Utopia Of The Seas

The 2024-built Utopia of the Seas cruise ship is RCI's sixth OASIS and the fourth OASIS-PLUS class liner, with sisterships TBN OTS (2028), Wonder OTS (2022), Harmony OTS (2016), Symphony OTS (2018). Utopia OTS just slightly exceeds in volume the original OASIS class vessels Oasis OTS (2009) and Allure OTS (2010). Utopia's building cost is USD 1,35 billion (2019 shiporder rates).

The vessel (IMO number 9880001) is currently Bahamas-flagged (MMSI 311001259) and registered in Nassau.

Utopia OTS is the 15th unit delivered to Royal Caribbean International by the French shipbuilder Chantiers de l'Atlantique/STX France (Saint-Nazaire) as well as RCI fleet's 29th liner.

Utopia OTS (together with Wonder OTS and TBN OTS/2028) are the world's ever-biggest cruise ships by both GT tonnage/volume and passenger capacity.

History - construction and ownership

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) is a US shipping company, trademarked brand and subsidiary owned by Royal Caribbean Group (RCG/shipowner). RCI was established in 1968 and currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCG's largest fleet in both the number of vessels and combined GT tonnage (ship sizes, volume and capacities).

All RCI liners have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 5700-passenger ship Utopia OTS comprises 8 neighborhoods - Royal Promenade, Central Park, Boardwalk, Entertainment Zone, Pools & Sports Zone (Lido Deck), Youth Zone, Vitality Spa & Fitness (wellness complex), and Suite Neighborhood.

Utopia also has the new RCI "Family Suite" (2-level / on 2 floors), redesigned Boardwalk, several new venues.

In comparison to the other sisterships, Oasis-Plus Class boats are heavier, wider and with bigger passenger capacity. Utopia is nearly 330 ft (101 m) longer than RMS Titanic and 165 ft (50 m) longer than Eiffel Tower (Paris City). The liner has several promenades, 1x FlowRider, 2x Rock-Climbing Walls, an Ice-Skating Rink, world's largest theatre at sea.

Among Utopia OTS' most prominent features is the multi-deck/double-tube racing waterslide "The Ultimate Abyss". Introduced first on Harmony OTS, the waterslide swings down 10 decks, at over 150 ft (46 m) above sea level. Utopia's Ultimate Abyss has length 259 ft (79 m), featuring transparent windows in the racing tubes and zoom booster rollers (for exiting on the Boardwalk). The anglerfish (at the slide's top) has height 22 ft/6,7 m and 36 teeth.

Utopia has bigger cabins than Allure and Oasis (in some categories) and windowless interior cabins (Virtual Balconies) offering real-time views (introduced in 2014 on Navigator OTS).

Unlike Wonder OTS, Utopia is LNG-powered, so she has 50 fewer staterooms (2824 instead of 2874) to allow the space needed for the LNG (liquefied natural gas) tanks.

The next YouTube video shows the most prominent features and the shipbuilding process of the "Oasis 3 class"/Oasis-Plus.

Utopia's Suite passengers benefit from the exclusive venues Suite Bar Lounge, Coastal Kitchen/restaurant, and a full-service Suite Sun Deck.

A total of 24 elevators (12x forward + 12x aft) provide access all the way to deck 16, while decks 17 and 18 are accessed by 6 lifts. Two escalators (1x forward + 1x aft) interconnect decks 2-3.

Introduced with Icon OTS in 2024, Utopia OTS has 24x "destination elevators" allowing passengers to move more efficiently between decks for reduced crowding and better passenger flow. In front of the lifts, there are digital panels to select which floor to go to and which lift to take. Inside the elevators there are no panels/buttons to push, meaning fewer stops on every deck.

Decks and Cabins

Utopia Of The Seas staterooms (2834 total, in 37 categories) include 175x Suites, 1435x Balcony, 155x Oceanview, 527x Inside, also 477x Boardwalk-Central Park Balcony, 70x Boardwalk-Central Park Interior, 26x Promenade View. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 44.

Most cabins are sized 150-180 ft2 / 14-17 m2. Most cabin balconies are sized 55 ft2 / 5 m2. The largest accommodation is the Royal Loft Suite (1530 ft2 / 142 m2, with terrace sized 850 ft2 / 79 m2 - a wraparound balcony with a Jacuzzi).

The boat has 17 decks, of which 16 are passenger-accessible and 11 with cabins.

The Ultimate Family Suite is unique for RCI loft suite featuring a slide (from the kid's bedroom down to the living room), floor-ceiling LEGO wall, hidden nooks for a chilling, air-hockey table. A 3D movie theatre-style TV room is fitted with a popcorn machine and a library of video games. The 210 ft2 wraparound balcony has a bumper pool table, kids climbers and a full-size whirlpool. Currently the largest "Family Suite" at sea accommodates up to 8 passengers.

Unlike the other Oasis-Class ships, Utopia OTS has an additional (8th) neighborhood housing Suites and Suite-only facilities. The "Suite Class Neighborhood" (located midship-aft on decks 17-18) is designed as an exclusive VIP accommodation complex with its own Restaurant, Bar Lounge, Sundeck.

With the Utopia ship RCI introduced two new cabin categories - Solarium Suite and Sky Junior Suite.

Solarium Suites (cat SO) are two bow-facing staterooms on Deck 14 (positioned above the Navigation Bridge's wings. Solarium Suites are similar to the Ultimate Panoramic Suites (Star Class benefits, introduced on Allure OTS and Oasis OTS), featuring a wraparound Infinite Balcony (with floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows).

Sky Junior Suites (cat JY) are eight staterooms midship on Deck 6 (within the Suite Neighborhood) with expanded benefits (Sky Class) while standard Junior Suites (cat J3-J4) are Sea Class. Sky Junior Suite's perks include access to Coastal Kitchen (Suite-only complimentary restaurant/dining room).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Utopia OTS' 3-tiered dining room, the Quantum is designed as three separate restaurants situated on different decks - American Icon Grill (Deck 3), The Grand (Deck 4) and The Chic (Deck 5).

A total of 25 onboard dining options - 14 complimentary (including room service) and 11 specialty - are available to choose from.

Follows the complete list of Utopia of the Seas restaurants and food bars.

• American Icon Grill (a la carte restaurant that offers open seating breakfast, lunch, "Brasserie 30" menu; with two assigned dinner seatings and Private Dining area.)
• The Grande Restaurant (serves themed breakfasts and dinners / two fixed seatings and "My Time Dining")
• Chic (features an expansive menu of dinner options; two seatings and "My Time Dining" program)
• Johnny Rockets (128-seat fast food restaurant, complimentary Breakfast, a-la-carte Lunch and Dinner)
• Windjammer Marketplace buffet restaurant (offers Early Breakfast at 6:30 am, Breakfast between 7-11:30 am, Lunch 11.30-3:30 pm, Dinner 6:30-9 pm)
• Giovanni's Italian Kitchen (96-seat specialty restaurant/reservations recommended) is RCI's first on 2 floors (aft on decks 11-12). Giovanni's dinner coverage charge is US$55 per adult/US$15 per child. Giovanni's lunch costs US$25 per adult.
• El Loco Fresh restaurant offers complimentary fresh-made Mexican food. It is located in the Sports Zone and replaces Mini Bites (on Harmony OTS). Adjacent is the Cantina Fresca (bar-restaurant).
• Hooked Seafood is a specialty restaurant (in the Solarium) offering fresh seafood and a raw bar.
• Sugar Beach Candy and Ice Cream (replaces the retail outlets on Johnny Rockets side of the ship's Boardwalk)
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade (on the Boardwalk neighborhood) spans the neighborhood's entire length, occupying the space (Harmony OTS) of Sabor Mexican and Starbucks Bar.
• Starbucks Coffee Shop is on the Royal Promenade.
• Chops Grille (steakhouse/seafood) specialty restaurant
• Izumi Teppanyaki (Asian/Japanese restaurant for hibachi-style dining) is a-la-carte-priced and offers hibachi, teppanyaki and sushi.
• Solarium Bistro (healthy dining)
• 150 Central Park (specialty restaurant)
• Vitality Cafe (spa/food and beverages)
• Coastal Kitchen (exclusive restaurant for Grand Suite and above passengers, and Pinnacle members)
• WipeOut Cafe (fast food bar)
• Boardwalk Dog House (complimentary)
• Park Cafe (deli food bar, casual dining)
• Cafe Promenade
• Sorrento’s Pizza (complimentary New York pizzas by the slice)
• Sprinkles (complimentary ice cream station and drink bar)
• The Lime & Coconut Bar
• Chef's Table (VIP dining room)
• Room service (complimentary Continental Breakfast)

The Spare Tire is Royal Caribbean's first "Poolside Food Truck". Located on Deck 15/pool deck, this complimentary eatery offers handheld fast food and quick bites, including pulled pork sandwiches, cheeseburger flatbreads, daily rotated desserts.

Unlike the sisterships, Utopia OTS doesn't have Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine. The restaurant (popular for its extravagant gourmet dishes) was replaced by Giovanni's Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar which on Utopia is on two floors - aft on deck 11 (the restaurant) and deck 12 (the wine bar). Utopia's Giovanni restaurant also features an exterior terrace overlooking the ship's interior (Boardwalk Neighborhood).

The Lime & Coconut (poolside bar lounge) is multi-story designed/on 3 levels (midship on decks 15-16-17). On its base floor (pool deck/deck 15) is the Sprinkles Bar (fleet's largest) serving complimentary ice cream with toppings.

The Mason Jar (deck 15-aft/adjacent to Windjammer) is a fleet-first bar-restaurant (specialty/a-la-carte menu) offering Southern American cuisine specialties - comfort food, BBQ classics, salads, sides, burgers, sandwiches, cakes, pies, beverages (including spiked cocktails and American brand whiskeys and bourbons) as well as live country music (has its own band of three musicians performing in the evenings). The late-night menu (served after 9 PM) has various items priced between $3-9, including Fried Green Tomatoes, Blue Crab Beignets, Crispy Fried Chicken Sandwich. Per person pricing/cover charges are US$25 (Brunch) and US$40 (Dinner), children 6-12 dine for US$11, kids under 6 dine for free.

New/RCI fleet-first dining offerings introduced with Utopia OTS include:

• "Royal Railway - Utopia Station" combines dining with adventure and train travel. The "train car dining experience" starts with pre-dinner cocktails at Utopia Station's platform where passengers board the dining car to travel back in time and transport them to any place in the world. Dining at the Royal Railway restaurant costs US$120 per adult/US$60 per child. With RCI's Unlimited Dining Package, the railcar dining costs US$50 pp.
• "The Spare Tire" - is a quick-bite venue/poolside food truck, serving popular fast-food favorites like pulled pork sandwiches, cheeseburger flatbread pizza, daily rotating desserts.
• "Izumi in the Park" (in Central Park) is a sushi to-go station/pickup window serving sushi, as well as Japanese street food and sweets. The adjacent "Izumi" restaurant (6x teppanyaki tables) provides a new omakase dining experience (you leave the chef to select and serve the specialties) paired with sake cocktails. The venue also features an alfresco dining area. Izumi's private Omakase-type experience features a food and beverage pairing (multi-course meal paired with sake cocktails).

"Train Dining"

The "train dining" experience (simulating a Dining Car on a train) is exclusive to Utopia OTS and starts on Deck 4, at a yet-to-be-named restaurant that occupies the area of Izumi (on all OASIS-class ships).

The new restaurant as well as its surrounding areas is themed on train travel - with a train facade (of the restaurant) and even the grand staircase (providing a train station feel). The 48-seat venue itself is designed as a classic passenger railcar and has two cars, each seating 24 people.

Based on the dinner reservation there will be different trains for boarding. After booking the restaurant, passengers will receive in their staterooms a classic-looking (paper) train ticket that they must bring to the venue (to confirm the reservation) and can keep as a souvenir after the voyage.

The wait staff weares special uniforms and the "departures" will be listed and updated on a Split Flap Display. On large LED screens will be projected UHD digital media, and the multi-sensory dining experience will also feature the smell of the ordered food.

The "dining car" will visit actual destinations (well recognized by their scenery) as well as places from the past (that no longer exist) and fictional places.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Utopia OTS is a novelty mixture of Oasis-class deck layout and Quantum-class technology and design innovations. The additions include the first-ever Royal Caribbean waterslides (created by ADE/Aquatic Design and Engineering), Utopia Playscape (2-deck kids playground), Suite Sundeck (keycard-access-only/exclusive sundeck with plunge pool, bar, sunbathing area), Starbucks Coffee Shop and Arcade (in the Boardwalk neighborhood), The Mason Jar (fleet's first Southern American-cuisine restaurant), 15x Studios (single cabins designed for solo travelers).

The 10-deck-high Atrium is marked a purple dragon statue spanning the entire Atrium. Numerous original artworks are displayed in every hallway and stairwell.

Among the modern technologies implemented on the Royal Caribbean's Utopia ship are the RFID wristbands or "WOWbands" - an optional choice to replace the SeaPass cards, allowing passengers to do purchases onboard and to access their cabins.

When arriving in the port, passengers can use their mobile phones to check-in and board the liner via just a security checkpoint between the ship and the curb. The new process leverages a combination of bar codes, beacons, and facial recognition, to make boarding fast. Guests check-in via the new mobile app of the brand.

Among the onboard amenities are complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, a supervised Youth Program for children of different age groups (Voyagers 9-11 yo, Explorers 6-8 yo, Aquanauts 3-5 yo), Royal Babies and Tots (complimentary nursery for toddlers 6 months to 3 years), shipwide Internet (WiFi access), self-serve laundry rooms.

Follows the complete list of Utopia of the Seas lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Royal Theater (capacity 1401 seats) offers 3D movies, aerial acrobatic performances and Broadway-style productions like Hairspray (Tony Award-winning Broadway show) and Flight (show taking guests through the history and future of flying and the evolution of air travel). Exclusive Utopia OTS shows are "Voices: An Intimate Performance on a Grand Scale" (virtual-live hybrid music and dance show) and "The Effectors II: Crash n' Burn" (superheroes battle the archnemesis Crash).
• Studio B Lounge (indoor ice-skating rink; also serves as a spot for ice shows, cooking demos, game parties; 1977 is a spectacular adventure on ice taking ice-surface video projection technology to a brand new level, pushing the limits of what's possible technologically; Laser Tag is a state-of-the-art and special effects ultimate laser tag arena to battle over the fate of the galaxy's last planet)
• AquaTheatre (2-deck-high) features 600 seats, a deep swimming/dive pool and partial shelter (partially enclosed) for cooler temperatures. AquaTheatre's two new shows HiRo and inTENse (all-female) combine cutting-edge technologies, aerial acrobatic stunts and future-forward choreography.
• (deck 4) Entertainment Place nightclub; "The Attic" Comedy Club; Crown Lounge (fka Diamond Club Lounge & Bar for past guests only, has 2x virtual balconies); Golden Room ((non-smoking Casino Room with 40x slot machines, 1x blackjack table, 1x poker table); On Air Club (doubles as Spotlight Karaoke bar/nightly); Boleros (Latin Bar-Lounge; Bell & Barely (English Pub); Rising Tide Bar (moving cocktail bar); Schooner Bar (piano bar); Trellis Bar, Wipe Out Bar, Pesky Parrot Bar (fruit-based alcoholic beverages/libations with rum, tequila, gin, as well as frozens), Starbucks Bar; Giovanni's Wine Bar (with Gio's Terrazza/outdoor seating); Music Hall (2-deck disco nightclub); Suite Sun Deck (plunge pool, bar, sunbathing area with loungers), Social100 Patio (teen lounge and sundeck/decks 16-17, with a bar, spa pool, games); The Lime & Coconut (3-deck poolside bar lounge)
• Adventure Ocean's Escape Room provides "puzzle break" team gaming experience, where teams race against the clock and work toward escaping the submarine-themed room before their time runs out.
• Art Gallery; Focus Photo Gallery and Shop
• Boardwalk neighborhood (with games and attractions)
• Carousel (with handcrafted wooden figures)
• Casino Royale (370+ slot machines) has a VIP Gaming Room and a separate non-smoking Casino Room (Golden Room).
• Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center; 9 jacuzzis (2 cantilevered); 4 swimming pools
• Royal Promenade Boutiques (perfumes, jewelry, duty-free alcohol, general store, logo/souvenirs)
• Solarium Lounge (includes Solarium Cafe, pool bar and adults-only pool area); Solarium Bar
• Video Games Arcade; Explorers, Aquanauts, Adventure Science Lab; The Living Room and Night Club teen areas; Fuel Teen Disco; Royal Babies and Tots Nursery; Adventure Ocean kids lounge area; Kids Avenue; Workshop (family venue); H2O Zone family and kids area
• Sports Court (basketball, volleyball, soccer; tennis tables); 1x FlowRider (surf simulator); Zip Line (82 ft/25 m); Jogging Track; 2x Rock-Climbing Walls; Utopia Dunes (Mini-Golf Course).
• The ship has a total of 19 pools.

Central Park is an outdoor relaxation zone (within the ship's interior) with ~21000 live plants. Central Park's huge garden features multi-deck-high metal columns and green walls (covered in vines and ferns), several pathways, recordings of various species (birds, insects, animals) played, live seasonal plants (flowers, shrubs, trees). Signage boards provide detailed info on all Central Park's trees and plants.

Central Park houses the redesigned Japanese restaurants "Izumi Hibachi and Sushi" and "Izumi in the Park" (sushi-to-go). Izumi in the Park (adjacent to the Izumi Restaurant) has a new window serving fresh-made sushi and traditional sweets. The redesigned Izumi has both indoor and outdoor/alfresco seating.

Adventure Ocean (kids complex) consists of several themed spaces/rooms: AO Babies (nursery for toddlers 6-36 months), AO Juniors (3-5 yo, open-play area), AO Kids (6-12 yo, open-play area, video games, interactive touch-screen tables), AO Play Place (indoor playground with climbing equipment), AO Theater (kids cinema/event space for talent shows, puppetry and dance classes, games, trivia, watching movies), AO Workshop (laboratory for arts-crafts and science activities, also houses the Escape Room).

New for RCI's Oasis-Class design are "The Vue Bar" (Deck 15 forward-portside/cantilevered pool bar) and "Utopia Playscape" (aft-starboard on decks 15-16/2-deck interactive indoor kids playground with mini-golf, slides, climbing walls, rope nets, jungle gyms, puzzles, various games, a touch-activated interactive mural).

Utopia OTS' production shows are titled "Aqua80Too" (AquaTheater), "Youtopia" (ice-skating/with synchronized drones), "Royal Railway" (train car dining), "All In" (Royal Theater original grand production/Utopia OTS exclusive), "Crazy Quest" (scavenger hunt), "Majority Rules" (guests decide the game show winner), "Battle of the Sexes" (men vs women), "Friendly Feud" (squads competing against each other), Comedy Club (late-night laughs/adults-only).

Utopia OTS' live musical bands and solo performances are scheduled for the following venues - Music Hall (band/rock and pop), Boleros (band/Latin), The Mason Jar (trio/country), Strings in the Park (Central Park duo/violin and guitar), Jazz in the Park (Central Park band/jazz), Piano in the Park (Central Park/solo pianist), Schooner Bar (solo pianist), Bell & Barley Pub (solo guitarist), Caribbean Band (pool deck performances).

Utopia OTS' parties are titled Rezolution (dance, with light projectors), Royal Kappa Chi (throwback collegiate party), Red (adults-only, nightclub, DJ), Silent Toga! (silent disco/with headsets), Sushi! Silent Party (silent disco/with headsets), Spotlight Karaoke (karaoke), Hey Utopia! (poolside), Sail Away Pool Party (poolside), Sensses Sunset Pool Party (poolside/nighttime), Plunge Day Pool Party (poolside/daytime).

(NEW) Unique shipboard features

RCI's OASIS-Plus ships have some unique features not currently available on the other Oasis-class ships. These brand-new for RCI venues were revealed in October 2017 (during the vessel's construction) and include:

• "Ultimate Family Suite" is a new cabin type (8-passenger, 2-bedroom loft suite sized 125 m2 / 1350 ft2) featuring exclusive / in-cabin slide from the kids bedroom (upper level) down to the living room (lower level), floor-ceiling LEGO wall, air-hockey table, 2 hanging egg swing chairs, separate TV room (3D movies, popcorn machine, media library, video gaming consoles with games), large wraparound balcony (sized 20 m2 / 210 ft2, fitted with bumper pool table, small climbing wall, full-size whirlpool).
• "Hooked Seafood" - New England-style seafood specialty restaurant for lunch and dinner. It is located in the fully-eclosed Solarium complex (forward on Pool Deck 15) and offers fresh seafood and also has a cantilevered raw bar (The Vue Bar) where raw shucked oysters can be ordered.
• "El Loco Fresh" is a Mexican restaurant (capacity over 100 seats) offering fresh-made favorites. It is located in Sports Zone (Pool Deck 15) replacing "Mini Bites" (food bar on Harmony OTS). El Loco Fresh offers Mexican fare with fresh-made mole sauce and salsa verde, made-to-order burritos and tacos.
• "Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade" has 30 large-sized TVs for watching live sporting events, as well as a video games section fitted with arcade machines. The sports bar/arcade is located on Deck 6 (Boardwalk) and spans the neighborhood's entire length. Playmakers' menu offers fast-food classics like chicken wings, burgers, popcorn shrimp, sliders, sundaes.
• "Sugar Beach Candy and Ice Cream" is a premium shop for sweet treats located on Deck 6 (Boardwalk). The shop has colorful walls packed with candies, premium ice cream, a huge variety of toppings and also offers family-friendly activities and workshops. Sugar Beach replaced "Johnny Rockets" (fast-food bar).
• "Battle for Planet Z" / Laser Tag experience) is available at "Studio B" complex (Deck 3) and offers glow-in-the-dark laser tag gaming with top-notch special effects.
• "Escape Room" (submarine-themed, located on Boardwalk Deck 6) provides puzzle-breaking team gaming experience.
• On Deck 15 are installed three 24-hour, self-service vending machines (by Pharmabox Franchise). They allow the purchasing of select merchandise, including Tech Shop (electronics, gadgets, batteries, headphones, walkie-talkies, Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles), Splash Store (sunscreens, skincare products, swim accessories) and Health Essentials Store (toiletries, medicines).

Among Utopia OTS' show productions are the newly developed by RCI musicals:

• "1977 "(at Studio B / ice-rink theater) - themed on time traveling and dimension-jumping, with Panasonic-developed video projection technology
• "Flight - Dare to Dream" (at Royal Theater) - themed on the history of flying, featuring 3D video and automation technologies
• "Hairspray" (at Royal Theater) - themed on the Broadway musical
• "HiRo" (at AquaTheater) - themed on heroes combat fighting, with high-flying acrobatics, diving and extreme-sport stunts.
• "Aqua 80"  (at Aquatheater) - 80s music-themed show featuring live performances of professional divers, acrobats, and sports athletes.

Itineraries

Utopia of the Seas itinerary program was announced in June 2023 and is based on homeporting in Port Canaveral (Florida USA). The 3-night and 4-night itineraries (roundtrips from Florida) visit exclusively The Bahamas (Nassau and CocoCay) during the inaugural season (July 2024 thru April 2025).

With planned delivery by the end of May 2024, the ship's Maiden Voyage was initially scheduled to depart on July 22, 2024 (4-night itinerary to Nassau-CocoCay). The inaugural cruise was priced (per person with double occupancy) from US$1112 (Interior), US$1152 (Oceanview), US$1217 (Balcony), and US$2686 (Suite). However, in March, RCI added a new inaugural voyage - the 3-night "Bahamas and Perfect Day Cruise" (departure July 19th, 2024, roundtrip from Port Canaveral to CocoCay and Nassau).

Utopia OTS cruises (2024-2025) were open for booking on June 22, 2023 (for loyalty program members) and on June 23rd (general public).

Utopia OTS is RCG-Royal Caribbean Group's 6th OASIS-class liner (ordered on February 18, 2019), with sisterships Wonder, Harmony, Symphony, Oasis, Allure - the world's biggest passenger liners ever constructed. The shipowner planned the OASIS-PLUS vessel's cost per berth to be lower compared to the original OASIS class design (Allure and Oasis). Like the sisterships, Utopia OTS has telescoping funnels to be able to pass under bridges.

Unlike the original/smaller OASIS-class ships, Utopia has no Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine (specialty restaurant) and 150 Central Park (dinner-only specialty restaurant), while the adults-only Solarium complex has a swimming pool and 2 additional whirlpools.

Unlike Wonder OTS, Utopia has 50 fewer staterooms (2824 vs 2874) to allow the space needed for the LNG tanks. The vessel also has a different powerplant based on Wartsila 46TS-DF (dual-fuel, medium-speed, two-stage turbocharging) marine engines that can run on both diesel and LNG-gas.

• Wartsila 46TS-DF (modular design engine/based on the series 46, 46F, 50) is available in 6- to 16-cylinder engine configurations and with power output ranging between 7,8-20,8 MW (at 600 rpm).
• The engine order (placed in April 2021) also included the Wartisla-made Gas Valve Units (GVUs), NOx Reducer (NOR/scrubber system), LNGPac (Fuel Gas Supply System), and Transverse Thrusters (units for the propulsion system).
• RCI's first originally LNG-powered liner is Icon OTS (2023).

The following aerial photo shows an Oasis-class vessel (as looked from above).

The shipbuilding order for a 6th OASIS-class unit (Utopia OTS, shipyard/hull number A35) was placed on February 18, 2019. This was the shipyard's 23rd vessel built for Royal Caribbean. However, the plans for commissioning in 2023-Q4 were postponed due to the COVID crisis.

On November 5, 2021, RCG updated its shipbuilding schedule due to pandemic-related delays caused mainly by supply chain disruptions.

• The 3x ICON-class units were rescheduled for deliveries in 2023, 2025, 2026.
• The OASIS-Plus unit (Utopia) was rescheduled from 2023-Q2 to 2024-Q2.
• The 4th EDGE-class unit (Celebrity Ascent) was rescheduled from 2022-Q4 to 2023-Q4, and the 5th unit (optional) for 2025 (if ordered).
• TUI's Mein Schiff 7 was postponed from 2023-Q2 to 2024-Q2.
• Silversea's 2x EVOLUTION-class ships were also postponed - from 2022 and 2023 to 2023 and 2024.

In December 2021, RCG trademarked 23x possible ship names (all with OTS) - Magnificence, Melody, Fantasia, Paradise, Vibrance, Splendor, Grace, Sanctuary, Illumination, Unity, Intrigue, Aria, Awe, Aura, Eternity, Eden, Euphoria, Bliss, Utopia, Marvel, Nirvana, Haven, Divine.

The name "Utopia Of The Seas" was officially revealed on April 5, 2022, during the vessel's steel-cutting ceremony held at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipbuilding yard (in Saint-Nazaire, France). The ceremony also officially marked the start of Utopia's 30-month construction process. The special event was attended by Jason Liberty (RCG's new President and CEO) and Laurent Castaing (shipbuilder's General Manager).

On July 1, 2022, was held the keel-laying ceremony, which started the vessel's physical construction/assembly. The event was attended by Michael Bayley (RCI's President and CEO) and Laurent Castaing (Chantiers de l’Atlantique's General Manager). During the ceremony, newly minted coins were placed under the first hull block (weighing 948 tons) for good luck, according to the maritime tradition. The 17-month-long drydock construction process included the assembly of a total of 74 steel blocks.

The ship was launched/floated out from drydock on September 17, 2023. The entire float-out process took ~15 hours, beginning with filling the drydock with 46+ million gallons (~174,3M liters / ~174300 m3) of water overnight (Sept 16-17). Then the ship was moved into an outfitting dock.

During the 5-day sea trials (May 7-12, 2024) in the Bay of Biscay, were tested the vessel's main systems (navigational and machinery). The ship was commanded by Captain Gus Andersson and boarded by 900+ crew and contract workers/experts in engineering, navigation, naval architecture and design.

Utopia OTS was officially delivered to RCI at the shipyard in Saint-Nazaire on June 14th (2024) but was initially scheduled for May. The delivery documents were signed by Jason Liberty (RCG), Michael Bayley (RCI) and Laurent Castaing (Chantiers de l'Atlantique).

The next RCI official YouTube video shows OASIS-PLUS ships' fun statistics and best features.

Utopia OTS is the fourth Oasis-Class boat built by STX France - after Harmony OTS (2016), Symphony OTS (2018) and Wonder OTS (2022).

Utopia OTS' namesake is the residential ship MS Utopia Residences.

Utopia OTS' christening voyage left Port Canaveral on on July 15, 2024. The naming ceremony was held in Port Canaveral, before the departure to Coco Cay (arrival July 20th/port stay 10:44-21:09 UTC) during the exclusive 3-night Christening Voyage. The event was led by godmother Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (1993-borrn American singer-songwriter and TV personality). The ceremony was part of a 3-night pre-inaugural cruise (not available for public bookings) before the ship's official debut on July 19th in Port Canaveral. Participants in the festivities were the ship’s crew, media representatives, RCI business partners, and 52x VIP guests - the winners of RCI's "Utopia Giveaways" contest on Instagram (July 5-7th, 2024).

Inaugural Cruise (2024)

Curiously, Utopia OTS' ever-first voyage was "crew-only". According to CruiseMapper's satellite AIS data, the ship left Saint-Nazaire on June 23rd (at 16:24 UTC) and made an overnight bunkering stop at Port La Pallice (Jun 25th/04:55 UTC to Jun 26th/06:05 UTC). From La Pallice started the Transatlantic crossing to Puerto Rico/Ponce (where stayed between July 6th/09:27 UTC and July 8th/21:19 UTC) for a two-day provisioning and crewing stop before the arrival in Florida. Utopia OTS arrived in the USA/Cape Canaveral on July 11th (11:26 UTC) and left for a test voyage to CocoCay on July 13th (21:58 UTC).

The next table shows the ship's first sailing - the 3-day "Bahamas and Perfect Day Cruise", priced from US$1060 pp with double occupancy.

Curiously, the maiden voyage was moved up, as it was originally scheduled as a 4-day roundtrip leaving on July 22nd (2024).

With rebooking the Maiden Voyage (made by March 12th), RCI offered the same stateroom (originally booked) and the cruise fare rates were prorated (from 4 days to 3 days), providing a 1-day fare refund. The alternative option was for guests to remain on the July 22nd voyage (as originally booked).

Ship Facts

All Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ships are with a DNV Green Passport. This is a key element for the Clean Ship Design certificate. The certificate is not compulsory, but it shows the environmental commitment of the operator line Royal Caribbean International. Another interesting feature is that the hulls have a special non-toxic covering that minimizes friction and saves fuel.

Follows a list of fun facts about the RCI Utopia ship - the world's ever-largest passenger vessel.

• Draught: 31 ft (9,3 m)
• Depth (below the waterline): 74 ft (22,6 m)
• above the waterline height: 236 ft (72 m)
• Deadweight Tonnage 19950 tons
• Engines/powerplant (total output 96 MW): three Wartsila dua-fuel (type 46TS-DF, power output 13,86 MW each), plus three Wartsila diesel (type 16V46D, power output 18,48 MW each)
• Diesel-electric propulsion: 3x ABB thrusters (type Azipod XO, power output 20,5 MW each), plus 4x Wartsila bow thrusters (type CT3500, power output 5,5 MW each)
• All Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ships are the world's first cruise vessels with a DNV Green Passport. This is a key element for the Clean Ship Design certificate. The certificate is not compulsory, but it shows the environmental commitment of the operator line Royal Caribbean International. Another interesting feature is that their hulls have a special non-toxic covering that minimizes friction and saves fuel.
• Ultimate Abyss slide is at 150 ft (45,70 m) above sea level, featuring 31 sections, two 360-degree circles, 27-degree slide incline, a 28 m (92 ft) serpentine-like drop, 13,14 seconds average sliding time (top to bottom), around 300 small LED lights and graffiti artworks.
• Aquatheater has two diving boards installed 10 m (33 ft) above its swimming pool.
• The ship was constructed out of 500,000 individual pieces (27 times the pieces used for the Eiffel Tower's construction).
• The shipboard art collection has more works than the Louvre museum (in Paris) has paintings. The onboard art's worth is over USD 7 million.
• The ship has a total of 23 "water areas" (swimming pools, large-size outdoor jacuzzies, waterslides, flowriders).
• The ship has 20 restaurants and offers over 300 individual menu options. Eight specialty restaurants offer over 200 different dishes daily. Total restaurant seating is 4908 seats.
• The onboard bars menus have a total of 127 specialty cocktails, in addition to all the classics.
• Each day are made 110,000 ice cubes.
• Each day are consumed 480,000 gallons (1,87 million liters) of freshwater.
• Daily food consumption statistics show chicken (9,730 lbs / 4,4 tons), eggs (10,000), beef (15,000 lbs / 6,8 tons), ice cream (700 lbs / 320 kg), baking potatoes (20,000 lbs / 9,1 tons), flour (12,600 lbs / 5,7 tons), salmon (2500 lbs / 1,1 tons), french fries (5000 lbs / 2,3 tons), bacon (5300 lbs / 2,4 tons), limes (800 lbs / 360 kg), pineapple (4000 lbs / 1,8 tons), oranges (5000 lbs / 2,3 tons), lemons (1000 lbs / 450 kg), cherries (40 jars), olives (20 jars).
• The ship's food and drinks dedicated staff are 1056 in total, including 249 (culinary), 184 (beverage), 91 (kitchen stewards).
• The ship weighs more than 17,000 African elephants. Note: Male elephants weigh between 10,360 - 13,330 lbs (4,7 - 6 tons).
• Around 2350 tons of water is needed to be filled all the ship's 23 water facilities (swimming pools, jacuzzis, 2 FlowRiders, waterslides, the aqua park Splashaway Bay).

In September 2018, RCCL trademarked the Oasis-Class ships smokestack area (located top-deck midship). The design features a crown-shaped bottom section with 2 slanted funnels above. In October 2018 was trademarked ship's oblong-shaped stern. The design features AquaTheater Suites (with balconies), Ultimate Abyss (2 cascading waterslides) and RCCL's logo.