Royal Caribbean Lays Keel for Seventh Oasis-Class Ship — 2028 Debut Planned at Chantiers de l’Atlantique

What happened

Royal Caribbean International marked the start of assembly on its seventh Oasis-class cruise ship with a keel-laying ceremony on June 11, 2026, at Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France. Trade sources report the project-designated B35 vessel — commonly called Oasis 7 — is expected to enter service in 2028 after roughly two years of construction.

The ceremony followed maritime tradition: teams placed freshly minted coins beneath the first steel block in the dry dock, per Cruise Fever and Cruise Mummy reporting from the shipyard. Steel-cutting for the hull began in October 2025; the keel-laying accelerates work toward a ship that trade reporting sizes at approximately 236,900 gross tons. Royal Caribbean has not announced an official name or homeport yet.

Oasis 7 vs today's Oasis-class fleet

Oasis 7 joins a lineage Royal Caribbean has been scaling for Caribbean short cruises since Oasis of the Seas debuted in 2009. Today's active sisters include Oasis, Allure, Harmony, Symphony, Wonder, and Utopia of the Seas — neighborhood-style mega-ships built around Central Park decks, Boardwalk energy, and capacity that changes how families think about a three- or four-night Bahamas loop.

The newbuild news landed the same week Royal Caribbean took delivery of Legend of the Seas, its third Icon-class ship. That contrast matters for shoppers: Legend is sailing Europe now and heading to Fort Lauderdale in November for Caribbean weeks with Perfect Day at CocoCay. Oasis 7 is years away from any guest check-in. Our Legend of the Seas ship guide covers the Icon-class path; Oasis 7 signals Royal Caribbean is still betting on the original mega-ship format for future Caribbean capacity.

If you are weighing Icon vs Oasis class today, the decision is about neighborhoods and energy — not waiting for an unnamed 2028 hull. Our Icon of the Seas Caribbean family guide walks through how Icon's Surfside and Chill Island compare with Oasis-class favorites like Utopia's short-getaway rhythm from Port Everglades and Port Canaveral.

What this means for you

Keel-laying is a shipyard milestone, not a booking window. Royal Caribbean has not published a maiden voyage month, deployment, or naming contest timeline — so treating Oasis 7 as a vacation plan before 2028 will leave you waiting while inventory on Utopia, Wonder, and Symphony is bookable today from Florida and Texas homeports.

For Florida and Texas drive-market shoppers who want an Oasis-class neighborhood without transatlantic flights, the practical move is to compare sailings on the ships already in service. Utopia of the Seas specializes in short Western Caribbean and Perfect Day loops from Port Everglades; Wonder of the Seas rotates from Port Canaveral and Galveston depending on season; Symphony of the Seas remains a staple for longer Caribbean weeks when you want the full Oasis footprint.

Promo stacks still matter on those sailings even while Oasis 7 welds steel in France. Royal Caribbean added Caribbean Kicker and Score More layers on top of BOGO60 in mid-June — we broke down how those credits interact with loyalty status in our Caribbean Kicker news from June 12. Price the cabin category you actually want; headline percentages rarely tell the full story once taxes and fees land.

When we checked on June 15, 2026, Royal Caribbean Caribbean sailings on our site showed 2,407 bookable options with sample lead-ins from about $365 per person including taxes and fees — a three-night Jewel of the Seas sailing from Fort Lauderdale on our sample grid. Your dates and stateroom will differ; the sailings below filter Royal Caribbean Caribbean inventory, lowest fares first, so you can anchor a comparison while Oasis 7 stays on the drawing board.

What to do next

If an Oasis-class mega-ship vacation is on your calendar for 2026 or 2027, shortlist Utopia, Wonder, or Symphony sailings that match your homeport and length goal — then run checkout far enough to confirm guest-fare promos and instant-savings credits before you deposit. Set a news alert for Royal Caribbean's naming and homeport announcement; that is when a dedicated Oasis 7 ship guide will become worth your time.

Browse Royal Caribbean Caribbean sailings to compare active sailings, or filter by Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral if you want the shortest drive-market path to an Oasis-class week.