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We were on your cruise! I would have to agree with most of your experiences, but we had a few pleasant surprises as well including Cats! We were afraid to try it based on reviews we had read here on CC (and even had an escape route planned if needed) but we actually really enjoyed it! The dancers were amazing… so much talent! I was not familiar with the storyline so I may not have followed it completely but it was still very much worth watching. I agree on the aqua show… my new favorite! We too have been on other Oasis class ships but this was our first on Oasis. The first few days we felt the ship moving a lot more than usual (weather was good so it may have been due to us moving at a faster pace?). At times we actually felt like the ship was less crowded than normal, but we are probably just getting better at avoiding the hot spots at peak times. The only day we took advantage of the main pool deck was on our Jamaica day when we chose to stay on board while everyone else was getting off. That was nice!! We were in the Solarium most other days and yes the chair hogs were definitely out in full force. We always eventually managed to find something though. There were definitely more kids than we were expecting for late April as we figured we would be past typical spring break dates. It seemed to be more younger kids in general… not as many tween /teens. We had the Unlimited Dining Package so ate almost only specialty dining and had great food and service all week. Chops is usually our favorite but Giovanni’s was a nice surprise! We ended up switching a couple reservations later in the week to go back. Their filet was actually better than Chops on this sailing and the manager and staff was super attentive! Shout out to Corrado and Joel who made our experience that much more enjoyable!! Another favorite was Playmakers… Sophia served us all week and went above and beyond. Also a first time to try Portside BBQ… it was amazing! The 5 am wake up call on night five was no joke! I never jumped out of bed so fast! I agree too that the embarkation process was quick and easy…getting to the port was another story! We got an Uber from downtown Miami around 10 am and waited in port traffic for over an hour. That was our same experience last cruise out of Miami too. Overall another great cruise though!!

I can’t speak to room service but on my recent Oasis cruise the specialty restaurants were the best they had ever been with their attention to special dietary needs. The first question each server asked when first approaching our table was whether or not anyone had any dietary restrictions. Only one time (breakfast on the last day in the MDR) did they fail to ask but I had joined the table late that day so it may have just been overlooked. I can’t speak to MDR in general as that was the only meal we had there. I went to the Windjammer once for breakfast and was surprised they did not have a designated GF section on that ship (I was in a rush so didn’t bother to ask for any assistance and just went with what I knew was safe). Cafe Promenade did have some GF items available on most days (which had not been the case on my last few cruises). My experiences have been somewhat inconsistent over the years (even same ship) so each time I feel like I’m figuring out their system all over again. Overall I have had mostly positive experiences, but I also think I’ve gotten better at having realistic expectations and being willing to do with less in some cases (as much as I really want them to find a way to make me that yummy looking chocolate lava cake the ice cream will do just fine 🙂). I was encouraged though by how much more knowledgeable and helpful the staff seemed on Oasis. I even brought on board my own GF ice cream cones this time and when I brought one to the ice cream machine the server automatically changed his gloves before taking it from me without me even asking. I was impressed! Wish I had thought of doing that on previous cruises as that alone was a special treat!

We didn’t ask until day six actually. We realized we weren’t eating anywhere but specialty dining at that point so wanted to apply our dining gratuities towards the servers and venues we had actually been using. Waiting to do this later in the cruise did not seem to be a problem at all. Guest services was very accommodating and the process was pretty easy.

We are just off Oasis and we were able to get our prepaid gratuities credited back to us. This was the first time we had ever tried. I’m not sure if we just got lucky but it was actually very easy and it was not an issue at all. We assumed we would have to accept the credit as on board credit since we had paid in advance but they actually gave us the option to have it refunded to our credit card had we preferred. In the end we chose to take it as onboard credit as we still wanted to use the funds towards tips… we just wanted to reallocate some of it. Guest Services provided a form for us to fill out and specify how much and to whom we wanted gratuities paid. We still followed the suggested tip amount paid to our room steward and hotel services but we adjusted dining services since we had the unlimited dining package and had also paid gratuities on that. We always tip extra to those who serve us direct and wanted the flexibility to do so even more. Attached is a copy of the suggested gratuity guidelines they gave us. Hope this helps!

For Oasis - April 14th - A sea day was added and Falmouth, Jamaica was moved to Day 5 (Jamaica was originally scheduled for Day 6).

We were on Symphony last January and still reminisce and talk about some of our favorite meals from that cruise. It was our first time to get the unlimited dining package and we enjoyed it so much that we might have a hard time going back! Chops and Hooked were probably our two favorite venues for dinner but funny enough Playmakers is the one we talk about the most. It was a perfect spot for lunch, a mid day snack or extra dessert (my family was obsessed with the campfire cookie). We loved their specialty drink selections as well!

We are really looking forward to checking this out in April! Our current cruise planner only shows this venue open during dinner hours each day (5:00 pm - 9:00 pm). Has anyone cruised Oasis recently to know if lunch is still offered? Not sure how reliable the planner is this far out (or if they will update the hours closer to sailing)?

Yes, I felt it was still worth the overall experience. The bar / specialty drinks alone were worth the trip alone (though you don't have to eat there to check that out). The modifications to make my meal GF was definitely different (a few of the fun aspects had to be cut) but everything I ate was still very good. It's not the kind of meal you walk away feeling stuffed...there was a lot of focus on the presentation itself and smaller portions....but that just opens you up for a late night snack somewhere else which is never a bad thing :).

Agreed! We never put much stock in the “sales”. It’s funny to watch the clock run down…and then see the same “deal” offered again the next morning with a new clock running. We did get lucky last year on Black Friday though…snagged some lower prices on dining, soda packages as well as internet. I don’t remember by how much but it was definitely the lowest price we had come across in the months prior and after and it did help out (it all adds up!). With prices going up on everything though we are not holding our breath this go round. Would be nice though!

Thanks for the help and advice! We went ahead and purchased it to make sure we don’t miss out. Probably wishful thinking on our end that there could still be a drop in price…though we will keep checking just in case!

Is it possible for the Ultimate Dining Package to sell out for a sailing? We just booked a cruise on Oasis for this upcoming April and are wondering if it would be best to purchase the package immediately (so we don’t miss out) or if it would be okay to wait a bit? In the past we found Black Friday to have the best deals but is it worth the risk to purchase it later? If we purchase it now is it possible to get a refund for the difference when and if the price drops? We have not tried that approach before so don’t know how easy or difficult that might be and whether or not there are any additional risks in doing so. We recall someone sharing a negative experience when they cancelled an excursion so they could repurchase it at a lower price and then when they went to repurchase it a few minutes later the system showed no more availability so they lost out completely. Just wondering what others have done and experienced. Thanks!

I called RCI for help and they confirmed no cruises out of FLL in June. There are a few sailings in May and July but not many. Looks like those ships are repositioning to Miami or Cape Liberty during that time frame. Construction at the port or RCI terminal perhaps?

I searched here as well as the Florida departure boards but I could not find any answers …why are there no options for cruises going out of Fort Lauderdale in June 2024? The month of June is blocked when searching for cruises out of FLL in 2024.

Does anyone know where I can find the current taxi rates from the cruise port to some of the more popular island destinations? We have not yet decided what we want to do for our upcoming trip and are trying to get an idea if it makes more sense for us to taxi from place to place or to book a tour that will include several stops. We would like to make at least one stop at Maho Beach to watch a few planes come in but will likely move on to another beach spot or do something else for the rest of the day. We enjoyed Bernard's Tours on our last few visits and are open to doing that again, but thought it might be worth taking a taxi and setting our own schedule this time if the cost is right. Any recommendations or tips for taking a taxi would be much appreciated too. Thanks!

That will be so nice! Enjoy!! That is what we are more used to so this will be a learning experience I'm sure! Hopefully we will manage to avoid most of the crowds with an early start....we shall see. We aren't early risers so not looking forward to that part...ha!

That's what we were afraid of...luckily we get into port very early so we will try to do just that. Thanks for the reply!

Thank you for sharing this. Do you know if they require cash for payment or if they accept credit cards as well? Also does anyone have any experience on the sightseeing tours listed on here or know what they might include?

That is helpful to know... I was curious which beach they took you to but it sounds like that could change depending on the circumstances for that day. Thank you!

Thank you! I will check this out. Did they provide transportation to and from the port or did you have to taxi to meet them?

There will be five cruise ships in port when we visit St. Thomas in January (two at Crown Bay and three at Havensight). I am curious how crowded that might feel and if we need to take that into consideration when making plans for the day? Will the more popular beaches (Magens and Sapphire) be overcrowded with that many ships in port? RCCL offers an excursion to Smith Bay Beach Eco Park which looks to be in the same area as Lindquist Beach. Has anyone had any experience with this beach and know if you can get a taxi there (and back)? It looks to be more secluded with some beach rentals, picnic tables, restroom facilities but no food. Any other recommendations for a busy day at port? We have our own snorkel gear and would love to snorkel if possible. Thanks in advance for any help!

I had not thought about asking the restaurant managers for help with special requests for the following night's restaurant. Now that the menus are all on the app that would be simple enough to navigate and figure out. Thank you!

We have purchased the UDP for the first time for our upcoming Symphony cruise in January. Most of my experience eating Gluten Free on board has been in the MDR, Windjammer, Sorrento's, Park Cafe, etc. but only a couple of times have we dined in a specialty restaurant. I have already checked in with special_needs@rccl and their recommendation was to check in with the restaurant managers at each venue that we choose to dine at and let them know when I arrive that I will be eating GF. In the past I have always checked in with the MDR head waiter and ordered ahead of time for the following night. Is this recommended with specialty dining too? For those that have eaten GF with an UDP do you check in the day prior to make requests or just order once you are there and take your chances that they will be able to prepare something without advanced notice? I am not Celiac (just intolerant), so I am not worried about cross contamination, but I know giving advance notice was always helpful in the MDR if I wanted to try something not usually prepared GF. Any suggestions or recommendations would be much appreciated! Thanks!

We used these on our last cruise...we put them in a small carry-on suitcase that we checked at the airport and then used that same suitcase as our carry-on for embarkation day.... https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PNRQ5NC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I used a lanyard wallet on our last couple of cruises which I found very handy. It works well to hold your sea pass card as well as any cash you might want to have on hand for tips, etc. They are pretty lightweight, but the strap can easily be wrapped around your wrist a few times if you don't want it hanging on your neck all day. Lot of fun designs to choose from too... https://www.amazon.com/Zip-Case-Lanyard-Fashion-Wallet/dp/B08KW4836F/ref=sr_1_10?crid=HDJS0PBQR7IX&keywords=tropical%2Blanyard%2Bwallet&qid=1659669691&sprefix=tropical%2Blanuard%2Caps%2C107&sr=8-10&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/Lilly-Pulitzer-Keychain-Durable-Cocktail/dp/B09418Q779/ref=sr_1_24?crid=1ZN21S9ZG7ZW&keywords=beach%2Bthemed%2Bwallet%2Blanyard&qid=1659671034&sprefix=beach%2Blanyard%2Bwallet%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-24&th=1

Hope you are feeling better soon! My first cruise was on Song of America in 1985. The trip was a Make a Wish granted to my sister who was battling cancer. One of my sister's nurses would tell her stories of her cruising adventures which is why my sister chose a cruise as her wish. I was only 12 at the time so have some fun "kid" memories. I remember ice carving demonstrations (with chainsaws) and free Bingo on the pool deck, a chime that played across the ship every evening right before dinner (I can still recall the sound) and fresh doughnuts brought to the table at breakfast every morning. The kid program leaders doubled as dancers during the evening show and Shipshape dollars were awarded for attending activities which could later be used to buy a "I'm Shipshape" shirt. I was sad to outgrow my shirt but was excited to find another one at a thrift shop just a few years ago. Great memories! I have since gotten many friends and family hooked on cruising too... Thanks for a fun post...and for the great trip down memory lane! 😀