WAS skeptical about Oasis.........

[CroozinFamily]

We just returned from the 9/17 sailing of Oasis. We were a little skeptical about going on such a HUGE ship. A little afraid there would be crowds and that service and food quality would suffer. After reading a lot of threads on CC, I began to get very excited before departure. Thanks to all for those postings and pictures.

 

Even with all the prep, I was BLOWN AWAY when I stepped on board. It is just INCREDIBLE and gets even more awesome as you walk around!!!

 

We arrived at the pier around 11 and breezed right through check-in. We waited about 20 minutes or so upstairs before boarding began. We started wandering around the ship to check things out. We found our way to the Boardwalk and found the donut shop.....since our mouths were open with chins to the floor, we decided to shove some food in there. Enjoyed a key lime donut....yumm! Icing was a little too green, but it tasted yummy!

 

Lunch was frustrating. We waited to eat because we had the donut and that was a mistake because by the time we made it to the Windjammer there were no seats. We ended up having a hot dog at the Wipeout Cafe.

 

The food was all good. We ate in the MDR all nights except one where we ate at Chops which was excellent. We tried out Johnny Rockets, Windjammer and the MDR (buffet and also ala carte) for breakfast. All was pretty good. Disappointed in MDR buffet....didn't offer as much as Windjammer.

 

The roast beef in Park Cafe was wonderful. Of course, after reading all the threads I just HAD to try it out. It was really good!!!

 

LOVED the shows! Abbacadabra was just okay. Comedy wasn't all that special, but everything else was fantastic!!! It's amazing to have such high caliber entertainment every night!!!

 

SO MANY activities going on throughout the ship that it was hard to fit everything in!!!

 

Chairs by the pool were always available. I like the idea of checking out towels. I think it prevented people from leaving their chair with the towel there and then it sits empty all day. I was worried there might be long lines to get towels but there never was more than 2 people in front of us.

 

Labadee was great......PLENTY of chairs there too!!!

 

Flowrider was fun!!! We did the boogie board side. Only problem there was that they did not regulate time fairly. They would let some people stay on there forever showing off and "hot dogging" and then if you were a beginner (like me), and you wiped out, you were done! Sometimes I waited for quite a long time and then my turn was over quickly. My plea to get another chance since some of the others were on for so long went nowhere. That went on my comment form. A word of advice if going on Flowrider.....ladies, definitely wear a t-shirt.....unless of course you want to flash everyone watching (they will applaud). Gentlemen should be sure your bathing suit is tied tightly (a lesson my husband learned the hard way).

 

Rock climbing was HARD!!! Made it up to the first bell. YAY! That was enough for me!!! Zip line was a quick ride. Fun to have done on a ship, but the real thing is more fun.

 

Cupcake Cupboard was a little disappointing. We had a red velvet cupcake. I expected it to be a bit bigger for $2.75! It was good but not "to die for" so we didn't go back for more.

 

We had a balcony cabin overlooking Boardwalk. It was nice but we missed the sounds of the water. And, I was surprised there wasn't a privacy film on the door. During the day, you generally could not see into the cabin when the sheers were closed and privacy curtain open, but in the evening, with the lights on, you could definitely see clearly into the cabin if the privacy curtain was not closed. If it was a bit cloudy out during the day and the lights were on in the cabin and privacy curtain was open, but sheers closed, you could still see in.

 

We went to the Meet and Mingle. Our first. After I had signed up on CC I couldn't get back there so didn't have a chance to really "meet" anyone on line. I was disappointed with the event. It was basically just a raffle for key chains and hats. I had hoped there would be one or two "game" type of events to encourage people to meet one another and get to know new folks.

 

We were REALLY IMPRESSED with this ship!!! It was very easy to find your way around. Elevators were quick. I think we might have had a bit of a wait 2 or 3 times but that was around meal times. There was PLENTY to do!!! All staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.

 

The cruise director Richard Spacey was fabulous beyond words!!!

 

any questions.....fire away.

[Shippy]

Thought it would just be a one time cruise to see the ship but I cannot wait to go on it again.

Just some thoughts on how each cruise is different so it is very had to go by individual reviews.........

We were on the 9/3 sailing....

Richard Spacey WAS NOT THERE ! I really felt like there was no cruise director. There was a 'nice lady' who tried to fill in but left a lot to be desired.

I do not remember any show called Abracadabra & we tried to see every show. However, we thought the comedy show was great !

When we first went to the mdr for breakfast, we thought you had to go to the buffet. We found out the next day you can order off the menu....not only that you can order 'off' the menu. We had eggs benedict that were fabulous (not on the menu). You could also go to the buffet area for fruit, etc. so the main dining room turned out to be great for breakfast.

I had read negative reviews about the cupcakes so did not 'buy' one. They are very nice to look at though.

 

I totally agree about the meet & mingle. It is handled MUCH better on other ships.

 

The Diamond lounge is great. ALL drinks are free. This was our first cruise as diamond & I had heard only beer & wine were free. Wonder why it would be different on this ship ?

[firefly333]

We were on the 9/3 sailing....

Richard Spacey WAS NOT THERE ! I really felt like there was no cruise director. There was a 'nice lady' who tried to fill in but left a lot to be desired.

I do not remember any show called Abracadabra & we tried to see every show.

 

I wondered how that lady was the CD who kept skipping everywhere as if in her 2nd childhood. Good to know she wasnt the best of the best and the regular CD.

 

Too cutesy for me by far.

 

I also dont remember Abracadara.

 

I was on 9/3 with you.

[ohshuns]

The Diamond lounge is great. ALL drinks are free. This was our first cruise as diamond & I had heard only beer & wine were free. Wonder why it would be different on this ship ?

 

Oasis, Allure and Freedom Class ships have dedicated lounges where you can get full bar service and hors d'oeuvres instead of just wine and champagne. It makes a big difference. The only drawback is you can't get the complimentary coffees at breakfast in the mdr. You have to go to the lounge for the in the morning.

[CroozinFamily]

Abbracadabra was the Headliner entertainment. I looked at their schedule on line and they were only scheduled to be on Oasis that one week. So, does the Headliner entertainment change each week?

[janetz]

We just returned from the 9/17 sailing of Oasis. We were a little skeptical about going on such a HUGE ship. A little afraid there would be crowds and that service and food quality would suffer. After reading a lot of threads on CC, I began to get very excited before departure. Thanks to all for those postings and pictures.

 

Even with all the prep, I was BLOWN AWAY when I stepped on board. It is just INCREDIBLE and gets even more awesome as you walk around!!!

 

We arrived at the pier around 11 and breezed right through check-in. We waited about 20 minutes or so upstairs before boarding began. We started wandering around the ship to check things out. We found our way to the Boardwalk and found the donut shop.....since our mouths were open with chins to the floor, we decided to shove some food in there. Enjoyed a key lime donut....yumm! Icing was a little too green, but it tasted yummy!

 

Lunch was frustrating. We waited to eat because we had the donut and that was a mistake because by the time we made it to the Windjammer there were no seats. We ended up having a hot dog at the Wipeout Cafe.

 

The food was all good. We ate in the MDR all nights except one where we ate at Chops which was excellent. We tried out Johnny Rockets, Windjammer and the MDR (buffet and also ala carte) for breakfast. All was pretty good. Disappointed in MDR buffet....didn't offer as much as Windjammer.

 

The roast beef in Park Cafe was wonderful. Of course, after reading all the threads I just HAD to try it out. It was really good!!!

 

LOVED the shows! Abbacadabra was just okay. Comedy wasn't all that special, but everything else was fantastic!!! It's amazing to have such high caliber entertainment every night!!!

 

SO MANY activities going on throughout the ship that it was hard to fit everything in!!!

 

Chairs by the pool were always available. I like the idea of checking out towels. I think it prevented people from leaving their chair with the towel there and then it sits empty all day. I was worried there might be long lines to get towels but there never was more than 2 people in front of us.

 

Labadee was great......PLENTY of chairs there too!!!

 

Flowrider was fun!!! We did the boogie board side. Only problem there was that they did not regulate time fairly. They would let some people stay on there forever showing off and "hot dogging" and then if you were a beginner (like me), and you wiped out, you were done! Sometimes I waited for quite a long time and then my turn was over quickly. My plea to get another chance since some of the others were on for so long went nowhere. That went on my comment form. A word of advice if going on Flowrider.....ladies, definitely wear a t-shirt.....unless of course you want to flash everyone watching (they will applaud). Gentlemen should be sure your bathing suit is tied tightly (a lesson my husband learned the hard way).

 

Rock climbing was HARD!!! Made it up to the first bell. YAY! That was enough for me!!! Zip line was a quick ride. Fun to have done on a ship, but the real thing is more fun.

 

Cupcake Cupboard was a little disappointing. We had a red velvet cupcake. I expected it to be a bit bigger for $2.75! It was good but not "to die for" so we didn't go back for more.

 

We had a balcony cabin overlooking Boardwalk. It was nice but we missed the sounds of the water. And, I was surprised there wasn't a privacy film on the door. During the day, you generally could not see into the cabin when the sheers were closed and privacy curtain open, but in the evening, with the lights on, you could definitely see clearly into the cabin if the privacy curtain was not closed. If it was a bit cloudy out during the day and the lights were on in the cabin and privacy curtain was open, but sheers closed, you could still see in.

 

We went to the Meet and Mingle. Our first. After I had signed up on CC I couldn't get back there so didn't have a chance to really "meet" anyone on line. I was disappointed with the event. It was basically just a raffle for key chains and hats. I had hoped there would be one or two "game" type of events to encourage people to meet one another and get to know new folks.

 

We were REALLY IMPRESSED with this ship!!! It was very easy to find your way around. Elevators were quick. I think we might have had a bit of a wait 2 or 3 times but that was around meal times. There was PLENTY to do!!! All staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.

 

The cruise director Richard Spacey was fabulous beyond words!!!

 

any questions.....fire away.

 

Great review! :) Now you need to book the Allure.

The Oasis and Allure are not just ships, but destinations! They are fabulous ships.

Richard Spacey has to be one of the best CD's at sea.

[jlrn366419]

Nice review. I will have to try the key lime donut next time. Sounds tasty. We are not cruise director 'followers' nor do we do tons of the activities but we both noticed the cruise director on the 9/10 sailing was lousy. Her name was Amy and I recall her bio mentioned cheerleading. Probably the explanation for the skipping.

[beachnative]

Excellent review.

 

I was one of those who swore they would never book that huge ship. Wow, did I ever eat my words. The Oasis and Allure are addictive! We've now been 4 times and feel a little less excited about our cruises that are booked on smaller ships; the only medicine good for that is to always have the Allure or Oasis booked into future sailings.:):)

[retiring soon]

Hi all!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write your thoughts. I'm looking forward to trying the Oasis myself in 47 more days!;) This ship has more people than my Town does!

 

Anyhow I have a question about the Meet & Mingle. What games were you expecting & has this been done on other ships? Usually any I've attended the staff passed a mike around, there was refreshments & a draw.

Anybody know of any games/icebreakers done at a M&M?

 

~ Jo ~ :)

[cruzkitty]

We were also on the 9/10 sailing, and I was so looking forward to seeing Richard Spacey. Amy tried, and she certainly was energetic enough, but just didn't do it for me. I would definitely cruise on the Oasis again-simply loved it!!

[Shippy]

Hi all!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write your thoughts. I'm looking forward to trying the Oasis myself in 47 more days!;) This ship has more people than my Town does!

 

Anyhow I have a question about the Meet & Mingle. What games were you expecting & has this been done on other ships? Usually any I've attended the staff passed a mike around, there was refreshments & a draw.

Anybody know of any games/icebreakers done at a M&M?

 

~ Jo ~ :)

 

We have been on ships where they used a big cocktail lounge with lots of seating & served cocktails & snacks. People could mingle around.

On the Oasis, it was in a very small,strange lounge where the some seats were seperated by railings which made it very hard to mingle. Also, very small tables so we were at a table for 2.

It was early in the day so juice & coffee & cookies.

This was just like going to a raffle.....here....you won something....adios

[arlodog]

We were also on the 9/10 sailing with Amy as the CD. I couldn't understand her half the time when she was talking....I forgot to put it on my comment card. We don't usually care about the cruise director on board, but I don't think she really is the best they have (I hope so anyway).

 

Oasis was simply amazing and hope I can go again or try Allure next time!:rolleyes:

[OCruisers]

Thank You! :)

[CroozinFamily]

Just responding to a few of the comments on my original post. LOL! Yes......next stop......Allure! Yes, this ship was definitely a destination itself. We never got off in Jamaica. Beach day in Labadee and again in Cozumel......all our "excursions" were on the ship!

 

As for the Meet and Mingle......this was my first. Nobody wore their name tags. There was no announcement about the gift exchange at the end. It just started happening. I had briefly read about it but because for some reason I was unable to get back on the roll call board, I had forgotten about it and was not participating. As for games....there are all sorts of ice breaker type things to encourage people to meet one another and start a conversation. The lounge was not really conducive to mingling so some sort of activity would have been nice. "Find people from 3 different states and introduce yourself". or "Introduce yourself to someone you do not know and then share the best tip you learned about the ship on cruise critic". I don't know.........SOME sort of activity to encourage mingling and meeting would have been nice. It's a "MEET and MINGLE" after all and some people are better at it than others....some people need a little encouragement to get things going.

 

We are generally not followers of specific cruise directors either, but Richard was really impressive.....hard not to remember him!!! Just so fun and funny and QUICK with his humor and wit!

 

We definitely deposited for our next cruise.....just need to pick the date now!!! Already know it will be on Allure!!!

[retiring soon]

HI all!

 

CroozinFamily ~ thanks for your suggestions, some good ideas for getting to know

one's co cruisers.

I never was even aware of CD's until I had some great ones like Richard Spacey, Graham Seymour & a guy named Neil on Princess, the other 15 cruises who knows!

 

Allure does sound inviting too!;)

 

~ Jo ~ :)