Royal Caribbean decides to add another Oasis class ship to its fleet for 2028 delivery

Royal Caribbean International has decided it’s not finished with the Oasis class newbuild program after all, placing an order for a seventh cruise ship of the design to join its fleet in 2028.

The cruise line laid the keel for its sixth Oasis class ship Utopia of the Seas in July last year, and it was widely expected that she would be the final vessel in the class, but Royal Caribbean is sticking with the “extremely popular” platform.

The order was signed with French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique and follows the recent delivery of Icon of the Seas, its largest vessel to date at 250,000 gross tons, roughly 25,000 gross tons larger than the Oasis vessels.

“While we eagerly anticipate the debut of Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas this summer, we’re already dreaming up her sister ship and the next installation in the brand’s extremely popular Oasis Class,” said Jason Liberty, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean Group. 

“Across our three brands, we are focused on continuously challenging ourselves to deliver the ultimate vacation experience,” he added.

While Carnival Corporation has signaled it will following a path of “measured” growth in the coming years, Royal Caribbean Group has recently introducted three new ships including Silver Nova (Silversea), Celebrity Ascent (Celebrity Cruises) and Icon of the Seas (Royal Caribbean).

“These are exciting times for Royal Caribbean, and we have an incredible partner in Chantiers de l’Atlantique to bring to life the lucky seventh Oasis Class vessel of what is a remarkable class of ships,” added Michael Bayley, President and CEO, Royal Caribbean International.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class ships were a game-changer for the market when the first, Oasis of the Seas, was introduced in 2009. At more than 226,000 gross tons she was easily the largest cruise ship ever built, and was the first to surpass a passenger capacity of 6,000.

Oasis of the Seas and her sister ships Allure, Harmony, Symphony, Wonder and Utopia of the Seas offer more than 40 restaurants, cafes, and bars, at least seven different ‘neighbourhoods’ and a host of on-board attractions and activities from ziplines across Central Park to some of the longest dry-slides at sea.