According to the industry grapevine, there is no shortage of Mediterranean ports that would welcome the Oasis of the Seas. In fact, several are ramping up their facilities to handle larger passenger volumes. And Royal Caribbean International executives keep reminding Mediterranean port officials that Port Everglades and all the Caribbean ports where the giant ship is calling required investments in infrastructure upgrades.

Also supporting the rumor is Royal Caribbean’s track record of moving its bigger ships to Europe – sooner rather than later. Speaking for the Port of Barcelona, Cruise Manager Carla Salvado said at the recent MedCruise assembly in Constantza that she would welcome the giant ship.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean has a 10-year agreement with Port Everglades that stipulates that the cruise company has committed to 17 million passenger movements between 2008 and 2018 for its three brands, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara, according to a spokesperson.

Royal Caribbean has also agreed to homeport the Oasis and the Allure in Port Everglades, but without giving a time commitment. However, it would take several Voyager-class ships to substitute for the two giants. Initially, Royal Caribbean executives also did say that the Voyager-class would never leave Florida.