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Oasis nov5-nov12


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We have been on the oasis this week it is now sat. This is the family’s 2 oasis class cruise in a row. We were on the allure last year. Hands down this has been the most disappointing cruise. Full disclosure not being on our regular itinerary has caused a bit of some of the disappointment. But even if we were still on the regular course we would still have a lot of issues. This is my 9th cruise and I have never had to go to customer service for a issue. We have been there 5 out of 6 days. The line for complaints is longer then buffet line at times.

 

There have been some good things the dinner at the solarium bistro has really saved the cruise on the food side. The service is so much better and more accommodating. The boat has over 6000 paid guests on board so the windjammer is impossible to navigate. Completely overwhelming the the dining rooms and servers. Elevators during peak times are always packed to the point that if a elevator stops going in the opposite direction you get on for the ride and wait till it changes.

 

Now I know a lot of people are complaining on this ship even diamond members have said this is way below the standard for royal. We met up with a member 805 royals cruising days under there belt and couldn’t believe the shape the ship was in. There TV remote stopped working everyday the freestyle soda machines in front of sorrentos have been broken in some form. The kiosk in the picture studio only half of them work the card scanners are falling out or in our case not even connected and when my wife scanned her card the card fell into the empty machine and we had to get them open it to retrieve it. I used the bathroom in front of the solarium one night and rescued a gentleman how had been stuck in the stall for a 20 mins because the door handle broke off. The list of things that have been off about this ship grows every day. I have picture of black mold in the bathroom that we have asked to have removed since day 2.

 

Then the staff issues is a whole other issue they are flat out rude. The staff favorite saying on this boat is no. Sorry we can’t do that or we are not allowed to let you have more then 2 bottled waters at a time. With all the options that as cruisers we have Royal entire business culture should be changed from the lack of customer service on the phone to quite literally the worst web site ever created to the environment they create on the ship. Not allowing a card that has the drink package to get more then 2 bottles of water at a time while taking us to a country that doesn’t not have potable drinking water is the most inept policy.

 

So all in all the cruise line lost 8 yearly cruisers which at the end of the day will not effect there bottom line. But I am sure NCL will be happy to accommodate us.

 

 

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Anyone asking for more than 2 bottles of water at a time IMO is sharing. Also the drink packages are for use on the ship not to provide you with a day's worth of drinks off the ship.

 

You should have left this off your list of complaints as you don't get much sympathy on this topic.

 

Sorry to hear of the other issues.

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I was on Oasis last week, my first on a mega ship, and agree with most of your comments. There were crowds everywhere we went. Wait for an available elevator could be 10 to 15 minutes. The tables in the MDR were so close together that no one could get through. The servers were so overworked that we actually waited for our appetizer for an hour on night 3 and yes, it was ice cold.

 

The ship, IMO, was beautiful and people were nice for the most part. The Aqua Theater and ice skating show were excellent but I'm going back to the smaller ships.

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Anyone asking for more than 2 bottles of water at a time IMO is sharing. Also the drink packages are for use on the ship not to provide you with a day's worth of drinks off the ship.

 

 

 

You should have left this off your list of complaints as you don't get much sympathy on this topic.

 

 

 

Sorry to hear of the other issues.

 

 

 

The problem in Mexico is that they will fill bottles of water with tap water and sell them so if I paid for a drink package I will take as many bottles of water off the ship that I want. They can’t say no to that. I had to go from bar to bar getting 2 bottles at a time. Instead of just giving me six at the first bar.

 

 

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So we are off the boat and will be contacting RCL with the list of complaints that our party had. The mold was still there after day 7 so chances are it will go on the next cruise with whoever has the room. Just when we thought the crew couldn’t screw up anything on the last night we were wrong. My party wanted to buy the some picture packages well all but 1 kiosk was working so you had to stand in line and manually order your packages. After waiting a half hour in line my family went through marked all the pictures they wanted and bought the package. They wanted the flash drive also after a buying the option they were told to come back between 9:30- 9:45 to pickup the flash drive. 9:45 arrives they go to the get the drive and our told to wait 5 more minutes. Well after waiting 20 minutes they find out that the order wasn’t put in correctly even though the receipt shows it correct. So they have to wait till the morning. Thy were told first thing it will be delivered to the stateroom. Well you can already guess no flash drive in the stateroom and my family had to leave the boat without the drive to make sure they catch there plane. So waited almost till 10:30 before they told us it was delivered to a empty stateroom. Went back to my family room no flash drive. Went back to the studio and there it was so now we have to send it out family up north. Well done RCL this boat was a joke.

 

 

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A few comments. We sailed on Oasis Oct. 1. Our experience was mostly different. First I have to say I agree about the Photography. Worst photographic experience ever. We had our whole family, 6 adults and 5 kids. Did lots of pics. Many didn't ever show up in our folders. We ordered a CD for each family (3 of them) and there were pictures missing, pictures of other people, etc. Very disorganized and unacceptable. I did let Royal Caribbean know.

We had itinerary changes due to weather and a medical. We missed Labadee as we had to divert to Nassau to drop off a very ill passenger. In Falmouth, Disney arrived late and that "pushed" our shore excursion. The excursion was fun, but due to lack of communication, having to accommodate too many people at the same time due to Disney's late arrival, and a few other "glitches," it was truly lacking in some areas. Would likely have been much better if only one ship was in. Oh well. Royal Caribbean did refund me 25% of the cost. That was acceptable.

Due to a tropical storm, we had to cancel Cozumel. Instead, we went back to Labadee. So that was a "plus" in my mind. Others were not as happy, but it is what it is.

Now the rest. We were in Crown Lofts so that might have been the difference. But we had My Time Dining and the Dining Manager, Mohammed, made sure we had the same table and same waiters EVERY night! They were two of the best waiters I've had in 32 cruises, 25 with Royal Caribbean. And we all enjoyed the food. Most was very good. Of course, food is very subjective.

The crowds on Oasis, although there are 6000 on board, in my opinion, are very well managed. No problems in my mind.

I thought the ship was in fine shape and didn't see any glaring issues.

Elevators..... well, always a problem. But I will add this, one problem is that people DO ride "up to go down." If everyone jumps on the "up" elevator on deck 11 to go to deck 5, no one on upper decks can get on. We were on deck 17. One elevator came up and it was pretty full with people who had gotten on on lower decks to go down. The door started to open, there was room for 1 or 2 more, I headed for the elevator, and as the door was opening a guy was pushing the "close" button so it shut immediately so we couldn't get on. I had a few choice "thoughts" about that guy.

But anyway, we all have different experiences. I have done Oasis 4 times and Allure 2 times. I will say, my expectations are realistic. I think that is key. I know there are 6000 people on board, most trying to get into the Windjammer at noon. So I don't go there. I know that the ship isn't brand new, so there will be issues. Those need to be addressed, and I have always had good luck with Guest Services and Maintenance. I know that the food isn't 5 star, but it is usually pretty good. Expectations. They need to be managed.

I have often thought about trying other lines, but I don't see the advantage. I have done 1 NCL 1 Princess, 1 Celebrity, 4 Carnival, and 25 Royal Caribbean. Guess I just like them.

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I too was on this sailing, but did not have the same experiences. Our dinner staff, was terrific, done in under 75 minutes and that included desert. They were the best I have ever had. This was out 3rd time on Oasis and we are happy campers.

 

Sure on several occasions had to wait for elevator, but mostly it was very quick. Couldn't comment on Windjammer, since we didn't eat there.

 

So many things are subjective, was everything perfect, of course not, but we roll with the punches and enjoy!

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Anyone asking for more than 2 bottles of water at a time IMO is sharing. Also the drink packages are for use on the ship not to provide you with a day's worth of drinks off the ship.

 

 

 

You should have left this off your list of complaints as you don't get much sympathy on this topic.

 

 

 

Sorry to hear of the other issues.

 

 

 

Totally agree

 

 

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Haven't sailed Oasis class for two years. However, have always thought the crowds were handled better than some of the smaller ships. Windjammer crowding is a frequent complaint. I have never really found it to be a major problem, as I prefer MDR for breakfast and lunch. There are also many other restaurants included with cruise fare that many passengers never try.

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I was on that sailing, and it was the second week of a back to back. My experience - both weeks - was fantastic. In the past, I've only done NCL. If you think you're going to have better luck over there, go for it. However, I jumped over to Royal because NCL has been going downhill, and my last cruise with them was simply miserable. My stateroom attendent, waiter, and Rosario (at the American Icon Bar) are the exceptional folks who made my trip magical.

 

I agree with the WJ being a zoo. Quite frankly, the food up there (except for the coconut cookies) was terrible, which is why I stuck to Sorrentos and the MDR after that. Guest Services was basically useless, too, but the cruise director staff was great, entertainment was spot on, the game shows were funny, and the food and service was excellent.

 

Have fun over at NCL. If you get clean towels, count your blessings. Last time I sailed, they kept picking up the dirty ones and failing to leave clean ones. Had a few interesting showers on that cruise.

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The cruise industry has gone toward these mega ships . Although we have not sailed Oasis class yet ,we have sailed on Anthem of the Seas & it was great with 2 exceptions .The one that really stands out is the dangerous crowds on elevator stairs & landings getting to the emergency drill .We feel that if there was a coast guard person ,the ship would have been fined ;because ,if some one slipped & fell on the stairs then many could have been injured .:(

 

Every one has to decided whether these huge ships or the smaller ships are right for them ..:cool:

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@papaflamingo what was the 25% refund for exactly?

 

OP, I was on this same sailing (review to come) and I was incredibly disappointed overall. This was my first cruise and it seemed like RC really dropped the ball with regard to organization and customer service.

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Elevators were a challenge (always this way on Oasis class), a spot of mold in the bathroom that may have been nothing, and the picture people weren't up to par. Tough crowd. Glad others who were on this same cruise chimed in.

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I sadly have to agree with you. I was on this cruise and it was so disappointing.This is my 10th RCCL cruise; second time on Oasis. Over the years, I have watched RCCL steadily decline in quality and service. The ships have become more like cattle cars on water. Too many issues to write about as I don't want to sound like a whiner but the signature quality that the RCCL brand represented for awhile is now gone. Bad food, serious under-staffing issues, cleanliness issues, organizational issues etc. were the norm for this cruise. Obviously, RCCL has decided to pursue a 'quantity over quality' approach to their business. Such a shame! Are these issues prevalent on all the cruise lines' larger ships? Is Carnival now consistently better than Royal?

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I sadly have to agree with you. I was on this cruise and it was so disappointing.This is my 10th RCCL cruise; second time on Oasis. Over the years, I have watched RCCL steadily decline in quality and service. The ships have become more like cattle cars on water. Too many issues to write about as I don't want to sound like a whiner but the signature quality that the RCCL brand represented for awhile is now gone. Bad food, serious under-staffing issues, cleanliness issues, organizational issues etc. were the norm for this cruise. Obviously, RCCL has decided to pursue a 'quantity over quality' approach to their business. Such a shame! Are these issues prevalent on all the cruise lines' larger ships? Is Carnival now consistently better than Royal?

 

Best service I ever had on a cruise was last months Harmony. Some days are better than others, apparently. I wouldn't think too much into it.

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We were on Oct 22nd sailing and it was much different . Our service was awesome other than one night in MDR. Room attendant was great shout out to Omar ! Also shout out to Sandeep and Albert in American Icon . Hands down best wait staff I have ever had on my five cruises.

 

Oasis is a big ship and you need to do your research. There are penalty of places to eat if you don't like crowds . I know cause my family doesn't like crowded places . You will never get away from evaltors issues . Take the stairs if you are able . Planning is the key for Oasis class ships !

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We, husband and I, did B2B on Oasis October 1-15. This was our 16th RCCL and 21st overall. We had a totally different experience. From the second we stepped on board until we departed, A #1. We enjoyed every second, even having to go to security to claim our luggage that had been misplaced. Our table service wait staff were the best, Rowella and Mary Ann. And our cabin attendant was super, Jocelyn. Though there times that the food perhaps wasn’t five star, we had to remember that not only do we not eat that way at home, but we surely don’t cook that way either. As far as the elevators go, it was up and down. Would board again today if I could.

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We just came off the Allure recently and just booked for the Oasis. Since so many of you are posting reviews about it now, I thought I would ask about the drinks. We don't buy the package since we don't drink much but we are trying to convince some friends to come on their first cruise with us. They usually do all inclusive vacays to Mexico so they think the drinks packages are a must, yet don't want to pay the price.

 

Questions:

1) I know that the drink package is $70Cdn per person per day. I think we still have to add tips? On the package price or each time we get a drink?

2) Can you actually get this package on a daily basis? or you pay for the week?

3) Can you sometimes get a deal prior to sailing on the cost of the package? If so, what is the best deal to look out for?

4) If we don't get the package, what are other options? Prices? (For example, I think you can get a 12 bottle of beer deal. What is the deal? Of what is typically the cost of a "regular" beer or drink of the day?)

 

Thanks!

Sonia

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We just came off the Allure recently and just booked for the Oasis. Since so many of you are posting reviews about it now, I thought I would ask about the drinks. We don't buy the package since we don't drink much but we are trying to convince some friends to come on their first cruise with us. They usually do all inclusive vacays to Mexico so they think the drinks packages are a must, yet don't want to pay the price.

 

Questions:

1) I know that the drink package is $70Cdn per person per day. I think we still have to add tips? On the package price or each time we get a drink?

2) Can you actually get this package on a daily basis? or you pay for the week?

3) Can you sometimes get a deal prior to sailing on the cost of the package? If so, what is the best deal to look out for?

4) If we don't get the package, what are other options? Prices? (For example, I think you can get a 12 bottle of beer deal. What is the deal? Of what is typically the cost of a "regular" beer or drink of the day?)

 

Thanks!

Sonia

 

Tips are included in the drink package price. I think it's added on at checkout. You don't tip as you go unless you would like to leave extra for the bartender. Yes, they often have deals prior to sailing. Usually 20% off or so. You just have to check your cruise planner every so often and hope something pops up. You cannot get the package on a daily basis, sorry.

 

Your friends need to pony up if they think they'll drink quite a bit. All inclusive resorts build it into the cost as well, just figure it's part of the cost of cruising. We ALWAYS get the drink package.

 

Pricing is usually $6 - $13 for drinks depending on what you get. I'd say mixed drinks around $10 - $11/average. If they won't be drinking more than a few a day, then just pay as you go. Drink package is generally better when you drink 6+/day - which we have done just at the robot bar... :')

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There are so many breakfast and lunch options on the Oasis class ship. Why are people still going to the Windjamer?!?!?! 🤔🤔🤔

 

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We have been on 4 previous RCCL cruises and embarkation day lunch has always been WJ. I agree with cynt that will not be the case on our February Oasis cruise. The problem is not whether to go to the WJ but where to go INSTEAD of the WJ. Probably will do Solarium Bistro for embarkation day. But I'm sure our 11 year old son will want to visit Sorrentos and the Boardwalk Dog House during the week. And Park Café is a must for Kummelweck sandwiches. We also have a meal at Johnny Rockets with our boardwalk balcony cabin. And the tutti salad in the MDR on sea days. Oh WJ, how we'll miss you. NOT.

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