az_2_nc2013

Not a typical list suggestion, but a waterproof digital camera was our best/favorite pre-cruise purchase! It was great to have not only for our snorkeling excursion, but so we didn't have to worry about phones or other cameras getting ruined by any kind of weather, ocean water, etc! We bought the Fujifilm Finepix XP90 on Amazon and with Prime were able to get it the next day.

I echo the magnetic hooks as well- bring 8-10, you'll use them! We constantly were hanging clothes to dry throughout the week.

It's only for traditional dining either early or late that you would need to e mail Royal with your dining preference.

Ohh ok got it! Thanks!

My husband and I traveled just the two of us a couple weeks ago. We did MTD, and didn't email Royal Caribbean to request a table for two, and were always seated just by ourselves, usually in the same section as well. We eventually asked for the same section but we never had to ask for a table for two.

In Cozumel, we booked an independent snorkeling excursion with Cozumel H20- it was incredible. $65 per person for 3-4 hours of snorkeling; they keep groups small; they provided equipment, food, and water; overall extremely professional and well done and just a lot of fun! I would absolutely recommend that for Cozumel.

Thanks for the review and answering questions! Just an FYI that I actually got on this Board a few years ago, I type my review in WORD and then can just copy and paste it into the review box. That way, don't have to worry about losing it! Unless you don't "save" it or something! :eek:

The funny thing is, as I was typing I thought "you know, I should probably copy and past this from Word so I don't lose it". :rolleyes:C'est la vie! It was probably too wordy anyway haha. Lesson learned!

Great review. Thanks Kelly. Headed to oasis in 17 days, and I'm wondering about the typical crowds at Park Cafe?

Believe it or not, we actually never made it to Park Cafe! We didn't spend too much time in the Central Park area, and I'm kicking myself because I was looking forward to trying one of the roast beef sandwiches! However, when we were down there just walking through on the first and last days, it was not crowded at all!

Have a great trip!

I was on Oasis last week, and as it was my first cruise, I can't answer 1, but I can help with 2 and 3.

We had MTD (just 2 people- my husband and me), and we never had to wait more than a few minutes. When we arrived, they took our stateroom #, confirmed those in our party, and took us to our table. The only times we had to wait were because we requested a specific table. The line for those with no reservations was always long, but if you have reservations I'm sure you'll be fine.

If you avoid Windjammer during the most popular times [i.e. 8-9am, noon] it doesn't feel too crowded. We went for a later breakfast or later lunch and didn't have any problems with crowds. Don't go on the first day for lunch! The line is ridiculous! I enjoyed the Solarium Bistro as an alternative to Windjammer.

Do you remember what night and time the Love and Marriage show was? I love this and want to make sure I don't book anything to overlap!

Just realize I didn't answer this part! I want to say it was Tuesday night at 10:15. We didn't save our Cruise Compasses so I can't check for sure but it was definitely early in the week, later in the evening.

Great review, thanks! We are cruising July 16 also Western itinerary and this makes me really excited!

 

Two questions.

 

Do you remember what your cabana number was at Nellie's beach? And was one assigned or did you get to pick?

 

Do you remember what night and time the Love and Marriage show was? I love this and want to make sure I don't book anything to overlap!

We had #3! All the cabanas were assigned, and we got our assignment when we arrived at the cabana area/beach. I had seen posts about possibly contacting the concierge/guest relations to request a specific one, but we did not do that so that may be an option but I cannot speak from experience. I am not sure how they are assigned (order of booking, etc.), but I would recommend booking one as soon as possible if you have not already!

Have a great time! Wish I could be there!

I was very happy with both food and service on Oasis last week.

Nice review; thanks for posting. Very glad you had a good time on the ship. Oasis is one of my favorite ships. On other reviews, it's been reported that the crowds around the pools, to include the solarium, are on the light side. Did you notice the same?

The pools were pretty crowded on cruising days in the afternoon, especially when the weather was nice and the sun was out. Otherwise, I thought it was not too bad for there being 6,000 people on board.

We actually didn't spend too much time in the Solarium; other than eating breakfast a couple mornings in the Bistro, we only spent time in the Solarium on the first full day, and we ended up leaving before lunch because it just got too warm in there for our comfort. But, when we were there, it was not nearly as crowded as I expected it to be! I just can't speak for the rest of the week :) Sorry if this wasn't very helpful! Haha.

Wow, day 3 is the earliest I've seen reported for a 7-night cruise. I would buy one for sure if it's offered to us that early. Thanks.

The regular drink packages were available all week, but I don't remember noticing the cards being available earlier than Thursday. I could be wrong though.

Thanks so much for posting this. DD and I are sailing Aug 5 with same itinerary. We are planning on specialty dining but don't want to miss lobster night in MDR. Do you recall which night it was? Also, what shows did you see and opinion? Thanks, again!

 

 

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It was Thursday night, which was also the second formal night!

We saw Cats, the adult comedy show, and the Love and Marriage game show. In hindsight, I wish we would have gone to more shows; I think the main reason we didn't was because we didn't want to be disappointed. Haha. But I heard great things about Frozen in Time and Come Fly With Me throughout the week! Cats was...different. My husband wanted to see it because he likes it, and grew up watching it on VHS. The choreography was amazing and the music was fun, it just wasn't the kind of story I'm used to. The second half was definitely better than the first, and I was amazed by how many people left after intermission- probably two-thirds. Regardless, it was definitely entertaining, and I'm glad we saw it. The comedy show was amazing! The comedians were hilarious and I laughed more than I have in a while. The Love and Marriage game show was hosted by CD Jimmy and was exactly like the Newlywed Game. No complaints about the shows we did see!

Nicely written review.:)

 

I wonder if you noticed any drink cards (punch cards) being sold?

Thank you! Yes, they were being offered on Thursday. However, I can't remember if they were available Thursday only or if they were selling them the rest of the week as well.

We did self assist debarking last week because we had a 1:50 flight out of Orlando. We left the boat about 645, took maybe 20 minutes to debark and get through customs, left on our bus around 8ish (had to wait a while for the last few people), and were at the airport by 9. We used Go Port Canaveral for transportation, and they had buses leaving port every hour or so. Everything was so quick, we had to wait at the airport before we could check in. You should be fine if you leave early and do the self assist!

We were on the same cruise and would have to agree. We did Solarium Bistro 3 nights (very nice) for dinner and the rest was MyTime in the MDR (a little shaky at times but overall good). Our only issue (and my mother, brother and sister-in-law who are all Diamond Plus - we are lowly Diamond only - would agree) is that there is no dress code in the MDR any longer. I confirmed this by asking the maître d' one night and he confirmed that there really is no dress code. Shorts, holey jeans, backward-facing hats, and sleeveless t-shirts were fairly common. I know that dress codes have been debated endlessly here. But, the fact is, whether for better or for worse, for dinner there really isn't one short of perhaps swimming suits.

I completely agree about the dress code. I was looking forward to the formal nights, and my husband and I dressed formally both nights, but I was a little disappointed by how many people were dressed casually. I guess formal dress is a lost art! Even on the casual nights (with the exception of the last night) I avoided wearing shorts, but that's my own personal preference. I will continue to observe the dress code as long as they print one on the Cruise Compass! Haha.

Thanks for your input!

Good afternoon all! This was supposed to be a longer post, but I lost myoriginal post right as I hit submit last night; I haven’t fully recoveredemotionally from that experience yet;p, so I am just going to hit a few major points now, and I will gladly answer any additional questions!

Since this was our first cruise, we kept everything pretty simple and didn’t even getto all of the included entertainment and dining options. I still hope this post ishelpful/informative for some!

Embarkation/Debarkation:

We arrived at the terminal about an hour or so after passengers were allowed toboard, and the whole process was quick and easy; from security to checking in,I would say we were on the boat within 30-45 minutes after arrival. Debarkationwas even quicker; we elected for the Self Assist to take our own baggage andleave the boat earlier, and it took maybe 20 minutes from the time we left ourroom to when we got through customs. Even with my passport not matching mydriver’s license, after a quick glance at both (and no request for additional documentation) the customs agent sent us on our way.

Food/Drink:

I was very impressed by the food on the ship. I kept my expectations realistic, and I was not disappointed. While it is true that the buffets are not gourmet, I didn’t find any of the options particularly unappealing, and any food that I do not have toprepare or clean up, I can enjoy! I actually liked just about everything I atein the Windjammer, Solarium Bistro, Boardwalk Dog House (yum!!), Promenade Café,and the Main Dining Room. We did not do any specialty dining; all of ourdinners were in the Main Dining Room (American Icon Grill, specifically). I dowish we had eaten at more of the complimentary/included options, but we did notend up eating as much as we thought we would! My husband got the basic drinkpackage and we only ordered one alcoholic drink each during the week.

Speaking of the MDR, I could not be happier with our experience. Our waiter, Mario, was phenomenal, and the one time we were seated outside of his section (we arrived later than usual) the service was still great, but it just wasn’t the same! Thefood was consistent and delicious and I would gladly eat all future dinners inthe MDR on our next cruises. We did My Time Dining and we were always seated ata 2-top or 4-top (but not with anyone else). If we arrived at the beginning ofour time slot, we were usually seated in the same section with little to nowait. For two introverts, this was the ideal situation and I am glad they didthat for us.

Weordered room service twice; both times were breakfast from the continentalmenu, and both times the food arrived exactly at the time we specified. Again,we intended to order from the regular menu at some point despite the $7.95 charge, but we were always full from our meals.

Stateroom:

11190, Superior Oceanview with Balcony. Absolutely no complaints! Ample storageand space for two people, even the in the bathroom! Loved having the balconyand the room was in a great location; fairly close to the elevators but farenough away from the elevator traffic. Our stateroom attendant was Martin andhe was awesome! He always kept our room clean and comfortable and was willingto get us whatever we needed.

Excursions:

Labadee- Over-the-water cabana at Nellie’s beach. I feel it was worth the $495 cost, butI’m not sure if my husband would agree 100%, haha. It was a beautiful view, great water access, and we enjoyed the included floating beach mats! Plus,since it was just the two of us, we did not drink all six 1-liter Evian water bottles provided, so we were able to take those back with us and have them forthe rest of the week.

Falmouth- Bamboo Beach Club VIP Beach Day. Beautiful beach, friendly people, great food and entertainment, and unlimited drinks- what more can you ask for? I’m glad we took the chance on this excursion despite the few and mixed reviews. There are beach loungers with padded mats, but they are a plastic-y material that would havebeen slightly more comfortable with a towel on top. We were two of the few that did not bring towels with us and they were not provided at the beach (not thatwe were expecting them to be).

Cozumel- Independent snorkeling tour with Cozumel H20. WOW- this was an unforgettable experience. There were only 7 on our boat, and our tour guide Miguel wasenergetic, knowledgeable, and personable! The tour was about 3 hours (includingboat time), and we went to 4 reefs; I would not hesitate to book another tourwith them, and I absolutely would recommend it to anyone. Communication was easy throughout the booking process, and the $65/pp cost was more than reasonable.

Overall, despite not having anything else to compare to, this is a cruise and vacation to remember. The entire crew was great, and I’m still impressed by everything that was offered and the quality of the ship, rooms, dining, entertainment, etc. We are already planning ahead for our next Royal Caribbean cruise, but we haven’t decided on a ship or itinerary yet!

If you have any questions about anything I’ve mentioned, or haven't mentioned, feelfree to ask and I will do my best to answer!

I am on the Oasis Sept. 3 Western Caribbean, also in an ocean view balcony on deck 11. In addition, I have booked the snorkeling excursion with Cozumel H2O. Looking forward to hearing about your trip!

nyllrap,

We LOVED the snorkeling with Cozumel H2O- it was relaxing and so much fun and our guide, Miguel, was awesome! I am sure you will love it as well! Be sure to apply a lot of sunscreen on your back if you do not wear a t-shirt, and take some Dramamine, even if you don't normally experience motion sickness!

Please let me know on what day they will offer drink cards onboard.

 

I have two teens age 12 and 15. Can they be in the same teen program: 12-14? Thank you so much in advance! Our trip is in July.

 

 

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Travelmoon,

Drink cards were being offered on Thursday of our cruise. Unfortunately, I did not find out about the teen program.

Hey Charlotte! :D

What cabin # will you be in? We're same type balcony on deck 12 in a few weeks.

Hotel at port canaveral?

Best breakfast on ship?

Item you wish you would've packed/not packed?

Hope you have a great time!

As mentioned previously, we were in 11190. I am so glad we were in a balcony cabin- I loved looking and being outside on the balcony, and our room was in a great location. Close to the elevators but not close enough to get the elevator traffic.

We actually stayed in Orlando, right outside of the airport, since we got in a day before the cruise. We used Go Port Canaveral for transportation from the hotel to the port, and from the port to the airport. It was the Holiday Inn Orlando Airport, and it was adequate. Not the nicest rooms, but it was ok for just one night.

Best breakfast depends on what your definition of "best" is. ;) We ordered room service (from the continental menu) and ate on the balcony while watching the sun rise a couple mornings; and ate at the Windjammer, Solarium Bistro, and the Main Dining Room the other mornings. Food-wise, the continental room service food was what you'd expect (bagels, cereal, etc.), and everything else was pretty standard buffet food. I enjoyed what I ate and don't have any complaints! I do wish we had gone to Johnny Rockets, I'm sure that would have been my favorite. My husband and I both enjoyed the food in the Solarium, but the room service on the balcony was amazing as well! Not sure if that answers your question, haha.

I'm pretty pleased with everything I packed, and I only had a few items that I didn't end up wearing! I would definitely recommend bringing magnetic hooks. We used all of ours every day! Really the only thing I wish I had brought was a case of water to keep in the room. I drink a lot of water, and although there were refill stations at various spots on the boat, with as hot and humid as it was, that's something that would have been useful for me. Thankfully, we had some extra bottles from our Haiti excursion so I carried those with me the rest of the week. It can be tricky bringing a case of water if you're flying in (like we did), but if you can make it work, it's a great idea.

I am anxious to see pictures of your Falmouth excursion and to read details. I have been to many Caribbean islands but never Jamaica. I keep hearing such mixed reviews and I would appreciate your take. Have a wonderful time!

 

 

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Lawstuff, I loved Jamaica and the Bamboo Beach Club excursion! Plenty of shade, food, and drinks! The people are so nice and our guides Saskia and Christine were great! They made the 1.5 hour ride enjoyable. I would definitely recommend the VIP Beach Day excursion! I would suggest bringing towels if you do it; there are padded mats on the beach loungers but they would have been a little more comfortable with a towel over the mats.

Just got off Oasis, my first cruise, and I was in the same boat (no pun intended). Our reservation was in my married name, and I brought my DL (with married name) passport (with my maiden name), certified copy of my marriage license, and my birth certificate, just to be safe. I'd rather have more documents than necessary than not enough. When checking in, they told me to keep my marriage license on me for customs, in case the agent asked for it. Well, when coming through customs after debarkation, they took a quick look at my passport and driver's license and sent me on my way. Never asked for any other documentation. When leaving ports, I never had to show any other documentation other than my SeaPass card. Hope that's helpful!

Just wanted to check back in and let everyone know that we made it back today- what an amazing cruise! I cannot wait to share my thoughts on it. I will be starting a new thread for it this week- just wanted to let everyone know to be on the lookout for my post, and feel free to ask any questions once I've posted!

Please let me know on what day they will offer drink cards onboard.

 

I have two teens age 12 and 15. Can they be in the same teen program: 12-14? Thank you so much in advance! Our trip is in July.

 

 

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I've got the drink card question noted on my list! However, we don't have any kids so I can't guarantee that I will be able to provide the answer for the teen program. I'll post it if I find out though!

Hey Charlotte! :D

What cabin # will you be in? We're same type balcony on deck 12 in a few weeks.

Hotel at port canaveral?

Best breakfast on ship?

Item you wish you would've packed/not packed?

Hope you have a great time!

- 11190!

- I don't remember the hotel off the top of my head, so I've got it on my list to recap!

- I NEED breakfast to function for the rest of the day, so I will definitely talk about that!

- Got it on the list!

Thanks!!