Review of Oasis - 1st Cruise Ever

[justaddwater66]

I don’t really fit the "normal" cruise demo, so I don’t know if this will be helpful or not but here goes.

My wife and I had never cruised before, but wanted to try it, some friends were going on this ship so we decided to book and go with them. All of us are low 30's and no kids.

Room

We had a ocean view room with the porthole looking out - it was great, same size as the balcony rooms, but quieter and the porthole was big enough to sit in. The room was fine, bathroom tiny but whatever its a boat.

Boat

The boat was big, we never used the elevators just stairs so never waited to get anywhere, but forgetting your towel sucked going up and down 15 flights of stairs over and over.

It was crazy crowded - if you didn’t get up at 9am and reserve a chair on a sunny day you were sitting a mile from a pool in the shade somewhere.

Staff

Best part of the cruise, they were all great, friendly etc.

Food

Windjammer was crappy but only thing open lots of time (getting breakfast after 10 was hard) Main dining was OK - about same quality as 1st class airline food. (2-3 star) Everywhere was very crowded and full of pushy old people that fail at standing in line etiquette.

Room service breakfast was good.

Stuff to do

It was fine, most of the games and trivia’s and stuff were so crowded if you didn’t get there 30 mins early you couldn’t play. The flowrider and rock wall same way.

Shore days

St Thomas was awesome and we almost, almost just stayed there and caught a flight back home end of week instead of getting on back on the boat. We went to St Johns on our own, hiked through the ruins and enjoyed a great beach.

St. Marteens (very hot this day 100ish) we sat in a taxi with no AC for about 90 mins trying to get to the beach by airport, it was cool watching the planes land so low but nothing special

Bahama was cool, amazing water color, we explored half the day on our own and had a great time. They we did the rainbow reef snorkel excursion - it was like being back on the boat - every seat full, crappy gear, cold water, they didn’t let you leave a 30 sq foot area

Shows

Mixed reviews, none of us liked come fly with me it reminded me of a high school talent contest. I liked the diving show, but no one else did. Hairspray was boring, but I don’t like plays, everyone else thought it was fine. The ice show was neat - weird - but neat. All the shows were very crowded, you had to get there 20 mins early to get a good seat.

Casino

The poker rake is 10% - ouch. It was fun though, we had 3 tables going most nights.

Other

• The hot tubs are about 100 degrees. This was about 7-10 degrees to cold for us.
  
• The ship rocks a lot, I liked it but some with less iron stomachs didn’t.
  
• You can buy Xboxs and teddy bears on board but they dont have books for sale or tylonal.
  
• Did I mention the crowds?
  
• The arcade was cool, but so many broken down games for a boat only a few months old seemed weird.
  
• The cruise director was way over the top and we avoided him at all costs.
  
• The photographers were relentless and everywhere
  

All in all, I don’t think we will ever cruise again, it’s a different experience but I don’t think its one for folks that want to get away from crowds or have the ability to do what you want.

[MickeyB426]

All in all, I don’t think we will ever cruise again, it’s a different experience but I don’t think its one for folks that want to get away from crowds or have the ability to do what you want.

 

OK so you cruised to get away from crowds...and you chose the Oasis?

 

Interesting review.

[John316]

Hello!

 

I don't know if you just got off the most recent cruise (Feb 27th-March 6th) because I would have to disagree almost entirely. I was on the said cruise and had almost a reverse experience:

 

Regarding crowds, heres what we experienced:

- 11:30am sea day: still plenty of seats availible near the pool (or on the deck overlooking pool) in the sun.

- midday sea day on Flowriders: 5 people in line for stand up, seven people in line for boogie boarding. Went back multiple times

-elevators: you said you never used but I rarely experienced a wait

 

Also after 10am, not only do you have the choice of Windjammer but Park Cafe, Cafe Promenade, and Room service are all still open with breakfast items. For books they had a rather large library on deck twelve, granted I didn't even find it until day 4 or so, so your point is somewhat valid there. They have tylenol for abour 50 cents down in the ships medical center. For some of these concerns a call to the front desk would have cleared it up.

 

Cruise director, meh. Some people love them, some people hate them. I can understand your point. Didn't have a similar problem with photographers, they're never really in the way.

 

I really don't think arriving 20 min early to get a good seat at a show is an incredibly long time. If you arrive at show time you'll still get a seat, maybe not as good. We arrived 20 min early for Hairspray and still got a front row seat. The Aquatheatre show though does fill up fast though and an early arrival is needed to not be sitting on a bench, so that may inconvience some people.

 

----------

 

Sorry if I seem to be nagging in the post; but having just come off this ship I'm completley blown away by your experience being it such the complete reverse of what I experienced. Also sometimes it helps to have more than one post before you write a review like this.

 

Maybe cruising's not for you, I hope you find something you really enjoy to do on future vacations, St. Thomas is a beautiful place!

 

Best,

John316

[Head Shot]

Interesting and helpful review, at the least.

 

It's good that you don't have a certain pre-conceived notion before the cruise- atleast what you have told us.

 

The shows that you find boring is highly reflective upon what you find to be enjoyable. Interesting though, for you to tell everyone what you normally find enjoyable on land, in order for others that read your review to gain a better handle to what you are saying.

 

I totally agree that the Bahamas snorkle excursion had crappy equipment. I mitigate that by bringing my own quality goods. The water was also downright freezing.

 

If doing things as you want is important to you, you should go off on your own with the many choices on land. It is cheaper and less structured.

 

I thought Come Fly with Me was brilliantly executed and has much esthetic value, and so was the Ice show.

 

Granted if you're not into live performance, you'd find Hairspray boring. I'm glad that Royal Caribbean revived Broadway plays in spectacular fashion. For me not having to pay $ 100/each for such a show is way cooler than on-board ship credits of equivalent value.

 

It also sounds like you didn't reserve any of the shows in advance, otherwise you wouldn't be talking about waiting in line.

 

As for that 100+ degree weather on St Maarten, you do realize this is a tropical island with everpresent cool breeze.

 

It's too bad you are quick to discount yourself from future cruises, but with better knowledge in hand you may just reconsider it.

[justaddwater66]

Hey John

 

Glad it worked out better for you then us :)

 

Just FYI for anyone interested:

 

They dont have tylenol , they have excederin ($4.99 + manditory tip for 4 pills) but my wife is only able to take tylenol .

 

The library was there but nothing decent to read unless you want romance novels in spanish. (OK maybe not that bad, but seriously!)

 

I will admit having to make my own food today was a pain :P

[Iron ranger]

I have to agree with John316. Justaddwater66 must have been on some "knock off" Oasis of the Seas because my wife and I just got off the cruise yesterday and I don't agree with with most of his comments. First of all, I went into the cruise with the attitude "This will be the best vacation ever" and it was. The food at the Windjammer was not bad considering it was buffet food. Also, considering the number of cruisers that were in there at any given time I would say that most cruisers would agree with me. The comment about Come Fly with Me was about the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard! I could go on and on but the thing I liked the most was that throughout the whole week I never ran into someone like "Justaddwater66". I didn't book my next cruise yet but brought home brochures and will most definetly cruise again.

[John316]

Hey John

 

Glad it worked out better for you then us :)

 

Just FYI for anyone interested:

 

They dont have tylenol , they have excederin ($4.99 + manditory tip for 4 pills) but my wife is only able to take tylenol .

 

The library was there but nothing decent to read unless you want romance novels in spanish. (OK maybe not that bad, but seriously!)

 

I will admit having to make my own food today was a pain :P

 

Sorry about the misinformation regarding tylanol, on other Royal Carribean ships I thought it had been this way, so I incorrectly assumed Oasis had it too. My apologies!

 

Also, we all are more experienced cruisers so I guess we had more of an idea what to expect. I can see how it might be an overwhelming experience for a first timers.

 

Too each his own I say.

[hollon]

I love your name JOHN316 - hope it means Jesus/God! I hope you'll cruise again, maybe the oasis just wasn't for you. Maybe try another ship or another itinerary - Cruising can be fun w/ no worries and relaxation. Just a thought :)

[cgncruise]

I don’t really fit the "normal" cruise demo, so I don’t know if this will be helpful or not but here goes.

 

JustAddWater66): Although I can guess your assessment in advance, did you check out Blaze or any other "nightlife" venues onboard?

 

I think once you have kids and once they are of "ditchable" age (initially in the kids zones), you will appreciate the freedom and convenience a cruise provides you and your kids--- especially when they old enough for their own independent exploration.

 

Oasis will be our second cruise, and it was our kids (now 13 and 14) who were pushing it hardest (based on our one prior cruise). I promised to let them roam freely if the behave and they are totally into it.

 

-Chris

[justaddwater66]

The only night we hit blaze it was empty. There is a place up on 6 called dazzles that my wife and her friend loved to go watch the "cute old folks" danceing. But it was def ages 65+ there.

 

Place called on-air was the best one we found, they had scene-it and karakoe there.

 

Also one more thing I forgot to mention the gym is great - just dont let the spa people talk to you, they will try and sell you the walls, the windows the water etc etc etc

[Bothofus]

I say 'to each their own' :) It would be unreasonable to expect that everyone would love cruising.

 

I love it, and so does DH. We did our first cruise in our early 50's, and had absolutely no desire to do so when in our 30's, so perhaps I'd have felt the same way at your age.

 

Hope you have a better time on your next vacation.

 

Rachel

[Guest cadd4u]

Where did you buy your hot tub that it goes to 107-110 degrees? Most I can get out of my hot tub is 104.

[eroller]

Thanks for the review. Very different from my experience on OASIS but we are coming from very different places and perspectives. It was your 1st cruise and you will probably never cruise again, and OASIS was my 80th cruise and I can't wait to cruise again.

 

One thing is for certain. Cruising is not for everyone and neither is OASIS. If you don't like being at sea or in a limited environment, then perhaps a land based vacation is more suited for you. Personally I find a lot of land based vacations boring. I miss moving from one place to the next.

 

The amount of people seemed to concern you. Remember OASIS is like a large Vegas resort. Surely you realized this when you booked the largest cruise ship in the world? Just like the mega hotels OASIS accommodates a lot of people, but all things considered she handles her passengers extremely well. I have sailed on ships 1/2 the size of OASIS that felt far more crowded.

 

Perhaps if you try cruising sometime in the future, a cruise line like Silversea, Seabourn, or Regent might be more to your liking. You will encounter no crowds, but you will also be on a much smaller ship with limited activities, entertainment, and facilities. The prices will be substantially higher as well.

 

Ernie

[Janespup]

Wow! Cruising is not for you. You would absolutely loathe the smaller ships!

[catlady27]

Wow, sounds like justaddwater hated his trip :( Sorry to hear that. Oh, just an FYI, they prefer that you call is a "ship" and not a "boat" :D

 

DH and I think cruising is the BEST vacation ever and we are far from being 65+ However, as others have said "to each their own".

 

A tad over six months and we will be on the Oasis, surfing on the Flowrider and drinking a Mango Lava Flow - WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO :D

[SuziCruz]

It was crazy crowded - if you didn’t get up at 9am and reserve a chair on a sunny day you were sitting a mile from a pool in the shade somewhere.

 

It's too bad your overall impression of the Oasis was not at all favorable. My husband and I enjoyed 2 cruises in our 20's before kids and this will be our second cruise with kids. We loved it from the get-go, but certainly a cruise vacation is not in everyone's taste.

 

Concerning the deck chairs, I have read in numerous posts that staff are vigilant in monitoring loungers and will remove items not claimed within 30 minutes. With that many people on board I hope they're not all 'reserved' with towels all day!

 

In any case, we are sailing on the Oasis this Saturday, march 13th and cannot wait!:D

[markpc17]

I read this review and it sounds like a plant to me.

 

Crafted in a way to compliment a few things, then bash everything else and hit all the touchy subjects (crowds, food, shows) including what most everyone else calls out as high points given the size of the ship.

 

I don't buy this is for real -- too crafty in its criticism.

[Head Shot]

I read this review and it sounds like a plant to me.

 

Crafted in a way to compliment a few things, then bash everything else and hit all the touchy subjects (crowds, food, shows) including what most everyone else calls out as high points given the size of the ship.

 

I don't buy this is for real -- too crafty in its criticism.

 

That's quite alright. The thread has posts that refutes the OP's initial impression from people that has gone on the cruise.

[welove2cruisedou]

If the OP wanted Tylenol, why didnt you just bring some from home with you.? At most stores these days you can find trial size of just about anything now. If you go on vacation again, I recommend you check the trial size isle at your local store!! I have never met anyone who went on a cruise and complained as much as this OP. Rrrrr..........glad I wasn't on this sailing!! My husband and I have been on 8 cruises so far and loved every minute of each one. Only got 75 more days till I am on this "ship"!! I would hardly call Oasis of the Seas a "boat"!! Oh well to each his own!! These boards are fun to read, they have me laughing for hours sometimes!!:D

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I really don't think cruising is for the OP...at ALL. I wouldn't even advise luxury liners such as Crystal or Seabourne because the passenger demographic might not suit the OP. I think the OP should restrict himself to land-based vacations where he has more freedom to search out the class of food and entertainment that he finds more to his liking.

 

I absolutely loved Oasis and can only imagine what it would have been like for Oasis to have been my very first cruise instead of my twenty-third cruise. It might, indeed, have presented challenges.

 

Still, the ship has so much that is spectacular. The OP never mentions if he is impressed or not with the art, sculpture, the greenery of Central Park, the Sport Deck offerings or any other aspect of the ship's design, architecture, special restaurants and so on.

 

Some folks are not cut out for cruising. I don't think the OP is.

[Tacoma2010]

I read this review and it sounds like a plant to me.

 

Crafted in a way to compliment a few things, then bash everything else and hit all the touchy subjects (crowds, food, shows) including what most everyone else calls out as high points given the size of the ship.

 

I don't buy this is for real -- too crafty in its criticism.

 

 

What would be the motive for someone to plant a negative review about cruising on an obscure bulletin board?

[eroller]

 

Still, the ship has so much that is spectacular. The OP never mentions if he is impressed or not with the art, sculpture, the greenery of Central Park, the Sport Deck offerings or any other aspect of the ship's design, architecture, special restaurants and so on.

 

 

 

I totally agree that cruising is not for the OP and that is fine. I do have to wonder if he realizes how special and unique OASIS is. Maybe he thinks all ships have a Royal Promenade, Ice Skating, Rock Climbing, a Broadway show, a diving show, Boardwalk, Central Park, Flowriders, 20 different restaurants, six pools, etc. etc. The OP has no other ship or cruising experience to compare OASIS to. Send him for a week on CARNIVAL DREAM and perhaps the take aways from OASIS might be a little different. Not that CARNIVAL DREAM is bad, but it's a different experience and will feel far more crowded than OASIS even though the ship is smaller.

 

The fact is if the OP felt "limited" in any way on OASIS, then it's doubtful any ship will meet his needs. I only mentioned the luxury ships because the OP seemed very put off by the crowds. Of course on those ships he would probably complain about nothing to do, the age of the passengers, the movement of the ship. Just guessing.

 

It would be interesting to hear what the OP's idea of a perfect vacation is.

 

Ernie

[lovescoach]

OMG......We just left Oasis Saturday and we are still talking about it. The EXACT opposite of your review. We loved Richard Spacey...high energy and kept you laughing. This was our 8th cruise and we are in our 50s we party and do it all and this ship has it

ALL. Had no problem getting chairs at 10 30 a.m. plenty to be had. The deck patrol made sure no one hogged the chairs all day. Since you are in the Carribean we would not want a hot tub too warm. Not like at home. The hot tubs are cantilevered over the sides of the ship...awesome......We laughed and enjoyed all aspects of the ship. Elevators were there in less than a minute . Why the stairs ?? Hairspray was a bit long...just like the broadway play. Ice show just plain great Alexandra did the sand shapes with her hands ...you will be wowed....so maybe he was not on the Oasis . LOL you have to work pretty hard not to have a good time on this ship. It has it ALL and then some. Did I mention the beef sandwiches at the Park Cafe ? We had them every day for lunch ...hungry or not. Breakfast is free at Johnny Rockets and rarely busy. Custom made to order. Yummy. So pay no mind...it is one amazing ship. Midnight on the Oasis....we were humming it all week. Had to laugh in St. Martin of course we tower over all the other ships...next to Aida Avita....their top deck maybe 12 stories up is naked and yes everyone walking by did a double take and quickly started filming....Too funny !!

[tmoret]

justaddwater... sorry you did not like your cruise. Cruising is just not for everyone. Thank You for taking the time to post here what your feelings are. I am also sorry that some people here dont understand that not everyone enjoys cruising or that with 5000 people there are for sure going to be someone that just had a bad time. I have learned over the years that everyone has different expectations and experiances. once again thank you for taking the time in posting your experiances on your cruise.

[alexw]

That's quite alright. The thread has posts that refutes the OP's initial impression from people that has gone on the cruise.

 

 

Hilarious! How can you refute someones opinion? That sounds ridiculous as opinions differ. Sorry you may be a fanatic, a loyal royal, but some people aren't. The arrogance of some of you fans are overwhelming. Listen, some people do not like cruising. At least the OP tried cruising before bashing it like other people I know. And he also found some things he liked. Once again, cruising isn't for everyone. So please stop trying to prove his opinion wrong, its immature and impossible!

 

And to OP, im sorry that cruising isnt what you expected. You'd probably like an all inclusive land vacation. It provides you with tons of freedom that you state you need. I personally enjoy cruising. I love to be in different places on a daily basis.

 

When Oasis drops her prices, I'll be onboard fighting those crowds, loving it. Take care dude.