August 21, 2008 - Anyone hoping for early booking discounts for Royal Caribbean's eagerly awaited Oasis of the Seas, arriving in December next year, will be disappointed.

Prices for a nine-night fly/cruise including return flights from the UK and a seven-night Caribbean cruise aboard Oasis of the Seas will start from £1,299 per person when cruises go on sale on September 3.

Owner Royal Caribbean International is not offering any early booking discounts and are confident the ship to be the fastest selling in its history.

Oasis will make its first revenue sailing on December 12 2009 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The inaugural season will begin with 19 consecutive seven-night sailings to the Eastern Caribbean, with ports of call at Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas; Philipsburg, St Maarten; and Nassau, Bahamas. Starting from May 1, 2010, Oasis of the Seas will alternate its Eastern Caribbean itinerary with the Western Caribbean itinerary, which will call at Labadee, Royal Caribbean International's private beach destination in Haiti; the new port of Falmouth, Jamaica; and Cozumel, Mexico.

Says UK general manager Jo Rzymowska: "Oasis of the Seas is the most hyped holiday experience ever to be available. We are predicting a day of mammoth sales on 3rd September. The prices represent phenomenal value for money and include access to some of the most groundbreaking facilities ever available from a leisure resort, especially when you consider that this one will be at sea."

The 220,000GRT Oasis of the Seas will span 16 decks and accommodate over 5,400 guests in 2,700 staterooms. Standing upright bow-to-stern, the ship would dwarf the One Canada Square building at Canary Wharf and New York's Chrysler Building and can accommodate more guests per sailing than the capacity of the Royal Albert Hall (5,544 seats).