Review of Oasis, 6/4-6/11

This was intended to be a fairly brief review, focusing on personal highlights and low lights. However, I tend to be long-winded when posting online so it came out much longer than I planned. That said, for the most thorough review I’ve ever seen, including compasses, menus, pictures, as well as opinions, I suggest checking out APDMOM’s here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2507498.

Background

This was a family cruise planned by my DW’s parents who were actually on the back end of a B2B. DW and I along with my SIL, BIL, and our 3 and 7 year old nieces joined them for the 2nd half. Needless to say, I didn’t exactly have much say in the scheduling (which is partly why we just booked a last minute repeat Oasis trip for next month when a really low fare popped up yesterday). Anyway, onto the review…

Arrival/Departure

Things couldn’t have run smoother. We always drive to the port and get there early (10:00ish), park in the garage, and wheel our luggage down ourselves. The only minor disappointment was learning that Diamond members no longer get to wait in the cushy terminal section with snacks and beverages like we did when Freedom was here. We were told Oasis has so many suites that they had to reserve that area for suite guests. Oh well, I’ll live. Here’s what I already posted in APDMOM’s thread about departure…

We had an excellent experience leaving. In total, we were a party of 8 with 2 groups of 4, 2 cars, and 2 from the group had just done a B2B. Short version... we had a lot of luggage and 2 cars parked on 2 separate floors. My BIL and I were going to get our 2 cars to bring down to pick-up but the porter who brought our 12 or so suitcases out of the terminal suggested letting him bring the whole cart up to the 2nd floor of the garage where it's less congested. So I went with my BIL to get his car from the 3rd floor and showed him where I had parked on the 2nd so he could re-park right next to me. After a short wait for the porter to get up the elevator, he loaded everything into the appropriate cars and (after a generous tip that we all agreed he earned) we were on our way.

We had an admittedly complicated configuration of cars, people, and luggage, so it might not be the way to go for others (I'm used to my wife and I packing light and wheeling our suitcases right off the ship) but I figured I'd share anyway.

Cabin

9612, ocean view balcony. It was indeed on the warm side as I had read on CC. Some days were cooler than others but we learned on day one to keep the balcony curtains permanently closed. Over the course of my 7 cruises, I have had either an ocean view balcony or an interior. Even if room temperature wasn’t a factor, I’d be perfectly fine saving the money and sticking to interior. DW and I just don’t use our balcony and the smaller rooms are big enough when you only use them to sleep and get changed. Minority opinion, I’m sure, but to each his/her own. It just holds little value for us since we don’t use it and we’ve seen the Caribbean half a dozen times. We’ll get one when we do Alaska. As mentioned, we didn’t plan this trip though and FIL/MIL won’t cruise without a balcony. Our cabin attendant Kadek was very nice and constantly around in the hallway. I’ve had good attendants before but never one that was so ever-present. He also seemed to only have one speed. Even if we had a minor request and told him there was no rush, he took care of it immediately. After asking for ice on day one our bucket was always full. We had also bought a couple dry erase boards for the doors (we thought our nieces would think it was fun to leave notes) and wound up using them to leave him notes on a few occasions which also worked well.

Food

I’m not a big guy but I like to eat. Based on previous experience, I actually started eating healthy about 4 weeks before the cruise and switched to a strict diet for the final 2 weeks. I lost about 9 pounds and was the skinniest I had been in a decade... b/c I knew I would easily gain it all back (and I did).

Breakfast - I’m not one of those “I avoid the Windjammer at all costs” people but on Oasis I did because there was something more unique that I preferred at the smaller venues and the Windjammer basics (eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, oatmeal, etc.) could also be found elsewhere. My biggest problem was that some of my favorite items were spread out over different locations (my solution since DW and I were always the first ones awake was to grab some of those early before more of the family woke up and gathered at a more central location). One was what I refer to as the Park Café McMuffin. I never eat fast food but I enjoyed this fresher version of the McDonald’s classic made with a runny egg. Another was a bagel with salmon which I usually got from the Diamond Lounge. The salmon isn’t the quality of a northeast deli but it was good enough. The Wipeout Café provided the best overall alternative to the Windjammer IMO. It’s the only place besides the MDR to get made-to-order omelets and most of the basic side items previously mentioned. Lastly, I have to give a shout out to Muesli, which I had never even heard of until a previous cruise and is now a breakfast staple for me when I sail. It can be found in the Windjammer, but for any fellow enthusiasts, I learned later in the week than I would have liked that a version that includes bananas can be found in the Solarium Bistro. Additionally, there were more nuts and dried fruits there to be added to both Muesli and oatmeal.

Lunch - Park Café has always been my family’s favorite lunch spot since we were first on Allure 5 years ago and nothing has changed. I think we ate lunch here just about every day. Made to order salad, the famous kummelweck, paninis (3-cheese and Cuban), and the Chihuahua quesadilla (sausage, peppers, and onions) were our favorites. My nieces also got fruit cups here. I was worried when they didn’t have paninis on day one but fortunately that was just an embarkation thing. I passed through other locations but the only other item I’ll mention is, if you feel the need to have a hot dog (or perhaps for kids), the pretzel dog at the Wipeout Café.

Dinner - First, some background for context… DW is very picky so if limited to the MDR, she winds up ordering the standby Caesar salad followed by grilled chicken and veggies almost every night. Between that and our feeling that the food quality had declined over the years, we had actually eaten dinner in the Windjammer on our two previous cruises and enjoyed it very much. However, on Freedom two years ago, their Windjammer had alternating cook-to-order pasta and wok stations. This was not the case on Oasis this cruise. While we never ate dinner here, we popped in after our MDR early seating a few times and the selection seemed less varied and more hit-or-miss. I did notice a Mexican night and a Seafood night (complete with leftover lobster tails) so perhaps it was better than it appeared. We’ll find out next month when we go back to our non-MDR routine. Anyway, we had the MDR for six nights and it was also hit-or-miss. I try to order as much seafood as I can b/c picky DW won’t go near it at home. The lobster on formal night was decent enough for a cruise and better than I had remembered from the last time I tried it, some of the fish was cooked perfectly, but other dishes were subpar. I ordered ahi tuna one night and was told it’s only cooked one way, medium rare (as it should be). Well, mine was drier than canned solid tuna without mayo. BIL had nearly the same experience and asked for soy sauce as a solution. We should have sent it back but didn’t want to extend the meal for the kids. It’s also not a big deal to me to get one bad item when I’m eating so much. As all cruisers know, there’s more of something just around the corner. In general, the MDR seemed to have improved a bit but it really varied from one item to the next. Oh, and the desserts were nothing special and half the table was ordering ice cream. Our lone non-MDR night was at Giovanni’s which everyone enjoyed five years ago on Allure. FIL/MIL has eaten there the previous week and warned us that the filet mignon was very good but the pasta was terrible. DW and I encouraged them to cancel but they’re stubborn and did enjoy the filet. So most of us ordered the filet and we got a few pastas for the table… same experience as the previous week. The filet was good but the carbonara wasn’t traditional carbonara (nor was it good) and the gnocchi was worse (heavy and gluey). The cannolis were pretty tasty for dessert so there was at least one actual Italian item I can recommend.

Additional Food Thoughts – Café Promenade has become disappointing. There used to be new items everyday but we found virtually the same stuff for the entire cruise. Two years ago, the Freedom version also had rice krispy treats (one of DW’s favorite snacks), so she was disappointed to be told that they got rid of them about 7 months ago. Sorrento’s remains what it always has been, a place for a quick, edible slice or two but far from great pizza (although I did like the Mexican on night 7… after several drinks). I didn’t try the Dog House after a bad experience on Allure. It was literally the only complimentary venue I avoided.

Entertainment

Shows aren’t my thing so I’ll keep this brief. Even my wife didn’t want to see Cats based on reviews. My 7yo niece saw some of it with SIL and enjoyed it though. I skipped Fly With Me to watch the US/Trinidad world cup qualifier on my iPad (props to Voom surf & stream, picture was clear in my cabin 95% of the match) but DW thought it was good and we’ll see it next month. We all skipped the headliner who was described as an award winning singer who had worked with Joan Rivers and Don Rickles. That’s way out of our age bracket. The main water show was entertaining as was the comedy water show offered later in the week that doesn’t require reservations (but was totally full). I’m not a fan of the ice shows but it was very well done and everyone enjoyed it, especially the kids. Lastly, we loved one of the two comedians and the other one was decent enough. Reservations fill up quickly due to the tiny comedy theater but I got in the standby line about 45 minutes prior to a 9:00 showing, was 3rd in line, and easily made it in (they let in 10-20 standby’s for that particular show). So if you don’t get a reservation at the time you want and have patience, just get in the standby line early and you should be fine.

Diamond Perks

Again, APDMOM’s thread covers all the details so I’ll just add some opinions.

The DL coffee machine is a massive perk if you’re a coffee drinker. I’m far from a coffee snob and never ever go to overpriced coffee chains like Starbucks. I make coffee at home in an old school drip machine. However, the regular coffee on board is pretty awful. I was in the DL every morning (often so early that no one was there except a couple crew members putting out the coffee and juice; we’re talking way before 7am when the food comes out). I grabbed two to-go cups and sometimes came back for a 3rd (especially if I wanted a bagel). These hold exactly 2 cappuccinos each (if you count one press of the button as a single) so I probably overdid it a bit but I enjoy my morning coffee. I also got a great education from a crew member on how to fully work the machine, including how to add 2nd espresso shot, what some of the various error/help messages mean, and even how to get rid of them. For example, if you see a thermometer icon or a “change filter soon” message, it doesn’t mean the machine won’t work.

The free drinks are of course the biggest perk to most Diamond members and I certainly made use of them. The rules have also been loosened for the better IMO. No one cared about taking your drinks out of the DL (which came in handy with such an early dinner time) and you can now use your 3 free sea pass drinks in the MDR, specialty restaurants, and even WJ. I was incorrectly charged for one in the MDR one night and foolishly went to guest relations instead of the DL concierge to have it rectified. The guest relations agent tried to tell me I could only use them on beer/wine and when I politely explained she was mistaken, whatever superior she called told her she was right. She took the charge off the bill “as a courtesy” anyway and I left it at that since there was no point trying to correct her. I relayed this story to the DL concierge later that day and she thanked me for alerting her so she could rectify it and asked me to come directly to her in the future. I rarely need to bother the concierge but she was extremely nice. She actually had to remove another mistaken charge the next day and after that, if I saw her on a coffee run, I would say “good morning, don’t worry, no erroneous charges today.” I'll probably great her with that line next month although she may not remember me.

Internet

See ADPMOM’s thread for internet tips. If you don’t need surf & stream (or even if you do) and are slightly flexible, there are ways to get an ever better price than just booking pre-cruise for 30% off. Also, FWIW, when FIL/MIL were alone on the ship the week before, they only used their two free days of surf (Diamond perk) and were able to Facetime us despite being told you need surf & stream for that. The picture froze a couple times, but if you’re not trying to watch videos, my feeling is you can probably get away with just surf.

Ports

I almost left this section out because we didn’t plan any excursions. We’ve been going back and forth between eastern and western Caribbean out of Port Canaveral for the past 15 years (it’s just so damn convenient to drive an hour to the port) so we’ve really been cruising mostly for the ships the last several trips (although we did swim with the Dolphins in Cozumel in 2015 and I almost booked a beach resort day in Cozumel this trip).

Labadee - I’m not a beach guy so when the family decided to get off for an hour just to take the girls to the beach, I passed. Nothing to add here that you can’t read elsewhere.

Falmouth - Whole family got off to stretch our legs and just do a lap of the port shops. This was even less worth it than I remembered.

Cozumel - DW and I got off alone with the same plan of just walking the port shops but this was far more enjoyable. My wife found a clothing store with some pretty cool and unique stuff (here’s their US-facing website: https://aygueystore.com/) and the salespeople weren’t pushy at all, unlike those that worked at the more cheap, touristy stores. I’m a sucker for freebies and you couldn’t walk 20 feet without being offered a tequila sample. I’m not even a tequila drinker but I learned on our last trip to Mexico that they have some very interesting flavored versions if regular tequila isn’t your thing (one guy was making reese’s shots by mixing chocolate and peanut flavored teuilas). There was also plenty of cheap beer to be found (2/$3 was the norm as opposed to $5 for a red stripe in Jamaica). As for food, there was a small quick service restaurant there with standard Mexican fare. I can’t say that it was especially authentic just b/c we were in Mexico but it looked decent enough. Lastly, the clothing store my wife bought two shirts from gave us a card for a free margarita at Margaritaville. No purchase necessary and the bartender actually gave us two when I redeemed it (which both became mine since DW barely drinks). They were in small plastic cups and watered down but I told you I’m a sucker for freebies. Anyway, if you’re interested in some day-drinking, it’s very economical here.

Final Thoughts

If I knew how long this would get I might have skipped it altogether. I hope someone found at least some parts useful or interesting. Overall, it was an enjoyable trip, but I selfishly missed planning stuff how DW and I normally do… which is why we’re heading back on Oasis for the July 9th sailing (that and the fact that I got an interior cabin for a base price of $599pp). Is the “sucker for a good deal” theme apparent yet? We actually debated while I had it on hold and didn’t pull the trigger until our hold was < 10 minutes from expiring. We wanted to make sure to come up with enough stuff that we would do differently (in addition to the different ports) and I think we did. When DW told my MIL we booked it, her first response was “Mike better go back on his diet”… and I plan to.

Thanks for reading and I truly hope it wasn’t as boring as I fear. If you have any general questions or comments, fire away!

Thanks for the great review!! We love the Oasis

Thanks for the great review!! We love the Oasis

Yay, I got a response, lol.

I'm still on the fence about Oasis class compared to Freedom. Yet another reason to go back next month, right? :)

Thanks for this nice review. Finally doing Oasis class in October and it was very informative for where to eat!

Thanks for the review Mike.......I'm D+ and been on Oasis a few times with Beatrice in DL, but never thought to see her for erroneous charges. That's a great tip!! Thanks!

Thanks for the review Mike.......I'm D+ and been on Oasis a few times with Beatrice in DL, but never thought to see her for erroneous charges. That's a great tip!! Thanks!

She gets the credit for inviting me to come see her. Glad there was something useful in there for an experienced D+ cruiser.

Thanks for this nice review. Finally doing Oasis class in October and it was very informative for where to eat!

If there's one area about the ship I know about, it's the free food. :')

Glad I helped.

She gets the credit for inviting me to come see her. Glad there was something useful in there for an experienced D+ cruiser.

Been on Oasis twice and booked on her two more times this year, but I read every review on her cause there's still stuff I haven't done yet. I did learn after the first time to bring our own golf balls for the putt putt course. It gets so windy on sea days that the ship's ball move on their own. Of course, we bring the yellow balls so they blend in....ha!

Thanks for an excellent review! I live 90 minutes from Port Canaveral, and will take my first Oasis (and Oasis class) cruise in September. I cannot wait to become Diamond! Just have 8 more nights, which means I will have to book a short cruise after my Sept. 7 night Oasis cruise to get there.

Thanks for an excellent review! I live 90 minutes from Port Canaveral, and will take my first Oasis (and Oasis class) cruise in September. I cannot wait to become Diamond! Just have 8 more nights, which means I will have to book a short cruise after my Sept. 7 night Oasis cruise to get there.

Totally understand. We were sitting on 76 pts in 2014 and took the cheapest 4-night Bahamas cruise from Canaveral we could find just to reach Diamond. I'm a bit spoiled. I didn't start cruising until my honeymoon aboard Voyager in 2002. I married into some C&A points thanks to my wife's family sailing when she was a kid and Voyager was the smallest ship I had ever been on. Stepping onto a ship with no promenade (Enchantment) took some getting used to but we were there to reach Diamond and had a good time (and an even better time on Freedom the following summer).

Thanks for your review. We will be cruising on the Oasis in January. The first time on a ship that size. :eek:.

We will be cruising on the Oasis in January. The first time on a ship that size. :eek:.

Don't sweat it. You've obviously read some reviews so you'll have an idea of what to expect. I suggest taking the first couple days to check out the various venues/sections of the ship. After that, you'll likely find yourself frequenting certain places and avoiding others. Yes, the ship is almost too big to do EVERYTHING but chances are you won't want to do everything. For example, when not with my carousel-loving nieces, I won't go near the Boardwalk except for the water shows.

I enjoyed your review! My first Oasis sailing is coming up for my cousin's wedding in December. There will be a large group of us (around 30 people).

I'm curious - what do you differently when planning your own trips (besides not having a balcony)?

I'm curious - what do you differently when planning your own trips (besides not having a balcony)?

The biggest one is probably that we don't eat at 5:30 and actually don't eat in the MDR at all b/c of DW's pickiness and my preference not to spend 90+ minutes being served hit or miss meals. By extension, I don't lug a suit on board as I'm not a suit guy. I only own the one and it's reserved for weddings and cruise formal nights (when forced to attend), lol. Also by extension, this means we don't have to rush to the Diamond Lounge super early in the cocktail period because dinner is so early. We spent a ton of time in the Freedom DL relaxing before dinner two years ago. That was partially b/c it was up by the Viking Crown when we were there and extremely empty during our cruise for some reason. So we got to know a super nice server very well. She knew us by name, even sat down with us b/c it was THAT empty, and started inventing fruity drinks for DW who doesn't really drink with whatever she could get her hands on. There was still no blender and nothing frozen but she came up with cartons of different juices and even some sort of fruit puree to make random punches with a bit of vodka for her. That was likely a one-time dumb luck great experience, but still, we like relaxing in the DL for a bit before dinner, not having to get dressed and head up there 4:30-5:00 so we can make it back down to the MDR at 5:30.

The other stuff is smaller and less-specific. DW didn't mind the differences as much as I did but it's her family and she's more selfless than I am. Don't get me wrong, I get along with everyone and love my nieces, but we only get to cruise so often and while we could always go do our own thing, we're more likely to gravitate towards doing whatever the family is doing (which is often whatever the kids want). I just like to sit down with the compass at night and plan the next day rather than wake up and see what everyone is doing, base plans around a cranky 3 year old or a moody in-law, etc.

Hopefully that didn't make me sound ungrateful or overly selfish. I really do get along great with my in-laws and am extremely grateful that they have taken us on a family cruise every 5 years since 2007 (when we've all had milestone anniversaries in the vicinity of June).

I enjoyed your review also. I'm going on Oasis with my husband and two kids in April. It's their first cruise and my first in about 14 years. I appreciate reading all of the reviews and getting different perspectives and tips.

I completely understand wanting to go on vacation with just your wife. We did a vacation with my in laws a couple of years ago. We all get along great but I'll never do it again.

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I'll never do it again.

Coincidentally also a direct quote from my FIL as we drove home after the cruise (with just my wife and her parents in the car as we're the good kids and not his inspiration).

Coincidentally also a direct quote from my FIL as we drove home after the cruise (with just my wife and her parents in the car as we're the good kids and not his inspiration).

That's so funny. If I ever see you on a cruise, I'm sure we could swap stories. My BIL still refers to the time on our trip when his mother "fell silent for a day." [emoji23]

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The biggest one is probably that we don't eat at 5:30 and actually don't eat in the MDR at all b/c of DW's pickiness and my preference not to spend 90+ minutes being served hit or miss meals. By extension, I don't lug a suit on board as I'm not a suit guy. I only own the one and it's reserved for weddings and cruise formal nights (when forced to attend), lol. Also by extension, this means we don't have to rush to the Diamond Lounge super early in the cocktail period because dinner is so early. We spent a ton of time in the Freedom DL relaxing before dinner two years ago. That was partially b/c it was up by the Viking Crown when we were there and extremely empty during our cruise for some reason. So we got to know a super nice server very well. She knew us by name, even sat down with us b/c it was THAT empty, and started inventing fruity drinks for DW who doesn't really drink with whatever she could get her hands on. There was still no blender and nothing frozen but she came up with cartons of different juices and even some sort of fruit puree to make random punches with a bit of vodka for her. That was likely a one-time dumb luck great experience, but still, we like relaxing in the DL for a bit before dinner, not having to get dressed and head up there 4:30-5:00 so we can make it back down to the MDR at 5:30.

 

The other stuff is smaller and less-specific. DW didn't mind the differences as much as I did but it's her family and she's more selfless than I am. Don't get me wrong, I get along with everyone and love my nieces, but we only get to cruise so often and while we could always go do our own thing, we're more likely to gravitate towards doing whatever the family is doing (which is often whatever the kids want). I just like to sit down with the compass at night and plan the next day rather than wake up and see what everyone is doing, base plans around a cranky 3 year old or a moody in-law, etc.

 

Hopefully that didn't make me sound ungrateful or overly selfish. I really do get along great with my in-laws and am extremely grateful that they have taken us on a family cruise every 5 years since 2007 (when we've all had milestone anniversaries in the vicinity of June).

Makes sense to me! I enjoy traveling with extended family but also enjoy not having them around. I always like to hear about what other people's pace is, it gives me ideas and other perspectives to try out.

Enjoyed your review! We are on in two months and I appreciated reading your food dos and donts. Hope you'll write a mini review when you return next month [emoji3]

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Thanks for the review, really enjoyed it. One day we'll try an Oasis class ship before I get too old to walk it. Lol. We're not Diamond yet, but we do like getting the beverage package and try different drinks.

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This is my third attempt trying to reply to your post. I really enjoyed your review and did not think it was too long.

When we complete our cruise in November, we will become Diamond. Never thought we would ever become Diamond.

I'm curious - what do you differently when planning your own trips (besides not having a balcony)?

I just wanted to respond again to thank you for asking this question. It has inspired me to start a list of things to do/try/eat that are different from last week's cruise. We had already casually discussed some stuff of course but this should provide maximum variety and hopefully we'll stumble onto something new that becomes a future cruise staple.

I just wanted to respond again to thank you for asking this question. It has inspired me to start a list of things to do/try/eat that are different from last week's cruise. We had already casually discussed some stuff of course but this should provide maximum variety and hopefully we'll stumble onto something new that becomes a future cruise staple.

I'd be interested in that list when you're done!

Thanks for your review. The beer is really cheap in Cozumel!

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We will be on the July 9th cruise. I will have to read the other review you linked up.

Good insights.

I'm jealous of all the people who live in driving distance. I have to wait for airline miles to build up.

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