BURLINGTON66

We lost power very briefly late in the last evening but it was promptly restored. I believe the backup systems kept critical functions operating

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I just posted an Oasis NYE cruise review. There were lots of kids, but no more than a previous summer cruise we did on the Carnival Magic (Med). There are always isolated incidents, for the most part they were well behaved. Carnival would probably be best bet if you want to ensure the most kids, we have previously shied away from Celebrity as we wanted to be on a family friendly cruise with the most options for the kids. As they are getting older we will probably give X a go. The extra cost of Oasis and Allure is for the ship, if that does not matter you might try Carnival, same itinerary (I think) and fairly comparable cruise demographics.

The following is a review of Oasis specifc to the New Years Eve Cruise. There are lots of great Oasis reviews on here so I will try to stick to items related to the ship and ports for this specific time frame, and a few extra things.

Cost - probably close to double a typical cruise and add a premium for Oasis class. Not much you can do about it - logic dictates go the week after but our view was - its a unique experience so just lump it.

Cruisers - lots of families, and a real mix of Americans, Canadians, Europeans, and Latin Americans - Mexico, Brazil. Everyone we met was super friendly. There were no large cruise groups to my knowledge. Plenty of kids on board so thats great if you want your kids to meet friends, but its a large ship with plent of adult only spots for those that look for quiet. Some lounger hogging but no more than typical.

Crowding - ship was full so probably typical Oasis crowds. NYE crowd on Promenade was wall to wall but thats OK we wanted it that way. Felt like Times Square!

Cabin - we had 3 balcony cabins starbord aft on deck 12. This worked for us as we were OK with stairs - 2 flights down from Deck 15 (pool, bars, wipeout cafe) and Aft is a shorter walk from the MDR, teen clubs, windjammer, dazzles, etc. They opened the dividers on our cabins for us so larger balcony. Back deck on 12 aft for viewing of Aqua theatre is a plus.

Drinks - I had the ultimate drink package - this was great as I could have unlimited cappucino/espressos (not starbucks but there were pretty good), fresh squeezed orange juice, bottled water, beer (except some import brands), mixed/frozen drinks, wine (up to $12/glass) and liquor (grey goose/single malts).

Dining - We had MDR early sitting. Only line up was first night as they escorted you to the table. We ususally did early breakfast/lunch in MDR as they had a buffet/memu option and it was generally not crowded. Windjammer was very busy for breakfast after 9am with lineups to get in.

Ports - We did Eastern - Nassau, St Thomas, St Maarten. Although we were in St Thomas NYE and St Maarten New Years Day, everything seemed to be open. Weather was 80-85, water was a little cool but there were a lot of swimmers.

Sailing - a couple nights it was windy on deck but it was warm and humid. Ship moved a little but not enough to make anyone seasick (I think). I dont believe any of the indoor or outdoor shows were cancelled for weather related reasons

NYE events - there were several parties all over the ship. Hats and favors were handed out at dinner. There was free champagne around - it was average. Everyone was in a very festive mood - promenade was the place to be - bands, countdown balloon drop etc.

Summary - all in all it was a unique NYE experience. One has to accept the cost and crowding issues to really enjoy it. I am not sure we will do it again in the near future (too many other issues - winter travel/airports/storms/lineups) but it was a memorable experience and I am glad we did it.

Happy to answer any questions.

I was on the oasis last night. It lasted 30 secs and was fully restored. Emergency systems were operating during that time.

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We used RIL for Rome (Nick), Naples (Giuseppe) and Messina (Luca) for our August cruise.

At each port the Driver was waiting for us, no waiting in long lines. There were six of us, and we were driven in luxurious Mercedes mini-vans. The cost for us was less than the cruise offering, and much more intimate.

In Rome Nick took us to all of the major sites in much less time than we imagined. He also took us to a small street-side pizzeria near the Vatican for the best pizza we ever had. We definitely saw parts of Rome we wouldn't have otherwise seen in a day. Our Vatican guide helped us avoid long lines.

In Naples, Giuseppe took us to a family run olive oil plant, a wine bar, down into Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii. He was very passionate about the region and well versed in the history. Again our Pompeii guide made the most of our short visit, bypassing some of the crowds and lineups. We appreciated the bottle of Limoncello from the region.

In Messina, Luca took us into Zafferina, up Etna, and into Taormina. He was also very informative and had bottles of water for all of us.

I would highly recommend this company, in addition you do not have to pay until the end of the trip, and they are very flexible with respect to requests.