New Oasis GS 11730 Comments, Pictures, & Other Observations

Let me state that I am not trying to discredit any other comments or reviews of Oasis. This board was extremely helpful in our planning of our Oasis cruise, and I merely wish to give back in thanks to those that have come before me. We all know opinions are subjective, and we found some differences of opinion with what has been posted here. I remind everyone what the age-old comment is about opinions - and that includes my own. And as someone else recently pointed out on this board, just because you didn’t experience something does not mean it didn’t happen to others, and vice versa...

Your mileage may vary.

I also had no intention of doing a review. I only planned on posting some random thoughts & comments. By the time I was done, you have what you see ahead of you. I am not going to scan and post the daily Cruise Compasses, as many have already done so recently. But I did bring them home and would be happy to refer to them if anyone has specific questions.

With that being said, a little about us for reference. We are Diamond Plus, having traveled RC extensively in the past. Many years ago we switched to sister brand Celebrity and have not been on RC since 2007. We love Celebrity and have become very accustomed to (and pleased with) their ships, service and food, especially the specialty restaurants. We travel regularly in suites and truly appreciate the extra service and perks that come with the category.

I have wanted to "see" Oasis/Allure since they were announced, and even more so once they were launched and people started reporting back and pictures showed up. But we were also part of the "it's just too large - nope, not me, not ever" crowd. Some five years later, the timing just worked out for us to take/need a week away, so we gave in and booked Oasis to "experience" her.

We did the Eastern route, having left the day before Easter. Spring Break was in full effect on our cruise, with 2,500+ kids under 18 years old on board. The total on board between pax & crew was 8,579. We were told by the Provisions Manager that there were 6,400+ pax on board. Not sure how the lifeboat capacity of 6,372 works with that. I guess some would be sharing life rafts with the crew. For the most part, the ship never really felt like it had that many people on board. Despite the kids, and despite the guest capacity, the ship has so many venues and so many different things going on, everyone disperses and the ship rarely feels crowded. The ship seems much like a theme park to me. There is plenty to do, something for everyone, and little chance of ever being bored.

Most of the venues are small (rather than large, cavernous spaces), making the ship feel smaller and cozy. There were occasional lines at the Windjammer - there are other venues to eat breakfast & lunch with no wait. Guest Services always seemed to have a line - so we called from our suite and got whatever we needed handled efficiently. The elevators were occasionally full - we opted for the stairs most of the time. However, you can expect crowds for obvious events, such as in the promenade and other popular events. But the more the merrier for these events and that only adds to the fun! The pool decks were always packed, but you could always find a place in the sun or shade. We never even experienced crowds returning from port days, although we were always on board well before the "all aboard" time.

GS 11730…

GS 11730 flickr photo link

We had originally booked GS 10654, but thanks to the great people on this board, I learned about the new GS's on 11, 12 and 14 almost immediately when they started showing up in inventory. I studied the comments here, the deck plans and pictures of the ship and determined deck 11 would be the largest. So I double-booked (yeah, so sue me...) 11730, but also kept our original GS. I figured there was some time between when they were first being occupied and our final payment, so I could get some feedback before having to make a final decision between the two.

Admittedly, the initial comments weren't positive (in my eyes), but we decided to give it a go, anyway, mainly because I wanted that Aqua Theater view from the balcony. The normal Aqua Theater Suites are always ridiculously pricey and RC always wants 4+ pax in them. The balcony was the main selling point for me, and I figured if the rest of the suite was horrible, it was only for 7 days. Besides, we are on vacation, how horrible can it really be…

We were very pleasantly surprised and pleased with what we found. We compared an unoccupied "standard" GS on debarkation day and we decided we did MUCH better with our choice. Our suite was split in two, living room & bedroom, which I believe actually made the whole thing seem much larger. And with other family aboard (but not in our suite), it was nice having a private bedroom to get ready in when they visited.

The bathroom was disappointingly small for a comparable GS, but in reality, we don't spend much time in there except as necessary. We never had to negotiate for individual time. And even in a regular GS, we both would not have been in the bathroom at the same time. So truthfully, while disappointing, it was more than adequate, and the single sink was never an issue. I'm 5'9" and the shower was adequate height for me, with a few more inches to spare for taller people. And I believe the water pressure was the best we've ever had.

Storage was more than plentiful for a weeks worth of clothes. Two weeks would have been fine. And we don't pack lightly!

The balcony was everything I had hoped for, and more. With a fantastic view of the Aqua Theater, it was nice to enjoy the shows & entertainment from there, as well as the aft view. The different perspective from being in the theater and then watching again from above was a nice benefit. Yes, the loungers and chairs were not the same as suites below, but they were padded and comfortable. Nothing to fret about! And two small tables were also on the balcony.

Service from Room Steward Richard from Trinidad and Tobago was phenomenal, but unfortunately for future cruisers, he left on vacation after being on board for 7-1/2 months! He is a very nice guy and we had some wonderful discussions about family & life with him.

I have nothing but positive thoughts about the new GS that we were in on deck 11, and I really couldn't be happier that I stuck with it, despite the initial reactions on CC. I would immediately book one again if available on a week I want to go. Now, I can see how the design of the ship would make the others on 12 & 14 smaller, but since I did not personally experience either, I am not going to comment either way.

FOOD & SHOWS, ETC…

We prebooked our shows & specialty restaurants online. If my math is correct, they opened about 77 days pre-cruise.

We did Izumi Hibachi the first night, with a few sushi plates added in. The service & presentation was excellent. The Hibachi food was delicious and plentiful. The sushi was not what I would expect from our favorite places at home, but fresh and definitely enjoyable.

We have never gone to the buffet for dinner, but due to the rave reviews on CC for the "Seafood Extravaganza" we went to the Windjammer on the first formal night. What a disgusting choice & horrible disappointment! We found standard buffet fare (which was fine), but with a tray of lobster tails off in a corner. First, if you didn't know they were there, you would have missed them. This was probably for the best, as they were mushy and either undercooked or overcooked - I don't really know... I took from two different freshly presented trays, with the same nasty result. Second, that was the ONLY seafood in this entire "seafood extravaganza" and we searched & searched for more! We finally chose to leave and had our only dinner in the MDR, in The Grande on deck 4. We were seated quickly, at about 8:30pm. Service in the MDR was fast and efficient. We ordered from the Saffron menu and I know one of us had the beef tenderloin, which was very tasty. We tried the lobster bisque, but had been warned by our waitress that it was a fish stock, with no lobster. We should have listened to her! I cannot remember the other dishes. The rest of the food was decent for the MDR, although none of the dishes were particularly warm when served. All in all, we’ll give fairly positive marks for one night in the MDR.

We did Giovanni's Table the third night. The menu was presented to us and the waiter insisted that we try some of his suggestions and then add anything else that we wanted. Some of his choices (the Gnocchi & Risotto) were horrible! The Focaccie alla Giovanni and the scallops (both his choice) were fair. The crab ravioli (his choice) was delicious. For dinner, my chicken breast (his suggestion) was rather dry & tasteless, but I choked it down. I’m sorry I did not order the lasagna, but the waiter actually pooh-poohed it! We also had the jumbo shrimp (also his suggestion) that were mushy & inedible, and anything but jumbo. The eggplant (our choice) was also poor. Service was slow & inconsistent. However, I do fault the poor service on the fact that the waiter was clearly overworked, and think that it could have been better if the restaurant was not so packed. The ambiance was even worse. The acoustics did nothing to dampen the noise from large groups of people competing to talk above one another. Probably our worst, very disappointing experience on board.

We had Chops Grille planned for the 4th night. I was rather hesitant as I have read multiple poor reviews here recently. However, our meals (2 filets & a crusted tuna) were outstanding and the service was just as wonderful. It was probably the second best of the week. Maybe they have fixed the previous issues that many have complained about? Our waiter, "Hot Fudge" as he called himself, was quite entertaining & humorous with his antics.

We had Sabor planned for the next night. However, while in Chops we were propositioned, and ultimately convinced to give the Solarium Bistro a try. I had read a little about it, but still didn't understand the concept. At night, they turn the buffet area in the Solarium into a sit down, full service restaurant, serving lighter, healthier options. So we cancelled Sabor and opted to try the Bistro. Our waiter from Turkey (sorry, can't recall his name) was, by far, the best of the entire week. He handled the table on his own (with no assistant) and never missed a beat. His suggestions (ratatouille, risotto, ceviche, veal scaloppini and the snapper) were all spot on, and the food was outstanding. Too bad we did not give this a try earlier in the week! For not planning to try it, it was probably the highlight of the week!

The second formal night (night 6) we went to 150 Central Park. The service was excellent, but I can't say much about the food. It is not much more than a 4-course “tasting” menu as advertised. The portions are very small, and they leave you wanting more. More of the same? Perhaps not, but we did taste it all. We would not try it again. The cucumber martinis are excellent, however!

The last night we had Izumi planned again, but this time for sushi. We tried to change to the hibachi again, but I guess the secret was already out. The three small hibachi tables were fully booked! After an unfortunate lunch experience at Sabor earlier in the day, we chose to skip the Izumi sushi on the last night. At Sabor, we had ordered the tuna tacos. They were raw (as expected), but they tasted fishy & spoiled, and it occurred to me that we were being served tuna that was brought on board 6 days earlier. I have no idea how they stored it for 6 days, but it was just plain nasty and really shouldn't be served to anyone else at this point, for fear of making someone sick! We informed the restaurant manager of the issue and she stated that they had run across the same issue for a time several weeks back, but thought that it had been cleared up since she hadn't heard anything recently. She was truly grateful for our input, even after our waiter had brushed-off our comments and merely told us he would remove it from our bill. The rest, the guacamole, chicken tacos, short rib tacos, and mushroom quesadilla were all excellent.

At any rate, we chose to visit Coastal Kitchen for dinner the last night. The food (margherita flatbread, scallops, beef tenderloin) and service was exceptional, as well as the view from what was once the Viking Crown Lounge. I know many have protested the VCL going away. However, reading the comments about how underutilized the space was, I think the Suites Lounge & Coastal Kitchen make much more sense in this spot.

We hit the Park Café several times for lunch, and the roast beef sandwiches continue to be a huge hit as reported on this board many times over. The limited salad bar could use some more options, but was a nice light choice. The cooked to order panini's were tasty, as well. I guess the secret is out on this, too, for boarding day. We arrived around 12:45 to a long, slow-moving line out the door and into Central Park. But we toughed it out and we are glad we did.

We did Johnny Rockets one day for lunch. Johnny Rockets is what it is. Nothing fancy, but quick, efficient service with enjoyable burgers, fries & onion rings. However, the chocolate shake was to die for!

We purchased the Premium Drink Package and never had trouble getting a drink from anyone or anywhere. Servers were always friendly and happy to come back and serve seconds, thirds, etc... Did we get our money's worth? Who knows! Who cares! Were we tempted to drink more since it was "free" at that point? Uh, yeah! Who cares! We received a receipt with virtually every drink, with the option to add an additional tip. I'll leave that alone...

As I mentioned, we prebooked our specialty dinners. As such, we were entitled to OBC based upon what we had booked. In addition, 150 Central Park was now $30pp, and we had prepaid $40. Also, since we had it booked for the formal nights, it was half-price. So, now $15 instead of $40. The credits for the difference plus the OBC credit (for prebooking) was lumped as one credit to our suite, with no appropriate definition as to what it really was. It took hours and an act of Congress, to get an explanation as to what it was. In the end, a credit is money in my pocket, but I'd like to know that I am receiving what I am due. OCD? Perhaps! I still don't think the numbers are correct, but as I believe it is in my favor and no one could explain it otherwise, I'll go home satisfied. The restaurant hostess that tried to explain it says she goes through this week after week with tons of guests. Really? Why not separate them as individual credits and make the description a little more obvious. It might save some time and frustration on everyone's part!

We had pre-reserved our shows and the reservations never really became necessary, except for the Comedy Show. The MC and one of the comedians were wonderful. The other comedian couldn’t get the audience to laugh if he had paid them! The headliner showtime was Jeff Tracta. Billed as an impressionist, comedian and singer, he was really quite enjoyable, despite being a bit full of himself. Frozen in Time was in Studio B and was a pleasant ice skating show set around some children’s fables. Come Fly with Me was a terrific production show with a great mix of singing, dancing and a Cirque du Soleil feel to parts of it.

We had Cats scheduled for 2:30pm on the last day, but we chose not to spend 2-1/2 hours of our last vacation day in a dark theater. I'm somewhat sorry we missed it, but glad we didn't "waste" the time in the theater. Although, I realize "waste" is not exactly the appropriate term.

OTHER RANDOM THINGS…

We arrived at the port on boarding day around 12:20 and after a very short line for security, checked in immediately and went right on board. 15 minutes curb to ship. Of course, we did have Suite/Diamond check in. Rooms were not ready, but were available when we finished lunch at the Park Café.

Leaving the ship was a different story. We left at 9:45 and spent 1 hour, 15 minutes ship to curb. The line for Customs was long and snaked back & forth several times. Thankfully the building has air conditioning and porters to help drag your luggage. I know & understand the Customs issue is no fault of Royal Caribbean. However, it is very tough to accept that "SNAFU" situation once you are already off the ship for the last time, your vacation is essentially over, and you are heading into PCD! Many crew on board suggested (many, many times) to use express departure as the easiest, fastest option. Probably a great idea, but with a late flight home from MIA, we were in no particular hurry on Saturday morning. OK, lesson learned!

The dress code has become surprisingly casual. Although they still call out two nights as formal, many didn't bother, or even try. I don't believe I saw any tuxedos, but there were scattered suits & ties, as well as formal gowns on the women. But these were definitely the minority. Most seemed to clean up for the evenings, but there were a lot that appeared to still be wearing their day clothes all night. It was a mixed bag all week, and found it odd that there was such a wide range of outfits in the evenings, especially on formal night.

We purchased the Wi-Fi package for two devices, $140 for the week. Diamond Plus members got very nice a $60 discount. You can have ANY two devices on at a time. You merely need to actually log one off (not just turn off the Wi-Fi connection) to use another. The connection was great around most of the ship and lightning fast for everything we did. There was one day where the whole ship was either down or really spotty for about 6-8 hours. Not a big deal…

We did the zip line and the Flowriders. Great fun! Never rode the carousel (but wanted to!), or tried any of the other eateries (besides Sabor & JR's) on the Boardwalk. The pizza at Sorrento's was hit-and-miss. It's definitely better when fresh out of the oven, but still lacked something occasionally. We walked through the fitness center, but didn't use any of the services. We loved walking Central Park and riding the Rising Tide Bar. Visited Dazzles for some music, but were a little dismayed by Security actually ignoring the young, underage crowd drinking and making a ruckus. Others left, as we did! Some of us made their requisite donations in the casino. Played BINGO on the last day and never came close to the $5000 jackpot.

We did the All Access Tour and saw all of the advertised spots. Was it worth $150? Sure, what the heck! We saw some spots that we have never had access to before (other than the Bridge, Galley and ECR), and it's fascinating to see the inner workings that they are willing to share. I'd love to see more and would pay for it...

Sorry, but either Allan or Israel in the Suite Lounge are useless as t*ts on a bull. I will admit that I still don't which one is which, but I always got stuck being helped by the one with the ridiculous haircut, so I don't have much to say about him.

On the other hand, Ian in the Diamond Lounge was wonderful and helpful every time I needed anything. In fact, I think he went above and beyond, and actually did much more than I asked, needed, or expected.

Final impressions? The ship is truly a design & engineering marvel. Five years of reviews, comments and pictures just do not do the ship justice. Until you actually see & experience it, it is hard to comprehend. I loved just walking around and exploring. She is enormous and tough to see & enjoy in 7 days. I'd like another week to see some of the things we just never found time to do. We talked about this and that, but just never made it…

Would we go back? Many can't wait to - and others have been multiple times. I can definitely understand the sentiment, now. We had a great cruise and are happy we went and finally saw Oasis. I wouldn't change much of what we did or booked. I have no burning desire to return right now, but that has nothing to do with the ship - good or bad. We have other cruises planned and more pressing bucket list items. But yes, we will probably give it another go sometime in the future.

Count us as Oasis converts!

Feel free to ask questions…

Thanks for posting! Great info and commentary.

Questions regarding Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge:

Did you have to reserve CK or did you do a walk in?

Did you get to try the Suite Lounge for cocktails and if so how crowded was it?

Again, thanks for your post and pics, we may have to give those suites a try in the future.

BobJ

I could not agree more with about the Solarium Bistro, we thoroughly enjoyed it. We also had a waiter from Turkey, he was wonderful and made our week, we kept seeing him and he always remembered our names. Great review!

Tim

Thank you for your review. The pictures are awesome. Please note the difference in your furniture on your survey. I think the wicker type furniture is the most comfortable as we spend a lot of time on our balcony and have this room booked.

Since you were travelling with others, did you eat in CK with them.

Thanks for the review! Do you remember what night the love and marriage show was?

Did you have to reserve CK or did you do a walk in?

 

Did you get to try the Suite Lounge for cocktails and if so how crowded was it?

We went to CK and made a reservation earlier the same day. The Maitre d' stated they were pretty full, but managed to fit us in at the time we requested.

We never went to the Suite Lounge for drinks. We found deck 17 a little out of the way, and either went to the Diamond Lounge (which was conveniently on our deck) or hung out in other bars.

Since you were travelling with others, did you eat in CK with them.

One non-suite guest joined us at the table in CK. Since we were sitting at a table for 4, I don't think it was an issue. Had there been more, I suppose we would have been turned down, which I would have understood.

Do you remember what night the love and marriage show was?

Love & Marriage was on day 3 at 10:30pm in the Opal Theater, after the headliner show.

Great Review! We are returning for our third time on Oasis this September. Looking forward to the Coastal Kitchen and Izumi, thanks again!!

Great review! So glad you liked Oasis. I will be boarding her for the third time next week! I can't stay away... :)

Do you know if they still run a comedy show (most likely "family-friendly" in the main theater on the last day? I could not get a reservation for the regular show times and was hoping to at least see the family-friendly one.

We are booked in 11330 in August and 11730 in December. Thanks for the pictures; we are really excited about this suite and already love Oasis.

I am hopeful for new deck furniture by August or least by December!

We booked 11330 on the Harmony for the TA Oct. 2016. However, it is now classified an AquaSuite, and priced at $7000 pp. Too rich for my blood, so we rebooked into a regular Grand Suite.

In checking prices for 2017, I tried to book the new AquaSuite (A4) for a Caribbean cruise, only to be told that the minimum is now 4 and has to be booked by phone.

So glad we got in on the action before all these changes. I assume the new cabins on Allure after dry dock will be AquaSuites as well.

Ah my friend, I found you. Fantastic review. You solidified many of my plans - Izumi hibachi and Solarium for dinner. Avoid Windjammer at all costs. Dang, I would have warned you on that one! Glad Chops was strong - they have outdoor seating there don't they? Note to self - no fish tacos in Sabor.

SO very glad the suite worked out - I'm still glad we changed back to a regular though. Les was going to be a hunchback after a few days in that shower.

Interesting on your impressions of the concierge - you may have to email me so I can really get the story. I think we had Israel as a concierge several years ago and I remember he was really good. But that was on a Voyager class - so a more intimate venue and not as crowded.

Welcome home! I'm sure there was a golden beast thrilled to have you guys back.

Thank you for your perspective on this cabin. We have it in November and think it looks like we'll enjoy it. Your cabin photos were also great. You took many and it allows us to visualize where everything is. Thanks again.

kcb, I can't tell you how valuable your review is for me. I am taking my granddaughter and her friend on the Oasis in celebration of her 16th birthday on the May 30 sailing. I have over 50 cruises with Celebrity but only 5 or 6 with RCCL, but I do have reciprocal credit with RCCL and have Diamond membership. We will be in a balcony cabin on deck 7, which, I know, will be quite crowded, especially the bathroom, but the prices were so high for the jr. suite and family suite and I just couldn't swing it this time. Oh well, we'll manage.

I do have a question about the WiFi package. I apologize for being such a dummy about things like this, but did you also purchase a cruise ship plan with your wireless carrier? Is it necessary to have the two, really? The AT&T plan includes a decent amount of voice and text but very little data for $90, but, of course, you can buy more. Again, I apologize for my ignorance to those of you who are far more tech-savvy than I, but could someone please explain what all WiFi on the ship includes?

Many thanks,

Peggy

Ah my friend, I found you. Fantastic review.

Thanks. Hoping it helps anyone & everyone.

Welcome home! I'm sure there was a golden beast thrilled to have you guys back.

No more so than we were to see him! :D

Thank you for your perspective on this cabin. We have it in November and think it looks like we'll enjoy it. Your cabin photos were also great. You took many and it allows us to visualize where everything is.

The limited pictures already posted didn't really do much for getting a feel for the suite. I made a point out of trying to walk around and get a picture from every angle so that you could really put it together in your mind. Hopefully they will help others, too.

I'm sure you will enjoy it. What's not to love?

kcb, I can't tell you how valuable your review is for me.

Glad to be of service.

I do have a question about the WiFi package. I apologize for being such a dummy about things like this, but did you also purchase a cruise ship plan with your wireless carrier? Is it necessary to have the two, really? The AT&T plan includes a decent amount of voice and text but very little data for $90, but, of course, you can buy more. Again, I apologize for my ignorance to those of you who are far more tech-savvy than I, but could someone please explain what all WiFi on the ship includes?

I did not purchase any additional plans from my carrier. The Wi-Fi on board is essentially like your computer being connected to the internet. I use an iPhone, so I was able to iMessage with anyone else with an iPhone (including my family on board), use the internet, all of my apps, and send & receive emails.

I had the phone on Airplane Mode so I could not make or receive phone calls, or text non-iPhones. I wasn't concerned about receiving calls at sea. Anyone who needed me knew to email me. I turned Airplane Mode off while in port, in case we got separated and needed to call each other. In that case, I would have paid whatever the add'l charges would have been.

I don't feel the extra plan from the carrier is necessary, but only you can make the decision as to what kind of access you want others to have while you are on vacation.

Do you know if they still run a comedy show (most likely "family-friendly" in the main theater on the last day?

There was a Farewell Family Comedy Show on day 7 at 8:45pm in the Opal Theater.

we kept seeing him and he always remembered our names. Great review!

kcb, all three of us have iPhones and two have iPads. Were you able to use Skype with your WiFi pkg or did you even try? I have read that other cruise lines do not allow use of Skype.

we kept seeing him and he always remembered our names. Great review!

Thanks... But who???

kcb, all three of us have iPhones and two have iPads. Were you able to use Skype with your WiFi pkg or did you even try?

Yes, one of us was able to Skype with an iPad. The rest did not try.

KCB,

Thanks for posting.

Wow, that was one of the best reviews I have read in a long time. The pictures were great, and the comments were very well written. Thanks for taking the time to post such a wonderful review. ;)

Great review! Very informative.

I was on Allure in Feb and just booked Oasis for next Jan!

I migraine some changes prior to my sail date with regard to dining but we are game for whatever. :)

PS- I have two golden beasts at home! Love your profile pic!!

Awesome review! My sister is boarding Oasis tomorrow. We were on her 1 1/2 years ago so I was giving her some tips. It's the Eastern Caribbean cruise (7 nights, Bahamas, St Thomas, St Maarten.) 2 questions: Do you know what night they have Quest & where it is held? Also, is Olive or Twist on this ship? I can't remember! (My DH & I will be on Liberty in May & I know Olive or Twist is on that ship & I could swear it is on Oasis, but I can't find it on their website.) Thanks!