Oasis Reactions - April 16-23, 2017

Just off the Oasis, and overall had a great time. Our main goal was to relax and we accomplished just that. Below is some feedback I have to share.

Positives

• Most staff worked very hard to meet all requests and make the cruise outstanding. Examples include specific seating requests in MDR, drinks in Boleros/Champagne Bars.
  
• Headliner
  
• Magic Marvin (entertainment director)
  

Negatives

• Cruise Director Jimmy Rhodes was un-impressive. He was "absent" overall compared to the many cruise directors we've cruised with. The entertainment director Magic Marvin was much more visible and performed duties we are used to experiencing with director (Aqua Show, Quest, etc.). Casey Pelter would be much more charismatic and enjoyable for an Oasis class ship.
  
• I noticed a much bigger language barrier this cruise as compared to the previous 6 RCI cruises. I know when newer ships are built, this issue may become bigger on older ships but we had a very hard time communicating food choices with waiters. Example: We would get completely different types of answers than the questions we would ask might provide.... like "What comes with the steak?" Answer: "Yes"
  
• I purchased the deluxe drink package for the first time. While I was overall pleased with it from the standpoint of stress-free ordering, I was very displeased with the quality of drinks in the pool bards and On-Air. I watched many bartenders put less than one shot of alcohol in most drinks. Had I been buying them (I guess I did) for 10-13 dollars I would have been very upset vocally. I would expect top quality drinks at a premium price. This needs to be addressed quickly. I once had to purchase an extra shot of alcohol just to taste what I thought I ordered. And.... one pool drink server charged me two separate $1.00 tips for which I didn't give or sign for... how does this happen? This is dishonest and should be dealt with.
  
• Our stateroom attendant was less than expected from a personal standpoint. While our room was kept very clean and what was expected, I had to ask two different nights for wine glasses when we requested them on day 1. Also, on the last night, we accidently put the do not disturb card in the door and returned just before 8:00 to realized we made a mistake. We acknowledged this and it apparently made him mad. While we clearly made a mistake, I would have expected more than "yes" with an attitude and him going out of his way to say "you almost missed me" with an attitude. We had just tipped him extra and probably would not have if we knew this was the response we would have gotten. I'm sure his training would have been to give a different reaction. This kind of put a damper on the last evening. Again, he did a good job but his personality and reactions were par at best. He didn't seem happy at all.
  
• Cats is just terrible for a cruise ship. It may be great on Broadway, but 2.5 hours on a cruise ship is overboard. The actors were GREAT, just a bad choice for the ship. Over 60% left at the intermission... had I not read the storyline ahead of time I would have been lost. A dry dock switch will do this ship well.
  

Again, this was a great cruise but wanted to share perspectives for other to review.

Oh... and for deluxe drink package.. I had to sign a receipt about 70% of the time. For the first time ever, though, they scanned my card every time I got a diet coke at Sorrentos. I didn't sign, but they scanned the card. Previously with the coke sticker, I just flashed the card and received the drink. I wonder if "DX" printed on the card threw them off. I would doubt it, but was surprised either way.

Thanks for your observations.

We were on the Oasis the week before you. Around the second day, Jimmy Rhodes hurt his knee and was unable to host many of the events would usually host. While we were in Cozumel, Jimmy went for an MRI, and he said he needed to go back in two weeks (which would be next week) for a follow-up. My guess is that he was limited in what he could do, and that is why he may not have been as visible and Marvin was covering many events for him.

mac_tlc

That's interesting... It would have paid dividends for this to be explained to everyone. The "very few" times I saw him, though, he had no limp in his step.

Thanks for your observations ksmith. It sounds about on par with our recent cruises. Having bartenders add tips to your bill is not acceptable. We do tip a dollar in cash sometimes. And since we have drink packages, I usually just keep the receipts and give the pen back. I do not sign them. Our last few stateroom attendants have been sort of marginal as well. The language barrier thing seems to depend on the economy of the staffing countries.

I can't vouch for all the stateroom attendants, but in our last 5 sailings on the Oasis since Thanksgiving 2016, all our attendants have been great and each have fulfilled our requests without fail and promptly.

Granted, we were in suites and we keep our cabin neat and tidy just like we do at home.

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One note about Cats, it takes time for the story line to develop and the second half is much better than the first half.

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Thankfully, we didn't encounter the same issues on Allure. We had the drink package and all bartenders were putting 1.5-2.0 shots of tequila or rum in every drink we ordered.

Hello and thank you for your review!

About the "weak drinks" if its weak just order a shot of liquor that is in the drink and add it in. On the Allure but it was three years ago our drinks were perfect and I like to taste the liquor. Perhaps what you thought were the tips for the pool bartenders were actually for the drink as it might of been over 12/13 dollars?

I find most cruise directors to be annoying I wouldn't mind one not being in the spot light often lol

Regarding not getting your wine glasses, next time call guest services and mention you asked for them and never received them, I bet they would of gladly had them sent to you.

About your cabin steward, sorry you didn't have exceptional service, it is always a hit or miss, you said he did the job which is all he is required but I understand having one that goes beyond makes the cruise more special...as long as he did the job that is all that matters, guess you shouldn't have tipped him extra, I wouldn't have. You can always put a comment in the comment card survey.

Shows are personal, honestly, we hate shows but some people like and you can't please everybody this is why they have a few different shows to try to please everybody....by the way, no way would I sit through Cats myself lol

Remember, any cruise is better than no cruise.

I don't order any drinks over 13 dollar limit. The charges were exactly 1 dollar.... had to be fraudulent tip. I'll probably call post cruise support since I didn't get a receipt anyway on last morning.

As for wine glasses, when they weren't in the room I stepped out to ask attendant and acted annoyed. Once said he didn't have any and another night sent someone else to get them. You know, you are right that the extra tip was not earned. I just feel pressured when they leave an envelope in room. They should leave a note but not envelope.

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That's interesting... It would have paid dividends for this to be explained to everyone. The "very few" times I saw him, though, he had no limp in his step.

I hadn't really noticed it myself,, but we were watching his "morning show" on the TV one morning and he mentioned it, and then gave some follow-up info on subsequent shows.

mac_tlc

This goes to the "tipping" question. Everyone passenger has to pay daily gratuities. This gratuity covers, stateroom attendant and dining staff. When you buy a drink, 18% is automatically added. You do not need to tip anymore if the service is not above and beyond what's expect. I never feel pressured to tip extra onboard.

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We were on Oasis in Late March and it was the second time. I noticed less drink servers around the pools. Had to practically go looking. In Labadee they used to walk around no more that I saw. At one point a couple pulled up on an ATV and set up a bar for 10 minutes max. and then left. I think the drink packages are killing service. As far as the cabin attendant is concerned we had a Boardwalk room on deck 9 and our attendant Nadine from Jamaica was fantastic. The cruise director doesn't influence my cruise. Good or bad they always have great staff who really do all the work.

 

• Cats is just terrible for a cruise ship. It may be great on Broadway, but 2.5 hours on a cruise ship is overboard.

It's terrible on Broadway too and agree it is a ridiculous choice for a cruise ship.

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• Cats is just terrible for a cruise ship. It may be great on Broadway, but 2.5 hours on a cruise ship is overboard.

It's terrible on Broadway too and agree it is a ridiculous choice for a cruise ship.

This goes to the "tipping" question. Everyone passenger has to pay daily gratuities. This gratuity covers, stateroom attendant and dining staff. When you buy a drink, 18% is automatically added. You do not need to tip anymore if the service is not above and beyond what's expect. I never feel pressured to tip extra onboard.

 

 

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We had not experienced being given the slips to sign before our Oasis cruise last month. We actually had a few disagreements where the waiter said we must sign it and I said 'why, I haven't added a tip'. Their reasoning became stupid if you sat and watch them gather the non tipped slips and bin them, signed or otherwise. I spoke with the F&B manager about why some where insisting we signed slips and he said it was for inventory purposes. I soon dismantled that argument and he agreed there was no need to sign them.

On Celebrity we've never been given anything to sign and we cash tip the people that do provide excellent service. Not the pool bar server who looks up and says 'next", gets your drink and doesn't say another word. I think it's a cheap trick by Royal and wow it must waste a lot of paper. I've reads since that even if you did add a tip to the slip that is shared shipwide.

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We were on same 4/16-4/23 cruise on the Oasis, we had the drink package too, about 50% of the timer we were given a slip in the bar to sign.

If I had to go to the bar and get my own drink, I would put a line through the "tip" and "total" section and sign it. That way, if there is a question I can ask them to show me the signed slip.

If I sat at a table and the server brought the drinks, I always left a $1 extra.

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Was on the 4/16/17 cruise as well. If I ever see carrots and broccoli again, I will scream. Sorry to say, we really think the food in the Windjammer was better then the MDR. Our servers were great in the MDR but the food needed help. We ate at 150, on the the First Night Out offer and it was beyond wonderful. As always there were good and bad parts of the cruise and everyone has a different opinion. Language comprehension was a noted problem as mentioned. RCL sent out a notice before cruise as to dress code in MDR. This was NOT enforced, entering MDR on FORMAL night in shorts and T-shirts was a problem to us.Not that we were in formal attire, but we think proper attire should have been followed. Children were in the Adult Area and staff passed by and did not address this issue. They smiled. This was our second time on Oasis and once on Allure (big ships) and we really feel the WOW has declined.

I have always been told by my room attendant to order the wine glasses from room service. Interested in how that goes with the new surcharge.

I have always been told by my room attendant to order the wine glasses from room service. Interested in how that goes with the new surcharge.

We just get the wine glasses from any bar.

We were on Oasis last week as well.... I did not think that Jimmy or Marvin did that great of a job in directing the entertainment.... We went to several shows and ended up skipping Quest at the end of the week because some of the other shows were so lame...(love and marriage, battle of the sexes...etc). I enjoyed the cruise director on our last Oasis trip in Dec 2015 much better. (Think it was Drew??)

I was on Oasis the week of April 9th and had a great time too. If kids (teenagers) thought they could get away with being in the Solarium the lifeguards were on top of getting them to leave and I was very impressed with that. Also the bartenders at the Solarium were wonderful. They were making the best drinks and added a little extra. Now the drinks at the ice show & main theater were awful. No alcohol at all in them.

One thing I was happy to see were the life guards at all the pools. And the signs that said Glasses Up watch your children. I saw several instances of kids being spoken to by the guards and also them asking where their parents were. In the Solarium I saw kids being asked to leave.

I never really never understood the interest in cruise directors, they were always invisible to us. We weren't ones to crowd around a tiny pool for a belly flop competition or anything like that.

Then we were on the Oasis and had Kevin Spacey back in 2011. Loved him- and the belly flop competition he hosted in the aqua theater was beyond funny, and it felt like a major production. haha

Disappointed to hear about service, food and drinks. FWIW, give NCL Escape a try, I was very happy with food, service, drink quality and service.