Big ship sceptic sails Oasis 3/29/14 review

[big al]

We just got off the Oasis and had a terrific cruise. We were very skeptical about cruising on the Oasis since we prefer smaller ships. We have only been on one Voyager class ship and have never sailed on the Freedom class. We like the Radiance class. We are in our early 60’s and one point away from Diamond plus. I was concerned about sailing with 6,000+ passengers, long lines and not being able to get on an elevator.

 

All the reviews I read, and there were many of them, said these things were not a problem. They said that it seemed less crowded than smaller ships, that you waited very little to get on board and that the elevators weren’t a problem. Much to my surprise they were all right, as a matter of fact we never had much of a wait for an elevator. Most times we were the only people in the elevator even when disembarking. One big concern was the Windjammer since we enjoy breakfast and lunch there and most reports said it was too small. This too was not a problem. Yes it was a bit crowded at times but certainly no more than any other ship we have been on. The bottom line is that the Oasis is an absolutely amazing ship. I wrote the rest of the review while on the ship so I wouldn’t forget anything.

 

We left home at 8:30 for the 3 hour drive to Fort Lauderdale. We arrived at the Park and Go at 11:45 and there were a lot of cars and shuttle busses. The attendant asked us which ship we were on and told us to pull up to the canopy and unload our luggage. A shuttle driver came to the car and told us which bus was going to the Oasis. We took our luggage to the shuttle and the driver put it on board. Since the shuttle was now full it was only a few minutes before we left for the ship. We took a round about way there bypassing the long port security lines. Once at the ship the driver took off our luggage and we handed it to a ship porter. We love using Park and Go they make getting to the ship so easy and cost much less than parking at the terminal.

 

We were right at the entrance to the terminal so we walked in. There are two ways to go depending on which deck your stateroom is on. We were on deck 10 so we needed to go left. This is where you and your carry ons go through security. There were about 4 lanes with short lines which took about 5 minutes. We had two 2 liter bottles of soda which were checked and deemed OK. Last time we put them in our checked luggage and they were sent to the naughty room so we had to go retrieve them. It was much easier to bring them in our carry on luggage. After security you go to the check in area. Again you must find the line corresponding to your deck number. We found the line for deck 10 and the line for deck 10 priority check in. There was no one in line so we walked to the front and waited a minute for a check in person to be ready for us. We handed her our paper work and she got our sea pass cards. She also took our picture for the cards which was great because this eliminated a line on other cruise lines. After checking in we went up the escalators and on to the ship. There were no more lines! Someone binged us onto the ship and we were there. It took us 35 minutes from driving into Park and Go and walking onto the ship. I had read over and over that check in was fast and easy but I was skeptical. I don’t know why ships with half as many passengers can’t make it so easy.

 

When you enter the ship you are in the Royal Promenade on deck 5. We wanted to eat so we found which elevators would take us to the Windjammer. There were only a few people waiting for an elevator so we got on one right away and the elevator was large enough for our carry on luggage. This also amazed me. On almost every cruise we have been on it is terrible trying to get on an elevator on embarkation day. So far things were going very well. At 12:25 the Windjammer had only a short line to get in. We were sent to find a table in the back and had no trouble walking through, passing all the food stations and checking them out as we passed. DH stayed with the luggage at the table while I went to find a bathroom and get food. I really liked how the food stations were set up. Food was on all four sides and very easy to get. There were no lines as there were only about 2-3 food items on each side. I also thought what I had to eat was pretty good. At one the announcement was made that the staterooms were ready.

 

We dropped our luggage at our room and proceeded to explore the ship. Our room was on deck 10 near the front elevators. We always try to get a room near the elevators as it really cuts down the amount of walking. Also If we need to get to the other end of the ship we would go to a deck with the Promenade or Central park and walk to the other end. It made it seem not as far as walking down a hallway with all staterooms. We had a great time walking around and checking everything out. I bet we walked a few miles doing this. When we got back to our stateroom our luggage was there and we started to unpack. Our stateroom attendant stopped by to introduce himself and ask if we needed anything. We told him we needed ice and would like it twice a day. Our TA always requests an eggcrate topper for us and it was already on the bed. It is the thickest eggcrate I have ever seen and it is real comfy.

 

The lifeboat drill was pretty painless. Our lifeboat station is the theater on deck 5. You just watch a video and the captain makes an announcement. We went to deck 14 forward on the top of the bridge for sail away. There were two other RC ships, 2 Princess and 1 HAL ships.

After sail away we went to dinner in the main dining room. We have My Time and the wait with no reservations at 6:15 was about 5 minutes. We were at a table for 8 and the service was slow. Actually once we started to get food it went fairly quickly. But it took almost an hour before we got the first course. We made it out of the dining room in time to see Frozen in Time, the ice skating show, at 8:30. We had reservations but there were plenty of empty seats. We really enjoyed the show. It was lively and very colorful. It’s hard to believe what they can do on such a small ice rink.

 

We are on the western route so our first day, Sunday, is a sea day. We went to breakfast in the Windjammer a little after 9 and there was no line. It was pretty crowded but there were tables in the back. When we left at around 10 there was a long line to get in. We went to the M & G at 11:15 in Dazzles. It was a bit disappointing. A member of the activities staff was there and quickly did the raffle and thanked everyone for coming then left. It was nice meeting people but I guess I expected a bit more. There was coffee and a few Danish set up at the bar.

 

After the M & G we stopped at Park Café and got a roast beef sandwich and salad and took it back to our room and ate on our balcony. The salads are very large and they have a lot of things to put in them. We just chilled out the rest of the day.It was formal night so we got to the MDR early at 6 and had no wait for a table for two. Service was quicker and dinner took only a little over an hour.

Since we booked this cruise only 2 months ahead we were unable to get any reservations for tonight. So after dinner we went to the large aft balcony on deck 11 to watch the show in the Aqua theater. This was a very interesting place to watch the show. You could see all the movement in the pool. I’m not sure there was a story to the show. Everything was interesting but I’m not sure how it all went together. Still it was enjoyable and there were a lot of different things going on. We took a walk through the Promenade and things were hopping. It was pretty crowded in most places. We then went to Central Park where it was much quieter and listened to the guitar player for a while.

 

Our first port was Labadee and we arrived at 8 AM. We went to the Windjammer at around 9 and there was plenty of room. We headed off the ship to the gangway on deck 2. You take the elevator to deck 3 and then ride an escalator to deck 2. At this time, about 10, we just walked right off. It was a beautiful day and we walked around to see all the beaches. All the beaches were crowded and there isn’t really anywhere to get away from all the people like at Cocco Cay. We found two lounges in the shade and had a nice day. We left our camera on the ship so we went back to the ship for lunch.

 

After lunch and getting our camera we took the shuttle to Columbus beach. Many people were heading back to the beach at that time and the shuttle would fill up at Columbus beach, the last stop, and no one at the other beaches could get on the shuttle when it stopped. People were getting on the shuttle going to Columbus beach and just stay on and take it back. We planned on walking back taking pictures of the beaches. This was the first time on this cruise where it felt like there were 6000 people on the ship. There was no problem getting back on the ship. We went through security before getting on the pier and there were enough security machines to keep things going. No long lines to get onto the ship. That’s hard to believe with all those people on the beaches. They do manage the crowds well.

We had the Crown and Anchor sail away party on the hili pad at 4:30. On this cruise Platinum and above were invited. The Captain, cruise director and many officers were there. There was plenty of champagne to go around.

 

We went to dinner at about 6:15 at MT. There was no line when we got there but there were no tables left. We were sent down to the traditional dining room on deck 3 where we had a table for 4 for just the two of us. Dinner was served pretty quickly and we were finished by 7:30. We had no shows scheduled for tonight so we just wandered around. The Love and Marriage show was at 10:30. The longest married couple were married for 70 years and they won. They were given a tanzanite necklace as their prize among other things. I’ve never seen that before. Maybe bigger ship bigger prize?

 

Tuesday was Falmouth Jamaica. We went to the Windjammer at 9 and there was a bit of a line but we were shown a table pretty quickly. By the time we finished breakfast we were pulling into Falmouth. The ship turns around and backs in. We watched from behind the flowriders. The back of the ship is very close to land. We planned to go to the beach but when we got off we realized that it was too windy to enjoy the beach so we returned to the ship and put our beach stuff back in our cabin. We landed up just walking around Falmouth. We ate in the Windjammer and took a nap. We went back out to walk through the shops at the port. There is a Margaretville with a nice pool. The port has an all day Wifi card for $10.

 

We went to dinner at 6 and had no wait for a table for 2. We didn’t leave port until 7 so the dining room wasn’t full. We went to see “Throw me a line” in studio B at 9:30. It was sure different and we enjoyed it. After that we went to see the headliner show in the Opal Theater, Earl Turner, at 10:30. The theater was only about half full so we had no trouble finding a seat. Earl is a singer entertainer and was pretty good. Not the best that we have seen on a cruise ship but certainly entertaining.

 

Wednesday is a sea day. We spent a lazy day today just relaxing and walking around the ship. There are several places on the ship to get away from everyone. The front of deck 14 above the bridge had loungers and is quiet as long as the wind isn’t bad. Today there was some shade and almost no wind. Also on the jogging track at the rear there are some chairs where you can sit watching the waves. You are much closer to the water so you feel like you’re on a ship in the ocean and not a resort. It was formal night so we went to dinner early. We found a waiter we liked and have been sitting in his area at a table for two. After dinner we went to the “ songs with color” trivia and then to the 50’s 60’s rock and roll party in Dazzles.

 

Thursday we arrived in Cozumel at 8:00. We are on ship time so in Cozumel it was only 6:00AM. We didn’t hurry to get up or off the ship. We got off at 10 and rented a car from Alamo. We made a reservation on line for $35 including the mandatory insurance. We made the reservation for the Puerta Maya Pier but we were able to get the car at the International Pier. We were going to go snorkeling at Punta Sur National Park but when we got there it was too windy for snorkeling. We drove along the east side stopping at a few places to take pictures and walk along the beach. The surf was really up so it was really beautiful. We stopped at our favorite ocean front restaurant, Playa Bonita, for lunch. After lunch we stopped at Playa Palencar but with the wind and rough surf it didn’t look appealing. We just headed back to the ship. There was a bit of a line to get through security, with the scanners, before entering the pier. The line moved quickly as there were plenty of scanners.

 

After dropping off our stuff and getting a cold drink we went back to the port area and did some shopping. I bought some 100% vanilla and just looked at the jewelry. When we were ready to go back to the ship the line was really long so we decided to just shop a little more. About 15 minutes later the line was much better. The Serenade was also at the pier with us so her passengers were also going through security. We went to dinner at 6 and there was no line and we were able to get a table for 2 with our preferred waiter.

 

Tonight’s show was Come Fly with Me. I was only able to get reservations for the 10:30 show but we had no trouble getting a seat at the 8:30 show. We arrived at 8:25 and easily found a pretty good seat in the balcony. It was a very good show with many different things going on. After the show we took a walk on deck 16 and went up to the Gold card holders deck which is open for anyone at night. This is where the cigar bar is at night. It was very windy. This was the first night we felt the movement of the ship.

 

Friday was a sea day. We again went to breakfast at around 9 and there was no wait but when we left the line was rather long. They were making announcements to please vacate the table when you were finished eating. I dressed this morning so I could go on the zip line with tied shoes. The line wasn’t long so I got the gear on and went on the zip line. It wasn’t as thrilling as I thought but that might be because I didn’t look down. It only takes a few seconds to ride to the other side. The zip line goes across the Boardwalk area.

 

At 1 we went to the captain’s corner in the Opal theater. I always find this meet with the captain very informative. Captain Patrik Dahlgren has done a lot of work with developing the Quantum. He will be leaving the Oasis next week to go to work on the coming out of the Quantum. He will be her captain in November when she sails. At 2:15 we had the Diamond back stage tour. There were only 8 of us so we had a great tour. The head of the technology dept gave the tour. At 3 was Splish Splash, the comedy aqua show, but it was canceled because there was a new cast that had just come on board and they weren’t ready to perform the show yet. We did get to watch some of the rehearsal but it was in the sun and hot.

 

We had another excellent meal in the dining room with great service. The meals have been very good. We usually don’t eat every night in the main dining room but this cruise we really enjoyed eating there. Most nights we were able to get a table for two around 6:00. After dinner we went to the family comedy show in the Opal Theater. We never made it to any of the adult comedy shows as I couldn’t get tickets for any show other than the 11:59 show. It is such a small venue that you had to have reservations.

 

Saturday - time to get off the ship. We had #9 which was supposed to depart at 8:00. The we went to the Windjammer at 7:15 and it wasn’t crowded. After breakfast we got our luggage from our room and proceeded to the theater. Unfortunately there was a problem with immigration and people didn’t start leaving the ship until 8:30 which backed everything up. At 9 they called for anyone with an early flight. We left to get off at 9:35 and it took an hour in line to get out of the terminal. It was the first time on the cruise that we had any kind of problem with a long wait. It was just too bad it was at the very end. It’s not a good way to end a cruise.

 

It was a fantastic cruise otherwise and we had a great time. I do wish it had a better itinerary and one more port. RC has really got it down pat with moving that amount of people. I feel you don’t get a real cruise experience since the Oasis is more like a floating resort than a cruise ship. Not that it’s a bad thing because we did have a great time.

 

I will be adding pictures and comments on the different areas of the ship in the next few days.

 

Glad you enjoyed it. We were skeptical, too, but loved our Oasis cruise a few months ago so much that we booked Allure for May :p!

 

Guys- I'm glad you enjoyed the Oasis..I too, loved her & all that she had to offer..in my review ( Feb. 2010) , I remarked that I thought RCI did an AMAZING job of making the ship not feel like there were 6000+ passengers on it...I wrote that I felt it was because of the 7 different neighborhoods..that people were scattered all over the ship...I keep reading about these hard headed people who keep saying, "I will NEVER sail the Oasis or the Allure, even the Freedom class ships...too big"....then they try them and 90% love them...yes, they are big, but I swear to you that I felt more crowded on 70-85,000 ton ships because there were fewer places to hang out in...we NEVER felt crowded in Central Park ( my fav especially at night!)..never felt crowded in the Royal Promenade...only in the Aquatheater did it feel crowded and that's because it's constantly sold out ( as it should be- greatest non-musical act on the seven seas, IMO)... Boleros, Dazzles, Viking Crown Lounge, Schooner Bar, all were easy to get into...people just hear, "6000 passengers!" and freak out...sure, smaller ships may be more intimate, but because there is less passenger space, they also feel ( to me at least) more crowded...look at all the pool areas- we NEVER had a problem getting chairs at any of the pool areas because there are 8 of them, instead of 1-3 on most ships...we are going back this October on the special 5 night Halloween cruise for my wife's 60th birthday...can't wait!!

 

Big Al

[Eileen G]

Guys- I'm glad you enjoyed the Oasis..I too, loved her & all that she had to offer..in my review ( Feb. 2010) , I remarked that I thought RCI did an AMAZING job of making the ship not feel like there were 6000+ passengers on it...I wrote that I felt it was because of the 7 different neighborhoods..that people were scattered all over the ship...I keep reading about these hard headed people who keep saying, "I will NEVER sail the Oasis or the Allure, even the Freedom class ships...too big"....then they try them and 90% love them...yes, they are big, but I swear to you that I felt more crowded on 70-85,000 ton ships because there were fewer places to hang out in...we NEVER felt crowded in Central Park ( my fav especially at night!)..never felt crowded in the Royal Promenade...only in the Aquatheater did it feel crowded and that's because it's constantly sold out ( as it should be- greatest non-musical act on the seven seas, IMO)... Boleros, Dazzles, Viking Crown Lounge, Schooner Bar, all were easy to get into...people just hear, "6000 passengers!" and freak out...sure, smaller ships may be more intimate, but because there is less passenger space, they also feel ( to me at least) more crowded...look at all the pool areas- we NEVER had a problem getting chairs at any of the pool areas because there are 8 of them, instead of 1-3 on most ships...we are going back this October on the special 5 night Halloween cruise for my wife's 60th birthday...can't wait!!

 

Big Al

 

 

That about sums us up, all thought I never said never. I just said too big, too many people. I really didn't believe all the people that said it didn't seem crowded. How could it not be crowded with 6000+ passengers?? But many ships we have been on with only 3000 seemed much more crowded. Even the Windjammer isn't near as bad as Princess's Horizon Court.

 

With such a large ship the elevators were a real concern. Our knees are not as good as they were and climbing too many stairs is painful. On our last two cruises, Brilliance of the Seas and Ruby Princess, the elevators were so crowded, on debarkation day we had to take the elevator up in order to go down. Many times on other ships we were jammed into elevators like sardines. The elevators on the Oasis are much larger so we were never jammed in. There are 16 elevators in the rear and 16 in the front. I'd say about 50% of the time we had the elevator to ourselves.

[Eileen G]

A few more pictures of Labadee

 

 

Behind the zip line there is a short trail out to the dragon's breath. The water hits the rocks and it makes a breathing sound.

 

 

It can be a pretty hot walk in the afternoon.

 

 

Barefoot Bay and Nellies Beach

 

 

Columbus Beach with water park

[Eileen G]

Second port of call Falmouth Jamaica

 

 

 

The captain backs in and gets very close to shore. We watched from the back deck behind the flowriders.

 

 

Our plan was to go to the beach but the wind was so bad we decided against it. This port was just built a few years ago. They took dirt and fill and created this area which was underwater. They also had to dredge the bottom in order to get a ship as big as the Oasis this close to land.

Edited April 8, 2014 by Eileen G

[Eileen G]

 

 

We decided to just explore Falmouth. I tried to get a map of a walking tour but no one had one. There were several tourist booths.

 

On the way out of the port area there are signs that have the history of Falmouth.

 

right across the street from the port exit is a market

[Eileen G]

This street is right out side the port exit and leads to Water Square. We felt safe walking around but we didn't venture far. The street to Water Square is pedestrian only so we didn't have to worry about traffic. We walked to the fort which is now an elementary school. There were visiting hours from 12-1. We were one hour ahead since we stayed on ship time.

 

 

 

 

In the port area is a Margaritaville with a pool.

 

[Eileen G]

Pool at Margaritaville There is no fee but you just need to buy food or drink. No free WiFi but the port has all day WiFi for $10.00.

 

[Eileen G]

Final port Cozumel We rented a car from Alamo for $35 booked on line. We have been to Coz many times and we always enjoy driving to the east side of the island. The water is very rough there and the shoreline has many interesting features. There is a natural bridge you can walk over.

 

 

 

 

 

We always have lunch at our favorite beach side restaurant Playa Bonita. It was a very windy day so we didn't go swimming.

[Eileen G]

here are a last few pictures from around the ship

 

 

Every RC ship has statues of some animals or people up on the top decks these guys are near the Windjammer

 

 

 

ever wonder what happen to Zoltar he retired to the Oasis

 

 

Deck 14 forward, port side entrance, above the bridge

 

 

looking down the forward elevator shaft

 

I hope you all enjoyed the pictures. I sure had fun taking them. If anyone has any questions just ask I would be more than happy to answer if I can. I do have all the compass but I am not going to post them since a couple of people have just done that and it takes a lot of work to scan them.

[lovevacadays]

I just discovered this thread from reading a reply you did on the Princess boards. Your thread has made me think about doing the Oasis or Allure just for the experience.

 

A question for you: I've sailed Princess exclusively since 1997. On Princess you can go immediately to your cabin and leave your carry on luggage. It appears you cannot do that on RCI. Isn't it challenging to eat in the Windjammer and handle your carry on luggage?

 

Also, I loved your pictures of Labadee. Back in the 1990's my ex and I were suppose to stop in Labadee on our cruise but it was cancelled due to high winds. I never had the opportunity again. It looks so beautiful. While I like Princess Cays I think Labadee looks so much better!

 

How would you compare RCI's and Princess' food? I know it is very subjective but curious. In regards to entertainment, I do remember back in the 90's when I sailed RCCL/RCI and then tried a Princess cruise the one thing I noticed was that entertainment and daily activities were better on RCCL/RCI. However, since I've subsequently done 10 Princess cruises and have a few perks I tend to sail Princess. I'm curious as to how you would compare Princess and RCI's current entertainment and daily activities.

[Eileen G]

I just discovered this thread from reading a reply you did on the Princess boards. Your thread has made me think about doing the Oasis or Allure just for the experience.

 

A question for you: I've sailed Princess exclusively since 1997. On Princess you can go immediately to your cabin and leave your carry on luggage. It appears you cannot do that on RCI. Isn't it challenging to eat in the Windjammer and handle your carry on luggage?

 

Also, I loved your pictures of Labadee. Back in the 1990's my ex and I were suppose to stop in Labadee on our cruise but it was cancelled due to high winds. I never had the opportunity again. It looks so beautiful. While I like Princess Cays I think Labadee looks so much better!

 

How would you compare RCI's and Princess' food? I know it is very subjective but curious. In regards to entertainment, I do remember back in the 90's when I sailed RCCL/RCI and then tried a Princess cruise the one thing I noticed was that entertainment and daily activities were better on RCCL/RCI. However, since I've subsequently done 10 Princess cruises and have a few perks I tend to sail Princess. I'm curious as to how you would compare Princess and RCI's current entertainment and daily activities.

 

We usually arrive at the ship at 12:30-1 so we can just go to the Windjammer, have lunch and go to the cabin. As for having our carry on luggage one of us sits at the table with the luggage while the other gets something to eat. I had read so much about how the Windjammer is too small and over crowded but it was actually better than the Horizon Court on our Ruby cruise in January.

 

While I usually enjoy the food on most cruise lines I though the food in the MDR on the Oasis was some of the best I have ever had on a cruise. I found out I really like artichokes. There were two outstanding dishes with them that I really enjoyed. I must say though I really missed the fettuccine Alfaro which my DH and I share every night on Princess.

 

I actually prefer Princess Cay to Labadee. DH and I like to walk along the beach far from the crowded beaches and you can't do that in Labadee. Although Labadee has several different beaches they are all crowded. There are enough lounge chairs but they are very packed together. There is also no good snorkeling there. One good thing is that the Oasis can dock so no tendering. They also have a lot of local crafts and art work for sale and there are several local bands that play around the beaches so the locals can make some money.

 

As for the entertainment there is no comparison. The Oasis has a full production of "Hairspray", a great ice skating show, an Aqua Theater with divers and synchronized swimmers and a very good production show with the singers and dancers. "Hairspray" is supposed to be changed out in Oct for "Cats". There is also a featured entertainer and of course all the other games and things that are on other cruises.