Royal Caribbean Orders Fifth Oasis-Class Cruise Ship and Two More Luxury Liners

The worlds largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, arrives in port for her mayden voyage, in Southampton, Britain May 17, 2016. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

Royal Caribbean International on Wednesday announced plans for a fifth Oasis-class cruise ship as well as two luxury liners for its Celebrity Cruises brand.

The three ships are part of a Memorandum of Understanding signed with STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.

The Oasis-class includes the world’s largest and most expensive cruise ships, including the recently delivered 227,000 gross ton Harmony of the Seas.

The two luxury cruise ships for Celebrity Cruises will be part of the Edge class, which already includes two ships on order for delivery in 2018 and 2020. Rather than size, the Edge class will focus on superlatively luxurious cabins, amenities, hospitality and culinary experiences, according to Royal Caribbean.

“The response to the arrival of Harmony of the Seas is staggering, eliciting excitement from eager cruisers from markets on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Chairman and CEO Richard D. Fain. “And Edge class is one of the most highly anticipated new projects, following the high bar of Modern Luxury design set by its predecessor, the Solstice class.”

Royal Caribbean says that delivery of the Oasis 5 is scheduled for the spring of 2021. The two Edge class vessels will be delivered in the fall of 2021 and 2022.

Royal Caribbean added that the new orders are contingent upon the completion of customary conditions as documentation and financing. Final contracts, including definitive payment schedules, are expected within the quarter.

Already the Oasis-class includes 225,000 gross ton Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, delivered in 2009 and 2010 by STX Europe in Turku, Finland (now Meyer Turku). Harmony of the Seas was delivered earlier in May by STX France in Saint-Nazaire. Oasis 4 is also now under construction at STX France with delivery scheduled for 2018. The Oasis ships are believed to each cost well over 1 billion euros each, so potentially as much as $1.5 billion USD factoring in exchange rate.