Oasis of the Seas Photo Review - March 9th-16th, 2013 Sailing

[Russ Lomas]

Keep in mind that one of my main reasons to come to Mullet Bay was to do some snorkeling. The rocks on the left side of the beach are supposed to be great for snorkeling just around the far point and out into the open ocean. The waves were pounding the shore on this side and sending water shooting 20 feet into the air. There would be no snorkeling today...far too dangerous. I did walk on the rocks to see what would be there to see and it would have been great I believe.

 

First, a look back at the beach from the tip of the point where the snorkeling is reported to be quite good. This was early afternoon and the waves had settled quite a bit, but it was still to unsafe for snorkeling.

 

The grotto below was just around the point I mentioned earlier. It would likely have been filled with sea life on a day that the seas were not so rough. The water in this grotto would smash 15 feet in the air above these rocks and then drop down to 10 feet below the top of the rock layer. When it did this, I snapped the photo below. It looks as though there is a rope tied to the right side as well for people who want to jump or dive into this grotto and then climb out to do it again using the rope. I would definitely recommend wearing water shoes back here because the rocks were very rough and you would likely cut your feet.

 

As I was about to head back to the beach, I spotted a crab on the rocks. I took some photos and was amazed that he did not move while I took them. Next, I figured out the reason...he was dead. Notice he has no eyes.

 

There was a beautiful photo opportunity on the way back to the beach with the water receding down the rocks around some old pilings from what must have been a dock years ago. I am not crazy about the big construction crane in the back of the photo, but it was so large that I could not get an angle to get this shot without having it in the photo. Oh well, that is what Adobe Photoshop is for...editing and removing parts of photos that you don't like. Here is the shot before I start playing with it in Photoshop.

 

I had heard that it was difficult to get a cab back to the port from Mullet Bay and we would likely have to do the 20 minute walk to Maho Beach to get a cab. I was really looking forward to getting some shots of the planes landing over the beach. Unfortunately, my family had had enough sun for the day and just wanted to go back to the ship and do a bit of shopping. Little did they know that cabs did not frequently pick up here, so I would likely get a chance to take a few photos at Maho since we would have to walk over there. Just my luck, as we enter the parking lot a cab pulls up and has space for all of us. Oh well...next time.....

 

The cab was flying along doing around 35MPH and there was no spots to stop to take a photo of the ships on the way back to port. Too bad because there was some nice views of the ship. I snapped a couple shots and got lucky with the one below. It was nicely framed by the palm leaves on the left side. Not bad for being taken out of a window of a moving vehicle going 35MPH. The Nikon D5100 is a pretty good little camera.

[jpolm]

Gorgeous beach!,,great pics!

[Russ Lomas]

Gorgeous beach!,,great pics!

Thanks for the comment on the pictures. It is a beautiful beach. One I would be happy to go back to again.

[little britain]

Just to say I am really enjoying your review and your fabulous pics! You really know how to use a camera! Keep 'em coming:D

 

ps: you should send the pic of the waiter with your DD to RCI and ask if they want to use it as a marketing picture...it has captured the attentiveness and service on board perfectly!

[4wksaintenough]

Russ this is an absoulutely fantastic review,your photographs are superb and the information you write is very informative,just what we needed because we have just booked the transatlantic crossing for September next year Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona.12 Days on this fantastic ship its going to be a long 17 months.Please say we have more of your review to come !!!

[cj_one2000]

 

 

Best shot of the competition -- did you set your camera to take multiple shots (sports mode too) to get numerous frames within one second? Was wondering how you did this.

[disneykins]

We are the couple that were travelling with Russ and family. Had a great time and would do it again anytime. His daughters are angels. His wife should be up for sainthood for putting up with him and his camera. lol. The only time the camera was an issue was at dinner. We all had to pass our plates to him so he could get pictures. After a few days I figured it out, order what he did and we wouldn't have to wait to eat. lol.

 

Really enjoying reliving the trip through this review. Its amazing how much we'd forgotten already. I was impressed with the lack of crowds. For so many guests, it never seemed we had to line up for anything. Central Park was a great place to relax, never a crowd. The ship is great, and would love to do another one to see the parts we missed. Maybe the TA next year?

 

Debbie and Tony

[Russ Lomas]

Russ this is an absoulutely fantastic review,your photographs are superb and the information you write is very informative,just what we needed because we have just booked the transatlantic crossing for September next year Fort Lauderdale to Barcelona.12 Days on this fantastic ship its going to be a long 17 months.Please say we have more of your review to come !!!

 

I am glad you are enjoying the review and photos. I am very jealous that you will be on the Oasis for 12 days and I will not. Being addicted to that Flowrider, I would have more than enough to do for a transatlantic crossing between ports. There is more coming (hopefully, I can write the next section tonight). I still have to cover the sports area and St. Thomas.

[Russ Lomas]

Best shot of the competition -- did you set your camera to take multiple shots (sports mode too) to get numerous frames within one second? Was wondering how you did this.

 

Yes, my camera takes 4 frames per second. I was shooting with a telephoto from BEHIND the last row of seats in the aquatheatre, so I was probably a good 100 feet away or so from the pool.

[Russ Lomas]

We are the couple that were travelling with Russ and family. Had a great time and would do it again anytime. His daughters are angels. His wife should be up for sainthood for putting up with him and his camera. lol.

Tony and Debbie, you already know you have an open invitation to sail with us on any of our upcoming sailings. They are always listed at the bottom of my posts with a countdown, so you can always find out where we will be. As for the daughters being angels....most of the time I agree (but not all of the time;)). As for sainthood for the wife for putting up with me and my camera, I will keep my opinions on that subject to myself.

 

The only time the camera was an issue was at dinner. We all had to pass our plates to him so he could get pictures. After a few days I figured it out, order what he did and we wouldn't have to wait to eat. lol.

Speaking for the 20,000 plus views from posters here of the thread I posted on the food for this trip...they all say a big thank-you for putting up with the inconvenience of passing your food over for the food porn shots. The biggest issue I had was making sure that I got the chair that sat right beneath the pot light in the ceiling where I wanted the plate set up for the shots. Otherwise, the poor person sitting there could not eat while I set up each dish in front of them for the shot. Like Tony said, everyone figured out not to sit in "my" seat for the last few days to ensure the temperature of their meal did not suffer.

 

Really enjoying reliving the trip through this review. Its amazing how much we'd forgotten already. I was impressed with the lack of crowds. For so many guests, it never seemed we had to line up for anything. Central Park was a great place to relax, never a crowd. The ship is great, and would love to do another one to see the parts we missed. Maybe the TA next year?

Part of my reason for writing this is that I have been keeping all my posts in a document to keep the memories alive to recall in the future. It is hard enough trying to remember it now a month later, never mind a year from now. For saying there were 6000 passengers on board, you rarely felt crowded other than by the elevators after shows or waiting for a parade to start.

[SuperPlanner]

Loving this review! More! More!

I'm leaving in 12 days on Oasis so this is making me so excited!!!

Your pictures are AMAZING...you should have RCI buy them from you!!!!

 

 

Question/confirmation: the only places to eat lunch on embarkation day is Windjammer (super crowded?), Central Park Cafe (can be crowded), or Giovanni's....is that it? Are there any other open places? Loved the idea that I've seen of a nice, romantic, quiet lunch at Giovanni's but we are going there that night for dinner already....any other ideas?

[Clarea]

Loving this review! More! More!

I'm leaving in 12 days on Oasis so this is making me so excited!!!

Your pictures are AMAZING...you should have RCI buy them from you!!!!

 

 

Question/confirmation: the only places to eat lunch on embarkation day is Windjammer (super crowded?), Central Park Cafe (can be crowded), or Giovanni's....is that it? Are there any other open places? Loved the idea that I've seen of a nice, romantic, quiet lunch at Giovanni's but we are going there that night for dinner already....any other ideas?

Other venues open: Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's, Solarium Cafe and Vitality Cafe.

[Russ Lomas]

Loving this review! More! More!

I'm leaving in 12 days on Oasis so this is making me so excited!!!

Your pictures are AMAZING...you should have RCI buy them from you!!!!

I am glad you are enjoying the review and the photos. I would be more than happy if RCI used my photos and offered me a discounted cruise.:rolleyes:

 

Question/confirmation: the only places to eat lunch on embarkation day is Windjammer (super crowded?), Central Park Cafe (can be crowded), or Giovanni's....is that it? Are there any other open places? Loved the idea that I've seen of a nice, romantic, quiet lunch at Giovanni's but we are going there that night for dinner already....any other ideas?

Luckily, I have the day 1 cruise compass in my hands right now. I loved Central Park Cafe and thought that the 10 minute wait was worth it. That being said, the Compass says that the Solarium Bistro is open from 11:30am til 3pm (free), Johnny Rockets is open 11:30am til 3:30pm ($5 cover charge per person), Vintages/Tapas 1pm til 3pm (pay per piece), and the Wipe Out Cafe is open noon til 3:30 (free)...AND not to mention starbucks, Sorrento's, the Donut shop, Vitality spa cafe, Cafe Promenade...for snacks. There are lots of choices. I would choose Central Park Cafe and tough out the 10 minute wait, but you may wish to try the Solarium Bistro too.

[Russ Lomas]

I forgot to include a photo of 3/4s of my girls in the Solarium. Yes, the area is for 16+, but they were itching to see it and it was so peaceful there. On disembarkation day, we had one of the last numbers called to leave the ship. Normally, we are told, they do our number by 10am or so and new passengers begin boarding around 11am. Well, with the major slowdowns we experienced with US Customs (hopefully things have improved again by now) we were still on the ship at noon. That is when I managed to get a lot of photos with very few people in them.

 

Not only was the Solarium pretty well deserted that morning, but there was basically nobody in it after 9:30am. We took the kids up there and we had a snooze on some of the clamshells, which were usually difficult to come by.

[SuperPlanner]

I am glad you are enjoying the review and the photos. I would be more than happy if RCI used my photos and offered me a discounted cruise.:rolleyes:

 

 

Luckily, I have the day 1 cruise compass in my hands right now. I loved Central Park Cafe and thought that the 10 minute wait was worth it. That being said, the Compass says that the Solarium Bistro is open from 11:30am til 3pm (free), Johnny Rockets is open 11:30am til 3:30pm ($5 cover charge per person), Vintages/Tapas 1pm til 3pm (pay per piece), and the Wipe Out Cafe is open noon til 3:30 (free)...AND not to mention starbucks, Sorrento's, the Donut shop, Vitality spa cafe, Cafe Promenade...for snacks. There are lots of choices. I would choose Central Park Cafe and tough out the 10 minute wait, but you may wish to try the Solarium Bistro too.

 

THANKS!!! Just to double-check, Solarium Bistro is health-food, right? (Not how I personally am looking to start this vacay). Central Park Cafe has sandwiches (inc. the famous roast beef sandwich) and a salad bar? Cafe Promenade is pretty much pre-prepped snacks? Wipe Out Cafe is like burgers and stuff like that? And Windjammers is crazy busy...

Does that about sum it up right?

[Russ Lomas]

Many people live around the pool deck during sea days. I usually split my time equally between the pool deck and the sports area. For this reason, a large selling feature to me is what sports opportunities are available for me to participate in. The Oasis offers more than any other ship, so I was very happy with this area. I only wish I had had more time so I could have participated in some of the organized sports events.

 

As you are about to enter the Sports Court, you will notice this sign outside the teen area letting you know what there is to do here.

 

There are two table tennis areas at the back of the ship with 2 or 3 tables in each. On most ships, their are only about 2 tables in total and they are usually empty and no balls to be found. On the Oasis, the tables were always full and there were piles of balls laying around. Since it was so busy and I did not feel like waiting, I never play table tennis on this cruise.

 

There was always some sort of activity happening on the sports court, be it basketball, soccer, dodgeball, or something else. There were competitive tournaments and pick-up games as well. Be sure you have proper running shoes if you intend to participate in any of these organized events.

 

We played several games of mini-golf on the Oasis. Putters and balls were left out and you did not have to sign them out as I have had to on other ships (thanks RCCL). The balls were not typical golf balls, but very light ones. They were difficult to hit well because they were so light and were really affected by the wind easily. It was usually fairly busy, but you did not have to wait long to get a ball and putter. What was frustrating were some of the people who just jumped around hole to hole and did not follow the very simple order of holes...you know...1...2...3...ect. You had some space in front of you for a hole or two and then some people would just pass you and play in front of you very slowly. There was also a more childish area for the real little kids to play on so that they did not slow down the play on the "adult" course.

 

I loved the statues on the course. Not so tacky as you would have seen on other ships (no spinning windmills here).

 

This old guy played so slowly that it was like he was a statue or something! Every time I went back to play again, he was always in the same place holding up our group. Some people just don't have the common courtesy to step aside and let quicker players play through

 

Here is a nice shot of the two-level suites taken from the mini-golf course. If you look carefully, you can just make out the small Canadian flag Andrew (the gentleman who let me photograph his gorgeous suite and share with you many posts ago) put on the corner of his corner balcony (just above the top of the archway.

[Russ Lomas]

THANKS!!! Just to double-check, Solarium Bistro is health-food, right? (Not how I personally am looking to start this vacay).

That is what they say...and I agree with you about being on vacation (I put on 8.5 lbs on my cruise (both:) and :mad: at the same time). I looked there once and ate their zero times, just because I found more appealing lunch food in the MDR, on the Boardwalk, and in Central Park Cafe.

 

Central Park Cafe has sandwiches (inc. the famous roast beef sandwich) and a salad bar?

FAMOUS roast beef sandwiches...YUMMY. As long as you like it medium rare (the only way they serve them), they are so good with mustard and horseradish. I only wish they had a better mustard than that cheap yellow French's mustard. There is also a sandwich/panini station there, dessert station, and a nice little salad station with made-to-go salads.

 

Cafe Promenade is pretty much pre-prepped snacks?

Exactly. A couple of small sandwiches to choose from and some tiny desserts.

 

Wipe Out Cafe is like burgers and stuff like that?

Yes. People seemed to love the nachos and pretzel dogs there too. I liked other venues too much to eat here (other than use their frozen yogurt machines).

 

[quote=SuperPlanner;38246284}And Windjammers is crazy busy...

Does that about sum it up right?

I try to avoid buffets if I can help it. I just don't find the food as fresh or tasty usually. I did not try the Windjammer on embarkation day, but others told me it was busy.

[Russ Lomas]

I never found time to do the rock climbing wall last year on my 5 day Liberty of the Seas cruise. I vowed to try it on the Oasis this year. Well...I waited til the last sea day (I was too busy doing other things) and went an hour before it closed while the Splish and Splash diving show was to take place. The lineups were so long that I was told it would be more than an hour wait and therefore I was told not to line up because I would not get a turn before they closed for the show (which never happened by the way due to rough seas). I did finally come back in the last 20 minutes they were open that day right before my final meal in the MDR. I HAD to give it a shot. I would be late for dinner, but there was nobody in line and I had promised my 11 year-old DD that I would try it with her this year.

 

Climbing shoes and helmets are provided free of charge. There are a variety of different climbs you can do to service the needs of both the beginner and advanced climber. Last year, my DD made it to the top on the Liberty and rang the bell. This year, she only made it half way and rang the first of two bells. She said she was not as comfortable on this wall as on the Liberty. On the Oasis, she tells me, they have a different ascension set up. On the Liberty, she tells me, a person holds onto one end of the rope. On the Oasis, their is a mechanical device that always takes up the slack in the rope so that you cannot drop far if you let go.

 

Up goes DD (well half way anyways).

 

Now child, watch how the old man (me) does it and learn a thing or two. Here I am just passing the bell she rang. I managed to make it all the way to the top and ring the second bell. Yeah, OK, I am taller and have a greater reach, which is an advantage over her, BUT I also weigh more, so it is harder to pull up all of that extra weight (including the 8.5 pounds I had already gained on this week long trip). I was able to look 10 feet to my right and see right onto that aquasuite balcony that that nice lady from Texas let me on with my other DD to watch the Oasis of Dreams diving show.

[Russ Lomas]

I had promised my 11 year-old DD that I would let her go zip lining during this cruise. She envisioned the $90 zip line we saw in Haiti last year in Labadee. I do not think that she would have had the nerve to go through with that one, but I had promised her. Little did she know that I had switched us to the Oasis from the Freedom of the Seas and she could try zip lining for free (well if you do not factor in the $1500 I paid for her to go on the cruise) as many times as she would like. The zip line is very short, but is about 70 feet or so above the ground below (Central Park). Here is the starting area for the zip line when it was closed.

 

I personally feel that RCCL could not make this attraction any more safe. The employees working the area were professional in terms of how safe I felt. Everything was double and triple checked. You are always hooked on somewhere. Redundancy to avoid disasters seem to be in place everywhere. I despise heights, yet I found this to not be scary and I enjoyed it. That does not mean everyone will feel the same way. The lady in front of me hummed and hawed for 10 minutes before finally changing her mind and walking away after waiting 40 minutes to try it.

 

Here is a shot of the departure area before the gates open to let you go.

 

The lines for the zip lining vary greatly. I went by on a cool windy day and talked to one of the most friendly guys working the Sports area (Andy - short red hair). He had been standing there for 30 minutes and nobody had used the zip line. Now, when I went to do it, there was a 40 minute wait. Pick your time and you will be fine. When my DD did it the first time, she was able to go time after time after time because there were only 2 or 3 people in line. I think she did about 5 times in 15 minutes. Away she goes...again....

 

Tell me Olivia, what did you think of zip lining? Did you like it?

Big thumbs up and an even bigger grin. I guess you liked it.

 

Heck, it can't be that scary. Even my DW gave it a shot and here is the proof below. She is usually not up to anything sporty where there is any kind of danger or risk involved (especially the Flowrider...she doesn't know what she is missing), but she loved the zip line.

[Grandma Petania]

I finally joined up here, after lurking for more than a year.

Thank you, Russ, for the great pictures. They are bringing back happy memories from my last Oasis cruise - AND - getting me excited about my next one.

 

In November 2012 I sailed on the Oasis with DD, DSIL & DGD. (Is this the correct abbreviation for Dear Granddaughter?). I had taken only one other cruise - on a German ship, The Bremen, over 40 years ago with my (then) husband. I won a one-week cruise on the game show "Concentration", but by switching to a cheaper inside cabin and paying just a little extra, I extended it to a two-week Caribbean cruise with ports as far south as Aruba & Venezuela.

 

My DD had taken a couple of Carnival cruises with her first husband, and a couple with her current spouse. 21-year-old DGD had never cruised before. All in all, we knew it would be a big adventure to sail on the Oasis, and none of us were disappointed.

 

Because DSIL is wheelchair-bound with MD, they needed an accessible cabin, and DGD & I had an adjoining room. It was really handy to be able to communicate and visit with each other through the adjoining door. Although DSIL had been on a prior cruise with a balcony stateroom, the balcony had not been accessible to him. We were all delighted to discover that the Oasis was built with small ramps to allow him to go onto the balcony. He spent many hours out there, and the four of us gathered there almost every afternoon to lounge around and consume snacks and drinks from room service. He also spent many evenings on the balcony while the rest of us went to some of the shows.

 

We never paid for food on the cruise. DD & DSIL paid for some alcoholic drinks (but not enough to warrant 2 drink packages), and he had espresso after dinner a couple of nights. DGD & I ate breakfast one morning at Johnny Rockets, but decided that we liked the greater variety of choices at the Windjammer. Never tried the Solarium Bistro for breakfast or lunch, but will look into that this trip. We were all very happy with the food and service in the Main Dining Room for dinner, and I'm planning to eat there every night on my upcoming Oasis cruise.

 

I will be sailing on the Oasis, November 2-9, 2013 with my other (unmarried) daughter. I came into a bit of unexpected money, and I decided it would be the perfect way to celebrate my 74th birthday, and to share the Oasis with my younger daughter.

 

To fit the budget, I've opted for an interior stateroom this trip. We both figure that we won't spend that much time in the room - except at night and during my afternoon nap time. (I am 74 after all.) My only apprehension about it is that we'll be on Deck 12, and I understand that rough seas can be felt even more on higher decks. I did use some mild motion-sick meds last time, when we were on Deck 10, and got along okay. I'm just hoping we won't have the kind of rough seas that you wrote about, Russ.

 

I think it is impossible to learn "everything" about a ship before sailing on it for the first time (and maybe even the 2nd & 3rd time, etc.). I've made notes about several things from your review. I never ate at the Park Cafe, and I'll skip the roast beef sandwich since I'm a vegetarian, but I might check out the salads. I avoided the parades last trip, but might check out the Parade of Nations from the level above, across from the Pub. I also didn't go to the comedy club at all, but I'll definitely look for the Alligator in the Subway Sewer this trip.

 

Thanks again, Russ, for posting the great pictures. I'm sure I will look at them many times between now and November.

P.S. Just submitted my post, and then saw your pix of the zip line. I did the zip line last November, and I plan to do it multiple times this year. Am also going to try the rock wall climb this time. I'll be darned if I'll be one of those little old ladies sitting in a rocking chair watching other people have fun - LOL.

[Russ Lomas]

Saving the best of the Sports Court area for last...the FLOWRIDER.

 

This way to my favourite activity on any ship.

 

I have skied for many years and am addicted to skiing. Now, I like to ski every year at Jay Peak in Vermont. They added a Flowrider two years ago in their waterpark and now I have a hard time when I visit there deciding between skiing and Flowriding. I find it that addictive. Just to get my Flowriding fix, I have been looking up where the closest Flowrider is to where I live (London, Ontario). I am hoping to do the 4 hour drive to the closest one near me this summer and am considering a 12 hour drive to get to a resort that has one for a few days. Yes, I have the Flowriding bug.

 

What is the Flowrider you ask? A rubberized surface over which water flows at 35 miles per hour making it possible for you to boogie board or surf on the wave it creates. Here it is before you add the water.

 

Many people try the boogie boarding on their bellies, most of them kids. The height requirement means that many children who would like to try stand up surfing are just not able to. That is fine with me. Less people in line. Here is a group lesson with a young boy riding a boogie board beside and instructor.

 

There are 2 Flowriders on the Oasis class ships. One dedicated to boogie boarding and one to stand up. They often divided the boogie boarding one into two parts with a divider down the middle so two riders could safely ride at one time. When I went on the Liberty last year, I did a fair bit of this and enjoyed it. You are supposed to ride it with just your chest and arms on the board, not your entire belly. If you ride it properly, you can do a lot more tricks, but your body takes a bit of a pounding from the water. Just imagine being pulled on your belly behind a speedboat going 35 MPH for a minute or two. Last year, riders who managed to ride for 30 seconds or so were encouraged to try a trick that the workers showed you. If you succeeded, they had you try another trick. You continued until you messed one up and are washed up over the top of the wave. Ride over.

 

A buddy and I booked an hour on a Flowrider to ourselves last summer and learned a lot of tricks. I was looking forward to doing many of these tricks on the Oasis until some idiot successfully sued RCCL about an injury she incurred while riding. RCCL over-reacted, in my mind, and banned basically all tricks. For this reason, I did not waste my time on the boogie boarding at all during my week on the Oasis. Let's hope they reconsider before my next RCCL cruise next March. I like to challenge myself and there is absolutely no challenge to laying on a board. It is like laying on a toboggan.

 

A former co-worker of mine, a teacher at a school we both used to work at, happened to be on the same trip as me this week. I kept telling her that she HAD to try the Flowrider. She sent me the photo below after the trip was over. I guess she did try it out. Way to go Ms. Webb!!!

 

Well, in my opinion, there is little challenge left to boogie boarding since the tricks have been abolished on the RCCL ships. Now, anyone looking for a bit of challenge, make that a LOT of a challenge, head over to try stand-up surfing.

 

YOU WILL FALL.

YOU WILL GET LAUGHED AT.

YOU WILL FEEL SORE FOR A FEW DAYS AFTER.

YOU WILL HAVE A BLAST AND LIKELY WANT TO TRY IT AGAIN.

 

I don't care if you ski, snowboard, wakeboard, or skateboard. This is different and the instructors tell you that. Half of the fun of stand up is watching the cocky know-it-alls say they are experts at other similar sports, refuse to listen to instructors, and are slammed to the ground and washed away in 2 seconds flat.

 

Hint: Listen to the instructors. They will help you a lot (although some a lot more than others).

 

Line-ups I saw over the course of the week for stand-up ranged from 2 people to 20 people during the time it was open for free (non-paid lesson time). With 2 people in line, I got tired very quickly. With 20 people in line, I got cold very quickly since you only rode about every 30 to 40 minutes and then typically only rode for 30-60 seconds (much less for some).

 

Many people will try stand up, but there is a core bunch of people who are back over and over. There is a great camaraderie built up amongst those who continually return to test (and punish) themselves. I do not consider myself an expert by any means, that would be Leo and Tracy (you know who you are), but I was proud of my accomplishments by the end of the week (being able to do a 2 minute ride, carving side to side, running to the top of the wave and back down, pulling a 180, and almost pulling a 360). Everyone there is cheering each other on (although some inner part of you wants everyone in front of you in the line to wipe out quickly so you can get to your next turn faster).

 

It was really windy this week we were on the Oasis and therefore quite chilly. Most of the diehards wore shorty wetsuits or at least a long sleeved shirt. I found it uncomfortable in my long sleeved shirt and usually took it off when riding (like below). You will notice that the instructors always are wearing wetsuits. Next time, I plan to bring my shorty wetsuit with me.

 

There is a bar situated right between the Flowriders. I tended to be a bit more relaxed on my rides after a couple of sips of liquid courage. I was not aware that this was against the rules. When I found out about this, I was more than happy to leave the beverages til after my riding time was over for the day. You have to realize you will very likely fall and lots of people will see it. The even have stands set up for people to watch you make an idiot out of yourself. How kind of you RCCL.

 

The photo taken below was before I got the real hang of it and started to get more comfortable, so please excuse my poor knock-kneed stance. (Thanks Leo for e-mailing the photo).

 

Like I said, I am not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but here are a few tips I found to be helpful to me (in case you plan on trying this for the first time or maybe just could not quite get the hang of it last time but want to try again.)

 

1 - Stand up tall when riding and do not lean your shoulders over low to the ground.

 

2 - Until you are comfortable and have good balance, keep your front arm up and pointing forward.

 

3 - Until you are comfortable, use your rear arm to help you steer - SLOWLY rotate your shoulder from side to side.

 

4 - When you are falling, try not to simply fall flat on your face or back since it will give you terrible whiplash. You will not feel it for a day or two, but after that you will not believe the pain in your upper back, shoulders, and neck. If you find yourself falling and you know you are going down, try to land in a sitting position on your butt and sitting up tall. This prevents the whiplash effect since when you hit the "ground" with your butt, the weight of your head drives down into your neck and shoulders. It sounds painful, but this way, it really does not hurt. Your butt will not get sore from the "ground", so don't worry about that. (I really wish somebody had told me this trick since it would have saved me several days of agony on prior attempts).

 

5 - When you are falling, go with it using the technique above. Do not try to walk off in the wave is you lose the board. The instructors will tell you off if you do and you may very well get wiped out by the wave and hurt yourself.

 

6 - The landing at the top after you wipe out is the area you may get a bit scraped up, if at all. The "ground" in this area is a hard plastic grating with a rougher surface on top so that it is not slippery. The water drains though this grating and is recycled into the wave below you. You want to land on this harder plastic sitting on your butt and not rubbing your face, back, elbow, knees, etc. over it (thing of a rough grit of sand paper being rubbed against your skin). Sound like fun yet?

 

7 - You need to have a comfortable foot stance, otherwise it will just not feel "right". The distance between your feet, how far forward or back you are on the board, whether or not you keep your feet straight across the board or have your toes pointing slightly forward all seem to depend on the individual rider. The biggest thing I figured out was, once I got up and on the wave, I started to bounce and jump up a bit on the board and my feet naturally landed in the position they were most comfortable in. Before this, I tried to shimmy and slide my feet around and I found this very awkward and I was not very successful at this and often wiped out while doing this.

 

Although simply standing still and not falling will be the goal of most people, the real joy comes when you are brave enough to try to start to turn. The feel of throwing down a few turns and really beginning to get that carving sensation in the water is indescribable.

 

Have fun with it, but don't stay up on it too long....I want my turn!

[Russ Lomas]

I finally joined up here, after lurking for more than a year.

WOW, a CruiseCriting Posting virgin. I feel honoured that you made your first post here on my thread after "lurking for and entire year."

 

I came into a bit of unexpected money, and I decided it would be the perfect way to celebrate my 74th birthday, and to share the Oasis with my younger daughter.

What a great way to celebrate a birthday. I hope you have a great cruise.

 

P.S. Just submitted my post, and then saw your pix of the zip line. I did the zip line last November, and I plan to do it multiple times this year. Am also going to try the rock wall climb this time. I'll be darned if I'll be one of those little old ladies sitting in a rocking chair watching other people have fun - LOL.

Good for you doing the zip line. I will warn you that the rock climbing wall is a lot tougher than the zip line, but I admire your eagerness to give it a try. Not sure how you would like the stand-up Flowrider, I have been told there have been a few riders in their 80's on it. (I hope to be one of them 37 years years from now).

[Grandma Petania]

I didn't even go watch folks on the flow rider last year. I'll be sure to do that this year, but there is NO WAY you'll find me trying that even once - not even the boogie board. I like to swim, but I don't dive or get my head under water. I'm not into gymnastics, jogging, basketball, heavy exercising - or even ping pong. However, I introduced my GDG to shuffleboard last year. I don't think she was very impressed, but I was delighted to find it.

[Diamond_Dave1173]

Thanks Russ! Really has quelled my cruise fever looking at your pictures!

[Russ Lomas]

I didn't even go watch folks on the flow rider last year. I'll be sure to do that this year, but there is NO WAY you'll find me trying that even once - not even the boogie board.

 

Sitting watching people try to do the stand-up flowrider is a great form of entertainment. Be sure to sit back there this time. It is like watching an episode of America's Funniest Home Videos.