Island Lady's live adventure on Oasis of the Seas

[island lady]

It is all closed off. Very end of the hall is a crew only stairwell and the entrance area to the one bedroom AquaTheater Suite. No public viewing area.

 

Sent from a mobile device

 

Uh-oh...maybe I did not see it after all. It may have been the opening to

the rock wall area up there...but I remember using the secret deck on the

first time we were on OA. Must have changed it out then? Lots of changes

on this ship.

Edited January 28, 2017 by island lady

[island lady]

Bon Voyage! I've been enjoy ing your review.

 

Could you please let me know who your cruise director is, so I can update the list.

 

Yes, we have imported Patricio...formerly from the Rhapsody..that

came over about a month ago. He has a talented memory and knew

us from that ship last month. Nice guy.

Edited January 28, 2017 by island lady

[Ourusualbeach]

Yes, one of the decks indeed goes out to the "secret balcony"...can't remember

which, but will investigate again on next scheduled "hobble"..;)

 

On the other end...we love using the sun deck on 14 forward for quick views

as we slide into port sometimes. No chairs there, just observation deck, but

great sweeping view forward. There is also great view as always in the Solarium.

 

Only deck 7 now goes out to a public deck. The other decks have now been turned into suites.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Ourusualbeach

[chandom]

Uh-oh...maybe I did not see it after all. It may have been the opening to

the rock wall area up there...but I remember using the secret deck on the

first time we were on OA. Must have changed it out then? Lots of changes

on this ship.

 

Only deck 7 now goes out to a public deck. The other decks have now been turned into suites.

Have first hand knowledge, was on deck 11 in one May 2016 on Allure while it was still classed as a Grand Suite.

 

Sent from a mobile device

[island lady]

Continuation of Day six:

 

Really enjoyed our "meal with an officer" lunch but shocked to see just seven of

us there. Great appetizers, good wine, fun conversation, and the best steak

we have had on any of the ships in years. Way better than the disappointing

ones we have had in Chops lately. Go figure. :rolleyes:

 

The wine tasting event that we were solicited for, was not worth the money

IMHO. Five one ounce pours of different wines (which is common) but only

one that was not a grocery store type. (Plonk) Good speech by the host, however.

For pax not yet into wines, it was probably a better experience. But since

we tend to be "winos"...not snobs...but know a good wine, it was a waste

for us. 15.00 per person, then they add 18% automatically. For 35.00 bucks

we should have just bought a decent bottle of wine. Won't be doing that

venue again. Hit and miss...win some ...lose some. ;)

 

Happy to report the pool band is once again up and running most of the day

yesterday, and scheduled for today as well for you party pool types!

 

Nice weather day yesterday, with many enjoying the outside venues again,

plenty of sunshine.

 

This time we just enjoyed a romantic little corner to ourselves with a sweeping

view over the boardwalk when we went into the uncrowded DL for wine and beer

at 6 pm. Great for people watching from up here! :)

 

Menu indeed changed in CK, and just as Chandom directed...the seared tuna

was offered. Wow!! Really good and no fennel! Though if I have it again, I

will ask them to serve the soy sauce drizzle on the side instead. Was very

salty. Also had the mushroom app...but though not great..and not bad...was

just very different. Big surprise was the totally wonderful Hamachi

(light white fish) appetizer. Delicious...will get that again tonight. :D

 

Tried to stay up to hobble on down for the Come Fly with me show starting at

10 pm..but ended up enjoying a movie instead. At least we have Cats scheduled

2:30 pm today, and can stay awake for that one instead. :eek: ;)

 

Next up: Day seven...last day at sea.

Edited January 28, 2017 by island lady

[island lady]

Day seven, day at sea.

 

Dawn brought full beautiful sunshine onto our balcony. The pool decks will

be busy today!

 

After a coffee walk around deck, we enjoyed breakfast in the solarium. Sampled

the only egg dish offered, plain scramble...once again real eggs and

very good. Only other egg dish is boiled eggs. Enjoyed a bowl of a mix of

some fruit musli, large selection of fruit, two kinds of granola offered, and some

plain yogurt. Everything very good, very fresh...and got real busy later.

 

Interesting show to watch as we ate. The chair hogs in the solarium

were out early. Saw one woman go by with about 8 towels...then another one

with what must have been 20 of them!! She could barely carry them! Sheez.

One twosome of elderly gentlemen finished up their nest making with about

8 chairs and their "props". They even went up to the big stuffed chair area

and carried down little coffee tables, and cushions...plus extra chairs from the

area to add to their collection. And of course walked off and left them. We

did not see them again by the time we left much later. Must be no "hog prevention"

or enforcement in there. Glad we don't use it!! :eek: :rolleyes:

 

Now up to date, with the sun out very bright. Bucky enjoyed his walkies,

and we are happy that...so far so good...the coffee machine in the DL has

been working well all week!

 

Have a sushi making class scheduled for 10:30-12:30 today. Fun class and

get to "eat our homework". ;) :)

 

Next up..continuation of day seven. We have seven little fish magnets on

our door...which mysteriously were swimming all around various parts of the

door on their own last night. LOL!! At least they were all still there. ;)

Edited January 28, 2017 by island lady

[CruisinCons]

Have first hand knowledge, was on deck 11 in one May 2016 on Allure while it was still classed as a Grand Suite.

 

Sent from a mobile device

 

Thanks everybody! The deck plan drawings can be misleading, so I thought I'd ask. It's going to be a long 8 months until I'm on board. I think I need to stop reading the boards for a few months...getting harder and harder to be patient!! haha

 

Luckily for me (??) I work for a CPA, so February, March & April will be nuts, and distract me. Then my baby graduates high school, heads off to college...and three weeks later we are on our first solo cruise since 1997! Well, not sure if you can count that one as solo, as I was pregnant with my first on that cruise. So he was already aboard. :D

 

So excited to celebrate 25 years of cruising later this year!

[chandom]

Continuation of Day six:

....

Menu indeed changed in CK, and just as Chandom directed...the seared tuna

was offered. Wow!! Really good and no fennel! Though if I have it again, I

will ask them to serve the soy sauce drizzle on the side instead. Was very

salty. Also had the mushroom app...but though not great..and not bad...was

just very different. Big surprise was the totally wonderful Hamachi

(light white fish) appetizer. Delicious...will get that again tonight. :D

....

Yeah, the Hamachi and Tuna combo is wonderful. Very glad it wasn't on the first menu.

 

 

Sent from a mobile device

[travelgoddess1]

Yes, one of the decks indeed goes out to the "secret balcony"...can't remember

which, but will investigate again on next scheduled "hobble"..;)

 

On the other end...we love using the sun deck on 14 forward for quick views

as we slide into port sometimes. No chairs there, just observation deck, but

great sweeping view forward. There is also great view as always in the Solarium.

 

Great tips, thanks! :)

[DonnaK]

Yes, we have imported Patricio...formerly from the Rhapsody..that

came over about a month ago. He has a talented memory and knew

us from that ship last month. Nice guy.

Thank you very much!

[A&L_Ont]

Island Lady thanks for the live review. I fully enjoyed it. :)

[Scotty G]

Great job!! Have been following but only because it's you. Linda can't do big ships anymore as Freedom was as big as she could navigate. Hope our paths cross again one day!

[island lady]

Have first hand knowledge, was on deck 11 in one May 2016 on Allure while it was still classed as a Grand Suite.

 

Sent from a mobile device

 

Yup, meandered (doing the Island Lady hobble ;)) out to Boardwalk, walked up to

deck 7 at the end, and out onto the "point" where the wall climbing is set up. Indeed

can come and go from inside that deck at a glass door also. Suites have taken

over the "secret balconies"...sigh....:(

[island lady]

Yeah, the Hamachi and Tuna combo is wonderful. Very glad it wasn't on the first menu.

 

 

Sent from a mobile device

 

I could eat that Hamachi as an entree...yumsss!!

[island lady]

Great tips, thanks! :)

 

You are most welcome! We enjoy that sun deck for viewing forward. Not a lot

of pax know about that spot I think. Never see many up there. Probably due

to no chairs.

[island lady]

Thank you very much!

 

You are most welcome! :)

[island lady]

Island Lady thanks for the live review. I fully enjoyed it. :)

 

And you are most welcome! Happy to hear I am not boring everyone! :D

[Cruise a holic]

You get made to order eggs at Johnny Rockets- free for breakfast-

[island lady]

Great job!! Have been following but only because it's you. Linda can't do big ships anymore as Freedom was as big as she could navigate. Hope our paths cross again one day!

 

Hi Ian!! :)

 

Thanks for the compliment! Miss you two...and sure hope to sail with

you again...on a smaller ship of course. ;)

 

At first we told ourselves Freedom was too big when we originally

sailed on her when she was first stationed in Ft. Lauderdale. Then when

she moved to PC...we started sailing on her a lot....and fell in love with

her. Miss her still, and sweet little Enchantment also.

 

We decided Oasis was too big for us also, during our only previous time on board

before she came here to PC. Now that she is our only RCI ship that does

more than 3/4 night cruises locally..we thought we would try it again. Still

big...but have decided we will indeed sail on her again.

 

Radiance series still our favorite size. ;)

[island lady]

You get made to order eggs at Johnny Rockets- free for breakfast-

 

Yes, you can...but with limited ingredients. Trouble for us with JR is

that they open so late. We are early risers...works well for late

sleepers though.

[island lady]

Our last day at sea, Day seven continues live:

 

Picked up our photos, found a couple of funny port shots that worked

for our comedy collection. LOL!

 

Sushi making class was at 10:30 am. Not impressed with the one

on this ship. Instructions fair, service not good, sushi...well hard

to mess up rice and veggies with precooked fish/shrimp when you

do it yourself. (Only yourself to blame as chef ;)). Have had many

happy classes on previous other ships. This one did not set us

up with glasses of water, no napkins, not enough bamboo rollers

(had to share), limited ingredients, and a grouch waiter that barked

at Bucky several times for "doing it wrong". Our sushi rolling surface

was old stained buffet trays. Yeah, not up to speed on this ship. Oh

well...another miss on the hit and miss score. :(

 

Another thing we noticed, as seems to be the way of RCI ships

lately..but is a GOOD thing IMHO...is the notorious little mini bar

fridge is now empty. You have to order items to fill it. Two large bottles of

water up overhead on a shelf, but that is it. Way too many complaints

and reversal of charges on accounts that were posted AFTER you

left the ship. Happy to see this change occur. Was now plenty

of room for the seven bottles of water I brought in my carry on

and the six complimentary bottles they gave us. Not cold, but cool

enough to drink...nice!

 

Sun is still out strong, seas have calmed down, temp in the 70's

could not be better weather for our last day. Bucky is happily

frying his lizard skin on our balcony right now. No chair hogs

there. ;) :p

 

Need to show up downstairs for Cats in about an hour. Have seen

it before on tour, but not on a ship. Have heard mixed reviews,

and some mentioned 2nd part is better. Will report on later.

 

I have my disembarkation tags filled in, attached, and customs

form done up. Already packed one of our two bags.

 

Any other questions...please fire away. :)

 

Next up....end of the last day report.

Edited January 28, 2017 by island lady

[cruising grandma]

Everyone thought the empty fridge would eliminate after cruise charges, but MANY have received $11.?? overcharge lately on their credit card statement. So, keep your final bill, and check cc charges, still.:(

[island lady]

Everyone thought the empty fridge would eliminate after cruise charges, but MANY have received $11.?? overcharge lately on their credit card statement. So, keep your final bill, and check cc charges, still.:(

 

So I have heard. It is obviously the two large bottles of water. Not sure

why they take everything out except those two bottles. I guess it is their

last ditch attempt to post bogus mini bar charges. ;)

 

And yup, I always check my charge account post against my last bill. ;)

Have many times caught them on those bogus charges, as have way

too many others. :mad: PITA to call and have them reversed.

 

Thanks Kay. :)

[cruising granddad]

Pat, you are never boring!!

I will go out on a limb here (please no flames please please) ...........

and say I LOVE your writing style!!!:D

You go GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

You have me wanting to book Oasis OTS soon!

 

I am out of vacation until June 1st!!!:eek:

 

Tell Bucky "Hi", too!!

[SherriZ366]

Bucky is the "sun lizard" and loves it when the sun is on our balcony. Naturally one

way will have sun then, traveling back the other way is always different. Me...I have

been cut on three times now, I don't lay in the sun at all either.

 

Of course 99% of the time OA docks up on the Starboard side, since they she is designed

for that. We have decided we like port side now for better view in port, other than the

dock area.

Yeah, one way has more sun than the other on balcony during the cruise but I found on FR that at least some of the balcony stays shady for most of the intense sun days. The balcony dividers start providing shade later in the day.

 

Good to know about docking on the Starboard side. The port that I liked to be portside was St. Thomas but as OA has to Dock in Crown Bay, we would not get that view anyway. On Starboard, we get a great view of the pier runners, which should be a hoot on Cozumel day.