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Oasis of the Seas September 18-25th brief review

Jerseygirl1416

By Jerseygirl1416,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Jerseygirl1416

Jerseygirl1416

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I just got off today and will try to share information I think other members will find helpful. Sorry if it’s disjointed or I ramble. And these are only my opinions.

 

We had a 10:00 port arrival time. We arrived at the port at 10:10. No real traffic just a slow down near luggage drop off. Had to park in the outside lot but it was a short walk to the terminal. Parking is $25 per night and you pay when you return either outside the garage or at the gate of the surface lot. Credit card payments only.

 

There was no line outside the terminal. Once inside we were directed to the handicapped security line as “priority suite line” too. We would’ve been faster in a regular line. Then checked in at a priority suite check in but then directed into the general boarding line. Cape Liberty doesn’t really have dedicated priority suite embarkation but we were on board by 10:35.

 

We carry on our luggage and had no problem sitting in Solarium having drinks and going to El Loco Fresh for lunch with our luggage. Cabins ready at 1:00. 
 

We were in OS 14240. I absolutely loved the suite. Last year I felt we didn’t get the value for the cost on the GS but the OS was perfect. Loved the bathroom and really loved the balcony. The balcony was clean and the glass very clean too. We had a wonderful cabin attendant, Ying. She was just great. As much as I loved the cabin the location may not be good for everyone. You can hear the band on the pool deck in the cabin as well as the heavy walkers above. It didn’t bother us because we’re out all day and then it was quiet at night except one night they held a pool party but it was over by 11:15 and then all was quiet.

 

We only had dinner in CK the first night and the 2nd formal night. The first night filet was delicious as everyone says but the lobster night food was not good and it was so crowded that the service was bad too. I really think this venue should be reserved only for people staying in suites. It shouldn’t be used as a loyalty perk. My opinion. And I was blown away at the stupid stuff I overheard people complaining to the concierge about. Breakfast was always great. Service friendly and fast. Food hot and usually delicious. We went for lunch once and weren’t impressed with the food or the menu. Didn’t really go for drinks before dinner because it was packed with name tag people and the crowd was much older. We stuck to Schooner for pre dinner drinks.

 

We had dinner at Chops, Giovanni’s, Izumi sushi, Playmakers and Solarium Bistro. Solarium Bistro dinner was no charge and absolutely a hidden gem. Just delicious. They have a big buffet of appetizers you help yourself to and then you place an order for your entree. Honestly I could’ve been fine without the entree. Definitely make a reservation when you board. All the other restaurants were good. I was a little disappointed in Giovanni’s this trip as I feel their quality isn’t where it should be. We never made it to Windjammer or MDR this time. Definitely make all reservations the first day because after that reservations are almost impossible to get.

 

We didn’t do too many shows. We gave up our Aqua show seats to a young couple with a baby as they were standing and we saw the show last year. We missed our Frozen reservation because of the slow service in CK formal night. We made it to the comedy show but didn’t think either comedian was very funny. Both comedians shows were completely about sex. Funny for a minute but after 40 minutes not so much. We listened to Phoenix in the Music Hall. The band was good but the venue is absolutely horrible as a music venue. We listened to the piano player in Schooner and she was very good but some in the lounge were having a very loud card game and sort of ruined it. Some people are clueless.

 

This is a good time to talk about the crowd on board. There were more kids than I would’ve expected as school just started but some people don’t care about that I guess. Lots of young kids I’m thinking because of the kids sail free sale. At one point they were selling inside for $300 and the crowd showed that. I’ve sailed Carnival several times and I really felt like we were on a Carnival ship. We spent our days up on the suite sun deck with the best bartender,  Dana. She was so nice and hard working. If we didn’t have this escape I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed the cruise as much as I did.

 

This was our third time on Oasis and even though it wasn’t at maximum capacity it felt like it was. I’m not sure why. Maybe we’re not used to crowds or maybe it was because the majority of the passengers had no manners? The crew is still masked but the passengers are packing into elevators, lines and venues. Elevators were hard to get the first day and the last sea day and then sporadically in between.
 

We didn’t get off the ship in FL. We went to the Beach Club on CocoCay. Paid $160pp and thought it was worth every penny to escape the crowds. Went to Margaritaville in Nassau and absolutely loved it. We purchased our day pass ahead but they have a ticket booth at the property you can purchase them there. 
 

I had the DBP and my husband did not. I paid $72 per day and got my monies worth. We had a great server in Schooner and with Dana on the sun deck and I was definitely over served lol. All the crew were nice and helpful as usual.

 

This morning we left our cabin at 6:30 with our luggage to meet the concierge at the Bionic Bar. We got there and they had already opened the gangway so the concierge opened a lane to us and we were right off. We were out of the lot around 6:45.

 

I love the Oasis but if they keep dropping prices the way they did this summer to fill the ship I’d have to think twice about it. The food was good though. I think I gained 10lbs. I’d be happy to answer any questions and if anyone else on this sailing wants to give their experience here that would be great!

 

Happy sailing all😊

 

 

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mac_tlc "Live from...." Rare

mac_tlc

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Thanks for your review, it’s always interesting to hear someone else’s view. We were on the same voyage and share some observations. We were three decks below you in OS 10240. Fabulous cabin and quiet location. Would love to do it again but future prices are sooooo much more than we paid. 
 

We didn’t notice the number of kids as much, I heard there were about 400-500 or so. Where we did notice the number of people is waiting for elevators and in Royal Promenade. The wait for elevators was constant, going up or down. Seems many take the ride on the opposite direction of where they are going simply to get on. Often elevators on deck 17 going down were already full, when there is no deck 18. 
 

We ate in CK all but one night. I agree lobster night was the most crowded. We thought the service was very good and only slow one night, but I can’t honestly remember whether it was lobster night. 
 

We did plan to get off in PC to head over to our house in Orlando but the late arrival and then gangway problems means no one got off before 2:30. We skipped our journey and had lunch at Grills. 
 

Aqua80 is a fabulous show and we wish we could have seen it more than once but it’s packed! Phoenix is the best rock cover band I have ever seen, and saw them three times. Their show in the Royal Theater was fabulous. The other times I went to the Music Hall early and got a seat on the rail on deck 9. I do agree that, in general, the Music Hall is a horrible venue if you want to see anything. I would go on Oasis again just to see the Aqua show and Phoenix. 
 

We are scheduled to be on Oasis in August 2023 with the whole family and I am not looking forward to 2000 kids. But the port is so convenient to our home in CT. 
 

Wish future prices were more reasonable, suites are out of site all of next year.

 

Overall, great time, and would definitely go again, just be ready for a lot of people.

 

mac_tlc

Edited by mac_tlc
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Engineroom Snipe Great Review Rare

Engineroom Snipe

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1 minute ago, mac_tlc said:

Thanks for your review, it’s always interesting to hear someone else’s view. We were on the same voyage and share some observations. We were three decks below you in OS 10240. Fabulous cabin and quiet location. Would love to do it again but future prices are sooooo much more than we paid. 
 

We didn’t notice the number of kids as much, I heard there were about 400-500 or so. Where we did notice the number of people is waiting for elevators and in Royal Promenade. The wait for elevators was constant, going up or down. Seems many take the ride on the opposite direction of where they are going simply to get on. Often elevators on deck 17 going down were already full, when there is no deck 18. 
 

We ate in CK all but one night. I agree lobster night was the most crowded. We thought the service was very good and only slow one night, but I can’t honestly remember whether it was lobster night. 
 

We did plan to get off in PC to head over to our house in Orlando but the late arrival and then gangway problems means no one got off before 2:30. We skipped our journey and had lunch at Grills. 
 

Aqua80 is a fabulous show and we wish we could have seen it more than once but it’s packed! Phoenix is the best rock cover band I have ever seen, and saw them three times. There show in the Royal Theater was fabulous. The other times I went to the Music Hall early and got a seat on the rail on deck 9. I do agree that, in general, the Music Hall is a horrible venue if you want to see anything. I would go on Oasis again just to see the Aqua show and Phoenix. 
 

We are scheduled to be on Oasis in August 2023 with the whole family and I am not looking forward to 2000 kids. But the port is so convenient to our home in CT. 
 

Wish future prices were more reasonable, suites are out of site all of next year.

 

Overall, great time, and would definitely go again, just be easy for a lot of people.

 

mac_tlc

I have been keeping an eye on prices in general out of Bayonne. As of now, all of 2023 prices seem to be significantly higher (+30%). The suite prices do not seem to come down at all compared to 90 day before interior prices. Suite cruisers tend to know what they want and where they want their room location to be. As such, they are booked much earlier in advance. Sounds a bit crazy but the very first time they announce a cruise (sometimes a year and half + away), they sell quickly.

 

I have had balconies and interiors.  My wife and I might do one interior and one balcony a year. We enjoy the balcony but we also tend to be more active on the ship when we have an interior. We are just happy to get some time together and let someone else cook and clean 😆.

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mac_tlc

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11 minutes ago, Engineroom Snipe said:

I have been keeping an eye on prices in general out of Bayonne. As of now, all of 2023 prices seem to be significantly higher (+30%). The suite prices do not seem to come down at all compared to 90 day before interior prices. Suite cruisers tend to know what they want and where they want their room location to be. As such, they are booked much earlier in advance. Sounds a bit crazy but the very first time they announce a cruise (sometimes a year and half + away), they sell quickly.

 

I have had balconies and interiors.  My wife and I might do one interior and one balcony a year. We enjoy the balcony but we also tend to be more active on the ship when we have an interior. We are just happy to get some time together and let someone else cook and clean 😆.

We were on Oasis last September when we booked this cruise. Between September 2021 and April 2022, we had five price drops. We started out in a Crown Loft and switched to an Owners Suite when the prices kept dropping. Overall, the prices dropped almost 20% in that timeframe. For the same week next year, the CL is about $1800 higher and the OS is almost $3000 higher. At those price levels, we will regrettably decline and look at Celebrity, although their 2023 suite prices are also up a lot. I guess fuel and food costs have to be covered somehow.

 

mac_tlc

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Jerseygirl1416

Jerseygirl1416

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1 hour ago, mac_tlc said:

Thanks for your review, it’s always interesting to hear someone else’s view. We were on the same voyage and share some observations. We were three decks below you in OS 10240. Fabulous cabin and quiet location. Would love to do it again but future prices are sooooo much more than we paid. 
 

We didn’t notice the number of kids as much, I heard there were about 400-500 or so. Where we did notice the number of people is waiting for elevators and in Royal Promenade. The wait for elevators was constant, going up or down. Seems many take the ride on the opposite direction of where they are going simply to get on. Often elevators on deck 17 going down were already full, when there is no deck 18. 
 

We ate in CK all but one night. I agree lobster night was the most crowded. We thought the service was very good and only slow one night, but I can’t honestly remember whether it was lobster night. 
 

We did plan to get off in PC to head over to our house in Orlando but the late arrival and then gangway problems means no one got off before 2:30. We skipped our journey and had lunch at Grills. 
 

Aqua80 is a fabulous show and we wish we could have seen it more than once but it’s packed! Phoenix is the best rock cover band I have ever seen, and saw them three times. Their show in the Royal Theater was fabulous. The other times I went to the Music Hall early and got a seat on the rail on deck 9. I do agree that, in general, the Music Hall is a horrible venue if you want to see anything. I would go on Oasis again just to see the Aqua show and Phoenix. 
 

We are scheduled to be on Oasis in August 2023 with the whole family and I am not looking forward to 2000 kids. But the port is so convenient to our home in CT. 
 

Wish future prices were more reasonable, suites are out of site all of next year.

 

Overall, great time, and would definitely go again, just be ready for a lot of people.

 

mac_tlc

I agree about future suite prices. I’m just going to keep my eye on them. Unfortunately the OS seemed to go fast and I think that’s the only suite that checks all my boxes. 
 

Glad to hear you had a great cruise!

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Jerseygirl1416

Jerseygirl1416

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1 hour ago, JessyCruises said:

Thanks for your review! 

 

Did they not make him get a refreshment package?  

So when I called to purchase the DBP for myself I had already purchased the RP for my husband and I told the agent he had the RP and I wanted the DBP. Then when we got on the ship they said he didn’t have the refreshment pkg. I had to look back at my cruise planner and it showed it was refunded. I never canceled it so I have no idea what happened but wasn’t going to buy it at the on board price so he just paid as he went. He mostly drinks ice tea and water but did get a few sodas and alcohol free frozen drinks. Looking over our bill I saw he was only charged for 3 drinks the entire week so I’m happy in the end that we didn’t have the RP for him. My take away is though even if they make you buy it when you buy the DBP you can always cancel it and it won’t effect your DBP.

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Jerseygirl1416

Jerseygirl1416

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5 minutes ago, George C said:

Did suites have reserved seats for the shows cats, ice show, aqua? Like in the past , agree OS are nice but we are happy with GS , I believe we had same suite prior to Covid .

At the Aqua Show they did. I saw a crew member holding up a sign but I didn’t go to Cats or Frozen so I’m not sure about there but I’d think they did. You still need a reservation though.

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Jerseygirl1416

Jerseygirl1416

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10 minutes ago, MaddyandMax said:

Thank you for the review.  We are on Oasis on the 9th.  Hopefully going to Bahamas and not back to Canada LOL

 

Did you see Laser Tag or the Quest taking place?

They had Laser tag but not sure about Quest. You need reservations for Laser tag.

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George C

George C

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7 hours ago, Jerseygirl1416 said:

I agree about future suite prices. I’m just going to keep my eye on them. Unfortunately the OS seemed to go fast and I think that’s the only suite that checks all my boxes. 
 

Glad to hear you had a great cruise!

The only thing we prefer on OS compared to GS , is we love separate shower on OS , we really never used dining table. Perks are the same. 

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xtremegk

xtremegk

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8 hours ago, mac_tlc said:

Thanks for your review, it’s always interesting to hear someone else’s view. We were on the same voyage and share some observations. We were three decks below you in OS 10240. Fabulous cabin and quiet location. Would love to do it again but future prices are sooooo much more than we paid. 
 

We didn’t notice the number of kids as much, I heard there were about 400-500 or so. Where we did notice the number of people is waiting for elevators and in Royal Promenade. The wait for elevators was constant, going up or down. Seems many take the ride on the opposite direction of where they are going simply to get on. Often elevators on deck 17 going down were already full, when there is no deck 18. 
 

We ate in CK all but one night. I agree lobster night was the most crowded. We thought the service was very good and only slow one night, but I can’t honestly remember whether it was lobster night. 
 

We did plan to get off in PC to head over to our house in Orlando but the late arrival and then gangway problems means no one got off before 2:30. We skipped our journey and had lunch at Grills. 
 

Aqua80 is a fabulous show and we wish we could have seen it more than once but it’s packed! Phoenix is the best rock cover band I have ever seen, and saw them three times. Their show in the Royal Theater was fabulous. The other times I went to the Music Hall early and got a seat on the rail on deck 9. I do agree that, in general, the Music Hall is a horrible venue if you want to see anything. I would go on Oasis again just to see the Aqua show and Phoenix. 
 

We are scheduled to be on Oasis in August 2023 with the whole family and I am not looking forward to 2000 kids. But the port is so convenient to our home in CT. 
 

Wish future prices were more reasonable, suites are out of site all of next year.

 

Overall, great time, and would definitely go again, just be ready for a lot of people.

 

mac_tlc

 

We're on the sailing with you in August, and it's not just the suite prices for that trip that have gone nuts. An interior guarantee right now is more than we paid for an ultraspacious balcony the week it opened. My folks booked a 2D balcony, their cabin is up 40% from when they booked. I get it's a high-demand trip (the only 9N on Oasis out of Cape Liberty), but if we hadn't booked early, we wouldn't be on it now.

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Jerseygirl1416

Jerseygirl1416

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19 minutes ago, George C said:

The only thing we prefer on OS compared to GS , is we love separate shower on OS , we really never used dining table. Perks are the same. 

The tub/shower combo with the shower curtain and the large step in in the GS was a real turn off to me. That bathroom definitely needs a renovation. Also the balcony of the OS is absolutely fabulous. The GS balcony felt cramped and I didn’t like the way they crammed the loungers into the end of the balcony parallel to the water. They should remove the loungers that don’t really fit and replace with the nice padded recliner chair and ottoman. I know. First world problems lol.

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mets123

mets123

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15 hours ago, DaniDanielle said:

I am happy, not really, to hear you had rude passengers also.  We were on Sept. 11-18th, they were all over and we had 2000 kids😳

I was on that cruise. No way there was 2000 kids. More like ,400-500. All schools were back in session by then.

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mac_tlc

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23 hours ago, George C said:

Did suites have reserved seats for the shows cats, ice show, aqua? Like in the past , agree OS are nice but we are happy with GS , I believe we had same suite prior to Covid .

No. Still had to make reservations. I miss that past perk.

 

mac_tlc

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