Nov 12: Our Oasis

Lots of people already think Fort Lauderdale is a kind of oasis. A place to refresh, replenish, renew - a watering hole where they can escape the parched business of our everyday world. Even for locals like me, South Florida offers many chances to get away from daily worries for a while. There's nothing like a walk along the beach or a sunrise meditation to clear the head. But this popular R&R destination is about to welcome a different oasis of its own. On Friday, Royal Caribbean International will sail its newest ship into Fort Lauderdale's Port Everglades. Called Oasis of the Seas, this behemoth is now officially the world's largest cruise ship. Wow, and I thought Voyager of the Seas was massive when I sailed on her.

But Voyager holds around 3,000 passengers. That seems pretty darned huge, right? I got lost more than once when onboard. Well, Oasis carries - get this - 5,400 people. Plus crew. The new ship has 16 decks and 2,700 staterooms. Personally, I think they misnamed this baby. Oasis, nothing. This sounds to me more like it should be Island of the Seas.

Of course, a floating island requires a dock large enough for that island to tie up. So Port Everglades built something to order. As in the world's largest single cruise ship terminal, which includes a 3,000-square-foot artwork. I would love to see both this terminal and this ship up close. Oasis of the Seas provides something Royal Caribbean calls a "neighborhood concept." That involves seven distinct themed areas, each with a different look and feel to it. There is, for instance, an area the cruise line has named "Boardwalk," as well as "Central Park" and "Entertainment Place" and "Youth Zone." Etc. Royal Caribbean also says that Oasis carries the first park at sea, an aquatic amphitheater, a handmade carousel. And a zip line that whips over an open-air atrium from nine-decks above. Cool, eh? I did the rock climbing wall on Voyager of the Seas and loved the experience. What a blast. An onboard zip line seems like something I also really could get into. I think it's a wonderful compliment that Royal Caribbean selected Fort Lauderdale as the home port for Oasis of the Seas. Among other things, this means I should be able to see the ship often as I drive over the 17^th Street drawbridge. I'm not exactly sure where the new terminal is within Port Everglades. But I figure they can't really hide something as giant as Oasis of the Seas, even if they wanted to.