Construction is now underway on Royal Caribbean’s sixth Oasis-class ship, which will be named Utopia of the Seas. The ship is expected to debut in the spring of 2024. The Utopia will be the first Oasis-class ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas. The ship is being built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France.
The Oasis-class cruise ships are the world’s biggest in terms of gross tonnage. The Wonder of the Seas, which entered service last month, is currently the world’s largest cruise ship at 236,857 gross tons. Royal Caribbean has not indicated if the Utopia will be bigger than that.
With plans for nearly 3,000 cabins on board, and a capacity for close to 10,000 passengers, it will ferry almost 3,000 more passengers than its largest sister ship, Wonder of the Seas. It will also be powered by natural gas (LNG) propulsion, a welcome move as cruise lines step up efforts to make the industry more sustainable.
Record Year
The cruise liner reported its best single booking day and its highest-volume booking week, shattering records for the 53-year-old cruise line. Royal Caribbean said the record-setting week was March 26 through April 1.
“The enthusiasm and excitement for the successful return of cruising is undeniable,” said Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean International president and CEO.
Carnival Cruise Line also reported breaking a record for weekly bookings, from March 28 to April 3.
