OASIS-- July 9-16, 2016-- AWESOME TIME!!!

My wife and I (both 50+, no kids) sailed on the Oasis, July 9-16, 2016. We had a blast! We are both very easy going people and always seem to have a great time on our cruises. Pre-cruise, we stayed three nights at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in Hollywood, and that place was just amazing. Beachfront, 3 pools, great rooms, Adirondack chairs to relax on the balcony and around the property, and an awesome "Broadwalk" with reasonably priced restaurants. We took an Uber ride ($12) to the pier and away we went!

Check-in was a breeze, and we were on board by 11:45. First stop the Park Café for a roast beef sandwich (try with relish- packets can be found at the Boardwalk doghouse, great hot dogs there BTW). Our room steward was courteous and hard working. We tipped him upon arrival and were treated like VIP's for the entire week. We found EVERY crew member to be the same, always smiling and saying hello.

Cabin- We booked our room while on the Allure sailing the Mediterranean last summer. Excellent choice! Balcony cabin 8252 (Central Park), great location behind Chops near stairs/elevators, easy access to all parts of the ship. Plenty of storage room for two. The bed was by the closet. Bathroom was spacious, good water pressure in the shower.

Entertainment- Pretty good overall. CATS- meh. We left at intermission. The cast were great, just too long a show for us (2 hrs. 45 minutes). The saving/reserving of seats while ordinarily common at the pools, extended to the showroom and there was an altercation before the show. The person saving the *10* seats was asked to leave to a round of applause LOL. Comedy show was excellent- make your reservations before sailing as there was always a stand-by line. Aqua show very good. The singers in the many venues around the ship were all very good. We reserved the ice show and Come Fly With Me but never made it to either one.

Dining- Overall, good but not great. We had some onboard credit, which we used for Chops (best meal of the week) and Giavonnis. We had My Time Dining, booked all nights in advance and never had to wait for a table. Lobster tails the 2nd formal night. We tried Vintages (tapas) which we both did not care for. Buffet is kinda lame, not bad for breakfast though. Omlettes made to order @ the buffet and Wipeout Café. Choices a the Solarium buffet for lunch good but limited. Loved the Park Cafe for breakfast (DW loved the oatmeal)Coffee pretty good (Seattle's Best).

Pools- I was up early (7:00 AM) and there were plenty of lounges in the shade. Not as many chairs being "saved" as on past cruises. We could even swim at the beach pool (alone!) before it became crowded a couple of hours later. A great spot to keep cool is on a lounge near the whirlpools on Deck 15 by the doors that open/close near the stairs giving you a nice blast of air conditioning!

Casino- nice size, 1/2 non-smoking side Decent rules at the blackjack tables (BJ pays 3-2).

Bahamas- Only a few hours in port, so we decided to walk to Junkanoo Beach (15 minute walk from ship). Beach was fine, and chairs were available (no charge) in the area where we stayed near one of the smoothie bars.

St. Thomas- we did the Secret Sands excursion from the ship-- this beach was awesome! Only 40 people or so from the ship @ the beach. Beautiful private beach, drinks included. The beach is actually @ Smith Bay Park.

St. Kitts-- we had been to this island in 2008 and stayed at the Marriott. We decided to return and got a Resort for a Day pass ($35 per person) which included lounge chairs/palapas on the beach, access to the pools, and discount at the restaurants. Great waves at the beach!

Self-Disembarkation was super easy @ 6:30 AM- we were off the ship within 10 minutes, no problem at customs.

It was a wonderful cruise, really what's not to like!?

Until next time!

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Nice to hear that they enforced the no seat saving rule in the theater.

Enjoyed the report.

Nice succinct report. Thank you for sharing!

Glad you had a good time! Thanks for sharing your review with us!

Nice to hear that they enforced the no seat saving rule in the theater.

 

Enjoyed the report.

I was on the same cruise and definitely saved a few seats in the theater. I think it was probably some rude guy saving 10 premium seats and that's a bit overkill. Saving 2 or 3 is common and fine.

Glad you enjoyed Margaritaville. I live in Ft Lauderdale and that's a bit of a staycation for us. It's a great recommendation for anyone looking to come a bit early. Skip Ft. Lauderdale beach, Margaritaville on the Broadwalk is just so much better. Downtown Hollywood is a short Uber and interesting as well to wander and grab dinner or lunch.

I had the same thoughts on the cruise in regards to dining. I thought the buffet was mediocre and we ended up skipping it mostly, but it wasn't THAT bad either. Just not good enough and too small for the ship.

While the service in the main dining room was stellar for us, the food was good and enjoyable, but seemed lacking compared to previous cruises.

Funny comment about Cats. We got through about 15 minutes of the show.

Thanks for sharing

Great review! Can't wait to board in 24 days!!!

Annette~

Pools- I was up early (7:00 AM) and there were plenty of lounges in the shade. Not as many chairs being "saved" as on past cruises. We could even swim at the beach pool (alone!) before it became crowded a couple of hours later. A great spot to keep cool is on a lounge near the whirlpools on Deck 15 by the doors that open/close near the stairs giving you a nice blast of air conditioning!

Were these seats in a shaded area or sunshine?

My wife and I (both 50+, no kids) sailed on the Oasis, July 9-16, 2016. We had a blast! We are both very easy going people and always seem to have a great time on our cruises. Pre-cruise, we stayed three nights at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in Hollywood, and that place was just amazing. Beachfront, 3 pools, great rooms, Adirondack chairs to relax on the balcony and around the property, and an awesome "Broadwalk" with reasonably priced restaurants. We took an Uber ride ($12) to the pier and away we went!

 

Check-in was a breeze, and we were on board by 11:45. First stop the Park Café for a roast beef sandwich (try with relish- packets can be found at the Boardwalk doghouse, great hot dogs there BTW). Our room steward was courteous and hard working. We tipped him upon arrival and were treated like VIP's for the entire week. We found EVERY crew member to be the same, always smiling and saying hello.

 

Cabin- We booked our room while on the Allure sailing the Mediterranean last summer. Excellent choice! Balcony cabin 8252 (Central Park), great location behind Chops near stairs/elevators, easy access to all parts of the ship. Plenty of storage room for two. The bed was by the closet. Bathroom was spacious, good water pressure in the shower.

 

Entertainment- Pretty good overall. CATS- meh. We left at intermission. The cast were great, just too long a show for us (2 hrs. 45 minutes). The saving/reserving of seats while ordinarily common at the pools, extended to the showroom and there was an altercation before the show. The person saving the *10* seats was asked to leave to a round of applause LOL. Comedy show was excellent- make your reservations before sailing as there was always a stand-by line. Aqua show very good. The singers in the many venues around the ship were all very good. We reserved the ice show and Come Fly With Me but never made it to either one.

 

Dining- Overall, good but not great. We had some onboard credit, which we used for Chops (best meal of the week) and Giavonnis. We had My Time Dining, booked all nights in advance and never had to wait for a table. Lobster tails the 2nd formal night. We tried Vintages (tapas) which we both did not care for. Buffet is kinda lame, not bad for breakfast though. Omlettes made to order @ the buffet and Wipeout Café. Choices a the Solarium buffet for lunch good but limited. Loved the Park Cafe for breakfast (DW loved the oatmeal)Coffee pretty good (Seattle's Best).

 

 

Pools- I was up early (7:00 AM) and there were plenty of lounges in the shade. Not as many chairs being "saved" as on past cruises. We could even swim at the beach pool (alone!) before it became crowded a couple of hours later. A great spot to keep cool is on a lounge near the whirlpools on Deck 15 by the doors that open/close near the stairs giving you a nice blast of air conditioning!

 

Casino- nice size, 1/2 non-smoking side Decent rules at the blackjack tables (BJ pays 3-2).

 

Bahamas- Only a few hours in port, so we decided to walk to Junkanoo Beach (15 minute walk from ship). Beach was fine, and chairs were available (no charge) in the area where we stayed near one of the smoothie bars.

 

St. Thomas- we did the Secret Sands excursion from the ship-- this beach was awesome! Only 40 people or so from the ship @ the beach. Beautiful private beach, drinks included. The beach is actually @ Smith Bay Park.

 

St. Kitts-- we had been to this island in 2008 and stayed at the Marriott. We decided to return and got a Resort for a Day pass ($35 per person) which included lounge chairs/palapas on the beach, access to the pools, and discount at the restaurants. Great waves at the beach!

 

Self-Disembarkation was super easy @ 6:30 AM- we were off the ship within 10 minutes, no problem at customs.

 

It was a wonderful cruise, really what's not to like!?

 

Until next time!

 

__________________

Thanks for your thoughts.

Great report.

Thank you very much for taking the time and trouble for sharing.

We sail on her in 7 weeks’ time so good to know.

pools- i was up early (7:00 am) and there were plenty of lounges in the shade. Not as many chairs being "saved" as on past cruises. We could even swim at the beach pool (alone!) before it became crowded a couple of hours later. A great spot to keep cool is on a lounge near the whirlpools on deck 15 by the doors that open/close near the stairs giving you a nice blast of air conditioning!

 

 

Were these seats in a shaded area or sunshine?

shade

 

 

 

 

Pools- I was up early (7:00 AM) and there were plenty of lounges in the shade. Not as many chairs being "saved" as on past cruises. We could even swim at the beach pool (alone!) before it became crowded a couple of hours later. A great spot to keep cool is on a lounge near the whirlpools on Deck 15 by the doors that open/close near the stairs giving you a nice blast of air conditioning!

 

 

 

__________________

Now, that's a great tip. Thanks!

Do you know if the new menus were done in order or do they still do 2 menus out of order?

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Did you by any chance use the Gym or running track?

If not,..no worries.

I think the Track on the Oasis class ship is the best we have ever found at sea.

Awesome report - thanks!! A little over 2 weeks - can't wait!!!

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Nice to hear that they enforced the no seat saving rule in the theater.

 

Enjoyed the report.

Actually, the perpetrators were tossed from the theater because of the altercation which included shouting and even shoving. Had there not been a confrontation about saving seats, it appeared they would have been allowed to do so right up to showtime.

Do you know if the new menus were done in order or do they still do 2 menus out of order?

 

 

No idea about any rotation of menus. We only viewed the menus for the nights we dined in American Icon which were both formal nights and the last night. You can view all dinner menus for the week on the Cabin TV.

Actually, the perpetrators were tossed from the theater because of the altercation which included shouting and even shoving. Had there not been a confrontation about saving seats, it appeared they would have been allowed to do so right up to showtime.

Oh well, it was a nice thought.

Did you by any chance use the Gym or running track?

 

If not,..no worries.

 

I think the Track on the Oasis class ship is the best we have ever found at sea.

Did not use the gym at all, sorry

The track (Deck 5 I believe) was top notch.....walkers make sure you stay to the right!

No worries and thanks for that.

Appreciate the review, can I clarify? You did a ship sponsored tour in st. thomas? I'm surprised it was enjoyable, as I avoid them. We generally rent a car and go to the local beaches.... can you elaborate more as to what was included and the time frame? Thanks a bunch.

I just want to chime in the say that while Cats may not be for everyone, if you do like Broadway musicals you will truly enjoy the show. I absolutely loved it and actually went back to see it a second time while on my June 25th cruise. So, I understand this is a review and the opinions of the OP and in no way want to high jack this thread, but I do want to tell those who like quality, musical theater, this show is packed with amazing talent. This is not community theater-level entertainment, this show truly rivals a Broadway production .

Appreciate the review, can I clarify? You did a ship sponsored tour in st. thomas? I'm surprised it was enjoyable, as I avoid them. We generally rent a car and go to the local beaches.... can you elaborate more as to what was included and the time frame? Thanks a bunch.

You can look up the reviews of the Secret Sands excursion. It's funny, because we were a moment away from clicking on that one - so would have spent some time with the OP.

The reviews are outstanding. If I recall, it's a skyline drive and just a small public beach that feels fairly private. There is someone there managing the beach chairs and drinks.

We only skipped it because we did the Blue Lagoon in Nassau and felt it was plenty "beach" for our cruise (HIGHLY recommend that one if you want a beach day).

I just want to chime in the say that while Cats may not be for everyone, if you do like Broadway musicals you will truly enjoy the show. I absolutely loved it and actually went back to see it a second time while on my June 25th cruise. So, I understand this is a review and the opinions of the OP and in no way want to high jack this thread, but I do want to tell those who like quality, musical theater, this show is packed with amazing talent. This is not community theater-level entertainment, this show truly rivals a Broadway production .

I would agree that the quality of the show is outstanding - to be clear to any other readers. It's just not for everyone. Cats singing and dancing and what not was just not very entertaining for us. My inlaws seemed to enjoy it though.