Oasis Review with pictures- July 20, 2013

[usckatieh]

DAY 7 - Last Day at Sea

For our last day at sea, we tried to squeeze in all the fun stuff plus some good ‘ol relaxing. For lunch, we decided to try another specialty restaurant in the part, Giovanni's ($15/person). The food was delicious. It seemed to me like real Italian. Our favorites were the fried shrimp/fish appetizer- soooo tasty!

I didn't take too many food shots over the trip but we had good light in Giovanni's so I took a quick shot of my strip steak entree with my iphone- surprising the brocolli was the most delicious part- and I'm not usually a big vegi eater.

The entree was pretty decent but to be honest, I could eat nothing but appetizers and desert at this restaurant and be perfectly happy. The tiramisu desert was super rich and creamy.

After lunch we had a very quick Salsa lessons given by the hairspray staff with our dinner buddies.

Enjoying our lesson at Dazzles

Then, we caught the Splish splash show from the 11th floor. This show is very humorous- I could see our kids loving it- and showcase more of the awesome diving talent. FYI- If you have kids that would like getting wet, have them sit in the first row of the Aqua theater. The performers went out of their way to make sure those rows got quite a few splashes.

We finished off the night with a yummy dinner at MDR (I’d really gotten to like that experience) and a soak in the hot tub.

One last night panoramic with the iphone before heading to bed!

Edited August 7, 2013 by usckatieh

[usckatieh]

DAY 8 – Saying Goodbye to our home away from home

Sadly, this day isn't all that exciting, but I thought I'd share our disembarking experience to hopefully help newbies like me know what to expect.

Maybe someone else can tell me their experience with walking off with their luggage late, but we were planning on walking off around 9:00 with our luggage until our room attendant let us know that anyone carrying their luggage needed to leave by 7:45, something about customs and checking the bags through earlier.

With that information, we decided to just wake up super early (5 am) to beat the crowds and we got to watch the boat dock into port at Fort Lauderdale. Windjammer opened at 5:30 so we had breakfast with the other early risers. We were able to leave the boat about 6:30am and made it through customs in 15 minutes. The customs officer said that the lines would get much longer as the day went on.

Our 9 hr drive went pretty smoothly aside from a diagnostic alarm on the car going ballistic and a quick stop for brake fluid. It was nice to be home and see the kiddos of course but I think we're definitely hooked on cruising. Over the trip we kept saying, "Cruise life is so much better than real life!" We are already trying to plan our next adventure but this time with the kids- there was so much they would have loved!

Since I finished my long story (thanks if you made it this far) I wanted to add a few extras that might help planners like me.

Edited August 7, 2013 by usckatieh

[Cruzin-K]

I found the camera bag at www.jototes.com. It was less than $100 which is great compared to the similar Kelly Moore bags. It seemed really well constructed and it fit my SLR with zoom lens, an extra wide angle lens and a flash and had some cool zipper pouchs on the inside and outside. I was really impressed with the quality for the price. It's big but it looks cute and it doesn't scream "I'm carrying around an expensive camera!" :) Have fun on your trip!

 

Well dang it! I just bought a new camera bag (that looks like a camera bag) when I got my new fisheye lens. Now I'm checking out the jototes website and I want them all :( :o

[hscruiser]

I really enjoyed reading your review; thanks! :)

[usckatieh]

My Random Oasis Cruise Tips

 

Lastly I wanted to share a few random tips I picked up! I'm repeating myself a little but they're good things to remember!

 

- Check out the back-of-the-boat balconies on 7, 11, 12. They’re a great place to view the wake of the ship, the shows in the Aquatheater or just to get away from the crowds and relax. Deck 14 has a great view of the front of the ship. A CC search can tell you exactly where all of them are.

- Remember not to overeat. Nevermind, you’re going to overeat so bring plenty of stomach remedies. I brought Tums but DH needed the good stuff and 4 Zantac 150 pills cost $8 on the ship (you can get 30 generic for that price on land).

- Order multiple starters/entrees in dining room. Hey, you brought the Zantac so who cares?

- Prebook shows before the cruise- you don't have to go but if you want to, your seat is saved.

- Bring excursion tickets off ship and look there for where to meet.

- Clothes dry out better on balcony. It takes swimsuits 2+ days to dry hanging in the bathroom, but once we started setting things to dry on the balcony while we were in port, they’d be dry in a few hours. Disclaimer, we tried most of our items to chairs but I also didn’t put anything on the balcony I would be heartbroken if it flew away. They also had days when they cleaned the balcony so it had to be clear of any items, but they sent a note out to let us know when that would be.

- Try the candy shop by the pound shop early and you’ll be able to munch on the sweets the whole trip.

- The soda package was totally worth it for my DH. I drink mostly water but he orders a soda with every meal and we figured that if he drinks more than 2 sodas a day, it makes sense to get the package. He found that the Coke Freestyle machines were sometimes out of order but then he would just stop at the Café Promenade or somewhere like that to fill up his cup.

- Go to deck 5 (Royal Promenade) or deck 8 (Central Park) if you need to get from one end of the ship to the other. It’s much prettier than walking through the stateroom hallways.

- PCs available in card room deck 14 for Internet access so you don’t have to bring a laptop to get online.

- You check out pool towels at one of the desks on the pool deck. You have to return it to that desk by 10-11pm on the last cruise night or they will charge $25 to your seapass.

- Check your seapass account as you go along. I found one $60 error on mine during the cruise which I had corrected at guest services and one from the photo vendors when we got back, which they’re working on fixing now.

-The photo kiosks get SUPER busy on the last day. If you just want to buy a photo from the first formal night, like me, buy it before the last cruise day and beat the crowds.

- I really enjoyed meeting people from all over the world on the ship. We met people from Dubai, France, Philippines, China and Spain all in one week.

 

Well, that's most of the insights I have from our first cruise. It was an AMAZING experience and I cannot wait to cruise again. Feel free to ask me any questions at all! Enjoy your cruises! ;)

Edited August 7, 2013 by usckatieh

[usckatieh]

Well dang it! I just bought a new camera bag (that looks like a camera bag) when I got my new fisheye lens. Now I'm checking out the jototes website and I want them all :( :o

 

You can always find an excuse for another cute camera bag. ;)

[bkr50]

I enjoyed reading your review and always interested to hear a first-timers perspective. I've converted 2 of my co-workers who took their first cruises this past year. Both were apprehensive about being "stuck on a boat" but now they and their spouses are hooked on cruising.

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I never leave home without my probiotics! ESPECIALLY on a cruise (where you know the food is going to be a bit richer.)

 

Antacids- check

Probiotics- check

Something to keep the 'plumbing' going if needed- check

 

Ok yeah, when you have digestive issues, you bring a 'pharmacy' on board!

 

Also congrats on giving the best review and photo tour I have seen of Oasis. I don't think my honey and I would do an RCI and it NOT be Oasis/Allure (our other RCI to Hawaii was great cuz it was Hawaii but we can't even remember what ship it was! The cruise itself wasn't memorable.) I have another DCL planned for May. Maybe 2015 might give RCI another go around...we just LOVE Disney cruising though (we've only had a 3 day so we have to do some more.) Although I always thought I wouldn't find the Oasis appealing (I like to feel like I"m on an ocean liner, not in a mall or park while at sea), I did enjoy your photo tour so that I could see if it is something that would appeal to me.

 

Welcome to the cruising addiction! (Our parents left us with grandma for their first cruise when we were 8 or 9. They said they would never do that again. We love to take trips as a family. We have been cruising since our first RCCLs at age 11! So definitely bring the kids. I still remember a LOT about that first cruise *eek* 20 yrs ago!)

Edited August 7, 2013 by TwinPrincessMermaids

[Irene7]

Great pix! Thank you for sharing them.:D

[TNcruiser829]

My Random Oasis Cruise Tips

 

-The photo kiosks get SUPER busy on the last day. If you just want to buy a photo from the first formal night, like me, buy it before the last cruise day and beat the crowds.

 

 

Thanks for the great review and pics. We're about to go on our first cruise also and the tips will come in handy.

 

I was wondering, was the photo kiosks busy because the pics are discounted on the late day?

[Wine Luvuh]

Thanks for your great review!! Just over 3 weeks and I will be on the ship!

[usckatieh]

Hey! I think one reason the kiosks were so busy was because if you decided to do a photo book, you wanted pictures from the whole trip before you ordered and building a whole photo book can take up a kiosk for a LONG time. The other is just people like me that knew they wanted to order something but were just too busy having fun and didn't remember until the deadline was close. Either way, I got through there in less than 30 minutes but it probably would have only taken 5 the day before. Whoops!

[mm1251]

Really enjoyed your review!

 

Love the Oasis.

 

Thank you!!

 

PS -- also like the DH's hats. A good Fedora never goes out of style.

Edited August 8, 2013 by mm1251

[setsail]

you nailed it. Great job:)

[cruzegurl104]

Thanks for all of the great info!! What was your favorite thing about Oasis? How was the food in the MDR? Any one or two nights that you would skip for the specialty restaurants?

 

:)

[jpcello]

Thank you so much for sharing your trip. My sister and I are on the Oasis in 16 days (leaving August 24 for eastern Caribbean). Can't wait.

[guardia]

Thanks for the wonderful feedback. It will be my first time on Oasis. I love big ships. Did the Disney Wonder a few years ago and thought it was a tugboat. :D

[usckatieh]

Thanks for all of the great info!! What was your favorite thing about Oasis? How was the food in the MDR? Any one or two nights that you would skip for the specialty restaurants?

 

My favorite thing about the Oasis is probably walking through Central Park- that is one amazing engineering feat! A garden in the middle of the ocean! I thought the food at MDR was really tasty. They had some definite home run dishes and some just ok ones but overall, I was really happy with the food. I can't think of a night that i would have wanted to skip but I am glad we made it to a specialty restaurant because I was really impressed with Chops and Giovanni's.

[pnkgeeni]

Great review. Loved all your photos and tips! We're going on the same one in 42 days...

I can't find out why a rash vest/guard is really useful?

[usckatieh]

Great review. Loved all your photos and tips! We're going on the same one in 42 days...

I can't find out why a rash vest/guard is really useful?

 

Hi! The rash gaurd is basicly just a swimshirt with short sleeves that covered my stomach. I found it helpful because it had spf protection so I didn't have to worry about slathering those areas in sunscreen and it helped so I didn't loose a bikini top on that flow rider when the water is rushing out at 30 mph. :) I also felt like I could walk around wearing the rash gaurd/ swim shirt at places like Dunns River Falls and still have a little modesty without feeling like I was wearing a wet tshirt.

[ericswife8205]

Thanx for the review. We sail in 80 days, which is 79 too many, and can't wait. It will be my first time on Oasis, so this is really a great way to get acquainted with the Big Girl before hand

 

 

My family is sailingo n the Oasis on the 26th as well!!

[addicted2]

"Cruise life is so much better than real life!"

 

I am going to make that my new motto...Thanks for such a great review. Iope you don't mind that I copied a few of your pictures, loved the ones of the ship in Labadee. Cruising is very addicting as I'm sure you have found out.

[radiantmeg]

I had fun reading your review! And you had really great photos. Dh and I are sailing on the Oasis in January. I have a quick question for you though. You took your cell phone (I saw you mention the iphone)....did you keep it turned on most of the time? And did you call home at all? We have three small kids who will be staying with grandma and grandpa too and I'm wondering about calling to check in.

 

Thanks!

[dreamer976]

Welcome to the world of cruising - you certainly picked a great ship for a first cruise! Thanks to both of you for sharing your wonderful memories with all of us on CC. Looks like you had a fabulous time.

 

. . . so, when's the next cruise?

[usckatieh]

I had fun reading your review! And you had really great photos. Dh and I are sailing on the Oasis in January. I have a quick question for you though. You took your cell phone (I saw you mention the iphone)....did you keep it turned on most of the time? And did you call home at all? We have three small kids who will be staying with grandma and grandpa too and I'm wondering about calling to check in.

 

Thanks!

 

Hi! I actually had my phone on airplane mode from the moment we left the terminal until we got off the ship because my husband was terrified of the crazy roaming charges. Looking at the Verizon plans, it seemed the cheapest to maybe pay for access at the port (i.e. Mexico, etc) but we had a lot of excursions planned so we knew we wouldn't have much time in port. Knowing that, we decided that email would be the best way to get updates and of course we gave them the phone number on our check in information that allowed them to reach the ship in the case of an emergency.

 

I would have loved to been able to have them call us straight on the cell but I've personally heard too many horror stories about phone bills in the hundreds of dollars range to test my luck. We fortunately felt pretty secure that they were in good hands though and just to be safe we left a note allowing Grandparents to seek medical treatment for the kids if necessary, insurance numbers, doc office phone numbers, etc. Long story short, we felt email was easiest.

 

I hope you have a wonderful time! It was our first trip without kids since we had our daughter 7 yrs ago and it was SO relaxing. Of course we saw how many things on that ship that they would LOVE so they're definitely coming along on trip #2.

 

 

Welcome to the world of cruising - you certainly picked a great ship for a first cruise! Thanks to both of you for sharing your wonderful memories with all of us on CC. Looks like you had a fabulous time.

 

. . . so, when's the next cruise?

 

Speaking of trip #2- my husband has a big work project that will last through Jan-Feb 2014, but he's determined as soon as there's an end in sight, he wants to book a winter/spring cruise on the Freedom (hopefully Eastern Caribbean this time) for the whole family! Definitely by the end of the summer. And we're trying to see which extended family members we can talk into coming with us. Cruises are the best! We're totally hooked!