25 Most Memorable Things about the Oasis

As I worked on finishing my review (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1190264), I realized I would be rehashing a lot of what was already written elsewhere not only for the Oasis or even other ships. I figured because the Oasis was so special, it might be more useful simply to list the things that struck me MOST:

1. The Ship itself. WOW. I have to admit, though, when I first went onboard, I was a little foolishly blasé, thinking, oh, New York's Central Park is much bigger, or, oh, the Boardwalk doesn't have real boards. But then I realized, holy cow, we're ON A SHIP. The fact that it so resembles land made me almost forget how amazing the Oasis actually is. Take it all in, and spend the first day or two getting the lay of the land, so to speak, so you can spend the rest of the week digging into the nooks and crannies. See #24.

2. My favorite stroll on the ship is around Deck 15, which took about 7 minutes to go from the Solarium to the Flowriders and back, with ample time for stopping to sightsee. Not only is the view from the ship beautiful, we would also pass the Flowriders, see some ziplining, walk by the 4 pools, and be able to end up in the Solarium Bistro for some water.

3. At some point during the cruise everyone poses in a photo with the balloon boy figure outside Johnny Rockets on the Boardwalk. Poor guy has been mimicked, scolded, tripped, hugged - but he remains effervescent. Oh, and I dig that there is almost always a (real) security guard on the Boardwalk. That's authentic.

4. Roast beef sandwiches in the Park Cafe on those warm, freshly baked rolls. Maybe my favorite food on the Oasis, simply because it's not available elsewhere, and it's so good. The entire Central Park is a marvel.

5. The lit up "Lobby" signs in the stateroom hallways. The entries into the stairwell and elevator landings aren't the most obvious when you're walking down the hall, so they have little signs that help you get to where you need to go to get out of the hallway.

6. Dual stairways are either side of the ship. On the Oasis there are 2 sets stairwells in both the front and back of the ship - one on the port side and one on starboard. They're a bit hidden because of the layout instead of being right in the center of the ship.

7. Your own photo folder. I have wasted years of my life looking for my photo in the ship photo store. Now, it's all already compiled in a folder, whose number is conveniently listed on your Seapass.

8. 2 Flowriders. Boogie boarding usually on Starboard, standup on Port. Get those wristbands, and Get Out There! I still have bruises so I won't attempt to give any advice here, except, ladies, a t-shirt may be a good idea (saw more than I bargained for once) and men, tighten those trunk ties ahead of time.

9. Ziplining. Sign up for ziplining on the first day from 2-4pm at the Sports Deck next to the Starboard Flowriders. You do not need a Flowrider/Skating/Climbing wristband and can get that (in a separate line) later in the cruise.

And during the actual experience, look around and enjoy yourself during those few seconds you're at the mercy of gravity. You don't have to stay crouched in a sitting position. As you approach the landing, lift up your feet and plunk them down only in the area painted in yellow and try to stand up right away to stop your momentum. Note that they will tell you all of this as they are strapping you into your harness (and will ask you about 8 times, "where are you going to land?" and you will have to answer "the yellow, sir!"). I find it easier to know ahead of time, so here you go.

Also, bring your Seapass, and don't be wet. They won't let you go on if you're at all slippery.

10. Escalator to/from the Gangway and great signage. They have a "Gangway" button in the elevator, and signs all over Deck 3 leading you to the Gangway. And if that doesn't work, there's almost always a CD staffer personally guiding you in the right direction. The escalator to/from Deck 2 is brilliant. Also really like that security is done outside the ship, and there are almost always 5-6 lines available. Breeziest on/off ship ever.

11. Shows in the Aquatheater. Whether it's the Oasis of Dreams (my absolute favorite) or an afternoon show (they had a few on the last day) or a fountain show, what could be better than sitting in an outdoor theater and enjoying a warm breeze, with a pina colada in hand? The only thing to top that would be to be on a cruise - but, wait, you're on one! The best seats in the Aquatheater (IMO) for Oasis of Dreams are midway up. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag as to why, but I think this gives the best vantage for the full experience.

12. Your Seapass is much more than a room key and charge card. It's your week's entertainment ticket. It's your sign-in for Muster. It's your Casino points card. It's how you find your photos. Now if they could code the Diamond or CL access onto your Seapass that would be even more awesome.

13. Dining availability screens. I'm hungry, and 5999 others probably are at the same time. So we didn't all go to the same place at once, I loved checking the dining availability screens on the stateroom TV and all over the ship.

14. Diamond lounge parked perfectly in the mezzanine on Deck 6, overlooking the Promenade. It was empty most days, and a lovely place to enjoy a coffee and a snack. Note that Deck 6 does not go all the way across. You still have to take the Promenade.

15. Roasted vegetables in the Solarium bistro and all the yummy healthy desserts. We had a soy panne cotta that was fabulous. It's also open on the first day. Way less crowded than the Windjammer, and better food too!

16. Bar and lounge outside of the dining room. I didn't use it, but saw a number of people have a cocktail before dinner while waiting for their family members. Really beautiful little waiting area that allows people to enter as a family or group without having to hang out in the lobbies to congregate. Also, the waiters now sing all over the Dining Room, instead of on the stairs or in some central location. I liked this better, as we could see our team and cheer them on.

17. Little "hand wash" signs on the inside of the bathroom stalls. Hey, I can see some people needing a reminder, and the more the better.

18. Cashless Casino with 1/2 of it non-smoking. No more digging fingers into an icky bucket of quarters! And loved that an entire half of the casino was smokefree all the time. Sure, it basically divided the place in half, but it was more than large enough for the casual gambler.

19. Creative seating all over the ship. Tired from walking from one end of the Oasis to another? Park it on some neat sofas. My favorites: the famous covered Solarium wicker couches, a neat curvy lounger on the Promenade on the dining room end, and the surfboard seats near the Wipeout Cafe.

20. Life-sized decals on bathroom doors on Deck 15. They show the backside of a man and a woman as if they were walking into the bathroom. Really cute.

21. Weather-sheltered ping pong tables with their own area. On other ships the tables always seemed a bit cramped and there were inevitable apologies as a bypasser would get zinged by an errant shot. On the Oasis there's a separate covered area so no more blaming the wind for poor technique.

22. Carousel. Yes, it is that fun. My favorite was the Ostrich. It's open on the first day.

23. Neat inaugural season paraphernalia in the stores. Okay, so it's gimmicky, but I bought into it. They have T-shirts, hats, the whole gamut. If something catches your eye, get it early as stuff does sell out.

24. Nooks and crannies. You'll find your own, but here are a couple: Deck 14 wings. Go all the way to the front of the ship on Deck 14 (enter through port side), and you'll be able to get on these "winglike" platforms above the bridge. Fantastic views. Aft of the ship, there is apparently something similar on Deck 14 and 12 (Can someone confirm this? I never made it this far), with public balconies that oversee the aft of the ship and the Aquatheater. Note that there is no Deck 13.

25. Wonderful photography all over the ship and those little viewing stations. The art and photography on all RCI ships are beautiful, but the works on the Oasis struck me as particularly vivid in color and subject. Taking the stairs was a visual pleasure! All over the ship there are also these binocular type things that highlight wonders of the world. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.

BONUS: On Deck 17, there is an enclosed area called the Pinnacle Lounge. I imagine this is associated with the Pinnacle Chapel and perhaps only used for special occasions. It's absolutely gorgeous. I did not see it listed it anywhere as an activity room, but if you get a chance to take a look, do so.

Thanks, this is great! Thanks to this and other posts, I am creating a list of things to do that I missed the first time around. Despite the fact that I did SO MUCH the first time, this list is getting pretty long... Thank goodness I have 9 nights this time around, I think I'll need them.

Wonderful info.

My DD is leaving on the Oasis 5/15/10 sailing. We are leaving on the 5/29/10 sailing ( couldn't arrange for us to travel at the same time...sigh) and these are great tidbits for us.

As I worked on finishing my review (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1190264), I realized I would be rehashing a lot of what was already written elsewhere not only for the Oasis or even other ships. I figured because the Oasis was so special, it might be more useful simply to list the things that struck me MOST:

 

24. Nooks and crannies. You'll find your own, but here are a couple: Deck 14 wings. Go all the way to the front of the ship on Deck 14 (enter through port side), and you'll be able to get on these "winglike" platforms above the bridge. Fantastic views. Aft of the ship, there is apparently something similar on Deck 14 and 12 (Can someone confirm this? I never made it this far), with public balconies that oversee the aft of the ship and the Aquatheater. Note that there is no Deck 13.

 

We had a group of 6 on the 4/17 cruise in cabins 11688, 11690, 11692 starboard side. And Yes there was a wonderful, very large balcony Aft on Deck 11, both on the starboard and port sides. I believe the same thing exists on Deck 12 but we never tried. We, and a few others, used it as our private outdoor area all week. It overlooks the Aquatheater and has about 18 to 20 chairs. This is a wonderful place to watch the Aqua shows - no waiting and no reservations!!! Only twice during the week were there more than 2 other people there. Great for sailaways and sunsets ( I guess sunrises too but not me :D). The ladies loved gettting together before dinner with a bottle of wine. Too bad you couldn't smoke cigars out there.

 

Speaking of cigars, there was a place desiginated for Gold Card (suites) holders only on the top deck above the Solarium. We never had issues gettting up there even though the gate said Gold Cards only. We just went up and smoked our Cubans and enjoyed it. There were never more than 8 people up there all day long. Oh, and there's a bar up there... no waiting. Another great find!

------------------------------

Sea ya!

Hobiecat01

Ron and Lee

Canton, Ga

Proud RCCL Platinum Member

"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom,

in water there is bacteria." – Ben Franklin

Previous Cruises – 66 Days at Sea!

Carnival Mardis Gras - 3 Day Bahamas - April 1982

Carnival Destiny - 7 Days Western Carib. - April 1998

Princess Grand Princess - 7 Days Eastern Carib. - April 1999

Princess Sea Princess - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2000

Princess Grand Princess - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2002

RCCL Navigator of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2003

RCCL Mariner of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - April 2005

RCCL Freedom of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - 6/18 - 6/25/2006

RCCL Liberty of the Seas - 7 Days Eastern Carib. - 7/19 - 7/26/2008

RCCL Oasis of the Seas –7 Days Eastern Carib. with our Friends – 4/17 – 4/24/2010

Booked & Paid Cruises

Not yet… but on the way

Planned Cruises

RCCL Allure of the Seas – Our Neighborhood Cruise - 2011

The BIG One - Southeast Asia 14 day – 2012?

The Med – 14 day – 2013?

As I worked on finishing my review (http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1190264), I realized I would be rehashing a lot of what was already written elsewhere not only for the Oasis or even other ships. I figured because the Oasis was so special, it might be more useful simply to list the things that struck me MOST:

 

24. Nooks and crannies. You'll find your own, but here are a couple: Deck 14 wings. Go all the way to the front of the ship on Deck 14 (enter through port side), and you'll be able to get on these "winglike" platforms above the bridge. Fantastic views. Aft of the ship, there is apparently something similar on Deck 14 and 12 (Can someone confirm this? I never made it this far), with public balconies that oversee the aft of the ship and the Aquatheater. Note that there is no Deck 13.

We had a group of 6 on the 4/17 cruise in cabins 11688, 11690, 11692 starboard side. And Yes there was a wonderful, very large balcony Aft on Deck 11, both on the starboard and port sides. I believe the same thing exists on Deck 12 but we never tried. We, and a few others, used it as our private outdoor area all week. It overlooks the Aquatheater and has about 18 to 20 chairs. This is a wonderful place to watch the Aqua shows - no waiting and no reservations!!! Only twice during the week were there more than 2 other people there. Great for sailaways and sunsets (I guess sunrises too but not me :D). The ladies loved gettting together before dinner with a bottle of wine. Too bad you couldn't smoke cigars out there.

Speaking of cigars, there was a place desiginated for Gold Card (suites) holders only on the top deck above the Solarium. We never had issues gettting up there even though the gate said Gold Cards only. We just went up and smoked our Cubans and enjoyed it. There were never more than 8 people up there all day long. Oh, and there's a bar up there... no waiting. Another great find!

------------------------------

Sea ya!

Hobiecat01

Ron and Lee

Canton, Ga

Proud RCCL Platinum Member

"In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom,

in water there is bacteria." – Ben Franklin

Previous Cruises – 66 Days at Sea!

Carnival Mardis Gras - 3 Day Bahamas - April 1982

Carnival Destiny - 7 Days Western Carib. - April 1998

Princess Grand Princess - 7 Days Eastern Carib. - April 1999

Princess Sea Princess - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2000

Princess Grand Princess - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2002

RCCL Navigator of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - March 2003

RCCL Mariner of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - April 2005

RCCL Freedom of the Seas - 7 Days Western Carib. - 6/18 - 6/25/2006

RCCL Liberty of the Seas - 7 Days Eastern Carib. - 7/19 - 7/26/2008

RCCL Oasis of the Seas –7 Days Eastern Carib. with our Friends – 4/17 – 4/24/2010

Booked & Paid Cruises

Not yet… but on the way

Planned Cruises

RCCL Allure of the Seas – Our Neighborhood Cruise - 2011

The BIG One - Southeast Asia 14 day – 2012?

The Med – 14 day – 2013?

You just hit all the things I *wished* I had put in my review on second look :-)

Loved the interactive screens with the "what to do now" listing of the compass.

Loved, the little area to smoke cigars (well my husband did, I loved having a cocktail up there)

The cashless casino is awesome.

The gangway button in elevators great...

So many great improvements!

Thank you for taking the time to post this list. I printed it out to take with us! :D

Just to add:

Flowrider at 9:00 a.m. on a sea day. Little or no line. You can get in 2-3 runs in an hour and have time for a late brunch before it gets crazy.

We have our photo of DW with the balloon boy! It's a must do!

The carousel is open before your cabin is available. DW and I had it to ourselves at around 12:00-12:30 on embarkation day. The operator watched our carry-ons and took our picture. We're both 47, so it's a great opportunity for everyone!

The "Gangway" button on the elevator, and the escalator on down, were both wonderful. No guessing which deck you were exiting on; just push the button and go.

The "What's Happening Now" button on the touch screens. These were great for finding something you might have missed in the very long Compass. AND, you could then push the "find it" button and get directions.

Deck 14 forward is THE place to watch sail away! On day one, only the CC folks know it's there. Everyone in the Solarium is staring at you trying to figure out how you got there. You have an amazing view on the wing. If you have to, one of you can run up to 15 and grab a sail away drink and come back down to watch.

The Solarium Bistro for breakfast. There's rarely anyone there. The food is abundant, tasty, but healthier than the Windjammer. You can also snag a couple of chairs in the Solarium, have breakfast, and be out in the sun in a half hour or less. Also very good for lunch.

So much more. We'll probably do Allure in 2012, and try to find some more then!

I loved the signs...that every sign (yes, every one, even the number on your stateroom door) points you towards the front of the ship. Signs either have a small arrow pointing fore, or if that is not possible, the shape of the sign itself will tell you, as the curved edge of sign is oriented to the front of the ship. With such a big ship it is great to be able to know what direction you are heading in at all times!

Great info, can't wait for our turn. June 5, 10

Great info! Have hated the switch to cashless casino though. Whats the point in playing the slots without all the quarters clanging down when I win!?

I loved the signs...that every sign (yes, every one, even the number on your stateroom door) points you towards the front of the ship. Signs either have a small arrow pointing fore, or if that is not possible, the shape of the sign itself will tell you, as the curved edge of sign is oriented to the front of the ship. With such a big ship it is great to be able to know what direction you are heading in at all times!

I had no idea- thanks! That would have been very helpful in Central Park, as that was the one place I could never figure out exactly what direction I was coming or going.

And Yes there was a wonderful, very large balcony Aft on Deck 11, both on the starboard and port sides. I believe the same thing exists on Deck 12 but we never tried. We, and a few others, used it as our private outdoor area all week. It overlooks the Aquatheater and has about 18 to 20 chairs. This is a wonderful place to watch the Aqua shows - no waiting and no reservations!!!

Thank you for clarifying that!!! I remember seeing people having an absolutely ball up there during the Oasis of Dreams show (maybe it was your crew) and making a mental note to go find those balconies. When I finally remembered, I went all the way aft on (a miscounted) Deck 10 and saw just the Aquasuites and then forgot to check on the decks above.

You just hit all the things I *wished* I had put in my review on second look :-)

LOL I know the feeling! I'm starting to remember things I should have added, too! I guess it just makes it more fun to read others' reviews because there's so much to talk about. Thanks for the nice comments!

Just to add:

 

Flowrider at 9:00 a.m. on a sea day. Little or no line. You can get in 2-3 runs in an hour and have time for a late brunch before it gets crazy.

 

Wouldn't it be even LESS packed on a port day??

Deck 11 aft (public space) is a great place to take pictures of your family/friends climbing up the Rock Wall. You can take a picture of them on Deck 7 prior to their climb and then take a quick run up to Deck 11 for the victory picture of ringing the bell. When we did this, the crew person doing the ropes saw us taking pictures and asked how we liked our Aqua Suite. I told him Deck 11 was a public deck and he said he had never knew that. It pays to read the CC boards.

Great info - thanks for sharing!!! :)

This is an awesome post, thank you all!

We're sailing on the Allure b2b 4/3/11 and can't wait. I just copied and pasted your posts onto a Word doc to save for our cruise. Thanks again!

Happy sails

~ Liz

Thanks for the list, I have printed it out. It will be very useful on our b2b in Oct.

Suz

Thanks for the list - Is the Park Cafe free where you get the roast beef sandwiches?:)

Our cabin is on deck six - balcony - oceanview - we are near the Diamond Lounge I think

Thanks for the list - Is the Park Cafe free where you get the roast beef sandwiches?:)

Our cabin is on deck six - balcony - oceanview - we are near the Diamond Lounge I think

The Park Cafe is free!!! Have a great time, and enjoy!

Note, on my #9, the ziplining no longer requires reservations, from what I understand.

Just found your list! It is fantastic - thanks for posting.

Do you happen to remember which side of the casino is non-smoking?

Thanks

This is so thoughtful and well-written !! We are not sailing on Oasis until April 2012 - I'm still not convinced that I want to sail a ship this big - now if they can only add some of these bells and whistles to the Freedom-class ships.

Robin

Great info! DH was bummed that we couldn't book Oasis or Allure for our upcoming cruise, so this is good to know for the future!