Oasis of the Seas B2B Trip Report - 5/10/14 & 5/17/14

[marklodi]

Hi all! Well, as promised in my Q&A thread, I plan on posting a very large, detailed trip report for our recent Oasis of the Seas back to back cruise. This is that report.

 

Note that this may take me several days to write, as I am doing so at lunch, on breaks, as over the weekend. Also note that this will be LONG! You have been warned.

 

This report will eventually be moved into a PDF version, which will have pictures added. If you are interested in receiving a copy, please wait until this report is completed, then post your info or message me through the board and I will do my best to send one out to you through email.

 

I really do appreciate the kind comments and feed back. If you see something you like, please comment here or in the Q&A thread I started. If you want to know something specific, then please use the Q&A thread. It is here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2047171

 

Coming up first: An introduction and what many of you really want - links to scanned docs and Cruise Compasses!

[marklodi]

Hello and welcome to our trip report for our May 2014 vacation on the Oasis of the Seas.

 

Vacation…this wasn’t just any vacation though. This was a cruise.. actually a back-to-back cruise (or as Royal Caribbean calls it “consecutive crusing”). It was two wonderful weeks on board one of the most amazing ships we have ever been on. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

Let me start with some disclaimers, acknowledgements and housekeeping notes.

 

First, please remember that what follows is entirely our own experience and opinions, and in no way represents that of Royal Caribbean or Cruise Critic. I will try to be as detailed as possible, but you should always double and triple check your information, as things can change ship to ship, day to day, minute to minute.

 

Thank you to our travel agent, friends and family who made this all possible. You know who you are and how much we love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thanks to the amazing crew of the Oasis of the Seas. While we will mention some people specifically, please note that I cannot think of one (okay, I thought of one, but just one) person on board who treated us poorly and didn’t make us feel special. And of course, thank you to all the wonderful people on Cruise Critic – from our fellow Roll Call members to those on the boards who tirelessly answer the same question for the 98th time with a smile and polite reply. You make me proud to be a CC’er.

 

Now, for those of you who really just want the detailed specifics and not willing to experience my engaging prose and witty remarks (aw, really?), what follows next is a list of documents I spent a full day scanning and converting to PDF or JPG. You will find general information docs, as well as the complete Cruise Compasses for both Western and Eastern Oasis itineraries. If you cannot access any of these files, please send me a message on Cruise Critic and I’ll look into it right away. Please be specific with which file and the issue.

 

General Documents

 

150 Central Park Menus - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/150%20Central%20Park%20Menus.pdf

 

Chef’s Table Menu (this is from the first part of the week) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Chef%27s%20Table%20Menu%20-%20051214.pdf

 

Crown & Anchor Brochure – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Crown%20%26%20Anchor%20Brochure.pdf

 

Crown & Anchor Savings Sheet (details the coupons that have now been moved to your SeaPass card - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Crown%20%26%20Anchor%20Savings%20Sheet.pdf

 

Focus Photo Gallery Brochure - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Focus%20Photo%20Gallery%20Brochure.jpg

 

Guest Conduct Policy – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Guest%20Conduct%20Policy.pdf

 

Internet Packages and Info Brochure - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Internet%20Packages%20and%20Info%20Brochure.pdf

 

Laundry Services Price Sheet - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Laundry%20Service%20Price%20Sheet.pdf

 

Mini Golf Scorecard - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Mini%20Golf%20Scorecard.pdf

 

Room Service Breakfast Menu (door hanger version) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Room%20Service%20Breakfast%20Menu.pdf

 

Shore Excursions Ticket Envelope - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Shore%20Excursions%20Ticket%20Envelope.jpg

 

Smile Novelty Photo Brochure - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Smile%20Novelty%20Photo%20Brochure.pdf

 

Smoking Policy Handout - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Smoking%20Policy%20Handout.pdf

 

Tag Heuer Sales Brochure - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Tag%20Heuer%20Sale%20Brochure.pdf

 

Tip Envelope - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Tip%20Envelope.jpg

 

Towels at Port Note - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Towels%20at%20Port%20Note.pdf

 

Wash & Fold Laundry Special Form - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Wash%20%26%20Fold%20Laundry%20Special%20Form.pdf

 

Welcome Aboard Stateroom Card - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Welcome%20Aboard%20Stateroom%20Card.jpg

 

 

Western Caribbean Specific Documents and Cruise Compasses (in order received)

 

Cruise Compass Boarding Day Edition (5/10/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Boarding%20Day%20Edition%20-%20051014.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 1 (5/10/14 - Western) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%201%20%28Western%29%20-%20051014.pdf

 

Crown & Anchor Invites - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Crown%20%26%20Anchor%20Invites%20-%20051014.pdf

 

Royal Replenish Package Receipt – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Royal%20Replenish%20Package%20Receipt%20-%20051014.pdf

 

Spa Prices & Tour Brochures - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Spa%20Prices%20%26%20Tour%20Brochures%20-%20051014.pdf

 

The Planner – Week of 5/10/14 (I loved using this both weeks!) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/The%20Planner%20%28Western%29%20-%20Week%20of%20051014.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 2 (5/11/14 - Western) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%202%20%28Western%29%20-%20051114.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 3 (5/12/14 - Western) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%203%20%28Western%29%20-%20051214.pdf

 

The Best of Labadee Brochure (5/12/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/The%20Best%20of%20Labadee%20Brochure%20-%20051214.pdf

 

Nellie’s Over The Water Cabana Locations (NOTE: This is from Cruise Critic – sorry, I do not remember who posted it, but it is a great resource! Helped us pick Cabana 8. :) ) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Nellies%20OTW%20Cabana%20Locations.docx

 

Chef’s Table Confirmation (5/12/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Chef%27s%20Table%20Confirmation%20-%20051214.jpg

 

Chef’s Table Menu (5/12/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Chef%27s%20Table%20Menu%20-%20051214.pdf

 

Chef’s Table Tent Cards (5/12/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Chef%27s%20Table%20Tent%20Cards%20-%20051214.jpg

 

Cruise Compass Day 4 (5/13/14 - Western) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%204%20%28Western%29%20-%20051314.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 5 (5/14/14 - Western) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%205%20%28Western%29%20-%20051414.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 6 (5/15/14 - Western) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%206%20%28Western%29%20-%20051514.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 7 (5/16/14 - Western) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%207%20%28Western%29%20-%20051614.pdf

 

As You Depart Info (5/16/14 – Western) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/As%20You%20Depart%20Info%20%28Western%29%20-%20051614.pdf

 

Consecutive Cruiser Information (5/16/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Consecutive%20Cruiser%20Information%20-%20051614.pdf

 

 

Eastern Caribbean Specific Documents and Cruise Compasses (in order received)

 

Cruise Compass Day 1 (5/17/14 – Eastern) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%201%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20051714.pdf

 

Norovirus on Previous Cruise Letter (5/17/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Norovirus%20On%20Previous%20Cruise%20Letter%20-%20051714.pdf

 

The Planner – Week of 5/17/14 - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/The%20Planner%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20Week%20of%20051714.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 2 (5/18/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%202%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20051814.pdf

 

Missed Muster Drill Letter (WE WERE THERE!) (5/18/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Missed%20Muster%20Drill%20Letter%20-%20051814.pdf

 

Walking Map to John Watling’s Distillery in Nassau (5/18/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Walking%20Map%20to%20John%20Watlings%20Distillery.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 3 (5/19/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%203%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20051914.pdf

 

Meet & Mingle Invite (5/19/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Meet%20And%20Mingle%20Invite%20-%20051914.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 4 (5/20/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%204%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052014.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 5 (5/21/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%205%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052114.pdf

 

Maison Pradier Macaroons Postcard (Sint Maarten) (5/21/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Maison%20Pradier%20Macaroons%20Postcard%20%28Sint%20Maarten%29%20-%20052114.pdf

 

The Belgian Chocolate Box Brochure (Sint Maarten) (5/21/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/The%20Belgian%20Chocolate%20Box%20Brochure%20%28Sint%20Maarten%29%20-%20052114.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 6 (5/22/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%206%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052214.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 7 (5/23/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%207%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052314.pdf

 

As You Depart Info (5/23/14 – Eastern) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/As%20You%20Depart%20Info%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052314.pdf

 

Luggage Valet Envelope (5/23/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Luggage%20Valet%20Envelope%20-%20052314.pdf

 

Whew! That took me 12 hours on Memorial Day to complete the scanning. Yay.

 

Okay, time to get to the trip report proper. So sit back, grab a Red Bull (mixed with Pineapple Juice and Sprite of course) and I hope you enjoy the report!

Edited May 27, 2014 by marklodi

[nednrom]

Since I read your initial post, I've been looking forward to this review. We will be on the Oasis in Jan. We have been on the Allure twice but wanted to try the sister ship this time :-)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[marklodi]

Pre-Planning and History

 

We started planning for this vacation almost a year in advance. I had always planned on doing something special for our 25th wedding anniversary, and wanted to really spoil my wife, Mona, without going broke in the process. We first cruised in May 2004, exactly on Mona’s birthday (May 11th) on the Carnival Pride to Mexico out of Long Beach. In fact, I think that trip report is still lurking around the Cruise Critic archives somewhere.

 

We met some amazing people on that very first roll call on Cruise Critic, some of whom have become very good friends and even our travel agent from all things cruise related. That friendship and trust led to our second cruise, exactly 5 years later, on the Mariner of the Seas. We were again sailing on Mona’s birthday. It was SUPPOSED to be another Mexico cruise, out of Los Angeles. However – and if you think back, you’ll probably remember this – a little thing called the “Swine Flu” made an ugly appearance in the Mexican ports on the west coast. Royal, out of an abundance of caution, decided to go north instead.

 

Now imagine us, this time taking our two kids, planning for over a year for warm, Mexican weather and just ONE WEEK prior to leaving, we are informed we are heading to Astoria, Oregon, Victoria, BC Canada and Seattle, Washington….in May…very cold, wet May.

 

And we have purchased clothes for Mexico…

 

Anyway, it was fine. The company and the ship made it worthwhile. Add in a great zip line adventure with Adrena LINE Tours in Victoria, and it was a wonderful, if not cold, experience.

 

So now here we are, preparing for a vacation in 2014. Best time of the year for our schedules is in May…around Mona’s birthday…exactly 5 years later… I’m sensing a pattern here.

 

Originally we had planned for a week in Walt Disney World, as we are most definitely Disney freaks, and then perhaps a Disney Cruise. However, the pricing just did not make sense. It was then that our agent friend stepped in and, even though this would be the first time cruising without her, she recommended we try the Oasis. When I told her about doing WDW the week before, she said, “Why not do a Back to Back on the Oasis?”

 

Yes, have some. (Random Rick Moranis Ghostbuster quote there.)

 

And so it began. I quickly jumped on Cruise Critic and started doing research, joining the Roll Call threads, frequenting the RCI, Florida Departure and Port-Specific forums there daily. I learned I need to book a cabana on Labadee early, which paid off when RCI changed the perks on October 4th of last year, but because we had booked in advance, we were grandfathered in (more on that later in the report.) I discovered interesting port stops, like Sarafina’s in St. Martin and John Watling’s in Nassau. Our ever watching travel agent recommended the Value Trips web site for an amazing price on the Hyatt Place. And so on.

 

I won’t bore you (further) with all the pre-planning, but suffice it to say, by the time we were a week away, I had the following complete:

 

- Roundtrip, non-stop airfare from SFO to FLL on United for two for under $700

 

- Hyatt Place for Friday night for only $99

 

- Cruise paid for, along with 5 specialty restaurants, 5 excursions and 2 Royal Replenish packages booked and paid off, and all entertainment reserved for both weeks.

 

My last day at work was Tuesday, 5/6, giving me Wednesday to run around, get cash at the bank, fill up the cars for the kids, etc. Mona was off starting Thursday, which was packing day. Somehow, someway, we got everything into two large checked suitcases (including my suit and her many formal wear outfits), and two carry-ons, plus my laptop bad and a backpack for her (yes, the queen of purses never used one ONCE on the entire cruise…but did she BUY ANY? Stay tuned…)

 

At 9pm, we were both in bed, including the kids who were driving us to the airport, and attempting to sleep. Soooo excited!

Edited May 27, 2014 by marklodi

[yarlenna]

Looking forward to it!

[fla gang]

Me and my fiancé were also on the May 17 sailing. Everyone was held in the pre boarding area for some unknown reason. I bet they were cleaning everything. This was the first time I have been sea sick out of 20 cruises. It was very windy until we got to the Virgin Islands. Sat night we had winds as high as 49 knots. Still had an awesome time. My favorite eating spots: Wipeout for breakfast and Park Cafe for lunch.

[marklodi]

Me and my fiancé were also on the May 17 sailing. Everyone was held in the pre boarding area for some unknown reason. I bet they were cleaning everything. This was the first time I have been sea sick out of 20 cruises. It was very windy until we got to the Virgin Islands. Sat night we had winds as high as 49 knots. Still had an awesome time. My favorite eating spots: Wipeout for breakfast and Park Cafe for lunch.

 

Yes, in addition to the Coast Guard inspection occurring that day, there was also a NoroVirus issue on the 5/10 cruise that fortunately skipped us. Take a look above for a link to the NoroVirus letter we received on 5/17 for info.

[tiger13]

All I can say is WOW Mark...you have put a lot of time and effort into planning your vacation and based on the preliminary posts below...just as much effort after the fact to share with all of us....THANK you for doing so !!

 

I am very eager to follow along as I will be on Oasis in six weeks....my third sailing on her but just as exciting and even more so as there will be six of us this time including my six year old grandson....can't wait to see his reaction.

 

He has been on Carnival dream and Enchantment...but Oasis is sure to be special for him

[LivingMyLifeLikeItsGolden]

This is so awesome thanks for sharing.

[Lynne95]

More...More...More!

 

So much information! Thank you for your hard work! We will be trying out Oasis for the first time in November.

[JXS]

Subscribed!!! 👍

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[niceguy6505]

Thank you for a great review so far and taking the time with all the details.

[docholiday]

Mark, thank you for doing this review. Will be following along in preparation for our turn in July!:)

[cruisinfan68]

Thank you for all the work you have already put into this. I am looking forward to your future posts !

[bling19572010]

Hello and welcome to our trip report for our May 2014 vacation on the Oasis of the Seas.

 

Vacation…this wasn’t just any vacation though. This was a cruise.. actually a back-to-back cruise (or as Royal Caribbean calls it “consecutive crusing”). It was two wonderful weeks on board one of the most amazing ships we have ever been on. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

Let me start with some disclaimers, acknowledgements and housekeeping notes.

 

First, please remember that what follows is entirely our own experience and opinions, and in no way represents that of Royal Caribbean or Cruise Critic. I will try to be as detailed as possible, but you should always double and triple check your information, as things can change ship to ship, day to day, minute to minute.

 

Thank you to our travel agent, friends and family who made this all possible. You know who you are and how much we love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thanks to the amazing crew of the Oasis of the Seas. While we will mention some people specifically, please note that I cannot think of one (okay, I thought of one, but just one) person on board who treated us poorly and didn’t make us feel special. And of course, thank you to all the wonderful people on Cruise Critic – from our fellow Roll Call members to those on the boards who tirelessly answer the same question for the 98th time with a smile and polite reply. You make me proud to be a CC’er.

 

Now, for those of you who really just want the detailed specifics and not willing to experience my engaging prose and witty remarks (aw, really?), what follows next is a list of documents I spent a full day scanning and converting to PDF or JPG. You will find general information docs, as well as the complete Cruise Compasses for both Western and Eastern Oasis itineraries. If you cannot access any of these files, please send me a message on Cruise Critic and I’ll look into it right away. Please be specific with which file and the issue.

 

General Documents

 

150 Central Park Menus - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/150%20Central%20Park%20Menus.pdf

 

Chef’s Table Menu (this is from the first part of the week) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Chef%27s%20Table%20Menu%20-%20051214.pdf

 

Crown & Anchor Brochure – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Crown%20%26%20Anchor%20Brochure.pdf

 

Crown & Anchor Savings Sheet (details the coupons that have now been moved to your SeaPass card - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Crown%20%26%20Anchor%20Savings%20Sheet.pdf

 

Focus Photo Gallery Brochure - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Focus%20Photo%20Gallery%20Brochure.jpg

 

Guest Conduct Policy – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Guest%20Conduct%20Policy.pdf

 

Internet Packages and Info Brochure - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Internet%20Packages%20and%20Info%20Brochure.pdf

 

Laundry Services Price Sheet - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Laundry%20Service%20Price%20Sheet.pdf

 

Mini Golf Scorecard - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Mini%20Golf%20Scorecard.pdf

 

Room Service Breakfast Menu (door hanger version) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Room%20Service%20Breakfast%20Menu.pdf

 

Shore Excursions Ticket Envelope - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Shore%20Excursions%20Ticket%20Envelope.jpg

 

Smile Novelty Photo Brochure - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Smile%20Novelty%20Photo%20Brochure.pdf

 

Smoking Policy Handout - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Smoking%20Policy%20Handout.pdf

 

Tag Heuer Sales Brochure - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Tag%20Heuer%20Sale%20Brochure.pdf

 

Tip Envelope - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Tip%20Envelope.jpg

 

Towels at Port Note - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Towels%20at%20Port%20Note.pdf

 

Wash & Fold Laundry Special Form - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Wash%20%26%20Fold%20Laundry%20Special%20Form.pdf

 

Welcome Aboard Stateroom Card - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Welcome%20Aboard%20Stateroom%20Card.jpg

 

 

Western Caribbean Specific Documents and Cruise Compasses (in order received)

 

Cruise Compass Boarding Day Edition (5/10/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Boarding%20Day%20Edition%20-%20051014.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 1 (5/10/14 - Western) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%201%20%28Western%29%20-%20051014.pdf

 

Crown & Anchor Invites - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Crown%20%26%20Anchor%20Invites%20-%20051014.pdf

 

Royal Replenish Package Receipt – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Royal%20Replenish%20Package%20Receipt%20-%20051014.pdf

 

Spa Prices & Tour Brochures - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Spa%20Prices%20%26%20Tour%20Brochures%20-%20051014.pdf

 

The Planner – Week of 5/10/14 (I loved using this both weeks!) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/The%20Planner%20%28Western%29%20-%20Week%20of%20051014.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 2 (5/11/14 - Western) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%202%20%28Western%29%20-%20051114.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 3 (5/12/14 - Western) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%203%20%28Western%29%20-%20051214.pdf

 

The Best of Labadee Brochure (5/12/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/The%20Best%20of%20Labadee%20Brochure%20-%20051214.pdf

 

Nellie’s Over The Water Cabana Locations (NOTE: This is from Cruise Critic – sorry, I do not remember who posted it, but it is a great resource! Helped us pick Cabana 8. :) ) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Nellies%20OTW%20Cabana%20Locations.docx

 

Chef’s Table Confirmation (5/12/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Chef%27s%20Table%20Confirmation%20-%20051214.jpg

 

Chef’s Table Menu (5/12/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Chef%27s%20Table%20Menu%20-%20051214.pdf

 

Chef’s Table Tent Cards (5/12/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Chef%27s%20Table%20Tent%20Cards%20-%20051214.jpg

 

Cruise Compass Day 4 (5/13/14 - Western) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%204%20%28Western%29%20-%20051314.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 5 (5/14/14 - Western) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%205%20%28Western%29%20-%20051414.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 6 (5/15/14 - Western) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%206%20%28Western%29%20-%20051514.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 7 (5/16/14 - Western) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%207%20%28Western%29%20-%20051614.pdf

 

As You Depart Info (5/16/14 – Western) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/As%20You%20Depart%20Info%20%28Western%29%20-%20051614.pdf

 

Consecutive Cruiser Information (5/16/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Consecutive%20Cruiser%20Information%20-%20051614.pdf

 

 

Eastern Caribbean Specific Documents and Cruise Compasses (in order received)

 

Cruise Compass Day 1 (5/17/14 – Eastern) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%201%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20051714.pdf

 

Norovirus on Previous Cruise Letter (5/17/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Norovirus%20On%20Previous%20Cruise%20Letter%20-%20051714.pdf

 

The Planner – Week of 5/17/14 - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/The%20Planner%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20Week%20of%20051714.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 2 (5/18/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%202%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20051814.pdf

 

Missed Muster Drill Letter (WE WERE THERE!) (5/18/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Missed%20Muster%20Drill%20Letter%20-%20051814.pdf

 

Walking Map to John Watling’s Distillery in Nassau (5/18/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Walking%20Map%20to%20John%20Watlings%20Distillery.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 3 (5/19/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%203%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20051914.pdf

 

Meet & Mingle Invite (5/19/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Meet%20And%20Mingle%20Invite%20-%20051914.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 4 (5/20/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%204%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052014.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 5 (5/21/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%205%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052114.pdf

 

Maison Pradier Macaroons Postcard (Sint Maarten) (5/21/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Maison%20Pradier%20Macaroons%20Postcard%20%28Sint%20Maarten%29%20-%20052114.pdf

 

The Belgian Chocolate Box Brochure (Sint Maarten) (5/21/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/The%20Belgian%20Chocolate%20Box%20Brochure%20%28Sint%20Maarten%29%20-%20052114.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 6 (5/22/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%206%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052214.pdf

 

Cruise Compass Day 7 (5/23/14 – Eastern) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Cruise%20Compass%20Day%207%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052314.pdf

 

As You Depart Info (5/23/14 – Eastern) – https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/As%20You%20Depart%20Info%20%28Eastern%29%20-%20052314.pdf

 

Luggage Valet Envelope (5/23/14) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/1460400/Luggage%20Valet%20Envelope%20-%20052314.pdf

 

Whew! That took me 12 hours on Memorial Day to complete the scanning. Yay.

 

Okay, time to get to the trip report proper. So sit back, grab a Red Bull (mixed with Pineapple Juice and Sprite of course) and I hope you enjoy the report!

 

 

WOW! I'm impressed. A lot of work putting all these documents together. Thank you!

[bling19572010]

Do you recall what Cabana Nos. 9 & 10 were like? e have one of the accessible cabanas books for next February. Is it going to be fairly private and easy to get to using a manual wheelchair? Any steps? Thank you!

[marklodi]

Do you recall what Cabana Nos. 9 & 10 were like? e have one of the accessible cabanas books for next February. Is it going to be fairly private and easy to get to using a manual wheelchair? Any steps? Thank you!

 

Sorry, no, we did not visit any other cabana locations. But you can see a picture of where they sit in the document listed above as "Nellie’s Over The Water Cabana Locations".

[bling19572010]

Sorry, no, we did not visit any other cabana locations. But you can see a picture of where they sit in the document listed above as "Nellie’s Over The Water Cabana Locations".

 

Saw the pic earlier...thank you!

[marklodi]

Day Zero – Friday, May 9th: Flight Day

 

We woke up at 3:30am pacific time and were on the road by 4:45am. Normally the drive from Lodi (just below Sacramento) on a weekday morning, even this early, is a nightmare. I anticipated a 2-1/2 hour drive under normal conditions. However, amazingly, we made it to the airport in under 2 hours. Which, you know, yay, but now we were very early for our flight. We were at the airport by 7am for a 10:50am flight. But since we were now officially on vacation, it didn’t seem to bother us.

 

We walked through terminal 3, taking pictures of the Japanese toy exhibit they had there (Look! Speed Racer and, ohmygoshreally? A life-size Ultraman?! Honey, take my picture! Yes, I’m serious.) We ate a surprisingly good ham & cheese croissant for breakfast, grabbing another in a bag for lunch on the plan, and the waited at the gate for our plane.

 

The flight was on time (gasp) and our luggage landed with us in Ft. Lauderdale around 7:30pm. We had upgraded to Premier status, as well as to Economy Plus seats, which helped with the minor amount of comfort one can expect on an airplane these days. Mona had a window seat, so that kept her busy – even she admits she spent a lot of time imagining shapes and animals in the clouds.

 

When we had our checked bags, we called the Hyatt and informed them we were at the airport. They directed us outside of the baggage claim, and to the right between two terminals, where there is a section for shuttle pickup. We were on our way to the hotel in about 15 minutes.

 

The Hyatt Place is centrally located to both the airport and hotel, and for what we paid ($99 through Value Trips), it was fine. I could be picky and say the room wasn’t as clean as it should have been, with a couple burnt out lights, a few mosquitoes flying around, etc. But really, overall it was acceptable. After we checked in and carted our bags into our room, we headed out to try to find a late dinner. We had been sitting all day, and I did not want the cost of a taxi (or the shuttle), so we decided to walk. But it was dark out, so we stuck to well lit streets. Directly in front of the hotel is a fancy Italian restaurant, and then an Outback. Both were more than we wanted, so we walked past them to what appeared to be a main street, and to the right we saw a Subway. About 30 minutes later, we were back in our room, eating sandwiches and chips, and soon after were in bed, trying to get on East coast time as quickly as possible. After all, the next day, there was a certain ship that would be waiting for us…

[poodog]

Excellent so far thank you

[marklodi]

Day One – Saturday, May 10th: Embarkation Day

 

The alarm woke us up at 6am, and at 7am we ate breakfast in the lobby. It was a decent, serve-yourself affair, with pancakes, bagels, scrambled eggs, cereal, etc. We also took this back to our room to eat, and started getting what little we unpacked back into our luggage. I made sure I attached the cruise luggage tags to the bags as well.

 

Earlier in the week, I had made reservations with Yellow Cab on their website for a 9:45am pickup. Sure enough, at 9:40am I received a text saying the driver was just a mile away, then another saying he was arriving. A few seconds later, here comes our cab. Another couple had also been waiting outside and tried to take the cab, but the driver asked them their name, then shook his head and came up to me. I confirmed our reservation and he loaded us up. The other couple stared at us, and I just smiled back.

 

We were at the port by 10am, and the total fare was only $9.40. I gave him $15 and the $5 to the porters at the terminal for our 3 bags. We only needed one of the carry-on, so I had tagged the other and off it went.

 

We walked in and found our place in line based on our deck number (9). About 5 minutes later, they opened the security lines and then we found the Crown & Anchor Gold line for check-in. This part could have been faster, as they only had one person at each section, and they kept moving Suite guests to these stations before waiving those of us standing in line up.

 

After about 10 minutes or so, we were waived up, showing our SetSail pass and filled out a quick Health Questionnaire. Smile for the little camera! Our pictures were digitally attached to our Sea Pass cards, which we received along with a “Boarding Day” edition of the Cruise Compass and two WOW cards – little cards you can hand out to crew members who deserved extra recognition. We definitely used these and wish we had more.

 

Following the signs, we rounded the corner and encountered our very first photo opportunity. A quick couple of poses and we were up the escalators to what I will affectionately call the “holding tank”.

 

Rows and rows of chairs, each in sections based on your Crown & Anchor status or if you are a Suite guest. We entered the Gold line and encountered the Seat ****. She is a diminutive young lady, but god forbid you did not go down the exact row she specified, sat in the row across from you, or left a seat open. “Sir! Please stay in your row! No open seats! Quickly!” Then later, “Do NOT stand up until your row is called, and wait until I tell you to stand before doing so!” Ja wohl!

 

At 11:15am, then boarding process began. As far as I can tell, it goes Consecutive Cruisers, then Suite Guests, then Crown & Anchor members in highest to lowest ranking, then non-C&A/first time cruisers. It was actually very efficient, with the familiar “ding” of inserting the card into the kiosk and being greeted by your first name.

 

We entered the gangway that zig-zagged back and forth up to the Deck 5 doorway. You’ll see these doors later in the week from the jogging track, large white doors sealed tight. From the gangway, you can see the full size of the ship, so enormous! Looking below you can see the worker bees gathering honey for the hive, yellow forklifts and cranes and dollies and carts – a crazy orchestrated chaos performed every 7 days. Absolutely amazing.

 

I should clarify that on this week, the Oasis was docked in its usual stance, meaning forward in, starboard side to dock. However, the very next week, due to Coast Guard inspections, the Oasis was backwards – aft in, port side to dock. This configuration does change where you enter/exit, which I will cover when I get to that part of the story.

 

Walking into the Royal Promenade, you feel like you are in a huge shopping mall, elegantly appointed but still enormous. Directly in front of us, parked at the very top so you could only see the domed silver bottom, was the Rising Tide Bar. The colored fountains were splashing away, pop music welcoming us in, along with the requisite Purell dispenser. We knew the risks and used these wherever and whenever possible.

 

From here, we could have taken a left turn to the aft elevator banks, but instead we went right, into the Royal Promenade and I began taking what would be over 1700 photos and movies over the course of the next two weeks. Yes, I am insane…

 

We stopped by Guest Services quick so I could grab a copy of the Weekly Planner. This is a great tool for writing down the shows and events that require you to be someplace at a certain time. Note that it is not perfectly accurate, as it is created at the beginning of the cruise, and shows/events can and will change time, mostly because of weather delays with either Oasis of Dreams or Frozen in Time, but in general, I loved this planner. It folder perfectly into my back pocket, showing just one day at a time, a copy of the day’s compass folded with it for reference.

 

On the Royal Promenade, all of the shops were closed, so we walked over to the dining room to check out our table. We had emailed Royal Caribbean, asking if we could get a table for two, preferably by a window, for both cruises. They emailed back a few days before we left that they had, and even gave us the same table for both weeks. We were of course curious where this table was, but it turned out to be a perfect spot, on the port side, deck 4, in the hallway where the main dining room meets the side rooms. You might think this a bad spot, but you would be wrong. There was no one beside us, with a wall on one side and a huge porthole all to our own. The tables in front and behind us were far enough away that it was a wonderfully romantic and secluded spot. It was perfect.

 

Next, we walked through the casino. This was the ONLY time we could walk through without Mona getting choked up from the smoke smell. I have a small rant ready about this, but I will wait until later in the report, as right now, it seemed like it wouldn’t be bad at all. No one else was in there and thus, seemed like someplace we could go and play some games. We were wrong.

 

We took a few pics of Studio B and Comedy Live, then went up to Central Park. It was beautiful, but hot just sitting in port. We stopped in Park Café which was already busy for the famous Roast Beef sandwiches. The bun was soft, the meat was perfect. Yum! We also met Jason for the first time, working the beverage/dessert section in the Café. He made Mona her first Mocha, which was our first item on the Royal Replenish package. More about Jason later.

 

After navigating the Café and the myriad wheeled carry on conveyances people were crashing into chairs, tables, other people, we headed up to the Boardwalk to walk around and try to pick out our Boardwalk Balcony cabin. Nope – no idea. We would fix that soon though.

 

It was now 12:45pm, so we gave our cabin a try to see if it was ready and sure enough it was. As we travelled down the hallway of Deck 9, aft, port side, we came up to cabin 9319, and were greeted with a green Congratulations sign on the door. Entering the room, it was festooned (I always wanted to use that word) with sparkling green, black and silver streamers and decorations. On the counter was a small card that said “Happy Anniversary!” from our kids, my parents and my grandmother, along with a Breakfast In Bed room service menu, with items not offered on the regular room service breakfast menu, like French toast and complimentary Mimosas, and a gift certificate for an 8x10 photo and a silver picture frame. But it turns out they didn’t just get us the anniversary package. They also got us the romance package (non-alcoholic, of course – we drink very little). But the other items hadn’t arrived yet. We of course did not know this and were pleasantly surprised several times.

 

Also waiting for us on the desk were our shore excursion tickets, a sheet showing what Crown & Anchor savings we had available on our SeaPass cards, and our invitations to the Cruise Critic Meet & Mingle the next day.

 

We also met our room steward for both weeks, Florin. A nice if not easily agitated gentleman who always had a smile on his face. He was always done quickly – many were the times we would come back down the hallway and find the other stewards still working, yet Florin was done and his part of the hallway complete. And it wasn’t because he wasn’t doing a good job. Everything was clean and neat and nothing was missed. But heaven help you if you tried to tell him something that was incorrect or not what he believed. He wasn’t insulting or angry, more like politely firm about what he believed to be correct. To his credit, he always followed up everything, as I will mention later in the report.

 

We introduced ourselves and I asked if a) could I have two copies of anything he left for us – compasses, departure forms, etc. – no problem. And then b) could he move everything out of the “cooler” (never cold enough to be called a mini-fridge, though it sure looked like one) so we could use it ourselves. He said he could not, but we could if we wanted. He recommended someplace out in the open, so the minibar staff would see we did not use anything. I found the shelf above the TV (directly above the cooler) to be the perfect size and stacked the Evian water, coke and sprite cans, and boxes of RCI-labeled candies there. And there they remained for two weeks, never touched, never charged, never an issue. The cooler was just cold enough to keep chocolate from melting and bottled water cool to the taste. It worked out fine.

 

We parked our carry-on/laptop/backpack on the couch. I grabbed our drink cups (part of the Royal Replenish package) and the full version of the Day 1 Cruise Compass, quickly made a few notes on my planner, and then I grabbed my secret weapon. Actually, it came courtesy of our travel agent, as she had stayed in a Boardwalk Balcony before. It was a windsock – red, white & blue – and we attached it to the railing of the balcony.

 

Now initially, we attached it on the outside, so it fluttered in the wind. This was fine until about day 4 or 5 – I forget which – when we were informed by our stateroom attendant that it had to go on the inside of the balcony, per instructions from the bridge. That was fine and we could still see it from the Boardwalk, which was the point in the first place.

And that’s where we were headed next, down to the Boardwalk. Standing in front of Johnny Rocket’s, we could easily look up and see our balcony. Look at the Seafood Shack sign, go up two rows and one to the left – that’s the balcony for cabin 9319. (Mona also pointed out it was second row, 6 from the end.)

 

But that wasn’t the only reason we were on the Boardwalk. Oh no. You see, Oasis has four web cameras around the ship: one in Central Park, one on the Sports Deck, one on the Royal Promenade and yep, one on the Boardwalk. It shoots down to just aft of the Carousel.

 

So imagine if you will two people, standing in the middle of the Boardwalk, the woman on her cell phone yelling, “Can you see us? Wait, stand where? Move to the left? Your left or my left? I don’t know which way you think I’m facing?! Towards the carousel or the red pointy thingy…wait, what red pointy thingy? Can you hear me now?” The man looks at the woman, then at the crew member standing at the carousel…laughing….then back at the woman. He shakes his head slowly and tries to decipher exactly where to stand. After about 5 minutes of this admittedly hilarious slap stick, the crew member finally takes pity on the couple and points to a small, domed camera hiding to the side of the carousel, then to a spot that is undoubtedly and soon proven correct sweet spot for the camera. But it doesn’t stop there. Oh, no.

 

“You want us to wave? Okay. Honey, wave!”

 

The man looks at the woman is disbelief. “You do realize the camera only takes a still picture every 60 seconds. They won’t see us actually waving. We could just hold our hands in the air and they would think we’re waving.”

 

“What? No, your dad is talking not waving. Wave already!”

 

And so he waves, like a dork, along with his wife, at what looks like nowhere in particular, waving towards the corner of the Boardwalk. People walk out of the alcove my the elevators and stop mid-step, then slowly change direction to the other side of the carousel, keeping a watchful eye on what may perhaps be signs they have stepped onto a cruise into the twilight zone. And still they wave.

 

“Wait, your son wants to take a picture. Keep waving.”

 

“He’s taking a picture of the computer screen?”

 

“He’s got it piped through the TV. He and your daughter are watching us, and the Fort Lauderdale web camera too. They – are you waving?!”

 

“I’m waving already!”

 

The laughter from the crew member says it all…

 

I’m happy to report that our son did get the picture, and promptly posted it to Facebook. And we immediately went on the carousel and acted like little kids riding for the very first time, so it was all good. It’s not like anyone would ever know we did this, like if it was recorded on the internet in a trip…report…or…ahem…

 

Moving on.

 

We walked around some more, visiting the Opal Theater for pictures, and exchanging our drink cups for different designs up on Deck 6 at the table between Focus and the Schooner Bar, then went up at 1:30pm for a spa tour. We were escorted through the spa facility, starting with the Vitality café, an area where they were showing facials, then the acupuncture table (um, no), teeth whitening area (seriously?), a doctor who did a new type of Botox (because the acupuncture needles didn’t scare me enough I guess), and then down a hall way to a set of stairs….very scary stairs.

 

These are glass stairs, leading down a deck. And they are crystal clear. What were they thinking. Mona was seriously freaking out, and if I hadn’t been so busy laughing at her, I would be right there with her. It wasn’t fear for me, but rather coordination. I clomped down the stairs, not quite getting the right gauge of where my foot should vs would land each step.

 

We then visited the relaxation room and the saunas, before heading through the fitness and weight rooms and then, of course, back up those stairs. We didn’t really buy into anything, until… At the end, they offered us a sample massage – just a quick 2 or 3 minute taste of a couple of different types. I have always had stiffness in my neck – it’s where my stress goes to live. The girl started out with a simple massage with oil, but then – oh, lord, then she applied the hot stones.

 

If Mona hadn’t been there, I would have asked that girl to marry me. Actually maybe I did and Mona just ignored me as usual – 25 years of putting up with me has taught her well. It was an amazing feeling and the tables turned. You see, the whole reason I wanted to do this tour – Mona had no idea it was even offered – was because the next day was her Birthday and I was considering spoiling her with a massage, possibly even a couples massage. But by the time we reached the end of the tour, she wasn’t interested in anything. And then the sample on my neck. Suddenly, I’m trying to figure out how to get a full hot stone massage for myself. We left, though, with no reservations made. But there is a part two to this story later in the report.

 

We visited a few more spots, then headed back to the room, as it was now about 3pm. Waiting for us was not only our checked luggage, but a plate of chocolate covered strawberries, four vanilla bean mini-cupcakes with buttercream frosting I would kill to know the recipe for, and a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling wine.

 

We unpacked and placed our luggage under the bed, where it fit fine (it’s all one set, so they nest inside each other.) All of our clothes made it in fairly good shape, including my suit which I was most worried about. But the trick of folding the jacket partially inside out, then softly packing the vest and pants inside the fold worked well. My three dress shirts, however, did not survive without considerable wrinkling, so I sent them out for pressing only, due back the next day before 5pm.

 

It was now 4:15pm and the PA system told us we needed to head to our muster stations for the drill. For us, that was deck 5 in the back of the Opus Dining Room. Your muster station number is the largest number on your SeaPass card. For us, it was F4, and you were asked to show your card to several yellow-vested crew members as what felt like herding cattle began. This was really the ONLY time during the entire cruise that the ship felt insanely crowded. We entered the MDR and our cards were scanned (bar codes on the back side of the card) to check us in, then we were led via signs to the back. The area leader came on and made some introductions, then various screens around the dining room showed a safety video. Finally Captain Trym came on, gave us an update about guest conduct, the smoking policy (only allowed in the Casino’s smoking section AND decks 15 and 16, port side, where designated), and then a quick update on the weather and time until we will leave. He then released us and the mass exodus began.

 

For us, we headed up the stairs, avoiding the insanity that was the elevators, and up to deck 16 for sail away. We found that it wasn’t just a small section of deck 16’s port side that was smoking – it felt like the whole thing was. We coughed our way to the forward area where there didn’t seem to be too many smokers, and staked out a small section of railing.

 

Now the question will undoubtedly come up: why didn’t you stay to the starboard side? Well, two reasons. First, with the way the ship is docked and how it sails out, I knew the port side is the side facing the Ft. Lauderdale web cam, and second, the port side is where you can look down and see the house that has its own flowrider in the backyard.

I told Mona to hold my spot, so I could get her Corona.

 

Okay, I need to share some history here for this to make sense. On our very first cruise, our travel agent’s husband surprised Mona by buying her a bottle of Corona. 5 years later, on the Mariner, he did it again and a tradition was born. But this time, he wasn’t sailing with us. But I had a plan.

 

I was headed to the nearest bar, but fortunately a cart of beer wandered by so I bought one there and then. I glanced back to where Mona was to make sure she wasn’t looking, and made a call to my TA’s husband. He was waiting. I walked back to Mona and handed her the beer, then gave her the phone and said, “Someone wants to talk to you”.

 

She looked at me with a confused look and took the phone. “Hello?” You should have seen her eyes light up and the smile spread across her face. “Hi! Yeah, I’ve got my Corona. You have one too?! Yeah, I can hear it clink! Okay, on 3 – 1, 2, 3 drink!” They laughed for a few moments and she almost had tears in her eyes. I snapped a picture of her with her beer on my phone and sent it to him. It made her day.

 

It was now 5pm and the Oasis began its slow backing up from the dock, then counter-clockwise spin to face toward the ocean. Looking down, we could see a Coast Guard cutter with a crew member maniing the machine gun on the bow. As ominous and threatening as that looked, it was soon shattered by the loudspeaker from the cutter, which yelled, “Oasis! You guys ready to party?!” and then the cutter started doing donuts in the water, the guy with the gun maintain his stoic stance the entire time. The people on deck were cheering and loving it.

 

Mona was back on the phone with the kids, who said the operator of the web cam was zooming in on the top deck. I put my Akubra hat on (carefully, as it was windy) and they swear they could see us on deck. I looked down and found the flowrider, though it was now pretty obscured by trees now. The last large building on the left had about a dozen people on the balcony, waving at us, with everyone waving back. The Oasis let loose her horns, and air horns from shore answered back. Very soon, we were passing the final breakwater and beach and were out to sea.

 

We walked through the Solarium to check it out, and then headed down and over to the Boardwalk for my very first donut of the trip. My first flavor of the cruise? Strawberry sprinkles – my second favorite of the trip. We also rode the carousel one more time, because…well, just because.

 

Heading inside to the Royal Promenade, we hopped onto the Rising Tide Bar and I ordered the first of many Pineapple Blasts – Pineapple juice, Sprite and Red Bull – a drink which became my go-to drink on the Royal Replenish package. We rode the Bar up to the top, then hopped off and quickly walked back down to the Royal Promenade. Why? Because it was time for Mona’s daily ritual – a coffee at Starbucks.

 

She had been saving gift cards from Christmas, one I won from work, even early birthday presents, and she planned on using them all ($125 worth) during the cruise. I can now tell you she almost made it, bring home just one $25 card. I can also confirm that gift cards work just fine at the Starbucks on the Oasis, as does any amount you might have loaded on your phone – they simply enter the number on your phone into their terminal to charge it and get you a new balance. Note though that during stormy weather, if they lose the internet signal – which happened to us once – then gift cards cannot be used and all purchases must be made using your SeaPass card. Happy to say we never charged a dime on the card at Starbucks the entire trip. Gift cards for the win!

 

It was now time to visit Guest Services. We had a problem. Actually “we” didn’t have a problem. Mona did. Prepare to laugh.

 

Mona readily admits she has a small case of OCD. Certain things bug her to no end and she has to get whatever it is fixed or it will drive her nuts. This manifests at home with cleaning the house, doing the yard work (I just stay out of her way), and yes, even on this cruise. But it is probably the last thing you might imagine.

 

Okay – we have our SeaPass cards, right? And on each of those cards is a small gold “RR” sticker that designates the Royal Replenish package. Only on our cards, the sticker was not put on straight. It was crooked, askew, tilted to one side, not perfectly aligned, it was an ex-parrot (wait, wrong sketch). This was bugging her to no end. So, smiling, I walked to Guest Services. She tried to stop me, but I knew if I didn’t get this fixed, I would never hear the end of it.

 

And I am glad I did, because we were blessed to meet Andre, a Senior Guest Services rep. He greeted us with a smile, and I led with a serious question before throwing him the sticker curve ball. I told him I had two things that needed attention, and if he could help with the first, I guaranteed the second would make him laugh and smile. Mona nudged me in the ribs, shaking her head, trying to find a place to hide.

 

Andre was intrigued, smiled and said shoot. I informed him that we were consecutive cruisers, but were concerned we were not identified as such in their system. This was actually on purpose – I won’t get too detailed here, but as many know, if you link two cruises together – whether through an agent or on your own – the RCI web site can actually stop you from accessing your cruise and adding items like excursions, specialty dining, etc. Not everyone experiences this, but enough have for my agent and I to concur that linking was a bad idea. Andre said no problem and asked for our patience while he went into the back to take care of it.

 

We did wait about 10 minutes for him to return, thinking at one point that maybe he forgot about us. But I shouldn’t have worried. Andre came back and said it was all taken care of. He said they hadn’t uploaded the manifests from shoreside yet (I later learned this did not come through until sometime Wednesday), but that he made a call to another department and it was all taken care of. He was true to his word, as we had no issues with this at all.

 

I then grinned and asked him if he was ready. He couldn’t help but smile. I showed him Mona’s card and explained how the sticker being crooked was going to driver her crazy, or rather crazier (another elbow jab). He did indeed laugh and went back inside. A few moments later he emerged, holding her card up like a proud trophy. A new sticker was straight as can be and with that, started a great friendship with Andre that has continued via email after the cruise.

 

We visited the cabin briefly to clean up for dinner, and found the bed turned down, two copies of the next day’s Cruise Compass on the bed, and our Wine sitting in a fresh bucket of ice with two champagne flutes sitting nearby. Florin at work.

 

At dinner, we met our waiter, James, and our assistant waiter, Savio. James was a very efficient, friendly waiter, though you could tell he was challenged with Savio. He was a nice kid, but always seemed to be late with rolls, or our waters, etc. Nothing major and nothing we really cared about, but you could see and hear the frustration appear occasionally. James however was awesome. What really made it great for us was one of his very first questions: Do you have any shows or reservations you need to make and when?

 

I had been concerned about having late dinner (8:30pm) and many show reservations at 10:30pm throughout the week. We never take long to eat, and since we were not part of a group, had no reason to hang around. Yes, we were relaxing and taking our time. But we didn’t need two hours to eat. James understood this and was very prompt with every part of the meal. Our next course was ready for us as soon as we finished the previous one. It was great, and even on formal nights, we were out of the MDR before 10pm, sometimes by 9:30pm. We really appreciated that service.

 

Tonight was our first show – Frozen In Time – at 10:30pm. We headed down to Studio B on Deck 4 around 10pm and became acquainted with how reservations work. About 45 minutes before every show, they open the doors and scan the barcode on the back of your SeaPass card. It verifies you have a valid reservation and you will be let in. I saw several times on several different occasions people trying to get in with no reservations, missed reservations from an earlier show (they reserved 8:30pm, for example, but showed up at 10:30pm), or even reservations on a different day. To the staff’s credit, I saw many people turned away for these reasons, directed with a smile to the standby line, located nearby. The standby line was allowed in 10 minutes prior to show time for any remaining seats. Usually this was not an issue, especially in the Opal Theater. The exception was of course Comedy Live. Usually only a few couples were allowed in at the end, and we often saw people in the standby lines up to an hour prior to the show. Having a plan and being prompt on the RCI site when reservations open up really pays off.

 

Frozen In Time is a wonderful show, made even more special for us by a familiar face. The lead ice skater turned out to be one we saw back on the Mariner of the Seas back in 2009. It was great to see him still skating, and to be featured as a lead. The show is based on the tales of Hans Christian Anderson and was very enjoyable. And then came the Sand Artists. Talk about a wow moment! What these two people can do with just sand on a light table, with a camera shooting from above, is so creative and mind-blowing, you can’t help but be amazed. A great show, and an enjoyable end to our first day.

 

We headed back to the room, where Mona went to bed right away. I took my Cruise Compass, a pencil and a highlighter and made notes on my weekly planner for the next day. I also took out my journal, where it created two sections – the first for purchases on board, which I routinely verified against the account review available on the tv, and the second section was for daily notes. What you are reading now comes partly from these notes, to help my memory and make sure what I present here is as accurate as I can recall. The notes combined with the pictures I took help make that happen.

 

Soon, I was laying in bed, our alarm clock from home set on the counter, the ship rocking mildly and as I fell into a deep sleep, I thought, “I’m really here. After nearly a year, we’re actually cruising on the Oasis of the Seas.” I did not dream that night. I was already there.

[bling19572010]

Awesome!!!

[TexasR&H]

Mark,

 

First, thank you for posting all of the links in one thread to the various Cruise Compasses and other brochures. It is by far the best way I've seen on these reviews to organize info and makes for a handy reference.

 

Second, we leave in two days for the 5/31 sailing, so I'm slightly bummed to not be able to read the whole review before we leave. C'est la vie!

 

Best,

Heather

[marklodi]

Second, we leave in two days for the 5/31 sailing, so I'm slightly bummed to not be able to read the whole review before we leave. C'est la vie!

 

Sorry. As you can see, I tend to be a bit verbose on my reports (which I hope most people enjoy), but they take me time to write. I often review it, find things I forgot and add to it, etc. I have just barely started on day 2, so I expect each day (of which there will be 15, plus a wrap up) will take a day or two each.

 

I hope it will be worth the wait for everyone. I want to do this right and get all my thoughts and memories in writing. I still go back to my previous reports, which are also fairly long, and they bring back such wonderful times. Thank you all for your patience. :)

[ClevelandRocks!]

Hi Mark!

 

I am loving your review so far and those links are fantastic. Thank you for all your effort to prepare this review and scan everything. I also appreciate your Q&A thread. So very thoughtful of you :)

 

Your info. is helping me prepare for our 7/5 Oasis western sailing.