Oasis, Allure, Harmony, Symphony ... and Wonder, the latest in the Oasis Class! Moving away from the world of music to find its identity in the steel power of the titan, Wonder of the seas is under construction in Saint-Nazaire.
A prestigious lineage
Its name is reminiscent of the eponymous title of Jean-Michel Cousteau's film. The Wonder of the Seas completes a family of four ships in service, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas, delivered in 2009 and 2010 by the Finnish shipyard in Turku, then the Harmony of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas, released from the depths of Saint-Nazaire in 2016 and 2018.
Toward Shanghai
Destined for the Chinese market, the fifth giant liner of the Oasis Class, future holder of the title of largest cruise ship in the world, was recently docked at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire. Wonder of the Seas will be delivered in the spring of 2021 to the American company Royal Caribbean International and will play a pioneering role in operations in the Asia-Pacific region. For its inaugural season, it will be based in the Chinese port of Shanghai in 2021 after its positioning from Europe.
Tradition and novelty
The “C34” as it is called on the banks of the Loire where its first sheet was cut last April, will measure, like its elders, 362 meters (1,187 ft) long. But it will be slightly larger, with a gauge reaching 231,000 GT, the number of cabins going up to 2,857 (compared to 228,000 GT and 2,759 cabins for the Symphony of the Seas).
It will also feature notable architectural improvements. The block of chimneys, around which a complex of suites is built, has been redesigned, while the rear part of the upper decks will be completely revamped, as well as the structure spanning the central swimming pools Bridge and the one overhanging the solarium at the front. At the Stern, a large canopy will be decorated with visual effects and added in front of the open-air theatre, to which it will serve as a background.
Chantiers de l'Atlantique, shipyards of excellence
The RCCL group, the parent company of Royal Caribbean International, has placed an order for a sixth Oasis. In the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire it will carry the hull number A35 and will be completed in 2023. A last unit of this type (B35) is planned for 2026, but has not yet been commissioned. A guarantee for the future of Chantiers de l’Atlantique, a leader in shipbuilding.
Photo: Royal Caribbean
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