversary, she is quite large too at 1112 ft. and 15 decks

. LOVED it, had a wonderful time being pampered, discovering all the many actiivites and their private island Labadee is wonderful!

Know you'll enjoy to the max, these huge ships are smooth as glass and definitely an amazing floating city!

MELISAZACK · 11-13-2009, 10:36 AM

We are looking at going next Aug (late) I think they have a run around the 21st or soo.. waiting to see if the price changes or not and what folks have to say about it. looks great though and my son wants to try the zip line.

lucas · 11-13-2009, 12:58 PM

We've been on the Voyager and the Explorer and really loved them. I like the ice skating and parades down the "street."

It is expensive but I figured what the heck - and so are the Disney ships!

On the Oasis, we have the lowest priced inside cabin. But it is on the Central Park deck - not too many cabins on that deck. I thought it would be nice to be on a deck with activity.

We live in the Fort Lauderdale area so it is very convenient for us to go down and hop on. They had to build a whole new terminal at the port for the ship to dock.

I can't wait to see what the reviews are after she starts regularly sailing.

CruiserMom · 11-13-2009, 01:44 PM

Going to be on the Oasis in 10 months!!!

lucas · 11-13-2009, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Va-bear

Not the Oasis, but it's 'twin' the Allure - summer 2011. (Yes, we are already booked that early!!!!

)

Those things are crazy big, huh?!Cant wait!

Quote:

Originally Posted by CruiserMom

Going to be on the Oasis in 10 months!!!

Cool! I'll have to let ya'll know how it is.

Here is an article about the new terminal in Fort Lauderdale:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/broadban...0,390176.flash

lucas · 11-13-2009, 03:25 PM

Couple of pics from the Sun Sentinel:

wovenwonder · 11-13-2009, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MELISAZACK

We are looking at going next Aug (late) I think they have a run around the 21st or soo.. waiting to see if the price changes or not and what folks have to say about it. looks great though and my son wants to try the zip line.

We have a group of friends going on 8/21 - I can't wait!

plutolovr · 11-13-2009, 03:37 PM

Quote:

We'll wait, so to speak, till they iron all the bugs out and price drops ! We sailed her sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, last May for our anniversary, she is quite large too at 1112 ft. and 15 decks . LOVED it, had a wonderful time being pampered, discovering all the many actiivites and their private island Labadee is wonderful!

Liberty is not a sister ship to Oasis, the sister ships to Liberty are the Independence and the Freedom. The Allure will the sister to Oasis. This class of ship is much larger than the Liberty/Freedom/Independence.

We are going on Oasis next November. I'm looking forward to it. RCCL is our favorite cruiseline and RCCL handles large crowds very well with good design and great use of space.

Planogirl · 11-13-2009, 03:40 PM

Does anyone else wonder why something that big even floats?

That is so cool! I hope that those of you sailing will post what it was like afterwards.

legalsea · 11-13-2009, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Planogirl

Does anyone else wonder why something that big even floats?

.

I agree. The other day I threw a rock into a pond. A pretty big rock, but not as big as the Oasis. Yet the rock simply sank. I am going to experiment by throwing bigger and bigger rocks into the pond. It must be something to do with the 'laws of diminishing returns' or such, which I never understood. Sorta like "the bigger and heavier something is the less heavier it actually is".

I also threw the rock in the air to see if it would fly (actually, part of the same experiment, since I had to toss the rock 'in the air' to have it land 'in the pond'). The rock utterly failed to fly like one of those aeroplanes I keep seeing in the sky and, like I said, sank like a rock upon hitting the surface of the pond.

I shall report back in future. I am hoping to find a huge rock in the shape of an aeroplane or a ship, which may have something to do with it.

mrsdon · 11-13-2009, 04:30 PM

We are! We are! We are!!!
We are sailing Jan 16
We are taking our motorcycle through a travel agent and riding our bike on the islands

11-13-2009, 09:21 AM	#1
lucas Member of the Who Dat Nation Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Boca Raton, FL ~ 200 miles south of WDW Posts: 18,349	Oasis of the Seas? The ship arrived in Fort Lauderdale today! http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/bro...,5794779.story South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com 'Oasis' on its way in to Port Everglades By Jaclyn Giovis, Sofia Santana and Cindy Kent, Sun Sentinel November 13, 2009 Cool temperatures didn't keep hundreds of tourists and locals from flocking to key vantage points around Fort Lauderdale on Friday morning to catch a glimpse of the largest cruise ship in the world. The $1.5 billion Oasis of the Seas is slowly headed to its new home at Port Everglades. Although it was still several miles out to sea at 7 a.m., its 16 decks were hard to miss. A reporter who was able to take a boat close to the cruise ship compared it to an aircraft carrier. "It's just absolutely amazing, but a bit unfortunate that it's such a gray day," said Gary Smith, 61, of Pittsburgh, who was at the south end of Fort Lauderdale filming the ship with his camcorder. Written near the southern tip of the beach in red and blue paint was a 50-foot-long greeting: "Fort Lauderdale welcomes Oasis of the Seas." "It's a floating city," said Linda Glassholm, 42, of Dania Beach, who caught a glimpse of the boat while out on her morning walk. About 250 people stood on the sand near the condos that line the beach. Temperatures were in the 50s, and an occasional breeze made the air feel even crisper. Owned by Royal Caribbean International, the 1,184-foot ship is scheduled to arrive later this morning. It'll spend three weeks at the port before it makes its first regular voyage on Dec. 5. During that time, the cruise ship will host charity and VIP cruises, be loaded with provisions and outfitted with plants, serve as backdrop for a network morning news show, and undergo safety and health inspections. The 226,000-ton ship's arrival can be viewed by the public from John U. Lloyd Beach State Park, the 17th Street Causeway or the southern tip of Fort Lauderdale beach. Near the 17th Street bridge, about 30 people gathered to watch the Oasis. Some were bundled in jackets, while others wore shorts. A few brought binoculars. The ship's arrival took on a festive air. Several helicopters hovered around the Oasis, while boaters and kayakers took to the water for a better view. Planes flew overhead with banners welcoming the ship. Mobs of gawkers lined beaches and perched on rocks. People started lining up outside John U. Lloyd State Park around 6:30 a.m. Hundreds of people gathered at the north end of the beach as sponsors handed out free coffee and T-shirts that read "Welcome Oasis of the Seas." Tammy Micensky, 41, of Coral Springs, will be one of the first to set sail on the ship. Micensky will travel on the ship's maiden voyage to Haiti on Dec. 1, and says she can't wait to see the zip line amusement ride on board. "I did it once on an island in Jamaica, but on a ship, it seems impossible," she said. Another person who watched the Oasis' grand arrival was Sandra DiVello, 30, of Coral Springs. In February, she and her fiancée will tie the knot on the ship, she said. The couple heard about the Oasis while on another Royal Caribbean cruise in September 2008. A few months later, she called up and reserved her wedding date, she said. "I was the psycho bride who called Royal Caribbean and said I want to book a courtesy hold for my wedding date," DiVello said. Here's what's happening aboard Oasis of the Seas while in port. Nov. 13: The $1.5 billion Oasis arrives from Finland after a two-week journey. Nov. 13-18: Ship will be inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Public Health Service to make sure it meets international safety and sanitary standards. The ship must pass the inspections to operate from a U.S. port. Nov. 14: A towering special-purpose crane will install tropical plants in Central Park. This first-ever "park at sea" features 12,175 plants, 62 vines and 56 trees. Nov. 19: A one-night cruise departs from Port Everglades with top Royal Caribbean executives, the media team from ABC's Good Morning America and other VIP passengers. Pop star Rihanna will perform a special concert that night from the AquaTheater stage. Nov. 20: Good Morning America will broadcast live from Oasis from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., offering an exclusive first look at the ship. Nov. 20: A two-night cruise to nowhere will preview the ship for company officials, media, travel agents and invited guests. A second two-night preview cruise leaves Nov. 22. Nov. 29: One-night preview cruise and fundraiser supporting the local chapters of the United Way and American Red Cross. Royal Caribbean donated more than 1,000 cabins to the organizations to sell to the public. Nov. 30: One-night preview cruise and fundraiser supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Royal Caribbean donated 1,300 cabins to the organization to sell to the public. Highlights include the official christening and naming ceremony. Dec. 1: First full-revenue voyage, a four-night trip to Labadee, Haiti. Dec. 5: Inaugural departure on a regular seven-night itinerary, this one to the Eastern Caribbean, stopping at St. Thomas, St. Martin and Nassau, Bahamas. __________________ Last edited by lucas; 12-03-2009 at 11:37 PM.

11-13-2009, 09:32 AM	#2
Va-bear Dream World=we get to sit home and drink hot cocoa! They need to offer speed reading classes to bears! Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Richmond,VA Posts: 6,970	Not the Oasis, but it's 'twin' the Allure - summer 2011. (Yes, we are already booked that early!!!!) Those things are crazy big, huh?!Cant wait! __________________ Virginia 2009-Pop 2008-AK 2007-POP/POR 2006-Wilderness Lodge 2005-Celebration Radisson 2001-Wyndham Palace 1993-offsite 1975-Fort Wilderness

11-13-2009, 09:51 AM	#3
DMickey28 DIS Veteran Comes from a very square 1950's Leave it to Beaver type family. Kaboom! is my new best friend! Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Someplace between here and there Posts: 6,958	I want to but need to convince DH. We went on the Freedom and didn't like it. It was just too big. It felt like they stretched the Voyager class and added 1,000 people but didn't add enough new public space so all those people where crammed into the same spaces that were just a few feet bigger. I tried convincing him that Oasis was different because it was a new design but he is not sure!! Hopefully someday we can go on it. __________________ DS#1 Alexander Stephen 2.5 DS#2 Ryan Bradford EDD 3.28.10 RCS 3.22.10

11-13-2009, 09:51 AM	#4
DrCavin Likes to vacation at Myrtle Beach Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Ohio - Massillon Posts: 4,392	Im torn as whether or not we want to go on her. It would be amazing to see what she has to offer, but Im not sure I want to be on a ship with that many passengers. They are limited in which ports they can stop at since they cant tender that many people. Maybe in a couple years we will try Oasis. __________________ What's the deal with Ovaltine? The jar is round, the mug is round - It should be called Roundtine.

11-13-2009, 10:12 AM	#5
4nana God Bless America, land of the free & home of the brave. Godspeed & thanks to all our troops, especially our deployed soldier ^i^ Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Empty Nest, Md. Posts: 6,911	We'll wait, so to speak, till they iron all the bugs out and price drops ! We sailed her sister ship, Liberty of the Seas, last May for our anniversary, she is quite large too at 1112 ft. and 15 decks . LOVED it, had a wonderful time being pampered, discovering all the many actiivites and their private island Labadee is wonderful! Know you'll enjoy to the max, these huge ships are smooth as glass and definitely an amazing floating city! __________________ Keep the faith ^i^ Sandie ~~Mom of 4 ~ Nana of 13 ****** Grandchildren are God's reward for being a parent ~~~~~Life is a journey ~ love makes the trip worthwhile There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: 'One is roots, the other is wings.' ~~~~~ Grandchildren are God's reward for being a parent "For He shall give the angels charge over thee, to keep thee safe in all thy ways" Psalms 91:11 For my dear Mom ~ 16 yr cancer survivor

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11-13-2009, 10:36 AM	#6
MELISAZACK DIS Veteran Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: PA Posts: 734	We are looking at going next Aug (late) I think they have a run around the 21st or soo.. waiting to see if the price changes or not and what folks have to say about it. looks great though and my son wants to try the zip line. __________________

11-13-2009, 12:58 PM	#7
lucas Member of the Who Dat Nation Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Boca Raton, FL ~ 200 miles south of WDW Posts: 18,349	We've been on the Voyager and the Explorer and really loved them. I like the ice skating and parades down the "street." It is expensive but I figured what the heck - and so are the Disney ships! On the Oasis, we have the lowest priced inside cabin. But it is on the Central Park deck - not too many cabins on that deck. I thought it would be nice to be on a deck with activity. We live in the Fort Lauderdale area so it is very convenient for us to go down and hop on. They had to build a whole new terminal at the port for the ship to dock. I can't wait to see what the reviews are after she starts regularly sailing. __________________

11-13-2009, 01:44 PM	#8
CruiserMom Actually, a member since 2004 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: South Carolina Posts: 286	Going to be on the Oasis in 10 months!!! __________________ CruiserMom Upcoming Trips: March 2010 - Spring Break in DC June 2010 - Disneyland and Arizona Sept 2010 - Cruisin' on the Oasis! ???? 2011 - Going back to Hawaii! Past cruises: June 2004 - 7 night land/sea Sept 2005 - 7 night Western March 2006 - 3 night Bahamas Sept 2006 - 7 night Special Western Sept 2007 - 7 night Eastern Sept 2008 - 5 night "Hanna" Bahamas Sept 2009 - Jumped ship to the Freedom!

11-13-2009, 03:25 PM	#10
lucas Member of the Who Dat Nation Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Boca Raton, FL ~ 200 miles south of WDW Posts: 18,349	Couple of pics from the Sun Sentinel: __________________

11-13-2009, 03:40 PM	#13
Planogirl BAM! I have a crush on Emeril Lagasse! Oh well, let's look on the bright side. If I hadn't been so wiped out I would have kissed my anesthesiologist Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Frisco,Texas Posts: 27,870	Does anyone else wonder why something that big even floats? That is so cool! I hope that those of you sailing will post what it was like afterwards. __________________ PG

11-13-2009, 04:30 PM	#15
mrsdon DIS Veteran I'm a morning person! I travel for lottery tickets! Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Haines City FL Posts: 1,703	We are! We are! We are!!! We are sailing Jan 16 We are taking our motorcycle through a travel agent and riding our bike on the islands __________________ Debbie #4 DVC owner OKW,VB, BCV @ SSR

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