THE BIGGEST beast ever dreamt up by engineers to sail the high seas was floated off her concrete stanchions on the 21 November 2008.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, is a 220,000 ton monster which will accommodate some 5,400-passengers is the largest and most technological cruise ship ever designed.

Oasis of the Seas has been on the drawing board for nearly three-years, understandably the Royal Caribbean directors, at the official ritual milestone, were a touch nervous as they pushed the button the flood the 50-foot deep dry dock with 87 million gallons of Baltic Sea water.

After 16-hours, Oasis of the Seas slowly started to float free and she was moved the short distance to her new home so the internal outfitting could commence.

Later this year, December 2009, Oasis of the Seas will hold her inaugural sailing from Fort Lauderdale, USA under the command American Captain Wright and Norwegian born Captain Tor Olsen. Wright, a 15-year veteran of Royal Caribbean. He was also the launch captain for Freedom of the Seas. Tor Olsen has been sailing the sea since the tender age of 16.

Featuring firsts in cruising, Oasis of the Seas will be the first to showcase the likes of: Double-decker Loft Suites, Central Park, the Aqua Theatre, Boardwalk, Pool area with amphitheatre at the ship’s bow featuring high-dive and aqua-acrobatics, The Rising Tide Bar – an impressive glass walled elevator that shoots up from the Royal Promenade to Central Park serving cocktails.

Grub is in plentiful too. New restaurants such as the posh 150 Central Park and Giovanni’s Table – a fab Italian family-style hangout.

Oasis is larger than her sister’s Freedom of the Seas and equals Independence of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas. She will span 16 decks, encompass 220,000 gross tons, carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms.

The first cruise liner to have new neighbourhood concepts of seven distinct themed areas, with another first to have internal cabins with balconies overlooking the neighbourhoods, bring the outside – inside to what is normally dull, dark and dingy internal cabins on Royal Caribbean’s nearest cruise challengers. Guest’s onboard Oasis will now enjoy fresh natural light.

The ship is going to Home port at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from December 2009.

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