Live From Oasis of the Seas 2/18-2/25!

[jam19872016]

Hello everyone!

 

I'm getting ready to sail out for another adventure on Sunday and I plan to do a live review of my time on board. This time I will be sailing on the Oasis Of The Seas for seven days. 

The itinerary is quite possibly the least exciting I have ever done, but then again, you don't sail Oasis for the itinerary. Stops are Nassau, Coco Cay, Labadee, and Falmouth. I was going to book the 25th with this same route but the timing did not quite work out so I booked the 18th and assumed it would be Eastern and a slightly better run, but nope same thing. I don't sail for the itinerary anyway so it will be ok.

 

I'm 36 and live less than two hours away from the big three ports in Florida. Miami is my least favorite because of the traffic and difficulty getting in and out of the port. The sail away view is spectacular though and is something I always looks forward to!

 

Doesn't like the ports, doesn't like the drive to Miami why did he book this cruise? Good question. I'm prime with Club Royale which means I have gambled away enough money in Royal's casinos that I earn a free cruise up to seven nights each casino year. Used to be eight but now only seven, so unless I want to do a six day trip, we need to eliminate all the ships doing 8/6 day runs. I also want Voyager class or newer. I would sail smaller ships, but for the same price my money is on something with more bells and whistles. Obviously it needs to be a port out of Florida. 

 

That leaves me two choices, Wonder and Oasis. Except wait, Wonder is not eligible even though the exclusion has traditonally been no ships in the first twelve months of service, which has passed for Wonder. So Oasis and out of Miami it is. I did come close to choosing Symphony for six days since I have not been on that ship yet and it is Ft. Lauderdale, but in the end that extra day on Oasis swayed me. Even with the extra restrictions, still the best casino program out there when it comes to bang for your gambling buck!

 

I will be sailing solo, have found a great deal (well the best I am going to find in these inflated times) for the Unlimited* Dining Plan so will have an unreasonable amount of food p0rn to share and beverages as well. I did not purchase a drink package, but have my five free drinks a day for being Diamond+ as well as unlimited drinks from the casino when it is open for being prime.

 

If you have any questions about the ship feel free to ask away and I will do my best to find out. 

 

*I put an asterisk because is it really unlimited with a $20 per day limit at Playmaker's and Portside? I checked the new prices and $20 does not go very far like it used to.
 

[jam19872016]

Here is a link to my last review as well as my last review I did on Royal Caribbean.

 

 

 

 

[jam19872016]

I don't really have any plans in three of the four ports. I was looking forward to Coco Cay as I enjoy the vibe and the food is amazing. Much better than the food on the ship, but now I have the (almost)Unlimited Dining Plan so I won't be heading out for the food. It would still be nice to get off and take a look around for a little while and I have heard there is a nature path (I may be imagining that) but the casino will be open and not crowded so we'll see how much time I allow myself here.

 

Labadee and Falmouth I doubt I will be getting off the ship. I never used to be a get off the ship person, but now that I try to keep up an exercise program while onboard I do enjoy the scenery walking around in port instead of the gym especially while it is a little bit cooler outside, but I am not sure either of these ports are suitable to walk around in outside of tourist zones. In the case of Labadee, I don't think I am even permitted out of tourist zones (nor would I want to).

 

It is very timely that there is another ongoing live Oasis review, and even better that the reviewer is also taking time to work out in port. I have not got past Nassau yet, but I may copy his workout in the other ports if they look suitable to my interests (I like nature and other secluded off the beaten path type places). I won't be keeping his pace though 😮. I tend to walk at 3MPH at the gym and around 3.2-3.3 on the walking track.  

 

Nassau is up in the air. I want to check out the John Watling's Distillery that @ninjacat123 recommended a few cruises back but I have a sneaking feeling that I will end up getting a late start after my first night onboard and first night of drinks since the last cruise. If I am alive at a reasonable hour, that is plan and if time is really on my side still and I am feeling ambitious enough, I would like to also walk to the Queen's Staircase. I saw it once and would love to visit that spot again. It's really all going to depend on how well I pace myself on night one 🙂 
 

[jam19872016]

For anyone who did not read my last review, I've been on a weight loss journey that started in August 2021 when I hit 300 LBS. I've always been big, but that was a pretty startling number to see staring back at me from the scale. I'm also not getting any younger and am becoming more aware of the looming health problems if I don't take control of the situation. Especially as I see how my mother struggles with back pain and knee problems that impact her ability to travel comfortably for any length of time.

 

The first several months I yo yo'ed between 285 and back over 300 again. Then my friend recommended the myfitnesspal app in May 2022 and that has been a game changer for me. It's essentially a calorie counting app and it made me conscious of the calories I'm consuming. It also opened my eyes to some foods that are not worth the calories. I was shocked at how many calories are in a caser salad. If I'm going to use up that many calories, it won't be on a salad! I don't bother with the three bites of lobster at formal night anymore either.

 

I've had to adjust my strategy as my metabolism adjusted to less calories and heard about intermittent fasting which was a great addition to my diet plan. When I'm fasting, I can eat for eight hours, and then I fast for 16. Since you are asleep for 8 of those, its easier than it sounds especially after a day or two.

In total, I was down to 198.8 when I started my 56 day adventure in September. Over 100 LBS lost from my starting weight.

 

Since that trip and the trips since, I have been up and down again. On my last six day cruise I gained 10.4 LBS which left me at 26.4 LBS gained since I that cruise in September. As of today I have taken off those 10.4 plus another 1.6 just in time to start gaining again. I do allow myself to go off the diet when I am cruising and I suspect with the (almost)Unlimited Dining Plan I will be straining my scale for sure this week but as long as I can continue to trend in the right direction overall, I won't be too hard on myself.

[onthewater51]

I seldom read these types of live posts because I have the attention span of a gnat, according to my wonderful wife 🙂.  But I do like your writing style, I’m following 

 

I also completely agree with you about Miami port. I hate sailing from there. Traffic and terminal access via ride shares , etc is horrible 

 

Safe travels, have fun and looking forward to your post 

 

Bob 

[ninjacat123]

Yippie!!  I'm glad you alerted me to your upcoming review!  I do hope you get the chance to check out JWD (uphill walk, good cardio) and I have never ported in Falmouth or Labadee so if you get off ship, that will be interesting as well.  Looking forward to your review!😃

[Itchy&Scratchy]

28 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

I was looking forward to Coco Cay as I enjoy the vibe and the food is amazing. Much better than the food on the ship, but now I have the (almost)Unlimited Dining Plan so I won't be heading out for the food.

they don't have funnel cake onboard, do they?

 

That was one of the best parts of our Cococay experience. I hope you enjoy it as well.

 

Oh, and do explore the path between the Chill island and South beach. Gorgeous!

 

[jam19872016]

7 minutes ago, onthewater51 said:

I seldom read these types of live posts because I have the attention span of a gnat, according to my wonderful wife 🙂.  But I do like your writing style, I’m following 

 

I also completely agree with you about Miami port. I hate sailing from there. Traffic and terminal access via ride shares , etc is horrible 

 

Safe travels, have fun and looking forward to your post 

 

Bob 

Thanks for following along! Or trying to if your attention should wander 😂

 

I've given up on rideshares, too hard to get and last time I got scammed by a driver who claimed I was not at the meetup spot, even though his GPS never showed him anywhere near POM. I got charged a fee and my dispute to Uber fell on deaf ears. Done with that mess, I just use a taxi now and pay a little bit more.

 

This trip I am parking at the port because I don't see any places available that don't have terrible reviews. I used to park at various hotels near the airport and then Uber (or taxi now) in but last few times they no longer have availability, guess the word got out.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

15 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

I have never ported in Falmouth or Labadee so if you get off ship, that will be interesting as well. 

imho, Falmouth is rather boring and nothing to write home about (it's literally a fishing village outside of a pretty port area)*, but we enjoy both Labadee and CocoCay as they are - a wonderful beach destination. Both are beautiful.

 

 

*We walked around the first time we were at Falmouth. Nice, but didn't want to do it again.

Edited February 15 by Itchy&Scratchy

[Itchy&Scratchy]

36 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

Labadee - I doubt I will be getting off the ship. I try to keep up an exercise program while onboard I do enjoy the scenery walking around in port instead of the gym especially while it is a little bit cooler outside, but I am not sure either of these ports are suitable to walk around in outside of tourist zones.

Definitely very suitable for a very nice long walk around. Several areas literally off the main path are lovely and walkable, and exercise worthy (a bit of climbing around).

The whole area is a nice, safe tourist zone, and you won't be leaving it.

 

 

 

this building is right next to the beach (Nellie's).

 

 

 

 

We usually go to Nellie's beach, chill and swim, and then walk around in that green area that you see between the ship and barefoot beach. You can access it from the pedestrian path that runs between the ship and the beaches.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 15 by Itchy&Scratchy

[jam19872016]

4 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Yippie!!  I'm glad you alerted me to your upcoming review!  I do hope you get the chance to check out JWD (uphill walk, good cardio) and I have never ported in Falmouth or Labadee so if you get off ship, that will be interesting as well.  Looking forward to your review!😃

I don't have Nassau on an itinerary after this (which is odd) so I need to try to get there this time! I just have a tendency to overdo it the first night onboard. I didn't have a problem last cruise, but the nightlight is a little more lively here compared to Celebrity so I suspect overdoing it to be a real possibility 🥳

 

Labadee is Royal's private island (but not the good one) so there isn't really anything to see besides the beach. I've never gotten off there, so I could be way off base but the reviews I've seen don't interest me.

 

Falmouth I went to once, didn't leave the port area. Jamaica is not an island I feel safe in or even welcome in. The locals are too hostile and aggressive. I have not in a few years, but I don't suspect conditions have gotten better in recent years. I'll dig out my last time setting foot in Jamaica to post here later, it's quite a story but not one that I wanted to experience to be able to tell!

 

So glad to have you along for the ride again!

 

2 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

they don't have funnel cake onboard, do they?

 

That was one of the best parts of our Cococay experience. I hope you enjoy it as well.

 

Oh, and do explore the path between the Chill island and South beach. Gorgeous!

 

No funnel cake on the ship that I am aware of, but just like I would not buy a drink package and then go to an all inclusive, I won't be using precious stomach space on included food 😂

 

I do love that funnel cake though! So much of the food on the island is so so good!

 

Happy to see the nature path does exist! I will make sure to seek it out.

[ninjacat123]

9 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

imho, Falmouth is rather boring and nothing to write home about, but we enjoy both Labadee and CocoCay as they are - a wonderful beach destination. Both are beautiful.

My family of four went to Coco Cay in 2007 (I think) before it was upgraded and we thought it was very pretty.  It was our first cruise ever on Majesty of the Seas (I think) or Mariner.  The cruise bug bit us!!😉

[jam19872016]

11 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

imho, Falmouth is rather boring and nothing to write home about, but we enjoy both Labadee and CocoCay as they are - a wonderful beach destination. Both are beautiful.

I'm not a beach person. Somehow I do still really enjoy Coco Cay, although the heat usually runs me back onto the ship rather quickly. Not likely to be an issue this time of year.

 

Maybe I need to give Labadee a chance and see if I enjoy that stop also.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

1 minute ago, ninjacat123 said:

My family of four went to Coco Cay in 2007 (I think) before it was upgraded and we thought it was very pretty.  It was our first cruise ever on Majesty of the Seas (I think) or Mariner.  The cruise bug bit us!!😉

we went there in 2009 before the upgrade and enjoyed it, and we enjoyed it again twice after the pandemic and upgrade. I didn't discover the beautiful "secret" path until the second time.

[jam19872016]

1 minute ago, ninjacat123 said:

My family of four went to Coco Cay in 2007 (I think) before it was upgraded and we thought it was very pretty.  It was our first cruise ever on Majesty of the Seas (I think) or Mariner.  The cruise bug bit us!!😉

I never made it there before the upgrades. First time for me was on Freedom in 2021 (35% capacity).  Hope you get a chance to see it again with the upgrades, if you don't mind that it is built up to include water parks and such, I think you will enjoy it very much! Plenty of free options still as well!

[ninjacat123]

On our second ever cruise on Enchantment of the Seas, we stopped in Ocho Rios.  I booked an excursion with an independent and my DDs (5 & 7) and DH climbed Dunns River Falls (I watched taking pics and scared to death) then we had lunch at Scotchy's (great jerk chicken).  I booked another independent excursion when we visited Ocho Rios a second time.  I agree, without the excursion "security" I would probably stay on the ship as well.

[Itchy&Scratchy]

Just now, ninjacat123 said:

On our second ever cruise on Enchantment of the Seas, we stopped in Ocho Rios.  I booked an excursion with an independent and my DDs (5 & 7) and DH climbed Dunns River Falls (I watched taking pics and scared to death) then we had lunch at Scotchy's (great jerk chicken).  I booked another independent excursion when we visited Ocho Rios a second time.  I agree, without the excursion "security" I would probably stay on the ship as well.

Falmouth is different (and far) from Ocho Rios, imho.

[jam19872016]

4 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

we went there in 2009 before the upgrade and enjoyed it, and we enjoyed it again twice after the pandemic and upgrade. I didn't discover the beautiful "secret" path until the second time.

I've been 29 times and never found the secret path. #30 is the charm?

 

2 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

On our second ever cruise on Enchantment of the Seas, we stopped in Ocho Rios.  I booked an excursion with an independent and my DDs (5 & 7) and DH climbed Dunns River Falls (I watched taking pics and scared to death) then we had lunch at Scotchy's (great jerk chicken).  I booked another independent excursion when we visited Ocho Rios a second time.  I agree, without the excursion "security" I would probably stay on the ship as well.

It is such a shame because it is such a beautiful place but it is sketchy as he double hockey sticks!

 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

7 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

Maybe I need to give Labadee a chance and see if I enjoy that stop also.

you should give it a chance. There is more to it than the beach. I added some photos to my previous post.

Also, you can gawk at the zipliners. 🙂 My DH did the zipline way back when, when it was still $99 and we did fun things other than vegging out on the beach. I think he was just about your age then, lol. Carpe diem, right?

[ninjacat123]

2 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

Falmouth is different (and far) from Ocho Rios, imho.

Look how happy I am that my family survived Dunn’s River falls🤣🤣

[jam19872016]

22 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

Definitely very suitable for a very nice long walk around. Several areas literally off the main path are lovely and walkable, and exercise worthy (a bit of climbing around).

The whole area is a nice, safe tourist zone, and you won't be leaving it.

 

 

 

this building is right next to the beach (Nellie's).

 

 

 

 

We usually go to Nellie's beach, chill and swim, and then walk around in that green area that you see between the ship and barefoot beach. You can access it from the pedestrian path that runs between the ship and the beaches.

 

 

 

 

Yes, that looks like exactly what I like to see when I go on my walks! Nice secluded areas just me and nature! I will have to check that out!

[ninjacat123]

8 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

Falmouth is different (and far) from Ocho Rios, imho.

Yeah, Google Maps says it's an hour and 15 minute drive.

[jam19872016]

8 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

Falmouth is different (and far) from Ocho Rios, imho.

I had to google it to make sure I was not mistaken, but they are just over an hour apart. Most of the interesting tours from here take you to Ocho Rios. 

5 minutes ago, Itchy&Scratchy said:

you should give it a chance. There is more to it than the beach. I added some photos to my previous post.

Also, you can gawk at the zipliners. 🙂 My DH did the zipline way back when, when it was still $99 and we did fun things other than vegging out on the beach. I think he was just about your age then, lol. Carpe diem, right?

Those pictures you posted looked lovely! I will have to give it a try just have to make it past the aggressive vendors. It will be worth it to find those spots that you posted.

 

[jam19872016]

8 minutes ago, ninjacat123 said:

Look how happy I am that my family survived Dunn’s River falls🤣🤣

Looks like you are all having so much fun! When I travel with M she loves to get out and do stuff I will keep Dunn's River in mind for us but probably pay the markup to book through the ship, I don't want to even go third party here 😂

[Itchy&Scratchy]

20 minutes ago, jam19872016 said:

Those pictures you posted looked lovely! I will have to give it a try just have to make it past the aggressive vendors. It will be worth it to find those spots that you posted.

I do believe that the pushy vendors are located in the shopping village (the market)

Edited February 15 by Itchy&Scratchy