RCI's Oasis of the Seas Loses Test Balloon

Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis of the Seas lost its trial balloon during sea trials off the coast of Finland. The helium-filled, blimp-like craft, called an aerostat, was being tested for possible rides above the ship. The aerostat was tethered to the back of the ship by a stainless steel cable. “The aerostat producer, Lindstrand Technologies Ltd., was conducting an unmanned test flight when a failure occurred and the aerostat separated from the ship and drifted away over open water,” Royal Caribbean said in a statement. “No one was injured during this incident and no damage to the ship occurred. The aerostat landed in the water and we are in the process of retrieving it.”

In his blog, Chairman and CEO Richard Fain wrote, “something happened and the balloon broke free. It ended up in the water and we are now taking steps to recover it and determine what happened. This is precisely why we do such tests (and why I don’t take credit until we know whether or not they are successful).” Fain also said the ship performed well. “Overall, the sea trials were a great success, and we are excited to see how well the ship performed.” For more information, visit www.oasisoftheseas.com.