Cruise line adds Port of St. Maarten to itinerary of new generation cruise ship Oasis of the Seas .
Harbour Group of Companies Managing Director Mark Mingo announced that Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines (RCCL) has added Port of St. Maarten to the itinerary of its next generation of cruise ships for the 2009/2010 cruise season.
A delegation headed by Commissioner of Port Affairs Theo Heyliger and members of the Supervisory Board of Directors and management of the Harbour Group of Companies, visited Miami last week and met with cruise line officials.
The delegation that visited RCCL was Supervisory Board Chairman Michel Soons, and board members Michel Hodge, Joe Richardson, Humphrey Mezas, Renald Williams, Managing Director of St. Maarten Ports Authority Keith Franca and Harbour Group of Companies Director Mark Mingo.
The mammoth Oasis of the Seas will set sail on its inaugural voyage December 12, 2009. Bookings will open September 3, 2008 for seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.
The shipâ??s homeport is Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Oasis of the Seas will begin her inaugural season with 19 consecutive seven-night sailings to the Eastern Caribbean, with ports of call at Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and Nassau, Bahamas.
Starting May 1, 2010, Oasis of the Seas will alternate its Eastern Caribbean itinerary with the Western Caribbean itinerary, which will call at Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination in Haiti, the new port of Falmouth, Jamaica, and Cozumel, Mexico.
President and CEO of RCCL, Adam Goldstein, in its itinerary announcement, thanked the Port of St. Maarten and other ports for their support and cooperation in working with the cruise line to provide such a compelling itinerary for its guests.
RCCL has been working closely with the ports on the Oasis of the Seas itineraries to ensure the guest experience is seamless when the ship visits. The cruise line and St. Maarten will enhance the guest welcome facilities, while Cozumel’s pier will be widened. Approaches to the docks at St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Nassau also will be dredged.
Oasis of the Seas will be the world’s largest and most revolutionary ship introducing the cruise line’s new neighborhood concept, which will provide vacationers with the opportunity to seek out relevant experiences in seven themed areas based on their personal styles, preferences or moods.
When she launches in late 2009, Oasis of the Seas will be the largest and most revolutionary cruise ship in the world. An architectural marvel at sea, she will span 16 decks, encompass 220,000 gross registered tons (GRT), carry 5,400 guests at double occupancy, and feature 2,700 staterooms.