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

[MINIDRVR]

Oh my Carolyn, it is sooo hard to believe that they are standing on a SHIP.........I only wish there was a way to have the pictures a little bit bigger cause my eyesight ain't what it used to be :eek:

 

Thanks for checking to see if there will have a DVD of "Building the LARGEST CRUISE SHIP IN THE WORLD" - know they used that title before so they'll have to come up with something different.

 

Would also like to see a picture from a Central Park balcony say from Deck 10 looking out over the Crystal Canopy down to the PR deck........

 

Thanks very much.......have been enjoying all of the info re: Oasis........especially Mr. Fain's blog......what a guy.

[chazg]

Thanks for the updates, My DW is looking at some info for next August, and we are planning to book onboard the Adventure next week.

 

Keep it coming!

[Dan Askin]

Oh my Carolyn, it is sooo hard to believe that they are standing on a SHIP.........I only wish there was a way to have the pictures a little bit bigger cause my eyesight ain't what it used to be :eek:

 

Thanks for checking to see if there will have a DVD of "Building the LARGEST CRUISE SHIP IN THE WORLD" - know they used that title before so they'll have to come up with something different.

 

Would also like to see a picture from a Central Park balcony say from Deck 10 looking out over the Crystal Canopy down to the PR deck........

 

Thanks very much.......have been enjoying all of the info re: Oasis........especially Mr. Fain's blog......what a guy.

 

Sure, here are a couple larger versions.

 

 

 

 

 

[bragstarr]

Carolyn--I had put this on the other thread, but when you take pics of cabins, please do not forget me in my lowly (Cat Q!) inside cabin. Also interested in general decor of the cabins, and if they are following the color themes shown in the pics we've seen of the loft suites.

 

Very jealous--you must be having a ball!

[melissa@cruisecritic]

Hi Carolyn,

It's awfully quiet back here at Cruise Critic headquarters without you -- we're enjoying your posts from Finland! I'm assuming work is going on aboard the ship pretty much 24/7? Thanks for posting pictures, can't wait to see more,

Melissa

[alphakitty]

Sure, here are a couple larger versions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, these are so much better....thanks Dan! Can ya show Carolyn how to post this size?

 

Carolyn.....those small photos are such a tease! Don't you have some magic board powers? j/k :D

 

Loving the blog....and Wow! Meeting royalty even. :)

[mariefisher]

Thank you for your info! Keep it coming.

[cruisinunlimited]

Thanks for the daily updates...would love to see the Grand Suite along with the balcony...

 

Thanks...Karen

[CruisingBrad]

Great photos! Things are coming along really well with Oasis.

[Host Anne]

Carolyn ~ I'm caught between "I don't ever want to sail on something this big" and "I've just got to see this ship." It seems surreal. Will it REALLY feel like you are on a ship? I can't imagine that you'll feel like you are at sea.

 

Thanks for keeping us posted. We wish we were all with you! ENJOY and keep the updates coming!

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Scott, there are lots of interesting ships out there this year and next, aren't there! We're covering them all -- but nothing's quite like Oasis of the Seas....

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn,

 

Thank you for the blog and updates. I have been following Oasis' anticipated arrival this year along with Carnival Dream, Costa Luminosa and Pacifica, MSC Splendida,Celebrity Equinox and the building of Norwegian Epic.

 

Scott

[RayJay]

Oh do I have Oasis fever!! Am booked with 3 others on Jan 2010. Have been on 24 cruises, mostly RCCL. RCCL has the most WOW for the buck for sure!! Have been on Carnival and Cunard but always return to and prefer the big ships of RCCL. Have a great cruise all of you on whatever ship you cruise on!!!!

[Clio1610]

Carolyn - Thank you sooooooooo much for updating your Blog - and more importantly - for posting all your photos !!! :)

 

We just get more & more excited everytime we see any photos of Oasis !!

 

We shall be in a D1 cat Balcony stateroom (would love to see some photos of these if you have chance please ;)) - #11196 on Deck 11 - in 226 Days...13 Hours... 42 Mins... & 12 Secs... and Counting !!!!!!!!!

 

With Best Wishes from the UK !!!

[editor@cruisecritic]

The fact that the highlight of yesterday’s tour of Turku's outlying areas was the chance to stand on the beach at Raisio Marina and take in the gorgeous views of Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas at STX Europe, across the water, mystified our genial tour guide! It wasn’t the only fascinating spot we saw though (admittedly it was for Teijo and me the most fascinating, LOL).

 

The quick facts: Turku is said to have been founded in 1229; it’s location, at the end of many, many miles of an archipelago studded with so many islands that even locals can’t count ‘em, on the River Aura cemented its development.

 

I’m covering in-town attractions today; yesterday’s tour focused on the gorgeous outskirts. If you come here, rent a bike and cycle on the island of Ruissalo (this is the “first” and easiest isle on the archipelago to get to and it’s just gorgeous with bike paths everywhere). Building new structures is no longer allowed here so the houses are 19th century, massive, and full of interesting details. Ruissalo at one time was a summer retreat for the wealthy and it shows. By the way, Finland’s most beautiful golf course – Aura Golf – rings the coastline here and the public can play.

 

These shots were taken from a little, public beach on the sea; see the house? It houses a classic sauna (you can see the dock leading away from it for swimming. After sauna, you always jump in the lake. Even when it’s frozen. Seriously.)

 

Speaking of Finland, the funniest – and also truest – television I’ve seen about the country was Conan O’Brien a couple of years ago. He came in winter and taped an hysterical bit. Funny thing: he looks like he could be the son of Finland’s female president (Tarja Halonen). It’s been said that Halonen’s most recent re-election was due to an elevation in popularity because of O’Brien!

 

Check out the footage on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PAURdVu0zo.

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

Interesting evening in Turku – we took a dinner cruise on Ukkopekka (http://www.ukkopekka.fi/uk/cruises/evening), an historic steamboat, out to this tiny isle in the archipelago. On the ship there’s music, a tapas like starter, Finnish style, with herring and salmon, cocktails and such and after a 1.5 hour cruise we arrived at this little spit of land. Coolest thing beyond a gorgeous sunset (and frigid, blustery wind – kudos for ship for stocking big, warm coats for its passengers) was how close the cruise ferries came to us (including Silja Europa, which I wrote about earlier on thread). Okay, so we’re a bit ship obsessed J

 

Another neat thing: Teijo and I were invited as guests of Cruise Baltic. This is an organization that consists of staffers who work with cruise lines in all the major ports of the Baltic (Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Riga, St. Petersburg, Rostock) and some you’ve probably never heard of (like Finland’s Kemi, jumping off point to Lapland and Santa Claus territory).

 

These folks, in Turku for one of their annual meetings, had gotten to tour Oasis earlier in the day and so I peppered ‘em with questions about impressions and such. Everybody agreed the ship was really big – and they only got two hours to tour it so whirlwind is an overstatement. Highlights:

 

*Several of the women loved the Rising Tide Bar; this is the elevator-cum-bar that rises from the Royal Promenade to Central Park. “Did they serve you drinks,” I asked in fascination. No, but it was still really neat. For me, the Rising Tide bar seems like one of those “you have to try it to get it” features on Oasis, but we’ll see!

 

*And several of the guys (and yet for women there wasn’t a peep) noted that the most fascinating thing about Oasis was how quickly the Aquatheater pool could fill and empty. It was a mechanical thing, I think :)

 

 

More later.

 

Carolyn

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, I'm with you on that one (love smaller, more intimate ships usually but...). I remember when I saw Oasis in the yard last November what I came away with was that despite the scale of the ship, the way it's been designed makes you forgot how large it is. With one caveat and I think this is a positive -- when I was on the Royal Promenade and also on Central Park, there was such a sense of space that it didnt' feel like I was on a ship at all. And that was almost a year ago!

 

I don't know if anyone's gone down memory lane on Oasis' more humble days but here's that link: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/articles.cfm?ID=789.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn ~ I'm caught between "I don't ever want to sail on something this big" and "I've just got to see this ship." It seems surreal. Will it REALLY feel like you are on a ship? I can't imagine that you'll feel like you are at sea.

 

Thanks for keeping us posted. We wish we were all with you! ENJOY and keep the updates coming!

[editor@cruisecritic]

You're welcome! It'll start to get crazy tomorrow :)

 

We will be seeing cabins but I can't report on individual requests alas, still, stay tuned --

 

Thanks, Clio1610.

 

Carolyn

 

Carolyn - Thank you sooooooooo much for updating your Blog - and more importantly - for posting all your photos !!! :)

 

We just get more & more excited everytime we see any photos of Oasis !!

 

We shall be in a D1 cat Balcony stateroom (would love to see some photos of these if you have chance please ;)) - #11196 on Deck 11 - in 226 Days...13 Hours... 42 Mins... & 12 Secs... and Counting !!!!!!!!!

 

With Best Wishes from the UK !!!

[RJL58]

Hi Carolyn, will Oasis have the cantilevered wirlpools like on Freedom class, are they bigger/more Wow etc.

How many flowriders are there as well??

 

Great posts keep up the good work:D.

 

RICH.................................

[38anchor]

Excellent report so far - can't wait for the cabin details.

 

Can you please ask for me if the pools / whirlpools will be freshwater like the Freedom class, or are they reverting back to Sea water.

 

Thanks

[rcllover]

DVD would be great, live coverage on the news, or whatever would be great, but does anyone know if the Travel Channel is planning any

show(s) about her? Sailing in April, CAN"T WAIT!

[wadeham]

Hi Caroline, I sure hope one of the cabin you get to see is the Sky Loft. Wish I could be there.

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Rich. Definitely cantilevered. Know how I know? In photos taken yesterday from the marina opposite the cruise dock you could see 'em on both Allure and Oasis! Photos are on the blog's first page.

 

Hoping to have more exteriors (closer up) tonight!

 

And tomorrow's the first big day of two, when we actually get to go onboard.

 

Carolyn

 

Hi Carolyn, will Oasis have the cantilevered wirlpools like on Freedom class, are they bigger/more Wow etc.

How many flowriders are there as well??

 

Great posts keep up the good work:D.

 

RICH.................................

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, Alphakitty, I'm such a technophobe, don't have a clue. But I'm askin' Dan Askin (ha ha) now --

 

Thanks for the heads up!

 

Carolyn

 

 

 

Oh, these are so much better....thanks Dan! Can ya show Carolyn how to post this size?

 

Carolyn.....those small photos are such a tease! Don't you have some magic board powers? j/k :D

 

Loving the blog....and Wow! Meeting royalty even. :)

[editor@cruisecritic]

Missed this part of your post. I believe it's two flowriders (and each has two) so four people can surf at the same time. I'll double check though.

 

Carolyn

 

Hi Carolyn, will Oasis have the cantilevered wirlpools like on Freedom class, are they bigger/more Wow etc.

How many flowriders are there as well??

 

Great posts keep up the good work:D.

 

RICH.................................

[Tyron]

Hi Carolyn, I'm thoroughly enjoying your reports! :D:D

If you have an opportunity would you let us know if the balcony (ocean view) doors still "slide" open. Thank you! :cool::D