Royal Caribbean Orders Third Oasis-Class Ship from France

Oasis of The Seas, the first ship in the Oasis-class.

Royal Caribbean has pulled the trigger on a third (and possibly fourth) Oasis-class cruise ship from STX Europe.

Royal Caribbean placed the order for the new ship at STX France’s Saint-Nazaire shipyard, a departure from STX Finland’s yard in Turku where the first two Oasis-class ships – Oasis of The Seas and Allure of The Seas – were built. Travel Weekly reports that the company had been negotiating with STX Finland, but financial support from the Finnish government had fallen through.

The new ship is expected to be delivered in 2016 and is said to come at a lower price per berth than the previous two vessels, which were built for about $1.4 billion each in 2006. The contract with STX France also includes a one year option for a second ship, which would be delivered in 2018.

Royal Caribbean first hinted that it was in negotiations to order a third Oasis-class ship by year’s end back in October.

“The Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas have proven themselves to be exceptionally attractive ships by generating the highest guest satisfaction ratings in the fleet coupled with very compelling financial returns,” Royal Caribbean chairman, Richard Fain, said in October. “Ordering another such ship for delivery in 2016, at a lower cost, with better energy efficiency is very consistent with our balanced goals of prudent growth, return improvement and debt reduction.”

The 225,000-ton Oasis-class ships are currently the largest cruise ships in the world with the capacity for 5,400-passengers. Both Oasis of The Seas and Allure of The Seas are homeported in Port Everglades, FL.

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