Allure of the Seas to undergo major refit and refurbishment after pandemic delay

Allure of the Seas will finally undergo her bow-to-stern refit and refurbishment in 2025 following a half-decade delay due to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Allure of the Seas was meant to be refurbished in 2020, as part of Royal Caribbean International’s multi-billion dollar fleetwide amplification project, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Now in a fourth quarter earnings call, Royal Caribbean Group’s President and CEO Jason Liberty has confirmed that the ship is due for her dry dock in early 2025.

“We are always modernising [our fleet],” Liberty said. “We have Allure coming up and the actions we took on Oasis and some of the learnings on Icon are going to be on that modernisation.”

“We are always updating our ships to make sure they stay relevant and competitive,” he added, noting that Royal Caribbean Group’s strategy includes a continued investment in its fleet.

The upgrades to Allure of the Seas will not only improve the guest experience but are also on the environmental side, bringing her up to date with her newer Oasis fleet mates Symphony of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas.

Allure of the Seas original 58-day, US $165 million drydock was part of a larger $1 billion modernisation program called Royal Amplification.

As part of its amplification, the Allure of the Seas was set to receive several new features including venues that debuted on the Quantum Class and newest Oasis Class ships, such as a new set of waterslides, updated dining venues, new specialty dining options and new bars and lounges.

Several vessels of the company’s Voyager, Freedom and Oasis Class were refitted as part of the project, which was revealed in 2018. In early 2020, however, the pandemic caused the postponement of the upcoming refits.

Delivered in 2010, Allure of the Seas was second of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships, after the class leader Oasis of the Seas. The class has since been joined by Harmony, Symphony and Wonder of the Seas, with a sixth and final Oasis class ships Utopia of the Seas, due for delivery in 2024.

The Oasis class ships were the largest in the world until the launch of Icon of the Seas, the class leader in the new Icon class, which is around 25,000 gross tons larger than the Oasis ships at 250,000 gross tons.