LIVE - Oasis Eastern 11/28/15 with Chris and Family

Contemplating the Oasis so following along.

Did security in Nassau check for fruit and drinks when you got off the ship or just when you got back on?

Very nice live review Chris, we're on board Jan 2nd and was thinking of doing the same thing:D.

 

Can you watch out for the drink cards that others are reporting seeing on other ships. 10 drinks for $75 or 15 drinks for $120. I don't drink enough to warrant a drink package but I think 1 of those cards would be great if Oasis offered them.

 

Thanks and keep up the great review!!

 

Haven't seen them yet but if they pop up mid-week I'll let you know.

Did security in Nassau check for fruit and drinks when you got off the ship or just when you got back on?

 

Just on the way back on. I have a feeling that taking fruit off is a no-no as it is generally an agricultural concern for the local area, but they don't really check in the Caribbean. I've been on some cruises (Australia/NZ come to mind) where they have dogs check the passengers as they file off the ship.

After our long, 15 minutes on dry land, we headed back aboard and decided it was time for lunch. We headed for the Park Cafe and, 24 hours after our first beef-on-a-wek sandwiches, we were having more. It was a little busier outside, but we easily found tables inside ... which became the go-to option when we got hit with a brief downpour. We left when it was still raining, so I grabbed one of the large umbrellas and we proceeded inside. Everyone else looked at me like I was crazy when I grabbed one of the umbrellas in the rack but ... yes, that's what they are there for ... and I wouldn't have known it myself if not for this board (1st time user!).

After lunch we headed down to afternoon trivia (this one did not go as well), then went off to the helipad for the C&A top-tier sail-away party. There was free "champagne," crew to welcome us, and a bit of wind. King Julian was there for pictures ... I waited until the end, then went over to get in line. Unfortunately the tout turned around, waved goodbye, and they both ran down the stairs. :(

 

 

After being dissed by King J, I sulked for a bit on the helipad (or maybe not) and then ran inside when the ship left the channel and the wind really started.

 

Edited November 30, 2015 by silentbob007

While my laptop charges overnight, I'll keep it brief ....

 

Attended several more trivias in the afternoon. Won tribond trivia (yay!). Diamond drinks on the card are nice as we don't have to choose between trivia or wedging into the DL. We headed to Giovanni's Table at six dressed fairly casually (long pants, etc, but no ties). We had a 7 PM reservation for Frozen in Time we knew we weren't going to make, so we took our time and enjoyed the food. It was all excellent (a few pics coming tomorrow). We talked them into letting us pay full cover tonight and then coming back next formal night for free with our D+ BOGO. It took a little bit of work talking with the manager but he was quickly onboard. The real test though will be Thursday. After rolling out of Giovanni's, we stopped at the room then headed to the casino. There were huge lines for those waiting to get into CATS, the comedy club, and Studio B. Being down on deck 4 before shows is one of the few times/places where you can really feel the number of people on the ship. After some time in the casino, we headed into the late ice show about 5 minutes before the show and found some seats ar the extreme end of Studio B ... which were fine. I had forgotten most of Frozen in a Time but it's still a fun show. After the ... bedtime.

 

Random nitpick: I'm still bothered by the drink setup in the Park Cafe. They have a rack of glasses, a drink dispenser, and then an ice dispenser (in that order). Most rational people put ice in an empty cup to keep from splashing or overfilling because it's much easier to anticipate liquid volume into a glass. In this way, really only one person at a time can use all 3 machines. Sure, you can try to juggle everything and shuffle around, but you tend to get in someone's way.

Edited November 30, 2015 by silentbob007

... They have a rack of glasses, a drink dispenser, and then an ice dispenser (in that order).....

Noticed the same thing Chris. If you get ice first, then you lose your place and have to get back in line to fill the glass. On a ship with 6000+ folks, it seems there's always someone right behind you.

Nice review. Love the "live" reports. We are doing our first cruise on an oasis class ship on Allure in February. This is very helpful.

great review thank you, only 33 days until I get to sail on the Oasis.

Apps at Giovannis by cmong, on Flickr

 

Filet at Giovannis by cmong, on Flickr

 

For some reason the picture of my sole didn't turn out. Oh well ... just two pictures of food porn for now. Very good meal at Giovanni's though ... as usual we ordered too much. When we go back on Thursday I'm guessing we will cut way back on the pasta and apps.

 

Not a bad view for the ice show considering we arrived just a few minutes before it started. The worst part is that now that people's devices are well-connected at sea, they like to play with them during shows (which I find very distracting in a dark room). There's also the group of folks who feel they can have a conversation during a show because, hey, it was free.

 

Central Park at Night by cmong, on Flickr

 

Studio B by cmong, on Flickr

When we woke up this morning, mom decided she wanted eggs benedict. We arrived at the MDR about 8:30 to find a complete madhouse. There was a line of people waiting to be seated back to the elevator lobby. Later, it seemed that a lot of seating was being taken by a character breakfast, but if so, it was poor planning on RCI's part. The whole breakfast experience (the first on this ship) was pretty rough in the MDR. It was about a 10-15 minute wait to get in when we arrived and then, once seated, the food came out pretty slow (though we had finished before the table next to us at the same time got their food). The only upside ... the eggs benedict was pretty good this morning.

 

 

Sticking with the food theme, we went back to the MDR for lunch. The line was much shorter (hardly any at all). All 3 of us got our fresh salads made for us in the middle of the room and ordered off the menu. I had the fish enchilada which was pretty good ... not a huge portion, but completely fine when paired with the fairly large salad.

 

Edited November 30, 2015 by silentbob007

We will be on the oasis when you get back on the 5th, so, ill be reading this thread all week. what stateroom do you have? Have a great cruise!

 

EDIT: never mind, I see you have a balcony on deck 6

 

Us too! 12/5/15 - full of nervous energy/excitement. Following this post to feed the nervous excitement even more.

Our cabin is near the forward elevators. It's nice in the sense that they tend to be the least used. It's bad because they are less used as they are opposite the many attractions on the aft if the ship. Since my mom has trouble with stairs, we generally end up using the cabin hallway to head to the aft of the ship. This tends to get very congested when the housekeeping carts are out. When I'm by myself, I tend to pop down to 5 to cross the promenade as it is generally much more spacious.

 

Random observation: while many things on this ship feel very open, the stairwells do not. I think it is because the "doorway" into the stair from the hall areas or central areas is smaller than on other ships. Lots of people stop as they move into the stair are to get their bearing (or to have a conversation) and this can clog up traffic flow pretty fast. I'm hoping this gets better as the week progresses as right now many traffic flows are interrupted with sales tables, people trying to figure out where they want to go, people wandering around looking at the ship instead of where they are going, and people who choose terrible places to have conversations (choke points). Thankfully I'm never guilty if any of this. ;)

Us too! 12/5/15 - full of nervous energy/excitement. Following this post to feed the nervous excitement even more.

 

Don't be nervous ... just excited. :) So far the negative stuff I'm bringing up is mostly just from being jaded and hasn't been too big of deal thus far. I've generally found that if you want to find the negative, you will.

Us too! 12/5/15 - full of nervous energy/excitement. Following this post to feed the nervous excitement even more.

 

Don't get to excited! Remember, a week after we get on, we have to get back off!

Very impressed with the quality of your photos. If I may ask, what camera are you using?

Making me hungry looking at all the pictures of the food you are eating.

Edited November 30, 2015 by TheTruthCanHurt

Thanks for posting your live review, can't wait for the rest.

Very impressed with the quality of your photos. If I may ask, what camera are you using?

 

It's a mix between my iPhone 6+ and my Pentax K5 DSLR. If you click into Flickr it will tell you the camera, settings, and lens (I think ... I see it at least).

Making me hungry looking at all the pictures of the food you are eating.

 

It's a good thing all ship food is fat/calorie free.

We are not having a great time with MyTime Dining. We typically don't choose MTD but it was all that was available when we booked the cruise. On other ships, we've made a standing reservation for a certain table and waiter we've had the first night. Outr first night experience wasn't the best so we thought we'd roll the dice. Tonight was worse. The wait was shorter to check in (about 2-3 minutes at 5:40) but we were seated in one of the corners of the room. Everyone around us was on a different food schedule even though several tables sat down at the same time. The "regulars" for that waiter were out the door while we were still waiting 10 minutes for our empty entree plates to be cleared. The only time we saw the assistant waiter was for bread and to clear our plates. The main waiter was running around to about 7 different tables, taking orders, clearing plates, filling glasses, etc. even though we probably had about 20-30 minutes of "lull" time tonight, empty tables were cleared and turned with about 5 minutes. Ugh. I think we just don't like MTD randomness.

 

Ok. Sorry. Vented a little. Better now. This may just be that we tend to like larger, set tables where we can have people to talk to. That certainly would make the time go faster.

Another question - I do not"see" any posted times for teens in the evenings. I will have a 14 and a 16 year old onboard when we sail day after Christmas. IF YOU BY CHANCE get a chance to see one of those papers that lists those activities, would you please post it?

I know that is a lot to ask, but ANY info you can give would be great, too. I am thinking it is more of just places for them to meet and hang out versus a "set" venue of activities. I know on Carnival my grands enjoyed the hour plus "dance" parties in their own designated lounges each night. But if I remember correctly when my hubby and I were on before, I do not remember ever seeing teens really being "organized" or supervised". I was hoping for a little bit of that - especially for the 14 year old grand daughter.

 

YOur review and pictures are great! Thank you in advance for ANY info on teen activities.

Not a bad view for the ice show considering we arrived just a few minutes before it started. The worst part is that now that people's devices are well-connected at sea, they like to play with them during shows (which I find very distracting in a dark room). There's also the group of folks who feel they can have a conversation during a show because, hey, it was free.

It isn't just people on board at a "free" show. In recent years, I encounter this more and more in movie theaters (where people have actually paid to get in). I don't have or want a smart phone, but my flip phone is definitely off when I go to a show. I realize that elders (I'm 76) have a reputation for wishing for the "good old days", but I think that the common courtesy and respect for others is sadly lacking today. And it isn't just teenagers and young adults. I try my best to not let it ruin my experience, but that sometimes takes a lot of patience.

Another question - I do not"see" any posted times for teens in the evenings. I will have a 14 and a 16 year old onboard when we sail day after Christmas. IF YOU BY CHANCE get a chance to see one of those papers that lists those activities, would you please post it?

I know that is a lot to ask, but ANY info you can give would be great, too. I am thinking it is more of just places for them to meet and hang out versus a "set" venue of activities. I know on Carnival my grands enjoyed the hour plus "dance" parties in their own designated lounges each night. But if I remember correctly when my hubby and I were on before, I do not remember ever seeing teens really being "organized" or supervised". I was hoping for a little bit of that - especially for the 14 year old grand daughter.

 

YOur review and pictures are great! Thank you in advance for ANY info on teen activities.

 

I think that teens have a separate activity sheet ... though from when my neice cruised with us a few years ago you are right that there were more just places to meet for the teens. I'll see if I can find out.