RCI Newb.Please answer some (lots) silly questions!

We sailed the Oasis 2 years ago, and I felt that I had no connection with the sea. Don't get me wrong--we loved the ship! It's beautiful, has a lot of activities, great food---I could go on and on. The neighborhoods were nice, especially Central Park, but where was that "at sea" feeling? This past January, we sailed the NCL Getaway, a slightly smaller ship with about 4500 passengers, as opposed to Oasis' 6000 passengers. We fell in love!! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Waterfront! We could sit out there for hours! Hell, the jogging track on the Oasis is even inside!! Granted, I'm sure RCCL has a lot of things going for it, and even I loved their Promenade, but for now, the sea calls me, and I rebooked the Getaway for next January. If the feel of sea breezes is what you love, you made a good choice booking a balcony, because you will not get that on the Oasis. But please enjoy the Oasis for the great ship she is! You will have a wonderful time! BTW---great gaucomole and Margaritas at Sabor!! And sitting out in Central Park late in evening, having a nightcap under the twinkle lights in bushes and trees, and the sound of (fake) crickets. Loved that!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

bobmacliberty---thanks for adding the free food venues. But I have to say that RCCL cannot beat NCL for their free food venues.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

About Oasis entertainment---stay away from CATs!! Horrible!! And too long! Most people left during intermission and never returned! We sailed the Oasis 2 years ago, and my adult children and their families STILL joke about that play! It doesn't belong on a cruise ship! Something shorter and more fun and up lifting would be a better choice!

Sent from my iPad using Forums

I didn't read all of the other comments, but there are plenty of great ocean spots other than your oceanview balcony. We we recently on deck nine, forward (near the elevator bank) and the view was great. There's a fantastic spot on Deck 5 in the back to sit and watch the ocean, it isn't usually crowded. There is also the Sun Deck on Deck 14 (can't remember port vs starboard) all the way forward down a stateroom hall, it's above the bridge and is fantastic and kind of a hidden gem.

There are also nice places up on the pool deck and sports deck for ocean views but they are a little more active. You'll want to bring your drink with you to the Deck 5 and Deck 14 spots since there aren't bars nearby them.

On Oasis go all the way forward to solarium and get in one of the big 360 degree loungers. They look out over front of ship. Best view on board and best napping, reading or chill to [emoji443] spot on the ship. Got to get there early though to get one before they're all taken.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

I didn't read all of the other comments, but there are plenty of great ocean spots other than your oceanview balcony. We we recently on deck nine, forward (near the elevator bank) and the view was great. There's a fantastic spot on Deck 5 in the back to sit and watch the ocean, it isn't usually crowded. There is also the Sun Deck on Deck 14 (can't remember port vs starboard) all the way forward down a stateroom hall, it's above the bridge and is fantastic and kind of a hidden gem.

There are also nice places up on the pool deck and sports deck for ocean views but they are a little more active. You'll want to bring your drink with you to the Deck 5 and Deck 14 spots since there aren't bars nearby them.

Deck 14 is a great spot! I would never have known about it if I hadn't seen it from the helipad.

Allure of the Seas February 2017

Freedom of the Seas February 2018

Harmony of the Seas February 2019

Oasis is a great ship. Looks like most things have been covered. Nothing like the wonderful waterfront on the Oasis but there is lots of places to have a drink with an ocean view. The chairs off the walking track in the rear under Aqua stage are great and close to the water. Many other places especially up top.

Park Cafe is great for Breakfast and Lunch no charge. Johnny Rockets has a great free breakfast. Love the pancakes. Also second the Cats review. It is well produced but is the very long full Broadway show. I think to long for a cruise ship unless you really like Broadway show.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

When everyone says CATS is too long....How many hours are we talking about?

Thank you everyone for all the great comments, advice, photos etc! I'll be sure to check out all the reviews and threads mentioned. It does sound like there can be some disconnect to the water, but everything else she has to offer outweighs that. And since I'll have an ocean view balcony, I'll always have that to retreat to if I feel I need some one-on-one time with the ocean haha Looks like I have some research ahead of me! :D

Does the Solarium get hot? Do you feel like you're outside, is there a breeze? Just curious because it looks enclosed/shielded from the elements but still open air. It does look like a great space and I'm happy to hear its pretty low-key.

Again, I can't thank you all enough for all the great tips. It has me pretty excited and really hoping we can work it out! The original date we wanted was priced a bit out of reach but if we can work it out to go the month before it is totally doable!

When everyone says CATS is too long....How many hours are we talking about?

The schedule says 150 minutes. Not sure if that includes the intermission.

I don't feel any less connected to the ocean on the Oasis class then any other ship I've been on but I've really only sailed on larger ships (always hear the Radiance class has more/better views) but like you, we enjoy staring out on our balcony watching the ocean go by. The running track does have a few chairs at the very aft of the ship (or is it forward....I literally can't remember now lol!)I do know that it curves around one end of the ship and then cuts through with access to the gym up a set of stairs on the other end of the "loop". It's definitely quiet down there and the views are great because you're closer to the water. Other wise the pool deck has great views (obviously lol) and we liked sitting by the aquatheater when shows weren't going on. There's a bar nearby and then there is shuffle board and some chairs and the way back behind the "theater" itself. At least they were there on the Oasis in 2010...we never checked on the Allure last year. There you can get great aft views-I love watching the wake from the back.

 

Almost any category of Ocean View balconies would give you an unobstructed view. We personally prefer being close to the stairs (those hallways can feel like a VERY long walk on such a big ship) and generally like decks 6-8 more for being close to the promenade deck. Our most recent trip was on the Allure and we had a deck 14 balcony right by the aft elevators. It was fine and it was nice to be close to the pool deck, but if I had an option I would prefer a little lower to be closer to the activities at night. Those martinis catch up to me at night, so it's nice to not have to stumble too far ;p

 

We did MTD w/ 8 on Allure, regular dining w/ 50 people on Oasis, so my experience would be different. We did not make reservations for MTD because we booked a little last minute so the only available options were very early or very late. By night 3 we found a great staff that we really liked and they were able to get us a standing reservation each night after for 8pm. If you want just the 3 of you each night, try to make reservations ahead if you can. If your schedule changes you can always try to adjust it on the ship or just wait a little bit.

Not to highjack this thread, but I was wondering if you were all able to get tables near each other in the MDR? We are booked for the Oasis next summer and we will probably have too many people for one table, but we would like to have tables next to each other. We have traditional early seating.

We love the Oasis and Allure. Those ships are huge, but you can find spots to relax and see the ocean. A quiet place to sit and enjoy the ocean is right outside the Solarium. Lots of open chairs that people rarely use. The Solarium is nice, but it can get a little warm in there. There's a nice breeze when sitting outside the Solarium.

As for a cabin, I would book a JS on the hump for the larger balcony. We enjoy our balcony and the hump gives you more space with two loungers plus a table with 2 chairs. We prefer deck 8 and usually stay in cabin 8640. Deck 8 gives you great access to Central Park, the restaurants/bars in CP, plus it's a great way to cut across the ship especially when the Promenade deck is crowded.

Enjoy your cruise!

When everyone says CATS is too long....How many hours are we talking about?

Not sure how long it runs total, as we left at intermission (along with 90% of everyone else!) and that was around 90 minutes. We suffered long enough!

The running track does have a few chairs at the very aft of the ship (or is it forward....I literally can't remember now lol!)I do know that it curves around one end of the ship and then cuts through with access to the gym up a set of stairs on the other end of the "loop".

Those chairs are at the back of the ship. The front of the tracks turns inward into a tunnel at the front where you can go up to the gym.

Bill - 60 miles on Oasis class tracks.

We were in 6664, no lifeboat. Perfect place to be actually, I would book deck six again, because you can easily go outside onto the boardwalk. We used to go on the aft deck near the shuffleboard when we came into port, it was great, especially for Puerto Rico. You also have quick access to deck five, the promenade because there is a staircase right there to go down to the promenade. It comes out right near the rising tide bar. The solarium does fill up quickly, at least in our experience. I too spend a lot of time on the balcony and I found that balcony really great, I love the balcony size on those ships....I just got off pride of America and it gives me better appreciation for royal Caribbean balconies. I could see the ocean well and hear the waves on Oasis....it was a good cabin.

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

OP, as one of the people who thought I would leave CATS (I even sat in the back by the aisle so I could sneak out), I ended up really enjoying it. At our show, not that many people left... I was pleasantly surprised by the talent. So, don't just skip a show because of some opinions- it certainly depends on your love of good quality music and interest in the storyline of CATS. It is not for everyone, but I thought it was excellent in June 2015... [emoji846]

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We also enjoyed CATS and stayed the whole show. Some people did leave at intermission, but maybe only a quarter of those in the theater and not the hoards you read about here on Cruise Critic. We found the leads were excellent and even went to see two of them sing in Jazz on four.