Fourth Oasis-class ship to be called Symphony of the Seas

Royal Caribbean's new 170,000-square-foot terminal in Miami will be home to two Oasis-class ships.

Royal Caribbean's fourth Oasis-class ship will be called Symphony of the Seas and begin service in late 2018 from its new Crown of Miami terminal.

The 5,400-passenger ship will be joined at the new terminal by another Oasis-class ship, Allure of the Seas.

Since the debut of the Allure in 2010, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale has been the home of two Oasis-class ships and Miami none. The new 170,000-square-foot terminal in Miami is being built to accommodate the giant ships and to create an iconic presence at PortMiami, where Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has its global headquarters.

The Harmony of the Seas, now sailing from Port Everglades, presumably will remain there while the Oasis of the Seas continues at Port Canaveral, Fla. The Harmony entered service last spring.

The four Oasis-class ships would give Royal Caribbean the capacity to carry 21,600 passengers or more per week from the three Florida ports.

On Wednesday, Royal Caribbean also will announce an agreement with the government of the Bahamas allowing RCCL to build a pier at its Coco Cay private island in the Bahamas and make other upgrades.

In return, RCCL will expand a program for local vendors at Coco Cay, make a commitment to hire more Bahamians to work on ships and start a training program in the Bahamas for hospitality workers.