Last April, Core Junction co-founder Jacob Shapiro wrote an article about Royal Caribbean’s new cruise ship, project named Genesis of the Seas. The ship would allegedly feature a scaled Central Park and service 5,500 passengers (with 3,000 staff as well). A year later, much more is known about project Genesis, including the new name, Oasis of the Seas.

Set to be the new largest cruise ship in existence, Oasis will be 1,181 feet in length, 213 feet high, carry roughly 5,400 passengers on 16 decks, and cost a not-to-shabby 1.2 billion dollars. As noted in the Core’s initial article, the ship will still feature a realistic Central Park courtyard area the size of a football field. The space will host living foliage, many dining options including a steakhouse and a “picnic-like” café, a wine bar, art gallery, photo studio, and numerous stores to shop at. Central Park, however, is only one of the many “neighborhoods” of Royal Caribbean’s mega-ship.

Oasis will also include a Boardwalk on the upper decks of the boat. The Boardwalk will feature such amenities as a carousel, zip-line, Johnny Rockets diner, candy shop, ice cream parlor, doughnut shop, seafood restaurant, and even a fortuneteller. At the end of one side of the Boardwalk will be an outdoor amphitheater in front of a swimming pool that will hold various water shows including high-dive performances. The prospect of watching a show under the stars while gazing at the vast ocean is another unique experience Oasis plans to provide.

As seen on previous cruise liners, a Royal Promenade will occupy a central portion of the vessel. Though it will have similar features as its predecessors, it will include new ones such as the Rising Tide bar, a bar that moves vertically between a few of the ship’s decks. If a moving bar isn’t for you, the Royal Promenade will host copious restaurants, a club, pub, coffee bar, karaoke bar, numerous duty-free stores, and a barbershop.

5,400 is a lot of people to keep occupied for an extended period of time so Oasis includes many more places to spend those long days at sea. The ship features a casino, four pools and ten whirlpools, a solarium, multiple clubs and lounges including a comedy club, an ice rink, a theater, a basketball court, two climbing walls, two Flo Riders (a simulated surfing-like attraction), many restaurants and bars, a beauty salon, and a fully equipped fitness center. Also, Royal Caribbean has recently announced that the Tony Award winning musical Hairspray will be featured on board on the maiden voyage.

Oasis of the Seas has also revolutionized its living accommodations starting with its Royal Loft suites. These rooms have a loft with a queen size bed, a flat panel television, a spacious balcony, and are progressively furnished with luxurious furniture. If you don’t think this stateroom is for you, consider the 36 other options of rooms.

This dreamboat has just about every amenity imaginable but one question remains: Is it recession-proof? While booking staterooms for the maiden voyage on December 1^st shouldn’t being an arduous task, funding for the ship is another issue. While the Oasis of the Seas has become a prominent name in the cruise boat industry, many people don’t know that the boat actually has a sister ship, Allure of the Seas. The 2.4 billion dollars required to construct the boats is now in question as Royal Caribbean announced that the funding has yet to be fully secured.

Nevertheless, Celebrity Cruises, an extension of Royal Caribbean, is still prepared to release its Solstice-class cruise ship that carry 5,400 passengers and set sail in 2009.

Be sure to check the Core often for more updates on the status of Oasis of the Seas.

photo credit: chrisdlugosz