The Wall Street Journal recently profiled the Oasis of the Seas in an article that details the minutiae involved in the feeding and care of 8,600 passengers and crew. The article provides a fascinating look at some of the mundane housekeeping tasks that, by their gargantuan nature, are sure to make even the most unflappable homemaker tremble — 20,000 pounds of laundry A DAY, non-stop window cleaning chores, and 26 kitchens to stock.
What the article hints at, though, is an answer that’s bit more difficult to pin down than the number of bottles of beer consumed (80,000) or its gross tonnage (225,282), and that is, is the Oasis too big to be good?
Competitors have started touting the smaller, ‘more intimate’ size of their ships since the Oasis took to the water last December. Micky Arison, the Carnival CEO, describes the mega ship as, “the train wreck you want to go see.” Many travelers opine that they fear getting lost on a ship that would house more folks than many U.S. cities, while others lament that they don’t want to vacation with that many folks in close proximity.
So what are the pros and cons of these new behemoth ships? Is bigger really better?
Bigger is better for experience and stability
On the plus side of the column, bigger size means more places to put the ever expanding numbers of entertainment choices that customers are demanding. Oasis has seven ‘neighborhoods’ (much like a theme park) that divide and define areas of the ship into segments by interest or age (food, recreation, adult or teen pursuits).
The bigger scale benefits the zip line, and allows for two rock climbing walls, a miniature Central Park, and a surfing pool, among other outsized diversions. When I was a teenager and traveled on ‘fam’ cruises with my father (who owned a travel agency at the time) I tended to get bored with the limited options. On a ship as large at the Oasis, the vessel is your oyster — providing for almost any type of sea-going occupation you could desire. It makes you wonder who needs a cabin if you’re hardly ever going to be in it? It also makes a sail with less port calls more tolerable (more on that later).
Another positive side-effect of the Oasis’ sheer magnitude is the ultimate ‘cruise control.’ Without getting too geeky, Oasis’ engineers accommodated for the ship’s the larger volume by using a wider hull. (This was done to allow much greater capacity without creating too large a displacement – a feature that keeps most decks above the water line).The larger surface area helps keep the ship more stable under most conditions. Translated for tourists, motion-wise, you’re less aware that you’re on the water and presumably less likely to get sick.
The state-of-the art navigation systems and engines mean most of your cruise is handled on ‘auto-pilot,’ with the need to take the helm limited to dockings and departures. Hopefully that means the crew has more time to study other navigational needs, like the weather (a la Titanic).
One item on size that gains by explanation is the capacity number. The ship can hold 8,600. Fully loaded, 2,300 of those are crew. That means the ample size allows for a generous amount of crew to attend to guests, equating a crew-to-passenger ratio of 1 crew member per 2.7 passengers – a service quota that bests that of some of the world’s finest hotels. (In Switzerland, a five star ‘luxury’ hotel must maintain a ratio of 1 staff member for every four to five guests). While fractionally larger than the service ratios on some other ships, it still provides for ample pampering and probably beats the number of helpers you have at home.
Is Oasis too big?
The ship’s size also creates an effect that could be either pro or con, depending on circumstances. Hosting such super sums of people creates a need for great ingenuity and stewardship in terms of dealing with issues like sewage, food storage, and on-board services such as medical attention. The result is an attention to detail and an army of staff that would make a military campaign proud. The ship is, in fact, almost a self-contained state, and a pretty efficient one at that.
On the flip side, if one thing goes wrong – illness takes hold, storms delay docking and provisioning, or a major mechanical fault erupts – there are a lot of lives at risk. At a minimum, break-downs in service or equipment can create a lot of inconvenience with so many onboard.
Consistent with some of the fears expressed above, many seem afraid that the dreaded norovirus will be even more of a risk, and in theory, it would seem that having more folks contained in one locale would boost the chances of infection. The reality is as yet unclear, since the newness of ships precludes long-term studies or statistics. Cruise ships are ultra vigilant about that sort of thing, though, and with the proper enforcement of both employee and passenger hygiene, the risk is highly mitigated. If I made all my travel decisions based on the mere possibility of getting sick, I’d stay home a lot more often.
For travelers that might have thought the older, 4,000 passenger ships were themselves huge, the Oasis presents a daunting decision — to check out the new kid on the block with all her toys, or to relax with the tried and true.
Many cruisers who thought nothing of bunking in with several thousand strangers suddenly worry about being elbowed in the buffet line when the manifest doubles. In fact, the most oft repeated criticism of the boat by those who had not tried it was that they didn’t want to feel ‘like cattle.”
Oasis fans rebut this claim by pointing out that the larger numbers are distributed across more space and that a larger number of entertainment and amenity options should guarantee that not everyone is in the same place at the same time. (Based on my experience at the ‘kiddie pool’ on the Disney Magic, I’m not sure that latter logic always prevails – every kid on the boat seemed to be there). But the diversity of choices and the extra space goes a long way toward helping spread out the numbers.
The difference between traveling with 4,000 or 6,000 souls is slight. Those who truly want to get away from it all (and everyone) probably aren’t cruising on commercial ships to start with.
Does size take away the cruising feel?
The other most common derisive comment was that the ship’s bulk negated the reason for going on a cruise – that is to, in fact, be ocean going.
Critics claim the ship offers so many of the usually grounded experiences – night clubs, parks, casinos, even Ferris wheels – in an environment that is so urban-like, that it’s hard to remember you’re on a ship. And it’s true that the bigger the ship, the smoother the ride, so if nothing says ‘sea voyage’ to you like pitching and rolling, you will be disappointed. Still, every ship has loungers facing the ocean, and upper decks to offer that fabulous view if you need to be reminded you’re surrounded by miles of ocean.
One consideration? Because its size means it can’t dock just anywhere, the Oasis itinerary has fewer stops and rules out some of the more popular ones, like Bermuda. Make sure you really like longer intervals at sea, or can live with the ports offered. It’s been noted, though, that for many families, the boat IS the vacation, and the mostly all-inclusive aspect, combined with the myriad possibilities for diversion, is more than enough, with the added element of the nautical novelty as the icing on the cake.
So, I’m ready to head out on the Oasis of the Seas, anytime RCCL sends me the tickets! How about you, do you prefer bigger, or smaller, ships? And why?
