PGPVA72

I went on Oasis last August (2022) and was really surprised at the number of people who were quite dressed up on formal night. Reading these boards I was expecting mostly tee shirts and shorts, and instead there were hundreds (out of 6500 pax on board) wearing what I would consider real formal wear - dark suits or tuxes, sparkly cocktail dresses, even floor length gowns. And hundreds more who were giving it the old college try with blazers and "Sunday best" type dresses. I wore a dress that I would normally wear to a daytime wedding, and wished I'd brought something dressier and more fun. So don't worry that your family would be the only ones dressed up.

I'm surprised to only see one mention of this. I signed up for the Chef's Table when I cruised by myself on Oasis last year, specifically so I would have at least one "social" dinner, and it was great. Big table for 16 with several couples and smaller family groups four. Everyone was very social and friendly and it didn't feel awkward at all. And the food was really awesome.

I feel like Holland America is like baseball - there is fretting over the need to attract younger fans/passengers, but in reality the current "old" fans/passengers are simply replaced by newly "old" fans/passengers as time goes on. In my 30's neither baseball nor HA were of interest to me, but now that I'm 50 both are looking pretty good!

I agree with this. I had it while solo on Oasis at the end of August. It wasn't much more than a single device surf & stream package, and it gave me priority embarkation (I boarded via the suites/pinnacles line), the dining room lunch was a nice way to chill out and avoid the crowds while I waited for my room, I liked the carryon check so I didn't have to lug a backpack around while I explored the ship before cabins opened, and the last day breakfast and quick disembarkation was great. I didn't go to any shows (never do) so the show seating aspect wasn't a factor for me.

I was on Oasis last week, and was surprised how dressed up people were on formal night. Sure, there were some (a few?) folks who wore shorts and tee shirts, but the majority vibe was that people were "observing the occasion" - with everything from your plan of nice slacks, dress shirt & tie all the way up to very showy gowns and tuxedos. I wore a fairly non-formal embroidered cotton sheath dress, gold sandals and some blingy jewelry and didn't feel at all overdressed. OTOH, I suspect that the fact that many people drive to sail on Oasis means they can bring more luggage - I know I certainly did.

I just had Central Park View interior with a window 9177 on Oasis last week, and when the pool band was playing at the Lime and Coconut, which is suspended above Central Park, it was loud enough in my cabin that I could not take a nap. When the evening "classical guitar" player was in Central Park I could just barely hear the music if I went close to the window. The rest of the time the cabin was very quiet. The pool band does not play all the time, but when it does it can definitely be loud enough to hear clearly in the cabin.

I was able to cancel my initial key purchase for my Oasis cruise (departing this coming Sunday), and then repurchase it at a lower rate. I did this a few weeks ago, so fairly close to the departure date. The initial purchase that I canceled was refunded to my credit card in about a week. I initially paid $230 and then it dropped to $174. I don't remember what that worked out to per day.

I'm on Oasis on Sunday. I'm going by myself, and driving up. Do you have to wait in the line of cars to drop off luggage, or can I bypass that and go straight to parking (garage or lot) and then wheel my suitcase back and drop it off? Since it's just me and my one bag I think that might be faster if it's allowed. I realize it might be a bit of a walk.

I inadvertently booked the Chefs Table on what appears to be Lobster Night on my upcoming Oasis cruise. I did wonder what the Chef would think if I asked to disrupt his carefully composed symphony of food with a request for an MDR lobster tail. Or two. Or two for everyone at the table. I had fun imagining myself as a "Cousin Eddie" type character, and the Chef as more of a "Soup ***" and thinking about how the scene would play out. Nothing like daydreaming at the office on a boring afternoon 😜

Thanks All! That sounds like it will work out fine.

Hi all! It has been a few years since we cruised on Royal Caribbean, and we're looking forward to sailing on Oasis of the Seas at the end of August. I will need to be able to keep an eye on email and perhaps do a little bit of work during the week (saving my covering person's help for a longer and more remote cruise later this year). We've signed up for The Key, so have the included surf/stream package for one device each. If anyone has any insights on the following that would be super helpful: Ideally I would be able to have my work phone on the wifi to keep an eye on email as I move around the ship, and then use my laptop I need to do any work. I've been told I can switch my one surf/stream device between the phone and laptop - has anyone done this? Is is a quick process, or am I going to be fiddling with it for 10 minutes to get it to work? If that strategy will be a pain and I get a second device on a surf plan will it be a headache to get both devices enrolled? I understand there's a help desk - will the device stay on the wifi, or will the wifi kick me off from time to time? How is the wifi coverage as I move around the ship? Will I be able to sit somewhere (Trellis bar? Solarium?) and fire up my laptop to get through some emails? Thanks in advance for any insight on this!