Sailing aboard the world’s largest and most exciting cruise ships will now come with even more bragging rights. Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas has emerged from a 14-day drydock with a new look including reimagined dining, game-changing high-speed internet, exciting new retail offerings, a new popular and favourite Broadway show, and new suites with exclusive suite dining and lounge. Sistership Allure of the Seas will follow suit in May 2015 with nearly identical enhancements. During their respective drydock, each ship’s seven neighbourhoods will be enhanced as part of the cruises line’s Royal Advantage commitment to deliver the best cruise holiday offerings and to introduce guests to even more new features and personalised experiences that can only be found when sailing with Royal Caribbean.
“Royal Caribbean’s legacy of innovation brought the revolutionary Oasis-class ships to life and in that spirit, during the Oasis of the Seas’ and Allure of the Seas’ drydocks we are adding features and experiences to wow our guests even more,” said Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, executive vice president, Operations, Royal Caribbean International. “One of the many exciting new features is Dynamic Dining, which has received an overwhelmingly positive response from our guests. We are expanding this new dining program, in line with our Royal Advantage commitment, to offer our guests and prospective consumers the amenities that appeal most to them according to the feedback we receive.”
Even More New Culinary Concepts
A key element of any holiday, dining provides holiday makers with the opportunity to experience new flavours and indulge in old favourites. Royal Caribbean’s Dynamic Dining, allows guests to tempt their taste buds with more choice and flexibility than ever before by offering guests a landscape of 20 restaurants, as vast and varied as dining in the world’s most cosmopolitan cities.
Royal Caribbean has recreated the original Oasis-class three-story main dining room into three distinct complimentary venues introducing bold new concepts each with their own cuisine and ambiance:
· American Icon Grill offers guests a take on the classic American road trip pulling together best-loved regional favourites into one comfort-style menu;
· Silk is a vibrant and exotic destination where Asian inspired spices bring new flavour to adventurous palates through a Pan-Asian menu;
· The Grande, where every night is formal night, offers an elegant ambiance and refined cuisine.
Guests will enjoy menus of the new concepts beginning 14 March 2015, onboard Oasis of the Seas. Guests sailing Oasis of the Seas prior to 14 March will enjoy the traditional dining room experience in the newly designed spaces.
As part of Dynamic Dining guests will have full control of their own epicurean journey with a tantalizing selection of specialty restaurants including four new unique concepts:
Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, a reimagined Izumi Japanese Cuisine offering a full teppanyaki menu as well as fresh and flavourful sushi rolls and sashimi;
Sabor Taqueria & Tequila Bar, first introduced aboard Navigator of the Seas to rave reviews, will feature a mouth-watering menu of authentic, modern and unexpected Mexican dishes including hand-made tableside guacamole. These dishes can be complemented by a curated beverage menu of tequilas, mezcal, and Mexican beers, as well as delicious sangrias and tableside-mixed margaritas;
Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, a unique culinary adventure for the senses where Royal Caribbean chefs twist their culinary kaleidoscopes in a whimsical setting that challenges the imagination with never-before-seen fare;
Coastal Kitchen is an exclusive restaurant for suite guests and Pinnacle members, that fuses Mediterranean influences with the unmatched riches of California’s bountiful farmlands and features. The experience is complemented by a robust wine list, curated specifically for the venue.
Finally guests will continue to enjoy Giovanni’s Table, 150 Central Park and Vintage Wine Bar, the hugely successful specialty dining concepts introduced on the Oasis-class in 2009.
Technology
Royal Caribbean’s commitment to provide the best cruise experience is at the heart of its Royal Advantage program which takes its latest innovations and most popular features and expands them to even its newest ships, such as:
Boatloads of Bandwidth, the game-changing partnership with technology partner O3b that will offer guests onboard Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas connectivity that matches fast broadband connections onshore and is greater than all other cruise ships combined. These new capabilities, allow the cruise line to offer affordable, easy-to-use Internet packages so that guests may watch streaming video, check email, share images on social media and enjoy face-to-face video conversations – even in the middle of the ocean.
Royal iQ is a new app that puts guests in charge of their holiday choices. Thanks to the dramatically improved connectivity, Royal iQ is able to continue dining reservations, shore excursions and spa appointments onboard, through both a downloadable app and at freestanding iQ stations around the ship. Guests also can use Royal iQ as a convenient calendar that provides at-a-glance views of their program and to keep in touch with one another and home via phone and text capabilities.
New Exclusive Suite Experience
Royal Caribbean is introducing 10 new suites on Oasis-class ships, offering breathtaking views of the ocean or the ships’ signature AquaTheater and Boardwalk neighbourhood and includes two Royal Suites, six Grand Suites and two Royal Family Suites, which can accommodate up to six guests. These suites offer a new level of sophistication when paired with the variety of new exclusive suite amenities that include:
· The Suite Lounge, an exclusive lounge area for suite guests to relax offering unmatched expansive views of the ship and sea;
· The Sun Deck, a new sun deck area that gives suites guests the chance to soak-up and relax in the Caribbean sun with lounge furniture, shaded and seating areas and private service;
· Coastal Kitchen is a suites only full-service restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner with a Mediterranean flare.
New Broadway Show
Oasis of the Seas’ introduced the first-ever, fully-licensed Broadway show at sea and now, the ship will bring one of the longest running productions on Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony award winning CATS to sea for the first time. Beginning June 2015, sister ship Allure of the Seas will feature MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs.
Superior Shopping at Sea
Known for its first at sea offerings, Royal Caribbean is introducing the playfully sophisticated designs of kate spade new york to Oasis-class on its popular Royal Promenade, a first at sea. Rounding out the diverse onboard shopping are two guest favourites Michael Kors and the Britto Art Gallery, as well as a whole new line-up of merchandise and fashion jewellery such as, Alexis Bittar, Uno de 50, Lauren G Adams, and Nina Nguyen.
These enhancements take many of the best features the cruise line has created in recent years and introduces them to its newest ships, by building on Royal Caribbean’s best-in-class global cruise offering and delivering to guests the Royal Advantage – the industry’s most innovative cruise ships, combined with exciting itineraries and destinations, and world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service.
Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas sail alternating seven-night Western and Eastern Caribbean itineraries every Saturday and Sunday, respectively from Fort Laurderdale, Florida, visiting exciting warm-weather getaways in the Caribbean. During the 2015 Europe season, Allure of the Seas will be homeported at Barcelona, Spain, for the first full Oasis-class Europe season.
Media can find more details, images and videos at www.RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com.
For more information about Royal Caribbean International, or to make a booking, visit royalcaribbean.com.au, call 1800 754 500 or visit your local travel agent.
SOURCE: Royal Caribbean