Our wonderful family vacation aboard Oasis of the Seas - Nov 6-13, 2010

[abhb]

Thanks for the review. It is getting me excited for our Oasis cruise in April!

[CariBear]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments! Glad you all enjoyed my review! The Oasis is an incredible ship....so much to see and do!!

 

great review...thanks for sharing

 

were there a lot of kids on board? (ie. your DS and DD ages).

 

we will be going on the allure dec 5 and curious as how many kids take time off of school to go.

 

even though the weather was cloudy was it warm enough for shorts? did the night time get cool?

 

 

Our sailing had a very small number of children. One lady told me she asked guest services and they told her there were about 400 children onboard. I would guess there were about 20 kids in the Aquanauts (3-5) and about the same amount in the Explorers (6-8) during the evening sessions. Maybe a little less in the morning and afternoon sessions.

 

It was definitely warm enough for shorts. If you were out watching a show at the Aqua Theater at night you might need a light jacket (sweatshirt type with a zipper) depending on the wind. The dining rooms were not cold and other public rooms were not cold either.

 

Have a great time on the Allure in December!!!

[janetz]

Great review and pics. :) On our sailing the kids we saw always seemed to be having a great time.

[dfishner]

Nassau, Bahamas:

 

Another dreary day! My 8 year old went to the kid's club while my husband, son and I went shopping in Nassau for about 45 minutes...then back onto the ship.

 

Oasis & Disney Wonder in Nassau

 

Oasis in Nassau

Other tidbits:

 

** There was a strong sewage smell out on our balcony the 1st night. It was gross. I asked the plumber who just happened to be walking by my room and he said he would check for me. Came back to tell me it was the way the wind was blowing the ash. Now for those of you who watched the TV show on the Oasis you know that the waste from the ship is burned into ash and then released back into the environment. Well....the release of the ash from the previous voyage caused the big outside stink on the 1st night!! I smelled it on several other occasions also. It was never inside the ship, but always outside. While watching the Oasis of Dreams show in the Aqua Theater I also felt wet drops every now and then which was the ash falling. RCCL needs to come up with a better solution for the release of this ash. It's just gross.

 

** Deck 15 & 16 are indeed very, very slippery when wet!!! Be careful and walk slowly in shoes that have a good tread.

 

** Central Park is absolutely beautiful at night!! With all of the white lights....and the ambiance.....just a wonderful place to relax or take a walk. Take advantage of the 3 photographers who are out each evening to take your photos!

 

** Use Deck 5 (Promenade) or Deck 8 (Central Park) as your main thoroughfares. You cannot get from Forward to Aft on Decks 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14...without having to walk through cabin hallways....which seem to stretch on forever! Since my stateroom was on Deck 8 I would simply walk through Central Park and then use the aft elevators to go to the Opus Dining room, Windjammer, Boardwalk or Sports Court. If I was going to the Opal Theater, Adventure Ocean, Solarium...I would just take the forward elevators right outside my stateroom.

 

** Loved the way they organize your pictures!! Very easy to find your own pictures and keep them together for a final decision at the end of the week.

 

** Saw a lot of elderly folks who were very confused and just seemed lost for most of the cruise. Talked to a couple of people who all stated they had been on 20+ cruises, but would probably not choose Oasis again due to her size. I think if you are spry in the mind and step then you will enjoy the cruise!!!

 

**For those with young toddlers be careful of the sliding doors out to the Boardwalk/Central Park/Pool decks!! My 3 year old dropped something on the ground by one of the doors....bent down to pick it up as the doors were opening for a couple to pass though...somehow his arm got wedged between the sliding glass door and the stationary glass door! It was very scary. He screamed and I thought for sure his arm was broken on Day 1. His hand was very bruised and swollen, but nothing was broken. We were very lucky. It all happened so fast so we are unsure how his hand wound up behind the 2 glass doors, but if your child has skinny little arms please make sure they do not get too close to the glass.

 

**If your young kids need to get their "sillies" out then head over to Blaze on deck 4 during the day. They have dance music playing and no one in there at all! My kids danced (if that is what you want to call it!) and had the dance floor to themselves.

 

We had an incredible cruise and hope to sail on the Allure within the next year or two. Sorry my review was so wordy...and unwitty, but I hope it helped those who will be sailing on Oasis

 

Sunset while at sea

 

My kids on Formal Night in Central Park

 

Was on the same cruise as you and thanks for clearing up what that smell was whenevver we were outside of the ship I could smell it and just thought it was the port smell.. We were on deck 8 as well loved our location and we used deck 5 to get to everywhere and took the elevators by our room to the Solarium bistro each morning..I agree I heard many people saying that they liked the ship but it was to big, we thought it was great..

[joand452]

Thank you for taking the time to post your review and pictures. Your kids are adorable!

 

I liked seeing the Ruby Princess photo, since that was our last cruise, and our next is on Allure.

 

Thanks again for keeping our excitement building!

[NYGirl1002]

Very enjoyable review. Your children are adorable!!

[ask2112]

Great review & Pictures. 13 more days until the Oasis for us! So excited:D

[JoeLongIsland]

Just wanted to share my review of our family vacation aboard Oasis of the Seas! My husband and I sailed with our 3 year old son and 8 year old daughter. It was my son's 1st time on a cruise and my daughter's 3rd. My husband and I have sailed a handful of times with RCCL, Princess, Carnival and Disney. I think this was our most memorable family vacation to date.

 

We began by driving to Ft. Lauderdale from Tampa on Friday after my daughter got home from school. We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale around 7pm and checked into the Hampton Inn & Suites on Sterling Rd. I booked through Stay123.com to receive a rate that would include parking at the hotel for the week. The room was very spacious and the beds were comfortable. The inside walls of the hotel could definitely use a fresh coat of paint, but for one night it was satisfactory. As soon as I checked in I signed up for the shuttle to the port. I was told the 10:45am shuttle was full and could choose between the 11:45am or 12:45pm shuttle. I had called prior to see about booking the shuttle in advance, but they would not let me book anything until I had checked into the hotel and had a room number. I was disappointed in the times and asked if there was anyway I could get to the port earlier. My reason for wanting to get to the port early.......the kid's play area in the terminal. I knew my kids would love to play for a while so I wanted to get there in time to enjoy the facilities. The gentleman from the shuttle service stated it would be $8 per personal to leave earlier. I kindly told him I had purchased a cruise package and the shuttle was included in the pricing....and I did not want to pay an additional fee for the shuttle. He then managed to get me on a 10am special shuttle.....which I later found out was booked for a group of 20 people....and the shuttle service then stuck extra people on the shuttle to fill it up. It appeared that the shuttle service operators leave at 9pm....so if you need the service make sure to arrive at the hotel early the day before your cruise. The hotel was packed on Saturday morning with cruise passengers waiting for shuttles to the port. The complimentary breakfast was nothing special.....and was so crowded that the ladies running the breakfast area were going crazy trying to refill the items as fast as they could.

 

We boarded the 10am shuttle and arrived at the pier around 10:20. The embarkation processes was so smooth. No lines at all. There were plenty of employees waiting to check us in....no crowds....a great experience. My kids quickly found the play area and were excited to get our vacation under way. We were the second group to board behind the guests with suites and those who were Diamond and Platinum members. My kids were only playing for about 10 minutes when they started boarding our section!

 

Kid's area in Terminal 18

 

 

 

We were in awe the moment we stepped onto the Promenade on deck 5. Wow! Oasis sure is a beauty!! Since we boarded early we had a very easy time finding a seat in the Windjammer. By noon it was a madhouse and there were no seats to be had. Since it was unseasonably cold in Ft. Lauderdale we were unable to use the pools....but enjoyed walking around the ship and finding out her unique and hidden secrets! We checked out the Adventure Ocean area and registered the kids. My 3 year old was in the 3-5 age Aquanauts and my daughter was in the 6-8 Explorers. We received a phone for my 3 year old so we could be contacted by the Adventure Ocean staff in case of an emergency or if our son wanted to speak with us.

 

Royal Promenade

 

Kids upon boarding the Oasis

 

Fountains under the Rising Tide Bar

 

Kids in Central Park upon boarding Oasis

 

Hi Caribear. We were on the same cruise with you. How weird is this. If you look at your first Promenade pic my step daughter is the girl on the left, curly hair white shirt and my brother inlaw to her left. Funny how you see your own family in another post.

 

We had a great time and will comment more and do a review in a few days. some of us also went to Maho Beach and here is a pic.

[JoeLongIsland]

How do I post a pic like you did. Mine came out like a thumbnail and not full size.

[sjcruiser]

Thanks for the great review, and great pictures. Beautiful kids.

[Velvet1153]

Thank you for an excellent review! I especially enjoyed the pictures you included. We are on the Oasis in 2 weeks and your pictures have just increased my anticipation!!!

 

By the way, you have two beautiful children!! :)

[Windy56]

Your review was lovely. Thank you for bringing back memories from our cruise in August!

 

I just love the picture of your two children sitting on the bench. Looks like it's taken in Central Park on formal night. It's so cute the way your son is sort of leaning into his sister with his little feet crossed at the ankles. Your daughter looks so "older sisterish" in the way she has her arms around his shoulders. That one's a keeper, for sure!

[funat55]

Thanks for posting the review and the pictures. I don't know where you found the energy after just returning lol. Your children are absolutely precious. I can hardly wait til my cruise when my grandson who will be 6 will be on board. I'll probably go back and read the review and look at the pictures again.

[pscruzinboyz]

Great review....We were on the cruise right before you.....brings back the memories...work was tough last week...I kept saying to myself....I wonder what the cruiser are doing right now while i was working... :mad:

???...Did you guys have that BAD STINK before, during and after the cruise...we had one and it was really bad.

 

Thanks again

 

Mike

[berylde]

Great review and tips.

Saw something very helpful in one of your pictures---We have a Boardwalk Balcony and we wondered where we could sit outside to see the ocean, besides the pool areas. Your picture of deck 4 aft showed us.

Can you remember any other areas?

Loved all the pictures.

[Alamogirl]

Great review plus you cleared up a question on another board about the smell and what it was. You children are darling!

[CariBear]

Thanks again for all of your wonderful comments!! My daughter just got on the bus to go to school and brought all of the projects she made at Adventure Ocean to show her teacher! She also kept a journal throughout the week to share with her class. Wish I was not back to the reality of cooking and cleaning...not to mention the 3 loads of laundry I have already done!!

 

How do I post a pic like you did. Mine came out like a thumbnail and not full size.

 

Too funny that your family is in the picture!! You must have been at the port early also! I used photobucket to post my pictures and used the IMG code on the boards...this way they come out big without having to click on them. I am not too computer savvy so there might me another way.

 

Your review was lovely. Thank you for bringing back memories from our cruise in August!

 

I just love the picture of your two children sitting on the bench. Looks like it's taken in Central Park on formal night. It's so cute the way your son is sort of leaning into his sister with his little feet crossed at the ankles. Your daughter looks so "older sisterish" in the way she has her arms around his shoulders. That one's a keeper, for sure!

 

Thank you!! My kids have their moments when they are all lovey-dovey towards one another and it is sweet......then it ends and it is "She hit my arm....no he did it first....no I didn't ......yes you did"....She loves her little brother though and sometimes acts like a little mommy. It's those moments I treasure the most!

 

Great review....We were on the cruise right before you.....brings back the memories...work was tough last week...I kept saying to myself....I wonder what the cruiser are doing right now while i was working... :mad:

???...Did you guys have that BAD STINK before, during and after the cruise...we had one and it was really bad.

 

Thanks again

 

Mike

 

Yes, we did have the bad outside stink the 1st night and it re-occured at various times throughout the cruise. We went out on our balcony right after departure and it was really nasty. I was told it was the way the wind was blowing......I really don't want to imagine how much waste the ship burns with over 6000 people on board...not to mention the crew, but I think RCCL needs to find someway to avoid the stink. All inside areas were fine....and I never smelled anything in the Solarium.

 

I was thinking about the new cruisers boarding as we were leaving.....made me want to hop back on with the consecutive cruisers who were meeting in the Champagne Bar!!

[CariBear]

Great review and tips.

Saw something very helpful in one of your pictures---We have a Boardwalk Balcony and we wondered where we could sit outside to see the ocean, besides the pool areas. Your picture of deck 4 aft showed us.

Can you remember any other areas?

Loved all the pictures.

 

Thanks!! Made a typo in my original post....the jogging track and sitting area is in the aft of Deck 5. There was also some chairs hidden right next to the rock climbing walls....in a little alcove. I never saw anyone up there. Just use the stairs to the left or right of the Aqua Theater on Deck 6 as the rock climbing walls are on Deck 7, but can only be accessed on the outside stairs by the Aqua Theater or walking the long inside hallway of Deck 7 towards the aft. Deck 14 forward was a nice spot also.....accessed through the port side hallway. There is now a sign by Adventure Ocean stating something like "Looking for the outside deck? Walk through the port side hallway for access (with an arrow in the direction)" So it is no longer a "hidden secret." Very windy out there, but there are 2 telescopes that you can use.....great place to go for sailaway or when arriving in a port.

[CariBear]

Last set of pictures....

 

Aft on Deck 4 along the jogging track

 

 

Can't seem to find a way to edit my original post, but the jogging track and the seating area above are in the aft of Deck 5. Sorry for the typo! :o

[Poorplaya]

Thank you for posting all those great pictures, looks like you and the family had a great time on the Oasis.

[cruizinmimi]

CariBear - thank you for such a wonderful review. We were on the Oasis in September and I was reliving the whole trip through your review. Your children are just adorable.

[LBumb]

thanks for posting your awesome photos

[Jenjer]

Thank You glad to hear your DD loved the kids club

[Puffinater]

Thanks for taking the time to post your review and picture. Very informative.

[JoeLongIsland]

Thanks again for all of your wonderful comments!! My daughter just got on the bus to go to school and brought all of the projects she made at Adventure Ocean to show her teacher! She also kept a journal throughout the week to share with her class. Wish I was not back to the reality of cooking and cleaning...not to mention the 3 loads of laundry I have already done!!

 

 

 

Too funny that your family is in the picture!! You must have been at the port early also! I used photobucket to post my pictures and used the IMG code on the boards...this way they come out big without having to click on them. I am not too computer savvy so there might me another way.

 

 

 

Thank you!! My kids have their moments when they are all lovey-dovey towards one another and it is sweet......then it ends and it is "She hit my arm....no he did it first....no I didn't ......yes you did"....She loves her little brother though and sometimes acts like a little mommy. It's those moments I treasure the most!

 

 

 

Yes, we did have the bad outside stink the 1st night and it re-occured at various times throughout the cruise. We went out on our balcony right after departure and it was really nasty. I was told it was the way the wind was blowing......I really don't want to imagine how much waste the ship burns with over 6000 people on board...not to mention the crew, but I think RCCL needs to find someway to avoid the stink. All inside areas were fine....and I never smelled anything in the Solarium.

 

I was thinking about the new cruisers boarding as we were leaving.....made me want to hop back on with the consecutive cruisers who were meeting in the Champagne Bar!!

 

Looking at the creation times of my pics and videos we arrived at port at 10:20 and were done with checking in and photos at 10:35. We sat and waited till they called suites at 11:00 and were about the first 100 or so to board after them. I can say I was in the Promenade by 11:10. First thing was to sign up for cupcake making class, that's where you can see my stepdaughter in front of cupcake cupboard. We then wanted the iphones but were not available, and niether was the cooler bag for beer I heard so much about.

 

 

Thanks for the tip on photobucket. I will try that.