kearney

Great insights - we haven't been on Oasis yet - and haven't been out of Tampa either. I think any 4-5 day cruise might have the demographic where Drinking might be out of hand potentially. longer cruises not during spring break on either line are more relaxing.

Betty

I had not considered that. The Brilliance trip we took was the last sailing before the ship headed to Europe. I did not notice it being a party boat. Now we are diamond so we were in the Diamond lounge a lot and did not hang out by the pool so we might have missed that. One interesting observation on this trip was that the diamond lounge was filled with Europeans. Turns out many of them lived in Florida during the winter and did the crossing and our cruise... in the spring. It was cheaper than flying home for the summer and fall. Now that is the life. While I really like the Oasis class, I miss the Viking lounge and its panoramic views. Really enjoy spending time there. On Oasis we tended to either sit on our balcony or in the diamond lounge with its limited ocean view. I am not a sun person, so the pool and solarium were not places we hung out at. As I say my only negative comments about Oasis is lack of ocean views from public areas like bars and restaurants...

The bridge in the Tampa port limits the size ships that can go out of Tampa. The destinations I believe are more limited... eg Key West (which I love) and Cozumel. As I recall they stop sailing out of Tampa sometime in April... and the ship moves. This may not be the case in 2017. We had a very nice 5 day cruise on Brilliance. I love this class ship.

Next year Oasis will go out of Port C. I have not sailed out of there for quite a while, but the Oasis Class ship is something to experience. Despite its size it does not feel as large as it is. We prefer an ocean view balcony cabin, but I would love to try one of the inside balcony cabins just to see what it is like. Central park area seems like it would be more quiet than the boardwalk section of the ship.

something to consider. The Radiance class ship... like Brilliance has a lot of ocean views throughout the public parts of the ship. On the Oasis class ships, if an ocean view is important you really are going to be happier with an ocean view cabin, because there are limited ocean views in the public areas. One of the limitations of this class.

I loved departing from Tampa. At the time my husband was recovering from knee surgery and when I pulled up to drop off luggage they had valet service. I am very cheap, but decided to try this. It was a bit more expensive, but when we arrived back in Tampa we had our car very quickly... turns out we could see it from the ship.

Both the Radiance class ship and Oasis class have their pluses. One thing I really liked about sailing out of Tampa, was that on the first night we had dinner at Portofino's... a specialty restaurant... we were one of perhaps six couples in the restaurant...and we ate as the sun went down as we watched the ship slowly sale out of the large Tampa bay. Alas there is no such view in the speciatly restaurants on Oasis

We have booked Oasis and want to get some good opinions, ideas, tips, etc. about the dining. What specialty restaurants are your favorite? Do you know the prices of them individually? If you had to choose one, which would it be? Thanks in advance!

We sailed on Allure back in early Sept. We signed up for a 4 night specialty package at $90/person. A few observations: first of all any mean I don't have to cook is a good one, so I am not as critical as other posters. While I love a good steak, I felt that Chops was more rushed that I would have liked. Since the menu is limited, I blame this on the meal being ready sooner that I was prepared. The staff did not rush us... it is just that the food was ready very quickly. We chose to eat twice a Giovanni, I felt the menu had a wider selection that interested me. 150 Central park had the best atmosphere, but the menu was a bit less interesting... why we ate their once instead of twice.

If I were to do this again, I would probably either 1) go with a three night package and have my first meal on the second night. Then when I got on board I would see if I could get a really good deal for the first night. One couple did Chops night one for $30/two. 2) The other idea is that instead of eating at speciatly restaurant... on nights where the dinning room menu is not interesting... go ahead and order a full lobster for an additional fee or a nice steak.... as I understand it the extra charge steaks in the dinning room are actually from chops, probably a prime vs choose steak... they prepare it in the dinning room kitchen, but a better cut of beef... hence the extra charge.

We brought two nice bottles of red wine which we brought along to the specialty restaurant. They did not charge a corking fee, but we did add extra tip for this service. I have not tried the samba grill or other specialty options. On Oasis we did go to the Solarium bistro. One thing I miss on Oasis class ships... is being able to dine as the sun goes down with a nice view. The Solarium Bistro and Samba Grill would give you that option. Might be a nice option on night 1, since these restaurants tend to be quiet on night one... just a thought

I tried to make sense of their deals, but noticed that sometimes the gross price changed making the discount meaningless. I have found myself setting up a spreadsheet and attempting to track prices over time to determine a good price. After doing that a while I have found that the best idea is to set your own optimal price for specific class of cabin on a specific class of ship and if the pricing is within that range it is a good deal. I recently booked on board for the first time, the price was a bit higher than what I had booked for the cruise, but I thought I would track prices and ask the cruiseline to match if I found a better deal. So far they have generally been higher. Today was different at it would save me about $35 on cost of cruise, but not sure what happens to the onboard credit..... so I will hold off a while and see if I get a better deal closer to full payment date.

Generally the best pricing I have gotten has been when the cruise is about 2-3 weeks out.. But I like the whole looking forward thing.

I am curious, but the pricing for a balcony cabin on an Oasis class ship seems a bit better than on smaller ships, I assume that this is because of the margins being better on the larger ship. Another observation is that cruises around 9/11 seem better, I assume people would rather not fly... great for those driving to port

We have sailed in rough weather before being essentially chased by hurricane Denis a number of years ago. Cruise ship captains will do everything that they can to provide a safe and enjoyable experience. However, a borderline Cat 5 storm is not your typical hurricane and I am wondering just how well any captain can avoid some the the strong wave action that they are likely to encounter. Since OP is not a frequent cruiser, I would hate for you to have a bad experience which would turn you off to future cruises... I would seriously look at your travel insurance policy to see if there is a way to postpone this cruise to another time. If you do stay on the ship, you might investigate securing a cabin that is central and low... to minimize motion. That might at least make the trip more comfortable should you hit high waves.

Just RIDICULOUS. I have posted many times that I am not a smoker and smoke does not and never will bother me. I grew up with it. (dad). We always had it in:

Restaurants, bars, grocery stores, movie theater's, airlines, buses, EVERYWHERE. Now...you cannot smoke anywhere and I see people outside in snow storms having a cigarette.

 

When people are in the SMOKING SECTION and one has a problem with it..GET OUT..GO AWAY. Don't wave your hand back and forth in front of your face....don't cover your nose with your hands....don't give dirty looks...etc. Smokers have had all their rights pretty much taken away from them and non smokers will NEVER be happy.

 

While I am on a rant...I as so sick of the smoking threads. I don't know what they accomplish other than people complaining about it and saying the same things over and over and over again.

If you don't like the thread, don't read it.... if you don't like smoking in the smoking section leave. However, I dont like dealing with smoke in my room. Had that problem last cruise and frankly I just kept the door shut, I did not want to accuse someone without proof and I did not want to invade their space by looking around the barrier.... now that I know the rules more clearly... I wont be that forgiving in the future.

You have to wait until you board to findout which restaurant for the first meal... then you book the other meal(s). We tried a 4 might specialty package on Allure. As soon as we boarded I went to one of the restaurant people... set up in the promenade and booked the rest of my dinners. I had no problems making arrangements when I wanted. I have to say I had my doubts when I signed up... but it worked out well

I have a suggestion for those who are interested in dinner package. Sign up for say 3 dinners... vs 4 or even 5. Make your initial plans for dinner night two. Then when you get on board you might score night one for $30/two at Chops... for night one. We saw one couple get that deal.

Another thought. I found Chops to be a bit more crowded and rushed that I normally see in dinning room. Next trip, instead of paying more for specialty I am going to try ordering lobster or prime steak for extra in the main dinning room. Now 150 central park was very nice and Giovanni was a bit less rushed than Chops. Anyway it is a thought.

Why wouldn't it be returned?

 

It not really confiscated, they direct you to a table. A crew member will inventory and you get it the night before debarkation.

 

If you try to bring alcohol on board when you checkin at the beginning of the cruise, it may be confiscated. I've never heard of that happening in a port.

At the beginning of the cruise you may bring on two 750ml bottles of wine for use on the cruise. At the ports they are usually there to take the liquor and hold it for you.

You know I want to pass on something that I read on CC that I actually did and it helped. The last night I took a photo of each bag as we placed them out side of our cabin. Later when we were looking for bags one was missing and I was able to show the porter the photo. A few minutes later the porter walked up with the bag... the tag had been torn off. So this might also be a good idea on the front end of the trip as well. :)

I had a similar problem last cruise. If TA doesn't have an answer, wait a few days and try again. If I recall they were to be available about 45 days prior to the cruise. When I had a problem they were about a day late or so... but eventually I was able to print them out.

By the way, I purchased plastic cruise luggage tags online. They help prevent the tags from being torn off. Just thought I would mention that.

We stayed at the Crown Plaza. Very close to the port and you could actually see the Oasis class ships from the hotel. We paid $102/night over labor day weekend. Parking there was $10/night. We reserved a parking spot at Park N Go, about 1.5 miles away. If you go online and reserve parking there it costs less than $8/day. I think the earlier you make your reservation the cheaper it is... if I recall it goes up to $12/day closer to cruise time. They valet park your car, so if you have an issue with that you might try something else. I generally note mileage and do a walk around when I pick up the car. They will take you and your luggage right up to the porters and will pick you up on your return.

I did not care for the restaurant in the hotel, but we passed an interesting looking Bavarian restaurant about 1.5 miles west of the hotel... on the same street, called Old Heidelberg. Try googling it. Next time I want to try that. In the morning, near the restaurant is a Duncan Donut and a Wendy's (I think it was Wendy's...picked up something quick for breakfast before heading over).

We dropped the car off a bit after 10am and were through the check in process quickly and onboard shortly after they opened the ship for passengers. Really smooth.

I know you want to stir debate. I am not sure what to do about smoking, but on my last cruise there was someone smoking on a balcony someplace near our cabin. Now I appreciated the need to smoke, but frankly it was really annoying for non smokers. I think that since we are no longer exposed to smoke, even small amounts are now noticeable in a way that was not the case 20 years ago. I have no solution for this but suspect that it will be difficult to reverse.

If you haven't cruised in a while, another change is that you do not bring life vests with you. In fact, they are now kept someplace near muster station. So if you are planning a get together, at least you don't have to first bring your vest back to the cabin. :)

My husband and I were on Oasis in Oct 2015, we went to CATS. I wanted to like/love the show but we left early. I tried to understand why we did not like such an award winning show. The cast was fabulous, the costumes amazing, the set wonderful... Perhaps it was because we sat in the last row, so you could not appreciate the finer details of the performances... or perhaps it was the relatively downer plot ... or perhaps except for one or two songs the music was not particularly memorable (pun not intended). Or perhaps it was the length of the show... I really don't know,but we left early.

I think on a cruise ship you need more up beat and perhaps shorter shows. That is just my opinion. I was so disappointed that I did not love the show and felt really bad for the cast who were obviously talented. The reputation is now widespread, so I would not think it will actually be 'sold out' when you get there. But I do suggest sitting close so you can get into better than we did, sitting in the back row.

We have had a promenade view on Freedom class and found that nicer than a regular inside cabin. That would be less expensive than a central park or boardwalk view. It will be on a lower deck and more in the middle of the ship. Not a bad location if there is a lot of rocking of the ship... not usually a problem. This would be a nice compromise. They would have at least some view. The Promenade has the parade and other fun stuff going on to watch.

If you did want to spend more, the boardwalk view would also be good people watching... and depending upon location you do have a bit of a sea view. I have noticed that as cabins get closer to the end the prices seem to go up... better view of the aqua show and ocean.

Thanks everyone for the info. I never realized that ocean view balcony had different pricing based on deck. When I used the older version of the website I just did not notice price difference. Now I know better. I like to be near the aft elevator, since my husband has walking issues.... so frankly any deck would do. So now I know I can save in the future.

I wonder if this has something to do with the lifeboat accident on Harmony. could they be reviewing the lifeboat equipment on various ships... I believe Norwegian had something similar happen in Bermuda just a month or so earlier. It will be interesting to see if all ships go through something like this

The design of their site is fairly new. It looks like they are pricing it by location but the prices are actually just like they used to be, by stateroom category. If the same category that you have goes down in price before final payment you should still be able to get prices drops unless it is a sale for "new bookings only" which they seem to have a lot these days.

Okay cabin class does make sense. But I swear that when I booked in the past an ocean view balcony was the same price regardless of location... when I looked on the website. I can't believe I overlooked that... being as cheap as I am :)

I missed your update. Glad it worked out for you. My husband's case was such that I had to purchase cheap shirts and cut them to be able to dress him while keeping the shoulder in the sling. Later, when we went back to the doctor I ran into someone who also had surgery and they did not have to be as strict about keeping it in the sling.

His shoulder is now great... wished his knee was doing better.

Okay I am having rotator cuff repair on 9/6 and will be out of work for a little bit. Follow up appointment is 9/21. So I decided what is a better way to recoup with a little get away.

Just booked a cruise for 5 days on the Majesty of the Sea.. think this will make me feel better and the price was really nice too..

When are you planning to go.... I would allow two months before you go.

My husband tore his rotator cuff and had his shoulder immobilized for two months. He had to sleep in a recliner... could not move his shoulder at all... could not shower... I used baby wipes to clean under his arm. Now he had a bad tear... so I would check with your doctor.

FYI back in summer of '14 my husband fell over something in the back yard tore his quad muscle. We did not realize how bad it was.... he fell again a month later and tore his rotator cuff. He had surgery 1 on his quad muscle in Jan '15.... in April we took a 5 day cruise out of Tampa knowing that in May he was having his shoulder done..... well doctor said he needed to do more work on the knee... so in December '15 we planned on his third surgery of the year... and so in October we took a cruise on Oasis, knowing that we was going to be laid up. Infact he was in a cast up to his ass for two months... and we scheduled our next cruise for Sept 16... He is still recovering

I can not stress enough that if you know the tear is bad... allow at least 2 months before your cruise... or take plenty of friends along to help. It is possible that you will not need to be as immoble as he had to be... as I recall he had two or three tears.

I hope all goes well for you with surgery and your planned cruise

Okay, I need help understanding something. Just signed up for another cruise while on Allure. We have sailed 15-16 times on RCCL and have never done this before. I am under the impression that if there is a price drop they will match, if before 90day full payment period. Okay fine.

I usually book over the phone after doing a number of mock bookings using the website.

Something seems to have changed. Sometime in the last two months the pricing on the website has changed. It used to be that you would select, say balcony... then select say deluxe ocean view and you would see a series of cabins on various decks.. all with the same pricing. So if you had signed up with next cruise... it was easy to see if their had been a price drop.

Now when you hit ocean view balcony, the next screen gives you a choice of bow, aft or midship... and the pricing can vary by section. Once you select the section of the ship you want... the next screen shows different decks and again different pricing.

Flash forward say two months... lets say they have a great sale. I go back into the website but all ocean view balcony's on the aft of the ship on say deck 11 are gone but their are plenty say on deck 9. Will they match the price or will they allow me to change cabins..? not sure how this works.

I worked in marketing for 40 years.. from that perspective I think what they have done is positively brilliant and should improve profitability by charging more for popular locations. But from a customer perspective they seem have removed a benefit of next cruise program. If there is no real way for me to get a price break I might as well hold off, book later and take a chance on precise cabin location. Am I missing something here? As I have said I have not used next cruise before. I usually book less than 2 months prior to the cruise so I pay full price then. I pick a cruise based on getting a good price, ship and destination. This time I paid a few hundred more than I usually do anticipating that I would likely get that back if I just paid attention to the sales. The extra $ is really not that big a deal, I just spend less on the ship.... Just wondering 1) is the change I noticed new or did I somehow miss the pricing differences by deck and part of the ship and 2) if it is new any ideas on how the price matching will work going forward for those who signed up on board.... sorry for the long message hope I am clear

I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. I love the Oasis class ship, but I prefer the eastern caribbean vs western.... 8 days is nice too. The Oasis is such a unique design, really worth experiencing. But it gives you something to consider in the future... by then there will be even more features.

I think your kids would like both ships, there is so much to do. RCCL real has focused on families... again you can't go wrong.

Once you choose, don't look back and think 'did I make the right choice'. You will enjoy it.

More views of Ocean from public areas.... e.g. bars, restaurants etc. Oasis class is so internally focused you need an ocean view cabin if you want to see the Ocean. I would also like a real promenade deck like smaller class ships and if they can't add more ocean views... add a Viking lounge with panoramic views. I love the Oasis class but without more views from public areas, the design is only practical for Caribbean where there is nothing really to see... Less desireable for Med.

The 30% off would be a good deal if the base price had not gone up. I keep track of a few cruises I am interested in. The base price on some cruises jumped quite a bit while others only went up slightly. You need to establish the price you are willing to pay and the look for a deal that lines up.

That's the bad thing about e-mail, it costs nothing to send. If no one books via a direct e-mail link there is no incentive not to send it again.

 

Back in the day of mass mailings there would be research, what was the percentage of people who replied vs the number sent out. Then do a color change, font change, wording change and look at the percentage again. Once the "perfect" design was found then mail would go to everyone. 1,000's of people would be employed by it directly, 100's indirectly.

 

Now, a cron job is ran on some computer somewhere and when the date ticks over millions of emails go out. It costs Royal fractions of a computer cycle, who cares if anyone replies or if it generates any income.

Hit unsubscribe, in theory this should remove you from these emails. Also check your profile on C&A.