Utopia Of The Seas

The 2024-built Utopia of the Seas cruise ship is the fourth RCI "Oasis-Plus" class liner, with sisterships Wonder OTS (2022), Harmony OTS (2016), Symphony OTS (2018). Utopia OTS just slightly exceeds in size the original Oasis-class vessels Oasis OTS (2009) and Allure OTS (2010). The vessel has a building cost of USD 1,35 billion (2019 shiporder rates).

The vessel (IMO number 9880001) will be Bahamas-flagged (MMSI tba) and registered in Nassau.

Utopia OTS is the 15th vessel delivered to Royal Caribbean by the French shipbuilding company Chantiers de l'Atlantique (St Nazaire, France), and RCI fleet's 29th liner.

When completed, Utopia OTS (together with Wonder OTS) will be the world's ever-biggest cruise ship 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 Cruises Ltd (RCCL, shipowner). The 1968-fonded RCI currently has over 1/5 of the worldwide cruise market. RCI also has RCCL's largest fleet as both numbers of vessels and GT tonnage (ship sizes and capacities). All RCI boats have names ending with "of the Seas".

The 5700-passenger ship Utopia OTS comprises 8 neighborhoods - Royal Promenade, Central Park, Boardwalk, Entertainment Zone, Sports Zone, Youth Center complex, Wellness complex, Suite complex. Utopia also has the new RCI "Family Suite" (2-level / on 2 decks), 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 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 is also the fourth Oasis-class liner with robot bartenders serving drinks at the Bionic Bar (introduced in 2014 on Quantum OTS). 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 exclusive new areas including a Suite Bar Lounge, a private restaurant (Coastal Kitchen), a full-service Suite Sun Deck. New restaurants include the Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine eatery which first debuted on Quantum. Also added to Wonder is the new Mexican restaurant El Loco Fresh.

Decks and Cabins

Utopia Of The Seas staterooms (2874 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 that houses 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.

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). Utopia also houses some Quantum restaurants, such as Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine, Coastal Kitchen. Ship's Bionic Bar is famous for its dancing robot bartenders. Its location is on the Royal Promenade. Izumi Teppanyaki Restaurant features a la carte hibachi, teppanyaki and sushi menu. A total of 25 onboard dining options (14 complimentary, including room service) 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 which 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)
• 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)
• El Loco Fresh (complimentary restaurant) offers 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).
• Wonderland Imaginative Cuisine (extravagant gourmet dishes)
• 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 and Arcade (located on Boardwalk neighborhood it spans the entire length of Boardwalk neighborhood. Playmakers took the space of Sabor and Starbucks (on Harmony OTS).
• Starbucks Coffee Shop is on the Royal Promenade.
• Chops Grille (steakhouse/seafood)
• Izumi Teppanyaki (Asian/Japanese restaurant for hibachi-style dining)
• Solarium Bistro (healthy dining)
• Vitality Cafe (spa/food and beverages)
• Coastal Kitchen (Grand Suites and above passengers, Pinnacle members)
• WipeOut Cafe (fast food bar)
• Boardwalk Dog House (complimentary)
• Park Cafe (deli food bar, casual dining)
• The Lime & Coconut

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.

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, 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 hit, and Flight, one-of-a-kind show taking guests through the history and future of flying and the evolution of air travel which ends with a homage to the famous Wright Brothers). 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; Diamond Club Lounge and Bar (past guests only, with 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; Cask & Clipper (English Pub); Rising Tide Bar (moving cocktail bar); Bionic Bar; Schooner Bar (piano bar); Starbucks Bar; Giovanni's Wine Bar; Dazzles 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 (2-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 with a VIP Gaming Room; Card 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.

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).

(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 Royal Caribbean 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). It spans the neighborhood's entire length and takes the place of Sabor and Starbucks (on Harmony OTS). Starbucks was relocated on Deck 5 (Royal Promenade). Playmakers Sports Bar 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 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.

Itineraries

Utopia of the Seas itinerary program (as homeports, regions/destinations, length of itineraries) is yet to be announced. With planned delivery by the end of May 2024, the ship's Maiden Voyage is expected to be in early-June 2024.