Last Friday, during the keel-laying ceremony for the Oasis III at STX in St. Nazaire, France, Royal Caribbean also announced that it has agreed with STX France to move forward on the order of a fourth Oasis-class ship for delivery in 2018.
The keel laying, during which a 1,000-ton block measuring 32-ft by 154-ft (10 x 47 meters) was lifted by crane into the building dock, marks the beginning of the physical construction of Oasis III.
Newly minted coins were placed under the keel and will stay in place there until the end of the ship’s construction.
Oasis III will be approximately 20 percent more energy efficient than Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, which already are the most energy efficient cruise ships in the world.
Still to be named, the third Oasis-class ship will be delivered in spring 2016.
The order for the Oasis IV is subject to documentation and satisfaction of financing and other customary conditions.
[mappress] WMN Staff, May 14, 2014; Video: royalcaribbean