First-Time RCI Cruisers on Oasis 3-Day Oct. 21-24

[usateg]

HI Scott,

I am reading your review with delight because Mom & I were on this cruise & then "Lo & behold" there we are in front of Bolero's. I thought that was so funny. :) Just wanted to tell you & let you know we had a great time too.

[Ciardasully]

Great review. I am following along as I write mine :) And your pictures are awesome.

 

Your suite looks amazing You got your own private viewing of the Aqua shows.

[Nado44]

Hi Scott,

 

Great review so far. We were also on this cruise and look forward to more posts.

 

Funny thing is we think we can just barely identify ourselves sunning on loungers in your poolside photo.

 

Question: One new and welcome thing we noticed in the Cruise Compass was a daily GLBT gathering in the Champagne Bar. Did you and Will participate and if so, can you tell us what the experience was like?

[jpm1973]

HI Scott,

I am reading your review with delight because Mom & I were on this cruise & then "Lo & behold" there we are in front of Bolero's. I thought that was so funny. :) Just wanted to tell you & let you know we had a great time too.

 

Out of 5,000 people on board and I just happened to snap you two in one of my pics! Wish I had the odds on my side like that in the casino!

 

Glad you had a good time...we really enjoyed this cruise. Just too short.

[jpm1973]

Great review. I am following along as I write mine :) And your pictures are awesome.

 

Your suite looks amazing You got your own private viewing of the Aqua shows.

 

We did! I have pictures coming up from the show on Wednesday night.

[jpm1973]

Hi Scott,

 

Great review so far. We were also on this cruise and look forward to more posts.

 

Funny thing is we think we can just barely identify ourselves sunning on loungers in your poolside photo.

 

Question: One new and welcome thing we noticed in the Cruise Compass was a daily GLBT gathering in the Champagne Bar. Did you and Will participate and if so, can you tell us what the experience was like?

 

Thanks for reading!

 

We, too, noticed the GLBT gathering in the Compass but never attended. Was curious what the turnout was like.

[jpm1973]

After we had explored our cabin and balcony for a bit we decided to get some lunch at the Park Cafe. I know everyone raves about the roast beef sandwiches here but neither of us is much of a roast beef fan so we made other choices. Will had the three cheese panini and I chose the turkey and avocado panini. I didn't take a picture of the menu but as I recall there were probably 6 or 7 other choices of sandwiches that are made to order. In addition, there is a salad bar (not self-serve) where you can let them know exactly what you want included. They also offer a few varieties of chips and several dessert options.

 

Once we ordered we were lucky enough to find an empty table and only waited about 5 minutes until our sandwiches were brought out to us. Both were quite tasty! And I have to say even though it was busy here it sure beat the madness of the Windjammer.

 

After lunch we went back to our cabin to see if our luggage had arrived (it had) and we unpacked. I decided I needed a nap at this point considering the sleep deficit I was operating on. We had about an hour and a half until the safety briefing so it seemed like a good time to rest up.

 

Our steward knocked on our door about 3:45 to usher us out and to the safety briefing. Our assigned station was in the Aqua Theater so it was easy enough to get to from our cabin. I have to say this method of conducting the briefing is much better than most of my experiences on Carnival where you are herded to one of the outside decks near the life boats to stand in oppressive heat and various bodily odors for far too long. The briefing itself was over and done with in about 15 minutes and we headed back upstairs to watch our departure from Ft. Lauderdale, scheduled for 5 p.m.

 

Prior to sail away in the Aqua Theater was a Sail Away Party for kids with some of the DreamWorks characters that are on board. I love this view we have from our balcony - perfect for watching these shows.

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

 

It was so windy out we thought for sure one of the characters might end up blowing over but luckily everyone stayed upright throughout the show.

[garnetpalmetto]

Our steward knocked on our door about 3:45 to usher us out and to the safety briefing. Our assigned station was in the Aqua Theater so it was easy enough to get to from our cabin. I have to say this method of conducting the briefing is much better than most of my experiences on Carnival where you are herded to one of the outside decks near the life boats to stand in oppressive heat and various bodily odors for far too long. The briefing itself was over and done with in about 15 minutes and we headed back upstairs to watch our departure from Ft. Lauderdale, scheduled for 5 p.m.

 

Unfortunately that's how it's handled on most RCI ships as well and your cruise on Enchantment will feature that style of briefing. We agree with you though, we loved how they handle it on the Oasis class ships.

[usateg]

I agree it was too short but at least we got a "taste of Oasis". We will be sailing on the Harmony in the Med next year so will be able to be on for a week.

Out of 5,000 people on board and I just happened to snap you two in one of my pics! Wish I had the odds on my side like that in the casino!

 

Glad you had a good time...we really enjoyed this cruise. Just too short.

[jpm1973]

We were scheduled to leave Ft. Lauderdale at 5 p.m. and we started pulling away from the pier pretty close to that or just a bit after. Prior to our departure the Royal Princess headed out, playing The Love Boat theme as it pulled away. Here she is out of the channel and on her way.

 

 

Our balcony made for a perfect spot for sailaway - good views to the side and aft of the ship as we backed up and turned to make our way out to sea. Got some nice views of our personal yacht being unloaded (yeah right) and our new winter home (in our dreams). It was windy, but no rain at least.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the Hyatt Pier 66, where we'll be spending one night after we arrive back in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday.

 

 

 



 

 

[jpm1973]

Our starting point today - see you in a few days!

 

 

 

One of our escorts.

 

 

 

Our new winter home (suuuuure).

 

 

 

 

 

Bye, Ft. Lauderdale!

 

 

Today's sunset.

 

 

 

[LuCruise]

We were scheduled to leave Ft. Lauderdale at 5 p.m. and we started pulling away from the pier pretty close to that or just a bit after. Prior to our departure the Royal Princess headed out, playing The Love Boat theme as it pulled away.

 

Too funny ! :D

Edited November 5, 2015 by LuCruise

[jpm1973]

We spent some more time enjoying the balcony before we had to get ready for our 7:30 dinner reservation in the American Icon Grill dining room. On Oasis the three dining rooms are forward on decks 3, 4, and 5; each has a different name but they serve the same menus. Apparently the change was made in preparation for Dynamic Dining, which never was implemented on the Oasis class ships.

 

We chose My Time Dining for this cruise and made reservations ahead of time, not knowing how long the wait could be if we did not. My Time was always in the American Icon on deck 3. Before dinner we went up to the Deck 17 Suite Lounge for some appetizers and a drink; it was fairly empty and even the Coastal Kitchen wasn't too busy with dinner guests.

 

 

A little before 7:30 we made our way down to deck 3 and found a fairly long line for the dining room. It was split in two; one side for those with reservations and one for those without. We were about to get in the "with reservations" line when Will noticed a sign for those with gold SeaPass cards to move ahead to the front. Another perk of our room! We were seen right away and seated within minutes.

 

 

Our servers introduced themselves once we were seated and took our drink orders and brought menus. A few minutes later they took our orders and brought a basket of bread around. Service tonight was quick and efficient with no noticeable lags at all. I opted for the spinach salad and the mojo marinated pork chop; Will chose the Angus beef sliders with fries. While everything tasted good, I have to remember to ask for salad dressing on the side: the spinach was drowning in dressing.

 

After our entrees were finished we ordered dessert - the blueberry-peach crumble with ice cream and carrot cake. Both were excellent. In all from start to finish our dinner service took about an hour.

 

After dinner we decided to try our luck in the casino. We both like the slots but I prefer to play craps, but only if the minimum is $5. Unfortunately both tables on Oasis had $10 minimums so I stuck with slots on this cruise. Tonight we both held our own, walking out up a little after playing for more than an hour. Not too bad all things considered. We decided to head back to our room so we could catch the 10 p.m. Oasis of Dreams show in the Aqua Theater.

[molsonschooner]

We spent some more time enjoying the balcony before we had to get ready for our 7:30 dinner reservation in the American Icon Grill dining room. On Oasis the three dining rooms are forward on decks 3, 4, and 5; each has a different name but they serve the same menus. Apparently the change was made in preparation for Dynamic Dining, which never was implemented on the Oasis class ships.

 

We chose My Time Dining for this cruise and made reservations ahead of time, not knowing how long the wait could be if we did not. My Time was always in the American Icon on deck 3. Before dinner we went up to the Deck 17 Suite Lounge for some appetizers and a drink; it was fairly empty and even the Coastal Kitchen wasn't too busy with dinner guests.

 

 

A little before 7:30 we made our way down to deck 3 and found a fairly long line for the dining room. It was split in two; one side for those with reservations and one for those without. We were about to get in the "with reservations" line when Will noticed a sign for those with gold SeaPass cards to move ahead to the front. Another perk of our room! We were seen right away and seated within minutes.

 

 

Our servers introduced themselves once we were seated and took our drink orders and brought menus. A few minutes later they took our orders and brought a basket of bread around. Service tonight was quick and efficient with no noticeable lags at all. I opted for the spinach salad and the mojo marinated pork chop; Will chose the Angus beef sliders with fries. While everything tasted good, I have to remember to ask for salad dressing on the side: the spinach was drowning in dressing.

 

After our entrees were finished we ordered dessert - the blueberry-peach crumble with ice cream and carrot cake. Both were excellent. In all from start to finish our dinner service took about an hour.

 

After dinner we decided to try our luck in the casino. We both like the slots but I prefer to play craps, but only if the minimum is $5. Unfortunately both tables on Oasis had $10 minimums so I stuck with slots on this cruise. Tonight we both held our own, walking out up a little after playing for more than an hour. Not too bad all things considered. We decided to head back to our room so we could catch the 10 p.m. Oasis of Dreams show in the Aqua Theater.

 

Great review. One minor thing, the dining rooms are near the back of the ship

[jpm1973]

Great review. One minor thing, the dining rooms are near the back of the ship

 

Thanks! This ship still has me all turned around :D

[PR Cruisers]

Thanks! This ship still has me all turned around :D

 

 

Understandable, dont worry. Great review so far

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jpm1973]

So where were we? Sorry for the long delay between posting; work and then a week in St. Maarten got in the way. But I'm back and armed with a few days off so I'm hoping to get this wrapped up this week.

 

So we're nearing the end of day one. After we had finished up in the casino we headed back up to our room to watch the 10 p.m. Oasis of Dreams show at the Aqua Theater. Our balcony provided an awesome point of view from which to catch this show. I'm sure it has a different feel when you watch from the theater itself, but I must say it was nice to relax on our own balcony and enjoy some wine while watching.

 

I'm not sure if this show has a specific plot per se, though as far as I could tell a woman lost her yellow umbrella and although she kept running into people who she'd ask to help her locate it, they insisted on just swinging on ropes, dancing, jumping on their trampoline and diving into their pool instead. In the end she does find the umbrella; turns out she had been sitting in it the whole time. Much like when I frantically search for my car keys only to realize they've been in my hand.

 

In all seriousness though the show was great to watch - amazing to see all of this happening on board a ship while we're sailing. Sorry for the blurriness of some of these pictures.

 

 



 



 



 



 

 

Edited November 18, 2015 by jpm1973

[jpm1973]

 



 



 



 



 

 

Edited November 18, 2015 by jpm1973

[jpm1973]

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

[jpm1973]

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

 

The show lasted about 45 minutes and after it was over we decided to call it a night. It had been a long day with a very early start and we wanted to be rested for our port day in Nassau.

 

End of Day 1

[maureencruiser]

Great cabin and beautiful pictures, I loved the Aqua Theater! :)

[jpm1973]

Great cabin and beautiful pictures, I loved the Aqua Theater! :)

 

Thanks for reading! It is a pretty incredible outdoor space, isn't it? Loved it too.

[jpm1973]

Day 2 - Nassau

 

We were scheduled to dock in Nassau at 8 a.m., but I’m sure we arrived earlier as we were already moored at the pier by the time I dragged myself out of bed a little after 8 a.m. The skies were blue with few clouds so it looked like it would be a beautiful day for us here. The winds were still pretty strong though.

 

 

 

 

We hadn’t booked any excursions or made any concrete plans for our day in Nassau. We had been here a year earlier on our first cruise and did a “snuba” (think a combo of snorkel and scuba) excursion on that trip. We decided to take it easy, spend some time on the ship, and then maybe debark in the afternoon to wander around Nassau close to the port. We figured the Oasis offered enough on board and our time was limited so we might as well take advantage of all we had.

 

I made myself some coffee in the room, but once Will was up he wanted his regular Starbucks fix so we made our way down to deck 5 for that. Surprisingly there were few people there so it was very quick. Once we had our coffee we decided to give the Windjammer a try for something to eat.

 

Everything I had read about the Windjammer on the Oasis seemed to indicate that it was always packed and far too small for the number of passengers on board. Based on this morning’s craziness I would absolutely agree with that. While all cruise buffets I’ve experienced tend to be crowded, I was surprised at the seemingly lack of adequate seating here for this ship. Part of the crowding was from people wandering about with their food hoping to catch someone leaving a table so they could swoop in and grab it. The next morning we actually heard some people say they were turning people away it got so packed.

 

Here's a shot from embarkation day before it had gotten too crowded; it was rarely this empty.

 

 

We were lucky enough to snag a table right away that someone had just left so we sat quickly and decided to grab our food one at a time. The selection was good - I stuck with some eggs, yogurt and fruit since it was near our table and didn’t require navigating the crowds too much. Once I was back Will went up and got his food - some cereal and a muffin. The food was fine - pretty typical breakfast buffet fare. We ate relatively quickly and abandoned our table for the next set of wandering diners to grab.

[jpm1973]

Once breakfast was done we decided we would change into our suits and spend some time outside enjoying the sun. The pools and decks didn’t seem too crowded yet, though it was still fairly early. We decided to check out the Suite Sun Deck on deck 17 forward, just above the Solarium. This is a separate deck accessible only to those with gold SeaPass cards - so those in suites or Pinnacle Club members.

 

The deck has loungers on both sides with a bar on the port side; some high tables and chairs on the back side and then four “cabana” areas at the front of the deck.

 

 

 

 

 

The cabanas are somewhat private with two lounge and two other chairs. We were fortunate to snag one of these for the morning. As far as I can tell they’re first-come, first-serve, so no way to reserve one other than to get up their early and stake your claim.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s no whirlpool or anything up here but there are these two space-age showers to cool off with on either side of the cabana area up front.

 

 

 

 

 

We lounged up here for several hours enjoying the sun, reading and listening to music. Around 1:30 we decided to head back down to our room to get cleaned up, find some lunch and then try exploring Nassau a bit.

 

Lunch today was at Park Cafe again - this time we both opted for the turkey and avocado panini with some chips. There was no wait at all and plenty of seating to be found - both inside and right outside in Central Park. Once we were finished we made our way downstairs and off the ship.

[jpm1973]

The Oasis was the only ship in port today so we wandered around the piers getting some pictures before making our way out into Nassau. We didn’t have any plans, but figured we could look around at the shops a bit. We checked out a few, wandered into the Straw Market but quickly left after we were being harassed by the vendors to check out their items. I ended up buying some cologne I like that was slightly cheaper than I can get it at home, and after that we decided we’d had enough and made our way back to the piers. All said we probably spent an hour off the ship, which was fine with us. I’m sure we’ll visit Nassau again on another cruise in the future.

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 



 

 

Edited November 19, 2015 by jpm1973