gssmks

I have only done two cruises and both were on Disney (and both were a few years ago), but I am looking at other cruise lines now that my daughter is older. Am I understanding you guys to say that Norwegian does not allow food outside the restaurants at all? I'm not concerned with taking food back to the room. I am wondering about taking food to other parts of the ship. The Disney ships have a grill and a pizza place right on the pool deck. People go get food and take it to their loungers or tables that are there on deck to eat. You can take the food anywhere you want. My family did this every day for lunch. We never ate lunch together. Each person just grabbed a burger, taco, sandwich, etc., when we got hungry and took it to what ever part of the ship we were headed to. I spent almost every day sitting around the family pool, watching the movies playing on the big screen and people watching. As I got hungry, I walked over and got food or ice cream or fresh fruit, filled my drink, and was back to my seat in 5 minutes to eat while I continued enjoying myself. I never did it, but there were so many people who actually went to the buffet and brought full plates back to the pool deck and sat at their loungers to eat. The trash cans on deck had a place on top similar to what you see at fastfood places on land to return trays, plates, etc. Would this be allowed on Norwegian? If not, does anyone know if it's still allowed on Disney or any of the other lines?

How about connecting cabins?

I did know that connecting cabins were possible. I was just wondering about one bedroom cabins. It appears from the website that there are not any. I was surprised that there wasn't at least one suite option with a separated bedroom.

Are there any cabins on the Breeze that have the bedroom separated from the rest of the cabin?

If you could please email me the FunTimes daily scheduled I would greatly appreciate it. gail_slone@hotmail.com Loved the review.

Whenever someone bumps that "funny" photo I think of this ACTUAL photo from allure of the seas:

 

http://www.cruiselawnews.com/uploads/image/Atlantis-Allure-of-the-Seas.jpg

WOW.....what ever was going on there, I would have just skipped. My biggest concern is "Where were all the women?" Looks like the men all got together and threw the women overboard and then celebrated at the Aqua Theatre.

Lower level (Atrium) didn't always look like that unless a game show, talk, performance, etc was happening, but O'Sheehan's usually did upstairs.

 

It didn't bother me too much--I figured out places to escape. But I snapped the photo because I'd always distrusted the beauty shots you see of blissfully empty public places and pools.

Yeah, I had the same distrust. That's why I posted this. People were posting opposite extremes. Some saying that it was so horrible that they would never consider cruising again and others saying they had no idea where the other people where because they barely saw them all week. I figured the truth was somewhere in between. I was just wondering if the truth was closer to horrible crowds or closer absolutely none.

I wish I could give you a picture of a line, but on two cruises of the Oasis class I never encountered one.

 

Some pointers. When you get on the ship, don't go to the WJ. Go to the Solarium Bistro. It will be a "healthy" buffet and no people. Everyone goes to the WJ.

 

For breakfast go to Johnny Rockets. It's free, and unless you need a plate filled with bacon, it is good.

 

When a show lets out, the elevators can be troubling, but if you don't need one fast, walk down the promenade, and take one on the other side.

 

Parades on the promenade....sit in the pub, have a beer, and watch from it. Most likely you can't see everything, but you hear, and you have a beer in your hand, so it's good!

 

I think the bigger ships, feel less crowded, and RCCL does a great job on crowd control and movement.

Thanks for the tips. I am pretty sure that I am about to pull the trigger and book this. I called my TA today and told her to get me some quotes on different cabins and different dates. I think I might try Giovanni for lunch on embarkation day. Crowding after shows or during scheduled events doesn't bother me. That should be expected by everyone. I have waited almost an hour to get out of the parking lot after our local high school boys basketball games. I won't let that keep me from cruising the Oasis. I just did not want to schedule a cruise and spend the entire week pushing and shoving my way around a crowded ship.

Well said. It's as if the OP wants some sort of proof that there are crowds/lines, and are unwilling to believe that there could be crowds/lines in the absence of such proof.

Well, in a way, I guess I agree with you. I am asking if someone has photos of what they are referring to as crowds/lines. While I have not cruised Royal at all, I have done two cruises on Disney, both on the Dream and both prior to the two new ships. There were definitely lines on those ships, but nothing that affected our ability to enjoy our cruise. I want to see pictures of what everyone is complaining about, not to prove that the lines exist...I know they will exist...but to have a frame of reference to compare to what I experienced on the Dream. If the lines/crowds are similar to my prior experience, then at least for me, it's a nonfactor. If the lines/crowds are 3-4 times larger, then my daughter and I need to stick to the small ships.

No ulterior motives on my part.

I didn't read through all the posts, but if you want to see pictures and hear about crowding there was an excellent review that was done by user Harryfat1. He had a ton of pictures throughout the cruise and was also curious about the crowding so he took pictures of it and made suggestions such as wait 15 minutes after the end of shows. He took a picture right at the end when everyone was trying to leave and then 15 minutes later when he tried to leave. The differences are amazing. There will be crowding at times, but they can be easily avoided. Below is a link to his review starting on page 3 where they show up to the terminal.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2146596&page=3[/quote

 

This review was one of the ones I saw before posting. His review and a few others showed crowds on embarkation day, especially at the buffet between none and about 1:30, after the muster drill, after the shows and when getting on and off the ships at ports. Plus, I saw photos of crowds at certain activities like parades and parties on the promenade. But, there were crowds at those times on our only two prior cruises which were on Disney. Those did not bother us and definitely did not ruin our cruise. If those are the only crowds we are going to have, we will be fine. We can use common sense, like I posted before, to avoid or lessen those waits.

Day-one atrium on NCL Getaway last month. A lot of the crowding you see on the lower level was for Guest Services.

 

(Not trying to prove any particular point here, just posting a photo I happened to have of a crowded area, so if your fingers are itching to tell me that's not a big crowd, it'll be lost on me.)

 

Now, I do consider this as crowded. Was this typical of what you experienced all week or was it only during embarkation? And, I haven't looked at any NCL ships. Is this ship comparable to the Oasis in size and passenger count?

Almost 4000 views and not one post of unreasonable lines or crowds. I think I will just assume that if we decide to book the Oasis, and if we are willing to use a little common sense, the lines and crowds won't be an issue for us. Then, I will pray that my assumption turns out to be correct. :)

I can think of a few reasons why there might not be many pictures of lines/crowding.

 

For starters, at least for me, I would have no reason to take a picture of lines/crowding. It's not like I'm wanting to look at such a picture along with my other vacation pictures after I return home.

 

Another reason could be that many people (like me) simply do not carry a phone/camera around with them all the time on a cruise ship. So even if I had a reason to take a picture of a line (which I don't), I couldn't.

I can agree that both of these are valid reasons for you, or anyone else, to not take pictures of the crowds. But, do you have any pictures of things you were interested in that might have accidentally caught the crowds in the background. Also, after all of the threads I've read on here where one person posted that they had such bad experiences with crowds and lines that it ruined their vacations and they will never cruise on the big ships again and then someone replied saying "I was on the same cruise as you, and I didn't experience any crowds or lines at all", I would think that someone who posts here regularly would make a point to take pictures of lines and crowds when they experience them, especially I they plan to get on here and post about them.

biggest recommendation, go with her the first day to ensure waivers are signed and to get the wristband ASAP. this will allow her to ride it anytime. don't take the wristband off or you'll have to stand in line again to get another one.

This won't be an issue. She will be turning 18 before we cruise.

Research answer: Wear a tee-shirt! I don't know how she'd feel about giving the boys a thrill:eek:, but I suspect Momma might not be too pleased:rolleyes:

Now, that's a tip that has already been noted, but to be honest I'm one of the lucky Mommas. My daughter will be 18 in November, but she is very conservative. My guess is that she would automatically wear swim shorts and tshirt.

Our secret for this problem is the following. We will go up to go down, or sometimes down to go up. Basically we travel the opposite direction, until the elevator has stopped going that direction. We then hit the floor we want and pass usually pass by the folks still waiting on the floor we embarked on. We do this after a few tries of going the direction we want, unless the elevator stops in front of us, it is going the direction we want, and has room for us. After being on the Oasis class as much as we have been, this trick helps during peak times, such as after muster drill, right after a show ends, and disembarkation day.

 

We also do this at hotels if need be. It also works on cruise ships that have less numbers, such as when we sailed on the Island Princess. We also walk when it is just a few floors, but not everyone can or is able to do this.

 

EDIT: On Oasis Class ships if you are headed the "wrong" direction and you hit the floor you want it will not remember your floor stop. It deletes it, until you are headed the direction that you intended to travel.

This is another tip that I am noting in case we decide to book.

dacsmom is pretty much spot on. I have been on Oasis twice and Allure twice and with a few exceptions the crowds are not bad. I actually find initial boarding (they have a very efficient system) and disembarking in port (they have multiple exits that are fed by escalators) LESS crowded than most ships. The Windjammer cafe is approximately the same size as on Freedom, but this is alleviated by having more complimentary areas to eat. I will say that if you board the first day between 12:30 and 1:30 don't even think about going to Windjammer (all the tables are full of people who got on ahead of you who are waiting for their cabin to be ready); do something (anything!) else. The other big crowd not mentioned is the zoo at the end of Muster Drill, especially attempting to traverse the Royal Promenade; find somewhere to sit for 15 minutes and let the cattle stampede disperse. Otherwise, ENJOY!

 

Thom

 

 

PS We have done the ship zip line on port days, and were actually begged to go for a second (and third) time, as they had no other customers. Sports venue times may be somewhat limited on port days, but usually very few people.

I don't know why more people don't use your wait 15 minutes approach. We use that when trying to leave venues like concerts and sporting events. People act like they will die if they aren't the first person out of a venue. I have noted your advice about doing the flowrider on port days.

Good question. I've never noticed people posting pictures of this as a reference for what they consider crowded either. My guess is that if you don't mind sharing a table in the buffet with strangers then you won't find it too crowded. On my last cruise on the Mariner, people were complaining constantly that the buffet was too crowded and there wasn't anywhere to sit. I could see their point because there were rarely empty tables to be found, but I was always able to find a table with a few open seats and just asked if I could share. Nobody ever said no. And whenever I was at a table and people asked to share, I was happy to do so. However, if doing something like that might be uncomfortable for you, then you may find a crowded (full to capacity) ship to be "too crowded." It's all in the prrson's perspective, so having pictures would definitely help as a reference.

 

I also prefer to take the stairs and get the work out rather than bother with waiting for elevators, which again is a common complaint on various ships. I did find wait times to be long and elevators to show up too full to get onto (like when I was in heels and preferred not to walk 6 flights in stillettos), but again, I always found an alternative (removing my shoes and taking the stairs anyway), and never thought doing so was an inconvenience. If you have trouble with stairs or aren't in very good shape, then "full elevators" might be a complaint, but to others who don't mind taking the stairs, it's easily ignored. Again, it's based on expectations and perspective. If you're prepared for it and know you have options (or just know you have to be patient because you don't have options), you'll probably be fine. It's like Disney Land. You know it will be crowded and you're going to wait in line, but because you expect to to be part of the experience, you probably aren't surprised or bothered by it when you're there. It's part of what you sign up for when you choose to go.

What you are describing here, I would have no problem with. I love meeting new people and I would have no problem sharing a table with other people and my daughter and I both would have no trouble taking the steps. I may look more closely at where we would be spending the most time when deciding which deck to book so that we can minimize the number of steps we have to climb.

This was the area just outside the Windjammer and it was not too bad at all:

 

 

 

This really is funny......but seriously, when reading some of the posts on here, you would really picture crowds about that bad. I just can't help but to think that if there were really crowds and lines so bad that it ruined their vacations, then they would have taken some pictures of those crowds and lines.

I will let you know about the stand-up flowrider. Having had the pleasure of waiting in line many hours over mutiple cruises I will share with you what I have learned. During open riding the average ride length per person is 2 minutes. If you count 10 people in line expect it to take 20 minutes for the last person to be loading onto the wave. Some people will load themselves and ride longer. There are others that might be on the wave for 10 seconds or less, but get a lot more help. The average seems to be 2 minutes.

 

Don't do it on the last sea day if you are going to do it once. I have been in line as long as 40 minutes for a 3 minute ride you want to make the most of your time. Ususally on the last sea day I stop riding by noon as the line gets to be too long. If there is open riding prior to getting to port do it then, as most people are busy eating or getting ready to get of the ship.

 

As for your question, is there a problem with this at the flowrider. I'd say no, just lots of folks want to try it once and only once for the photo op. That in turn makes long lines for those that are there daily. If they installed a third one to shorten the lines I sure wouldn't complain.:D

My daughter will definitely want to try the flowrider. I guess we would have to research on here, the best times to go to keep the wait to a minimum. To be honest, I've watched several videos on youtube, and I think watching the other people while she waited in line would be as entertaining as her trying it herself. I think I would enjoy justing going by there and watching even without her planning to try it.

The fantastic cheapo dad's allure trip report has a picture at post 67.

Carpgirl, thank you for the reference. And, I had in fact read that review, and I saw that picture. However, I did not consider that a picture of what the "crowds" and "lines" would be like during the cruise. Maybe it's me trying to make excuses, after all, a line is a line. However, the guy who did that review was not complaining. His prior posts show that he boarded early, went straight to the Windjammer, and found it basically empty. His family got a large table that seated them all and the tables around them were empty. The picture you referred to was taken as he was leaving, after the noon hour. The buffet, on embarkation day, on ANY ship will be crowded between noon and 1:30. That is not caused by the size of the ship, but by the rudeness of the people who do not take into consideration that others want to eat and they sit there and talk, waiting for their cabins to open. I rank that with all the other times when a crowd should be expected for any ship.

I was just wondering if anyone has taken pictures of what they are reporting as "long lines" and "crowding" the Oasis of the Seas. I have never cruised Royal but I am seriously considering booking a cruise for spring 2016 as a surprise for my daughter who will be graduating high school. We have taken two cruise, both with Disney, and both when she was younger. I think she would love the Oasis. But, I keep reading all these posts about crowding and long lines, and it has me scared. So, I have gone back 350 pages on this thread (no joke, I literally did) looking for pictures to get an idea of what they were considering long lines. No one who has posted complaining about the crowds and lines posted any pictures showing what they were considering crowds and longs lines. I have read 20 or more reviews of the Oasis and the Allure that had pictures included and I found no pictures showing problems with crowding and long lines. I did find certain activities such as parades, the 70's party, etc. that had crowds in certain places, but those are planned activities, advertised for the sole purpose of drawing a crowd. I don't consider that a problem caused by a bigger ship. Those activities would be consider failures if they did not draw a crowd. So, I am just asking all of you who have reported problems with crowds or lines at MDR, buffet, flowrider, etc. if you would please share some pictures showing those lines and letting us know how often you encountered those lines and crowds on your cruise. I am seriously only wanting to get an idea of what you considered to be the problem so I can decide if it is something that would be a problem for me and my daughter.

I would love to see these pictures to. Have your reposted as a new post?

They don't really care if you take water or coffee out of the lounge...they just don't want folks taking alcohol out to give to those not entitled to it. I don't think they care if you take a donut or something back to your cabin!!

 

No trays in the WJ....

 

Can't help with the movies...not something I'd ever do on vacation, since I don't watch too many movies at any time!.....BTW, they are not "1st run".

Thanks for the quick reply. We probably wouldn't do the movies on the Oasis either, but on Disney, the screen is right there on the pool deck. I loved sitting on deck and watching watching the movies, the other people and the ocean go by all at the same time.

I have cruised twice and both were Disney, and both were several years ago. My daughter is now 17 and we are considering a cruise on the Oasis. I have a few questions that I hope you can answer:

1. If we book, it will be a suite. I know the food and alcoholic drinks in the Suites Lounge have to be consumed in the lounge. Is that true for the water and coffee also?

2. Are there trays available in the Windjammer to help carry plates, etc?

3. One of my favorite things to do on the Disney ships was to sit on the pool deck and watch movies on the big screen television. I was so disappointed that Oasis did not have a big screen on the pool deck. From some of the post on here, I know that movies are sometimes shown on the screens at the Aqua Theatre. How often are movies shown, and is there a way of seeing what movies will play during a particular cruise?

We run through a fast food place on the way back to the house.