NEW YORK (Commodity Online): The mother of all ships is all set to start sail on December 1 and the global media is full of rave reviews about the ship.

Before Royal Caribbean’s new Oasis of the Seas begins its first voyage on December 1, it has won the hearts of all across globe.

What’s the big attraction? Well, to begin with, at 225,000 tonnes, Oasis of the Seas is, by far, the largest cruise ship ever built. Longer than New York City’s famed Chrysler Building, Oasis is so big that it has “neighborhoods” such as Central Park, Royal Promenade and the Boardwalk. Like a city at sea, each neighborhood has its own unique “personality” along with numerous attractions that everyone onboard can enjoy, such as the huge Aqua Theater, an amusement park, an ice-skating rink and countless other innovations that you would never expect to find on a cruise ship.

Together, the neighborhoods also contain a total of 2,700 staterooms (including two-story loft suites) that will accommodate the 5,400 passengers that Oasis will indulge each week on 7-night Eastern Caribbean and 7-night Western Caribbean cruises round-trip from Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale), Florida.     

Because the ship is so extraordinary, Oasis has already created a “buzz” that, despite a sluggish economy, is breathing new vitality into the entire cruise industry. But, consistently filling 2,700 staterooms 52 weeks a year is no small task. That’s over a quarter of a million passengers a year (based on double-occupancy) on this one ship. And, when the sister ship of the Oasis, “Allure of the Seas”, is launched next year, the combined capacity of these two ships will be a staggering half million passengers a year. 

Some industry analysts are wondering if Royal Caribbean may have over-extended itself, and some retail travel agents have expressed concern that this huge increase in capacity may further weaken “soft” cruise pricing (which negatively affects their commissions). However, owners of some large national cruise agencies couldn’t disagree more. For example, Tom Coiro, owner of Direct Line Cruises (one of Royal Caribbean’s largest retailers), sees it as an unparalleled opportunity for his agency and others who have the foresight to recognize the tremendous potential offered by the Oasis. “In the fourteen years that Direct Line Cruises has been in business, I have never seen so much booking activity in advance of a ship’s inaugural sailing. We’ve already sold over 600 staterooms on the Oasis and the number is growing every day.” And, unlike the rest of the market where some clients are booking within 6 months (or less) of their cruise date in hope of getting the lowest possible rate, Tom observes that many clients are booking the Oasis a year or more in advance because the rates are increasing as the sailing dates approach due to unprecedented demand. “Adding to this positive trend”, Tom continues, “is the fact that clients are gravitating more towards the deluxe staterooms on Oasis; balconies, suites and lofts, which further helps our bottom line”. 

Coiro’s view of all the media attention is also quite pragmatic. “You can’t buy that much publicity so, in my opinion, it makes sense for any agency to ride the wave created by Royal Caribbean’s rising star. We’ve already committed a big part of our 2010 marketing budget to promote the Oasis.” Why? Tom concludes, “This ship practically sells itself!”

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