Our 11/19/2011 Oasis - Long

[DragonMouse]

Cruise was wonderful 11/19/2011 OASIS of the Seas. It had some pros and cons but overall very nice.

 

Embarking was easy…too easy…we ended up delayed due to a health inspection. SIGH. At least we got there early and we were seated. Everybody had to “sterilize” upon walking on the ship…uhh…ok. Getting on the ship was an immediate party. LOVED that. Crew was all smiles and very friendly. Eventually we made our way up to the Windjammer…more “washy..washy”.

 

I was screwed up at first trying to find a table because there were names on them. I thought they were reserved perhaps for the Diamond/Platinum guests. Duh. They were the waiter’s names. But apparently I wasn’t the only confused one because MANY people were passing up the empty tables with names.

I felt bad for my son…he was wandering about the ship walked into this hallway going toward the rooms (they had said it was supposed to be open at 1:00 pm and it was after 1:00…and still closed) when he opened the door he accidently bumped a lady on her scooter (no harm…he bumped the scooter not her). He apologized and held the door open for her and her husband. The man walked thru and muttered “Punk”…I told him he was probably just hard of hearing and didn’t hear the apology…but it really bugged my son. Quite possibly…the guy was probably just a grouchy old jerk. I believe him because I know how sensitive he is toward seniors…it’s probably a GOOD thing I wasn’t there.:mad:

 

 

The seas were EXTREMLY rough for almost the entire cruise (I’m STILL rocking). We only had a couple of days where they were “fairly” calm. “I” was stupid I did not realize when we checked in that I didn’t have a table number. This was sooo frustrating. We got there and waited in a line that was a mix of people with reservations and people with “My Time” dining. It seemed like each person was taking FOREVER. Apparently there were a LOT of people that this happened to. There was one fella that was really furious with the lead waiter guy. Whoa… He started off fairly calm but when passed back by them…he was starting to get a bit explosive…I know he was there before we arrived and he was still waiting for a table for two… We finally got a temporary table and they sent the permanent table the next afternoon. The really nice thing was we had a fabulous waitress Chhante and oddly our very own table. We sat next to a very nice family. The Oasis of Dreams (our first show) was cancelled due to the high winds (40-50+ knots) and rough seas. Pretty funny watching several people try to walk on deck.:p

 

 

This was the absolutely rockiest boat we’ve ever been on. Even today I still feel like everything is on a floating platform. But…”I” personally really enjoy the rocking so that was a “positive” for me. Although the post rocking is starting to get a little annoying now…I’m still walking like a drunk. There were a couple of nights it got bad enough that they started putting sea sick bags all around the stair cases.

 

 

Shops…I was expecting more shops and better ones. On the last day I found the famous Coach store but honestly I’m not a “Coach” fan. I guess it does well because a lot of ladies seem to love it. Although I wondered how a “Vera Bradley” store would have done. I saw tons and tons of women carrying Vera Bradley something. I would have like to have seen something like an “Ambrocrombie and Fitch” store (I for whatever reason thought there was one)…and what is it about “Jewelry and Watches”??? I didn’t even look at these but a ton of people were buying stuff. I have no clue how much a watch should be but I’ve never paid $55 for a watch in my life.

 

 

The FOOD…meh…some good, some bad…We didn’t eat in any of the specialty restaurants except for the seafood shack. That was pretty good. We never made it to Johnny Rockets except for breakfast which was really good. I liked the breakfasts on the ship. I love fried eggs and they made them easy to obtain and perfect for me. I also really liked the breakfast potatoes and bacon. Some people made me a little crazy in the Windjammer…ARGH… my best example was one lady who slowly stirred the potatoes for a while then scooped some, dropped them, scooped some, dropped them, then scooped some and read the descriptive sign in all 5-6 languages one letter at a time (it said PO-TA-TOES), thought about it, dropped the taters, scooped them up and analyzed them then read the sign again than FINALLY put exactly 4 potato chunks on her plate. The “bacon pickers” are on EVERY single ship I had already expected this.

 

MDR…There was a vegetarian option of a sweet potato “Tart” (really a quiche) that was really wonderful (unfortunately it was only one night), the lobster was cooked quite well (we had two) and there was a shrimp meal that was pretty good (I don’t know what they were but they were roasted in their shells). Most of the food wasn’t “BAD” it was good just not as “outstanding” as I had hoped...but some was awesome. GREAT Waitress.

 

 

PIZZA…I was not really overwhelmed. My son really missed the Calzones he was used to getting on Carnival. He LOVES those. Sorrantos was OK. I did like the Oregano for the pizza…kinda wished they had more “ordinary” toppings for pizza in the “make your own” bar. They never had peppers, onions, pepperonis, sausages etc…They DID have “ham” but that was it the rest of the stuff was weird…

 

 

Burgers…BLAH. If you want a good burger you have to go to Johnny Rockets. I don’t know what they are thinking but the buns are always cold and a cold slice of cheese on a warm patty just doesn’t work. Hot Dogs same problem…Cold buns. In the RARLY open WipeOut Café they did have the best fries ever. They were perfectly crunchy and soft on the inside. I also loved the ice cream there because they had my favorite vanilla/chocolate mix. Our mutual complaint was it was rarely open. This blasted place was constantly CLOSED. It opened for only 3 hours and it was in a PRIME location by the pools. I would have thought this place would be open late. Park Café also was another of these early closers. There were no “midnight” buffets or if there were…I always missed them :~( … Ice Cream was only available during the day. They shut it down really EARLY. I already knew this from the boards but I was still bummed.

 

 

We liked the seafood shack but our “key lime” pie was suspiciously like “lemon meringue” . I talked to the waitress about that and she said “our key limes are “yellow” the ones in the dining room (which they NEVER had key lime) were green. Well I gave up…what do I know…I googled it and yes…they CAN be yellow with a meringue…OK. My husband and I shared our YELLOW key lime pie (which I thought was rather “lemony”) with fluffy meringue...Did not taste anything like the key lime pies we had in Key West. But it was ok. I really wasn’t keen on any of the desserts. I got an apple pie once and the crust was cold and soggy not flakey. Many of their desserts were soaked in something or dark chocolate. Towards the end I gave up and just ordered ice cream. I guess it was an “off week” for their head pastry chef. They did have a baked meringue thingy with strawberries. That was sweet but I rather liked it. I wasn’t real wild about the cold sandwiches they offered, they were OK but I got tired of them…they were just “sandwiches”. The pannis at the Park Café were pretty good. Cookies…LOVED LOVED LOVED the “Mudslide” cookies…unfortunately they weren’t always available.

 

 

Shows. This is where Oasis really just shines:D. Oasis of Dreams…we were fortunate to see because MOST shows were cancelled. I’m glad I reserved for the first night because we got the first that actually played (they cancelled on Saturday but honored our ressies on Tuesday). It was funny because it started raining but the show went on ANYWAY. A sudden flash of lightning and a clap of thunder sent the rain soaked audience scrambling for higher ground only to realize the thunder and lightning were part of the show (the rain on the audience…well that was mother nature). It was rather nifty because as everybody left…we scored some “Diamond” seats…booyah! I also loved the Come Fly With me…well done! Hairspray…Well performed but…I really just don’t like “Hairspray”. The Headliner show was good. The quartet was wonderful but I got a bit “bored”. The comedians were good…I really didn’t see why it was 18 and up but that was fine. Ice Show was FABULOUS. LOVED it! Sand artist was super.

 

 

Teen Program wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Lots of teens weren't blending with others than the ones they came with. A lot of Xbox video games in the "lounge". Any "teen flowrider" time was overly packed. He still had a good time and met a lot of people but he just didn't feel like the program leaders did much to organize activities.:( It could have been the kids too...HOWEVER...apparently there are a number of teen girls that need Mommy and Daddy to be watching them a bit more closely. :eek:

I was a bit put off by the 1:00 curfew for teens. But I don't know if there's been issues in the past. My son was always in by about 1:00 with a pizza in hand. I did see one of the security guards going after one boy about 17. It was a little after 1:00 he stopped to get some pizza with his 19 year old brother. She very sharply snapped at him to get out and to his room...take the pizza to go the brother was NOT a parent. I kinda wanted to say something but...without knowing if there was any "history" between her and the boy...I kept my mouth shut. I understand rules are rules but I did NOT like the way she confronted him. Alas...I did not know if there was "history" between them.

 

 

The pools and hot tubs. Rather cool. The pools were pretty much like they had “wave” machines installed (the ship was THAT rocky). It was funny watching the kids jump the waves. The whirlpool (kinda like lazy river) was rather fun but constantly filled with kids. Hot tubs were well placed everywhere but I sure would have loved to have them a bit hotter. I like hot tubs that are hot enough that you HAVE to get out after a while.

I was a bit frustrated when I went up for a midnight swim. The pools and hot tubs were supposed to be open 24 hours but almost all were shut down for "maintenance". They weren't doing anything with them but they had the signs up. Lots of places blocked off too...If they want to shut them down...don't tell me they're open 24 hours.

 

 

Drinks. I LOVED the Mango Berry Colada. This was da bomb! We scored a beer cooler…they seemed to have plenty the whole cruise. No rush to get them. The only objection I had was I didn’t quite like the fact they’d either pour the alcohol in the drinks either before or after they made the “virgin”. They were so full already that you ended up spilling some of the precious rum if you tried to stir it up or you got a blast of straight rum when you sipped. Even if you got a drink at the bar they did the same instead of blending it. Weird…but they put plenty of rum in it:D.

 

 

Flow riders, zip lines and rock wall…Flow Riders and zip line were EASY to go on the first few days. Did the zip line repeatedly…toward the last few days everybody was in a rush to do them so the lines got long and on the flow riders…many people got “better” and lasted longer. My son fell off the surf board hurt his neck. Nothing serious just sore. Of course being 16 and macho he never said much till significantly later. Rock Wall…RARELY open due to the rough seas. I saw it open one day but the line was crazy.

 

The Quest funny...I was a little put off that they allowed children into that show...but "Amy" the cruise director pretty much said it wasn't recommended but if the parents said OK then it was OK. There were a small handful of little girls 9 and under...It still wasn't appropriate but it wasn't as bad as I've seen it on Carnival...(The Carnival show was a blast). I was curious how they were going to make it so since we were all confined in the ice skating stadium seats but they had two captians and 8 teams. Not as much participation with the multiple teams but still fun. Weirdly our team did not have a single MIKE in the group. My husband opted out because he was sleepy or he could have been THE Mike.

 

Overall the cruise was very nice. Because of the price I don’t think I’d do it again but the ship was amazing…maybe go for the Freedom next time or back to Carnival.

[Familygoboston]

Thanks for your review. Isn't it sad that everyone just assumes teens will behave badly?:( I find most behave quite well,- a few spoil it for everyone.

I do have to say though, that unless those young ladies are lesbians, Mommy and Daddy should watch their boys too. 18 years of child support is a bitter pill for a young man, and it's just plain wrong to assume it's ok for the "boys to be boys", but put the girls under lock and key. IMO, Parents of both sexes should be preaching respect and responsibility.

We leave in less than a week, I'm a little concerned about all these rough seas- we've never had a rough week in early Dec on the Caribbean, but the last several reviews on al ships have mentioned really rocking!

[justcake]

Really enjoyed your thorough and honest review. After sailing NCL Epic we decided as a family that the big ships are just not for us. Maybe we will try the Oasis someday just as a comparison. How were the cabins?

[riclop]

Cruise was wonderful 11/19/2011 OASIS of the Seas. It had some pros and cons but overall very nice.

 

Embarking was easy…too easy…we ended up delayed due to a health inspection. SIGH. At least we got there early and we were seated. Everybody had to “sterilize” upon walking on the ship…uhh…ok. Getting on the ship was an immediate party. LOVED that. Crew was all smiles and very friendly. Eventually we made our way up to the Windjammer…more “washy..washy”.

 

I was screwed up at first trying to find a table because there were names on them. I thought they were reserved perhaps for the Diamond/Platinum guests. Duh. They were the waiter’s names. But apparently I wasn’t the only confused one because MANY people were passing up the empty tables with names.

 

I felt bad for my son…he was wandering about the ship walked into this hallway going toward the rooms (they had said it was supposed to be open at 1:00 pm and it was after 1:00…and still closed) when he opened the door he accidently bumped a lady on her scooter (no harm…he bumped the scooter not her). He apologized and held the door open for her and her husband. The man walked thru and muttered “Punk”…I told him he was probably just hard of hearing and didn’t hear the apology…but it really bugged my son. Quite possibly…the guy was probably just a grouchy old jerk. I believe him because I know how sensitive he is toward seniors…it’s probably a GOOD thing I wasn’t there.:mad:

 

 

The seas were EXTREMLY rough for almost the entire cruise (I’m STILL rocking). We only had a couple of days where they were “fairly” calm. “I” was stupid I did not realize when we checked in that I didn’t have a table number. This was sooo frustrating. We got there and waited in a line that was a mix of people with reservations and people with “My Time” dining. It seemed like each person was taking FOREVER. Apparently there were a LOT of people that this happened to. There was one fella that was really furious with the lead waiter guy. Whoa… He started off fairly calm but when passed back by them…he was starting to get a bit explosive…I know he was there before we arrived and he was still waiting for a table for two… We finally got a temporary table and they sent the permanent table the next afternoon. The really nice thing was we had a fabulous waitress Chhante and oddly our very own table. We sat next to a very nice family. The Oasis of Dreams (our first show) was cancelled due to the high winds (40-50+ knots) and rough seas. Pretty funny watching several people try to walk on deck.:p

 

 

This was the absolutely rockiest boat we’ve ever been on. Even today I still feel like everything is on a floating platform. But…”I” personally really enjoy the rocking so that was a “positive” for me. Although the post rocking is starting to get a little annoying now…I’m still walking like a drunk. There were a couple of nights it got bad enough that they started putting sea sick bags all around the stair cases.

 

 

Shops…I was expecting more shops and better ones. On the last day I found the famous Coach store but honestly I’m not a “Coach” fan. I guess it does well because a lot of ladies seem to love it. Although I wondered how a “Vera Bradley” store would have done. I saw tons and tons of women carrying Vera Bradley something. I would have like to have seen something like an “Ambrocrombie and Fitch” store (I for whatever reason thought there was one)…and what is it about “Jewelry and Watches”??? I didn’t even look at these but a ton of people were buying stuff. I have no clue how much a watch should be but I’ve never paid $55 for a watch in my life.

 

 

The FOOD…meh…some good, some bad…We didn’t eat in any of the specialty restaurants except for the seafood shack. That was pretty good. We never made it to Johnny Rockets except for breakfast which was really good. I liked the breakfasts on the ship. I love fried eggs and they made them easy to obtain and perfect for me. I also really liked the breakfast potatoes and bacon. Some people made me a little crazy in the Windjammer…ARGH… my best example was one lady who slowly stirred the potatoes for a while then scooped some, dropped them, scooped some, dropped them, then scooped some and read the descriptive sign in all 5-6 languages one letter at a time (it said PO-TA-TOES), thought about it, dropped the taters, scooped them up and analyzed them then read the sign again than FINALLY put exactly 4 potato chunks on her plate. The “bacon pickers” are on EVERY single ship I had already expected this.

 

MDR…There was a vegetarian option of a sweet potato “Tart” (really a quiche) that was really wonderful (unfortunately it was only one night), the lobster was cooked quite well (we had two) and there was a shrimp meal that was pretty good (I don’t know what they were but they were roasted in their shells). Most of the food wasn’t “BAD” it was good just not as “outstanding” as I had hoped...but some was awesome. GREAT Waitress.

 

 

PIZZA…I was not really overwhelmed. My son really missed the Calzones he was used to getting on Carnival. He LOVES those. Sorrantos was OK. I did like the Oregano for the pizza…kinda wished they had more “ordinary” toppings for pizza in the “make your own” bar. They never had peppers, onions, pepperonis, sausages etc…They DID have “ham” but that was it the rest of the stuff was weird…

 

 

Burgers…BLAH. If you want a good burger you have to go to Johnny Rockets. I don’t know what they are thinking but the buns are always cold and a cold slice of cheese on a warm patty just doesn’t work. Hot Dogs same problem…Cold buns. In the RARLY open WipeOut Café they did have the best fries ever. They were perfectly crunchy and soft on the inside. I also loved the ice cream there because they had my favorite vanilla/chocolate mix. Our mutual complaint was it was rarely open. This blasted place was constantly CLOSED. It opened for only 3 hours and it was in a PRIME location by the pools. I would have thought this place would be open late. Park Café also was another of these early closers. There were no “midnight” buffets or if there were…I always missed them :~( … Ice Cream was only available during the day. They shut it down really EARLY. I already knew this from the boards but I was still bummed.

 

 

We liked the seafood shack but our “key lime” pie was suspiciously like “lemon meringue” . I talked to the waitress about that and she said “our key limes are “yellow” the ones in the dining room (which they NEVER had key lime) were green. Well I gave up…what do I know…I googled it and yes…they CAN be yellow with a meringue…OK. My husband and I shared our YELLOW key lime pie (which I thought was rather “lemony”) with fluffy meringue...Did not taste anything like the key lime pies we had in Key West. But it was ok. I really wasn’t keen on any of the desserts. I got an apple pie once and the crust was cold and soggy not flakey. Many of their desserts were soaked in something or dark chocolate. Towards the end I gave up and just ordered ice cream. I guess it was an “off week” for their head pastry chef. They did have a baked meringue thingy with strawberries. That was sweet but I rather liked it. I wasn’t real wild about the cold sandwiches they offered, they were OK but I got tired of them…they were just “sandwiches”. The pannis at the Park Café were pretty good. Cookies…LOVED LOVED LOVED the “Mudslide” cookies…unfortunately they weren’t always available.

 

 

Shows. This is where Oasis really just shines:D. Oasis of Dreams…we were fortunate to see because MOST shows were cancelled. I’m glad I reserved for the first night because we got the first that actually played (they cancelled on Saturday but honored our ressies on Tuesday). It was funny because it started raining but the show went on ANYWAY. A sudden flash of lightning and a clap of thunder sent the rain soaked audience scrambling for higher ground only to realize the thunder and lightning were part of the show (the rain on the audience…well that was mother nature). It was rather nifty because as everybody left…we scored some “Diamond” seats…booyah! I also loved the Come Fly With me…well done! Hairspray…Well performed but…I really just don’t like “Hairspray”. The Headliner show was good. The quartet was wonderful but I got a bit “bored”. The comedians were good…I really didn’t see why it was 18 and up but that was fine. Ice Show was FABULOUS. LOVED it! Sand artist was super.

 

 

Teen Program wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Lots of teens weren't blending with others than the ones they came with. A lot of Xbox video games in the "lounge". Any "teen flowrider" time was overly packed. He still had a good time and met a lot of people but he just didn't feel like the program leaders did much to organize activities.:( It could have been the kids too...HOWEVER...apparently there are a number of teen girls that need Mommy and Daddy to be watching them a bit more closely. :eek:

 

I was a bit put off by the 1:00 curfew for teens. But I don't know if there's been issues in the past. My son was always in by about 1:00 with a pizza in hand. I did see one of the security guards going after one boy about 17. It was a little after 1:00 he stopped to get some pizza with his 19 year old brother. She very sharply snapped at him to get out and to his room...take the pizza to go the brother was NOT a parent. I kinda wanted to say something but...without knowing if there was any "history" between her and the boy...I kept my mouth shut. I understand rules are rules but I did NOT like the way she confronted him. Alas...I did not know if there was "history" between them.

 

 

The pools and hot tubs. Rather cool. The pools were pretty much like they had “wave” machines installed (the ship was THAT rocky). It was funny watching the kids jump the waves. The whirlpool (kinda like lazy river) was rather fun but constantly filled with kids. Hot tubs were well placed everywhere but I sure would have loved to have them a bit hotter. I like hot tubs that are hot enough that you HAVE to get out after a while.

 

I was a bit frustrated when I went up for a midnight swim. The pools and hot tubs were supposed to be open 24 hours but almost all were shut down for "maintenance". They weren't doing anything with them but they had the signs up. Lots of places blocked off too...If they want to shut them down...don't tell me they're open 24 hours.

 

 

Drinks. I LOVED the Mango Berry Colada. This was da bomb! We scored a beer cooler…they seemed to have plenty the whole cruise. No rush to get them. The only objection I had was I didn’t quite like the fact they’d either pour the alcohol in the drinks either before or after they made the “virgin”. They were so full already that you ended up spilling some of the precious rum if you tried to stir it up or you got a blast of straight rum when you sipped. Even if you got a drink at the bar they did the same instead of blending it. Weird…but they put plenty of rum in it:D.

 

 

Flow riders, zip lines and rock wall…Flow Riders and zip line were EASY to go on the first few days. Did the zip line repeatedly…toward the last few days everybody was in a rush to do them so the lines got long and on the flow riders…many people got “better” and lasted longer. My son fell off the surf board hurt his neck. Nothing serious just sore. Of course being 16 and macho he never said much till significantly later. Rock Wall…RARELY open due to the rough seas. I saw it open one day but the line was crazy.

 

The Quest funny...I was a little put off that they allowed children into that show...but "Amy" the cruise director pretty much said it wasn't recommended but if the parents said OK then it was OK. There were a small handful of little girls 9 and under...It still wasn't appropriate but it wasn't as bad as I've seen it on Carnival...(The Carnival show was a blast). I was curious how they were going to make it so since we were all confined in the ice skating stadium seats but they had two captians and 8 teams. Not as much participation with the multiple teams but still fun. Weirdly our team did not have a single MIKE in the group. My husband opted out because he was sleepy or he could have been THE Mike.

 

Overall the cruise was very nice. Because of the price I don’t think I’d do it again but the ship was amazing…maybe go for the Freedom next time or back to Carnival.

Freedom of the seas is just as expensive as the Oasis and Allure!!!!! Johnny Rockets for a good hamburger ?????????? Did someone say GREEESSSEE!

[will773]

Thanks for the review!

[DragonMouse]

...I do have to say though, that unless those young ladies are lesbians, Mommy and Daddy should watch their boys too. ![/quote

 

I quite agree 100% about the boys the child support thing terrifies me but...in the report "I" received. This was more "girls"...they got repeatedly kicked out for inappropriate behavior.

 

Really enjoyed your thorough and honest review. After sailing NCL Epic we decided as a family that the big ships are just not for us. Maybe we will try the Oasis someday just as a comparison. How were the cabins?

 

Omg...the cabins were very very tiny. Only one could pass between the bed and the bathroom...There was very little room for storage. We had a balcony room.

 

Freedom of the seas is just as expensive as the Oasis and Allure!!!!! Johnny Rockets for a good hamburger ?????????? Did someone say GREEESSSEE!

 

I didn't get to try the Johnny Rockets burger but it looked good...better than the cold buns they were serving everywhere else...I guess I was shocked they never warmed the buns. There was so much food. I didn't bother with the burgers but wow was I filled anyway.