Oasis of the SeasThe Oasis of the Seas is reported as the largest cruise ship to visit Halifax. I stationed myself halfway between Shoal Point and Chebucto Head on my favourite rock. The departing ships always have the benefit of the late day or setting sun. This produces the most dramatic images of the vessels. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Oasis of the Seas
Oasis of the Seas is a cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean International. She is the first of her class, whose ships are the largest passenger ships in the world. Her hull was laid down in November 2007 and she was completed and delivered to Royal Caribbean in October 2009. At the time of construction, Oasis of the Seas set a new capacity record of carrying over 6,000 passengers.[9] The first of her class, she was joined by sister ships Allure of the Seas in December 2010, Harmony of the Seas in May 2016, and Symphony of the Seas in April 2018. Oasis of the Seas conducts cruises of the Caribbean from her home port of PortMiami in Miami, Florida. Oasis of the Seas surpassed the Freedom-class cruise ships (also owned by Royal Caribbean) to become the largest cruise ship in the world at that time.[10] She was herself surpassed by her sister ship Allure of the Seas, which is 50 millimetres (2.0 in) longer, although this may have been caused by ambient temperature differences at the times the measurements were made.[11] In May 2016, her second sister ship Harmony of the Seas became the new record holder with a length of 362.12 metres (1,188.1 ft),[12] and in March 2018, Symphony of the Seas, the fourth member of the Oasis class, became the new world's largest cruise ship with a length of 361.011 m (1,184.42 ft) and a tonnage of 228,081 GT. Design and descriptionThe gross tonnage (GT) of Oasis of the Seas at launch was 225,282, but it was expanded to 226,838 GT when additional cabins were added to Deck 14 in 2019.[1][13] Her displacement—the actual mass of the vessel—is estimated at 100,000 metric tons (110,000 short tons), slightly less than that of an American Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.[14] To keep the ship stable without increasing the draft excessively, the designers created a wide hull; 9.3 metres (31 ft) of the ship sits beneath the water, a small percentage of the ship's overall height. Wide, shallow ships such as this tend to be "snappy", meaning that they can snap back upright after a wave has passed, which can be uncomfortable. This effect, however, is mitigated by the vessel's large size.[15] The cruise ship's officers were pleased with the ship's stability and performance during the transatlantic crossing, when the vessel, in order to allow finishing work to go on, slowed and changed course in the face of winds "almost up to hurricane force" and seas in excess of 12 metres (39 ft).[16][17] One of the ship's lifeboats
The ship's power comes from six medium-speed, marine-diesel generating sets: three 16-cylinder Wärtsilä 16V46D common rail engines producing 18,860 kilowatts (25,290 hp) each and three similar 12-cylinder Wärtsilä 12V46D engines producing 13,860 kilowatts (18,590 hp) each. The fuel consumption of the main engines at full power is 1,377 US gallons (5,210 l; 1,147 imp gal) of fuel oil per engine per hour for the 16-cylinder engines and 1,033 US gallons (3,910 l; 860 imp gal) per engine per hour for the 12-cylinder engines.[7][18] The total output of these prime movers, some 97,020 kilowatts (130,110 hp), is converted to electricity, used in hotel power for operation of the lights, elevators, electronics, galleys, water treatment plant, and all of the other systems used on the operation of the vessel, as well as propulsion. Propulsion is provided by three 20,000-kilowatt (26,800 hp) Azipods, ABB's brand of electric azimuth thrusters. These pods, suspended under the stern, contain electric motors driving 20-foot (6 m) propellers.[7] Because they are rotatable, no rudders are needed to steer the ship. Docking is assisted by four 5,500-kilowatt (7,380 hp) transverse bow thrusters.[1][18] Additional power comes from solar panels fitted by BAM Energy Group, which provide energy for lighting in the promenade and central park areas. The installation cost US$750,000 and covers 1,950 square metres (21,000 sq ft) on deck 19.[19][20] The ship carries 18 lifeboats that hold 370 people each, for a total of 6,660 people. Inflatable life rafts provide for additional passengers and crew.[21] Oasis of the Seas
|