Oasis of the Seas update: 6 days to Florida

As Oasis of the Seas continues her way to home here in Florida at Port Everglades, construction workers on board continue to ready the ship, crew members perfect their jobs and the world waits.

At 220,000 tons, the largest cruise ship in the world offers pretty much something for everyone...but don't all cruise ships offer something for everyone?   So what makes this one so special other than her huge size?

One element is the technology that went into the design and building of the ship.  Obviously it takes a lot of work to make something that big, let alone to divide it up into 7 different neighborhoods.  A good deal of the technology it takes to make it all work we will never see.  What we will see though is many innovative design elements that will deliver what Royal Caribbean International calls the "Wow" factor.

Digital signage is one of those elements.  Through a network of 377 public area screens, 56 of which are interactive, guests can find information easily and navigate the ship, see real-time show availability and timely information on dining, guest services and port information. 

The ship's Royal Caribbean Television network (RCTV) will have Internet capabilities, details on all ship venues, menus, hours of operation, etc as well as traffic flow updates for food venues, informing guests of which venue could best accommodate their party at any given time.  Each stateroom's personal calendar will show specialty restaurant reservations, shore excursion bookings, show ticket reservations plus boarding and departure time for each port.

Guests can also use their in-stateroom TV to

• Purchase and watch movies and trailers
• Browse the Internet
• Watch select broadcast TV and news
• Order wine and room service for delivery to stateroom
• View activities and events for each day
• View information about all the features on the ship
• Book reservations for onboard shows (ice shows, Opal theater, Aqua Theater and Comedy Club)
• Book shore excursions
• Review SeaPass onboard charge account
• View status of and sign up for pre-paid gratuities and more

SeaPass Cards, each guest's onboard identification, stateroom key and onboard charge card will be different and incorporate advanced technology also

• Guests Muster Station enlarged on the card.  SeaPass card will be swiped at muster station during safety drill for attendance
• Photo number now printed (to easily locate photos)
• When guest signs Onboard Activity Waivers online, SeaPass card will contain which waivers they signed
• When guests pre-reserve Entertainment Reservations online, SeaPass card will contain which shows they made reservations for

Oasis will also be the first ship to have the new WOW Phone, a handheld WiFi devise that will enable telephone calling between devises and the shipboard telephone system, text messaging between devices and real-time ability to locate a member of your party.  In addition, guests will also be able to view their weekly calendar and the Cruise Compass, the ship's daily newspaper. 

These are but a few of the features that make Oasis of the Seas truly something special.  Stay tuned as we explore the rest of the ship in coming days.  Just joining us?   Catch up on all things Oasis right here.