Just got off today 04/10/10 WOW

[matsitter]

Just thought I'd add to all that others have said about this ship. It is absolutely amazing!

 

I won't try and repeat what others have said so here is my 2 cents worth.

Check in and check out were quickest ever. We had #17 this morning. Although they called 17 at 7:45 we knew we didn't have to be off ship fully until 9 so we slept until 8:15. Went down to Park Cafe (fairly empty by then), got a quick bacon,egg and cheese sandwich took the elevator to 5 and walked directly off the ship. Never had to sit in theatre, etc.

 

During the week. Make sure you acquaint yourself with the TV cruise channel. They have all your messages, account review, menus, restaurant availability, summary of cruise enhancements, etc. It's an amazing site of information.

 

Quickly familiarize yourself with which eating venues are free versus charge (also on TV info channel). We felt the MDR was good but not great although service was great. The Windjammer for buffet dinner is great and fantastic variety of options. Windjammer before 8 or after 9:30 for breakfast isn't that crowded. Other options such as Solarium Cafe was never crowded. Coffee throughout the boat is great and if you still aren't happy you have Starbucks at Cafe Promenade. The little coffee kiosk right past the On Air Lounge has fabulous desserts. Our only specialty restaurant was Chops. Well worth the cost and service was amazing. While our reservation was for 7, I thought it was 8 and showed up at 7:50. They accommodated us with no problem. I was apologetic and they laughed it off. FYI - besides the great stuff at the Park Cafe for breakfast and lunch, the kiosk right near the Aqua Theatre has great corn dogs, chicken nuggets, pre-boxed salads and sandwiches. It's directly across from Johnny Rockets.

 

There are more whirlpools than I've ever seen. The cantilevered ones are huge and with a completely full ship, there was always an empty hot tub or two. Never saw kids in the adult pool or hot tubs. And yes they were always, always hot!

 

You still have chair hogs.... especially the people who come with large groups and can't understand why anyone else should be allowed to sit on their deck! I will post no names.... But if every person that left a towel on a chair during sea days was in the pool, you wouldn't be able to move in the pool! People would leave personal stuff so noone dare touch. It was a bit frustrating. You'd always find a chair but maybe not 2-3 together for your smaller family.

 

If you are a Spinner sign up for classes as soon as you get on the boat. Much easier to cancel than to try and get on via the waitlist. They have spinning classes only on sea days. I wish they would change that. Same thing goes if you want Flowrider private lessons.

 

Flowrider is more freely available as soon as it is open. We were watching one morning and there were about 4 people on each side taking turns about every 10 minutes.

 

14th Floor - we were in 14706 and after reading a thread I was a bit concerned about being here. That was not the case at all! This was an awesome place to be. We were towards the back of the ship on the right side. Two adults and an 18 year old. It was definitely big enough for us to store our stuff, shower and sleep. The balcony was great. The overhang didn't cause any problems at all. We heard nothing when the balcony and front door were closed. I mean nothing. The best thing about our location was: 1 floor up the pools, 2 floors up the windjammer, 6 floors down Central Park, 7 floors down the Boardwalk, 8 floors down the front desk and promenade, 9 floors down the MDR and Casino. All on our side of the boat. The only thing we had to walk farther two was Solarium and Fitness center!

 

Having an 18 year old on board. They have definitely tried to address this age group but it still needs work. If you opt to be considered in the 15-17 group you can but they mark your card differently and you will have a curfew and will not be admitted to the clubs past midnight. If you opt to stay 18 and forgo the teen club, you will be marked with an M2 on your card. You will not have a curfew and can go anywhere on the ship to any venue at anytime. Problem is since they can't drink they don't really feel comfortable frequenting the clubs and the crowd is typically older. There is no formal meet and greet for 18-21 and there should be. Maybe the 2nd day of the cruise once they can familiarize themselves with the ship. My son was asked for ID at least 6 times a night after the 1am curfew. As a parent I was glad they were so strict but I wish there was more organized stuff for him to do. It's just a difficult age. He wound up with a small group of friends and had a blast. I believe he became nocturnal as well :-)

 

Only organized excursion we did was in St. Thomas the snorkeling in Turtle Cove. We went in the afternoon and it was great fun and fairly reasonable. It also gave you time to spend the morning walking around St. Thomas if you chose to do so. Took a small van to Orient Beach in St. Marteen. Walk down the beach a bit as the beach chairs and umbrellas get a bit cheaper. Stayed on the boat in the Bahamas and it was empty and awesome... NO problem getting chairs at all!

 

Entertainment was the best we ever on a cruise ship. Hairspray was terrific and the acting was as good as seeing it on Broadway although it was modified a bit to shorten it. The Osmond Brothers speak for themselves. Between their nostalgic songs and video tributes I smiled through the whole thing. The Aqua show is something I've never seen before and the acrobats and aerial stuff from Fly Away with Me was breathtaking. Didn't see the comedy or ice show. Really enjoyed the pianist in the Schooner Bar and the singer in the pub.

 

Take a nap the day of the 70's party. You need to be up well past midnight to take it all in and it's worth every minute of it.

 

Never felt the crowds but they could use more elevators. They are just slow since there are 17 floors!

 

Going to bed since I'm a bit exhausted. If you want any additional info please feel free to ask.

 

Overall A+++++. Would go again tomorrow. Will be hard pressed to be on a smaller ship!

[matsitter]

I totally forgot the Meet and Greet and felt awful afterwards. Wen't to a spinning class from 8:45 -9:30. Was hungry after and went to Solarium. I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast and a hot tub dip, by the time I looked at the clock it was noon. Felt like a total idiot. Really looked forward to meeting others... Same time next year I guess!

[xcomet]

Just thought I'd add to all that others have said about this ship. It is absolutely amazing!

 

I won't try and repeat what others have said so here is my 2 cents worth.

Check in and check out were quickest ever. We had #17 this morning. Although they called 17 at 7:45 we knew we didn't have to be off ship fully until 9 so we slept until 8:15. Went down to Park Cafe (fairly empty by then), got a quick bacon,egg and cheese sandwich took the elevator to 5 and walked directly off the ship. Never had to sit in theatre, etc.

 

During the week. Make sure you acquaint yourself with the TV cruise channel. They have all your messages, account review, menus, restaurant availability, summary of cruise enhancements, etc. It's an amazing site of information.

 

Quickly familiarize yourself with which eating venues are free versus charge (also on TV info channel). We felt the MDR was good but not great although service was great. The Windjammer for buffet dinner is great and fantastic variety of options. Windjammer before 8 or after 9:30 for breakfast isn't that crowded. Other options such as Solarium Cafe was never crowded. Coffee throughout the boat is great and if you still aren't happy you have Starbucks at Cafe Promenade. The little coffee kiosk right past the On Air Lounge has fabulous desserts. Our only specialty restaurant was Chops. Well worth the cost and service was amazing. While our reservation was for 7, I thought it was 8 and showed up at 7:50. They accommodated us with no problem. I was apologetic and they laughed it off. FYI - besides the great stuff at the Park Cafe for breakfast and lunch, the kiosk right near the Aqua Theatre has great corn dogs, chicken nuggets, pre-boxed salads and sandwiches. It's directly across from Johnny Rockets.

 

There are more whirlpools than I've ever seen. The cantilevered ones are huge and with a completely full ship, there was always an empty hot tub or two. Never saw kids in the adult pool or hot tubs. And yes they were always, always hot!

 

You still have chair hogs.... especially the people who come with large groups and can't understand why anyone else should be allowed to sit on their deck! I will post no names.... But if every person that left a towel on a chair during sea days was in the pool, you wouldn't be able to move in the pool! People would leave personal stuff so noone dare touch. It was a bit frustrating. You'd always find a chair but maybe not 2-3 together for your smaller family.

 

If you are a Spinner sign up for classes as soon as you get on the boat. Much easier to cancel than to try and get on via the waitlist. They have spinning classes only on sea days. I wish they would change that. Same thing goes if you want Flowrider private lessons.

 

Flowrider is more freely available as soon as it is open. We were watching one morning and there were about 4 people on each side taking turns about every 10 minutes.

 

14th Floor - we were in 14706 and after reading a thread I was a bit concerned about being here. That was not the case at all! This was an awesome place to be. We were towards the back of the ship on the right side. Two adults and an 18 year old. It was definitely big enough for us to store our stuff, shower and sleep. The balcony was great. The overhang didn't cause any problems at all. We heard nothing when the balcony and front door were closed. I mean nothing. The best thing about our location was: 1 floor up the pools, 2 floors up the windjammer, 6 floors down Central Park, 7 floors down the Boardwalk, 8 floors down the front desk and promenade, 9 floors down the MDR and Casino. All on our side of the boat. The only thing we had to walk farther two was Solarium and Fitness center!

 

Having an 18 year old on board. They have definitely tried to address this age group but it still needs work. If you opt to be considered in the 15-17 group you can but they mark your card differently and you will have a curfew and will not be admitted to the clubs past midnight. If you opt to stay 18 and forgo the teen club, you will be marked with an M2 on your card. You will not have a curfew and can go anywhere on the ship to any venue at anytime. Problem is since they can't drink they don't really feel comfortable frequenting the clubs and the crowd is typically older. There is no formal meet and greet for 18-21 and there should be. Maybe the 2nd day of the cruise once they can familiarize themselves with the ship. My son was asked for ID at least 6 times a night after the 1am curfew. As a parent I was glad they were so strict but I wish there was more organized stuff for him to do. It's just a difficult age. He wound up with a small group of friends and had a blast. I believe he became nocturnal as well :-)

 

Only organized excursion we did was in St. Thomas the snorkeling in Turtle Cove. We went in the afternoon and it was great fun and fairly reasonable. It also gave you time to spend the morning walking around St. Thomas if you chose to do so. Took a small van to Orient Beach in St. Marteen. Walk down the beach a bit as the beach chairs and umbrellas get a bit cheaper. Stayed on the boat in the Bahamas and it was empty and awesome... NO problem getting chairs at all!

 

Entertainment was the best we ever on a cruise ship. Hairspray was terrific and the acting was as good as seeing it on Broadway although it was modified a bit to shorten it. The Osmond Brothers speak for themselves. Between their nostalgic songs and video tributes I smiled through the whole thing. The Aqua show is something I've never seen before and the acrobats and aerial stuff from Fly Away with Me was breathtaking. Didn't see the comedy or ice show. Really enjoyed the pianist in the Schooner Bar and the singer in the pub.

 

Take a nap the day of the 70's party. You need to be up well past midnight to take it all in and it's worth every minute of it.

 

Never felt the crowds but they could use more elevators. They are just slow since there are 17 floors!

 

Going to bed since I'm a bit exhausted. If you want any additional info please feel free to ask.

 

Overall A+++++. Would go again tomorrow. Will be hard pressed to be on a smaller ship!

 

HI ,

We also just came off this ship! I am so glad you had a great time, and happy for you ,but Yikes, what a different opinion I have.

I felt like they nickel and dimed you to death! First of all , the gym!

no more free classes, everything was a charge, including the sauna at 30 dollars a day!!!

The windjammer, was terrible, no selection at all, I felt like they took the windjammer off of the freedom class ships and spread it out among all the other restaurants. Then offered many more venues to pay for your food. Once an all inclusive vacation, no longer exists.

Mondo's where they sell coffee and have some pastries, is part of the Seattles Best on the freedom class ships. I watched a poor senior citizen pay 7 dollars for two regular coffees , "I thought it was free , he exclaimed, "

Oh no, said the gal at Mondo's thats only down at the other place!

Dont you think she could have told him that! Yikes!

The salad and pannini shop , up at central park, is part of sorrento pizza on the freedom class ships!

The gal working in the perfume store told me that the Oasis is the only set of shops out of all the RCCL ships which have sales quotas for their employees.

Zip line, well what I guess you could call it that, had reservations all week except from 12-2 on Friday. The carousel was closed alot, according to the gal working it,......the screws kept coming loose on the animals.

While there wasnt much of a line for the flow rider, there isnt on the other ships either.

The ice skating rink seemed like it was always closed, between the amount of ice shows and rehearsals!

I felt like there wasnt as much too do as there is on Freedom class ships. No tours, cooking class, ice carving, and all the other corny things that are free ,interesting and expected on these cruises.I think RCCL expects the ship, to entertain the passengers.

I hated the reservations required for the shows.

Embarkation was great,but the other way was a nightmare. The personnel were so rude and hurried,unlike any other RCCL ship I have been on.

I also had an 18 year old, I totally agree , they really missed this age group, and if it were not for my outgoing child, and myself and her siblings, askings kids if they were 18, I doubt she would have met anyone. They would NOT let my 18 yr old senior in highschool, move down to the 15-17 to be with her siblings or cousins, in that age group. I asked the counselor, the teen manager, the crown and anchor, guest relations and they all said no.

so dont plan on that.!! The new rule is no one moves up or down out of the age group. The cruise lines really need to address this 18-20 yr old age group. The counselor at the 15-17 group told me that she has on an average of 50 kids coming to the teen disco room who she turns away because they are 18.

I asked her why they just didnt direct them somewhere and leave a sign on the door,something along the lines of where to meet for that group. They dont need a counselor just a place and a sign. My other child in the 12 -14 age group and his new found friends , kept showing up for activities, pool parties, scavenger hunts, etc, except no counselor showed up. So they made their own fun , mostly in the very,very small arcade!

The casino, well , dont start me on that! and many more dislikes on my part.

Many many of the folks I encountered at the pool and around the ship, were disappointed, shared similar stories of unhappiness with the Oasis. Many remarked that for the money they spent on the Oasis, they could have cruised twice! Oh, and one woman said she heard that once the Allure comes out, the prices of the Oasis will drop drastically.

Anyway, while it was an experience, I personally would not do it again. Our family loves the freedom class ships, and probably will return to that class ,and I will be writing my letter to RCCl, especially with a few names of the very rude personnel I encountered and the lack of caring for the 18-20 yr old groups.

I used to be what do they say, Loyal to royal,now we may just venture :(away....

[mike45orlando]

Thanks for the review. Sorry It was so bad for the second person. We are also on the 14th floor Starboard (14668) on 8 May so thanks for the info. :-)

[pscruzinboyz]

Boy...A positive and a Negative.....I'm a Positive person so no matter how bad....Always smile and love life....One ?

 

How many Passengers and how was the weather...How many Kids under 18 if you heard?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[househunter]

Wow! Such different reviews! We are leaving in one week for the Oasis and know we wil have a great time! While it is true that there are more places to eat that have a charge than other ships, there are also more places than any other ship that don't. No on forces you to go to the places with a charge if you don't want to.

 

Thank you to both of the people who posted their opinions but your vacation is what you make of it and we have never had a bad one yet and don't plan to this time either! Can't wait until next Saturday!!!:)

[javma]

We are sailing next Saturday, too--packing today because my husband and I both have a busy week of work ahead! Our kids could not be more excited (ages 6, 3 and 11 months). We can't wait to get on the ship and being "glass half full" people by nature, I am sure it will be an incredible vacation. Glad to know tha Park Cafe has bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches. My husband will be happy about that! 6 days to go!!! :D

[diane.in.ny]

I was really glad to read both reviews. I, personally, am a fan of smaller ships but thought I'd like to try the Oasis just for the experience.

 

Now that I have read both reviews, maybe I'll stay with the small ones.

 

Thanks to both of you. In their own ways, each review was quite helpful.

[tarajean1962]

Thank you both for your heartfelt reviews. A cruise really is a personal experience. I hope we have as great a time as the first poster when we go on the Allure in January, as we are booked on B2B cruises. However, I do understand how the second poster feels as well. We took a cruise on the Equinox in February and we were so disappointed. We are really easy to please and were so looking forward to it and it just wasn't what we thought it would be.

 

We have decided not to try Celebrity again anytime soon as all of our other cruises have been on RCCL. My point is, if you look at most of the reviews of the Equinox, you will see that they are terrific and I am genuinely happy that those people had a better time than I. I guess every cruise is not for everybody.

 

Just my two cents.

 

Tara:D

[EMH3kids]

Thank you for your review, madsitter! You definitely gave some ideas that I hadn't heard before! :) Do I need to go to the gym to sign up for spin, or can I do that elsewhere, or via computer/phone?

[eroller]

This thread is a great example of why cruise reviews on an anonymous message board should not be taken at face value. A cruise review can be a wonderful and entertaining tool, but I would never let one sway where I will spend my next vacation dollars. Now if there are hundreds of reviews, all negative about a specific issue then some alarms might be sounded.

 

We have no way of knowing the background, personality, experience, expectations, etc. of the reviewer so it's subjective at best. I would never let a perfect stranger on a message board have such influence over my decisions. Some people are just negative by nature and will seek out imperfections and exploit them. I've found on cruises this type of person exists in abundance, far more so compared to land based vacations. They usually tend to be an experienced cruiser, or at least they think they are. They complain a lot but continue to book cruises, for what reason I don't know? I avoid this type of person at all costs. They are the ones that are always talking about how much better their last cruise was, and what a disappointment this one is. Most of the time they are seeking supporters of their cause or just anyone that will listen. I'm sure you have seen them, out at the pool, in the buffet, or even worse, assigned to your dinner table. It doesn't matter what ship or cruise line, they can be found everywhere. To the other extreme we have those that refuse to acknowledge when something is really awful. It's like they take it personal or perhaps they don't want to admit they wasted their money on a really lousy experience. For me, something in the middle is preferred but again on a cruise board you have no way of knowing the personality of the poster.

 

In this thread we have two people, on the exact same cruise, coming away with vastly different opinions. One is almost 100% positive, while the other is almost 100% negative. Having sailed on OASIS myself, I can't imagine coming away with such a negative review. I certainly don't think OASIS is for everyone and of course not perfect, but if you like the Caribbean and a large ship experience I don't think she can be beat. The positives far outweighed the negatives, and having sailed on the Voyager & Freedom Class I don't think there is any comparison. As fantastic as those ships are, OASIS has them beat in just about every category.

 

Anyway to each his own. I just found this thread to be a perfect example of why it's important NOT to read too much into these reviews.

 

Ernie

[champagne123]

Eroller.....soooooo very well said. I recall stepping on our first cruise to see the lido deck. An elderly couple complained.complained.complained. WE JUST GOT ON THE SHIP. OMG..I believe people like this should just stay home. Are they trying to ruin it for everyone? They truly upset us. Thank goodness we did not allow them to influence OUR opinion. We had a fabulous time and have been cruising ever since. I felt sorry for any of the folks that were stuck sitting with them for dinner.

[nydoll1]

My two cents for what it is worth on the "nickle and diming." We were on the March 27 cruise and decided we werent going to do any "additional" spend at specialty restaurants, etc. and try and keep our account to a minimum. We ate in the MDR every night which we loved, our waiter and AW were incredibly, just incredible taking care of us at every step. The only thing we paid extra for was wine, frozen drinks and my latte every am. All of these things were reasonable, and much less expensive than we have paid at resorts throughout the Carribean. At shows when the waiters came around I would usually order a drink and my kids would order ice waters, sometimes just the kids would order ice waters which were cheerfully brought, no charge and no one waiting for a tip. Although there is a charge, eg. for cupcakes, my DD found she liked the donut shop better and visited it once or twice a day. We had no feeling of nickle and diming whatsover so I guess its a matter of perspective....

[catlady27]

This thread is a great example of why cruise reviews on an anonymous message board should not be taken at face value. A cruise review can be a wonderful and entertaining tool, but I would never let one sway where I will spend my next vacation dollars. Now if there are hundreds of reviews, all negative about a specific issue then some alarms might be sounded.

 

We have no way of knowing the background, personality, experience, expectations, etc. of the reviewer so it's subjective at best. I would never let a perfect stranger on a message board have such influence over my decisions. Some people are just negative by nature and will seek out imperfections and exploit them. I've found on cruises this type of person exists in abundance, far more so compared to land based vacations. They usually tend to be an experienced cruiser, or at least they think they are. They complain a lot but continue to book cruises, for what reason I don't know? I avoid this type of person at all costs. They are the ones that are always talking about how much better their last cruise was, and what a disappointment this one is. Most of the time they are seeking supporters of their cause or just anyone that will listen. I'm sure you have seen them, out at the pool, in the buffet, or even worse, assigned to your dinner table. It doesn't matter what ship or cruise line, they can be found everywhere. To the other extreme we have those that refuse to acknowledge when something is really awful. It's like they take it personal or perhaps they don't want to admit they wasted their money on a really lousy experience. For me, something in the middle is preferred but again on a cruise board you have no way of knowing the personality of the poster.

 

In this thread we have two people, on the exact same cruise, coming away with vastly different opinions. One is almost 100% positive, while the other is almost 100% negative. Having sailed on OASIS myself, I can't imagine coming away with such a negative review. I certainly don't think OASIS is for everyone and of course not perfect, but if you like the Caribbean and a large ship experience I don't think she can be beat. The positives far outweighed the negatives, and having sailed on the Voyager & Freedom Class I don't think there is any comparison. As fantastic as those ships are, OASIS has them beat in just about every category.

 

Anyway to each his own. I just found this thread to be a perfect example of why it's important NOT to read too much into these reviews.

 

Ernie

 

Ernie,

 

Thank you for your insight and I couldn't agree more. As I have written about on another thread, our first vacation was to Cancun and MANY things went wrong and we could have come away with a very negative view of the whole experience but we loved our vacation and had a blast. We laughed about all the things that went wrong and it gave us years of stories to tell our friends and family. That vacation was in 1996 and we STILL laugh about it to this day and smile when we think of the time we spent together. No matter where you go, there you are and you choose to be happy or sad, positive or negative and life is what you make it. Just because you spend thousands of dollars on a vacation, no one has an obligation to MAKE your vacation a great one, only you have that ability :D

 

P.S. Enjoy the QueenMary 2 :)

[pabrett46]

Hi there,

 

Positive and negative reviews are good. We just have to glean from both of them information that we can use. I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from posting. It does concern me that the carousel is having safety issues and that councilors aren't showing up for their job. Those kinds of things should be reported to RCI and I hope the poster includes that in the letter.

 

Thanks for your opinions!

[matsitter]

We were offered the option of group for my son when we got our sea pass. He had either option to be in 15-17 or 18 and over but not both. He was 18 in March. We did hear that once an option is chosen you can't change. They may want to explain this more up front. Relative to 18 yr olds, this is the first time I saw an actual "Compass for 18-21 year olds". Still they need to have a formal meet and greet.

 

Spinning Class sign up is definitely in the gym and no place else. I got on the boat at 11 and signed up by 12:30 and the list was half full. Relative to paying for class, I have always payed extra for spinning so it was anticipated. They do give you a discount if you take three or more classes.

 

Relative to the nickel and dime stuff: I guess we budget so much for a cruise and that includes drinks, etc. Other than Chops we never paid for food and never felt we had too.

 

Also, loved the advance reservations for shows and highly recommend it. It lets you walk in 15-20 minutes before show and pick a seat. You totally avoid lines. It's a lot better to decide last minute not to go. Noting lost, just your seat.

 

FYI - this was our 6th RCL cruise and have also been on Freedom during its inaugural year. Loved it also.

[lauderdalebob]

Thanks to both posters on the same cruise date. We are on the 5/8 sailing and have read so much about it I've felt like I've already done it, but really can't wait, to tell the truth. Marking those days off on my calendar at work one by one and really looking forward to relaxing. Since we've done the Caribbean a few times (both on ships and flying down) we have no intention of even getting off the ship. I love those days when everyone does and the ship is mostly deserted. Wonderful having the place to yourself.

[Cruising89143]

This thread is a great example of why cruise reviews on an anonymous message board should not be taken at face value. A cruise review can be a wonderful and entertaining tool, but I would never let one sway where I will spend my next vacation dollars. Now if there are hundreds of reviews, all negative about a specific issue then some alarms might be sounded.

 

We have no way of knowing the background, personality, experience, expectations, etc. of the reviewer so it's subjective at best. I would never let a perfect stranger on a message board have such influence over my decisions. Some people are just negative by nature and will seek out imperfections and exploit them. I've found on cruises this type of person exists in abundance, far more so compared to land based vacations. They usually tend to be an experienced cruiser, or at least they think they are. They complain a lot but continue to book cruises, for what reason I don't know? I avoid this type of person at all costs. They are the ones that are always talking about how much better their last cruise was, and what a disappointment this one is. Most of the time they are seeking supporters of their cause or just anyone that will listen. I'm sure you have seen them, out at the pool, in the buffet, or even worse, assigned to your dinner table. It doesn't matter what ship or cruise line, they can be found everywhere. To the other extreme we have those that refuse to acknowledge when something is really awful. It's like they take it personal or perhaps they don't want to admit they wasted their money on a really lousy experience. For me, something in the middle is preferred but again on a cruise board you have no way of knowing the personality of the poster.

 

In this thread we have two people, on the exact same cruise, coming away with vastly different opinions. One is almost 100% positive, while the other is almost 100% negative. Having sailed on OASIS myself, I can't imagine coming away with such a negative review. I certainly don't think OASIS is for everyone and of course not perfect, but if you like the Caribbean and a large ship experience I don't think she can be beat. The positives far outweighed the negatives, and having sailed on the Voyager & Freedom Class I don't think there is any comparison. As fantastic as those ships are, OASIS has them beat in just about every category.

 

Anyway to each his own. I just found this thread to be a perfect example of why it's important NOT to read too much into these reviews.

 

Ernie

 

Very good point Ernie. I have always said that a review is nothing more than one persons opinion. Again like you I don't concern myself with a review unless it becomes a recurring theme in the reviews. I have no problem with either review. Just two different views.

 

As far as the nickle and dime, I don't get it. You can find the stuff that does not cost anything if that is what you want. I found no more on the Oasis than I found on the Freedom OTS. The Mondo Coffee bar has a price list for all coffee items clearly displayed for the customers to see. Not sure why there was any confusion.

[oceanblue33]

This thread is a great example of why cruise reviews on an anonymous message board should not be taken at face value. A cruise review can be a wonderful and entertaining tool, but I would never let one sway where I will spend my next vacation dollars. Now if there are hundreds of reviews, all negative about a specific issue then some alarms might be sounded.

 

We have no way of knowing the background, personality, experience, expectations, etc. of the reviewer so it's subjective at best. I would never let a perfect stranger on a message board have such influence over my decisions. Some people are just negative by nature and will seek out imperfections and exploit them. I've found on cruises this type of person exists in abundance, far more so compared to land based vacations. They usually tend to be an experienced cruiser, or at least they think they are. They complain a lot but continue to book cruises, for what reason I don't know? I avoid this type of person at all costs. They are the ones that are always talking about how much better their last cruise was, and what a disappointment this one is. Most of the time they are seeking supporters of their cause or just anyone that will listen. I'm sure you have seen them, out at the pool, in the buffet, or even worse, assigned to your dinner table. It doesn't matter what ship or cruise line, they can be found everywhere. To the other extreme we have those that refuse to acknowledge when something is really awful. It's like they take it personal or perhaps they don't want to admit they wasted their money on a really lousy experience. For me, something in the middle is preferred but again on a cruise board you have no way of knowing the personality of the poster.

 

In this thread we have two people, on the exact same cruise, coming away with vastly different opinions. One is almost 100% positive, while the other is almost 100% negative. Having sailed on OASIS myself, I can't imagine coming away with such a negative review. I certainly don't think OASIS is for everyone and of course not perfect, but if you like the Caribbean and a large ship experience I don't think she can be beat. The positives far outweighed the negatives, and having sailed on the Voyager & Freedom Class I don't think there is any comparison. As fantastic as those ships are, OASIS has them beat in just about every category.

 

Anyway to each his own. I just found this thread to be a perfect example of why it's important NOT to read too much into these reviews.

 

Ernie

You are so right before our cruise last Christmas there were so many negative reviews on The Carnival Dream. Being a new ship and all you want some feedback on the ship. I guess I just got caught up in all the negativity about the Dream. Infact I called my TA to cancel out. Anyway she talked me out of it and it turned out to a fantastic cruise. Everything was great from dinning to service and the ship was awsome. Don't take those reviews to seriously.

[eroller]

 

As far as the nickle and dime, I don't get it. You can find the stuff that does not cost anything if that is what you want. I found no more on the Oasis than I found on the Freedom OTS. The Mondo Coffee bar has a price list for all coffee items clearly displayed for the customers to see. Not sure why there was any confusion.

 

 

I agree. Hey, this is mass-market cruising. There is going to be a certain amount of nickel and dime, it's the nature of the beast. It doesn't matter if it's RCI, Carnival, NCL, HAL, Celebrity, Princess, etc. They are all going to try and part with your dollar onboard in various ways. It's how you manage those extra expenses that makes all the difference.

 

Personally I thought it would be quite easy to sail on OASIS and not spend an extra dime (except for drinks), perhaps easier than other ships. Yes there are more pay options for dining, but there are also more free options compared to any other ship. It's all a choice. 30 years ago you had the dining room and that was it. Yes it was free and there was no nickel and dime, but your choices were also extremely limited. Today you still have the dining room (and buffet), and it's still free, but there are many more free and pay options that are a *choice*.

 

As for the fitness classes, many cruise lines have started charging a fee for some of these. It's not unique to RCI. I can't really comment on the kid's programs as I don't have kids. I did tour the kids facilities and felt they were the most extensive I have seen on any ship except perhaps Disney. I personally loved the black-lit puppet show. It was one of my favorite shows the entire week! Imagine having a mini-theater just for the kids. Pretty cool! I do know when I was 18 and cruising, I would want nothing to do with the "organized" activities. It wasn't "cool" and those were for the little kids. LOL. Kids today are so lucky to have everything they do on ships. They have so many diversions and activities. It wasn't that way not too long ago. Imagine having to entertain yourself! I don't think kids could do it today.

 

The one thing I did like better on the Voyager/Freedom class ships is the gym/spa. I liked having the free sauna/steam instead of having to pay for a thermal suite. Again, this is the trend and not unique to OASIS. Many new mass-market ships are taking the same approach but I really don't like it. None the less it's a relatively minor expense if I want to use the thermal suite and I just have to plan accordingly.

 

Ernie

[Cruising89143]

Personally It's all a choice. 30 years ago you had the dining room and that was it. Yes it was free and there was no nickel and dime, but your choices were also extremely limited. Today you still have the dining room (and buffet), and it's still free, but there are many more free and pay options that are a *choice*.

 

Ernie

 

And this IMHO is the best change that has happened over the years. During my first few cruises starting back in 1986, you had one option for dining. The main dining room and you had posted dining times to eat each meal or you were out of luck. Back in those days, they closed the dining rooms fifteen minutes after the dinner started. You had better not be late. No buffets and no room service. Personally I like having all the options available today including the specialty dining.:)

[eroller]

And this IMHO is the best change that has happened over the years. During my first few cruises starting back in 1986, you had one option for dining. The main dining room and you had posted dining times to eat each meal or you were out of luck. Back in those days, they closed the dining rooms fifteen minutes after the dinner started. You had better not be late. No buffets and no room service. Personally I like having all the options available today including the specialty dining.:)

 

 

 

I was thinking back to when I was 18, and my high school graduation gift was a 7-day cruise on Carnival's brand new HOLIDAY. She was only a month or two old when we sailed on her, and we booked a year in advance. She was the hottest ship sailing the Caribbean at the time, giving the SS NORWAY competition which I had also sailed on.

 

What were the dining choices? How about the dining room and a pretty pathetic buffet that was basically hot dogs, hamburgers, and brownies. No salad bars, no soft serve ice cream, no sandwich and pasta stations, no Asian section, no desert bars, and no choices for dinner besides the dining room. None the less, it was still pretty cool back then. I felt quite privileged to be sailing on HOLIDAY, as cruises were not exactly mainstream like they are today.

 

So what was there to do on a sea day for an 18 year old? Not much except lay by the pool, listen to music, hang with new friends, people watch, and watch or participate in the pool games. The pool games were much more fun and lively back then. Today they are pretty canned and generic. There was jousting over the pool, the beer drinking contest which used these long barrel type glasses, and the classic "ping pong ball" competition. This is where they dumped a bunch of ping pong balls into the pool and the girls in the competition (usually quite attractive and wearing bikinis) would jump in and load up their bathing suits with as many balls as possible. They would exit the pool and the Cruise Director would count them one by one. It was hilarious. Of course today such contests would not be considered "PC" or family friendly.

 

There was no sports court, ice skating, miniature golf, flow riding, rock climbing, H2O Zone, spa, zip line, parades, computers, cell phone service, merry go round, or even standard balcony cabins ... etc. etc. etc. Kids today have it made! At 18 years old on OASIS I would never have needed organized activities. There is so much to do to keep you occupied.

 

Anyway, it's fun to reminisce. People are quick to point out how much better things used to be. I don't buy it. Cruises are cheaper today then 25 years ago and offer more choice than ever before.

 

Ernie

[matsitter]

My son totally had a blast and met kids his age to hang with all week. My only comment was a meet and greet for that age would have been good. He loved the 3 am hot tub visits, and watching the world go by on deck 5 on the back side in the wooden adirondeck like chairs.

[scotmonson]

Great post Ernie!

 

I first sailed on the Norway in 1986 and a beautiful ship she was! But... you ate in the dining room or not, you dressed at least in business casual dress or did not eat, your entertainment on sea days was pool games, or skeet shooting, or naps. That cruise cost 25% more than an inside cabin would cost today on most ships and about equal to what it costs on Oasis, and there is no comparing what is available on the Oasis to what was available on the best cruise ship at that time. It does help to have a benchmark when evaluating a ship and an experience.

[ktkcruisers]

We were offered the option of group for my son when we got our sea pass. He had either option to be in 15-17 or 18 and over but not both. He was 18 in March. We did hear that once an option is chosen you can't change. They may want to explain this more up front. Relative to 18 yr olds, this is the first time I saw an actual "Compass for 18-21 year olds". Still they need to have a formal meet and greet.quote]

 

Could you please tell me what the 18 - 21 year old cruise compass covered? Did they any activities listed on it that were for this age group alone? Our daughter just turned 18 and is a senior in high school. I would love for her to be able to meet some girls her own age.