A memorex review... Oasis of the Seas March 5th

[Tree_skier]

1 hour ago, Chris_nj said:

Did you arrange that with the cruise line prior to arriving,

Yes I did arrange it in advance.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/resources/guest-special-needs

 

Yes that is the only plug I could find.  I pulled the bed away from the wall to take a look but saw nothing.  It really wasn't that big of a deal though.  I don't recall tripping on it even once. Normally, in the morning I unplugged and wound it up and set it on the desk but the morning I took the video I forgot.  I was worried it was going to be a pain traveling too when I first got it but I have gotten quite used to it now. Besides being a little extra to carry while boarding a plane and the varying requirements at the TSA check point it is pretty painless

 

Another thing I  just noticed in the video was the drawer that was open beside the bed.  That is evidence of how much the ship was moving ... 

[ScubaCat3]

1 hour ago, Chris_nj said:

Thanks for the great review.  We have booked a CLS on the Oasis for a cruise this summer.  We've traveled a bunch of times on the Oasis and Allure, but never in a CLS, so looking forward to it.  I noticed in your video the extension cord for the machine.  Did you arrange that with the cruise line prior to arriving, or after you boarded?   Is the closest outlet really at the desk?  Seems like a big trip hazard.  (first time for us cruising with the machine, so trying to figure this all out!)  Thanks!

@Chris_nj I don’t know if there is some variation between Crown Loft Suites, but the one I am currently in on Oasis has outlets behind the bedside cabinets on each side of the bed. You have to pull the cabinet out a little way to see them but they slide easily. 
 

 

[dleahy4444]

8 hours ago, Tree_skier said:

Day 7: Coco cay

 

 

Breakfast room service again.  I could get quite used to this.  Next week I’m back on my Atkins bar and coffee for breakfast.

 

We walked off the ship to an incredible wind.  It was absolutely howling.  This is our first time back to Cococay since the perfect day renovation.  We were actually there on Mariner on the last sailing before they opened up the Perfect Day concept. So we saw a lot of it we just couldn’t access any of it.  For this time I booked the Chill Island beach bed.  We had bed #3 way off in the corner on the front row. It was a very pleasant spot for spending the day.

 

DW went off to her kayaking excursion that we were both sure was going to be cancelled but she had to go over to at least check on.  It was time to order my first drink of the day.  This was my first and only negative interaction with staff all week long.  The server came by and I placed my order and when she took my card she said “Oh, they will charge you for this”. I replied “No just use my diamond voucher.”  She then told me you can’t use your Diamond voucher here on the island I started to argue with her but stopped and just smiled and said that’ll be fine charge me.  I was just going to get the concierge to fix it once I got back on board.  Shortly after DW returned as expected having had her kayaking excursion cancelled.  She wanted a drink so I told her to just walk across to the bar down the way and get it herself.  I said the server has been gone with my order and card for over 20 minutes and didn’t know what she was doing anyways.  DW returned with drink in hand dutifully charged to Diamond Voucher.  At the 30 minute mark I’m getting annoyed.  I still have no drink, I can’t go get one because I have no card and I’m already a little annoyed that the server was so ill informed.  I find another server in another area and send him on a mission to recover my wayward card and either my server or my drink.  Ten minutes later they both arrive back.  She hands me my drink with a slip to sign for the charge on the drink.  I take the drink set it down to sign the slip and before doing so let her know that my wife has just returned from that bar over yonder with a drink charged to her diamond voucher.  She then starts this big story about how she works on Freedom and she can’t charge Oasis until she swaps receipts with a server from Oasis or some variation of this.  Again I start to argue but stop realizing I’m on vacation. I’m not ruining my day fussing with this server.  I sign the slip, say thank you and go to put my AirPods back in.  However, this server is not done with the discussion.  She keeps trying to explain why she can’t charge my Diamond voucher. I keep telling her “that’s fine” but the more I say that the worse she gets until finally, exasperated, I say “I’m done, I’m not talking about this anymore.”  Yet she still wants to keep expanding on this story about not being able to charge Oasis guests only Freedom guests and she has to swap receipts.  I can’t take any more.  I put in my AirPods back in, lie down on my bed and close my eyes until she stops talking and walks away.

 

Finally, it was all done…   I thought.

 

15 minutes later she comes back with some sort of manager asking me if there was a problem.  He had been told by the server that I wanted a free drink but that she was unable provide that and that I was upset about it. At that point I really did get upset.  I explained all I asked for was she charge my drink to my diamond voucher.  She was completely incapable of doing so. I explained, she told me you couldn’t do that on the island and then tried to explain to me, 40 minutes later after finally returning with my drink, she could only do so by swapping receipts with other servers who worked on the other ship. I said I don’t want to talk about this anymore, I’m on vacation and really am not interested in this kind of aggravation.  Upon hearing this, the manager immediately changed tacks. Apologized for the confusion started explaining they have to manually write out slips for Diamond drinks on the Island.  I stopped him  and said “I don’t care about your internal processes I’ll get this fixed on board.”  Again, he apologized and said that won’t be necessary he was going reverse the charge and comp the drink.  The ill trained server is now standing a few feet behind the manager and is in tears.  I feel bad.  They all leave.

 

She returns 10 minutes later with a slip showing the charge reversed but still wiping tears from her eyes.  She doesn’t want to leave until she knows that it is all good between her and I.  I tell her it is all good.  She says I don’t believe you. I reassure her… “It’s all good”.  Still with tears in her eyes she says she wants me to prove that we’re good by giving her a hug. Yes you read that right, she wants me to get up and give her a hug.  I don’t hug adult women who are not my wife or daughter, we’re old fashioned that way. I look over at DW and she gave me the signal… Go ahead and give her a hug.  The server embraced me like I was returning from war.   

 

I absolutely hate that Royal puts so much pressure on staff that they are living in fear of even one complaint.  It just isn’t reasonable to expect a 10 every time.  Sometimes things go wrong.  At the end of the day, this was a management problem.  Ill-trained staff isn’t the staffs fault but managements fault.  However, if I complain or mention this on my survey an already chastised employee suffers more consequences, more than she should otherwise deserve.

 

Otherwise it was a “Perfect Day at Cococay” and in all honestly after it was all said and done, it makes for a pretty good story LOL. We ate at the chill grill.  The roast beef sandwich was good and the salads were fresh.

 

 

 

 

 

I highly recommend the chill island beach beds if you are just a couple and don’t need the space of a cabana for a larger group. They are off to the side on their own. They are substantially cheaper than a cabana and for two people they are more than adequate space.  You get the bed as well two lounge chairs placed in front of them as well as two floating mats and a cooler with waters in them. Ours was on the front row very close to the water’s edge.

 

Here’s a little video summary of the day.

 

 

DW wanted to stay until the bitter end floating on her beach mat but I got back on the ship around 3 pm and I went straight to Playmakers for some Nachos and a Strongbow. I really recommend Playmakers over Johnny Rockets.  The food is so much better it is almost indescribable. Unless, somehow, JR’s manages to up there game I can’t see it being anything but a ghost town.  They are right across from each other on this ship and the difference is stark.

 

 

 

That evening dinner was back to Giovanni’s. This evening both of choose the Chicken Picata.  This is the one and only meal that was a little less than stellar.  It was Ok but just Ok isn’t what I want when I’m in specialty dining. The carbonara we shared, that was so good the first time, just wasn’t as tastily and the chicken seemed a little rubbery.  The taste was fine but the texture was just off.

 

 

I was planning an early evening since debarkation and a flight home always takes a bit out of me and I had to be sharp and ready to go on Monday morning.  After dinner we went back to the cabin and packed up  but alas, after that, I foolishly decided to go to the casino to see if I could recover some of my losses from the previous day but all I succeeded in doing was losing more.  Easy come easy go.

 

At least I wasn’t the guy I sat next to at the blackjack table.  He kept going on and on about how much he lost.  He claimed he’d lost $4000 on the last shoe alone just before I sat down.  He said he’d lost $20000 that cruise.  He was down to his last $500 in chips and they wouldn’t extend him more on his seapass card.  Apparently they a $5000 limit per day per person that you can charge to your seapass account. I certainly felt bad for the guy but he just kept going on and on about it.  It was really annoying. Everyone at the table breathed a sigh of relief when he finally lost his last $500 and left to try and get the Casino host to lift the $5000 limit.

 

After that it was time for bed.  The worst day of a cruise, debarkation day, is tomorrow morning.

 

 

Wonderful review, thank you for posting . I’m on the Oasis on 5/7. My son is getting married on that sailing. Talk about stress! I’m goin pg to take a page from your book and put my AirPods on. The hubby and I booked the crown lof5 suite for the first time. Thanks for the video. I love it already 

[Tree_skier]

Sorry, I'm a day late. 🙂 

 

 

Day 8: Debarkation and flight home

 

The morning debarkation was quite unstressed.  Breakfast in CK was followed by an escorted debarkation.  We bonged off the ship without incident, passed through immigration scanner with ease and were standing on curb at 915 am.  I ordered the Uber and the app matched me a driver who was right there on the spot having just dropped off some early embarking passengers.  @Seadog was that you?  🙂 A 30 yard walk down the sidewalk we slipped into a Ford Expedition and made  a quick trip to Miami international and we were on our way home.

 

Security was backed up beyond recognition so I finally signed up for Clear.  I had been meaning to but just hadn’t gotten around to it.  This was my motivation.  I have some sort of credit with Amex for Clear.  I’m not sure how much they cover but they cover some of it I think.  Either way we were through security quickly and without incident and seated at the gate with lots of time to spare.

 

I booked business class/first class on the way home.  I had some Delta credit to burn so when I booked this ticket it seemed like the best use of the funds. The second leg of the flight was on a brand new A350.  According to the pilot we were the first paying customers.  The little pods in first class are amazing… this definitely takes the sting out of cross country travel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And finally back home in California.

 

It was an amazing trip and probably the best cruise ever.  It’s a tough call… Our Odyssey of the Seas Southern Caribbean last year was on the top of the list for best ever but this one tops it a little, I think.  It might just be the glow that comes with being the most recent but this one was truly memorable. We’ll see how I feel in a few months when I reflect on this one and compare to other cruises.

 

Thanks to all who followed along as I reviewed this great trip. It has been fun to review.

[LuCruise]

Great review.  We were on the cruise right after yours. First time on Oasis and loved it!  

 

Guess it's a bit late now, but wondering when you booked Laser Tag?  I only noticed when looking at the activities for that day and of course it was all sold out.  We did see the standby line (which was empty at the time) but sadly my kids didn't want to wait (i.e. I would have loved to try it as I think it's different from Navigator and Symphony's version).  

 

I'm with you in the minority and really enjoyed Cats.  Even saw it 1.5 times (had to leave early for second unplanned show to get ready for dinner).  Thought it was an amazing performance. Sat upfront and the cats even interact with you.  And agree...Grizella's performance was emotional. The whole cast was so talented.

 

For Aqua show...this is the definitely my favorite one so far. 

And  I agree...the sand artist was a nice surprise.  Think I liked that part better than the skating..lol.

 

Great video at Labadee. That's on our next cruise on Odyssey (and good to hear you loved that ship too).  Think our kids may want to try the coaster. Looks like you had fun too parasailing!

 

Thanks for sharing your review. Seems like a great cruise for you!

[FionaMG]

Thanks for sharing @Tree_skier, I've really enjoyed following along. 😍

[dpostman]

Thank-you @Tree_skier for taking the time to write up, and very skilfully I might add, a great review.  I appreciate your insights.

 

I'm taking notes 😉.

 

dp

Edited March 27, 2023 by dpostman

[Tree_skier]

2 hours ago, LuCruise said:

Great review.  We were on the cruise right after yours. First time on Oasis and loved it!  

 

Guess it's a bit late now, but wondering when you booked Laser Tag?  I only noticed when looking at the activities for that day and of course it was all sold out.  We did see the standby line (which was empty at the time) but sadly my kids didn't want to wait (i.e. I would have loved to try it as I think it's different from Navigator and Symphony's version).  

Sorry, I don't remember exactly when I booked the Laser tag...  I think it was on the first day since it was the only thing I needed to book.  I had missed on Nav last time I was on it and was determined to get to do it this time.