Oasis of the Seas Water Slides: Thrills at Sea

Yes, Oasis of the Seas has water slides, and quite a few of them too. The Perfect Storm complex brings together three slides, the dry Ultimate Abyss, the kids’ Splashaway Bay aqua park and the FlowRider surf simulator, so there’s plenty to fill a sea day, from splashy kids’ zones to a dry white-knuckle drop for the brave.

There’s a lot of mixed information about Oasis of the Seas’ slides floating around, some of it years out of date. This guide sorts out exactly which slides are included in your fare, what each one actually involves, and the height and weight rules that catch a few families out each cruise.

What’s included in Oasis of the Seas’ water park style attractions

Oasis of the Seas doesn’t have one big water park, the slides and splash zones are scattered across the ship rather than boxed into a single enclosure. Between them though, they’ve got most ages and appetites for getting wet covered.

• The Perfect Storm, three water slides free for all cruise guests
• Ultimate Abyss, a 10 storey dry slide, also free to ride
• Splashaway Bay, a kids’ aqua park with slides, water cannons and a tipping bucket
• FlowRider, a stand alone surf simulator, free to ride with paid coaching available

Oasis of the Seas was the very first ship in Royal Caribbean International’s Oasis class, a class that held the title of largest passenger ships in the world until the newer Icon class ships nicked that crown a few years later. The current slide line up arrived during the ship’s amplification refit, which also brought the reimagined Caribbean pool and Splashaway Bay as you’ll find them today.

The Perfect Storm: Oasis of the Seas’ signature water slides trio

The Perfect Storm slides form a three deck high water slide complex right on the ship’s pool deck, and they’re hard to miss. Two of the three, Cyclone and Typhoon, are side by side racer slides with translucent sections that let you catch glimpses of the sea, sky and deck below while racing whoever you’ve roped into going with you. The third, Supercell, spins riders round a bowl shaped basin a few dizzying times before tipping them into the plunge pool below.

All three are free to ride and already baked into your cruise fare, no upcharge, no separate ticket to sort out on embarkation day.

Oasis of the Seas water slides height requirements

Height rules vary by attraction, and there isn’t one single official chart listing every ride together for this ship, most lists you’ll come across are fleet wide rather than Oasis specific. Based on what Royal Caribbean and its own crew have confirmed, here’s how it breaks down.

• The Perfect Storm slides, Typhoon, Cyclone and Supercell, minimum height 48 inches (122cm)
• Ultimate Abyss, minimum height 44 inches (112cm)
• Splashaway Bay slides, minimum height 42 inches (107cm)
• FlowRider bodyboarding, minimum height 52 inches
• FlowRider surfing on the flowboard, minimum height 58 inches, minimum age 6

If your child’s borderline on any of these, crew at the ride entrance measure guests on the spot, so check on the day rather than assuming either way.

Ultimate Abyss: the tallest slide at sea, and it isn’t a water slide

Despite sitting right among the water slides, Ultimate Abyss is bone dry. You stay fully clothed and ride down on a custom mat, so there’s no need to change into swimwear. At more than 150 feet above sea level it’s the tallest slide at sea, dropping 10 decks through a series of twists and turns before spitting riders out onto the Boardwalk, according to Royal Caribbean Press Center. The slide runs 216 feet in total and riders hit speeds of around nine miles an hour on the way down, according to Seatrade Cruise News.

Ultimate Abyss slide height requirements and the weight limit gap

Royal Caribbean states riders must be at least 44 inches (112cm) tall. The weight limit is where things get murky, some Royal Caribbean materials quote a 300lb cap, others 330lb, and nobody seems to have pinned down one definitive figure for Oasis of the Seas specifically. The fix is simple though, if you’re anywhere near either number, ask crew at the ride entrance before you join the queue rather than after, they’ll confirm whichever limit’s in force that day.

There’s no waiver to sign and it’s free to ride, the entrance sits right at the aft end of Deck 16.

Is there an adults only water slide on Oasis of the Seas?

No, whatever you might have read elsewhere, there’s no slide reserved just for adults on Oasis of the Seas. The adults only Solarium has quiet pools and whirlpools, not slides, so if you fancy The Perfect Storm without a queue of kids, get there early in the morning instead of hunting for an age restricted option that doesn’t exist.

Splashaway Bay: Oasis of the Seas’ kids’ aqua park

Splashaway Bay is a colourful, shallow play area built around slides, water cannons, fountains and a tipping bucket that drenches anyone standing underneath on a timed cycle. It’s aimed squarely at families with younger children, teenagers and adults need not apply.

• Slides, water cannons and fountains scattered across a shallow splash zone
• A large tipping bucket that empties at intervals
• Minimum height of 42 inches (107cm) to use the slides, roughly the height of an average five year old
• Open to all toilet trained children, no swim nappies permitted under public health rules
• A separate Baby Splash Zone for non potty trained toddlers, available on most newer Royal Caribbean ships

The potty training rule trips a fair few families up mid cruise, if your toddler isn’t fully toilet trained, head for the Baby Splash Zone instead of the main splash area, swim nappies aren’t accepted in Splashaway Bay or the ship’s main pools. If you’re planning proper time around the spray, a quick dry beach towel saves you sitting on a damp one between turns.

FlowRider: the surf simulator

Separate from the slides entirely, FlowRider is a stand alone surf simulator pushing around 30,000 gallons of water over a curved surface, so you get the feel of boogie boarding or stand up surfing without leaving the ship.

• Minimum age 6, with guests aged 12 and under needing an accompanying adult
• Minimum height 52 inches to use the bodyboard for boogie boarding
• Minimum height 58 inches to use the flowboard for surfing
• No footwear, jewellery, watches, goggles or cameras allowed while riding

Riding FlowRider is free, group lessons run separately for anyone who wants coaching before tackling the flowboard. Spray reaches the queue too, so a waterproof phone pouch lets you keep filming without worrying about your phone taking a soaking.

What time do the water slides open and close?

Royal Caribbean doesn’t publish a fixed timetable for The Perfect Storm or Ultimate Abyss, hours reportedly run from various points in the morning through to around 7pm, but that’s not set in stone and can shift with rough seas, maintenance or a busy sea day. Check your ship’s daily planner once you’re onboard rather than trusting any times you picked up beforehand.

Do you need to book the water slides in advance?

No booking needed for The Perfect Storm, Ultimate Abyss or Splashaway Bay, you just turn up. Royal Caribbean doesn’t run a virtual queue or reservation system for any of them, and in practice the queues are rarely long except at peak times, so avoiding the busy after lunch window is the simplest way to skip standing around.

Not sure if Oasis of the Seas fits your dates, Let us find the right cruise for you. If Oasis of the Seas isn’t quite right, this link rounds up other cruise ships with water slides worth comparing, at this link.

Common Questions

Which other Royal Caribbean ships have the Ultimate Abyss?

You can ride it on Harmony, Symphony, Oasis and Utopia of the Seas, all Oasis class ships built with the same slide line up.

Can toddlers use Splashaway Bay?

Only toilet trained children can use the main Splashaway Bay area, non potty trained toddlers use the separate Baby Splash Zone found on most newer ships instead.

Is there an extra charge to ride the FlowRider?

Riding FlowRider itself is free, it’s only the group coaching sessions that come as a paid extra for anyone wanting lessons.

What’s not allowed on the FlowRider?

No footwear, jewellery, watches, goggles or cameras, all for safety and so you don’t lose anything in the water.

Do adults need to be accompanied on the FlowRider?

No, only guests aged 12 and under need an adult with them, adults ride solo once they meet the height requirement.

Is Oasis of the Seas still the largest cruise ship at sea?

No, it held that title as the first Oasis class ship until the newer Icon class ships took over a few years later.

Do the water slides count as one of the ship’s pools?

No, The Perfect Storm feeds into its own plunge pool at the base of the slides, separate from the main pool deck and the Caribbean pool.

Can you ride Ultimate Abyss in swimwear?

You don’t need to, riders stay fully clothed on a mat for the descent, so your normal clothes work fine, there’s no need to change.

Why Trust About2Cruise

This guide draws on Royal Caribbean International’s own published materials, Royal Caribbean Blog, Cruise Critic, The Points Guy and Seatrade Cruise News, cross checked for consistency and flagged clearly wherever sources disagree, such as that Ultimate Abyss weight limit. You can read more about how we research and fact check on our about us page.