Oasis of the Seas Review - In Deapth

[G85 SS]

I had the same feeling at the end of our cruise. Only thing that helped was knowing I have a future cruise to plan and look forward to!

 

Since you have done both itineraries, which do you prefer? Right now I can't imagine enjoying the eastern more than the western but that's probably because I'm still reliving our sailing :D;)

 

 

I actually prefer the Western Caribbean. Which I find funny because when I was still a baby cruiser only able to afford 3 and 4 day cruises to the Bahamas, I remember looking at both itineraries and thinking the Eastern would be so much better.

 

I think what has me leaning to the Western is Cozumel. The Amazing Secret River is exactly that. AMAZING.

 

[iCruise717]

I actually prefer the Western Caribbean. Which I find funny because when I was still a baby cruiser only able to afford 3 and 4 day cruises to the Bahamas, I remember looking at both itineraries and thinking the Eastern would be so much better.

 

I think what has me leaning to the Western is Cozumel. The Amazing Secret River is exactly that. AMAZING.

 

 

Thanks for the response! I am still researching excursions but leaning towards western.

[Peeker28]

 

What you are supposed to see:

 

 

What we actually saw:

 

 

 

And with that, I will go ahead and conclude this part of the review. I have almost 4 gigs worth of pictures so choosing them is not easy to do. If there are any specific requests for other pictures in the shopping area, of either of the ships in port or anything else, feel free to post and I will post some up for you guys.

 

Stay tuned for the next Port of Call; Phillipsburg, St. Maarten. We were fortunate enough to finally have that big ball of light in the sky we know as the sun. :)

We were on this cruise also and it was such a disappointment that the weather was bad. My pics look just like yours. We did the Dolphin excursion and lucky for us the rain was pretty much done at that point. I really would have liked to see more of the island

[Peeker28]

We did the Bernards Tours on St. Martin and because of the improved weather it was my favorite island.

[G85 SS]

I agree. St. Maarten was my favorite this go around because of the improved weather.

 

The rest of my family did a snorkel and catamaran sail in St. Thomas and they said after leaving the pier, the weather cleared up(rain wise) and they had a great time.

 

I couldn't say the same being up in the clouds and rain though. But hey, I didn't have a bad time either.

[DreaAST]

Great review!! Its a shame you had cloudy weather for the first few days.

[G85 SS]

Great review!! Its a shame you had cloudy weather for the first few days.

 

Thanks.

 

Yeah, the weather could have been better but that is something you have to expect when you go out on the water in the summer months. Captain did a good job at trying to avoid a lot of the smaller storms on our days at sea. Obviously some you can't help but for the most part he did well with that.

[G85 SS]

Neighborhood: Royal Promenade.

 

With the Ports of Call becoming a thing of the past, it was now time to spend the last 2 days of our cruise at sea on this beautiful ship. As many are aware, Oasis of the Seas and it's sister Allure of the Seas have 7 distinct Neighborhoods.

 

Back on Day 1 of the cruise, once you walk up the gangway boarding the ship, you are dumped into the Royal Promenade. This Neighborhood resembles the more recent Promenades Royal Caribbean has designed into the interior of their ships for a myriad of different things. There are several different shops including a Royal Caribbean Gift Shop, a Watch Store, Jewelry Store, Alcohol Store and a few others. There are also several different eateries and bars located in or around the Royal Promenade to include Promenade Cafe, Sorrento's, Starbucks (which is a kiosk), Champagne Bar and up stairs is a Diamond Club and the Schooner Bar as well as a couple of other places not mentioned here.

 

The icon for the Royal Promenade has most definitely has to be the Rising Tide bar which is next to the Champagne Bar. This unique bar ascends to Central Park 3 decks up and descends to the Royal Promenade approximately every 15 minutes. While the Rising Tide Bar is in Central Park, below in the Royal Promenade the space is not wasted as it is used as a small water and light show. Given the fact that there were nearly 6000 guests on board this cruise, out of the 4 times I went to the Rising Tide Bar, sitting room was always found without issue and was a nice relaxing way to go up to Central Park or back down to the Promenade and grab a drink at the same time.

 

Comparing the Royal Promenade on Oasis to Freedom class ships you can immediately tell the difference as Oasis is much wider. 3 decks above you there are several glass cutouts similar to a shopping mall which allows you to look up into Central Park. You will find at certain times there are activities going on in the Promenade which can make it a challenge to get from one side of the ship to the other as most, if not all of the Promenade are taken up. You can simply go down to the Entertainment Place and walk through the Casino then back up to deck 5 or catch an elevator to where you want to go. All in all, the Royal Promenade is a very nice Neighborhood and would rate it a 4.5 out of 5.

 

 

 

 

[G85 SS]

Neighborhood: Boardwalk.

 

Towards the aft of the Ship walking through the Royal Promenade you are greeted by glass doors that lead you to the Boardwalk. As stated in my first post, this can bring back the child in you with all the goofy mirrors along the walls, the candy store, the electronic fortune teller and of course the carousel.

 

As you walk out, you see a carousel horse being carved out of wood which shows it's various stages of progress until the final product is complete. It is here along the walls where you also have the mirrors on the wall and the fortune teller. While I am one who loves to watch shows like "How it's Made" and it is neat to see the progress of the carving of the carousel horse, I still find this as just something that was used to fill in dead space on this section of the Boardwalk.

 

years ago when I was stuck to the computer screen watching the progress of Oasis being built in Turku, I always felt like I would spend the majority of my time on the Boardwalk. But that wasn't the case for me. Aside from the gift shop, there wasn't much that really peaked my interest after seeing everything for the first time. I never found myself back out on the Boardwalk until it was time to watch Oasis of Dreams and then again for the Comedy Water Show later in the week. I do, however, really like the Aqua Theatre and the High Diving shows I mentioned are certainly very entertaining to watch and I love the backdrop of the open ocean an wake of the ship.

 

In my honest opinion, I feel so much more can be done with the Boardwalk to improve it's appeal. I think getting rid of the carousel horse carvings to make way for carnival themed games would add to the desirability of the Boardwalk. Games such as ring toss, a balloon wall where you throw darts at it to win a prize and other things like that would make this area more interactive. So all in all I never really gravitated much towards this area of the ship and I would give it an overall rating of a 3 out of 5.

 

 

 

 

Neighborhood: Central Park.

 

Going back, once again, to the days of past when I was looking this ship up online and knowing (or thinking I knew) where I would spend most of my time, Central Park was not among those thoughts. And I could not have been more wrong. This area of the ship was gorgeous. The minute you walk out into Central Park there is a Central Park Map showing you where all of the Specialty Dining places are as well as other Venues like Vintages, Park Cafe and the Rising Tide Bar. You are also greeted by a very tropical environment with all sorts of trees and shrubs.

 

No matter the time of day or night, I always found myself meandering towards Deck 8 so I could walk through Central park. By day, the area is alive with people enjoying lunch from Park Cafe and others relaxing by a bar. By night, it transforms into a more intimate setting with subtle lighting, live music and of course places to sit and enjoy it all with a drink or two. Though I can't really put a finger on why I loved this area so much, there definitely was a uniqueness to having live plants on a ship with balconies towering above either side of you.

 

On formal nights there is also a ships photographer who sets up around 7pm. I took advantage of this and with virtually no people having their pictures taken in the evening at Central Park, the photographer took extra time with us getting several different poses, angles and backdrops. Something you typically can't take advantage of in the Promenade as it is swarmed with lines 40+ people long wanting pictures.

 

And with all that being said, Central Park won my vote as favorite Neighborhood. 5 out of 5 without hesitation.

 

 

 

 

 

The final review I am going to do will be on the Pool and Sports Zone to include the Solarium which will be out shortly.

 

Hope you guys are enjoying!

[Jan_In_Maine]

Looking forward to the rest of your review. Jan

[G85 SS]

Looking forward to the rest of your review. Jan

 

Thanks.

 

I should have the last little bit up tomorrow...

 

I feel as if this review may have been a little too lengthy. But with so much offered on the ship it's hard to just squeeze it all into, "I'll definitely go on it again". lol

[flames]

Great review so far, and you say you like Central Park, would you take a balcony on Central Park or Boardwalk and what deck would you take, is a lower better or do you think a higher deck would be better?

 

Thank you for the great review and I am looking forward to more:cool:

[G85 SS]

Great review so far, and you say you like Central Park, would you take a balcony on Central Park or Boardwalk and what deck would you take, is a lower better or do you think a higher deck would be better?

 

Thank you for the great review and I am looking forward to more:cool:

 

First off, thank you for the comment. :)

 

Secondly, as much as I loved Central Park, I would probably pass on a Central Park Balcony for one reason only. I love waking up in the mornings, going out on an oceanview balcony and looking out to the open ocean or watching as we come into port. And for that reason only I would stick with the Oceanview Balcony. A Boardwalk Balcony would be pretty neat as you can have some really great views into the Aqua Theatre if you plan on watching those shows. But again, I love facing the ocean and hearing the ship as she moves through the water. So relaxing.

 

I stayed on deck 6 on Oasis and it worked out perfect for us. The Royal Promenade was down a set of stairs from our room and the Entertainment Place was only 2 decks down. And just 2 decks up was Central Park. So i found the placement to be ideal for where I spent most of my time.

[flames]

First off, thank you for the comment. :)

 

Secondly, as much as I loved Central Park, I would probably pass on a Central Park Balcony for one reason only. I love waking up in the mornings, going out on an oceanview balcony and looking out to the open ocean or watching as we come into port. And for that reason only I would stick with the Oceanview Balcony. A Boardwalk Balcony would be pretty neat as you can have some really great views into the Aqua Theatre if you plan on watching those shows. But again, I love facing the ocean and hearing the ship as she moves through the water. So relaxing.

 

I stayed on deck 6 on Oasis and it worked out perfect for us. The Royal Promenade was down a set of stairs from our room and the Entertainment Place was only 2 decks down. And just 2 decks up was Central Park. So i found the placement to be ideal for where I spent most of my time.

 

Thanks for your info, I to was on the Oasis and I had a balcony a D1 on deck 10 as I do like hearing the ocean, it is so relaxing at night, I think I will stay with the Ocean balcony;)

[Clarea]

Thanks for your info, I to was on the Oasis and I had a balcony a D1 on deck 10 as I do like hearing the ocean, it is so relaxing at night, I think I will stay with the Ocean balcony;)

Remember, the stateroom air conditioning goes off if the balcony door is open.

[Tamie R]

Thank you so much for the great detail in your review. We will be on The Oasis next May for our 25th anniversary. First cruise for both of us. I can't tell you how jazzed we are.

[G85 SS]

Thank you so much for the great detail in your review. We will be on The Oasis next May for our 25th anniversary. First cruise for both of us. I can't tell you how jazzed we are.

 

You are definitely in for a treat seeing how it is your very first cruise. This one was a big family ordeal with us and we had a total of 4 rooms and 9 family members. My girlfriends parents had never been on a cruise either and their looks were priceless as well as the constant comments of, "I can't believe we waited this long" or "I can't believe this is a ship!" I believe RCCL delivered a WOW factor for them. :)

[LostAlice]

Hurry up with the review, lazy :P

 

I have to say my only complaint about Oasis was just how big it was! You'd think that would be a plus and for the majority of the time, it was. However, there was so much I didn't have time to do or I felt rushed to do a lot of things rather than relaxing and taking my time.

[G85 SS]

Neighborhood: Pool and Sports Deck/Entertainment Place.

 

The final areas most of my time I was spent is out on the pool soaking up, or trying to soak up the sun. Most of the soaking I was getting was from all the rain this trip had. Out on deck there are a number of pools including the H2O Zone for kids, 3 main pools, the Solarium and of course the two Flowriders.

 

There were times when these pools were packed with people. And other times when the pools were nearly deserted. But hey, it's a cruise, it's summer and we're at sea. So what else can be expected? About the only rating that can be done for the pools is as follows:

 

Are there enough chairs?

Can you see the ocean?

Is bar service slow to respond to a given order?

 

In short, there is PLENTY of seating, PLENTY of places to view the ocean if that is your thing, and bar service like pretty much any other service on the ship is quick, fast and in a hurry. Never waited longer than 2 or 3 minutes after placing an order with a bartender. And if you would rather go up to a bar, there are numerous to choose from.

 

I found the Solarium to be a nice place to sit and relax. Though, when the sun did finally make it's presence known, the Solarium felt as if it was one giant magnifying glass. Even with the Solarium not being fully enclosed in a glass roof and the windows being open at the front to allow for air circulation, this only had a small effect. But this did not deter me as I prefer an adults only area. At night it's even better as there is virtually nobody in the Solarium and this was where a lot of time was spent when it was time for some relaxation for me.

 

On the aft of the ship, is where the Flowrider, Zip Line and other areas like the putt putt course, basketball court and ping pong tables. I never had a chance to get on the Flowrider and the next time I end up on a ship with one I am doing it. No questions asked. I managed to do the Zip Line twice which was fun. And you don't really realize how high above the Boardwalk you are until you start rolling along the cable above everything.

 

With all of the activities to do out on deck you should never have to worry about being bored. In fact, I couldn't find enough time to do everything I wanted to do. Hmm, guess that means I'll need to book another cruise on Oasis or Allure to finish what I started. Oh darn.

 

And here is a few pictures from on deck.

 

 

 

 

Switching gears after drying off, it was time to go down to the entertainment place. If I wasn't eating, at a show, or at the pool, chances are you would find me in Casino Royal. As I mentioned earlier in the review, I love the fact that RCCL has this casino in a 50/50 set up. Smoking doesn't bother me, but my girlfriend has a really bad reaction to second hand smoke which meant on our prior cruises she would not go near the Casino. This go around she was finally able to join me. Now if I could get her to not be so bummed out over losing a few pennies on a penny slot. I spent all of about 3 minutes on the slot machines. I took 4 quick pulls after tossing a 20 into a dollar slot. On the 4th pull I won $90. All while my g/f was cashing out her $3.00 ticket. Needless to say she got a tad jealous.

 

Cashed out and headed to the Roulette table. And Roulette was my home in the casino for the duration of the time. Made a few friends there and even had the pleasure of playing with a "high roller" who made each spin that much more enjoyable for me. In total, I probably won close to $500 throughout the week. Not too shabby for a game they say to avoid at all costs.

 

Exiting the casino heading to the forward section of the ship, you pass Blaze, Studio B and the Comedy Club. I hit on Studio B earlier as well as the comedy club. All I can add for the Comedy Club is this... Why does the biggest cruise ship in the world have the smallest comedy club?? You'd think they would allocate a little more room than they did.

 

But overall, given the areas I spent the majority of my time in, I can say with great confidence Royal Caribbean will be in a league of their own with Oasis and her sister Allure for some time. I don't see any other ships out there now or ones coming out in the near future that will offer everything Oasis and Allure do. While Oasis isn't my favorite ship thus far, I will be back on it in a heartbeat to do everything I missed out on the first go 'round.

 

I would give the ship, as a whole, a rating of 4 out of 5. From an engineering aspect, it is a modern day marvel. The entertainment it offers is second to none. The food is very good, but I have been on smaller ships that offer better dining in the Main Dining Room. The service was right on par with all other RCCL ships I have been on.

 

I only have 2 requests. On Oasis III can we PLEASE have more seating for Windjammer?? And I would like more late night options other than just Sorrento's.

 

Other areas worth noting:

 

While walking through the ship you will find several different places that have what appear to be binoculars mounted on a pole. These have all sorts of different pictures in them. There are also these small, I'll call them poles, that are mounted throughout the ship which have a glass eye at the top of them. Looking down into these you will also see several different things from close up.

 

Here are some pics from them. I found that they gave a fun little touch to the ship because you never knew what you would see in them.

 

 

 

 

And with that, I believe the review will be concluded. Some say Oasis and Allure are too big. Some say there's too much to do. And to that, I say no matter your age, no matter your taste, and no matter the reason your are choosing to cruise with Royal Caribbean. This ship has anything and everything you could plan to do in a weeks time and is proof that Royal Caribbean really does design for WOW.

 

Hope you all have enjoyed. Anything I have not hit on in this review that you want to know about, please, feel free to comment. I will also upload more pictures with a link posted so everybody can see more of the ship and Ports of Call than is posted here.

[LostAlice]

Great review :) Can't wait to read your review for the next one