Just Back from the Oasis -- AMAZING!

[Jtm2233]

We tried the much-raved-about roast beef sandwiches in the Park Café but I really don’t know what all the fuss is about. To us, anyway, it was nothing special.

 

Give it 2 or 3 months and all of a sudden you will crave it!

[Mapleleafforever]

Thanks for the great review. We've been thinking about trying an Oasis class ship one day.

[Daghis]

I don't recall the minimum number of points required but I think you need to play at least $2,000 during your cruise to qualify or 3 consecutive hours a day. I don't recall the exact numbers.

Qualification for Club Royale is based on 2,000 points earned during the cruise. One point = $5 wagered in a slot machine. Table games are determined differently.

[riclop]

We are two young seniors and just returned yesterday from our 10th RCCL cruise and first on the Oasis.

 

Embarkation

Flying from Toronto in December the day of the cruise would not have been my first choice but we couldn’t make it work to arrive a day before. Fortunately, there were no problems. Our flight left Toronto at 7:40 am and arrived in FLL around 11:00 am. We managed with just two carry-on suitcases which saved a lot of time at the airport. With a stop in the cab to pick up 2 bottles of wine from Total Wine, we were on the ship by noon. We found the check-in experience to be extremely professional, fast and well-organized. RCCL really has it down to a fine art.

 

The Ship

As so many have said before, the Oasis is an amazing engineering marvel and really is a floating city. Even my husband, an engineer, was in awe. I don’t know whether it’s the sheer size or better stabilizers than other ships we’ve been on, but even when the Captain announced that we had 12-ft swells, I only felt some slight rocking.

 

The Stateroom

We were in Room 8592 – beginning of the hump on the starboard side which is also the side where the ship docks on the Western route. I expected a smaller room than usual but it was more than adequate. However, in my opinion, the hump is overrated and not worth paying extra for the few extra feet of depth on the balcony.

 

The Food

With so many food venues included in the price, we didn’t do any specialty restaurants. We had dinner in the Main Dining Room 3 nights and in the Windjammer on the other nights. Stand-outs for us were the beef tenderloin in the WJ and the braised beef duo and lamb shanks in the MDR. The service in the MDR was very fast and we were in and out in 45 minutes or so. We were at a table for two and, according to the server; the small tables get priority service. The WJ is a lot smaller than on other ships and seemed to have less variety and less stations but we always managed to find something we liked. However, I love Indian food and was disappointed in the fewer choices available.

 

We had some pizza slices from Sorrentos a few times and thought they were very good. I particularly liked the chicken/avocado and chicken/potato pizzas. We only ate breakfasts in Johnny Rockets and the Park Café. We tried the much-raved-about roast beef sandwiches in the Park Café but I really don’t know what all the fuss is about. To us, anyway, it was nothing special.

 

Entertainment

For us, the entertainment really made this cruise spectacular. Usually, DH and I sit on the side of an aisle at the back of the theatre so we can make a quick get-away which is usually 10 minutes into a show on other ships. This time, we watched every show in its entirety and agree with everyone else who loved the entertainment. All the shows were outstanding. Even the Belly Flop competition was a whole new experience in the aquatheatre. It was a riot and being able to see the entrants underwater was fun. We didn’t go to any of the parades or dance venues. We really liked the fact that there is so much to do, that there were never times when we felt bored. Usually, after day 4, my DH is ready to leave but not this time.

 

The Casino

Because the casino is “split” into two halves for smoking and non-smoking, it didn’t seem particularly big and there seemed to be more tables than usual. I found the machines to be very tight and the selection pretty boring – a lot of machines I’ve never seen before and not enough new ones. I didn’t hear any big win announcements either. As a smoker, even I found the smoking side really bad at times. With no more indoor smoking venues, a lot of smokers were in the casino just sitting or standing around. On a windy or rainy day, there really isn’t anywhere else to smoke. It is going to be a lot worse after January 1st. And, yes, the dining room on Deck 4 does smell of smoke close to the entrance.

 

Internet

This was the first sailing with the upgraded internet and the connection was excellent – much faster than we’ve experienced in the past. DH was very impressed.

 

Ports

We’ve been to Labadee a few times so we stayed on the ship and enjoy the pool to ourselves. We had a wonderful relaxing day. Even on sea days, though, there were always lots of loungers available near the pools.

 

We walked around the fenced area at Falmouth and bought a few things and spent the afternoon outside on the ship until the clouds rolled in. It rained on and off the rest of the day.

 

Cozumel is by far my favourite port. We were invited to a VIP BBQ at Playa Mia with about 60 other guests (courtesy of Club Royale). It was a wonderful day with a gourmet BBQ and host bar. I stopped in the pharmacy in the port on the way back to buy Retin-A cream – much cheaper than in Canada!

 

My only “complaint”

Some of the venues are way too small for the number of passengers, particularly On Air and Comedy Live. There were several occasions when we tried to go to On Air to watch Karaoke but it was packed every time. Some guests carried in extra chairs from the promenade and plonked themselves down in front of others who were probably there an hour before to get a decent seat!

 

The best tip I read on CC was to type the week’s schedule day by day with the itinerary and pre-booked show times. I taped it onto a small card (two sides) and carried it with my seapass. It was very helpful.

 

Would I cruise on the Oasis class again?

I don’t know how many passengers were onboard but the ship never felt crowded. Sometimes we had to wait a bit for an elevator but it wasn’t terrible. For us, the ship is the destination and I really don’t think I would enjoy the other ships as much any more. There are so many more choices on the Oasis – neighbourhoods, food and entertainment – that really do put it in a class all by itself.

 

I have a serious case of PCD. Can’t wait to try the Allure.

Totally agree with your review.

[toxicfairy]

Yes, there was a Prohibition party but I can't comment on it as we didn't attend.

 

Oh thank you so much! My dd is really looking forward to it and now so am I.

[oo7 Bond!]

Nice review and nice thread.....

 

OP - The Allure is BIGGER! and has "Ritas".

 

Enjoy!

[kruzerci]

Well that's just friggin great.:mad: I'm a smoker and my very most favorite thing is getting up early sitting on the balcony drinking coffee and a few smokes while we come into port. AOS Feb 23rd may be my last cruise. I'm sitting here steaming!!! Hadn't heard anything about it.

 

 

 

 

Sorry didn't mean to hijack.

 

That's unfortunate.

 

My favorite thing to do is eat breakfast on the balcony without being covered in a cloud of smoke from next door :).

[transam84]

Excellent review. Balanced and to the point. You cut to the chase about things you liked with a few nicely worded negatives. You did not spend time explaining every detail of the ship, but expressed you opinion about your recent sailing and your experience. Kudos! We are sailing on Oasis 1-Mar and we can't wait.:) Thanks!

[countess5]

We tried the much-raved-about roast beef sandwiches in the Park Café but I really don’t know what all the fuss is about. To us, anyway, it was nothing special.

 

Give it 2 or 3 months and all of a sudden you will crave it!

 

 

Back on Oasis next Saturday and can't wait to have one for lunch !:)

 

One of my favorite things !! :D