Oasis of the Seas Family review

[rolloman]

Just got back. Thought I would share some info. Took our 2.5 year old, it was her 11th cruise and probably her best. The ship is huge, any size stroller would be fine. Lots of areas/decks to just stroll around. The boardwalk area is a big hit for the younger crowd. Lots to see and do. Carousel is a big hit, probably rode that at least 25 times. During sea days they litter the boardwalk with little "free" work stations to interact with the children. Things like balloon animals, face painting, design your own key card necklace. Of course there are plenty of not so free things like, build a bear, a kids only store, candy store.

The pool area is about as good as you can get. Three good size pools for potty trained kids, also a raised wave type pool that water rotates around, this was a big hit. For the tiny non potty trained tots they had a baby pool with a couple spray type animals. The neat thing about the baby pool was it was heated. Also they have kids sized lounge chairs mixed in with the adult loungers (thought that was a nice touch).

Kids club. Again very nicely laid out on deck 14 forward. In a circular fashion each room for various ages are located. In the center is a huge playroom for the 3 and under crowd. They had about everything you could dream up in there. Some examples are kids kitchen, various work stations, little riding vehicles. Nice big soft matted area for the kids. As for the nursery. I give it mixed results. They have an area full of cribs for the 6 month olds, then a separate play type area for the under 3. The problem is most of the time I went in there, I saw about 2-4 under 2yr olds screaming bloody murder for their parents. I know it was upsetting for my child as one time I went in there and found she had asked the staff to put her in a crib in the other room . I really think RCCL needs to be like NCL and allow the 2 year olds in the actual kids club. My child absolutely did not fit in that nursery. She was the old gal surrounded by babies. I guess what I am trying to say is if you have a child in that 2 but not yet 3 yr age group on RCCL you are kind of stuck with some awkward choices. I do want to make clear the staff was excellent and really, really took care of her. We used the service solely during dinner time each night. 8 dollars an hour and if you went over an hour by 10 or so minutes they did not charge you further. Bottom line, Yes, I would use them again.

Food for the little one. NO pasta dish or childrens menu on room service, my little one loves the stuff so it was kind of a bummer. The buffet does not open until 6:30 pm, we ate dinner at 6 pm, so that left us with a choice of feeding her pizza every night. By the way, they did feed the kids in the nursery, but it was either pizza or chicken nuggets. One way I tried to circumvent this issue was to go to the buffet right at closing time (4:30) and load up on the things she liked to eat and then feed her about 5:30 her normal time in the room. Also fresh fruit was always available in Central Park Cafe.

Shows, my little one loved the ice show Frozen in Time. They have a scene where about 8 skaters dressed as ducks come out and it was pretty darn cool for her. She also loved the Aqua theater with the divers and show they put on. Those are the two must see for any age group.

The ship at times could be crowded, especially if it was raining. I did find myself waiting for elevators at times. For those that care I would say the difference between EPIC and Oasis are... EPIC less crowded, never waited on an elevator, yet smaller passageways to navigate. Oasis, more crowded at times but absolutely unlimited spaces to explore. Shows fantastic on both ships as were kids clubs. Let me know if you have any questions, I am writing this off memory so I am sure there are things I forgot to mention. :p

[crusinmama06]

How was the service? I am thinking since Oasis is so large that the wait staff won't be as eager to please as the smaller, more intimate ships. Experience?

[rolloman]

How was the service? I am thinking since Oasis is so large that the wait staff won't be as eager to please as the smaller, more intimate ships. Experience?

You probably will not believe this but the service was the best I have ever had. Dinner service for me was actually completed before 7pm every single night. Once we were completed by 6:40!!!!! Room attendant was very good, no issues at all. Even though there are more people on board they also have more staff onboard. I am confident service will not be an issue for the majority of people who sail her.

[crzgrl66]

Wow, your 2.5 year old has been on 11 cruises! Could you adopt me? :D

[crusinmama06]

Wow, your 2.5 year old has been on 11 cruises! Could you adopt me? :D

 

Me first! Get in line! :p:D

 

Thanks rolloman for the report. I thought the service wouldn't be as intimate but I guess they did send their best people to the ship. We had been hearing that for months leading up to her launching. So I guess it makes sense. If your best crew is working on it, then they will be providing the best service.

 

So did you do the Wolf Dance while you were onboard?

That family cracks me up. I swear I wish I was half as organized as them and could pull something off like this on our cruises.

[rolloman]

So did you do the Wolf Dance while you were onboard?

That family cracks me up. I swear I wish I was half as organized as them and could pull something off like this on our cruises.

No you dont want to see me dancing..lol....but I agree those guys go out of there way to make nice videos!

[LisaT91403]

Thanks for the review!

 

Kind of a weird question, but did you happen to notice if they have small/short toilets in Adventure Ocean? My son will be 3 when we cruise and he is potty trained, but I don't think he'll be able to reach an adult-sized toilet without help (and I know they won't help in AO).

 

Thanks!

[rolloman]

Thanks for the review!

 

Kind of a weird question, but did you happen to notice if they have small/short toilets in Adventure Ocean? My son will be 3 when we cruise and he is potty trained, but I don't think he'll be able to reach an adult-sized toilet without help (and I know they won't help in AO).

 

Thanks!

Yes they do.

[mj cruiser]

If you could choose between Epic and Oasis which would you do?

 

We have a 2.5 yo probably will go on one of those next year love to plan ahead :) Well he will be 3.5 by then. We are trying Carnival Dream in March. We did Freedom of the Seas last year and loved it!

[crusinmama06]

If you could choose between Epic and Oasis which would you do?

 

Excellent question! I remember how much Rolloman liked Epic so I was wondering this one too. :D

[rolloman]

It all boils down to dollars you want to spend. You can find a lot of great deals booking EPIC , deals are few and far between (if at all) on Oasis/Allure... I say for the price EPIC for familys with toddlers can not be beat. The Oasis/Allure are incredible IMO slightly more than EPIC but it is not so much to bother debating. Now if we are talking tweens or teens a bigger edge goes to RCCL with flowrider, ice rink, rock wall versus bowling, inline skating, rock wall on EPIC. I say catch a great deal on EPIC then go Oasis with the dollars you saved. Its kinda like asking yourself do you like chocolate or do you like chocolate dipped in chocolate?

[irun5k]

Its kinda like asking yourself do you like chocolate or do you like chocolate dipped in chocolate?

 

LOL... I'll take the chocolate dipped in chocolate, if I can get dark/white combo!

 

Really fantastic review, and timely as I'm trying to plan out our vacation for next year. This year we took our 2 yr old on the Carnival Legend. Overall it was mostly great, but I'm looking at the Oasis-class for a specific reason, and I wonder if you could give me your suggestion:

 

The only major problem with our cruise was that it was sort of boring for us all on sea days during the times that our son wasn't in Camp Carnival. The smaller ship had few to no open areas conducive to family fun, so we passed time in the cabin which sort of gave us cabin fever after a while. Honestly, my son is easily entertained and can spend hours at a simple shopping mall playground, but there was no such thing on the Legend.

 

The vast open, themed areas of the Oasis class seem like the ideal solution to this problem, and your review basically confirmed this for me. I love the idea of having spots on board that we can enjoy as a family. However, what about the Epic- can it hold its own in this category?

 

Also, I'm sort of curious if the Allure or Oasis differ in any slight way in regard to families. My guess is the experience is basically identical, as one would expect, but I figured it was worth asking in case anyone has cruised both.

 

many thanks!

[rolloman]

The Allure will actually be even more focused on families over Oasis as they have the Dreamworks characters..Shrek, ect..with parades, character breakfast. To answer your first question, YES, EPIC has nickalodean onboard, Dora, spongebob etc character interactions as well as a whole host of nick themed events and shows. I found it really interesting on Oasis they were doing the whole street fair thing for kids. Initially they were not and parents were avoiding the boardwalk like the plague to stay away from the kiddie impluse buy shops. All I can say is it worked because the boardwalk area was a total kid festival when I was onboard. FYI....onboard Oasis I heard Carnival was offering a new shore excursion to its passengers.... it was a tour of the Oasis.

[Ginkc]

Thanks for the scoop! We will be traveling with a 2 1/2 year old in March. I was trying to figure out if you can make nursery reservations prior to boarding? Can't seem to find any info on how you reserve a spot?

 

Does anyone have that info?

[stsomewhere]

My son- 12 just got off the Allure. He said that he hated it. It was way to big. Complained there was not that much to do.

 

ETA: I can't wait to hear the stories from the family he traveled with. They are coming over for New Years.

[rolloman]

My son- 12 just got off the Allure. He said that he hated it. It was way to big. Complained there was not that much to do.

 

ETA: I can't wait to hear the stories from the family he traveled with. They are coming over for New Years.

Cruising is not for everyone. Some kids do not find rock walls, ice skating rinks, flowriders, basketball/soccer courts, full library, kids club with a zillion activities, 3 seperate video arcades, waterpark with multiple pools, shows with world class skaters and olypmic divers their kind of fun....

[rolloman]

Thanks for the scoop! We will be traveling with a 2 1/2 year old in March. I was trying to figure out if you can make nursery reservations prior to boarding? Can't seem to find any info on how you reserve a spot?

 

Does anyone have that info?

 

You need to go to deck 14 fwd as soon as you board. Fill out the proper papework and you are good to go. Be a good idea to have your schedule of days and hours you want written down prior to showing up. They will be more than accomodating for your needs.

[crusinmama06]

Cruising is not for everyone. Some kids do not find rock walls, ice skating rinks, flowriders, basketball/soccer courts, full library, kids club with a zillion activities, 3 seperate video arcades, waterpark with multiple pools, shows with world class skaters and olypmic divers their kind of fun....

 

LOL! :D;) You forgot the zipline, make your own cupcakes and full sized boardwalk. Yeah, you're right, sounds boring for the kids....HAHAHAHAHA! :p

[stsomewhere]

Cruising is not for everyone. Some kids do not find rock walls, ice skating rinks, flowriders, basketball/soccer courts, full library, kids club with a zillion activities, 3 seperate video arcades, waterpark with multiple pools, shows with world class skaters and olypmic divers their kind of fun....

 

I am not sure what he was thinking. He went with a friend. He said that he friend did not want to do anything. They stayed in the teen club and played wii.

 

He said that they did go on the zipline, but it was boring compared to the one in Mexico and Labadee. He climbed the rock wall, something he does regularly at our gym.

 

He did go on the Flowrider. He saw the shows. He did not go ice skating, go to the movies or play mini golf. He said that he friend just wanted to stay with his parents or play video games.

 

My son loves to cruise. He has been on 10 cruises. He is looking forward to our DCL Alaska cruise in the summer.

[Maryscooking]

I am not sure what he was thinking. He went with a friend. He said that he friend did not want to do anything. They stayed in the teen club and played wii.

 

He said that they did go on the zipline, but it was boring compared to the one in Mexico and Labadee. He climbed the rock wall, something he does regularly at our gym.

 

He did go on the Flowrider. He saw the shows. He did not go ice skating, go to the movies or play mini golf. He said that he friend just wanted to stay with his parents or play video games.

 

My son loves to cruise. He has been on 10 cruises. He is looking forward to our DCL Alaska cruise in the summer.

 

IDK, because I don't have a teen, but if I remember correctly, at that age, having stuff to do is more about having people to hang out with than anything else.

 

Sounds like the company might have been more of an issue than the ship?

[Ginkc]

You need to go to deck 14 fwd as soon as you board. Fill out the proper papework and you are good to go. Be a good idea to have your schedule of days and hours you want written down prior to showing up. They will be more than accomodating for your needs.

 

Thanks! That's what I was guessing, but we had cruised before on another cruiseline and they let you make online reservations ahead of time, just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything.

 

Thanks again!

[fisherhum]

I am not sure what he was thinking. He went with a friend. He said that he friend did not want to do anything. They stayed in the teen club and played wii.

 

He said that they did go on the zipline, but it was boring compared to the one in Mexico and Labadee. He climbed the rock wall, something he does regularly at our gym.

 

He did go on the Flowrider. He saw the shows. He did not go ice skating, go to the movies or play mini golf. He said that he friend just wanted to stay with his parents or play video games.

 

My son loves to cruise. He has been on 10 cruises. He is looking forward to our DCL Alaska cruise in the summer.

 

This confirms my initial instinct to say not to taking my kids' friends with us on vacation... the kids have asked (and they are still too young) but I have always thought it might not be a great idea.

[Wilda]

IDK, because I don't have a teen, but if I remember correctly, at that age, having stuff to do is more about having people to hang out with than anything else.

 

Sounds like the company might have been more of an issue than the ship?

 

That's exactly what I was thinking. His friend wanted to stay in the teen club and play wii all day:eek: Good gravy, they can do that while they are holed up all winter long. That's really a shame.

[ahamill]

Thanks for the post. We will be on Oasis in March with our (then) 16 month old. I do have a couple of questions:

 

1. We have a superior balcony stateroom and have requested a pack-n-play, for which I will bring my own sheet. However, I have heard people say that there is simply not room and have pushed the couch up against the wall? Any thoughts on this.

 

2. We are very excited about the prospect of having the nursery. I will go straight there on embarkation day and make reservations. Do they have a way of getting in touch with you should they need to? How late are they open? Did you ever use the babysitting service? I know we want to see some shows and gamble later and, although we have grandparents in an adjoining room who will most likely go to be earlier with him, is the nursery an option at night?

 

3. Is whole milk/apple juice pretty easy to find? Should I buy the juice package for juice for him? He really does not drink that much but a little in the afternoon sometimes mixed with water.

 

4. We are doing the 6:00pm dinner seating which will be fine with his schedule, am assuming there is a kids menu in the MDR?

 

5. Is there a place to throw out dirty diapers, as opposed to having them sit in the room all day until maid service comes??

 

I know I will have more questions! Thanks for your help! We have only cruised once before, pre-baby, and I am looking forward to going on Oasis but know it will be different with a toddler.

[LisaT91403]

We were on Mariner with our 12 month old, so I can't answer nursery questions...but here are some other thoughts:

 

Thanks for the post. We will be on Oasis in March with our (then) 16 month old. I do have a couple of questions:

 

1. We have a superior balcony stateroom and have requested a pack-n-play, for which I will bring my own sheet. However, I have heard people say that there is simply not room and have pushed the couch up against the wall? Any thoughts on this.

 

You can decide once you get there. If you don't want the Pack N Play, your cabin steward will take it away. Just make sure you don't have a connecting cabin, as then you won't have a couch...just a chair.

 

 

3. Is whole milk/apple juice pretty easy to find? Should I buy the juice package for juice for him? He really does not drink that much but a little in the afternoon sometimes mixed with water.

 

Milk was very easy to find. If he doesn't drink a lot of juice, I would not pre-order it. You can buy juice at any bar, so if you only wanted one/day, that would be the best bet. You can also get juice for breakfast, so if you want to fill a sippy cup then rather than having to buy juice later on in the day, you can do that.

 

Thanks for the post. We will be on Oasis in March with our (then) 16 month old. I do have a couple of questions:

 

1. We have a superior balcony stateroom and have requested a pack-n-play, for which I will bring my own sheet. However, I have heard people say that there is simply not room and have pushed the couch up against the wall? Any thoughts on this.

 

You can decide once you get there. If you don't want the Pack N Play, your cabin steward will take it away. Just make sure you don't have a connecting cabin, as then you won't have a couch...just a chair.

 

 

4. We are doing the 6:00pm dinner seating which will be fine with his schedule, am assuming there is a kids menu in the MDR?

 

Yes, there is always a kids menu in the MDR. And if you want something off the regular menu, you can have that too.

 

5. Is there a place to throw out dirty diapers, as opposed to having them sit in the room all day until maid service comes??

 

The cabin steward should be coming in twice/day. We brought some of those blue plastic bags with us to put the stinky diapers in; that way, they were sealed up inside the trash cans and didn't cause an odor.

 

Have fun!