Brits are mad keen to step aboard the world’s largest cruise ship. Oasis of the Seas’ cruises around the Med and her maiden transatlantic voyage from Southampton go on sale at midday today but Royal Caribbean know they will sell quickly because thousands of people have pre-registered to get the pick of the itineraries.
Pre-booking registrations – after last week’s announcement that the ginormous liner is heading for the UK next year – is the highest they’ve ever seen. Reservations team members are working overtime, part-time workers have been drafted in to work full-time and people from other departments across the business are answering phones and taking bookings.
Jo Rzymowska, associate vice president and general manager, said: “The thousands and thousands of pre-registrations to be one of the first to book Oasis of the Seas’ European cruises are simply mind-blowing and the ship really is living up to its incredible reputation as being a game changer for the industry. We are delighted with the huge reaction from guests and the ship’s first ever transatlantic sailing from the UK is, without a doubt, a really hot holiday ticket.”
As part of the innovative cruise ship’s first ever European season, guests will be able to enjoy hot Mediterranean destinations such as Rome, Palma and Capri.Oasis of the Seas will also pay a visit to British shores when it calls into Southampton on October 15, 2014. The 13-night westbound transatlantic sailing will depart Rotterdam in The Netherlands before calling into Southampton and Vigo in Spain before arriving into Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Lead-in cabins start at £899 based on a October 14 departure in Rotterdam.
Other itineraries featured as part of Oasis of the Seas first ever European season include:
Five-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona (Spain) and calling at Rome (Civitavecchia, Italy) and Palma De Mallorca (Spain) from £769 based on September 13, 2014 departure.
Five-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing Barcelona (Spain) and calling at Rome (Civitavecchia, Italy) and Naples/Capri (Italy) from £769 based on September 18, 2014 departure.
Seven-night Barcelona to Rotterdam cruise departing Barcelona (Spain) and calling at Malaga (Spain), Vigo (Spain) and Rotterdam (Netherlands) from £809 based on September 23, 2014 departure.
Accommodating 6,400 guests, Oasis of the Seas is longer than four football pitches, wider than almost six London buses parked end-to-end, and is a huge 225,282 Gross Registered Tons. And when she arrives in Southampton, she will be 40 per cent larger than any other cruise ship to ever dock in the UK.
With a range of exclusive features such as its very own Central Park, Oasis of the Seas has a real outdoor park about the size of a football pitch filled with more than 12,000 real trees and plants, an 82 foot-long zip wire, a hand-crafted carousel, a huge open air theatre – the AquaTheater – rock climbing walls and surf simulators. The ship features 16 decks packed full of activities and entertainment including the West End hit Hairspray.
