What do you want to know about Oasis of the Seas AND Turku, Finland?

[mariefisher]

I will ask away Wed.

[flames]

Hi, Carol. I've asked, they won't tell (yet!).

 

Carolyn

 

Thank You Carolyn, I will keep watching for the news on the God Mother;)

 

Carol:)

[pscruzinboyz]

You're right -- all of the windows above the Aqua Theater are used for lighting, studio, technical stuff, etc.!

 

Carolyn

 

Thank you all, We were wondering................Now the question will be is it going to noise.............Probably not but you never know! I still like having the very last room overlooking the theater, wont have to ask the next door neighbor to step back a pinch for a better veiw...............Oh ya, they will have to ask us.............For a nice Foo Foo drink, I think we can do.........:):):)

 

Mike B.

[Dan Askin]

Just put up a cool new video showing the view passengers will have from a Central Park Balcony cabin:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1002

[patrob68]

Hi Carolyn,

 

Were you able to find out if there will be a connoisseur club onboard?

 

Thanks and great job!

[Master0396]

 

is this the picture oof the boardwalk balcony stateroom?

[OV8]

Carolyn - any opinions on what deck 6 & 8 are like with the various neighborhoods/attractions just down or across the hallway from the cabins?

[florfina]

Just put up a cool new video showing the view passengers will have from a Central Park Balcony cabin:

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1002

 

 

Thanks for the video. That is a lot of cabins staring at each other, wonder how much you will be able to have the shades open:confused:

[dbowe5]

Hi

This is my first time posting so apologies if this is a stoopid question!

 

Does anyone have an inside tip on who will be the entertainer in the pub on the promenade?

 

On the Liberty we had Mark B and he was the tops! but on the Independence it was an aussie called Shane and he constantly had a face like a pirates flag!! Fingers crossed for Mark B!!

 

Thx

 

Previous Cruises

March 2007 - Costa Magica - Western Carribean

July 2007 - Carnival Destiny - Southern Carribean

July 2008 Liberty of The Seas - Eastern Carribean

March 2009 - Independence of the Seas - Back to back Carribean

January 2010 - Oasis of the Seas - Yeah Baby!!!!

[cruzingduo]

Any idea if the Jr Suites will have a bathtub?

[I Church]

Hi, they didn't officially show any inside cabins but I did see one and thought it looked bigger than usual -- so that's good news!

 

For all, aside from insides which have a little bit more flexibility in furniture lay-out, all standard cabins (from outsides to verandah and from boardwalk to Central Park) all have, by and large, the exact same look. Same style chair, same color scheme, same bathroom, same vanity/desk area, same (admittedly fab) flat screen HDTV.

 

The only significant difference and it's minor is that for those cabins with balconies, the BW and CP have curved balconies while the "regular" exterior balconies are more rectangular.

 

Carolyn

 

Thank you for answering my questions. We did a cabin crawl on the Solstice in March and found out that what you said was very true. Only seemed to be a difference in the bathrooms and balcony's. All even had the same color and pictures on the wall.

 

My question to you is this - Are any of the staff that will be on the Oasis there yet? There were quite a few of our staff friends from the Freedom that were going to the Oasis,:) which we were so please to hear. Michael the Host for Chops said he would be in Chops on the Oasis, sure hope that is true. He helped us celebrate our 53rd anniversary in June and now we hope he will help us celebrate my husband's 75th birthday in Dec. He and my husband were both born in the same hospital in Lansing Michigan.

 

I was wondering about the entertainment for the Oasis since the on-line sign up had the list of shows and they seemed to be the ones from the Freedom in June... I suppose that well seasoned entertainers might be the best for this huge new ship. Thanks for any input you can make. We are enjoying your tour.

 

Irene & Miles

[editor@cruisecritic]

One of the most interesting conversations I had this week -- rather last week -- at Oasis of the Seas was with the ship's hotel director Raimund Gschaider on the topic of crew.

 

Here's a video in which he talks about how you staff a ship like this -- and how the staffing works while Oasis is still under construction. Apologies for the abrupt end -- my battery ran out!

 

Carolyn

 

 

[editor@cruisecritic]

Ok, so I shouldn't quit my day job to become a videographer :) -- it is pretty hard to hear what Raimund is saying -- so I'll recap. Basically he's got a skeleton crew onboard now (mostly housekeeping staff -- who by the way and at this point aren't doing much cleaning; cleaning is outsourced to a local firm).

 

Speaking of cleaning, it was interesting to see how feverishly the Finnish staffers were about cleaning up all parts of the ship. You think, "since it's under construction and dusty as heck, why bother?" But it's important because debris and dust could contribute handily to a fire. So it's a preventative measure. Mind you, there's not cleaning everywhere, particularly not in places that are seriously in the middle of construction. But I noticed a lot of it going on on the cabin decks....

 

Back to Raimund. He said that by the end of September, some 180 crew will be working and living here. And then after the ship returns from its second sea trials, in early October, another 600 will report to duty. They'll mostly be involved with loading supplies and furnishings and such on the ship. And the remaining 1,300 will fly to Turku and board the ship sometime before it departs the shipyard (tentatively scheduled for October 30), heading across the Atlantic.

 

As I think I noted in an earlier post, 95 percent of the crew is experienced with Royal Caribbean (that's pretty amazing). No more than 9 percent of any one ship's staffers will be pulled for Oasis, however (comes in handy that RCI has 20-plus ships). And the 5 percent that are new? As we were told in a press conference last week, they're new because the need for their specialized services never existed for the cruise line (like zipline instructors and horticulturists).

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

On our way off the ship and across the yard, we came across three guys who were busy unloading cleaning supplies off a huge truck. They didn't look Finnish, LOL (all three are from Caribbean isles) and indeed, are part of the core housekeeping team that's already here.

 

They'll be involved in unloading some 300 containers that will be shipped here. Right now they're putting them in a storage shed -- too soon to cart stuff onboard.

 

Photo's below. From left to right, Marvin Connolly comes from Independence of the Seas, Hendrick Munroe is also off Indy, and Al Webster last worked on Liberty of the Seas. Nice guys --

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, I literally just posted a couple of messages about staff!

 

Re entertainment, okay, here goes:

 

*The Aqua Theater will have a welcome aboard show and others that are diving, singing, light & water shows like at Vegas' Bellagio. The big production is Oasis of Dreams and its dive cast will consist of a dozen divers and six acrobatic types.

 

*On the Boardwalk there will be daytime family festivals with music and themes like pirates and circus and "under the sea"

 

*You can take scuba lessons by the way in the Aqua Theater poll (presumably not during diving expeditions :) ) and the pool will be open to pax when not being otherwise used.

 

*Central Park will be less frenzied, entertainment wise, but there will be garden tours with horitculturists, strolling performers (guitar, bagpipes) and soft jazz and string trios.

 

*The big "indoor" show is of course "Hairspray," the first true Broadway show to be performed on any cruise ship. It's 90 minutes long, a length which has raised eyebrows (shows on ships much shorter). The Opal Theater will also host "Come Fly With Me" which is a Cirque du Soleil type gig with aerial performers and dancers.

 

*Royal Promenade will have parades like Rockin' Rhythm Nation and Lollapalooza.

 

*The On Air Club will host the same stuff it already hosts on other ships in the fleet, such as karakoke, trivia, sporting events.

 

*The comedy club looks really cool -- it's at the entrance to Studio B (which will have ice skating, natch) -- and is designed in a NY subway style. Looks interesting.

 

*We heard so much about the Dazzles nightclub (how gorgeous it was) but didn't see it on the tour. Richard Fain, RCI's CEO, was really disappointed that the shipyard wouldn't let us go (the shipyard's boss on these tours cause work is still going on and it's important not to disrupt it).

 

Carolyn

 

Thank you for answering my questions. We did a cabin crawl on the Solstice in March and found out that what you said was very true. Only seemed to be a difference in the bathrooms and balcony's. All even had the same color and pictures on the wall.

 

My question to you is this - Are any of the staff that will be on the Oasis there yet? There were quite a few of our staff friends from the Freedom that were going to the Oasis,:) which we were so please to hear. Michael the Host for Chops said he would be in Chops on the Oasis, sure hope that is true. He helped us celebrate our 53rd anniversary in June and now we hope he will help us celebrate my husband's 75th birthday in Dec. He and my husband were both born in the same hospital in Lansing Michigan.

 

I was wondering about the entertainment for the Oasis since the on-line sign up had the list of shows and they seemed to be the ones from the Freedom in June... I suppose that well seasoned entertainers might be the best for this huge new ship. Thanks for any input you can make. We are enjoying your tour.

 

Irene & Miles

[editor@cruisecritic]

Of course there will also be entertainment in the bars and lounges, with old favorites like Bolero's (Latin dance music), Schooner Bar (piano), etc. And Rising Tide, which is what I call the "elevator bar" (cause it rises between deck 5's Royal Promenade and deck 8's Central Park) is really interesting. We got to take a ride (no cocktails, alas, and the bar wasn't in yet). It's definitely a curiosity, can't see it being a regular spot. But a cool experience....

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

At Cruise Critic's weekly editorial meeting today, I asked staffers: what about Oasis of the Seas' coverage from last week most intrigues you? The answer from 5 out of 7? Cupcakes. Seriously, am I the only person who doesn't get the cupcake craze, LOL? I mean they're nice and all but....

 

Copy editor Ashley got so inspired she went out to the store and bought some for us. Think her rationale for why cupcakes are so hot is interesting: they're small enough that you don't feel guilty for having one....

 

You could say the same about donuts :)

 

Carolyn

[nanfromatlanta]

At Cruise Critic's weekly editorial meeting today, I asked staffers: what about Oasis of the Seas' coverage from last week most intrigues you? The answer from 5 out of 7? Cupcakes. Seriously, am I the only person who doesn't get the cupcake craze, LOL? I mean they're nice and all but....

 

Copy editor Ashley got so inspired she went out to the store and bought some for us. Think her rationale for why cupcakes are so hot is interesting: they're small enough that you don't feel guilty for having one....

 

You could say the same about donuts :)

 

Carolyn

 

I'm with you. I don't get it either... :confused:

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, all, and thanks so much for coming along on the Oasis shipyard journey to Turku!

 

We're going to wind this thread up tomorrow afternoon so if there are any final comments or questions, please post 'em soon. And if I missed answering your question, please ask again!

 

Will post final messages on this particular trip tomorrow morning. But by no means does that mean Oasis mania on Cruise Critic is over; it's only just now getting started! So stay tuned.

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

You definitely access the cabins via a dedicated hallway that feels just like any normal hallway, best I can tell. I do think the Boardwalk neighborhood is going to be more lively (read: noisy) so if you want peace and quiet I wouldn't book a cabin there.

 

Also, as much as the boardwalk/Central Park concept intrigues there's not much privacy. Standing on a boardwalk balcony, it felt like a promenade view cabin (with a lot more to look at). But everyone can see you and everyone can see into your stateroom.

 

If you want to chill out and look at the horizon, I'd suggest a plain 'ol balcony exterior cabin ).

 

Our travel agent, when we booked our Central Park cabin, recommended we be on deck 10, right in the middle, not too close to the park itself and not too close to the pool deck above....

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn - any opinions on what deck 6 & 8 are like with the various neighborhoods/attractions just down or across the hallway from the cabins?

[editor@cruisecritic]

Yes indeedy, it is.

 

Carolyn

 

 

is this the picture oof the boardwalk balcony stateroom?

[Cruiserccl]

Hi, all, and thanks so much for coming along on the Oasis shipyard journey to Turku!

 

We're going to wind this thread up tomorrow afternoon so if there are any final comments or questions, please post 'em soon. And if I missed answering your question, please ask again!

 

Will post final messages on this particular trip tomorrow morning. But by no means does that mean Oasis mania on Cruise Critic is over; it's only just now getting started! So stay tuned.

 

Carolyn

 

[Elizanessie]

Our travel agent, when we booked our Central Park cabin, recommended we be on deck 10, right in the middle, not too close to the park itself and not too close to the pool deck above....

 

Carolyn

 

What sailing are you booked on Carolyn?

[DEIx15x8]

Hi, I literally just posted a couple of messages about staff!

 

Re entertainment, okay, here goes:

 

*The Aqua Theater will have a welcome aboard show and others that are diving, singing, light & water shows like at Vegas' Bellagio. The big production is Oasis of Dreams and its dive cast will consist of a dozen divers and six acrobatic types.

 

*On the Boardwalk there will be daytime family festivals with music and themes like pirates and circus and "under the sea"

 

*You can take scuba lessons by the way in the Aqua Theater poll (presumably not during diving expeditions :) ) and the pool will be open to pax when not being otherwise used.

 

*Central Park will be less frenzied, entertainment wise, but there will be garden tours with horitculturists, strolling performers (guitar, bagpipes) and soft jazz and string trios.

 

*The big "indoor" show is of course "Hairspray," the first true Broadway show to be performed on any cruise ship. It's 90 minutes long, a length which has raised eyebrows (shows on ships much shorter). The Opal Theater will also host "Come Fly With Me" which is a Cirque du Soleil type gig with aerial performers and dancers.

 

*Royal Promenade will have parades like Rockin' Rhythm Nation and Lollapalooza.

 

*The On Air Club will host the same stuff it already hosts on other ships in the fleet, such as karakoke, trivia, sporting events.

 

*The comedy club looks really cool -- it's at the entrance to Studio B (which will have ice skating, natch) -- and is designed in a NY subway style. Looks interesting.

 

*We heard so much about the Dazzles nightclub (how gorgeous it was) but didn't see it on the tour. Richard Fain, RCI's CEO, was really disappointed that the shipyard wouldn't let us go (the shipyard's boss on these tours cause work is still going on and it's important not to disrupt it).

 

Carolyn

 

Does that mean that on the first night there is a standard welcome aboard show being held or is this the captains welcome aboard party on the second night? Also does this mean that we need to watch out for these two shows when we reserve our nightly shows?

[theorbo]

Was anything said in Turku about revisions or changes to Allure based on progress with Oasis? Thanks for all the other info - this has been a great thread!