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Does Oasis Really Stink?

Bakincakes

By Bakincakes,
in Royal Caribbean International

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land lover

land lover

Posted
Posted
we have our gas mask and glade air freshners all packed for our 11/27 oasis cruise. The only thing that "stinks" is not cruising!!!!

 

I think that i can hear the waves and smell the fresh sea air........and i am 1200 miles from the port!!!! Not as good as sarah being able to see russia from her house though!!!

 

 

lol

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clott

clott

Posted
Posted

When we were on the oasis in oct we smelled the same thing. It was always when we were in port and it was awful. We never smelled while sailing but we did as soon as we get back to fort lauderdale so the OP was correct about the smell

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RevSmith

RevSmith

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Whew I'm glad someone said something. I was also on the 10/30 cruise and I notices a slight odor. I was not around all day, but I am an early riser, and you could smell it in the halls and certain places in the early morning, but by the middle of the day, I didn't notice anything.

I know an air conditioning pipe broke on the port side of deck 7 near the main (back ) elevators, it flooded the hallway and some of the cabins, but the water was sucked up...it had an order, but not a sewer type oder, and the crew cleaned it up in the early morning of November first.

Rev

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GCurry

GCurry

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Posted

Here in our home port of Galveston, and I'm sure in many others, one of the first things that happens when a ship docks, is that lines are run from the ship into the city sewer system and the waste bilges are pumped out. I'm sure there is probably some sewer gas vented at the same time. The city does profit from this.:)

 

We've cruised HAL numerous times, the food and especially the service are excellent; yes the teen-agers are 40 years old, but their cruise lengths and itineraries are hard to beat.

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NordicPrince

NordicPrince

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Here in our home port of Galveston, and I'm sure in many others, one of the first things that happens when a ship docks, is that lines are run from the ship into the city sewer system and the waste bilges are pumped out. I'm sure there is probably some sewer gas vented at the same time. The city does profit from this.:)

 

We've cruised HAL numerous times, the food and especially the service are excellent; yes the teen-agers are 40 years old, but their cruise lengths and itineraries are hard to beat.

 

First, GCurry is right on both counts. I can't offer an opinion on the Oasis onboard odors.

 

I admit I previously had a similar perception of the ancient demographics about HAL before I sailed with them. Usually comments about HAL are from people who do not have first hand knowledge. DW and I took a 7 day sail to Bermuda with them and we had over 200 passengers under the age of 18 on a ship that held 1200. Of course they were also offering a deal for 3/4 passengers in a cabin. Just saying.

 

It also depends on the itinerary of the cruise. HAL offers many cruises that are 10+ days in length. Who has time to continually spend 10+ days on a ship - seniors do! IMHO many of these cruisers are actually more adventurous than your typical 7 day RCI cruiser as they are open to going to more exotic and far reaching places on their voyages. And who says seniors don't know how to have fun? You won't see

The Quest and a Hairy Legs contest (bad visual for HAL) but lots of people appreciating good music and entertainers.

 

The Maasdam is from a class of ships that was built in the mid-90's. Even the smallest RCI ships are gigantic compared to them. Yet they have many nice features inluding full baths in all cabins, on average more space per cabin and a walkaround Promenade. The number of passengers on board is about 1250.The passengers receive complementary robes while on board and yes, they still put a little chocolate on your pillow at night. Lots of nice touches. The Indonesian crews offer attentive service. The new HAL ships compare in size to the Radiance Class.

 

Is it the 5 star treatment of ten years ago? No. Is RCI what it was 10 years ago? Also no. The nature of cruising has evolved. Low prices take its toll on everything.

 

It all depends on what you want from your vacation. I would happily go on a cruise with HAL again, as we cruise for the destinations and not the ship. That being said RCI offers many newer and larger ships which enable people to do more onboard.

 

Happy cruising.

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Schplinky

Schplinky

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Posted
First, GCurry is right on both counts. I can't offer an opinion on the Oasis onboard odors.

 

I admit I previously had a similar perception of the ancient demographics about HAL before I sailed with them. Usually comments about HAL are from people who do not have first hand knowledge. DW and I took a 7 day sail to Bermuda with them and we had over 200 passengers under the age of 18 on a ship that held 1200. Of course they were also offering a deal for 3/4 passengers in a cabin. Just saying.

 

It also depends on the itinerary of the cruise. HAL offers many cruises that are 10+ days in length. Who has time to continually spend 10+ days

on a ship - seniors do! IMHO many of these cruisers are actually more adventurous than your typical 7 day RCI cruiser as they are open to going to more exotic and far reaching places on their voyages.

 

The Maasdam is from a class of ships that was built in the mid-90's. Even the smallest RCI ships are gigantic compared to them. Yet they have many nice features inluding full baths in all cabins, on average more space per cabin and a walkaround Promenade. The number of passengers on board is about 1250.The passengers receive complementary robes while on board and yes, they still put a little chocolate on your pillow at night. Lots of nice touches. The Indonesian crews offer attentive service. The new HAL ships compare in size to the Radiance Class.

 

Is it the 5 star treatment of ten years ago? No. Is RCI what it was 10 years ago? Also no. The nature of cruising has evolved. Low prices take its toll on everything.

 

It all depends on what you want from your vacation. I would happily go on a cruise with HAL again, as we cruise for the destinations and not the ship. That being said RCI offers many newer and larger ships which enable people to do more onboard.

 

Happy cruising.

 

Your experience was not similar to ours and yes, we have sailed HAL. It was like sailing with the cast of Cocoon. We were on a seven day cruise on their newest ship in the Caribbean so we presume we were on a younger cruise than their longer voyages but I would guess the AVERAGE age was in the high sixties or low seventies. We even had another passenger ask us why we would choose to sail with a bunch of old people (her words). It was also the only cruise where were asked in or cruise docs to ensure we keep our walkers and scooters in our cabin to keep the corridors clear, so I think they know who their customer is.

 

Did our cabin have a tub? Sure, but it was long enough for someone about 5 feet tall. Did they put chocolates on our pillows? Sure, but I could buy the same quality chocolate at a drug store if it were important to me. I found the outfits they require some of the their staff (the yum yum boy who rings the chimes in the dining room, for instance) to be ridiculous at best and culturally offensive at worst, but that's just me.

 

For us, the real issue was that for the first time in many cruises, we were just plain bored. The entertainment was of the quality of a high school or community theatre and the passengers talked throughout the show in full voice. After the evening show, it was as though the sidewalks rolled up. We went to the disco only to find 7 lonely people there. The daytime activity schedule was unbelievably thin, despite the presence of a cruise director's staff. It covered only one page in the daily paper (in large print).

 

We liked the food on Westerdam very much, although it was more like nice comfort food than anything. Still, it was among the best we have had at sea. That said, we won't likely sail them again until our middle age, which seems to be about 60 for HAL.

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NordicPrince

NordicPrince

Posted
Posted

Off topic.

 

We will agree to disagree. Like I said it all depends on what you want from your vacation. RCI and HAL are just different.

 

Perhaps you might call me old. I am in my mid-50's. Am I ready for my walker yet? I looked in the mirror this morning and saw an 18 year old. The human mind is a wonderful thing.

 

Discrimination and judgement of people based on age and not on personal qualities is not an admirable thing. Understanding that we will all be there some day is a better approach.

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Schplinky

Schplinky

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Posted
Off topic.

 

We will agree to disagree. Like I said it all depends on what you want from your vacation. RCI and HAL are just different.

 

Perhaps you might call me old. I am in my mid-50's. Am I ready for my walker yet? I looked in the mirror this morning and saw an 18 year old. The human mind is a wonderful thing.

 

Discrimination and judgement of people based on age and not on personal qualities is not an admirable thing. Understanding that we will all be there some day is a better approach.

 

Discussion is a good thing. I don't think I did discriminate against the aged so much as say that different groups want different things and I'm not yet to the demographic HAL pursues with its [lack of] programming or activity. Glad you enjoy it but if you'll notice, this is not the HAL board and so I don't expect to apologise for liking what RCL offers.

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north29

north29

Posted
Posted

Having lived in Ft lauderdale and fished the port many times there can be a oder from decaying organic sea weed and small marine animals, for those who have been to the Keys you probably have smell it when traveling in the upper Key Largo area, Card sound road or in the Lake Surprise area, and some times every where and it can be pungent.

On top of that, any one dressed in that outfit would probably have a fit if some one at his table wore cheap perfume.

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cruisecrasy

cruisecrasy

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Your experience was not similar to ours and yes, we have sailed HAL. Did they put chocolates on our pillows? Sure, but I could buy the same quality chocolate at a drug store if it were important to me.

 

 

Do u get chocolates on your pillow on ANY RCL cruises - of any quality?

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Ocean Boy

Ocean Boy

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I'm kinda surprised at that. Isn't the Maasdam a Holland America ship?

 

On one of our cruises we were docked across the pier from the Maasdam. I always look over every ship that we are docked near and ask myself the same question.... Would I have any interest is sailing on that ship?.....

 

Maasdam was a NO. That was not necessarily because of its condition. I just did not find anything at all intriguing about the ship at all.

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marci22

marci22

Posted
Posted
... I even was sitting watching the aqua show one afternoon with a light color yellow t-shirt on and by the time the show was over...I had quite a bit of soot on me....I got it off but could see my t-shirt getting spotty. If anybody had the same thing happen or could smell that horrendous smell...speak up or Smell up!!:mad:

 

Mike

 

ew!

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CariBear Great Review Rare

CariBear

Posted
Posted

The smell is the burning ash (waste from the ship that has been incinerated). The smell is not inside the ship. I mostly smelled the foul odor on my balcony the 1st day and near the Aqua Theater. It really depends on the direction of the wind as to wether or not you will smell the odor. I did see several pieces of ash on a piece of clothing we had left on our balcony and our cabin was forward. I also felt the continual droplets of ash falling on me as we watched Oasis of Dreams one night in the Aqua Theater. I had taken a couple of pictures before the show started and the pictures had little white and black flecks on them.

 

This did not ruin my cruise in any way! I loved the Oasis and cannot wait for the opportunity to sail her or her sister, Allure, in the near future!

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Bakincakes

Bakincakes

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Which is where i get all my travel advice. Oh, and also from crusty people on adjacent ships, as this blogger seems to be.

 

 

:rolleyes: He may be "crusty" but evidently his information about the smell is accurate according to RCI cruisers who have sailed on Oasis.

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