Tennessee_Cruiser

Have decided on a ship and date - Oasis Feb 2016.

 

Can I book with RC online and then move to a TA, if so is there a time limit? Hoping to get the OBC and WOW from RC and then move booking to a TA for additional perks.

 

Looking at a balcony (Central Park view) - any suggestions on a good room?

 

Anything else - haven't cruised RC for a long time :-)

I have stayed in a Central Park balcony before and enjoyed it. Nothing can beat an ocean balcony, but I enjoyed the CP balcony for different reasons. The CP rocks at night! Love getting ready for dinner and opening my balcony door and listening to live music being played in Central Park and watching people.

Just remember there are CP balconies across from you!! :eek:

Have fun on Oasis!!

My partner is an elementary school teacher so we cruise when the kiddies are out of school! :eek:

We have only had issues on one ship and that was the Navigator. It pains me to say this because we love the Navigator, but the lack of a kids pool was an issue on our last cruise. There was no way I would ask a child to stop jumping in the pool and having fun so we decided to go to the Solarium on most days... with every other adult! It was so packed we could not get into the pool.

This did not ruin our cruise at all, but it is a thought in the back of my head next time I book a cruise without a kids pool.

And how else would Cruise Critics be able to read and see my adventures live from my cruises?!?!?

 

 

;) :D

I have bought the wifi package on my last few cruises and I always say to myself, "this is the cruise I am going to do a live review." And... it never happens! Glad some of my fellow CC members have more discipline than me!

I figure a week or two without hearing from me isn't going to kill my family, probably do them some good! :D

 

I just can't imagine paying lots of money and then spending that vacation time using electronics. But I'm a techy kinda guy so my life tends to revolve around electronics. A big part of the vacation for me is having a great excuse to get away from it.

Unless you are asked to buy other's wifi don't worry about how they vacation! :eek:

Not to bring negativity to the thread, but unless you're running a business and have to be able to get in touch, why would you want Wifi on a ship? :confused:

 

I'm on my laptop 6-10 hours a day at work, on my phone when eating, and using my Surface around the house. I specifically didn't get the wifi last time so I could have an actual VACATION!!! :D

 

To eat their own I guess...

I never understand these post.

Some people like to stay in touch with family and friends while on vacation. ;)

I disembarked Allure on Sunday and can confirm the Internet speed was just about as fast as the high speed fibre optic connection I have at home ;)

Which package/speed did you purchase? Did you try streaming video and/or uploading large files?

I'll gladly sign up for the Premium Plus. :) I have a 90meg x 10meg connection at home so I'm used to doing stuff at a certain speed and will gladly pay the $$ for a "normal" connection on the ship.

 

I'm probably in the minority on this but at least RCCL finally purchased a clue and upgraded to proper internet connectivity. :D

I can honestly see me signing up for the Premium Plus to be able to upload large pictures--and movies--easily.

The idea of streaming Netflix or HBO Go in my cabin while I get ready for bed is appealing. Might need to pack speakers for my iPad! :D

Unless you are INSANE and are running a Fortune 500 company from the ship, you do not need the most expensive package.

 

We have the middle one (note that it is only $10 more than the basic pkg) is FAST and reliable.

 

It is a pleasant surprise after the frustration of internet on the Explorer!!!

 

I am sending this from my cabin on the Allure, from my phone, with no difficulty whatsoever.

 

:)

Do pictures send quickly with he middle package? When I have bought the internet packages in the past they were decent for iMessages and email, but really struggled with posting pictures online.

Was on the Navigator this summer and I saw Citizens and I think I saw Tissots.

Know for a fact I saw Tags because I bought one!! :)

Quantum is better suited for colder climates and Oasis for warmer.

 

Quantum offers more indoor relaxation space and a very updated modern design with a focus on the use of technology.

Smart analysis! It never crossed my mind that Oasis class is not the best ship in mild-to-cold climates (as I usually cruise out of Florida where it is usually warm).

Personally Quantum of the Seas does not interest me right now. The ship looks beautiful and has some great shopping and places to eat. The question, for me, comes down to, "is it worth the experience?" Paying more for the North Star, bumper cars, rolling skating, and sky diving simulator are not enough for me. The ship does have some interesting venues such at 270 and Music Hall, but I would rather be in Central Park and Dazzles! :D

In my opinion the Quantum Class is an evolution on the Freedom Class design, while the Oasis Class was revolutionary. Clearly Royal still believe both have a home in the fleet long term as they are currently building multiple Quantum and Oasis class ships!

One day I will sail on Quantum Class, but it does not bring enough WOW moments to justify the higher than normal prices.

We are also on this ship now. The. 7 day package is $139., less whatever discounts you might have. The wifi is awful. Very slow. In fact, the only good thing about this cruise is the entertainment. From boarding on, it has not been good.

That's unfortunate. Royal Caribbean has been promoting the internet upgrades on Oasis class (as well as Quantum class) as able to stream Netflix, Skype with friends, etc.

Maybe the upgraded speeds aren't online yet? I hope that's true.

Have you been to Jazz on 4? Always enjoyed listened to Jazz at night. Hope the cruise turns around for you!

Wow! Thanks for allowing us to virtually enjoy your cruise.

Have you seen pricing for wifi for 7 night cruise? Royal Caribbean has said they "plan" on making wifi less expensive; hope it's true! :D

I have stayed one deck below the pool deck and did not care for it. It didn't ruin my vacation though! :cool:

If I could change to deck 12 and stay in a C1 I would.

Love it! Thanks for showing us the Oasis post-drydock!

We love the Oasis and Allure! Always something to do. While the ship may look huge (ok... it IS huge!) it feels far smaller because of the neighborhoods (Central Park, Boardwalk, Pool & Sports Zone, Royal Promenade, etc.).

The designers of the ship did a fantastic job at making the ship feel wide open and you can always find a nice place to hide and get away. There were some nights on the Allure where there were just a few people at Vintages. How can this be possible with 5,000+ passengers?! When you have a pub, Rising Tide Bar, Champagne Bar, Dazzles, Blaze, casino, etc. etc. etc. etc. :eek: it's easy to spread everyone throughout the ship.

Do yourself a favor and EXPLORE the ship and have a great time!!

Ah. Misread the original post. You bought the TAG, not the Omega! Everything else I said still applies...

The Tag was for my boyfriend. The Omega was for me. Here is the model number for my Omega if you are interested: 231.10.42.21.02.003

Congrats on the new watch! And I'm glad you were so well prepared for the customs experience. Since they did not add in your other purchases when they calculated your duty, it appears you got an additional "discount" on duty!

 

I knew the ship was required to report purchases over $800 to Customs, but I did not realize this would get you escorted to the front of the line. Hmmm…maybe the jewelry store should advertise this service.:p

Judy

We were actually joking that we need to always buy something on the ship to jump to the front of the line!! :D

Double congratulations!

 

[...]

 

So is it safe to think that you will get some cool engraved watches as an engagement gift to each other? (other than rings, of course).

Thank you!

I could see watches in our future! The Omega Planet Ocean seems to be calling my name... :cool:

Congratulations!

 

Homework can pay off. And this is probably one of the places where the bizarrity of the cruise ship world really paid off for you! In the states, if you can't move last year's model at retail, you "move" it to a grey market dealer who sells it without warranty or papers. You really don't have that option on the ship, and you lucked into what sounds like a great deal.

 

Just out of curiousity, do you know what exact model you got? Unless there was a July 1st price increase (which is possible), none of those prices fit a current co-axial. I was just curious how you did compared to retail (which sound like you did great, BTW), and to keep in mind for future reference...

The model number of the watch we bought is: CV2013.FC6234

jomashop dot com has the watch with a list of $4,500 and they are selling it for $2,975. Since Jomashop isn't an authorized dealer it would not come with the factory warranty (aka grey market). So getting it at $2,8XX + $30 duty with the international factory warranty was a great deal!

Congratulations!!

 

Now, when you go on your honeymoon, go on a cruise and try to be the newlywed couple in the Love & Marriage game show. :D

Something tells me a honeymoon cruise will be in our future and I love the idea of going on the L&M show!

It's always great to read a story that ends well. Also it reenforced the notion that you need to bargain and do your homework.

For sure! And I suppose I should tell you I have used your quote in your signature, "If you are expecting perfection, don't travel, you will surely be disappointed" many times since I saw it months ago on a thread. I love that motto!

Got a Stuhrling this past week on the Oasis. MSRP on the watch on the ship said $750, and I ended up paying $250. I almost didn't want to look on Amazon to see what the price would be there, but I'm glad I did, as their purchase price is currently $475. I think I did pretty good for myself.

Good find!

UPDATE

I'm the OP and long story short I bought the watch I wanted before the cruise. For watch geeks... it is the Omega Aqua Terra Master Co-Axial in white/silver. I LOVE it!

Once we got on the ship my boyfriend--side note: I propose to him on the ship and he said YES!!!--he saw a Tag Carrera Automatic Chronograph on board and loved it! List was $4,500 and they were offering 15% off which brought it down to $3,825. We walked and wanted to check in some of the ports. Saw a similar watch at one of the Diamonds Internationals, but it was the 2014 model so it was slightly more expensive, and my boyfriend liked the older model on the ship better.

After checking on Amazon and other sites I saw the watch was going for $3,200 and it could be had for $2,500 used so I thought we would wait until we got home. On night 6 of the cruise we went into the store to look at the watch again and a different salesperson helped us and said, "it's a great price." To which I replied, "$3,825 is just a bit too high for this watch." And to my surprise she countered with, "It is not $3,800 it is $2,800. Since it is the older model we are able to discount it further." She scanned the watch to make sure that was accurate and I swiped my SeaPass card!

When it was my turn to have my SeaPass card scanned to disembark, the machine did not make the sound every Royal Caribbean cruiser knows so well, but it made an alert sound. "Please wait here" I was told. Eventually someone was the ship took us to the front of a VERY long line to clear customs (we heard a few "CUTTERS" but kept going). I had a feeling this would happen so I had all of my paperwork filled out and receipts ready (including things I bought with cash in Mexico). After talking with the first (rude) customs agent I was sent to another (very nice) customs agent. He looked at my paperwork and explained how duty worked. He only made me pay $30 in duty, which was lower than it should have been since he did not calculate my other purchases and he just rounded the amount down to the nearest number. I gladly paid and went along my way.

I had a very pleasant experience buying the watch on board and it's something I plan to do again!

I'm on CC all day at work. My computer is open to it and I just click on whatever topics interest me throughout my day, glancing up while I work. As I type this, I've just taken down an order for a gents steel Rolex Datejust, checked the retail price on a Corum, shipped a Ladies 2 Tone Rolex to NY for Sat Delivery & we're packing watches to take to a trade show here in Chicago. Yes folks I sell watches for a living! Lol All the while wishing I was back on the June 1st Allure sailing. I got a big kick out of the girls wearing the Tag Heuer dresses during the sale onboard. My husband is also in watch sales and I had to keep dragging him away from Regalia's windows. When I'm on vacation I don't even want to SEE a watch! But Tennessee_Cruiser if you're ever in the Windy City I'll be glad to help you with that Omega! Lol

Have a number or email address where I can contact you? I would have sent you a private message, but not sure if I can on CC. You can send me your contact information via DM on Twitter @jepoole

It was my understanding that Liquor could not be purchased until we were in International waters, someone else may have more accurate information on this

 

Did not attend the Captains reception so no idea on the music

 

Did not use the R bar, as we got our beverages from DL and CL + Cosmopolitan Lounge

Ships sailing from Texas must use Texas stamped alcohol while in Texas waters. There is a limited supply on board, so they might run out of certain varieties while in port. Once they get into international waters, then they can use their regular stock.

 

Once we were delayed leaving Galveston for a few hours, and they did run out of certain beer varieties.

I guess the key is to get on the ship early and start drinking before they run out! :cool:

Thank you for posting the Compasses!

Few questions...

-On day one it says bar service is limited due to Texas Alcohol laws. Did you notice a difference?

-For night 2 it says the music for the Captain's Welcome Aboard Reception is provided by the Bubba Feathers Band, but on the same page (in the Music and Dancing section) it says the music is provided by the Orchestra. Do you remember which one performed before the Captain's Welcome Speech?

-Lastly, what is the R Hour at the R Bar? (This is my first cruise with a ship that has the R Bar.)

Thanks!! :D

My wife has assembled a three piece set of Britto luggage from the shop on the Freedom. She is normally very reserved but always gets a big smile when using them.

Good for her!! My partner begged me to get a set of Britto luggage and I said, "No. That's a little bright, even for us!" :p

I did cave in and buy Britto luggage tags on the Allure... I get to use them in 11 days!