Just booked the Oasis!!

[mbc1983]

Hi Everyone! I am new to cruise critic and new to Royal Caribbean. We usually go through Carnival or NCL. We just booked a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas for Feb 1. I wanted to try a big ship! I am realizing this vacation will take some planning since reservations are needed for a lot of things. So what are some must sees?? What activities cost extra? Does the surf simulator and zip lining cost extra? How is the food? Thanks for your help!

[Pebbles468]

Start exploring all the boards for info about the ship, excursions, ports of call, etc. You may even find the Cruise Compass' for your ship. People tend to share a lot of information so you can plan out your vacation.

 

Enjoy and don't forget to register for the roll call on your sailing!

[jletsgo]

Welcome.....the flow rider, zip line and rock wall are all FREE.....food in main dining room and windjammer are free as well as some other eating venues. There are some "pay to eat" restaurants as well. The entertainment on the ship is very good so try to see as many of the shows as you can. Hope this helps. In my opinion the food is very good but then again I don't have to prepare it, cook it or clean up after it so its all "gravy" to me. :)

[mbc1983]

Is ice skating free? I am dying to get my husband on skates :D

[jletsgo]

Yes ice skating is free as well. They will supply the skates. Make sure you bring a pair of long pants. Also, on the RCI website under your "cruise" page, you can sign all the necessary safety waivers so you don't have to do them on-board.

[rsharp83]

You really need to read some reviews and have a plan for shows and meals.

 

Find your roll call group. That was very helpful to my planning.

 

 

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[jpolm]

You will love it! It was my kids favorite vacation and we've gone to some pretty neat places! We enjoyed the chops the best and ate there twice whie our kids enjoyed the kids club! Can't wait to go back! Book everything and u can always change later we missed a few things due to scheduling too much.. Just not enough time.

[Orange jeep]

Hi Everyone! I am new to cruise critic and new to Royal Caribbean. We usually go through Carnival or NCL. We just booked a cruise on the Oasis of the Seas for Feb 1. I wanted to try a big ship! I am realizing this vacation will take some planning since reservations are needed for a lot of things. So what are some must sees?? What activities cost extra? Does the surf simulator and zip lining cost extra? How is the food? Thanks for your help!

 

 

We have been on 10 cruises and this past September #11 on the Oasis of the Seas (also been on Carnival and RC). I must say we loved the Oasis of the Seas. I loved all the non stop Entertainment Venues, all of them! We always had something to do and had a blast. The Solarium for breakfast/lunch was great! Park Central Cafe was good too. The Oasis is an amazing ship and can not wait to go back in late 2014 or early 2015 depending on the cost. Will be on the Jewel in March for the second time.

[Yakb0]

So what are some must sees?? What activities cost extra?

 

Book every show that you can ahead of time. You won't regret it. If you sit on the sides you can be incredibly close to the stage/rink/pool. Activities that cost extra generally have a ($) next to their entry in the cruise compass. These are usually interactions w/ Dreamworks characters, or scrapbooking.

[marklodi]

Here's a link to the Oasis-class dining guide from RCI - very helpful with planning which restaurants to book in advance, which cost and which do not, etc.

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/General_Info/Flyers/10020614_Allure_Specialty_Restaurant_Flyer.pdf

 

Also remember, as others have mentioned, to reserve those entertainments items that allow it, so you are not stuck waiting in the stand-by line and possibly not seeing a show. Advanced reservations for shows are available for:

 

Hairspray

Come Fly With Me

Headliner Show

Comedy Show (this is the same show all week long, so you only need to book one)

Frozen In Time (Ice show)

Oasis of Dreams (Aqua theater show)

 

NOTE: Do not worry if the shows and/or specialty restaurants are not yet available for reservations on the web site. Just keep checking. They can open as early as 120 days out, or as little as 30 days, according to what I've read here. Being part of your roll call here on CC will help tremendously as someone there should post when they have noticed those being available.

 

Have a blast! :)

[nimbex1970]

I sailed the Allure, similar. To ensure you can enjoy all these wonderful extra activities like the zip line, flow rider, ice skating rink. Read the daily compass carefully. The times are limited and it's a first come, first serve. They are not available all day. You need to bring socks and shoes for some of the above.

 

Don't miss the small things like putt putt and dodgeball, even if watching, these brief events are a hoot.

 

I personally loved Giovanni's and the park cafe.

[Sherri914]

As everyone else has said, read reviews - that helps. Oasis is the sister ship to Allure. So if you find a good review of Allure, read that too. There are only very minor differences in the two ships (one or two food venues are different). Also, do a forum search for a list of the included vs. for-fee food venues. There's also one at the RC Website. I used it to create a spreadsheet to help me plan. It's also nice to have an idea before you board what is included in your fare so you're not surprised.

 

Somewhere around 90 (or less) days prior to sail date, the reservations will open up on the website for your sailing. Usually the dining opens first, then the showtimes. You can begin to make My Time Dining reservations (if you choose to go that route, but be aware that if you do you'll also have to pre-pay all gratuitites) and you can begin to reserve show times in advance. No shows require reservations. BUT, without reservations, it may be difficult to find a seat at some of the shows held in smaller venues (like the Comedy club). The individual seats are not reserved, but only the space. They will open doors for all who have reservations - and you will then find a seat to your liking, first come first served. Then, about 10 minutes prior to curtain, they will open the doors to those without reservations. If you don't make reservations in advance of sail date, you can still reserve seating on embarkation day. You just may not get your preference of showtimes.

 

Try to locate a review (or two or three - there are plenty on here) for the same itenerary for which you're booked (Eastern vs. Western) to get a good idea of what to expect and perhaps some good excursion tips. Don't try to pack everything in on this cruise. Remember, it's your vacation. Relax, enjoy, and if you can't do it all in one week, you'll do it next time! HAVE FUN! PS -- I haven't been on Oasis yet. All of this info has come from my year-and-a-half of getting ready for our upcoming cruise on Oasis in November!!!!! Woohoo. It's almost HERE!

[Cookiecookie]

I sailed on Oasis in the summer, I would agree with all the replays so far defiantly pre-book as much as possible. It took me a couple of attempts with some of the shows, one day it wasnt available and then the next day they seemed to release more seats. You will get seats if you don't pre- book but its 10 mins before the shows starts and they won't be the best. We also booked excursion beverage package and some of the specialty restaurant before the cruise. Oasis is a beautiful ship you will have a wonderful time.