Royal Caribbean Issues Important Reminder for Newest Oasis Ship

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With the newest Oasis-class ship, Utopia of the Seas, immensely popular for her short getaways from Port Canaveral, Royal Caribbean has been issuing reminders to guests about protocols during refueling operations.

Notification letters are delivered to guests’ staterooms when refueling is imminent, with instructions on several key points of the process. Refueling typically starts early in the morning, and guests must be alert to the proper procedure.

This is exactly what happened when the huge Royal Caribbean vessel was docked at the cruise line’s private island of Perfect Day at CocoCay on January 16 as part of a 4-night Bahamas voyage that will end back in Port Canaveral, Florida on January 17.

“Please be advised, early tomorrow morning Utopia of the Seas will begin refueling with Liquefied Natural Gas, also known as LNG,” the letter explains. “As part of our safety protocol, while the refueling process is underway, we will operate an an elevated safety level until refueling is complete.”

To ensure proper safety while the ship is taking on LNG, smoking is prohibited in all areas except the casino on Deck 4. No outdoor smoking areas are open during refueling operations, and signs are posted to remind guests.

Furthermore, all balconies and infinity verandas are closed and off limits during the refueling process.

The open deck areas are available to guests while the ship is refueling, and all onboard activities, dining, and entertainment will proceed as scheduled.

No precise time frame is given for how long the refueling will take. This can vary significantly depending on how much fuel the ship must take on, how quickly secure connections can be made to facilitate refueling, and whether or not port personnel can quickly work through the process.

An announcement is made over Utopia of the Seas‘ public address system once refueling is complete. At that time, the signage closing smoking areas is also removed and normal activities resume completely.

It should be noted that these refueling protocols are the same no matter what type of fuel a cruise ship uses. Safety is always the top priority, and cruise lines take such protocols very seriously.

There is no change to Utopia of the Seas‘ itineraries or sailing schedule for refueling operations, as these are planned for while the ship is in port.

The 236,473-gross-ton ship is homeported year-round from Port Canaveral, offering 3- and 4-night Bahamas cruises. Every sailing visits Royal Caribbean’s popular private island destination, Perfect Day at CocoCay.

Refueling the Royal Caribbean Fleet

Typically, ships are refueled during embarkation/debarkation, though longer sailings may require refueling along the way. For LNG ships, this can be more challenging, as not every port can provide that fuel. In this case, it was an LNG bunkering vessel operated by Anthony Herder that refueled the Oasis-class ship.

Utopia of the Seas is the first, and so far only, Oasis-class ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas. As one of the largest cruise ships in the world, it is fair to note that she takes longer to refuel than smaller vessels.

Read Also: LNG Cruise Ship – Top Pros and Cons

Icon of the Seas is also powered by LNG, and was the first Royal Caribbean ship to use this more environmentally-friendly fuel. The upcoming Star of the Seas, the second Icon-class vessel, will also use LNG, as will the seventh Oasis-class ship that has already been ordered and is set to debut in 2028.

With LNG becoming more widespread for different cruise ship fleets, it is reasonable to expect that more cruise ship homeports will become equipped to refuel vessels. This will allow for more widespread redeployments and varied itineraries for these modern, more fuel-efficient ships.

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Melissa Mayntz
Melissa Mayntz
Melissa has been offering her expertise on cruises since 2017 and reporting on cruise news since 2021. her work has been featured in newspapers, blogs, and websites on a wide range of subjects, but cruises remain her favorite topic to cover. She has been on more than 40 voyages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and more, and always has at least one more sailing booked on the horizon.

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