RCI Has the Keys to the Allure of the Seas

Juha Heikinheimo, President, STX Finland and Richard Fain, Chairman and
CEO, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. at the delivery of Allure of the Seas
Photo Courtesy Royal Caribbean International

Today on 28 October 2010, the world's largest and most innovative cruise ship, the Allure of the Seas, was delivered by STX's Turku Shipyard to the American shipowners Royal Caribbean International.  Allure of the Seas is the sister ship of  Oasis of the Seas delivered a year ago. 

What's it like to sign a piece of paper authorizing the payment of One Billion USD (that's with a "B")?  Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises LTD., Richard Fain, can tell you.

In an official closing ceremony there were only two documents signed of the hundreds that were done behind the scenes.   In his blog post, She’s Ours!, he indicated that it was both anti-climatic and an awesome responsibility:

"The closing created conflicting emotions for me. On the one hand, it was anti-climactic. After millions of man hours, years of effort, endless argumentation and consideration, and tons of sweat and tears, a simple one page document saying it was complete didn’t seem momentous enough. On the other hand, signing a one page sheet of paper transferring a billion dollars (that billion with a B) is an awesome responsibility. Actually having to sign your name brings home the implications in a very strong way. Before signing, I obviously checked with Harri Kulovaara that all the technical elements of the ship were up to snuff and checked with Adam Goldstein that all the operational aspects were ready. Nevertheless, I have to admit that my hand hesitated a bit before actually signing that paper."

Sister Ship of Oasis of the Seas

The Allure of the Seas and the Oasis of the Seas can be termed the most powerful and
sophisticated ships in the world for a reason. They also are the culmination of more than 40
years of product development cooperation between the cruise line, the shipyard and the
maritime cluster. The Oasis class vessels are 361 metres in length, and their cross tonnage is
225,000. The Allure of the Seas can accommodate 6,360 passengers at maximum. In
comparison, the Song of Norway delivered to the same customer in 1970 was 168 metres long
with a gross tonnage of 18,400; in other words, the Allure of the Seas is some 12 times as
large.

An Amazing Collaborative Effort

The building contract was signed on 2 April 2007, and production was launched on 4 February
2008. The keel laying of the Allure of the Seas started on 2 December 2008, and the vessel was
launched for the first time on 20 November 2009.

At closing time, there were only 230 comments outstanding on the Allure contrasted to 6,000 at the same time for the Oasis.   STX Finland should be quite proud of their accomplishments with both vessels.  Millions of man hours later, we have the second Oasis-class ship delivered on-time and with fewer outstanding items remaining to be corrected.

VIDEO: Signed, Sealed and Delivered: Allure Joins the Royal Fleet

Allure of the Seas is officially a part of the Royal Caribbean fleet, following months of construction and preparation this is a moment marked with celebration!

Allure of the Seas is currently sailing the Atlantic Ocean on its way to the home port of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Norwegian Epic Delivered to NCL

Photo by Bernard Biger

Do you remember your first car when the dealer handed over the keys to you?  You opened the door and smelled that new car smell - you were in heaven.

If you were in  St. Nazaire, France on June 17, 2010, you would have witnessed a similar event but on a much grander scale.    Norwegian Cruise Line today accepted delivery of its largest and most innovative ship to date, Norwegian Epic, from STX FRANCE SA. Norwegian Epic at 153,000 gross tons is the largest ship ever constructed in St. Nazaire and therefore represents a major milestone for STX.

“Norwegian Epic represents the next level of Freestyle Cruising with branded entertainment, more than 20 dining options and a wide range of accommodations including the largest suite complex at sea,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian’s Chief Executive Officer. “Following more than four years of development and construction, we are pleased to take ownership of this beautiful ship and introduce her to the world. We are confident that Norwegian Epic will amaze our guests.” 

Epic: Spider Web

Schedule

9 PM June 17 -  depart St. Nazaire en route to Rotterdam
June 19 - travel agents & media - two-day inaugural cruise.

June 21 -  one-night preview cruise to Southampton, arriving on
June 22 -  two-day inaugural sailing
June 24 - depart Southampton on 7-day transatlantic crossing
July 1 - arrive in New York
July 2 - christened by legendary entertainer Reba McEntire followed by a two-day inaugural cruise
July 4 - host venue for the 34th Annual Macy's 4th of July Fireworks

Beginning July 10, Norwegian Epic will sail alternating seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami through April 30, 2011. 

Ports of call on the Eastern Caribbean itinerary include Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas. The Western Caribbean cruises visit Costa Maya, Mexico; Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras; and Cozumel, Mexico. The 2011 cruise season from May-October will have Norwegian Epic sailing a series of seven-day Western Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona. When she returns to Miami on November 5, 2011, she will sail a series of seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises through April 7, 2012. 

Additional Blog Posts for Norwegian Epic  (click here)

Link for more information about Norwegian Epic and Itineraries

We will be onboard Norwegian Epic for our 2010 National Conference.   We are looking forward to sailing on this latest ship in Norwegian Cruise Line's fleet.

MSC Magnifica Sails to Mediterranean

THE MAGNIFICENT MEDITERRANEAN

7 Night Cruise | MSC MAGNIFICA
Departing from Venice

Ports of call:
Venice, Italy | Bari, Italy
Katakolon (Olympia), Greece | Izmir, Turkey
Istanbul, Turkey | Dubrovnik, Croatia
Venice, Italy

MSC took ownership of MSC Magnifica from STX Europe shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France during a traditional flag ceremony on February 25, 2010. It will be christened later this week, March 6th in Hamburg, Germany.

MSC Magnifica will carry 2,518 passengers, most of them enjoying the luxury of a sea-facing cabin with private balcony. The ship will have a crew of over 1,000.

MSC Magnifica is 294 metres long, 32 metres wide and 60 metres tall, and differs from her three predecessors due to its covered pool, enlarged cafeteria area and many decorative and technological innovations.

MSC’s newly released airfare program features reduced airfare for cruises throughout the Mediterranean onboard MSC Magnifica, the latest fleet addition, MSC Splendida, MSC Fantasia, and MSC Musica.

Airfare starting from $369 pp plus taxes for Fall 2010 sailings.

NOTE: Should you wish to purchase MSC's Air Program, flights are leaving the day prior to beginning the cruise. On the return 1 night post hotel stay in Venice is required.

Oasis of the Seas Back to the Bridge

Captain William Wright on the Bridge of Oasis of the Seas - Courtesy Royal Caribbean International

While crossing the North Atlantic Ocean on its way to Port Everglades, Florida, Oasis of the Seas encountered strong winds and high seas. Due to the inclement weather, Oasis of the Seas is now scheduled to arrive at Port Everglades on the morning of November 13, 2009, two days later than originally scheduled. The late arrival will not impact any inaugural events, promotional activities or revenue sailings.

We continue our coverage of the Oasis of the Seas' first crossing by visiting with Captain Bill on the bridge. Joining him on the bridge are two well-known retired Captains of Royal Caribbean International: Captain Kent Ringborn (Ret.), also known as the "signing captain" to those of us that had the great fortune to sail with him, who was at the helm of the Radiance of the Seas when it was introduced and Captain Ulf Svensson (Ret.), who brought the Grandeur of the Seas into service. Both retired captains were amazed at the ship and how stable it was and how well it handled the rough seas of the North Atlantic.

Hear their comments and see their reaction to the ship in the following video.

Captains Log Day 10 Video: Back to the Bridge (click here)

In the following video, Captain Bill provides a detailed explanation of the equipment on the bridge of the Oasis. Then, you will get a behind-the-scenes look at the Turku, Finland shipbuilding yard where Oasis was built. Learn more about shipbuilding on STX Europe website.

Captains Log Day 11 Video: Shipbuilding in Turku (click here)

Related Blog posts:

Oasis of the Seas - Entertainment

Oasis of the Seas vs North Atlantic
Oasis of the Seas Continues Journey
Oasis OTS Ducks Under Great Belt Bridge
Oasis of the Seas - Crossing the Atlantic
Oasis of the Seas Heads for Home
Oasis of the Seas Takes to Water

Watch Additional Oasis of the Seas Videos Here!

EXCLUSIVE LIMITED TIME OFFER
November 15th at midnight (EXTENDED!)

Book a 7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise aboard the Oasis of the Seas by November 15th and receive $100 Onboard Credit Learn more about Oasis of the Seas and applicable sail dates.

Oasis of the Seas Takes to Water

Photos Courtesy STX Europe

Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

Begins Sea Trials

Like a "duck to water" Royal Caribbean International's latest ship, Oasis of the Seas, took to the water in Turku, Finland last week as she began the first of her sea trials. Weighing in at 225,000 GT she becomes the largest cruise ship in the world. In fact, when Oasis of the Seas leaves Turku for Miami, Fl. this autumn, it will be the biggest export product of Finland ever.It is quite an accomplishment for shipbuilder STX Europe ASA. Formely known as Aker Yards ASA, the group changed its name to STX Europe in November, 2008.

Oasis of the Seas is 47 metres wide and 360 metres long, i.e. 40 m longer than the height of the Eiffel tower! Height over the water line is 65 m. Building the vessel has been compared to a huge 3-dimensional puzzle. The vessel consists of 180 grand blocks, the biggest with a size of length 22 m, width 30 m and weight 600 tons! The vessel´s weight is 12 times the weight of the Eiffel tower.

It's hard to believe that it was just on November 21, 2008, that the launching ceremony of the Oasis of the Seas took place at STX Europe's shipyard in Turku. Martin Landtman, President of STX Finland Cruise Oy was joined by Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and other executives of the yard and owners to turn the valves releasing water into the drydock and letting the vessel float out to its own element.

According to Royal Caribbean's Chairman & CEO, Richard Fain, who was onhand for the event, "Most of the trials were a terrific success. The ship performed her various tests very well and everyone is very excited." The ship is now back in her construction berth.

There was one surprise, however. They were thinking of adding an aerostat to the ship and were doing a test to see if it was practical/desirable. You can see the blimp in the picture above. However, if you had been there, you would have noticed that it was missing later. In fact, they had to fetch it out of the water. So, I guess it's back to the drawing board for this new innovation. Fain took it light-heartedly saying "This is precisely why we do such tests (and why I don’t take credit until we know whether or not they are successful)".

Oasis of the Seas will be like a floating resort with seven neighbourhoods - themed areas offering experiences for passengers of all ages: the Promenade, a shopping mall with boutiques and restaurants, Boardwalk with the first amfi theatre at sea, Vitality Spa, Pool & Sports Zone with water park activities, Youth Zone with playing possibilities from babies to teens, Entertainment Place with casino and dance hall. And the Central Park with a revolutionary design in which the centre of the ship opens to the sky. With the length of a soccer field, some 110 metres and a width of 19 metres the park will have growing lawn, trees and other vegetation. Sun will be shining to this unique open outdoor space surrounded with restaurants, shops and cafés. Learn more about all the neighbourhoods.

See the Video: Oasis of the Seas Sea Trial

STX Europe is not just building the Oasis of the Seas, but it has also laid the keel for it's sister ship, Allure of the Seas which is due out in 2010.

Perhaps this summarizes it best: "We are not building just ships, we are building experiences" says Martin Landtman, President of STX Finland Cruise Oy. "The world's largest cruise vessels are innovations themselves, and have several innovations inside. Cruise passengers are expecting new unparalleled experiences, and that is what the owners and the yard continuously are creating in good cooperation".