Oasis of the seas review march 11-18

Just returned from sailing the Oasis still torn on how to proceed with this review but here we go. Let's get one thing out of the way this ship is in DESPERATE need of a total overhaul . If this was my first sailing with Royal i would not sail them again based on the overall condition of the ship and the interaction with the crew on board. We still had an absolute blast and can have a good time under most circumstances but at this price point there are simply better options for ships available to cruisers .

THE GOOD - Entertainment as always was top notch . Chester in the Schooner bar and Tommy Greene jr in the Globe at Atlas were outstanding . Diving show was excellent however i liked the allure show better. Beatle Mania is always a hoot. Comedy show was also fantastic. Activities and the scope of options available for all age ranges was simply unreal I fail to see how anyone could possibly be bored. It has been become perfectly clear that Royal is pushing their customers to the Specialty Dinning options. The dinner at Giovonis Table was out of this world and just simply heads and tails a better dinning experience then the main dinning room.

THE BAD - The condition of this ship and its age is really starting to show. Stains on carpets can be found everywhere . I tried to ignore it but honestly it was impossible . Many of the public Washroom facilities were dirty and not well maintained. Our cruise director was with no doubt was the worst we have ever had. I am one who likes to have a few beverages while on vacation and the bar service was just a complete disaster. Slow and just terrible customer service . A smile and some personality would be nice. We even tried to tip above and beyond s with our first drink in hoping they would look after our group but that was a wasted exercise. This theme continues with pretty bad interactions with staff at next cruise bookings and at the front desk. Royal has invested hundreds of millions in new ships and new tech but tis time they start investing some serious money for training of their staff . Was it all bad no of course not. There were a few shining stars amongst the crew especially those running the flowrider they were great with my daughter and our room attendant who was also top notch . But overall compared to previous sailings the customer service from the crew of the Oasis was a disappointment . On our final day my daughter wanted to try Johnny Rockets for breakfast . we arrived as they opened and were seated promptly . we then sat their for 40 minutes and watched every other table that arrived after us receive their food while we did not. Not a great way to start the last day .

CONCLUSION - We have cruised Royal a number of times in the past and even booked a future sailing on the Symphony for 2020 . It is a shame for first time cruisers if the Oasis is your very first sailing. You will not see what Royal is truly capable of giving to their customers . i hope they get this ship in to dry dock asap and give her the long overdue maintenance that she needs. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the ship ie Drinks , food , bars , activities

Wow, I got off of her on the October 29th sailing no issues as you described, and in such a short time it turned this bad wow....do you happen to have any photos? Were the carpets everywhere that bad? How was your room, which deck was your room and type of cabin? There are now too many people saying this and I go next month, but honestly, I can't complain I got upgraded to junior suite for next to nothing so I just look at these things and turn my head (if I can lol).

How was the food? I am surprised to hear the bar service was bad, which bars were worse? We made alot of friends on our past cruise that work on the ship as bartenders and such, the reason why we are going back in April and October. You will love the Symphony smacking new.

Just returned from sailing the Oasis still torn on how to proceed with this review but here we go. Let's get one thing out of the way this ship is in DESPERATE need of a total overhaul . If this was my first sailing with Royal i would not sail them again based on the overall condition of the ship and the interaction with the crew on board. We still had an absolute blast and can have a good time under most circumstances but at this price point there are simply better options for ships available to cruisers .

 

THE GOOD - Entertainment as always was top notch . Chester in the Schooner bar and Tommy Greene jr in the Globe at Atlas were outstanding . Diving show was excellent however i liked the allure show better. Beatle Mania is always a hoot. Comedy show was also fantastic. Activities and the scope of options available for all age ranges was simply unreal I fail to see how anyone could possibly be bored. It has been become perfectly clear that Royal is pushing their customers to the Specialty Dinning options. The dinner at Giovonis Table was out of this world and just simply heads and tails a better dinning experience then the main dinning room.

 

THE BAD - The condition of this ship and its age is really starting to show. Stains on carpets can be found everywhere . I tried to ignore it but honestly it was impossible . Many of the public Washroom facilities were dirty and not well maintained. Our cruise director was with no doubt was the worst we have ever had. I am one who likes to have a few beverages while on vacation and the bar service was just a complete disaster. Slow and just terrible customer service . A smile and some personality would be nice. We even tried to tip above and beyond s with our first drink in hoping they would look after our group but that was a wasted exercise. This theme continues with pretty bad interactions with staff at next cruise bookings and at the front desk. Royal has invested hundreds of millions in new ships and new tech but tis time they start investing some serious money for training of their staff . Was it all bad no of course not. There were a few shining stars amongst the crew especially those running the flowrider they were great with my daughter and our room attendant who was also top notch . But overall compared to previous sailings the customer service from the crew of the Oasis was a disappointment . On our final day my daughter wanted to try Johnny Rockets for breakfast . we arrived as they opened and were seated promptly . we then sat their for 40 minutes and watched every other table that arrived after us receive their food while we did not. Not a great way to start the last day .

 

CONCLUSION - We have cruised Royal a number of times in the past and even booked a future sailing on the Symphony for 2020 . It is a shame for first time cruisers if the Oasis is your very first sailing. You will not see what Royal is truly capable of giving to their customers . i hope they get this ship in to dry dock asap and give her the long overdue maintenance that she needs. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the ship ie Drinks , food , bars , activities

We sailed the Oasis five times last year and got to know many of the staff. We sailed again last month and found out that most all the top notch crew were being sent to the Symphony!! So I can see where you ran into staff that need training.

We are booked to sail the Oasis again April 29th with a couple that have never sailed this ship before. So hoping it gets better and they get their act together soon because we cruise out of Canaveral a lot!

Thanks for the review!!

Thanks for your review- We will be on board in 3 weeks- we have sailed Oasis and Allure several times

The Oasis had her inspection in February, 95 score so that is good. I was on the Harmony in May and most of the workers on that ship are going to the Symphony I just hope the workers I know on the Oasis will still be there but I gather they will replace those that moved from the Harmony?

Thank you for your review/report.

Keith

It’s funny how 2 people on the same cruise can have different experiences.

I agree with you that there are a few areas of the ship that need some attention (the tables in the WJ were in pretty rough shape) I by no means felt that the ship was in desperate need of an overhaul. In fact on 2 nights we saw them out with the steam cleaners keeping her looking good.

I never had an issue with bar staff and the bartenders at the pool bar and the wipeout bar started to recognize me after the second day.

I do agree that there is a lot of new staff on board. One of our waiters told us they took 30% of the staff for the symphony and we did run into a couple of new people here and there but wasn’t a big deal for us.

We had great meals in all the specialty restaurants but can’t compare them to the MDR as we never ate there.

The flowrider staff were certainly great as my son practically lived there for the week.

I’m not sure if it’s because some of the comedians are using some of the same or similar material but we didn’t find the 2 comedians as good as we have in the past.

Beatlemaniacs were great, second time seeing them in a year.

Don't get me wrong we had a blast it was a great vacation . The service just did not equal that of the Allure from our last cruise. She needs some TLC in dry dock we had a tech to our room 6 times to open a safe that would never work and our friends need their fridge replaced . Small things like that do not impact my vacation at all . I just wanted to point out for a first time cruiser this is not the ship in its current state to leave a good impression. I do not want to come across and say all bar service was terrible but a majority of it was pretty bad with the Schooner bar being one of the worst which is to bad as we loved going to to listen to Chester play . Cheers !

Wow, I got off of her on the October 29th sailing no issues as you described, and in such a short time it turned this bad wow....do you happen to have any photos? Were the carpets everywhere that bad? How was your room, which deck was your room and type of cabin? There are now too many people saying this and I go next month, but honestly, I can't complain I got upgraded to junior suite for next to nothing so I just look at these things and turn my head (if I can lol).

 

How was the food? I am surprised to hear the bar service was bad, which bars were worse? We made alot of friends on our past cruise that work on the ship as bartenders and such, the reason why we are going back in April and October. You will love the Symphony smacking new.

We had a balcony cabin deck 10 and room was great with the exception of a safe that never worked despite a number of visits from a tech. The carpet issues can be found in most of the stairwells just numerous stains everywhere looks pretty bad. You will still have a great time on the Oasis its a fun ship as you know with so many great activities .

On the in room Royal tv channel the cruise director stated that it is Royal policy that anyone ship can not lose more then 10 percent of its staff to a new ship. Still obviously they are going to take the best of the best and those who have more face time with their passengers .

It’s funny how 2 people on the same cruise can have different experiences.

 

I agree with you that there are a few areas of the ship that need some attention (the tables in the WJ were in pretty rough shape) I by no means felt that the ship was in desperate need of an overhaul. In fact on 2 nights we saw them out with the steam cleaners keeping her looking good.

 

I never had an issue with bar staff and the bartenders at the pool bar and the wipeout bar started to recognize me after the second day.

 

 

I do agree that there is a lot of new staff on board. One of our waiters told us they took 30% of the staff for the symphony and we did run into a couple of new people here and there but wasn’t a big deal for us.

 

 

We had great meals in all the specialty restaurants but can’t compare them to the MDR as we never ate there.

 

 

The flowrider staff were certainly great as my son practically lived there for the week.

 

 

I’m not sure if it’s because some of the comedians are using some of the same or similar material but we didn’t find the 2 comedians as good as we have in the past.

 

 

Beatlemaniacs were great, second time seeing them in a year.

Yes the Speciality restaurants are just simply superior to the MDR and well worth every penny. Do you have a fave you can recommend . Last year we tried Chops this cruise it was Giovoni's

Just returned from sailing the Oasis still torn on how to proceed with this review but here we go. Let's get one thing out of the way this ship is in DESPERATE need of a total overhaul . If this was my first sailing with Royal i would not sail them again based on the overall condition of the ship and the interaction with the crew on board. We still had an absolute blast and can have a good time under most circumstances but at this price point there are simply better options for ships available to cruisers .

 

THE GOOD - Entertainment as always was top notch . Chester in the Schooner bar and Tommy Greene jr in the Globe at Atlas were outstanding . Diving show was excellent however i liked the allure show better. Beatle Mania is always a hoot. Comedy show was also fantastic. Activities and the scope of options available for all age ranges was simply unreal I fail to see how anyone could possibly be bored. It has been become perfectly clear that Royal is pushing their customers to the Specialty Dinning options. The dinner at Giovonis Table was out of this world and just simply heads and tails a better dinning experience then the main dinning room.

 

THE BAD - The condition of this ship and its age is really starting to show. Stains on carpets can be found everywhere . I tried to ignore it but honestly it was impossible . Many of the public Washroom facilities were dirty and not well maintained. Our cruise director was with no doubt was the worst we have ever had. I am one who likes to have a few beverages while on vacation and the bar service was just a complete disaster. Slow and just terrible customer service . A smile and some personality would be nice. We even tried to tip above and beyond s with our first drink in hoping they would look after our group but that was a wasted exercise. This theme continues with pretty bad interactions with staff at next cruise bookings and at the front desk. Royal has invested hundreds of millions in new ships and new tech but tis time they start investing some serious money for training of their staff . Was it all bad no of course not. There were a few shining stars amongst the crew especially those running the flowrider they were great with my daughter and our room attendant who was also top notch . But overall compared to previous sailings the customer service from the crew of the Oasis was a disappointment . On our final day my daughter wanted to try Johnny Rockets for breakfast . we arrived as they opened and were seated promptly . we then sat their for 40 minutes and watched every other table that arrived after us receive their food while we did not. Not a great way to start the last day .

 

CONCLUSION - We have cruised Royal a number of times in the past and even booked a future sailing on the Symphony for 2020 . It is a shame for first time cruisers if the Oasis is your very first sailing. You will not see what Royal is truly capable of giving to their customers . i hope they get this ship in to dry dock asap and give her the long overdue maintenance that she needs. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the ship ie Drinks , food , bars , activities

I was on the Oasis in Feb '18 and also a different experience on the ship. Didn't notice any issues with carpet stains or with the washrooms. I wasn't a fan of the Beatle Mania show. We walked out after 3 songs. The Ice show was outstanding. The guy that does the sand art is amazing. But the Aqua Show was just OK. The quality of the divers were pretty average. But I was on a NCAA college diving team, so my views may be a bit too critical. The MDR staff seemed to be a bit overworked, but did an outstanding job. There was some up selling going on mainly in the Promenade. It didn't really bother us.

Yes the Speciality restaurants are just simply superior to the MDR and well worth every penny. Do you have a fave you can recommend . Last year we tried Chops this cruise it was Giovoni's

We had good meals at all. I did prefer Chops to Giovanni’s this time. We went to Chops on formal night...3 lobster tails (they were very good this cruise) and a 12oz NY strip and I was done.

My favourite though was Izumi Hibachi. I took my daughter and this was our second time trying it. The first was 3 years ago and we had a terrible experience and sub par food. This time it was excellent. They totally redeemed themselves and it will now be a definite for future cruises.

We had a great meal at Giovanni’s as well. FNDR for 9 of us. They brought at least 1 of every appetizer...way too much food but very good.

We found 150CP to be a bit off compared to previous visits. Still good but not spectacular. They really messed up the timing of the dinner. The kids 18oz filet for 2 was delivered as my wife and I were halfway finished our meals and then it had to be sent back as it was not cooked enough. They were very good about it and offered us a meal for 4 at any other specialty restaurant.

We had lunch at Sabor twice as we had CP balconies. We just had chips, salsa, guacamole and the bacon wrapped, chicken stuffed jalapeños. Ore than enough for lunch, I would pay the price they are asking to dine there for lunch or dinner but for free it’s great.

Were you at the boogie board or the stand up side?

I have sailed on Oasis and Allure 8 times. It always amazes me when the difference in reviews on same ship, same sailing date.

Past cruises one said rained all week, I was on same cruise, rained maybe 15 minutes the entire week.

No selection at all in the breakfast buffets. Where and what do people eat breakfast when at home? Maybe Lobster Benedict and cavalier every morning. All food in the MDR cold. All food cold in the MDR. I don't think so.

Just saying, everyone has different opinions on the same cruise.

Please try to look at all reviews before making a decision on a ship.

I still enjoy reading this review and thank you. All have different expectations and opinions.

I'm new to RC but not new to cruising. I was on the Oasis in January and had a such a great time I booked it for our next cruise. I noticed the WJ tables and chairs need to be trashed but didn't notice any other worn out areas of the ship. In my opinion, Carnival has RC beat as far as "free" food in quality and quantity.

We were on The Feb. 18th cruise, our second time on Oasis. A poster on the week before our cruise agreed with you, OP, regarding shape of the ship but I have to say I did not notice an abundance of carpet stains, etc. I did notice one of the public restrooms always seemed to be out of paper towels.:confused:

We thought bar service was pretty good, never had much of a wait and one bartender in the Solarium bar made some pretty good drinks;) The MDR waiters seemed did their best but seemed over worked. SR attendant was great.

We enjoyed most of the entertainment with exception of Come Fly with Me, this was one of the few times we’ve ever left before the end. Also really liked the comedians:D

Glad that you still had a good time:D

Sherri:)

We had good meals at all. I did prefer Chops to Giovanni’s this time. We went to Chops on formal night...3 lobster tails (they were very good this cruise) and a 12oz NY strip and I was done.

 

My favourite though was Izumi Hibachi. I took my daughter and this was our second time trying it. The first was 3 years ago and we had a terrible experience and sub par food. This time it was excellent. They totally redeemed themselves and it will now be a definite for future cruises.

 

 

We had a great meal at Giovanni’s as well. FNDR for 9 of us. They brought at least 1 of every appetizer...way too much food but very good.

 

We found 150CP to be a bit off compared to previous visits. Still good but not spectacular. They really messed up the timing of the dinner. The kids 18oz filet for 2 was delivered as my wife and I were halfway finished our meals and then it had to be sent back as it was not cooked enough. They were very good about it and offered us a meal for 4 at any other specialty restaurant.

 

We had lunch at Sabor twice as we had CP balconies. We just had chips, salsa, guacamole and the bacon wrapped, chicken stuffed jalapeños. Ore than enough for lunch, I would pay the price they are asking to dine there for lunch or dinner but for free it’s great.

 

 

Were you at the boogie board or the stand up side?

We did the boogie boards It was the first time for both my daughter and myself. The staff working there were absolutely amazing especially with my daughter. We wanted to eat at Sabor but on the Allure last year it was a la carte most items were $5 and we had tons of food. This time they wanted a flat cover charge of over $20 per person so we passed .

KrazyKanuk72 so glad you had a great cruise anyways. I been on other cruise lines and have had the same problems regarding the safe and refrigerator, guess its just a hit or miss thing. This time I am getting Junior Suites so hopefully things be more in shape in these rooms.

I also only dine at specialty restaurants, never in the MDR ugh! I will try Chops one more time as you mentioned it was good this time, usually we don't have good experience at Chops on all the ships we been on but will try it one night again.

OURUSUALBEACH- Were the lobster tails offered on the menu? How did you get them to get your the lobster, did you make a request for them?

I always find the breakfast buffet to have more than enough choices, in fact, I find the choices to be more than necessary.

I hate the Beatles and I would of walked out myself so thank you for the heads up, I won't be going to that show.

We always get the Beverage Package and I realize the gratuity is included in drinks, but we always give the bartender an extra dollar a drink, so maybe this is why we find the bartenders treating us wonderfully, but again, I haven't seen a difference in service for those who did not tip....I hope my past bartenders and specialty dining servers remain on the ship, if not I just going to make new friends and see them again in October. :D

Thank-you for the report/review.

We did the boogie boards It was the first time for both my daughter and myself. The staff working there were absolutely amazing especially with my daughter. We wanted to eat at Sabor but on the Allure last year it was a la carte most items were $5 and we had tons of food. This time they wanted a flat cover charge of over $20 per person so we passed .

Last year my son spent all his time on the boogie boards, this year he was at the Standup nearly every waking moment. You may have seen my wife though, she spent a bit of time on the boogie boards.

KrazyKanuk72 so glad you had a great cruise anyways. I been on other cruise lines and have had the same problems regarding the safe and refrigerator, guess its just a hit or miss thing. This time I am getting Junior Suites so hopefully things be more in shape in these rooms.

 

I also only dine at specialty restaurants, never in the MDR ugh! I will try Chops one more time as you mentioned it was good this time, usually we don't have good experience at Chops on all the ships we been on but will try it one night again.

 

OURUSUALBEACH- Were the lobster tails offered on the menu? How did you get them to get your the lobster, did you make a request for them?

 

I always find the breakfast buffet to have more than enough choices, in fact, I find the choices to be more than necessary.

 

I hate the Beatles and I would of walked out myself so thank you for the heads up, I won't be going to that show.

 

We always get the Beverage Package and I realize the gratuity is included in drinks, but we always give the bartender an extra dollar a drink, so maybe this is why we find the bartenders treating us wonderfully, but again, I haven't seen a difference in service for those who did not tip....I hope my past bartenders and specialty dining servers remain on the ship, if not I just going to make new friends and see them again in October. :D

The Beatlemaniacs are the headliner that changes every couple of weeks...doubtful they will be on your sailing.

I usually ask at the restaurant in the afternoon. This time I forgot to and asked at dinner. It turned out that they had lots available.

Oh glad to hear I may have a different show....I certainly will ask for the lobster thank you.

Thank you for your report. I have only sailed RCI 1 time and found the bartendars to not be very friendly. This doesn't make or break my cruise but it is nice to be recognized if you frequent the bar.

Thank you for your report. I have only sailed RCI 1 time and found the bartendars to not be very friendly. This doesn't make or break my cruise but it is nice to be recognized if you frequent the bar.

I usually find a waiter/waitress who recognizes me faster than a bartender. After a couple of visits my drink of choice comes to me shortly after sitting down and yes they do get a little tip at the beginning of the week and usually a bigger one at the end.

My wife and I were also on this cruise. It was actually our first Royal Caribbean ship. Our previous two cruise were on the Carnival Breeze.

We had a great time and the staff were all very friendly. We did notice the stained carpets but did also see staff cleaning them and in one case replacing a large section.

I see Kanuck's point. As my wife and myself compare our different cruises we don't necessarily see why we would pay more just for a Royal Caribbean cruise. Beside the entertainment, everything else seemed comparable to our past cruise experiences.

Except Central Park. Oh man. What a great space. We hung out at the trellis bar quite a bit and at night it was a great place to get away from the big groups of people. Plus your outside the whole time. Our favourite.

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