First time Oasis traveler...

[airlinerob]

Hi All -

 

Booked my first trip on the Oasis on April 30th. VERY excited.

 

Had a choice (in my budget) of booking a Central Park View Balcony or Boardwalk View Balcony, so I went with Boardwalk since it sounds like fun being able to see the show and some water. :-) I read some complaints about noise, but I don't think that will bother me.

 

My cabin is 11703. It was the furthest back I could get (I wanted something further back, but they were already taken!)

 

Anyway, I guess it's too early to choose anything like entertainment, etc because nothing is showing - but we are on the Eastern itinerary and want to be able to see all the shows. We don't plan on getting off the ship in Nassau.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on:

 

- What days/times are the best to see each show to maximize time on the ship?

 

- We are currently listed for MY TIME dining, but have a waitlist on 6pm dining (we are platinum) - so hopefully we are cleared before the departure date.

 

- Tips, tricks, things to know, etc about the Oasis? As I said, I've never been and really want to make the most of this cruise.

 

I was told not to even TRY to experience everything on the Oasis because it's not possible. So, what are the DON'T MISS / MUST SEE things?

 

Also, since I haven't even seen any of the Oasis "dailies" - are any of the specialty restaurants open for lunch? I plan to go to the main dining room most evenings with the exception (possibly) of 1 night in the steakhouse. But, my partner wants to have Sushi - so I'm hoping the Sushi place is open for lunch at some point. I also read that the Mexican restaurant is a "don't miss" place. Is it open for lunch? Or, should we scrap the Main Dining room thing and stick mainly with specialty restaurants?

 

I figured I'd ask my friends here on Cruise Critic their opinions - because you haven't steered me wrong yet on any other cruise!

[garnetpalmetto]

Hi All -

 

Booked my first trip on the Oasis on April 30th. VERY excited.

 

Had a choice (in my budget) of booking a Central Park View Balcony or Boardwalk View Balcony, so I went with Boardwalk since it sounds like fun being able to see the show and some water. :-) I read some complaints about noise, but I don't think that will bother me.

 

My cabin is 11703. It was the furthest back I could get (I wanted something further back, but they were already taken!)

 

Anyway, I guess it's too early to choose anything like entertainment, etc because nothing is showing - but we are on the Eastern itinerary and want to be able to see all the shows. We don't plan on getting off the ship in Nassau.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on:

 

- What days/times are the best to see each show to maximize time on the ship?

We were very happy with how we scheduled out our shows and did as follows:

 

Day 1 - Oasis of Dreams (NOTE this was rescheduled to Day 4 due to bad weather)

Day 2 - Cats

Day 3 - Headliner Showtime

Day 4 - Comedy Show

Day 5 - Frozen in Time

Day 6 - Come Fly With Me (We ended up skipping out on this because we weren't feeling well)

- We are currently listed for MY TIME dining, but have a waitlist on 6pm dining (we are platinum) - so hopefully we are cleared before the departure date.

 

- Tips, tricks, things to know, etc about the Oasis? As I said, I've never been and really want to make the most of this cruise.

This is the first ship we've been on where we've constantly checked the Wayfinders to see what's going on - there's so much going on at once it's not a bad idea to spend some time with your cruise compass either after you get it or in advance to sort of highlight/plan out what you want to do the next day. Explore, explore, explore! If you're planning on staying onboard in Nassau this is a great day to do it. Try to walk the entire ship. Get a feel for which elevator bank is best to use to get to/from a certain spot. Allow 10-15 minutes to get anywhere. If you see reservations for something you REALLY want to do disappear from the online planner, don't fret - guest services will assist! They hold back some bookings for people who wait until they board to book - this is how we got booked to the Prohibition party.

 

- We are currently listed for MY TIME dining, but have a waitlist on 6pm dining (we are platinum) - so hopefully we are cleared before the departure date.

 

I was told not to even TRY to experience everything on the Oasis because it's not possible. So, what are the DON'T MISS / MUST SEE things?

The shows, especially the water shows, were don't miss/must see for me absolutely. I'd also add in the Prohibition Party (held on Day 4 on this itinerary) - $35/person but it's fun and well run and you get some fun period cocktails out of it.

 

Also, since I haven't even seen any of the Oasis "dailies" - are any of the specialty restaurants open for lunch? I plan to go to the main dining room most evenings with the exception (possibly) of 1 night in the steakhouse. But, my partner wants to have Sushi - so I'm hoping the Sushi place is open for lunch at some point. I also read that the Mexican restaurant is a "don't miss" place. Is it open for lunch? Or, should we scrap the Main Dining room thing and stick mainly with specialty restaurants?

Sabor is absolutely open for lunch and the dinner tasting menu (the best bang for your buck) is also available at lunch. We did lunch there our last day on the ship. I wouldn't scrap Main Dining - MDR food was quite good on Oasis. We opted for Chops and Giovanni's Table twice out of the week and were quite happy with those choices. The only venue I'd say to skip out on is Johnny Rocket's as it's subpar compared to other JR's in the fleet. Floor was slick/greasy, it seemed poorly run, and even for breakfast it disappointed. Steer clear. Solarium Bistro is open for lunch with a different menu/format (it still highlights healthier food options but it's a buffet, more like a smaller, healthier Windjammer). Giovanni's Table also does lunch. Izumi only does lunch on sea days.

 

I figured I'd ask my friends here on Cruise Critic their opinions - because you haven't steered me wrong yet on any other cruise!

 

We just did the itinerary two weeks ago - need to scan/upload my Cruise Compasses but my thoughts/recollections are above in red.

Edited October 21, 2015 by garnetpalmetto

[Clarea]

If you get 6pm dining, I would not schedule any 8:30pm shows. We ran into tight schedules when trying to do dinner, trivia, and the show. I'd go for 9:30pm (or later) shows.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Would try to schedule the aqua theater/diving show as early in the week as possible. Sometimes the show has to be postponed because of the weather. If so, it is rescheduled for later in the week, so you still get to see it.

[rtazz17]

Yes we always schedule the aqua show for the day we embark.. Usually seas are calm that early in cruise and no cancellation.. We were on oasis a couple yrs ago when the only aqua show was the day we embarked ,all others were cancelled do to high seas all week.Pools were closed too because all the water would come out because of the constant up/down up/down....

[Clarea]

Don't miss the observation deck above the bridge wings on deck 14. Take the port side passenger corridor all the way forward and through a door.

[BillOh]

Hi All -

 

Booked my first trip on the Oasis on April 30th. VERY excited.

I figured I'd ask my friends here on Cruise Critic their opinions - because you haven't steered me wrong yet on any other cruise!

 

Rob,

 

If you would like to have a 6 month long discussion with people who are cruising on this cruise with you, please join us in the roll call.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2099255

[BillOh]

Don't miss the observation deck above the bridge wings on deck 14. Take the port side passenger corridor all the way forward and through a door.

 

But wait till BillOh gets to his own personal sail away spot first.

[BillOh]

[quote name=airlinerob;48073022

 

Anyway' date=' I guess it's too early to choose anything like entertainment, etc because nothing is showing - but we are on the Eastern itinerary and want to be able to see all the shows. [/quote]

 

In the past its been way too early, however I have been hearing reports they are opening these up sooner recently. I was just in the roll of the cruise right before ours and they say they can make reservations now, so perhaps our cruise will be soon. Another reason to check out our roll call. As soon as someone sees they are open, we will share that info.

[cindyscruise]

Look at deck plans for the ship as this will help you navigate. On the first day the planner had a diagram of each deck. we made sure we saved that the first time we were on Oasis. Don't forget to try to roast beef sandwiches at Park Cafe. Free breakfast is served at Johnny Rockets. Also breakfast at Wipe out cafe. Helps avoid the traffic at Windjammer. For quiet time Central Park at night is wonderful. Definitely go to the observation deck. they have binoculars (not sure if that is the right name) to look through on that deck. My husband really enjoyed the all access tour although it is a expensive but he loved it. check the compass each night and highlight the things you wants to do the next day. Quest was fun. Love and marriage is the same old same old. Don't miss water show and ice show. As soon as bookings for entertainment open up sign up for the comedy show as they go fast. I love the Oasis

[garnetpalmetto]

Don't miss the observation deck above the bridge wings on deck 14. Take the port side passenger corridor all the way forward and through a door.

 

Just portside, Bob? I was under the impression it could be accessed via port or starboard corridors.

[Clarea]

Just portside, Bob? I was under the impression it could be accessed via port or starboard corridors.

To my knowledge, only the port side passenger corridor has a door at the end. That's the way it was last month on Oasis.

[garnetpalmetto]

To my knowledge, only the port side passenger corridor has a door at the end. That's the way it was last month on Oasis.

 

Thanks, we went out the portside entrance and just assumed based on the deck plan and for the sake of symmetry that there was a starboard side door too.

[BillOh]

Thanks, we went out the portside entrance and just assumed based on the deck plan and for the sake of symmetry that there was a starboard side door too.

 

You can get to the same area of the wing on the starboard side, but the door there is crew access only.

[HACKT]

We were on Oasis in June in similar cabin and it was fine. Noisy during aqua shows but they end by 10 or so.

 

Big thing I tell folks is book entertainment as early as poss, 60-90 days out usually. We booked shows around 9 pm so we could eat at 6:30 (MTD) and make our reservations 15 mins before show. Only exceptions was Cats where we booked the only afternoon show (4:30 or so) so we'd be awake the whole 2 1/2 hrs. Then we ate at spec restaurant at 8 pm.

 

Avoid windjammer during peak hours. For bkfst on shore days, get room service or go to Wipeout Cafe. Dining room is great for lunch. Windjammer actually is good for dinner as not crowded and has many choices if you aren't up to MDR.

 

We like Giovanni's Table and Sabors, think other spec rests are overpriced. Enjoy your cruise, great ship!

[Parrotgirl]

I second making later reservations for the shows. I just got off of Oasis on Saturday and I would suggest getting to the venue at least a half hour in advance, if you want decent seats. Some lines were very long. The entertainment is the best that I have seen on a ship.

 

You can't see or do it all so don't even try. Read the Compass every day to make sure that you know what is happening. It's very easy to miss things.

[riclop]

Giovanni's is open on the first day for lunch and it's nice and relaxing.