Oasis of the Seas TransAtlantic Voyage Through the Eyes of Art & Ellie

[artbcpa]

I just posted the first of our photos from the ship. There will be a lot more to follow.

[artbcpa]

I try to present things as positive as possible, but when they aren't, I believe I should also tell it like it is.

 

I am sad to report that this was the very worst Meet and Mingle I have ever been to. How can you meet and mingle in a show room where the center is an ice skating rink? I understand it is difficult to have so many people in an event like this, but the seating arrangement and set up just was not well thought out. It really doesn't matter whose fault it was, it just needs to be done differently. We have always met people at the meet and mingle and often the captain or first officers have shown up for a brief time.

 

I posted a couple of pictures on my site; so you can see what I mean.

 

The weather today has not been very good. The winds are strong and cold. Hopefully it will get better before tomorrow in Vigo. There is still lots to do inside. I am going to lunch and then decide what's next for the day. Ellie has been playing mah jongg most of the morning. So I am sure she is a happy camper.

 

Answers to questions:

 

Coastal Kitchen will not be officially open until next month. It is part of the Suite Lounge on Deck 17 and drinks are indeed free. I also took a photo of the new aft suite and posted it to my site.

 

Enjoy!

Edited October 17, 2014 by artbcpa

[Cruising89143]

I went with SmugMug when Webshots reimagined itself.:( I've been thrilled with the site. It's a little more expensive than some, but uploading is fast & easy, the site is visually pleasing, and the products they offer are top notch.

 

I love Smugmug. Easy to use.

 

OP I'm enjoying your review. Thanks for sharing.

Edited October 17, 2014 by cruisingator2

[reallyhooked]

I just posted the first of our photos from the ship. There will be a lot more to follow.

 

I wouldn't have enjoyed M&M in the ice rink. Sure hope they change the location.

Enjoying your report

[suzyluvs2cruise]

 

I also took a photo of the new aft suite and posted it to my site.

 

Enjoy!

 

Thanks for the picture. Definitely under construction!

[Dave85]

I wouldn't have enjoyed M&M in the ice rink. Sure hope they change the location.

Enjoying your report

 

This is the first I've ever heard of a M&M being held in Studio B, and have to assume it was a contingency plan for some reason (either huge crowd, unavailability of Dazzles (most likely), or something else). Very odd though. Hopefully it reverts back to being in Dazzles.

[steamboats]

This is the first I've ever heard of a M&M being held in Studio B, and have to assume it was a contingency plan for some reason (either huge crowd, unavailability of Dazzles (most likely), or something else). Very odd though. Hopefully it reverts back to being in Dazzles.

 

The Meet & Mingle has been at Studio B on the eastbound TA also. We had - the last time I´ve checked - 345 people signed up (and I´m sure by the time of the cruise that number was close to 400). There is no proper location for a Meet & Mingle of this size. Sure it was not really a place to mingle. But we had lots of fun with Michele who was doing the raffle and giving away really lots of prizes (it lasted nearly an hour). DH told me they gave away less prizes today.

 

steamboats

[Dave85]

The Meet & Mingle has been at Studio B on the eastbound TA also. We had - the last time I´ve checked - 345 people signed up (and I´m sure by the time of the cruise that number was close to 400). There is no proper location for a Meet & Mingle of this size. Sure it was not really a place to mingle. But we had lots of fun with Michele who was doing the raffle and giving away really lots of prizes (it lasted nearly an hour). DH told me they gave away less prizes today.

 

steamboats

 

 

Wow!!! That's a mega meet and mingle. No wonder it was in Studio B.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Cruise Critic Forums mobile app

[Cindy]

I don't want to to take this thread too far off base, but I just had a chance to check out the reviews on SmugMug. They are very mixed. Apparently many of their loyal followers have been upset by the new "updated" design and interface and even compared it to "New Coke". Have they fixed it? How did you work through the changes?

 

Thanks,

Art

 

I don't see the changes as that big a deal...like anything else, it's hard when you're used to things being a certain way, and it takes some time to adapt. Kind of like the Oasis Concierge Lounge!:D

 

When you're back on land, take some time to play with the site and see if it will work for you. They allow a trial, and you can go through setting up your page and deciding how you want it to look. One of my favorite features is the "Drag and Drop" to upload pictures. I've been impressed at how fast it is, ESPECIALLY compared to the old Webshots!

 

OK...enough photo hosting talk.:o Back to your fantastic review!:)

 

[artbcpa]

Thank you all for your comments and questions. Many of you recognize the time it takes to do a daily blog. For me it is something I enjoy doing and I also do it to repay the favor that others have done for me.

 

This afternoon I played bridge. There were 16 tables in duplicate and I found a great partner. We played very well together, especially since this was the very first time we did so. I play online often so I have learned to be adaptable to others preferences and tendencies, but it still takes time to learn them.

 

With regard to the casino, forget everything I said previously. I lost it all back today. LOL :(

 

Tonight we went to our first specialty restaurant. We had heard very mixed reviews; some saying that is the only place they go; others saying they preferred the main dining room. So we felt we needed to try at least one or two ourselves. After eating this evening at Giovanni's, I would definitely be in the camp that prefers eating in the main dining room. We haven't had a bad meal there or in Windjammer. Our meals tonight were mediocre at best. I started with the Cioppino and Ellie had the Zuppa de Lenticchie (lentil soup). I have had better Cioppino, but Ellie couldn't even eat her soup. (Remember how much she loved the cold soups in the main dining room.) My next course was the caesar salad. The dressing was watered down and had no body or flavor. For our main courses, I had the lamb and Ellie had the shrimp, which she ordered well done. My lamb was cooked properly but the sauce actually took away from the dish. (full disclosure: I usually don't order lamb out as I can make it better than many restaurants) Her shrimp was definitely not well done and full of breading). In total our meals were disappointing.

 

We also had tickets for the ice show tonight, which was postponed because of the rocking of the ship. So back to the piano bar we went.

 

We are looking forward to tomorrow's stop in Vigo, Spain and will let you know how it went.

[denamo]

We can't really figure out why, but our experience for dinner with Giovanni's on the Oasis class ships is pretty similar to yours. However, we have found lunch to be a better choice. We usually consider it a sea day excursion. Not sure if it is the menu or not so busy. We've gotten to where we never do dinner at this specialty restaurant on the Oasis class ships. :(

 

Tonight we went to our first specialty restaurant. We had heard very mixed reviews; some saying that is the only place they go; others saying they preferred the main dining room. So we felt we needed to try at least one or two ourselves. After eating this evening at Giovanni's, I would definitely be in the camp that prefers eating in the main dining room. We haven't had a bad meal there or in Windjammer. Our meals tonight were mediocre at best. I started with the Cioppino and Ellie had the Zuppa de Lenticchie (lentil soup). I have had better Cioppino, but Ellie couldn't even eat her soup. (Remember how much she loved the cold soups in the main dining room.) My next course was the caesar salad. The dressing was watered down and had no body or flavor. For our main courses, I had the lamb and Ellie had the shrimp, which she ordered well done. My lamb was cooked properly but the sauce actually took away from the dish. (full disclosure: I usually don't order lamb out as I can make it better than many restaurants) Her shrimp was definitely not well done and full of breading). In total our meals were disappointing.

 

We also had tickets for the ice show tonight, which was postponed because of the rocking of the ship. So back to the piano bar we went.

 

We are looking forward to tomorrow's stop in Vigo, Spain and will let you know how it went.

[Valiamo]

Thanks for taking the time to give us a tour of your Trans Atlantic! Look forward to see the Oasis early next year.

 

Great pictures, and they are of a variety of items. Enjoying this immensely.

[crisndeefromde]

loving your blog. Thank you for taking time out of your vacation to post so that we may "cruise along with you!"

[Freedale]

Thanks for taking the time to do this report. Diane

 

Sent from my GT-N8010 using Forums mobile app

[artbcpa]

We just got back from a fabulous day in Vigo.

 

It began with a leisurely breakfast in the Solarium. That itself was a real find for us. Ellie really loved the breakfast and the whole area. She said she wants to have every breakfast there as it has a wider selection of light, healthy foods. I liked it too, but still prefer Windjammer. Either would be fine for me. Then we played a little table tennis and miniature golf before heading off the ship into town.

 

In most ports I prefer to find my own private guide. Vigo was no exception. The key to making this successful is that you have to "interview" the guides while they are giving you their pitch. We want someone who speaks English well enough for us to understand and knows enough about their city to take us to all those "special" places. It was a little tougher in Vigo because so few spoke English, but in the end that is exactly what we got.

 

Francisco was extraordinary. We went to so many lovely places inside and outside of the city and we controlled how long we stay. I will be posting photos shortly (or at least as many as I can as I took most of them with my larger format camera. I sure hope I don't have to reduce the pixels as much as last time because we saw some truly special photographic sites.

 

After returning to the ship, we went to Johnny Rockets. The music was rap and Ellie's hot dog was just not good. My hamburger was fine and we loved the "complimentary" fries...that is until we found out that there is $6 per person charge at Johnny Rockets ...and the drinks are extra ($2.50 each). We truly hate being nickeled and dimed and that is what it feels likes especially for your premium passengers. When you think about it, because so much of the ship is still unfinished and/or unopened, RCI should have taken special consideration for the passengers on this voyage. Have you ever stayed in a hotel that was "under construction". That is what this feels like.

 

My shout outs to RCI..

 

1. When you are taking things away, be on the lookout for what you can give back.

 

2. A cruise is supposed to include your food. Unless you want to be like Spirit Air, I suggest you rethink your policy.

 

Now we will see what we can do uploading the photos. I also wanted to mention that we found a hotel in Baiona that we would seriously consider coming back to. It's name is Paradores de Baiona Conde de Gondomar, a Hilton property, so we can even use our Hilton Honors points.

Edited October 18, 2014 by artbcpa

[cruisenfever]

After returning to the ship, we went to Johnny Rockets. The music was rap and Ellie's hot dog was just not good. My hamburger was fine and we loved the "complimentary" fries...that is until we found out that there is $6 per person charge at Johnny Rockets ...and the drinks are extra ($2.50 each). We truly hate being nickeled and dimed and that is what it feels likes especially for your premium passengers. When you think it about it because so much of the ship is still unfinished and/or unopened, RCI should have taken special consideration for the passengers on this voyage. Have you ever stayed in a hotel that was "under construction". That is what this feels like.

 

$5.95 is the standard fee on all ships that have a JR's.

Edited October 18, 2014 by cruisenfever

[Sunny AZ Girl]

I'm glad your wife enjoyed breakfast at the Solarium Cafe. I enjoyed that on the Allure, also. I am looking forward to it on the Oasis. I had the best banana pancakes there one day.:cool:

[steamboats]

Johnny Rockets has been free in the beginning but the cover charge is in effect for years now. Used to be 4.95 $ and went up to 5.95 $ some time ago. It´s free for breakfast. Sorry, that you didn´t know about the cover charge but that´s not really RCIs fault...

 

We had a great dinner at Giovanni´s on the eastbound TA. I also had the Gamberoni al Forno which were excellent (and not undercooked at all). You can see my photos here (unfortunately the Gamberoni didn´t turn out really "sharp"). We had nothing to complain about. But we didn´t have the lamb or the Cesar´s Salad.

 

steamboats

[artbcpa]

I wasn't able to upload any of my photos on the ship; maybe because of the time of day and interference with the port' wi-fi. Fortunately we still had another 1 1/2 hours in port; so I rushed down and downloaded whatever I could. I will also try to add to it later. Here is the link to my photos from Vigo:

 

I downloaded one of the photos at full pixels and after editing the color and sharpness. I am sure you will be able to tell which one that is.

[The Big Booper]

Nice pictures, as always. We feel that the Solarium is still the best bet for breakfast and lunch, good somewhat lighter food and somewhat out of the way. The hordes, especially the many first-timers, have not yet discovered it.

 

JR is free for breakfast but is strictly a novelty place. The boardwalk Doghouse has been on Allure since day one; glad to see that it has been added to Oasis, my choice when grabbing a quick nosh out back.

[artbcpa]

Nice pictures, as always. We feel that the Solarium is still the best bet for breakfast and lunch, good somewhat lighter food and somewhat out of the way. The hordes, especially the many first-timers, have not yet discovered it.

 

JR is free for breakfast but is strictly a novelty place. The boardwalk Doghouse has been on Allure since day one; glad to see that it has been added to Oasis, my choice when grabbing a quick nosh out back.

 

Thank you for the tip. We will try out the Doghouse. If anyone has any suggestions for us of places to try or things to go, we appreciate any and all suggestions. Because we got back late from our tour and ate lunch late we were wavering between eating dinner in the Windjammer or doing the late seating instead of first.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Thank you for the tip. We will try out the Doghouse. If anyone has any suggestions for us of places to try or things to go, we appreciate any and all suggestions. Because we got back late from our tour and ate lunch late we were wavering between eating dinner in the Windjammer or doing the late seating instead of first.

 

We enjoyed the Wipeout Cafe for a quick lunch and breakfast for the cooked to order eggs. The view when sitting outside and looking down the length of the Promenade is nice, also.

[The Big Booper]

The Wipeout Cafe is at the aft Starboard side before hitting the Flowriders. Basic American beachy place with burgers etc. And there is a long covered stretch for those who like to to sit outside in a shaded area looking out at the water while nibbling at your food.

[KeywestK]

Thank you for the tip. We will try out the Doghouse. If anyone has any suggestions for us of places to try or things to go, we appreciate any and all suggestions. Because we got back late from our tour and ate lunch late we were wavering between eating dinner in the Windjammer or doing the late seating instead of first.

 

If you and your wife have reserved early seating in the MDR for the length of the cruise, I don't think they will allow you to flip flop back and forth between early and late seating. If you have My Time Dining reserved for the entire cruise, you can just show up whenever you like to be seated, or you can pre-reserve your table/time.

[cruiser 1952]

You said "We truly hate being nickeled and dimed and that is what it feels likes especially for your premium passengers."

What exactly makes you a premium passenger? :confused: I have always felt that Royal Caribbean treats everyone equally!