Oasis of the Seas is Royal Carribean’s largest class of ships. It is a unique ship in that it has an interior courtyard garden, a first of its kind. My team and I did a massive modernization which required many design approvals and working drawing submissions under very aggressive deadlines. The projects included a Boleros (Cuban themed nightclub), Windjammer (cafeteria), Pool and Sun Deck, Shorex and Card room. All of the spaces are fairly large and required a large participation to complete.
During the month of October, I engaged in construction administration of the spaces. The ship was in drydock in Cadiz, Spain. Cadiz is a remarkable resort town in the Spanish coast which boasts beautiful historic architecture and great restaurants. It was enjoyable being there as my night’s off included eating at good restaurants and experiencing the culture such as viewing flamenco dancing.
The client, Royal Carribean want more construction administration participation from the team and it was extremely helpful. While the spaces were under construction, there were construction issues that aemerged within a drydock. This is normal as nothing can be fully resolved through the design/planning phase. It was my role in not only noting these discrepancies but finding solutions to those construction related variables. The experience was quite fruitful and I was lucky to have a colleague join me in drydock.
The project was recently completed and I had an opportunity to view the ship while in port in Fort Lauderdale. What I can say is that I was thoroughly impressed. Not every detail was executed as intended however the execution and level of craftsmanship was excellent. Included in this blog are the spaces that we worked on as well as a space which was completed a few years ago, Next Cruise space.
