An Oasis Transatlantic

[Paulxyz2004]

There was talk a while back of it doing a spring TA, doing sailings in Europe/Med for the summer, and then a fall TA.

 

Yep a lot of talk about it including that when Oasis makes the TA it will be an empty sailling with only workers onboard.

 

As we all know on CC always rumors are spread, especially from People who wish something is going to happen;)

[A&L_Ont]

Yups, RCI ships go into dry-dock once every 5 years.

 

Is this RC's "law"? Would they wait another year if a third Oasis class ship was ready to sail and replace Oasis on the east/west routes?

 

I really think they are trying to get the funding for the third ship, have it replace Oasis at dry dock, then Allure when she goes to dry dock and Oasis has returned. I would guess the process would be about 6-12 months per ship. FLL would still have 2 Oasis class ships sailing while each one was at dry dock. This to me is the interesting part of the financing negoiations. For them it is a poker game, a real important one.

 

They would then have the third Oasis class ship free for its new itinerary when both ships are completed. At the same time if isn't sailing out of FLL they can be building it's new terminal for wherever she calls home port.

 

As for sailing a transatlantic, I would do it. Not in the CLS though. Mid ship, mid level is where I would be. I was in the CLS during hurricane Sandy with 20-30 foot swells. Rather uncomfortable. They had 50 foot waves the first time coming to FLL so md ship, mid level for me please.

 

Just something to think about.

Andrew

[Clarea]

Yups, RCI ships go into dry-dock once every 5 years.

 

Is this RC's "law"? ...

Someone here on Cruise Critic explained once that it's some sort of maritime regulation. The dry dock is required for inspection / maintenance of parts of the ship that cannot be accessed while in the water.

[Iluvcruising2]

Is this RC's "law"? Would they wait another year if a third Oasis class ship was ready to sail and replace Oasis on the east/west routes?

 

I don't know whether it is a company policy or whether it is due to maritime regulations or both.

 

On our recent Australia/NZ cruise, Captain Charles Tiege on the Voyager said categorically that RCI ships go into the drydock once every 5 years.

[A&L_Ont]

Someone here on Cruise Critic explained once that it's some sort of maritime regulation. The dry dock is required for inspection / maintenance of parts of the ship that cannot be accessed while in the water.

 

I don't know whether it is a company policy or whether it is due to maritime regulations or both.

 

On our recent Australia/NZ cruise, Captain Charles Tiege on the Voyager said categorically that RCI ships go into the drydock once every 5 years.

 

If that is the case then my thought is not going to work. Maybe the sunshine project will do the Oasis/Allure swap while the dry docks are on going. Then it would go up the coast to Banyonne (sp?) when the both dry docks are complete. The project sunshine ship at pier 17 should work smoothly. That all being said I don't know if that ship would be completed in time either for my theory.

 

As for the crossing show me where and I will sign up for sure. Our suite will me lower down:p. I have on deck 17 three times and the last was certainly the roughest time. I have also sailed to Hawaii with smooth waters but I wouldn't take my chances as high as deck 17 four 4 days of large waves. I also have a tough stomach and good sea legs, but I think I would play it safe.

 

Andrew

[stevea36]

I would guess the process would be about 6-12 months per ship.

 

Note: Dry Dock is not the same as refurbishment. They would bring the ship into Dry Dock and do the required inspections, repairs, etc. Probably minor refurbishment (if any). Think about it, all of the other ships go into Dry Dock all the time and you don't even hear about it.

 

Steve

[A&L_Ont]

Note: Dry Dock is not the same as refurbishment. They would bring the ship into Dry Dock and do the required inspections, repairs, etc. Probably minor refurbishment (if any). Think about it, all of the other ships go into Dry Dock all the time and you don't even hear about it.

 

Steve

 

Very true.

 

It is a large ship though so there would be a lot of work to do. I might assume that they would need to do more work than an average ship. Once that ship goes out of circulation they might want to do a bit more work than normal.

 

Grand Princess was off for 1 month, but they did do some structural work. That being said Oasis should need no structural work, but there is a lot of ship to cover for touch ups as well as the dry dock work.

 

I am not structural engineer or ship owner, just an armchair quaterback:D. Maybe they only need 1-2 months, with the ship possibly going to Europe it is a big commitment. With a ship missing from the weekly FLL sailings for a month or more, there is a lot of revenue missing from a ship that is filled weekly. If it is 1 month dry dock, and 1 week each way that is a minimum of 6 weeks as a starting point if the ship goes to Europe and returns to FLL.

 

These are all just thoughts, maybe right or wrong but just ideas.

 

Andrew

[Eng23]

Since drydock is still 2 years away, maybe Freeport will build a new, larger drydock for the Oasis class.

This would make sense.

[Beth C]

Let's not talk about how wonderful 14+ days on board for a TA on Oasis/Allure would be... Don't want the powers at be thinking we'll pay top $$ for the sailing ;)

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Topo Gigio]

I don't know whether it is a company policy or whether it is due to maritime regulations or both.

 

On our recent Australia/NZ cruise, Captain Charles Tiege on the Voyager said categorically that RCI ships go into the drydock once every 5 years.

 

This correct. Royal Caribbean ships go into dry dock every 5 years. What I have noticed is that other cruise lines send their ships more often/ Carnival and Princess like every 2.5 years.

[Lukkie]

Anybody any idea which dry dock in The Netherlands/Amsterdam would be big enough to fit Oasis class ships?

 

And will the locks by Ijmuiden be big enough to fit the width of Oasis? Also, she is 360 meter in length and 'het Ij' (where the Amsterdam Passenger Terminal is) is only 270 meters in length from terminal to the other side, she will never be able to turn there. Maybe she will go to Rotterdam instead?

[TravelerThom]

Yep a lot of talk about it including that when Oasis makes the TA it will be an empty sailling with only workers onboard.

 

As we all know on CC always rumors are spread, especially from People who wish something is going to happen;)

If they drydock at STX, Turku, Finland, they could have a revenue TransAtlantic, and still have several days with only workers going to Turku. Obviously RCI wants to maximize revenue, so if they think they could make more dollars than they lose with a revenue (versus working) TransAtlantic they would. My thought [entirely a guess] is that maximum revenue would be to send Oasis to Europe for a summer. Many, if not most, large industrial ports in Europe could probably handle her (and St. Petersburg seems to be a highly desired port even though all but the smallest cruise ships go to an industrial port far from downtown). I'm not sure that the tropical plants in Central Park would survive for very long in the Baltic (they probably would do okay if covered and cared for while in drydock, but on an open deck on a revenue sailing I'm not so sure), but the plants should do fine in the Med. I feel confident that RCI/RCCL is studying cost versus revenue as well as availability of potential drydocks.

 

Thom

[FSUNole]

There probably will be one in 2014. During a talk with some of the senior officers on the Allure, the subject of Dry Dock for the Oasis came up. I found out that there are rules that require passenger ships to dry dock once every 5 years during their first 15 years of service. This was not a dry dock to make changes, but rather to go over all of the systems of the ships and to do a good inspection of the hull.

 

The only shipyards in North America big enough to handle Oasis and Allure are the Navy shipyards. Because of this, Royal is probably going to have to sail Oasis and Allure back to Europe when they need to go into Dry dock.

 

Of course this was just talk, but there is a chance that there will be a Transatlantic on the Oasis sometime in 2014. I just thought that this was something to keep in mind for those who would look forward to that type of trip.

 

We were bouncing around the waves on Allure during the after Thanksgiving cruise. I can't imagine how rocky it would be in a TA.

[FLACRUISER99]

Yep a lot of talk about it including that when Oasis makes the TA it will be an empty sailling with only workers onboard.

 

As we all know on CC always rumors are spread, especially from People who wish something is going to happen;)

I'm with you if she does a TA it will be sans passengers, don't forget all the vegetation in CP will have to be removed.

[kymbakitty]

Let's not talk about how wonderful 14+ days on board for a TA on Oasis/Allure would be... Don't want the powers at be thinking we'll pay top $$ for the sailing...

 

We would love to do a TA on one of these ships. I know we won't get to experience the ships so long as they are doing 7 day Caribbean. I don't mind hitting a few ports coming back or going over....but 7 day cruises aren't something we even book anyway.

 

Not sure why there are posts about not being on the 17th deck though. We've been on 4 TA's and never had any bad weather....nothing to make someone want to be on a lower deck.

 

What am I missing? Is it something to do with the size of this ship, as opposed to a LOS TA?

[Seatravelers]

If they drydock at STX, Turku, Finland, they could have a revenue TransAtlantic, and still have several days with only workers going to Turku. Obviously RCI wants to maximize revenue, so if they think they could make more dollars than they lose with a revenue (versus working) TransAtlantic they would. My thought [entirely a guess] is that maximum revenue would be to send Oasis to Europe for a summer. Many, if not most, large industrial ports in Europe could probably handle her (and St. Petersburg seems to be a highly desired port even though all but the smallest cruise ships go to an industrial port far from downtown). I'm not sure that the tropical plants in Central Park would survive for very long in the Baltic (they probably would do okay if covered and cared for while in drydock, but on an open deck on a revenue sailing I'm not so sure), but the plants should do fine in the Med. I feel confident that RCI/RCCL is studying cost versus revenue as well as availability of potential drydocks.

 

Thom

 

I agree. I think they will do a TA with passengers (revenue, revenue) and then after drydock, leave the ship in Europe/Med for a while. I'm sure our friends across the pond would fill the ship for every sailing, again revenue. In it's absence, the new Sunshine ship could make it's debut in Florida as it should, imho. The port is Bayonne is probably one the the worst RCCL uses and does not give one a very good 1st, 2nd or more impression and you know RCCL will want that with a billion dollar new ship, imho. We might even consider some European/Med cruises on the Oasis as something different given the option. Anyway, only time will tell and all the actual plans and details will only be given when RCCL decides;).

[Topo Gigio]

I highly doubt it that RC will send an empty ship to europe. Doesn't make sense to me. That's a lot of lost revenue.

[setsail]

Newport News can handle Oasis class. They have 1 drydock thats 2000 ft. long

[Sequim88]

you could do a sort of TA back to back....

TA eastbound to amsterdam, then tour around europe during the week or two that the oasis is in dry dock, then TA westbound back to the US!

 

I too suspect that once there they would be wasting an opportunity to show off Oasis in that market. Not sure what Med ports could handle her but might make for some interesting itineraries.

 

As a TA fan I would think it would be the one way to entice me to Oasis, which as others have pointed out is a destination unto itself. As far as rough water I think it is overstated for TAs. Our first on Brilliance had 12 foot waves for a few days and barely rocked. Mariner las May was like sailing on a lake - smooth as could be - except for Strait of Gibralter wind tunnel that kicked things up for a few hours. Even then Mariner barely moved. Not to say there can't be some nasty sailings but late-Sping and late-fall seem to be generally calmer water for crossings.

 

We'll be watching the schedules close as 2014 approaches. Spring TA's typically get released in April/May about a year in advance so by this coming May we should know.

[gambee]

I am not really sure if I would ever do a TA. But if I ever do, I would want to be in a ship like the Oasis. Plenty of options to keep you busy.

[JKHawaii]

When I cruised on the Allure in November, those "senior officers" told us the 3rd Oasis-class ship was a done deal. Right!

 

I've become wary of information gleaned from cruise staff over the years, regardless of their position. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Eng23]

Newport News can handle Oasis class. They have 1 drydock thats 2000 ft. long

I agree. I tried explaining that earlier in this thread.

[A&L_Ont]

I agree. I tried explaining that earlier in this thread.

 

I read it. Cost wise cheapest solution. Do dry dock, have sunshine class take Oasis's place, then ship the sunshine to its new home port.

 

If I was an owner that is what I would do. Once and if there was a third Oasis class ship then I would send it to FLL, Allure to Europe for dry dock, then base it in Europe for the season.

 

You know they should make a board game that makes you the owner of a cruise ship line or lines that makes you the owner of different fleets and you compete against one another.

 

Just in case I trade mark it:D

 

Andrew

[Eng23]

I read it. Cost wise cheapest solution. Do dry dock, have sunshine class take Oasis's place, then ship the sunshine to its new home port.

 

If I was an owner that is what I would do. Once and if there was a third Oasis class ship then I would send it to FLL, Allure to Europe for dry dock, then base it in Europe for the season.

 

You know they should make a board game that makes you the owner of a cruise ship line or lines that makes you the owner of different fleets and you compete against one another.

 

Just in case I trade mark it:D

 

Andrew

I agree that what it breaks down to is the cruiseline going with the most cost effective solution. I merely tried to explain that there is a shipyard in the U.S. that could accomodate both the Oasis and Allure for a drydock availability based on having a dry dock large enough. Granted that shipyard does a lot of work for the U.S. Navy and more than likely the real reason Royal would not use this shipyard is they would not be the lowest bidder for the project.

[A&L_Ont]

I agree that what it breaks down to is the cruiseline going with the most cost effective solution. I merely tried to explain that there is a shipyard in the U.S. that could accomodate both the Oasis and Allure for a drydock availability based on having a dry dock large enough. Granted that shipyard does a lot of work for the U.S. Navy and more than likely the real reason Royal would not use this shipyard is they would not be the lowest bidder for the project.

 

My earlier stated idea of Oasis being relieved by another ship at dry dock might just work with the news of the new Oasis class ship. Coming down to economics you are correct, 100%. I have a bunch of other theories but, too long winded to type them.

 

Can't wait to get on the newest old tug.;)

Andrew