Oasis Review: Jan 17, 2015, Western Carib

[Koohiichan]

Where to start? What struck us most about Oasis is that this really isn't a typical cruise. It is more like a city or resort on water. This was our family's 4th cruise on RCI and my 5th. My husband and I have cruised 3 times as a couple on Celebrity, and as a family we have cruised Disney 1x and Royal 3. We find RCI the best fit for our family at this time.

 

Until this cruise on Oasis, I had assumed that we would switch lines once our daughter is an adult and, although I'm not counting that out, I have to say that Oasis may have changed our minds. The fine dining we were missing from our Celebrity days was more than met on Oasis, in fact, I think it surpassed it. That along with the casual dining options, neighborhoods that gave adults plenty of separated space, not-to-be-found-elsewhere Broadway caliber entertainment, and activity-oriented features (zip-line, rock-wall, flowrider, running track etc. totally won us over.

 

Sure. At first we felt a little separated from the sea, but we soon found the places to go and connect. Do I think I'll never do a smaller ship in the future? I would never say never, but I am sure I'd miss the features that can only be found on the Oasis class of ships. At least as a family with a teen, I think we will stick with RCI and the larger classes for now. Below are my feelings & experiences on the ship, food and entertainment.

 

Cabin: We were in 2 inside, connecting cabins, 9430 & 9432. We usually do balconies and have had the luck of getting aft balconies in the past with larger cabins and balconies so we are rather spoiled in that way. But, our teen wanted her own space and a real bed this time, not to mention we would like some privacy on vacation (cruises are romantic after all!) so we decided that connecting insides would work well on a ship like Oasis. Plus, it cost not too much more than 3 of us in an inside balcony, anyhow. Yes, we had to pay the single supplement, but our family got 21 points for a cruise that cost less than last years on Adventure where we had 1 cabin and got only 7 points. A worthwhile compromise.

 

The cabins, even the insides, are very nicely laid out (yes the bed by the closet is very inconvenient) and RCI has truly mastered the bathroom/shower area. Best shower at sea. Ever! Next time, we would most likely do the same thing if our budget is the same; however, I can see why balconies are a good idea on this ship if you can swing it. If a connection to the sea is important to you, then I would get a balcony. The inside was comfortable and great for sleeping, but I had no desire to hang out in it. It was very quiet, by the way, and we couldn't hear a thing next door when the connecting door was closed.

 

Food: The restaurant options are what sold us on this ship and make us think we can't go back to a smaller one (or one without options. Quantum might work!) The MDR was fine, as usual. We did My Time Dining 2 times: the first night and the first formal night. We had reservations and the first night were moved to a different dining room, but it was not an issue. The second night we were seated immediately. There was no long wait as we had feared. We tried Giovanni's which was awesome (get the tiramisu!) The service was superb and the food delicious. We did the Windjammer the last 2 nights and it was not crowded and a good as expected. We checked it out the first formal night and they had lobster tail (all you can eat) on the buffet! Needless to say, we didn't stop and eat as we had reservations in the main dining room, but if you don't care about formal night, this might be the night for WJ.

 

We had a lunch and a dinner at Sabor. It is "gourmet" Mexican food and the best deal economically. Their dinner course in $19 and easily feeds 2. The white sangria was delish. We couldn't decide whether we liked Sabor or Giovanni's the best. We also had some delicious appetizers in Vintages. Most of our breakfasts were in the Solarium Bistro which has a nice buffet without the crowds at the WJ and a much nicer ambiance.

 

Entertainment/Activities: Try the zip line. I did it the first day and there was almost no line. The rest of the cruise it is crowded. It is fun and really not scary once you've made the leap. My dh enjoyed the flowrider. I loved the running track. It is covered, but you can sea the ocean and get a breeze. I enjoyed it so much that I ran 4 times, and did my first 5 miles at sea. I usually spin on a cruise, but the track most so nice and the spin classes were more than 2x as expensive: $25 a class, that I just ran. Like people say, we just didn't find the time to try everything and wish we had done more.

 

The shows were all great and top notch. Do not miss out. I confess that my daughter could not stay for the 2nd half of Cats so we skipped out, but my husband said it was very good. Maybe they should have thought about a show more appropriate for a cruise ship audience. The cast, however, was very talented and definitely Broadway level. That is not the issue. The only show we missed was the comedy which I heard was comparable to what you'd see in Manhattan. I can't speak to the parades, kids activities or adult game-show events as we didn't do this on this cruise.

 

Service: We felt the customer service and staff members on Oasis were all wonderful. The CD was Ricky Matthews and he was a lot of fun. His approach seems to be more of a comedian and he has no problem making fun of himself or other, but in a fun, unassuming way.

 

The negative: If there was one negative for us, it was that a lot of Oasis cruisers seemed like one-timers who have come just to sail the biggest ship (almost biggest) and don't really understand about cruising. When shows were over, they would just leave. Ricky would talk and they would just get up and go. There was none of the feeling that you were all sharing a vacation experience. We kept trying to figure out why? Was it the various nationalities/languages? We don't think so because our last 2 cruises were out of San Juan with an international and/or Spanish speaking crowd and this phenomenon did not happen then. Finally, we summed it up to the challenge of fitting in all the activities/dinner reservations on Oasis. You were often running off to somewhere next. Either that, or just the big nature of the ship with various neighborhoods making you feel as if you were on your own, individual vacation and not connected at all to the other cruisers.

 

However, the positive flip side was that you were never crowed. People are evenly spread out among activities, pool sections, entertainment and food venues. People who can't think outside the box and must do WJ or sit at the main/beach poolside might not believe this, but if they just try another restaurant (not all require an extra charge) or another pool or lounger area, they will find a seat/meal, etc. there were tons of kids, but I never felt over-run with them. The Solarium is huge and beautiful and kids are kept busy on other parts of the ship.

 

To sum up: We loved Oasis and are already thinking about the next cruise and whether we can do Oasis, or similar, again. We wouldn't rule out another cruise line or a smaller ship, but right now we think this class/line is the best fit for us a as a family.

[retire2cruise55]

Great review. Thanks for sharing. We too enjoy the larger ships. Been on Oasis two times and going on Allure in March:D

[cruzkitty]

Enjoyed your review! We love Oasis and will be making our third trip on her in September. It really is an awesome experience.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Great review!

 

We're sailing on the Oasis for the first time in May, so it's great to read about other's experiences.

Edited January 25, 2015 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[Lionesss]

What a very well written review.

 

I enjoyed reading it..........especially since we will sail on her in August.

 

So..........whens your next cruise?

 

 

Thanks again.

 

Safe journey

[cherski]

Great review. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

 

We will be on the Oasis again in March and appreciate your tip about the zip-line. My kids will head for it first thing.

[Yorkvillain]

Nice review.

 

I can't get enough of the Oasis class. Those ships are amazing.

[Scott6428]

Thanks for the review

 

What day was the formal night? did all the dining options required formal wear? Wondering if there's something other than the Buffet available.

 

Thanks.

[Susie51]

Thank you for your review. I enjoyed reading about your experiences and value your suggestions.

[twindaddy]

Great review! A few minor questions:

 

I have seen some similar review of Cats, why did you feel it was not appropriate? I hear many people leave at intermission...was it just too long?

 

I am not clear on the leaving after the show comment, did you mean people were leaving while the CD was talking and wrapping things up?

 

Thanks for getting me more excited about my upcoming cruise!

[KLC1993]

Great review! A few minor questions:

 

I have seen some similar review of Cats, why did you feel it was not appropriate? I hear many people leave at intermission...was it just too long?

 

I am not clear on the leaving after the show comment, did you mean people were leaving while the CD was talking and wrapping things up?

 

Thanks for getting me more excited about my upcoming cruise!

 

I was on this same sailing and saw Cats on Sunday @830. My guess is that after a travel day and a full day at sea with sun and drinks etc., that some just ran out of energy by intermission which was around 10 pm. Our show was completely full to the point of people shouting about reserving seats. After intermission the room was a little more than half full.

 

It also helps if you know the basic storyline of the show because it's difficult to pick up on the fly.

 

I would say that the show cast is very good and that the show is the same one you would have seen on Broadway. Bonus feature was the opportunity to take a photo with Deuteronomy during intermission while he sat on stage.

 

It's a good show. Maybe too long for the cruise ship crowd but it is a tremendous value you are getting from RCCL to see it at sea.

Edited January 25, 2015 by KLC1993

[twindaddy]

I was on this same sailing and saw Cats on Sunday @830. My guess is that after a travel day and a full day at sea with sun and drinks etc., that some just ran out of energy by intermission which was around 10 pm. Our show was completely full to the point of people shouting about reserving seats. After intermission the room was a little more than half full.

 

It also helps if you know the basic storyline of the show because it's difficult to pick up on the fly.

 

I would say that the show cast is very good and that the show is the same one you would have seen on Broadway. Bonus feature was the opportunity to take a photo with Deuteronomy during intermission while he sat on stage.

 

It's a good show. Maybe too long for the cruise ship crowd but it is a tremendous value you are getting from RCCL to see it at sea.

 

Ahhh, got it. One of the reasons I booked the daytime showing for my sailing on Sea Day 1.

 

My girls are pretty in to Broadway shows, so I think they will really like it. Thanks for the info!

[EaganCruiser]

very good review and you personal opinions make me look forward to our trip on the Oasis in March...3-7-2015...:p

[lindy sails]

Great review! I feel the same way about the Oasis and Allure. I also cruise on Celebrity & Princess but always come back to the Oasis class ship. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[ladyariadne]

I was on this same sailing and saw Cats on Sunday @830. My guess is that after a travel day and a full day at sea with sun and drinks etc., that some just ran out of energy by intermission which was around 10 pm. Our show was completely full to the point of people shouting about reserving seats. After intermission the room was a little more than half full.

 

It also helps if you know the basic storyline of the show because it's difficult to pick up on the fly.

 

I would say that the show cast is very good and that the show is the same one you would have seen on Broadway. Bonus feature was the opportunity to take a photo with Deuteronomy during intermission while he sat on stage.

 

It's a good show. Maybe too long for the cruise ship crowd but it is a tremendous value you are getting from RCCL to see it at sea.

 

I saw Cats several times on Broadway and love it. I am on the February 21st cruise with my niece and nephew who are 11 and 9. I bought them the poems that the play is based on Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot and spent some time explaining to them what it was all about. I think once you know what to expect, you learn to appreciate how well it has been adapted to the stage and the incredible way the cast turns themselves into cats, as well as the dancing and singing. I also told them to see how many people they know who act like the cats who are presented, which was part of Eliot's idea in doing the poems.

[Merion_Mom]

First of all, thank you for taking the time and putting in the effort to write such an excellent review. It really hit all the hot button issues. THANK YOU.

 

 

The negative: If there was one negative for us, it was that a lot of Oasis cruisers seemed like one-timers who have come just to sail the biggest ship (almost biggest) and don't really understand about cruising. When shows were over, they would just leave. Ricky would talk and they would just get up and go. There was none of the feeling that you were all sharing a vacation experience. We kept trying to figure out why? Was it the various nationalities/languages? We don't think so because our last 2 cruises were out of San Juan with an international and/or Spanish speaking crowd and this phenomenon did not happen then. Finally, we summed it up to the challenge of fitting in all the activities/dinner reservations on Oasis. You were often running off to somewhere next. Either that, or just the big nature of the ship with various neighborhoods making you feel as if you were on your own, individual vacation and not connected at all to the other cruisers.

 

 

I would like to respond to what you wrote above. (I highlighted it in red. ;) )

 

I cruise a lot these days. :D I see a lot of Cruise Directors. I see a lot of reactions to those CD's.

 

Here is what I would say:

 

When a cruise director is well-liked, and entertaining, people sit and wait for him after the show.

 

When he is not, they don't.

 

:)

[Koohiichan]

What a very well written review.

 

I enjoyed reading it..........especially since we will sail on her in August.

 

So..........whens your next cruise?

 

 

Thanks again.

 

Safe journey

 

Hi, Sue:

 

Thanks to you and everyone for your feedback. Glad you liked my review.

 

About the next cruise: we started off the week saying a land-based vacation was next but by the end of the cruise we started talking about the Eastern Carib on Oasis or possibly allure. We got a good deal on this cruise so if we could get the same deal in the future, we would likely do it again next year.

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Koohiichan

[Koohiichan]

Thanks for the review

 

What day was the formal night? did all the dining options required formal wear? Wondering if there's something other than the Buffet available.

 

Thanks.

 

The 2 formal nights were days 2 (Sunday night) and I think 6 ( Thursday night) if I remember correctly. You only need formal wear for the MDR (main dining room) on those nights. The suit and tie combo and cocktail dress are probably the outfit you'll see the most, but you could easily get by with pants/shirt/tie or pants/shirt/jacket for guys and black pants & sparkly shirt for women, and maybe even less formal than that but pants are a must in the dining room. Oasis has tons of restaurant options. Besides the Windjammer there are specialty restaurants (Chops, etc.) and casual options including Park Café, Johnny Rockets and pizza/sandwiches on the Promenade. Specialty restaurants suggest a country club casual type of dress (no shorts) but in the others you need footwear and a cover-up or shorts/shirt type of dress. Personally I think RCI does a good job at their buffets, although buffets are not my favorite either.

 

Cheers,

 

Koohiichan

[Koohiichan]

Great review! A few minor questions:

 

I have seen some similar review of Cats, why did you feel it was not appropriate? I hear many people leave at intermission...was it just too long?

 

I am not clear on the leaving after the show comment, did you mean people were leaving while the CD was talking and wrapping things up?

 

Thanks for getting me more excited about my upcoming cruise!

 

Hi!

 

Cats: The content itself wasn't inappropriate, at least, not for kids or anything like that. It is just that I think a more light-hearted musical might be more suited to a cruise ship-like atmosphere, especially in the Caribbean. The length of the show doesn't help. It is about 2.5 hours and there is a 15 minute or so intermission. My husband said about 1/2 the audience left. He found a great seat up close for the 2nd half (he made sure he didn't steal anyone's seat.) Of course, some people love Cats and for them this may not be relevant, but I mostly heard people say they either hated it, found it boring, or thought the cast was awesome but the show was a not a good fit for a cruise.

 

You might find that you like it. It can't hurt to make reservations and check it out. You can always leave at intermission if you'd like. Personally, I would have stayed but my 13 year-old was done (I made her stay until intermission.) Tip: get a show near the front so you can see the cats' faces and expressions up close. My husband said that this made the show much more entertaining.

 

As for the CD: Yes. People left after he came out and started talking. They didn't want to hear his 3-5 minute spiel.

 

Cheers,

 

Koohiichan

[Koohiichan]

I was on this same sailing and saw Cats on Sunday @830. My guess is that after a travel day and a full day at sea with sun and drinks etc., that some just ran out of energy by intermission which was around 10 pm. Our show was completely full to the point of people shouting about reserving seats. After intermission the room was a little more than half full.

 

It also helps if you know the basic storyline of the show because it's difficult to pick up on the fly.

 

I would say that the show cast is very good and that the show is the same one you would have seen on Broadway. Bonus feature was the opportunity to take a photo with Deuteronomy during intermission while he sat on stage.

 

It's a good show. Maybe too long for the cruise ship crowd but it is a tremendous value you are getting from RCCL to see it at sea.

 

Not to be a broken record, but I think that about 1/2 the audience always leaves. We saw the show at 2pm on the second day, which is the first sea day. My husband stayed and said at least half left. Personally I felt like I was sacrificing sun deck time, but as you say it really is a great value when you consider you are getting a show included that could cost upwards of $300 or more (2x maybe) for a family of 3 on Broadway. This is why we attended.

 

Glad you had a great cruise, too. Can't imagine how anyone couldn't!

[Disney Sheep]

Not to be a broken record, but I think that about 1/2 the audience always leaves. We saw the show at 2pm on the second day, which is the first sea day. My husband stayed and said at least half left. Personally I felt like I was sacrificing sun deck time, but as you say it really is a great value when you consider you are getting a show included that could cost upwards of $300 or more (2x maybe) for a family of 3 on Broadway. This is why we attended.

 

Glad you had a great cruise, too. Can't imagine how anyone couldn't!

 

Thanks for taking the time to write a review, we are sailing on the Oasis in March and your review is helping me with the wait!

 

Just a comment, I have seen Cats at our National Arts Centre in the past, and although I enjoyed it, I didn't love it. That said, we plan to see it as a family (including our 2 teenagers), in March. I think the difference between audiences on land and audiences on a cruise ship, is that on land you spend a lot of money to go see Cats, and you go to see it specifically because you want to see it, whereas on Oasis, the audience members have not invested in Oasis either financially nor intellectually, and therefore if it doesn't immediately appeal to them, then they leave because really there are lots of other really neat things to do.