Formulagod

My wife and I took our very first cruise several weeks ago. I posted the story below on the First Time Cruiser forum, and it was suggested I post it here.

Enjoy!

My wife and I, (both cruise virgins) boarded the RC Oasis of the Seas on 04/09/16. Our 7-day cruise consisted of stops in Labadee Haiti, Falmouth Jamaica, and Cozumel Mexico. Some people on this forum made mention that I picked the best ship to go on for our first venture, and others stated the complete opposite. Let's just say this-I have no regrets in booking the Oasis. Not one bit.

I booked the trip and flight through RC. Took care of everything all at once. It just seemed easier this way. Everything was emailed to me, and everything was printed immediately. Nice and easy experience.

We had shuttle passes from the airport (Ft. Lauderdale) to Port Everglades. Waste of money. The second you leave the airport you can basically see the ship. Grab a taxi and save some $$$.

Checking in was relatively painless, and took about 15 minutes.

Once we got on the ship, we were shocked at the absolute size of this thing. More her than I, as I've been watching youtube videos for four months prior. Yup, i was that guy. This was all a surprise to her, as it was our 10 year anniversary.

We did the typical "Wave to the rich people on oceanfront property" thing as we set sail. Cheesy, yet, kinda expected. To the bar!!!

I almost never drink frozen drinks, but let me tell you, watching the bartenders make them gets you wanting one real quick. And I did. About 10-12 a day. Its easy when you are baking on the pool deck and solarium, trust me. I made use of the premium package. And a few vodka/crans a day.

The wife isn't much of a drinker, she got the Royal Replenish package. She did get the wine pairing over dinner at 150 Central Park, which was excellent.

Speaking of which, I'm a bit of a food snob, so I booked the 5-night restaurant package. I think it was $120 per person. It got us five dinners at the pay restaurants. Completely worth it. So five of our dinners on the cruise were formal, plus lobster night in the main dining room, which we only ate at ONCE. All the pay restaurants were very good-excellent. I highly suggest this package.

Our room was nice, we got a Central Park view balcony cabin. Quiet at night. I'm sure the Boardwalk balconies are considerably noisy w/ all the shows coming from the stage, Boardwalk activities, screamers on the zip line above, and late night movies on the big screen.

Day one was spent touring the ship, hanging out in the solarium and whirlpools, and just taking it all in. My wife decided to check out the excursion tour presentations. I poked my head in on one of them and heard just what i thought was going to happen. A representative from the ship telling everyone where to shop, what to look for in gems and diamonds etc. Its no secret that the ships get a kickback on all purchases. After all, the vendors ALWAYS ask what ship you came off of while making a transaction, and they ALWAYS make a notation for their records.

I wasnt going to ruin my wifes fun. She bee-bopped to all the stores on the maps and collected all the free "gold" charms for the charm bracelet they gave her on day one. (essentially scrap gold/metal pressed to a paper thin charm) I busted her stones a little for falling for the traps. She showed me up by going to the Diamond Exchange and buying a $3,800 diamond ring in Cozumel. Oh well. She said it was her response to me buying a $14,000 engine/transmission for a car I'm building the week before. I think I still made out.

Time on the ship was great. We skipped CATS, because, well, its CATS, and I didnt need a three-hour nap. The belly flop competition was an absolute riot, and the outside water shows were all in all pretty damn good. Come Fly with Me was amazing. Amazing. The adult comedy shows were much better than anticipated, absolutely hilarious. The Quest interactive game show was an absolute laugh riot. We didn't check out the Karaoke; although I wish I had. There was a few sales going on the ship at various times. All articulated well on the cruise planner that they give you every morning. I'm a bit of a watch freak, so I had to check it out. The model watches (Citizen, Invicta, Tag Huer, Zenith, etc) were all good. All real, trust me. They were just older models (6 months-2 years) but were all good deals. 25-70% off. I bought a Fossil and a Citizen that I've been looking for. I got it for about $100 less than the last time I saw it about 6 months ago.

Labadee Haiti

Labadee was cool. We got off the ship pretty early and secured a spot at Columbus Cove based upon several recommendations. Powder sand, no shells, coral, or seaweed. Just crystal clear water. Most of the kids were hanging in the waterpark area. I gave a local bartender $20 to run me over a drink every 30 minutes or so, and he was happy to oblige. The bar was only about 50 meters away. If you go to the side of the island where the zipline is, you'll notice it to be darker, rockier, and a considerable amount of seaweed/coral. The side of the island facing the ship is MUCH more appealing, and less trafficked. They had a few barbecue spots around the island for those on the cruise ships. Obviously, no charge. Other than the $20 I gave the bartender, we didn't spend another penny at Labadee.

Falmouth Jamaica.

Very nice. Once you get off of the ship, everything was RIGHT THERE. Wife and I did a food cooking class "excursion" that I booked a few weeks earlier. We got on the same bus as the ATV tour and traveled about an hour to our destination. Up on the hill, in a giant house, we toured the herb gardens. We then met with our instructor and cooked an awesome lunch. Coconut shrimp, jerk chicken, rice, greens, plantains, and some fritters. Amazing. Pricey, ($110 p/p) but the experience, food, and view made it all worth it.

Cozumel Mexico.

Apparently, there are new forum shops, down from where the previous ones were. You have to go through a gauntlet maze of small kiosks and situated stores to find the taxis to go to the "strip" (AKA forum shops.)

I wanted some authentic Mexican food, so we obviously passed on the Margaritaville, Hard Rock Cafe and Chilis. Panchos Backyard it was. It was a touristy spot for sure, but far from chain restaurant quality.

Central Park was really nice and free from noise and general heavy attendance. Three of the pay restaurants were located here. A little lizard crawled out of the shrubs and dry humped my toe as I was sitting at a bench. Creep. A couple of birds made CP their home, which was pretty neat.

Casino Royale was a nice break. I was a little upset that the nightly Texas Hold Em sit and go tournaments never kicked off due to lack of players. Too bad, because I was itching for a little poker.

Blackjack did well for me, as did the Wheel of Fortune slot for my wife. We cleared $440 one night. Time to cash out!

During the entire trip, photographers were taking pics-everywhere. Restaurants, shops, pools, decks, shows, piers, etc. You get the picture. The Oasis had a cleverly located open forum photo store that you can access your photos. Yup, we fell for it. Another $229

All in all, it was a blast. 7 days was a good time frame, although we both missed our 6yr old son who was hanging out at her parents house for the week.

No matter, because we just booked the Harmony of the Seas for 04/08/17. He'll be joining us on this next excursion.

:D

My wife and I, (both cruise virgins) boarded the RC Oasis of the Seas on 04/09/16. Our 7-day cruise consisted of stops in Labadee Haiti, Falmouth Jamaica, and Cozumel Mexico. Some people on this forum made mention that I picked the best ship to go on for our first venture, and others stated the complete opposite. Let's just say this-I have no regrets in booking the Oasis. Not one bit.

I booked the trip and flight through RC. Took care of everything all at once. It just seemed easier this way. Everything was emailed to me, and everything was printed immediately. Nice and easy experience.

We had shuttle passes from the airport (Ft. Lauderdale) to Port Everglades. Waste of money. The second you leave the airport you can basically see the ship. Grab a taxi and save some $$$.

Checking in was relatively painless, and took about 15 minutes.

Once we got on the ship, we were shocked at the absolute size of this thing. More her than I, as I've been watching youtube videos for four months prior. Yup, i was that guy. This was all a surprise to her, as it was our 10 year anniversary.

We did the typical "Wave to the rich people on oceanfront property" thing as we set sail. Cheesy, yet, kinda expected. To the bar!!! :D

I almost never drink frozen drinks, but let me tell you, watching the bartenders make them gets you wanting one real quick. And I did. About 10-12 a day. Its easy when you are baking on the pool deck and solarium, trust me. I made use of the premium package. And a few vodka/crans a day. :D

The wife isn't much of a drinker, she got the Royal Replenish package. She did get the wine pairing over dinner at 150 Central Park, which was excellent.

Speaking of which, I'm a bit of a food snob, so I booked the 5-night restaurant package. I think it was $120 per person. It got us five dinners at the pay restaurants. Completely worth it. So five of our dinners on the cruise were formal, plus lobster night in the main dining room, which we only ate at ONCE. All the pay restaurants were very good-excellent. I highly suggest this package.

Our room was nice, we got a Central Park view balcony cabin. Quiet at night. I'm sure the Boardwalk balconies are considerably noisy w/ all the shows coming from the stage, Boardwalk activities, screamers on the zip line above, and late night movies on the big screen.

Day one was spent touring the ship, hanging out in the solarium and whirlpools, and just taking it all in. My wife decided to check out the excursion tour presentations. I poked my head in on one of them and heard just what i thought was going to happen. A representative from the ship telling everyone where to shop, what to look for in gems and diamonds etc. Its no secret that the ships get a kickback on all purchases. After all, the vendors ALWAYS ask what ship you came off of while making a transaction, and they ALWAYS make a notation for their records.

I wasnt going to ruin my wifes fun. She bee-bopped to all the stores on the maps and collected all the free "gold" charms for the charm bracelet they gave her on day one. (essentially scrap gold/metal pressed to a paper thin charm) I busted her stones a little for falling for the traps. She showed me up by going to the Diamond Exchange and buying a $3,800 diamond ring in Cozumel. Oh well. She said it was her response to me buying a $14,000 engine/transmission for a car I'm building the week before. I think I still made out. :D

Time on the ship was great. We skipped CATS, because, well, its CATS, and I didnt need a three-hour nap. The belly flop competition was an absolute riot, and the outside water shows were all in all pretty damn good. Come Fly with Me was amazing. Amazing. The adult comedy shows were much better than anticipated, absolutely hilarious. The Quest interactive game show was an absolute laugh riot. We didn't check out the Karaoke; although I wish I had. There was a few sales going on the ship at various times. All articulated well on the cruise planner that they give you every morning. I'm a bit of a watch freak, so I had to check it out. The model watches (Citizen, Invicta, Tag Huer, Zenith, etc) were all good. All real, trust me. They were just older models (6 months-2 years) but were all good deals. 25-70% off. I bought a Fossil and a Citizen that I've been looking for. I got it for about $100 less than the last time I saw it about 6 months ago.

Labadee Haiti

Labadee was cool. We got off the ship pretty early and secured a spot at Columbus Cove based upon several recommendations. Powder sand, no shells, coral, or seaweed. Just crystal clear water. Most of the kids were hanging in the waterpark area. I gave a local bartender $20 to run me over a drink every 30 minutes or so, and he was happy to oblige. The bar was only about 50 meters away. If you go to the side of the island where the zipline is, you'll notice it to be darker, rockier, and a considerable amount of seaweed/coral. The side of the island facing the ship is MUCH more appealing, and less trafficked. They had a few barbecue spots around the island for those on the cruise ships. Obviously, no charge. Other than the $20 I gave the bartender, we didn't spend another penny at Labadee.

Falmouth Jamaica.

Very nice. Once you get off of the ship, everything was RIGHT THERE. Wife and I did a food cooking class "excursion" that I booked a few weeks earlier. We got on the same bus as the ATV tour and traveled about an hour to our destination. Up on the hill, in a giant house, we toured the herb gardens. We then met with our instructor and cooked an awesome lunch. Coconut shrimp, jerk chicken, rice, greens, plantains, and some fritters. Amazing. Pricey, ($110 p/p) but the experience, food, and view made it all worth it.

Cozumel Mexico.

Apparently, there are new forum shops, down from where the previous ones were. You have to go through a gauntlet maze of small kiosks and situated stores to find the taxis to go to the "strip" (AKA forum shops.)

I wanted some authentic Mexican food, so we obviously passed on the Margaritaville, Hard Rock Cafe and Chilis. Panchos Backyard it was. It was a touristy spot for sure, but far from chain restaurant quality.

Central Park was really nice and free from noise and general heavy attendance. Three of the pay restaurants were located here. A little lizard crawled out of the shrubs and dry humped my toe as I was sitting at a bench. Creep. A couple of birds made CP their home, which was pretty neat.

Casino Royale was a nice break. I was a little upset that the nightly Texas Hold Em sit and go tournaments never kicked off due to lack of players. Too bad, because I was itching for a little poker.

Blackjack did well for me, as did the Wheel of Fortune slot for my wife. We cleared $440 one night. Time to cash out!

During the entire trip, photographers were taking pics-everywhere. Restaurants, shops, pools, decks, shows, piers, etc. You get the picture. The Oasis had a cleverly located open forum photo store that you can access your photos. Yup, we fell for it. Another $229

All in all, it was a blast. 7 days was a good time frame, although we both missed our 6yr old son who was hanging out at her parents house for the week.

No matter, because we just booked the Harmony of the Seas for 7/15/17. He'll be joining us on this next excursion.

:)

My wife and I are about to finish our first cruise. We got the little form to declare what we purchased. How much of this is expected/necessary? Is there an allowance? Is there tax fees associated?

We purchased about 2k in jewelry; most at the ports, that's about it.

Nevermind! Found everything I need!:D

I'll be on the Oasis departing to see on April 9th. Any particular tips for these three ports? I tried searching around here a bit, but I keep getting convoluted links that bring me back to the original post. Weird.

Any help would be much, much appreciated!

It sounds as though the individual being paged was not being Cooper-ative. :D

I laughed.:D

Well, after ten years of marriage, I've decided that my beautiful wife deserves quite the anniversary vacation after dealing with me for so long. We are both 36, and this will be our first cruise. After a bit of research and speaking with friends who have been on several cruises on various cruise lines, I've decided on RCCL. The timing was going to be tough. My wife is a teacher and it had to be timed during her school/spring break. After checking availability dates, I found that RCCL Oasis was scheduled for a 7-day excursion from 4/9-4/16. Perfect. Overkill for a first timer? Subjective, I suppose.

Anyhow. I've been watching YouTube videos on the Allure/Oasis, and have been poaching the forums for a while, reading up on everything I can. Haven't looked into tips/suggestions yet; I'm sure I'll get around to it sooner or later.

Anyhow, looking forward to it.

This trip is a 100% surprise. She thinks that we are going to Ft.Lauderdale on a week vacation filled with various activities that I planned out. I know she wants to do a cruise; so there is certainly no chance that she'll be mad about it.

If any of you guys have any info I should know, or are planning the same trip I am- sound off. I'd love to hear from you.