Royal Caribbean International’s upcoming Utopia of the Seas is taking one very large, important step toward completion as the ship has now begun her sea trials. The testing of the ship’s systems in the open ocean is expected to last five days, and will put the new vessel through her paces ahead of her July debut.
Utopia of the Seas‘ sea trials have started just 10 weeks before her planned maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida. Rather than having cruise-loving guests onboard for this milestone, however, more than 900 experts and specialists are sailing with the new vessel to ensure her full operational capabilities.
Utopia of the Seas Departs on Sea Trials
These experts include naval architects, engineers, navigational specialists, designers, safety inspectors, and many more. During the grueling five days of sea trials, the ship will be put through hundreds of different tests and inspections.
The sea trials are being conducted in the Bay of Biscay off western France, near the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, where the new vessel has been built. More than 1,000 miles will be covered during the testing, with a wide range of features, including emergency responses, engine performance, navigation, and more will be heavily scrutinized.
After the trials, Utopia of the Seas will return to the shipyard for final outfitting and finishing work. In the weeks to come, she will be officially delivered to Royal Caribbean International and become the property of the cruise line rather than the shipyard, at which time she will make her way to Florida to begin what will hopefully be a long and smooth service life.
Read Also: Oasis Class Cruise Ships – What You Need to Know
Still to come, are details of her christening ceremony, a traditional event that will officially welcome the sixth Oasis-class ship to the Royal Caribbean fleet. Utopia of the Seas will join her sister ships, Oasis (2009), Allure (2010), Harmony (2016), Symphony (2018), and Wonder (2022).
Utopia of the Seas Departs on Sea Trials
For a long time, Utopia of the Seas was believed to be planned as the final ship in the revolutionary Oasis class. It was especially believed that the class was complete since Royal Caribbean International has already debuted the even larger and more innovative Icon class with Icon of the Seas in January 2024, Star of the Seas coming in 2025, and a third Icon-class ship already ordered.
In February, however, the cruise line announced that a seventh, as-yet-unnamed Oasis-class ship would be built as sister ship to Utopia of the Seas, the first in her class to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The seventh ship is scheduled to debut in 2028 but construction of that vessel has not yet begun.
Cruising on Utopia of the Seas
Utopia of the Seas has been engineered differently from the other Oasis-class ships. While her hull and configuration is the same as her sister ships, the intention behind the vessel is to deliver the ultimate weekend getaway with 3- and 4-night sailings.
Royal Caribbean’s Utopia of the Seas
When previous Oasis-class ships debuted, they offered longer 7-night sailings. Utopia of the Seas is intended to offer eager cruisers shorter breaks on this phenomenal type of ship. Guests will still be able to enjoy the more than 40 restaurants, bars, and lounges aboard, as well as the cruise line’s signature energetic shows, two casinos, eight hot tubs, five pools, the onboard zipline, and more.
Utopia of the Seas‘ maiden voyage will set sail from Port Canaveral on July 19 with a 3-night sailing to Perfect Day at CocoCay as well as Nassau. The 4-night cruises also visit Nassau and CocoCay, but with an extra day at sea for travelers to have more time to enjoy all the ship has to offer. On select sailings, the 3-night cruises will only visit CocoCay but will also have a full day at sea.
The 236,860-gross-ton Utopia of the Seas can welcome 5,668 guests at double occupancy, and is also home to nearly 2,300 international crew members.
