Oasis of the Seas by Arthur Frommer

[HattieCR]

Check out this article written by Arthur Frommer about Oasis of the Seas.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...TL&type=travel

[BroncosFan2010]

Thanks for posting this article. I find that he articulates my sentiments to a tee! I am not a fan of this ship and sincerely hope that smaller ships will be built in the future.

[H82seaUgo]

Very interesting.

Some like to vacation in NYC. Some like the country.

[eandj]

This is his third article about the Oasis. And his sentiments are the same in them all.
Personally I wouldn't cruise her either. Seeing it on Entertainment Tonight on Friday made ME want to gag along with Arthur!

[Coolmama_1]

Thanks for sharing the article. Not sure I am ready for a 6000 pax ship either!

[Traveler353]

Frommer can be brutialy honest in his reviews. Not saying so in this case but recently he has been letting his political views color some of his articles on land destinations. Overall I tend to agree with him on the Oasis. Just too big and I definetly do not like the atrium interior balcony cabins. If I want to go mountain climbing I go to the mountains and the ocean to go surfing (if I surfed). I have no plans of ever setting foot on that monster. I would certainly would not turn down a free cruise however on any ship.

[PennyAgain]

Anyone remember the movie the Magic Christian? The Oasis doesn't need to leave the dock. The entertainment and food can just begin as she is tied up.

[pris993]

We have been cruising for years, generally check out the new ships. We just finished a Eastern Mediterranean cruise on Equinox and did a TA on the Ruby. Both of these ships are as big as we want. Will not see us on the new RCCL ship.

I guess there is a place for it, especially for families with kids.

Too much activity for us, we enjoy having some peace and quiet on a cruise.

[room010]

I agree with every word of this article. I know we joke about just keeping a ship permanently docked so people can enjoy their resort, erm, I mean cruise without the inconvenience of actually travelling anywhere but I fear we are very close to it. Surely the whole point of going on a cruise is the actual enjoyment, pace and ambiance of living ON A SHIP for a few days? It will be very interesting to see how the average cruise fan will view Oasis once all the hooplah has died down. My guess is that there will be a backlash for a more "authentic" experience on a smaller, more personal, real ship rather than an extended stay on a floating shopping mall. I know where I plan to spend my dollars.

PS I just checked out the Oasis thread on the RCCL forum where someone DARED to suggest that Oasis may not be to everyones taste. Oh boy...

[HeavySurf]

Frommer's specialty is budget travel. Why is he even discussing Oasis, whose current pricing hardly qualifies the ship as budget travel?

If he doesn't want to sail on a big ship, fine, but why does he have to insult the intelligence of those who do want to travel on Oasis? Or Carnival Dream? Or NCL Epic?

Frommer's disgust is palpable in recent articles he has written against big ships, but smaller ships are hardly disappearing. He still has plenty to choose from. And what a great time he will have on the small ship he chooses! All the families and stupid, depressed people he condemns will be on the big ships. So they will do him a big favor and he can sail with those oh, so intelligent passengers who are just like him.

In truth, I find the two columns he has written this week and last week somewhat deceptive. His description of Labadee as a barbed wire- fenced sandy beach clearly shows he has never even been to Labadee. Also I doubt he has ever been on Oasis.

His articles would be carry more weight if he actually sailed a big ship and saw what folks are doing. But I don't think he could make himself enjoy it because he has made up his mind about such ships and their passengers. I do feel he has lost objectivity and professionalism when he denigrates travelers who have travel preferences that do not agree with his.

By the way, I will be sailing Oasis in one week. I don't give a hoot what grouchy Frommer thinks about Oasis or folks like me.

[chipmaster]

Originally Posted by HattieCR

Check out this article written by Arthur Frommer about Oasis of the Seas.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...TL&type=travel

I often wonder who is running the marketing, and here is an interesting example. If the ship is the destination then maybe this will fly.

For the family and I the ship is only 1/3 of the reason we cruise. Yeah we like the sit down meals, the pool, the shows. But lets be honest food is mediocre at best, unless you go to the speciality resturant, shows are similar, no better then what you can get in any medium sized town. Its all about the moving hotel, with benifits that allow you to visit a different port every day. The idea of trying to get off and on with 6,000+ others really sounds like no fun.

Its like a Las Vegas hotel, pack as much glitter and hope the crowds comes and spend lots of money and never leave. Dangle the real benifits but hope they all stay on the boat.

I've sailed on something as large as 3,000. But unless dismebarkation and embarkation change to 3 or 4 different gangways can't imagine it being fun anytime I'm trying to do the same thing as 6,000 of my friends; breakfast, dismebarkation, main show, pool, good god

[Ljberkow]

Well, maybe he should give it a chance before slamming it. However, I agree with him with respect to his comment on the current itinerary. Three sea days and a day at the RCI private Bahamas island is not what I'm looking for. I don't mind big. I don't like congestion. So, I'm anxious to see real reviews and not just Frommer's blather.

[HinesL]

We like smaller ships but if people enjoy the bigger ones that is okay with me.

[Aquahound]

Originally Posted by HeavySurf

By the way, I will be sailing Oasis in one week. I don't give a hoot what grouchy Frommer thinks about Oasis or folks like me.

I agree with you 100% and apparently, so do a lot of other people (the silent majority).

I just checked my Oct, 2010 booking again. With the exception of some Crown Loft Suites, all the suites and balconies are sold out. I have never seen a ship fill up this fast so far in advance.

Regardless of Frommer's thoughts, there is still a market for this ship.

[cruzeluver]

While I don't care if others want to or plant to sail on the Oasis, it is simply not for me. That is just way too much "stuff" going on. Think I'll stick with the smaller, quieter ships.

[cruisemom42]

While I don't have problems with a 6,000 passenger ship in theory, I'll reserve judgement until I see how well the crowds are really handled. I'd be most concerned about 1) the possibly limited number of ports where the ship can dock (I'd think tendering 6,000 people would be impossible....), and 2) how embarkation and disembarkation are planned. Could be a real mess!

[BroncosFan2010]

Originally Posted by room010

I agree with every word of this article. I know we joke about just keeping a ship permanently docked so people can enjoy their resort, erm, I mean cruise without the inconvenience of actually travelling anywhere but I fear we are very close to it. Surely the whole point of going on a cruise is the actual enjoyment, pace and ambiance of living ON A SHIP for a few days? It will be very interesting to see how the average cruise fan will view Oasis once all the hooplah has died down. My guess is that there will be a backlash for a more "authentic" experience on a smaller, more personal, real ship rather than an extended stay on a floating shopping mall. I know where I plan to spend my dollars.

PS I just checked out the Oasis thread on the RCCL forum where someone DARED to suggest that Oasis may not be to everyones taste. Oh boy...

There are a lot of mixed feelings among RCCL cruisers about the Oasis. I am among those who think she is too big and does not sound like fun. We sure do get hammered for having an OPINION!

[BroncosFan2010]

Originally Posted by HinesL

We like smaller ships but if people enjoy the bigger ones that is okay with me.

My thoughts are that the bigger ships will keep the families and kids happy, and keep them off of the smaller ships. Makes my cruise more enjoyable!

[mr green]

The ultimate judge on the Oasis will be the general public, whether or not she sails full, at a price that satisfies all concerned.
I for one will not be on her.

john

[aks368]

I can understand those who don't want to cruise on a ship that large or with that many people but for a professional to be so nasty about it is completely unnecessary.

Maybe I don't need my subscription to Budget Travel anymore.