Luxury on the High Seas, for a Price

Nov. 20, 2009 — -- Imagine you walk into your room aboard a cruise ship on its way to the Caribbean. You find a baby grand piano, a library and private wet bar. You notice an LCD TV in the corner, and a Jacuzzi on a wraparound balcony with views of the ocean.

Sounds nice, right? Does it sound nice enough for you to spend $16,659 on it?

Royal Caribbean is betting it does.

The world's largest cruise ship, the Oasis of the Seas, sets sail next month on its maiden voyage.

The ship, which cost Royal Caribbean $1.4 billion to build, measures 1,187 feet long, longer than four city blocks, and has 2,706 staterooms that can hold nearly 6,300 passengers.

The most impressive of the rooms is the Royal Loft Suite, which sits on deck 17 toward the back of the ship overlooking the ocean and a basketball court below.

The Royal Loft has LCD TVs, a library, a baby grand piano and a dining room that sits eight people comfortably.

The master bedroom, located on the second level, has 17-foot windows. It comes with a bathroom that has a Jacuzzi and his-and-her shower heads.

"We had an opportunity on this ship to go up, vertically, without restriction. And we thought, 'What can we do in this area to create suites that are different from the more traditional suites we have on this ship?'" Adam Goldstein, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean, said.

But luxury isn't cheap. The room, which is 1,524 square feet, costs $16,659 per passenger per week, although prices may vary depending on the cruise and what time of year.

"There are 28 loft suites," Goldstein said. "There is only one like this, though."

CLICK HERE to see more photos of luxury suites aboard the Oasis of the Seas.

The two-level Royal Loft Suite sleeps six and can connect to the neighboring Crown Loft Suite to accommodate up to 10 guests.

One level down on the luxury scale are the Sky Loft suites.

There are only two aboard the ship. They cost passengers $9,609 per person per week.

These suites also have two levels but are smaller than the Royal Loft, measuring 722 and 770 square feet.

The dining room of each Sky Loft seats four people. The balcony, while not a wraparound, looks over the back of the boat toward the Boardwalk, one of the ship's seven neighborhoods.

CLICK HERE to see photos of a Sky Loft suite aboard the Oasis of the Seas.