cruzeluver

"When I told the future cruise rep this he rather sheepishly explained that they are sometimes beaten by the big agencies who block buy cabins and then need to sell them off as final payment date approaches."

That was our recent experience. Due to a block of rooms being held, my TA got us a 2C balcony on Summit next Spring with a refundable deposit for less than the cheapest ocean view selling with a non-refundable deposit. Crazy.

No contest. I would choose Sunshine by a mile. Sailed her twice with a third coming up later this year. Has plenty to do for a ship her size, a whole lot of food options, the only three deck high Serenity in the fleet and on  and on.

Not a fan of Fantasy-class ships which includes Sensation. Very dated looking with limited venues. 

Nice review! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. In general, we are more Royal people than Carnival people but there is something about Sunshine we love. Have done several of Royal''s larger ships and still enjoy Sunshine quite a lot. Will be back on board for the third time in October to Bermuda. Can't wait!!

The open, wrap-around deck. Loved evening walks all the way around the ship.

Happily following along. Have a great week. We board Oasis in three weeks. Will be our third time on this lovely ship. Bringing my parents along who are not new to cruising but are new to Royal.

We have sailed out of Canaveral many times including twice on Oasis with a third coming up next month. Never had an issue to speak of. Very efficiently run terminal.

Not really sure what the OP expects corporate to do with this letter due to a complete lack of details. What made the food poor quality? Just saying its bad is of no help.

We have been purchasing the 5 night package but not for the reasons indicated by the OP. Food in the main dining room is perfectly fine, but the crowds and noise levels (particularly in the anytime dining sections of the larger ships) have gotten to the point that its most unpleasant. We like having a variety of dining experiences which the package affords, the more attentive service and quieter atmosphere. 

We have seen him a couple of times (it is the man pictured above, not a group), most recently in July on Oasis. He's terrific! He cracks a mean whip, sings and is full of humor.

Sorry I haven't been back to this thread.

Yes, we did reserve all of the shows ahead of time. While it is not in stone, around 90 days out is when you can usually make the reservations. We only booked this cruise two months out so could book right away. Only takes a few minutes and makes it so nice once you are on board.

We also pre-booked the 5 night dining package (you pick whether you want your first specialty dinner on night one or two and at what time, once on the ship you can go to any specialty restaurant and make you reservations for the other nights. Even though they pick your first night restaurant you can change it.)

And lastly, we pre-booked the "refreshment" package when it went on sale for $18.00 a day. Its a good deal, includes specialty coffees, sodas, "mocktails", fresh juice, pretty much all beverages that do not have alcohol. Its normally $26 a day.

Thanks for the review! Hubs and I are sailing Oasis in three weeks and are in a JS on the hump on deck 8.

 

Did you eat in Coastal Kitchen at all?

You're gonna love that JS hump cabin! It was phenomenal!

No, we did not eat in Coastal Kitchen. Thought about it but went with Solarium Bistro for our non-package nights.

Forgot to mention before, we received an invitation to tour the suite sun deck, suite lounge and Coastal Kitchen. It was very informative, but for us had the opposite effect they were looking for! If we ever do book a full suite it will not be for these perks. The suite sun deck was a big snooze. No one there in the middle of a sea day, no decor at all and just nothing to get excited about, and certainly nothing to pay extra for. Just like any other spot on the ship to lounge in a chair. The suite lounge too was no big deal and I found it weird that the lounge and Coastal Kitchen were actually the same space. So I could be sitting in the lounge having a conversation with someone just feet from where someone else is having dinner. I am sure the food in Coastal Kitchen is very good but the layout was off-putting.

This will just be a few thoughts, not a detailed review. I am happy to answer any questions. We were also on Oasis in October of last year and while that cruise was great, this one was even better!

I am Ryan and travelling with me as always is my husband Jim. While we are not loyal to any one line we do like Royal an awful lot. This was our second cruise since making Diamond status. Status programs and perks are nice and all but don't really mean much to us.

This was our first time in the Caribbean in Summer and while I had concerns of too many kids and crazy weather, it was actually not bad at all. Yes, there were more kids and teens than when we normally cruise in October, November, April or May but by and large they behaved quite well (better than some of the adults for sure). It was hot on the islands but not unbearably so.

The Bad

Only negative was the behavior of some of our fellow cruisers. Unfortunately this is becoming worse over time. We saw people treat the crew like garbage, yell and swear like they were at a wrestling match, and well, you get the idea.

Star Class? More like "No Class". Twice we found ourselves near a family travelling in Star Class act like buffoons in the Opal Theater. We unfortunately we near them for "Cats" and "Come Fly With Me", both of which were terrific! This family was loud, and I mean LOUD. Talked throughout the shows, played with their dumb phones, and left messes for the crew to clean up. When someone "shushed" the wife during "Cats" she yelled loud enough for all to hear "don't you shush me! I paid a lot for this damn cruise!"

Then there was the two couples (all Pinnacles, and believe me, you could not miss that, always had their precious Pinnacle badges on and their cruising life was literally ALL they could talk about. Guess there is nothing else about them that is the least bit interesting). They sat each evening in the Diamond Lounge complaining non-stop about all of the issues they were having, none of which were even remotely a big deal, but you would never know by the dramatic way they spoke. If you are that unhappy with Royal, then what are you doing here??? They were a perfect example of "familiarity breeds contempt". They threw around names of senior officers as if they were all best friends and how as Pinnacles they need to be treated better. I hope you are reading this Captain Black Sweatpants with your cheap Caribbean polyester shirts, your wife with her chunky, tacky jewelry, and you sir who along with your idiot wife could not shut up for five seconds about a simple mix up at Labadee you chose to treat as if the world were coming to an end. You are all just horrible and I am quite sure the crew as well as Beatrice the wonderful Diamond Concierge were laughing at you behind you backs.

Aside, from the above, all was great on Oasis!

The Ship

Still in wonderful condition. Comfortable and surprisingly easy to navigate considering her size.

Our Stateroom

Originally we booked a Boardwalk Balcony. we had one before and really liked it, but a month prior to the cruise we got a call from the Upgrade Fairy (never happened before). We were offered to move up to a junior suite and only had to pay the additional taxes. We ended up in junior suite 6244 on the hump! Loved, loved this room! The extra space was really great to have, the larger balcony was a joy to utilize, the bigger bathroom with tub was great and the walk-in closet fantastic! would book one again if the price is right, but could go back to a standard room no problem.

Food

We did pretty much what we did last time for dinners. Bought the five night package and did Sabor,Chops and 150 Central Park once each, and Giovanni's Table twice. Nothing but great things to say about them all. Loved the better service and lack of noise that has become the norm in the main dining room. The other two nights we dined at Solarium Bistro which is a hidden gem. Really lovely and had our favorite waiter twice (Roel, he is the best!). Did most breakfasts also in Solarium Bistro, one breakfast and one lunch at Wipeout Cafe and one lunch in the main dining room (gotta have my Tutti salad!). Absolutely no complaints at all.

Shows

All are still very good, in fact we felt this cast of "Cats" was even better than what we saw last year. A whole lot of talent there. So much so we went to a couple of the cabaret shows put on by some of them in Jazz On Four. Last time on Oasis they had to cancel "Come Fly With Me" due to a technical problem, but fortunately that did not happen again. Also a great shows, as is Oasis of Dreams and Frozen In Time. Our headliner was El Gaucho who we had seen on a previous cruise. He is hilarious and a great musician.

Ports

we had been to all of them several times so no major excursions this time around. Went over to Marigot on St Martin where they are still recovering from Hurricane Maria but doing better. Had lunch back near the port at a favorite, The Greenhouse. Excellent food and service. In San Juan had breakfast with another couple at Chocbar (if you are a chocoholic, you must go!). Then walked the charming streets and picked up a couple of souvenirs. In Labadee we hung at Nellie's Beach as we always do and partook in the very good beach bbq.

Service

While we have never had a serious service issue in any of our 20 plus cruises, this crew on the Oasis really was a step above. From waiters, bartenders, our fantastic stateroom steward, the sports crew, guest services, the guys at Cafe Promenade who made us endless lattes, all were charming, helpful and with a real customer service attitude. Also of note is Beatrice the Diamond Concierge. She was very helpful to us as well as incredible pleasant and professional.

All and all a terrific week. Thanks to all who made this a memorable vacation for us. We have a cruise with celebrity booked for January but plan to book Harmony for next Summer.

If anyone has questions, please ask away!

I would get with your TA ASAP. Its true that making changes to a booking will impact perks like obc.

Based on itinerary only, I would go with Majesty. Love Key West and really want to experience Cuba. Personally I am not a fan of "private islands". Like going to actual places with actual locals and actual culture.

Nope. Not wasting port time to hang out at a chain restaurant and a pool and certainly not paying for the privilege.

Even most high-end restaurants no longer do tablecloths. It creates a lot of unnecessary laundry. And if "formality" is the issue, I would be more disturbed by a basket of bread being left on the table instead of staff offering a bread selection throughout the meal.

Thanks for posting. The second ingredient is sulfates and that is horrible for your hair! You'd think with a higher-end product, they would get a clue.

You beat me to it. Nothing very high end about that.

Nope. And none of the requests in the original post should necessitate such. Those are pretty basic things. To me it would be akin to giving a waiter in a restaurant a coupe of bucks to bring me a glass of water. At the end of the cruise we do give an additional cash gratuity on top of the gratuities charged by the cruise line.

We have been to virtually every island and port in the Caribbean where ships stop, some more than five times. We have found something to love about all of them (truly) through diligent research and discovering what each has to offer. If I have to pick favorites, they would be :

Cartagena : Incredible history and architecture (the old walled city fascinated me) and locals with an incredible zest for life!

Martinique : A taste of France closer to home. Wonderful restaurants and great history, and not an overly-developed tourist trap like some if the islands have become.

St Maarten : Best all-around in terms of having something for everyone : the beach bum, the dedicate shopper, the history buff, the foodie, the thrill seeker etc.

I know when I dinn in the dinning room I would not want to do my dinning next to a table of 30. Several tables near one another can happen but would be a lot to ask. However it works out I hope when you dinn in the dinning room it is a good experience.

Bummer.

On both Sunshine and Magic we really enjoyed grabbing a cocktail from Alchemy, a little something from Taste Bar and enjoying some pre-dinner music in Ocean Plaza.

I have been to all ports on both itineraries and would go with the July 4 option. Nothing wrong with the first option, but Curacao is just incredible for so many reasons (beautiful architecture, Queen Ann Bridge, great restaurants and art museums) and as a dedicated snorkeler Bonaire cannot be beat!

I have yet to have an issue with any Royal phone reps. I have never needed anything at all complicated from them (making a booking, modifying a booking, correcting C&A status). I also understand that a customer service rep is not going to all the intimate ins and outs of every ship in the fleet nor the details of every possible Royal policy.

Nothing as such in this thread, however in the past I have seen complaints when a rep did not know the answer to some off the wall question that may come up on one call in a million.

Luggage tags can be printed only 49days prior to sailing, although you may print your Set Sail pass prior.

Why are you resurrecting all of these old threads related to luggage tags? There are now at least five of them at the top of the page, some of them years old!

Three night Carnival cruises are predominately on Fantasy class ships, the oldest, least feature-filled and least impressive-looking ships in the fleet. A huge come-down from Oasis-class ships.

Breeze would be a good option based on your cruising experience. One of Carnival's newest and more impressive ships.