Lunch before embarking Oasis

[helen haywood]

Hey, I know its a departure...instead of trying to get on board as quickly as possible... But it sounds like you wait in the terminal building for a while if you get there early....and then it sounds like the ship seems really crowded only then...before everybody can go to their cabins.

 

So I was thinking maybe we'd just have lunch somewhere instead. We have a car. Where is a fun place to have lunch (Oasis sailing September 7, 2012) with a sea view?

 

Thanks for any help!

[Keith1010]

You could go over to the Hyatt and eat on the top floor.

 

Keith

[FionaMG]

Or alternatively, plan to board around 1pm. At that time, there should be no waiting around the terminal and the early boarders will already have had lunch on board and be rushing off to their cabins. That means you can board, drop off your carry-ons immediately and then go for a leisurely, less crowded lunch. After all, that lunch is included in your cruise fare. ;)

[jennyau]

Hey, I know its a departure...instead of trying to get on board as quickly as possible... But it sounds like you wait in the terminal building for a while if you get there early....and then it sounds like the ship seems really crowded only then...before everybody can go to their cabins.

 

So I was thinking maybe we'd just have lunch somewhere instead. We have a car. Where is a fun place to have lunch (Oasis sailing September 7, 2012) with a sea view?

 

Thanks for any help!

 

2012? :)

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[BlueHerons]

You could go over to the Hyatt and eat on the top floor.

 

Keith

Keith, did they reopen the top floor as a restaurant? Last time I was there they were only using it for special events. Good info to know if so!

 

While Aruba is my first pick it is kind of far away from the port but you could go about 11 and have margaritas and the crab nachos (my favorite thing on the menu), leave about one and still get there in plenty of time.

 

Closer on the water but not oceanfront would be Bimini Boat Yard, Bahia CAbana, 15th Street Fisheries.

 

I think this is a great plan! Let us know what you decide and how it works out!

 

FWIW, there are a bunch of restaurants at Beach Place which is on the ocean.

[helen haywood]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, LOL, I do mean September 7, 2013!

 

I know my lunch is included in my cruise fare...but we have to be out of our hotel by 12 and I wasn't sure what to do to kill time till after 1 to go to the port so I thought of lunch. I haven't yet broken it to my husband we are sailing on Oasis....he and I had vowed we were never, EVER, sailing on those behemoths. But then I started reading the reviews....and....well....here we are. So I just hated his first experience to be all the people and crush when it sounds like that first embarkation and muster drill are the only times the ship really seems like you are surrounded by 6000 people....

 

I'll let you know what we wind up doing. Thanks for the replies.

[brunello22]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, LOL, I do mean September 7, 2013!

 

I know my lunch is included in my cruise fare...but we have to be out of our hotel by 12 and I wasn't sure what to do to kill time till after 1 to go to the port so I thought of lunch. I haven't yet broken it to my husband we are sailing on Oasis....he and I had vowed we were never, EVER, sailing on those behemoths. But then I started reading the reviews....and....well....here we are. So I just hated his first experience to be all the people and crush when it sounds like that first embarkation and muster drill are the only times the ship really seems like you are surrounded by 6000 people....

 

I'll let you know what we wind up doing. Thanks for the replies.

 

I like St. Bart's Cafe or Casablanca Cafe - both with ocean views.

[Langley Cruisers]

Helen, I respect your plan, but you know you can go over to the port earlier than 1, right? The check-in starts earlier than that, with boarding beginning around 11 or 11:30. It's all very slick and efficient at the new terminal. True, cabins are not ready until 1 or 1:30 and you will have your carry-ons with you until then but you certainly do not have to find something to do to kill time. The first day onboard is a day you've paid for - my advice is to go over early and get your vacation started. :D

[royalcruz]

Casablanca Cafe

Oasis

H20

Lulu's Bait Shack

All have good food, across the street from ocean and are close to the port.

 

We usuallly go to the port at 11:30 or 12. We were on Allure. The Windjammer and Park Cafe were packed so we had lunch at the wine bar on Central Park. They have a great selection of tapas for a very reasonable price and you can sit outside...it's really nice...you don't have to order drinks if you don't want to.

[helen haywood]

This would be Vintages on Oasis? They are open on embarkation day and have food?

[Florissouri]

Hey, I know its a departure...instead of trying to get on board as quickly as possible... But it sounds like you wait in the terminal building for a while if you get there early....and then it sounds like the ship seems really crowded only then...before everybody can go to their cabins.

 

So I was thinking maybe we'd just have lunch somewhere instead. We have a car. Where is a fun place to have lunch (Oasis sailing September 7, 2012) with a sea view?

 

Thanks for any help!

 

Smart person. I usually don't arrive at the port until after 2:00 PM so there are no lines at security, check-in or to get on the ship and then you can go straight to your cabin to drop your stuff.

 

I suggest the Quarterdeck in the Dania Beach Pier. Plenty of convenient parking and you have a choice of inside seating or outside right over the beach and water.

 

Oh...and since you are already at the beach...

[Florissouri]

Helen, I respect your plan, but you know you can go over to the port earlier than 1, right? The check-in starts earlier than that, with boarding beginning around 11 or 11:30. It's all very slick and efficient at the new terminal. True, cabins are not ready until 1 or 1:30 and you will have your carry-ons with you until then but you certainly do not have to find something to do to kill time. The first day onboard is a day you've paid for - my advice is to go over early and get your vacation started. :D

 

Go back and read her post again. The whole point was NOT to arrive early. I don't want to waste good vacation time standing in lines, especially when I could be at the beach instead.

[royalcruz]

This would be Vintages on Oasis? They are open on embarkation day and have food?

Yes it is called Vintages. We ate food there at lunchtime on embarkation day on Allure and it was a great start to the cruise. I believe Giovanni's was also open for lunch that day if you want a big meal. It might be different on different ships and sometimes they change policies.

[gizfish]

I am not sure you realize how efficient boarding Oasis and Allure is. If you left your hotel and arrived at port shortly after that, after your 12 noon checkout, you would be on Oasis rather quickly. There truly are not a lot of lines or long lines. The embarkation of these ships is nothing like how it is on the smaller ones. The only issue may be having to keep your carry-on with you until the rooms open at about 1.

[Florissouri]

I am not sure you realize how efficient boarding Oasis and Allure is. If you left your hotel and arrived at port shortly after that, after your 12 noon checkout, you would be on Oasis rather quickly. There truly are not a lot of lines or long lines. The embarkation of these ships is nothing like how it is on the smaller ones. The only issue may be having to keep your carry-on with you until the rooms open at about 1.

 

Let's see...lying on the beach or standing in line? Hmmm...wading in the surf or standing in line at the buffet lugging my carry-on?

[JamesEM]

FYI - We had our family vacation on the Oasis of the Seas this past Oct., our group arrived at 11:45 and were on the ship in less than 30 minutes and wound up waiting for the OK to go our cabins at 1.

[FionaMG]

I am not sure you realize how efficient boarding Oasis and Allure is. If you left your hotel and arrived at port shortly after that, after your 12 noon checkout, you would be on Oasis rather quickly. There truly are not a lot of lines or long lines. The embarkation of these ships is nothing like how it is on the smaller ones. The only issue may be having to keep your carry-on with you until the rooms open at about 1.

 

Gizfish is right. On our Oasis cruise we arrived at the port at around midday and walked straight up to a check-in desk. There were lots with no-one else waiting at them, so no standing in line at. The whole business of handing luggage over to the porters, check-in and boarding process, which you have to do regardless of what time you arrive at port, took about 45 minutes from start to finish, so we were on board by about 12.45. That left us just 15 minutes to oooh and aaah in the Royal Promenade with our carry-ons until we were able to go and dump them in our room and head to the WJ for lunch. And because the early boarders had already eaten there was plenty of room and we had no trouble finding a table right by the window.

So the OP would not really waste any vacation time by going straight from the hotel to port at midday.

[Florissouri]

Gizfish is right. On our Oasis cruise we arrived at the port at around midday and walked straight up to a check-in desk. There were lots with no-one else waiting at them, so no standing in line at. The whole business of handing luggage over to the porters, check-in and boarding process, which you have to do regardless of what time you arrive at port, took about 45 minutes from start to finish, so we were on board by about 12.45. That left us just 15 minutes to oooh and aaah in the Royal Promenade with our carry-ons until we were able to go and dump them in our room and head to the WJ for lunch. And because the early boarders had already eaten there was plenty of room and we had no trouble finding a table right by the window.

So the OP would not really waste any vacation time by going straight from the hotel to port at midday.

 

I just don't get people who think they have to be standing at the gates to get on a cruise ship ASAP when you could be at the beach or anything else. Ft Lauderdale is a better port than most ships visit, so using your logic one should never get off the ship in port. Oddly, the very same people usually can't wait to get off the ship in port and are standing in line yet again.

[Eng23]

I just don't get people who think they have to be standing at the gates to get on a cruise ship ASAP when you could be at the beach or anything else. Ft Lauderdale is a better port than most ships visit, so using your logic one should never get off the ship in port. Oddly, the very same people usually can't wait to get off the ship in port and are standing in line yet again.

It's ok for you not "to get" why some people want to get on the ship so early. I'm guessing the simple answer is that those people figure they paid for this day so I am going to get on early and experience whatever they can on that first day.

[BlueHerons]

I just don't get people who think they have to be standing at the gates to get on a cruise ship ASAP when you could be at the beach or anything else. Ft Lauderdale is a better port than most ships visit, so using your logic one should never get off the ship in port. Oddly, the very same people usually can't wait to get off the ship in port and are standing in line yet again.

 

I keep trying to get people to see Fort Lauderdale and Miami but most people want a cheap motel off I 95 and hurry up and get on board. It's puzzling.

[Langley Cruisers]

I keep trying to get people to see Fort Lauderdale and Miami but most people want a cheap motel off I 95 and hurry up and get on board. It's puzzling.

 

It makes sense, though. I mean, if someone has a few days to spend pre-cruise, that's great, but otherwise they (we!) have blinders on sometimes - we just want to get to our cruise ship and start the vacation we have been saving for, planning, budgeting for, stressing over, hoping for, and excited about for months and even years. :)

[FionaMG]

I just don't get people who think they have to be standing at the gates to get on a cruise ship ASAP when you could be at the beach or anything else. Ft Lauderdale is a better port than most ships visit, so using your logic one should never get off the ship in port. Oddly, the very same people usually can't wait to get off the ship in port and are standing in line yet again.

 

But we didn't, that was the whole point. Since we were travelling from Europe we flew in 2 days before and spent the whole of the day before the cruise walking the river walk, las olas and all the way to the beach. We had actually planned to spend part of the day on the beach but the weather wasn't in our favour. Then, having thoroughly enjoyed our "Port of Call" in Fort Lauderdale, on the day of our cruise we got up fairly late, had a leisurely breakfast and left the hotel around 11.30 to take advantage of their free shuttle. It was very relaxing way to start the day and we wasted no time whatsoever waiting in line or sitting around the port because by the time we arrived all the early birds had checked in and boarded.

We didn't feel we wasted any part of our time.

I'm not saying the OP should do exactly what we did because everyone has their own preferences, simply sharing our experience, which was completely different from what she mentioned in her original post.

[Florissouri]

It's ok for you not "to get" why some people want to get on the ship so early. I'm guessing the simple answer is that those people figure they paid for this day so I am going to get on early and experience whatever they can on that first day.

 

O-kay...

 

Then the best thing to do is stay on the ship when it's in port because they paid for that day.

[Florissouri]

It makes sense, though. I mean, if someone has a few days to spend pre-cruise, that's great, but otherwise they (we!) have blinders on sometimes - we just want to get to our cruise ship and start the vacation we have been saving for, planning, budgeting for, stressing over, hoping for, and excited about for months and even years. :)

 

So in your blind rush you miss the best part of the vacation you saved for, planned, budgeted, stressed over, hoped for and exited about for months?

 

Ever heard the expression, "Slow down and smell the roses?"

[Florissouri]

But we didn't, that was the whole point. Since we were travelling from Europe we flew in 2 days before and spent the whole of the day before the cruise walking the river walk, las olas and all the way to the beach. We had actually planned to spend part of the day on the beach but the weather wasn't in our favour. Then, having thoroughly enjoyed our "Port of Call" in Fort Lauderdale, on the day of our cruise we got up fairly late, had a leisurely breakfast and left the hotel around 11.30 to take advantage of their free shuttle. It was very relaxing way to start the day and we wasted no time whatsoever waiting in line or sitting around the port because by the time we arrived all the early birds had checked in and boarded.

We didn't feel we wasted any part of our time.

I'm not saying the OP should do exactly what we did because everyone has their own preferences, simply sharing our experience, which was completely different from what she mentioned in her original post.

 

 

But aren't you trying to talk her out of slowing down and enjoying lunch on the beach?