Bajathree's Oasis 11/30 & 12/1 review

[bajathree]

OK....haven't had a lot of time since I got back to sit and write an entire formal review, but I have had lots of people asking so let me try to put something together here and you can fire away with questions. This will be a bit of a combo of both the 11/30 naming ceremony sailing but mostly the 12/4 Labadee 4 night'r.

 

 

Upon arrival at Port Everglades I passed the ship over the 17th st bridge with her rear facing me....they say first impression are best but not in this case....this is not her best view at all and to be honest a bit disappointing.....from the direct rear she has a top heavy appearance. However once you get that side view of her she is unmistakingly Royal and looks improve. The new terminal is HUGE! ....parking was VERY easy and I had no more than a brief 5 minute walk from car to terminal. I arrived at about 10:15 am. Walked right in, through security and right up to a check-in desk....I was through check-in in less than 10 minutes....they take your pix right during check-in now....that is nice. You can tell everything here is new as they are still a tad bit confused and still trying to get used to the systems....but no biggie....it went smoothly and I am sure after a few weeks this will be up to full speed (like 10 minutes isn't fast enough...lolol). Off to the seating area...again HUGE!.....tons and tons of seats....they also have the kids bands now right in this area. We boarded at 11:30...same time both on the 11/30 and 12/1 sailing. There is a suite waiting area that they dressed up a tad bit with some comfy cushions and umbrellas....I was with a large group so I just stayed with them and sat in general seating....BTW....I was sailing in a D5 cabin #10252 for the naming ceremony 11/30 sailing and then switched to Owners Suite # 10240 for the Dec 1st 4 night'r.

Upon entering Oasis though the Royal promenade you immediately realize just how HUGE this ship is....forget Freedom Class promenade and start thinking shopping mall....that will give you an idea of size.....style is just gorgeous....they did a beautiful job on finishing's, just like most everything else I encountered they really stepped things up on Oasis. Sunlight coming into the promenade through the part glass ceiling gives a whole new feel and the width is truly impressive. The centerpiece of the Royal promenade is definitely the Rising Tide Bar....how cool is a bar that goes from the Royal Promenade to Central Park.....OK.....we all know it's something that feel you MUST do just to say you "did it".....but ya know....once you get on it and put in your drink order....you quickly realize that it's more than just something for show, it's truly a bar...find a spot, relax and enjoy both the ride and view it has to offer.

After touring the RP I continued to CP where we decided to have lunch....WHAT A GREAT SPOT!....this would soon become the venue of habit for my evening enjoyment. Central Park is an area that truly WOW'd me.....much more lush and nicer that I had envisioned. Sitting at one of the many many restaurants offered and looking out and seeing the foliage and trees is truly spectacular....especially at night when it is all light up. The path that leads through CP is very surreal...there are sculptures as you pass the art gallery and the central area in front of Park Cafe offers very nice seating areas where you can either grab a bite from the cafe or just sit and enjoy the view. NOW....I will say....just like much of Oasis...this is still currently a work in progress......on the first sea day it was very windy and the area in front of Chops especially was taking a bit of a beating.....the wind seems to hit the Windjammer area and funnels directly down causing a bit of a tunnel effect here. The trees here were starting to bend a bit and IMO it will take a bit of time to see just how things do and if any foliage will need to be adjusted....I did notice that some plants were losing some leaves in the wind....BUT in all fairness on the return, this same area was very calm....I am quite confident it will get figured out "IF" indeed some plants do need a bit of adjusting.

 

 

I am going to take a break here and continue later:)

[bajathree]

OH.....almost forgot....how cool was it seeing Michael Jordon in Central Park for Make A Wish:D

 

[mafig]

hurry back....:)

[TheJake13]

Thanks for the great feedback! We're looking forward to the rest of your review!

[bajathree]

ROOMS

 

Like mentioned I had 2 rooms between these 2 sailings. The first night I stayed in a D5...standard balcony room...cabin 10252. There is one thing I just can't figure.....why build the largest ship in the world and then scale the rooms down in size:confused:that just makes no sense in the world to me. The room felt VERY small and the configuration with the bed against the closet is terrible....this is what I had. My father and I stayed in this room and while we are tall guys 6'2" we are not heavy at all and we were constantly running into each other. It's almost impossible for 2 to pass each other around the bed....one of us always had to get out of the way first. With the beds apart getting into the closet was VERY difficult at best....had to actually kneel on the bed to do it. Storage also seemed a bit limited. A family of 4 staying in a standard balcony is going to be challenging IMO. The bathroom does feel larger than a standard on Freedom Class and the sliding door shower is great. Balcony is fine with nice depth with 2 chairs and the addition of the high table is very nice. TV is flat screen and does move and tilt.

 

On my Dec 1st sailing we had the luxury of switching to an Owners Suite....cabin 10240...NOW THIS IS SAILING:) Richard Fain (RCCL's CEO) was actually staying in this room for the prior sailings.....had to kick him out so I could get in:p....sorry Richard:D An owners suite is actually 3 standard balconies put together....we were center hump. Detail in the room is gorgeous...TONS AND TONS of storage. Balcony is enormous...not only is it 3 balconies wide but all the OS's have extended depth also. On the balcony you have upgraded furniture with 2 chaise lounges and a dining table for 4. You also have a dining table for 4 in the room, bar...no liquor but being a wine and champagne drinker you can order and always have in room to enjoy...plenty glasses of all sizes. You have a chaise, 2 large chairs and a sofa that opens to sleep 2. There are 2 flat screens...this is real nice compared to the only one on Freedom Class. Bathroom is top notch but they actually shrunk it down a bit in size compared with Freedom Class. Also one other thing I noticed in comparison to Freedom Class is that there is now only one slider out to the balcony....access is from the living room area..the other windows are all fixed glass. The one real nice difference is that the bedroom area now is much more seperated from the living area....very nice.

 

Owners Suite

[bajathree]

More Owners Suite 10240

 

 

 

 

[4everafter]

the worst thing about Oasis is dealing with the sadness of not being on Oasis!!!!

[bajathree]

the worst thing about Oasis is dealing with the sadness of not being on Oasis!!!!

 

Agree Marcia:(

[critterchick]

Thanks for posting your thoughts! Central Park was my favorite spot on the ship, too.

 

We had a D-5 on Deck 8 with the bed by the window and a loveseat in front of the closet. That layout didn't work any better for DH and me. I think they really blundered by making the cabins smaller and with such rotten storage (and the infamous plug placement).

[whit53]

the worst thing about Oasis is dealing with the sadness of not being on Oasis!!!!

 

 

Ditto Marcia!:)

[whit53]

Great review Steve!:)

[drarill]

Great review Pirate Steve, I'm waiting for more:)

[bragstarr]

Excellent so far. I'll be dreaming of that owner's suite when I am sitting in my Cat L Inside. Looks really nice.....

[bajathree]

Entertainment:

 

This is an area that really shines on Oasis:)RCCL deserves a LOT of credit as they have really stepped things up in the entertainment department. ALL shows, performers and costuming I saw were above and beyond any I have experienced on a ship.

The AquaTheater is incredible...an outdoor 700+ outdoor theater with breathtaking divers. However the show is not all about diving....they have borrowed much from Cirque du Soleil. The mood and lighting here at night is spectacular. There are also 2 GIANT screens on each side for those that may be standing back a bit or way up high......but anywhere in the seating area has an incredible view.....don't think there is a bad seat in the house.....Oasis Of Dreams is a show you DON'T want to miss. They were having some technical difficulties with this show the first few evenings as it got cancelled the first couple nights completely, then started to run a shortened version.....but close to the last night they did get a full length run that I got to see....and WOW! There is also a very impressive fountain show synchronized to music that runs with water cannons that reach higher than the crown and anchor logo on the back of the ship.....caution, first 3 rows WILL get wet. They were also practicing for another show that looked real good but never ran while I was aboard.

 

Hairspray....again, easily the best performance I have seen on a ship.....acting, singing, scenery.....just wonderful. My dad who was with me is a Broadway fanatic and easily see's over a dozen shows a year in NYC.....he swears that this performance of Hairspray is better than he saw on Broadway. It's a bit funny because every show we have been to on RCCL my wife always looks at me as say's "not exactly Broadway quality"...well she unfortunately wasn't with us on this sailing but she wouldn't of been able to say it here. Full 90 minute show that will definitely impress.....standing ovation at the end of the show.

 

Jazz Club....what can I say, starting to sound like a broken record.....I am not even a jazz fan but I have to say these guys/gals were just incredible.....I heard nothing but people raving how good they were....this is a hot little venue and sure to be a favorite evening spot.

 

Blaze....if you like the club scene this is the spot....very cool dance floor.

 

Studio B.....the ice show is called Frozen in Time...this is an area that always seems to shine for RCCL and once again will not disappoint.....performance is excellent and costuming is easily best I have seen. The theme here takes place against the stories of Hans Christian Andersen.

 

Both the parade and dance party in the Royal Promenade were also excellent. The Disco Inferno Street Party was the highlight....get ready to dance to some of those old 70's hits.....you don't want to miss this party.

 

There were also plenty other areas of entertainment but there is only so much one can do in 5 nights.....but if entertainment is your thing, Oasis wouldn't disappoint....get ready for 7 sleepless nights as the party can go all night. The one thing I will say is that I have always heard such great things about Ken Rush (think thats the right spelling)....well I have to say, he is the one guy on the ship that didn't impress at all....not sure if he was just burnt out, not felling well or whatever but it's a good thing the entertainment on this ship holds itself, because he did nothing but detract from it IMO.

[Tyron]

Awesome review, Steve! :cool::D

 

I'm sitting here @ FLL Airport awaiting my 11:10 am flight. I tried to stay on deck to watch the Independence of the Seas dock but the ship was cleared around 6:30 am and it was time for me to head to the airport.

[bajathree]

Awesome review, Steve! :cool::D

 

I'm sitting here @ FLL Airport awaiting my 11:10 am flight. I tried to stay on deck to watch the Independence of the Seas dock but the ship was cleared around 6:30 am and it was time for me to head to the airport.

 

I am sure you were sad to get of Tyron....can't wait to hear all your stories. Hey were are planning a 10/25 Radiance sailing out of my hometown of Tampa....many Critters joining in ......check it out, you may want to join us.....rates are SUPER;)

[Tyron]

I am sure you were sad to get of Tyron....can't wait to hear all your stories. Hey were are planning a 10/25 Radiance sailing out of my hometown of Tampa....many Critters joining in ......check it out, you may want to join us.....rates are SUPER;)

 

The Radiance is one of my favorite ships! :D

[suni]

Awesome review, Steve! :cool::D

 

I'm sitting here @ FLL Airport awaiting my 11:10 am flight. I tried to stay on deck to watch the Independence of the Seas dock but the ship was cleared around 6:30 am and it was time for me to head to the airport.

 

Can't wait to hear about your trip Tyron!

 

Please let me know details about your last morning heading to the airport. We have an 11:00 am flight out of FLL Airport and I have been a bit worried that it might be challenging to get off. Any tips you have for me would be most appreciated!

[Tyron]

Can't wait to hear about your trip Tyron!

 

Please let me know details about your last morning heading to the airport. We have an 11:00 am flight out of FLL Airport and I have been a bit worried that it might be challenging to get off. Any tips you have for me would be most appreciated!

 

Hi suni...:) If you do express departure, you'll be off the ship and @ the airport between 7-7:15am (if the ship clears with no problems). The entire ship is cleared of ALL debarking passengers by 9:15 am (again barring no problems issues with customs).

 

 

Steve did u get a chance to check out the On Air Club? That was the one place I missed checking out....:(

[suni]

Thank you Tyron!

 

When so we get to read your review?

 

Please.....what night and time was QUEST ? No one has answered me!

 

Thx!

[mumsyo]

I loved everything about the Oasis (12/1/09 sailing) EXCEPT for the size of the balcony cabin. I was really disappointed in it!! Yes, they have made them smaller--in order to get more cabins on the ship perhaps?????

 

I agree with you about Hairspray!! I intend on seeing it again when I sail again in October!! It was the BEST at sea production that I have seen--and I have been on over 50 cruises!! They really did a wonderful job!!

 

The ice show was good, but it was the third one that I have seen, so knew what to expect (although it was a different "theme" than the others). Didn't sign up in time to see the Aqua show.

 

Over all, though, Oasis is a beautiful ship!!

 

Marilyn

[bajathree]

Hi suni...:) If you do express departure, you'll be off the ship and @ the airport between 7-7:15am (if the ship clears with no problems). The entire ship is cleared of ALL debarking passengers by 9:15 am (again barring no problems issues with customs).

 

 

Steve did u get a chance to check out the On Air Club? That was the one place I missed checking out....:(

 

 

Very briefly Tyron....they had the Jet's game playing on Thur night....this is a GREAT spot for football.

[1BDNANA]

Great pics,great review. I not on untill 9/11/10.But this christmas, I'm dreaming of an Ooooasis.

[SailingDeanna]

Love the review and comments!

[bajathree]

Sorry I have been slow but it's a tough time of the years with the holidays and all....no to mention still playing catch-up from Oasis....I promise to continue shortly.