Oasis of the Seas Tips?

Sailing on the Oasis in March 2012 with my 13 year old daughter. Do you have any tips? Is this a good choice for a fairly active family? Will we have fun? We are staying in a Central Park view room, are they any good?

Sailing on the Oasis in March 2012 with my 13 year old daughter. Do you have any tips? Is this a good choice for a fairly active family? Will we have fun? We are staying in a Central Park view room, are they any good?

It is a great choice. There is so much to do. She will love the flowriders, and the rock climbing wall. I would suggest my time dining. Book all the shows as soon as they open for booking, 60 to 90 days out. Then dine around the shows. Say the show is at 8:30, we went to the dining room around 645. We had 6 people and never waited. You want to be to a shows about 1/2 to 20 minutes ahead for good seats. You will not be able to bring her to the comedy show, or Quest. Those shows are later at night, 18 and older. I could go on and on but i am sure you will get many replies. :)

The rooms are fine but the view from your balcony is the balconies across from you and Central Park.

You could get this same view from just about any hotel across the street from another hotel.

You will not be able to see the ocean!

I suggest that if you can you switch to an ocean view balcony. The best location, in my opinion, is near the aft elevators.

The teen programs for 13 year olds are excellent. She will want to be there all of the time. For our teenager ( a boy) we made up some simple rules.

- Dinner every night with the family in the Main Dining Room.

- $15 / day can be charged to her sea pass for anything she wants. More than that and she had to check with you.

- Cannot leave the ship unless accompanied by a parent.

- Cannot go into any other person's cabin for any reason.

- Back in the room by the published curfew.

For our teenager ( a boy) we made up some simple rules.

 

- Dinner every night with the family in the Main Dining Room.

- $15 / day can be charged to her sea pass for anything she wants. More than that and she had to check with you.

- Cannot leave the ship unless accompanied by a parent.

- Cannot go into any other person's cabin for any reason.

- Back in the room by the published curfew.

Love that rule list! Love it so much, I'm going to implement it for my almost-13-year-old on our cruise next week!

Thank you :)

Oasis and Allure are ideal ships for fairly active or even very active families. They offer so much to do for every interest and for for every age. Also you can do as much or as little as you please. These ships are kicking it day and night.

My problem when on these ships has been trying to choose which of several activities to do, because so much is going on at once. You just can't do it all. It is hard to choose a dining time, because so much is going on at dining times. Choosing My Time Dining might be the best bet or you may miss some activities you would like to join.

I agree about the Central Park balconies. Even a Board Walk balcony would be preferable because you can see the ship's wake from there. Depending on the location of your balcony you can see parts of the Aqua shows from your balcony. (Actually sitting in the Aqua Theater seating is still the best way to see an Aqua show.)

WE just did a family reunion cruise on Oasis. My sister and her hubby had a Board Walk balcony and enjoyed watching the goings on. My sister and her neice liked their BW balcony even better than my sister did.

We had an ocean view Junior Suite. I really do prefer the ocean view balconies to either Board Walk or Central Park, but the only way we could even get an ocean view balcony was to book a JS, but we booked very late for a Memorial Day cruise.

Still, I would say if the only way I could book a balcony would be to book a Central Park balcony, I would book the Central Park balcony.

We Very reluctantly disembarked Oasis on Saturday.. Change cabin to a boardwalk balcony far aft enough to see the ocean. The last ten rooms looked like they would be great. Central park is beautiful but after a couple of days it will get boring. Since you are active family get a high enough deck to see the ocean and to be close to the pool deck which is 15. 11 or 12 would be perfect! Some people say to stay away from deck 14 since the pool decks are right above you. We were in jr suite 14636 directly under the kids pool. While it wasn't too bad we did hear the pounding of little feet during the day. So much for my nap. If you can get the compass say four months before your cruise it will helping planning your showtimes and mealtimes. Just ask someone to download them for the week and then plan from there. We had many overlapping things because I didn't know all of the times of activities. When we tried to change specialty reservations all that remained were 5:30 or 9:00pm. The best advice of all is to not try and do everything! There is no way unless you can get by with very little sleep or are an Olympic athlete!

You can also find the dining room menus online to see what nights are best for specialty dining. Let me know if you have any more questions. All of the good people on cruise critic certainly helped in our planning. We are already planning to go again in April 2012!

I sailed this past March. I spent almost a year planning my trip. If you would like to send me your e-mail address, I will be happy to e-mail you all the tips and information I gathered during my planning.

I know you will have a WONDERFUL trip.

I sailed this past March. I spent almost a year planning my trip. If you would like to send me your e-mail address, I will be happy to e-mail you all the tips and information I gathered during my planning.

 

I know you will have a WONDERFUL trip.

We sail in less than three months on the Oasis. Would you mind sharing this with me as well? My email address is vowsatsea@aol.com

Thanks!

Tx_sweetpea we are cruising next month...any way you could send me any info. I would really appreciate it. My email address is nreinh@verizon.net

Thanks so much,

Nancy

Here's some tips I will give:

Reserve as many tours and shows ahead of your cruise as you possibly can. Once onboard, it may be hard to reserve the show times you want. Then you will have to stand in the stand by line. It is really hard to get into early Comedy Club show times.

Arrive at shows half an hour early to get the best seats.

Carefully read your Cruise Compass every day. I use a yellow underliner to mark the activities I am most interested in. Activities on at sea days are really numerous and the ones you want may overlap in time. You amy have to miss some things in order to do other things.

Food is available 24 hours a day. Room service has a $3.50 charge after midnight. You will never go hungry. Soft drinks are quite expensive. Consider buying a soft drink package the very first day if you prefer to drink soft drinks.

Some of the best activities on board are free, such as the fun putt puutt golf course, the ship's ZIpLine (but not the Labadee zipline), both FlowRiders, all the shows and Comedy Club and Jazz Club are free. The carousel is free.

The toughest part of the cruise is leaving the ship. If you are like me, you will want to stay longer--another week at least.:D Also, disembarkation can be a bit of a trial sometimes. There is no way to know what it will be.

You can board about ten thirty or eleven AM on the boarding day. We try to get to the ship early so that we can enjoy the ship as much as possible and not miss a minute.

Tx_sweetpea we are cruising next March and I'm a SUPER planner...I would really appreciate the info as well. My email address is robinmstanley@gmail.com

Thanks,

Robin

Go to the Aqua Show 45 minutes early. The theater has bench seats and comfortable canvas seats. The canvas seats fill up very fast.

Make sure you book all your shows as soon as they come available....about 90 days pre-cruise.

We just got off this morning... Boo! It was a great week!

About the teen group: my dd is 12 and has been on two RCI cruises and always spent a lot of her time in the Adventure Ocean area with all the kids. Alas, once you hit 12, you are lumped in with kids from 12 through 17 years old. This cruise she attended the group activities maybe 1/3 of typical, due to the big age range and subsequent behavior of the older kids that just isn't appropriate for the other end of the age spectrum.

I have taught her to listen to her gut. She tried the late-night party the first evening and never went back for another. I heard about a girl from Hawaii who took off her shirt for the boys, the stuff my dd learned about in the "Battle of the sexes" game... Oh boy. :eek:

Sailing on the Oasis in March 2012 with my 13 year old daughter. Do you have any tips? Is this a good choice for a fairly active family? Will we have fun? We are staying in a Central Park view room, are they any good?

Well this may not work for your family.......I tell my kids they have to stay with us.. My kids are out of the house doing their own thing all year long... I tell them... vacations we are togther!

Also I have never felt comfortable allowing my teenage girls to roam the ship alone or with friends. I have heard of too many stories...........If they go somewhere.. like to lunch... they have to eat and come right back before they do anything else....Oasis class ships are so big with many different people on board you should be cautious.

We just got off this morning... Boo! It was a great week!

 

About the teen group: my dd is 12 and has been on two RCI cruises and always spent a lot of her time in the Adventure Ocean area with all the kids. Alas, once you hit 12, you are lumped in with kids from 12 through 17 years old. This cruise she attended the group activities maybe 1/3 of typical, due to the big age range and subsequent behavior of the older kids that just isn't appropriate for the other end of the age spectrum.

 

I have taught her to listen to her gut. She tried the late-night party the first evening and never went back for another. I heard about a girl from Hawaii who took off her shirt for the boys, the stuff my dd learned about in the "Battle of the sexes" game... Oh boy. :eek:

We just got back too. My 11 year old had the opposite issue. He was too big for the 9-11 year olds. They sort of lump them in the adventure ocean area which is really babyish looking.

MY teen had no interest in going to the teen activities because he had kids to hang out with that he knew from home. The activities looked fun on the compass for them but he had a blast anyway.

I sailed this past March. I spent almost a year planning my trip. If you would like to send me your e-mail address, I will be happy to e-mail you all the tips and information I gathered during my planning.

 

I know you will have a WONDERFUL trip.

I would love your plans as well, my trip w/ my husband and four kids isn't until may 2012, but any info would help - askforgiveness@aol.com thanks :)

Leaving on Oasis in 6 days!

Any unusual secrets or tips would be great! Im looking for a breakfast menu from the Solarium, I have the dinner one...

Any secret staircases? I read something, about something a few months back! (I know, that makes no sense, lol) I think it was regarding how to get to a deck that overlooks the aqua theatre- even tho we have our reservations it would be nice to find the secret spot).

Leaving on Oasis in 6 days!

 

Any secret staircases?

Right beyond the secret door.:eek:

Leaving on Oasis in 6 days!

 

Any unusual secrets or tips would be great! Im looking for a breakfast menu from the Solarium, I have the dinner one...

 

Any secret staircases? I read something, about something a few months back! (I know, that makes no sense, lol) I think it was regarding how to get to a deck that overlooks the aqua theatre- even tho we have our reservations it would be nice to find the secret spot).

It is all the way aft on deck 11. Also, there is a popular spot all the way forward on deck 14. Just choose a deck and go all the way down the hallway. There is a door at the end of the hallway.

:):) :):) I was so glad to read your post...It just amazes me how many parents allow their children to roam free til at least 1am (curfew time) with kids they only know for hours/days at the most...would they allow that if they were home? It is easy to let your guard down when you are on vacation however, parents must remember that cruise ships are not free of mishaps..Touche...I hope your post makes parents rethink their rules for their children so that all might have a great and safe cruise.........

Well this may not work for your family.......I tell my kids they have to stay with us.. My kids are out of the house doing their own thing all year long... I tell them... vacations we are togther!

Also I have never felt comfortable allowing my teenage girls to roam the ship alone or with friends. I have heard of too many stories...........If they go somewhere.. like to lunch... they have to eat and come right back before they do anything else....Oasis class ships are so big with many different people on board you should be cautious.

It is all the way aft on deck 11. Also, there is a popular spot all the way forward on deck 14. Just choose a deck and go all the way down the hallway. There is a door at the end of the hallway.

Thanks a bunch! :)

:):) :):) I was so glad to read your post...It just amazes me how many parents allow their children to roam free til at least 1am (curfew time) with kids they only know for hours/days at the most...would they allow that if they were home? It is easy to let your guard down when you are on vacation however' date=' parents must remember that cruise ships are not free of mishaps..Touche...I hope your post makes parents rethink their rules for their children so that all might have a great and safe cruise.........[/quote']

 

Question: (for storm1of4 too :)) - what age kids are you referring to? And, in your opinions, what age is it okay to allow them to make friends on board and for them to spend some time away from you with the friends? (I want to add that when I originally found cruise critic and roll calls, I specifically joined roll calls to meet other Moms (& Dads) posting that are on our cruise, to get to know them over the months (or year+ of cruise planning), so when my kids meet their kids on board at a pre meet & mingle, I already have gotten to know the mom or dad (who ever does the typing, lol) and aware of their family dynamics and rules that typically will mimic ours...)

 

Thanks for your ideas/input.

Thanks a bunch! :)

 

 

 

Question: (for storm1of4 too :)) - what age kids are you referring to? And, in your opinions, what age is it okay to allow them to make friends on board and for them to spend some time away from you with the friends? (I want to add that when I originally found cruise critic and roll calls, I specifically joined roll calls to meet other Moms (& Dads) posting that are on our cruise, to get to know them over the months (or year+ of cruise planning), so when my kids meet their kids on board at a pre meet & mingle, I already have gotten to know the mom or dad (who ever does the typing, lol) and aware of their family dynamics and rules that typically will mimic ours...)

 

Thanks for your ideas/input.

Well my 4 kids are now ages 14 to 19...The boy is 18. We have been crusing with them yearly for 6 years now. The rules are still the same...Between everyone's job and school and social lives we do not get to spend all that much time as a family!! Cruise vacations give us the time to be together. We all eat together, play cards, talk and laugh, hang out by the pool....I/we line dance with my kids at sale away and at the other parties!!! Have you ever line danced with your 15 year old!!!! It's wonderful! We take them to the eighties party and the 70's parties we all have a blast! They know the music. Of course we always find adult time to sneak away to the concierge lounge before dinner....this is when the kids have their time to do their hair, nap, order room service, boss around the housekeeper! What ever they want... teens sleep a lot too, and get ready for dinner.

Vacation time is time for family... I dont buge on this issue... my kids now enjoy hanging out with us on vacations and we are thrilled to have them want our company...if only for that week ....LOL

Do yourself and your kids a great service.....start the tradition now......You'll build fantastic memories!!!!!!!!!!!

Well my 4 kids are now ages 14 to 19...The boy is 18. We have been crusing with them yearly for 6 years now. The rules are still the same...Between everyone's job and school and social lives we do not get to spend all that much time as a family!! Cruise vacations give us the time to be together. We all eat together, play cards, talk and laugh, hang out by the pool....I/we line dance with my kids at sale away and at the other parties!!! Have you ever line danced with your 15 year old!!!! It's wonderful! We take them to the eighties party and the 70's parties we all have a blast! They know the music. Of course we always find adult time to sneak away to the concierge lounge before dinner....this is when the kids have their time to do their hair, nap, order room service, boss around the housekeeper! What ever they want... teens sleep a lot too, and get ready for dinner.

Vacation time is time for family... I dont buge on this issue... my kids now enjoy hanging out with us on vacations and we are thrilled to have them want our company...if only for that week ....LOL

Do yourself and your kids a great service.....start the tradition now......You'll build fantastic memories!!!!!!!!!!!

We have the exact same traditions with ours kids. They are now 22 and 18 and have been cruising for 10 years (DD is going on her 12th and DS on his 11th). Our kids go to the shows with us, dinner and breakfast is a must and they bop between hanging with us at the pool on sea days and with newly made friends (like having lunch with them at Johnny Rockets), if they do that, they keep checking back in with us. We have been on multiple cruises where they know kids on board (from school, town, sports, neighboring towns). I'm always curious about others, mainly because I have seen kids as young as like 7 yrs old on their own :eek:. I wonder what they're thinking!?!? (the parents that is)

We have the exact same traditions with ours kids. They are now 22 and 18 and have been cruising for 10 years (DD is going on her 12th and DS on his 11th). Our kids go to the shows with us, dinner and breakfast is a must and they bop between hanging with us at the pool on sea days and with newly made friends (like having lunch with them at Johnny Rockets), if they do that, they keep checking back in with us. We have been on multiple cruises where they know kids on board (from school, town, sports, neighboring towns). I'm always curious about others, mainly because I have seen kids as young as like 7 yrs old on their own :eek:. I wonder what they're thinking!?!? (the parents that is)

Yeah it always puts a smile on my face when my son beams with accomplishment when he orders a steak and a salmon dish at dinner and finishes his food........He is thin and normally doesnt really care to eat a lot...Cruising is magical!!!!

I sailed this past March. I spent almost a year planning my trip. If you would like to send me your e-mail address, I will be happy to e-mail you all the tips and information I gathered during my planning.

 

I know you will have a WONDERFUL trip.

BonVoyage

Dawna