1st Time Cruiser Oasis of the Seas Review

[hbr777]

Looks like a table FULL of Soda Fountain Package cups there! :D At least I know for sure where I can sign up for them on embarkation day. ;)

 

I think that was where you could buy the soda package. My sister's cup was in her cabin, I think.

[hbr777]

Sea day, taken at 3:23 in the afternoon, Wednesday, June 27.

 

Can't really get a good idea of what is in the pool, but poolside chairs, many available.

 

 

Thanks for the photo but again, not indicative of what we (or other who have chimed in here) experienced. I'm glad that your cruise seemed to have half the cruisers miraculously vanished on the pool deck on a sea day. Not my experience though.

[johneeo]

Thanks for the photo but again, not indicative of what we (or other who have chimed in here) experienced. I'm glad that your cruise seemed to have half the cruisers miraculously vanished on the pool deck on a sea day. Not my experience though.

 

Having been on three previous RCI cruises, I found that you could never get a seat by the pool anytime after 9:00 AM. And I mean never ever.

 

I was pretty amazed on our cruise, as we did spend just about all of our time in the Solarium, but, a couple times a day, I would want to go hop in a real pool outside. Then I would get out, and sit in a chair poolside to dry off every time. Poolside chairs were always available.

 

I did find one pool always pretty packed, but nothing like the other cruises I have been on.

[felice345]

we cruised the Oasis Sept 2011 and are again going Sept 15 2012.. where as the pools were "crowded" right next to the pool we found ample lounge chairs one deck up with amazing sea views:)

[hbr777]

we cruised the Oasis Sept 2011 and are again going Sept 15 2012.. where as the pools were "crowded" right next to the pool we found ample lounge chairs one deck up with amazing sea views:)

 

I agree - but no shade. We don't normally sit in the sun. Tons of seats higher up, and in the sun.

[joand452]

I think by departure day, he meant it was the first day the poster boarded, so that's why the pool was empty. Although I've gotten on ships where the pool deck is already full of people in bathing suits!

 

We usually cruise during spring break, but I've never seen the pool look like this! I would hate that! I like the upper decks (cooler with a breeze) for a little while. But I'm not one to just sit around and bake in the sun. I'd rather sit on our balcony and read and snooze and watch the ocean go by.

 

Sorry about your seasickness. I remember feeling all wobbly for a few days after our first cruise. I forgot to take Bonine the night before our second cruise and paid the price. Never again!

[hbr777]

On a totally unrelated note, my sister had the best towel art - a bat!

 

[mlmbar]

we cruised the Oasis Sept 2011 and are again going Sept 15 2012.. where as the pools were "crowded" right next to the pool we found ample lounge chairs one deck up with amazing sea views:)

I am on your cruise! Sailed on Oasis last sept, too!

[tahqa]

That makes sense - departure day. Although that would be a late departure.

I think by departure day, he meant it was the first day the poster boarded, so that's why the pool was empty. Although I've gotten on ships where the pool deck is already full of people in bathing suits!

 

 

Yup, that's what I meant, departure from Port Everglades, not departure from the ship. I should have been more precise. :o

 

Sea day, taken at 3:23 in the afternoon, Wednesday, June 27.

 

Can't really get a good idea of what is in the pool, but poolside chairs, many available.

 

 

Fair enough. Looks like you had a really great cruise, johneeo. :)

 

Looking back through my pics (Oasis, May 2011) it's not like the pools were mobbed at all times throughout each day. I actually do have a pic taken on a sea day, mid afternoon, of the beach pool with plenty of chairs available. And more chairs with towels than people in the people. :rolleyes:

[johneeo]

 

Fair enough. Looks like you had a really great cruise, johneeo. :)

 

 

We had the best time ever.

 

Steve, aka Bajathree was on our cruise. He invited our roll call up to his aqua suite for sailaway. What a great start that was .... unbelievable.

 

Everything, including the weather was perfect.

[roe2ship]

No offense, but your photo is not representative of the Oasis at capacity as I experienced it during the normal pool deck hours of say, 10-4. I only say this so readers will not have false expectations and be disappointed on what to expect on a summer time, sold out Oasis cruise, on the pool deck, at the pools.

Sorry, but I was on the same cruise and I do have to disagree with you here. As I posted earlier, pools are crowded on sea days on any line or ship, the Oasis that week had a tremendous amount of lounge chairs available even at peak times. We moved around plenty of times throughout the day between the Solarium pool, the beach pool and the other side of the beach pool.....always found loungers, whether it will be further away from the pool or the upper deck. Perhaps since this was your first cruise, you didn't expect to see pools in that manner but overall the Oasis is very different in terms of poolside crowds than any other ship we have been on......and most were peak summer time with half the amount of passengers.:)

[hbr777]

Sorry, but I was on the same cruise and I do have to disagree with you here. As I posted earlier, pools are crowded on sea days on any line or ship, the Oasis that week had a tremendous amount of lounge chairs available even at peak times. We moved around plenty of times throughout the day between the Solarium pool, the beach pool and the other side of the beach pool.....always found loungers, whether it will be further away from the pool or the upper deck. Perhaps since this was your first cruise, you didn't expect to see pools in that manner but overall the Oasis is very different in terms of poolside crowds than any other ship we have been on......and most were peak summer time with half the amount of passengers.:)

 

There is nothing to disagree with me. I never said there were no chairs. There were plenty of chairs on the upper decks. There were plenty of seats on the smoking side. Some seats in the solarium. I didn't have an issue with seating. I had an issue with the sheer number of people, the noise level, the kids running everywhere, and the general pandemonium. That is what I did not like. I had seats.

 

I took a photo that showed the pool with lots of people in it. That is a fact. A photo taken at noon on departure day (which is when John's photo was taken) is not indicative of the teaming mass of sweaty humanity that was in the pools that I experienced on sea days. The photo I posted shows what I experienced. I have no idea if it is normal for a cruise. I have no idea if it is normal to close a ship's pool for biohazard. I have no basis for comparison.

 

Bottom line: I hated the pool deck on sea days. It was for me the antithesis of what I want in a vacation. I said earlier, some people love it. That's fine. My 17 year old niece loved it. But not me.

 

My photo does not lie. The pools were crowded.

[poncho1973]

I think plenty of chairs on the decks, plenty of room to move around and a jammed packed pool can still be called "not so bad" by most people. The population of the water is constantly in flux on most ships. The indicator would be the overall population. Can you get a seat? Awesome.

 

It is pretty fair to say that the actual water portion of ship pools can go from "OMG WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE SARDINES IN A CAN" to "hey, all this room is nice!" in a matter of minutes.

[hbr777]

I think plenty of chairs on the decks, plenty of room to move around and a jammed packed pool can still be called "not so bad" by most people. The population of the water is constantly in flux on most ships. The indicator would be the overall population. Can you get a seat? Awesome.

 

It is pretty fair to say that the actual water portion of ship pools can go from "OMG WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE SARDINES IN A CAN" to "hey, all this room is nice!" in a matter of minutes.

 

I agree - it is all a matter of perspective. I am really glad I took this cruise - it was a new experience and something I had always wanted to try. I would even do it again - but not with my husband. Maybe with my sister.

[hbr777]

So I wasn't a fan of the Windjammer for breakfast but I LOVED the breakfast I had in the MDR on the last sea day. It was excellent. I should have eaten there every sea day!

 

Chocolate was the theme - can you tell? But I had Eggs Benedict and it was delicious.

 

[roe2ship]

There is nothing to disagree with me. I never said there were no chairs. There were plenty of chairs on the upper decks. There were plenty of seats on the smoking side. Some seats in the solarium. I didn't have an issue with seating. I had an issue with the sheer number of people, the noise level, the kids running everywhere, and the general pandemonium. That is what I did not like. I had seats.

 

I took a photo that showed the pool with lots of people in it. That is a fact. A photo taken at noon on departure day (which is when John's photo was taken) is not indicative of the teaming mass of sweaty humanity that was in the pools that I experienced on sea days. The photo I posted shows what I experienced. I have no idea if it is normal for a cruise. I have no idea if it is normal to close a ship's pool for biohazard. I have no basis for comparison.

 

Bottom line: I hated the pool deck on sea days. It was for me the antithesis of what I want in a vacation. I said earlier, some people love it. That's fine. My 17 year old niece loved it. But not me.

 

My photo does not lie. The pools were crowded.

Please correct me if I’m wrong but your post #32 regarding sea days is that the pool decks are “insanely crowded” Based on that type of comment, my take on that is that you can barely move around the pool deck areas and having no place to go meaning no where to sit, therefore I do disagree with you as that is not what I experienced on the same cruise.

 

I know your photo is a fact. I didn’t disagree with you that the pools were not crowded. In fact, I agree with your term this time insanely crowded regarding the pools but again, I have experienced this on every cruise I have been on and I think for the most part many will agree. Sadly that is part of the cruise experience.

 

Sometimes on CC, some statements can be misleading by the way they are worded and your post #32 is a bit of a stretch….that is my opinion. I am simply offering my view point on the same cruise.:)

[Classynfun1]

We had the best time ever.

 

Steve, aka Bajathree was on our cruise. He invited our roll call up to his aqua suite for sailaway. What a great start that was .... unbelievable.

 

Everything, including the weather was perfect.

 

 

I was this Oasis cruise in June/July and can confirm what he is saying. My mother and I (she seeking shade, me seeking SUN) both were able to find our respective chairs where we wanted, each time we looked for them. We'd usually head out between 10-1:30pm depending on our activities. We didn't discover the Soliarium chairs really until the 5th cruise day, because we didn't need to seek it out. I have never, ever, on any line, had as easy a time finding great lounge chairs as I did on the Oasis! Also, the decks were not crazy busy or loud, EXCEPT for one area that had the band playing and there were groups of people dancing (dance floor style). YMMV, but John is giving you a realistic picture of our experiences.

[starlake]

I think what we are seeing here in the last few posts is a first time cruiser and a person who has cruised many times.

As a person who has cruised a lot, I sometimes don't pay any attention to how crowded the pool may be, I just go to the upper level and find a seat.

When I was a new cruiser, I was surprised at how crowded the pool area was,it was very different in how I now view it.

I think it is just a matter of perspective and the two of you are looking at it from very different perspecitves.

[hbr777]

Please correct me if I’m wrong but your post #32 regarding sea days is that the pool decks are “insanely crowded” Based on that type of comment, my take on that is that you can barely move around the pool deck areas and having no place to go meaning no where to sit, therefore I do disagree with you as that is not what I experienced on the same cruise.

 

I know your photo is a fact. I didn’t disagree with you that the pools were not crowded. In fact, I agree with your term this time insanely crowded regarding the pools but again, I have experienced this on every cruise I have been on and I think for the most part many will agree. Sadly that is part of the cruise experience.

 

Sometimes on CC, some statements can be misleading by the way they are worded and your post #32 is a bit of a stretch….that is my opinion. I am simply offering my view point on the same cruise.:)

 

 

Yes, I will correct you. I am sorry if I was not clear. I wasn't thinking of chairs. I was thinking of the mass of humanity crowded into one small space in a pool and on the pool deck. I am sorry if you see "chairs" but since I did not specifically mention chairs I didn't think everyone would be freaking out about chairs.

 

You all seem to be fixated on chairs, the number of them, and my perception of whether there were enough of them. :)

[hbr777]

I was this Oasis cruise in June/July and can confirm what he is saying. My mother and I (she seeking shade, me seeking SUN) both were able to find our respective chairs where we wanted, each time we looked for them. We'd usually head out between 10-1:30pm depending on our activities. We didn't discover the Soliarium chairs really until the 5th cruise day, because we didn't need to seek it out. I have never, ever, on any line, had as easy a time finding great lounge chairs as I did on the Oasis! Also, the decks were not crazy busy or loud, EXCEPT for one area that had the band playing and there were groups of people dancing (dance floor style). YMMV, but John is giving you a realistic picture of our experiences.

 

I am glad you had that experience. Nice to know. I did not. And it didn't have anything to do with chairs. I NEVER said anything about chairs and lack of them. I will forgive yousince we both spent some time in Ithaca, apparently :)

 

As a first time cruiser, I thought Deck 15 was loud and obnoxious, honestly. But I guess I have a different threshold.

[hbr777]

I think what we are seeing here in the last few posts is a first time cruiser and a person who has cruised many times.

As a person who has cruised a lot, I sometimes don't pay any attention to how crowded the pool may be, I just go to the upper level and find a seat.

When I was a new cruiser, I was surprised at how crowded the pool area was,it was very different in how I now view it.

I think it is just a matter of perspective and the two of you are looking at it from very different perspecitves.

 

Agreed! Thank you for the succinct summation!

It is perspective. I have no basis for comparison so I only have what I experienced.

[playafly187]

Great review so far. I was on the same sailing and have been checking your pics to see if I'm in the background anywhere lol - some alternate pics if anyone is interested: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=34712855#post34712855

[hbr777]

Great review so far. I was on the same sailing and have been checking your pics to see if I'm in the background anywhere lol - some alternate pics if anyone is interested: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=34712855#post34712855

 

I love your photos - they are simply amazing.

I see a photo of the roast beef sandwich - did you like it?

Seriously, your photos are the ones that come closest to doing justice to the ship.

[hbr777]

Next stop: Cozumel!

[shonandsuzie]

Thank you for sharing your cruise experiences. I think the beauty of CC is that new cruisers and very experienced cruisers can share their perspectives which in turn helps others.

Cruising is not for everyone so your honesty is refreshing.:)