Just off Oasis b2b . . .

[balanceok]

We recently returned from two weeks on the Oasis of the Seas. We did a back to back, both East and West Caribbean itineraries. We've cruised many times and enjoy RCI and Princess the most. This was our first time on the Oasis of the Seas and we were curious to try out the larger ship. Let me just say now, that if you are an Oasis fan, you might not be happy with some of my comments.

 

Pre-Cruise/Embarkation:

 

We were traveling with friends from Texas for the first week and we stayed at the Embassy Suites the night before the cruise. This hotel is the perfect spot for a pre-cruise night. We arrived at the terminal about 11:00 am and were processed through registration in a matter of minutes. We are Diamond level, but I think the process was equally efficient for everyone. Then it’s up to the waiting hall where you are grouped based on Crown & Anchor status for boarding. We waited about 30 – 40 minutes and then were escorted onto the ship. All in all a very satisfying experience. We used our early time on board to walk-around and take pictures of the ship before the crowd arrived. We enjoyed lunch in the Park Café, which had been recommended by many on CC. The salad was excellent, the beef sandwiches only okay. Within 15 minutes of our seating a line formed and the crowds arrived. Get there early.

 

Cabin:

 

We booked a D-5 Balcony cabin on Deck 12. Great location and comfortable cabin. Our room steward was excellent and the cabin was spacious, comfortable and very clean. Shower capsule seems to be larger than on other ships and the layout is excellent. We prefer the bed closer to the closet so that the living space is adjacent to the balcony. Soap and shampoo aren’t that good, but that’s not big deal.

 

Ports:

 

Nassau: we’ve been here many times. Nothing new.

 

St Thomas: love St Thomas. This time we spent the day at the Marriott after purchasing a day pass from resortforaday. Many others showed up at the resort without day passes. I was puzzled when so many piled out of our van and went straight to the beach and I was the only one showing my pass to registration. Apparently, it is a free beach and they had access to the chairs and umbrellas also. The day pass essentially got us the use of a towel. That’s it.

 

St Maarten: we caught a cab to Orient Beach. Still one of my favorite places in the Caribbean. $20 buys you two padded lounge chairs, a nice umbrella and service from the bar. Hard to beat.

 

Labadee: our first time here and we were off the ship early and went to Nellie’s beach. Attendants are available to help you get situated and we got some great lounge chairs under a beautiful shady area with a great view of the water. Looked great. But within the hour the beach was loaded with people. It is almost standing room only both on the sand and in the water. That being said, the facilities are nice. If I had to do it again, I would spring for one of the cabanas at Nellie’s beach. That at least gets you up out of the fray. Lots of ants on this beach too.

 

Falmouth: we didn’t book an excursion here as we’ve been several times before. This was a shopping day for my wife and we just enjoyed the port area.

 

Cozumel: I love Cozumel. We went there for the first time 30 years ago and have been back many times so I was looking to try something new. We read on CC about Nachi Cocom Beach Club and so we booked the day here. You catch a cab from the pier and for $17 you are there in about ten minutes. Club opens at 9:00 am. This was a perfect day and we will be back. The facilities are nice and the beach is beautiful. Best of all it is not crowded. They restrict the number of customers and we didn’t even approach that with our group. Nice lounge chairs, palapas, beautiful beach, swimming pool, restrooms and restaurant. From the beach you have access to scuba, snorkel, parasail and other activities. Price includes food and drinks. The lunch was excellent and Carlos came by every few minutes to take our drink orders. We also sprang for a couple of massages here. Well worth the price. One of the best massages I’ve ever had and less than half the price of what you get on the ship. We’ll be back.

 

Disembarkation:

 

Wow! Be ready for this. Things are calm on the ship, but it is a zoon in the terminal. We took advantage of the luggage valet service where for $20 per person they give you your boarding pass, air baggage tag and deliver your bags direct to the plane. So we got off the ship with only our carry on and expected to breeze through customs. No such thing. We walked off at 8:00 am and encountered a very, very long line. It took us almost an hour to get through customs. Keep this in mind when you plan your departure. Worst we’ve seen in many years. We had also booked RCI transfers and I think I will pass on this again. You have to wait until the bus fills up and then the stops at the terminals. The driver was loading and unloading suitcases by himself so it took a long time. Taking a cab may be the best option.

 

Miscellaneous:

 

Now let me get to the essentials and just give you my personal feedback on this cruise and some of the things I’ve learned:

 

1) The law of diminishing returns: I’m sure RCI analysts have put a lot of work into forecasting profit and efficiency returns with the larger ships. The idea is that if you make it bigger, costs are more efficient and the profit higher. However, there is a point at which bigger is not better and in my opinion RCI has hit it with the Oasis class ship. I don’t think we will be back on this class of ship. It’s just too big and the crowds and lines are endless. I read many reports on CC where people said it would not seem crowded and there were no lines. That was certainly not our experience. It’s not that old of a ship, but with that many people on it every day, it takes a beating and shows it. That being said, if I had a family of teenagers, I would probably take this ship. So much to do. It’s just not for us. Radiance class is our favorite and Freedom and Voyager class are fine.

 

2) Thankfully, I learned on CC to make reservations on-line before boarding. You will need reservations for all the shows you want to attend and you will need reservations even for My Time Dining. And even with those reservations, expect long lines. The lines move quickly and you will be able to get a seat, but there will always be lines nonetheless. And what is My Time Dining if you’ve got to make a reservation? There is a line at the dining room for those with reservations and a second line for those without. Food in the dining room was excellent and we felt that the service was very good.

 

3) Speaking of lines, this was my first experience in the Windjammer with constant announcements asking you to finish your meal and vacate your table for those waiting in line for a table. They control access to the Windjammer during peak periods until a table for your group size opens up. Then you are given access to the food tables. Get in, get out is not my idea of a relaxing meal in the Windjammer and I’ve never experienced it on any other cruise ship. That being said, food in the Windjammer is good and I thought they did especially well with their dessert offerings. But please, RCI is there any way to clean these tables so that they’re not constantly sticky? As suggested on CC we tried Johnny Rockets for breakfast a couple of times. Food was good, but service was a bit spotty. I don’t think we ever ate there that our order wasn’t messed up.

 

4) We purchased the soft-drink package and they have machine dispensers or you can get soft drinks at any of the bars on board. Unfortunately, the machine dispensers are located in the Windjammer and on Deck 5 Promenade. Would have been nice to have a couple out on Deck 15 where everybody is spending their time. Just a suggestion.

 

5) Here’s a tip: we learned that Giovanni’s offers a half-price dinner on the first night of the cruise to take some of the pressure off the other dining venues. Normally, their cover is $25 pp, but on the first night it is $25 for a couple. We did this on both first nights and loved this restaurant. It would be worth it at the normal price, but what a bargain on the first night. Get the tenderloin. And the tiramisu is excellent. You will not be disappointed.

 

6) We haven’t cruised for the last two years, so things may have changed on other ships, but we felt that this ship had a different rhythm to it than other cruises. We are used to eating dinner and then attending a show in the theater each night. We like that. On the Oasis, there may be evenings when you don’t have a show. They sometimes offer outdoor movies on Deck 6 in the Aqua Theater, but you have to watch the schedule. We enjoyed the entertainment we did see. The Aqua Show is a lot of fun and worth seeing a second time. We also enjoyed the Cats Musical and felt like the cast and set were excellent. Our Headliner the first week was Edge Effect and I could have passed on them, although they were warmly received. The Frozen in Time Ice Show was excellent, especially the sand artist that was featured. The RCI production Come Fly With Me demonstrated a lot of talent, but the music and context of the show was weak, at least in my opinion. The Headliner on our second week was Lou Gazzara and he was great.

 

:D

[Clarea]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

You must have missed the Coke Freestyle machine in the Wipeout Cafe on deck 15.

[balanceok]

Thanks for the feedback.

 

You must have missed the Coke Freestyle machine in the Wipeout Cafe on deck 15.

 

 

We ate there a couple of times and I sure didn't see one.

 

?????

[Clarea]

We ate there a couple of times and I sure didn't see one.

 

?????

Maybe it's been moved since our cruise on Oasis last year?

[reallyitsmema]

Maybe it's been moved since our cruise on Oasis last year?

 

No freestyle machine in the Wipeout Cafe. There is one in the arcade just down the hall though, we used it a lot.

[balanceok]

No freestyle machine in the Wipeout Cafe. There is one in the arcade just down the hall though, we used it a lot.

 

We never went in the arcade, but that would have been very convenient.

 

Thanks.

[reallyitsmema]

We never went in the arcade, but that would have been very convenient.

 

Thanks.

 

You're welcome.:)

 

We only knew to check the arcade because we knew that other ships have had Freestyle machines in the arcade. They should really provide a list of the locations so that people can utilize them all.