Sorry - I didn't care for the Oasis!

[Cupcrazy]

Very good review. There is no need to be sorry. Thanks for your honest comments & opinions

[stones902]

Hey Kurt, how you doing man, we havent cruised together in a while. Say hello to Ms G for me.

Mike

 

You bet Mike! Thanks for chiming in! Great to see you posting and ill tell Gina you said Hi!

[misty57]

We enjoyed Allure last Feb, and will be on Oasis this Feb, but only because DH wants to. I prefer Voyager or Freedom class. I even liked the Jewel. As others have said, there is a class for everyone. We do like the promenade on the voyager and freedom class but I could be happy on any of the ships. I think the Oasis class are too expensive. We booked a ocean view balcony because like others have said, I want to see the ocean!

I can't see repeating Oasis class after this next cruise since we will have done both ships and both itineraries.

[sleepless]

Well we are set to try Oasis this Saturday and my concerns are heightened due to your post.....am sure we will be fascinated by the ship for a few days anyway....but since our favorite ships are Celebrity's "S" class not sure how we will feel....but as my DH says....there are no bad cruises.....:)

 

 

Go with an open mind. You may find you really enjoy the Oasis class. DH and I are in our 60's, we travel alone - our children are grown. We really enjoyed the Oasis when we were on it in July of 2011. So much so, that we have a B2B planned for July of 2013 on the Allure. There was so much we wanted to do on the Oasis, that we didn't get to do it all.

 

I especially enjoyed the Boardwalk. We book our staterooms on this deck; just aft of the aft elevator - a balcony. The Boardwalk is a wonderful place to walk first thing in the morning blue sky, sunshine, and the first cup of coffee. There are adult activities on this deck. The Aqua Theater hosts the Aqua shows, the fountain shows, night time movies. I also believe that the sexy leg contest is there, as well as a couple of others. Yes, there are children's activities, but it is not exclusive to children.

 

 

Enjoy your week.

[RoyalDiamond]

Love the smaller ships, love the medium ships, love the large ships! Love cruising! Each ship has its personality and offerings. As far as Oasis/Allure, the BEST entertainment of any of the ships, and the largest casinos! Fun fun fun. We still enjoy a stroll outside on the jogging/walking track, which has ocean views in many places (granted, not as good as on other vessels). I would never avoid a RCCL ship without trying it for myself.

[samj80]

Nice review. We sail on Oasis in 52 days. I hope we don't regret it. I've read similar reviews from several different people. I'm much more apprehensive about our upcoming cruise now. We primary cruise so my wife can take a break from her extremely stressful job. It now sounds like that may not be as easy on this ship.

[wwcruisers]

Looks like I may be one of the last remaining member of the N.O.O.T.S., but I just still can't see sailing on a ship that big :rolleyes:! We have good friends who love Oasis and Allure, and have tried to get us to go with them. But they are the first to admit that that there are crowding issues and more rude passengers than they have encountered on the smaller ships. Our friends love sailing on the newest ships, so we're hoping to book a cruising reunion, once the Sunshine Class comes out! :cool:

[RoyalDiamond]

I find crowding to be worse on smaller ships, as there are fewer places to go! The only times it feels crowded on OA/AL are the typical ones (shows letting out, event on royal promenade, etc). Windjammer is crowded at times, but there are so many other free venues to choose. Or, we visit the WJ at non-peak times. Dinner in there is not crowded at all. Going on OA this Saturday for the 5th time!

[R_Judy]

Thank you so much for your thoughts. We had a reservations on Allure but changed them. I, like you want to see the sea! Then when you add the higher cost for the cruise, specialty restaurants and the sauna we decided no thank you.

[WendyG]

No Need to be sorry :)

 

Thank you for your honest review:)

 

We did Oasis in January and Allure last week . We liked Oasis better than Allure but don't think we will be doing either in the future unless we take the "kids" and Grand children.

 

Reader

 

Funny, we did Allure last November and were on the Oasis with Stones on this cruise and we preferred the Allure.

 

We won't go on either again, once was enough for us! It was convenient since no airfare is involved for us, but we prefer the smaller ships with ocean views too!

[goouchjac]

Nice review. We sail on Oasis in 52 days. I hope we don't regret it. I've read similar reviews from several different people. I'm much more apprehensive about our upcoming cruise now. We primary cruise so my wife can take a break from her extremely stressful job. It now sounds like that may not be as easy on this ship.

 

I wouldn't get uptight about different reveiws,,,we don't all have the same likes and dislikes,,we will be going on the O in Jan. with family and friends,,,this will be our first on the "big" ship...We have been on just about all the different class of RC and every ship can seem crowded and overbearing at times...So have a open mind and enjoy your cruise:D:D

[Sky616]

Another that feels there are no apologies needed. I firmly believe that everyone should try the ship for themselves to make a decision whether it fits their lifestyle or not.

 

While we definitely enjoyed our trip on Allure, and may do one more before the kids are older, we most likely will go on the smaller ships in the future.

 

RCI has a ship for everyone, and everyone needs to make their own decisions on what is the right one for them!

That's what we are doing next year. Trying it with the kids and then hopefully a southern route from San Juan just us after that.

[stones902]

As I said in my review, I am glad that we sailed on the Oasis. There is certainly a lot to like about that class of ship. You certainly have the most dining and entertainment choices available on a cruise ship for you. We didn't see all the shows but the things we watched were excellent and I heard similar stories fron friends on board. That being said, I just prefer other classes of ships better (i.e Radiance). That doesn't mean that you might feel differently.

 

If you are sailing on the Oasis or Allure, by all means don't let my comments deter you in any way. There is no such thing as a bad cruise! You might just find that the Oasis is your new favorite! One thing that I would like to convey however is that this class of ship requires a bit more planning if you want to catch the more popular shows, comedy club, dining venues, etc. Happy sailing!

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

As I said in my review, I am glad that we sailed on the Oasis. There is certainly a lot to like about that class of ship. You certainly have the most dining and entertainment choices available on a cruise ship for you. We didn't see all the shows but the things we watched were excellent and I heard similar stories fron friends on board. That being said, I just prefer other classes of ships better (i.e Radiance). That doesn't mean that you might feel differently.

 

If you are sailing on the Oasis or Allure, by all means don't let my comments deter you in any way. There is no such thing as a bad cruise! You might just find that the Oasis is your new favorite! One thing that I would like to convey however is that this class of ship requires a bit more planning if you want to catch the more popular shows, comedy club, dining venues, etc. Happy sailing!

 

Thanks again for your thoughts, they are appreciated. I know we all love to cruise!

[Cruising89143]

I find crowding to be worse on smaller ships, as there are fewer places to go! The only times it feels crowded on OA/AL are the typical ones (shows letting out, event on royal promenade, etc). Windjammer is crowded at times, but there are so many other free venues to choose. Or, we visit the WJ at non-peak times. Dinner in there is not crowded at all. Going on OA this Saturday for the 5th time!

 

I agree. The Radiance class takes the prize for me for feeling/being most crowded.

[MAJ]

Excellent review and my thoughts exactly. Been there...Done that. We also won't be returning to the Oasis class. It's just not for us.

 

Agree entirely, we sailed 2 weeks before you.

 

We are also D+ and loved the lounge , DH went to the windjammer every morning 7 30 for coffee most mornings he was told all the tables are taken

 

We had a table for 10 just for ourselves

 

But thanks to Cruise Critic I had all the shows per-booked and they were all brilliant

[Reader0108598]

Funny, we did Allure last November and were on the Oasis with Stones on this cruise and we preferred the Allure.

 

We won't go on either again, once was enough for us! It was convenient since no airfare is involved for us, but we prefer the smaller ships with ocean views too!

 

Well,was not as convenient for us but the big Kid (AKA DH ):Dhad to see both ships. I don't regret either cruise we had a nice time on both. I just think like you, smaller is better.

 

This is why we all love cruising ,Something for everyone!

 

Happy Cruising everyone! :)

[TigerLady]

Funny you should post this. Our family went on the Allure the day after you. My hobby and I in a Central Park Balcony and our youngest son and his best friend in theirs. What's so funny, is my husband and I felt the same way. Our fist cruise on an Oasis class as well. It was a beautiful ship, but is is geared more toward the affluent members of society and family. Not much for a couple, (WE are 48 & 51). We encourage everyone to try it, once. As for us, we'll go back to the Freedom Class. Happy Sailings and Merry Christmas to everyone!!

 

I decided to do a mini review of our experience on the Oasis 11/24/12 sailing. Just for perspective my wife and I are 47 / 50 and have been on over 25 cruises (D+ on RCI). This was our first cruise on this class of ship. This is only my personal opinion - not necessarily what others may think of the ship.

 

Boarding / Debarkation - Extremely efficient! From arrival to processing maybe 15 minutes until you are ready to board. As opposed to other cruises your Seapass photo was taken at when you received your card as opposed to when you board the ship. Props to RCI on improvements to boarding. Debarkation was extremely efficient as well. We had a late flight so we waited to exit the ship until 9:30 AM. Really didn't have to wait in a significant line and we took advantage of luggage valet service for $20 pp. We didn't need to escort our luggage through customs and did not see the suitcases until Chicago! Well worth the $$$ IMHO.

 

Cabin - standard balcony was similar to other RCI ships. The old CRT style TV was replaced by a decent sized flat screen. You could access your bill, book dinners, etc via the TV in your cabin. Nightstands with drawers were replaced by shelves. For the ladies, a step bar was added to the clamshell shower (presumably to make leg shaving easier). Tip - I think it is important to locate your cabin near an elevator bank to ease navigation around the huge ship.

 

Crowds - unlike other comments I have read we definitely felt the crowds at times mostly in the promenade area. The weather on our trip wasn't great so that could be a possible explanation but we found the area to be quite congested most of the time. We didn't use the Windjammer but I heard many complaints about people being unable to find tables and crowding at the buffet stations.

 

Bars / Lounges - Spent considerable time in the Concierge Lounge (CL). It was a wonderful and comfortable room with a nice large window viewing the back of the ship. We ate breakfasts here as well as evening cocktails. They also offer a lunch menu. The Schooner (a staple on RCI ships) was disappointing as it is located in an interior area of the ship and lacked views of the ocean. It became quite loud as it had exposure to the crowded promenade are and all the activities going on there. I was disappointed with this area compared to other RCI ships. The Viking Crown Lounge (which is beautiful) was underutilized most of the week. Incidentally, a friend of ours who drinks house Pinot Grigio found that she was charged about $5 more for her glass of wine in the Viking Crown as opposed to other bars on board. The bar staff explained that this is because it is considered a "premium venue" on the ship. Dazzles was a pleasant surprise as they had a very good live band every night. Also a very nice venue with windows overlooking aft. Blaze nightclub was pretty small although the size of the club was perfectly adequate given the other nighttime activities on board. Boleros was hopping every night but is located right off the Promenade.

 

Dining - we ate most of our meals in the main dining room. They were very good and comparable with our experience on other ships. The only specialty restaurant we tried for dinner was the Solarium Bistro which we found excellent.

 

I am a cigar smoker and was disappointed with the ship with regard to these accomodations. The cigar louge was on Deck 17 (solarium bar) the first night and then in their regular location outside on deck 17 thereafter. The bartender objected to anyone sitting at the outdoor bar while smoking a cigar in this outdoor venue. Hello....it's a cigar bar! I thought they could find a better and permanent location for cigar smoker similar to the Connoisseur Club on Freedom class ships.

 

Sports Deck - the zip line, flowrider and rock climbing walls were cool. Other that doing these things once we really didn't need to go a 2nd time. Maybe a function of our age?

 

Boardwalk - a really neat area for kids but not much for people our age. Johnny Rockets and the Seafood Shack are located here.

 

General impressions - The ship is obviously designed for families as opposed to couples. Families with kids will find a number of things to do. We found the large crowds distracting. Didn't like the way lines were handled at Guest Services - multiple lines in front of each representative instead of "taking the next person in line". The layout of the ship is such that you don't get a nice ocean view from many of the public venues which we found not to our liking.

 

Hindsight is 20/20 and in retrospect I think it is important to plan your shows and specialty restaurants in advance moreso on this ship as opposed to others. We were not able to hit a couple of things we would have liked to because of our MTD reservation.

 

I heard a number of complaints from passengers based on their experience in the main dining room. In particular, I know of a couple of people who purposely booked a large table in order to meet other passengers. Because the ship has so many dining choices, they found themselves sitting at an empty table for 8 most evenings. I just mention this so that others will keep in mind when planning their dining for the week.

 

So to sum it all up - I'm glad we experienced the Oasis / Allure but would not book it again. We just found it a bit too large for our tastes and didn't care for some of the public venues as compared to other RCI ships we have sailed. I can see why other RCI cruisers really enjoy the ship as there is plenty to like but this was our experience.

[terrizeb]

Nice review. We sail on Oasis in 52 days. I hope we don't regret it. I've read similar reviews from several different people. I'm much more apprehensive about our upcoming cruise now. We primary cruise so my wife can take a break from her extremely stressful job. It now sounds like that may not be as easy on this ship.

 

Hi Samj80 - I was on the Allure in January. We didn't find Allure stressful at all. I think the key is doing a little up-front planning so that you get into shows and restaurants you are interested in. Once we were on the ship, we we just able to explore and enjoy. Also, alot of the reviews mention stress due to standing in line for the MDR or Winjammer. I would plan an alternate restaurant the first night since that is always a zoo. There are so many alternatives for breakfast and lunch that we only ate in the Windjammer once during the entire cruise. The Solarium was my favorite for breakfast and lunch. Enjoy your cruise!

[BillOh]

Nice review. We sail on Oasis in 52 days. I hope we don't regret it. I've read similar reviews from several different people. I'm much more apprehensive about our upcoming cruise now. We primary cruise so my wife can take a break from her extremely stressful job. It now sounds like that may not be as easy on this ship.

 

The other side of this ship's size is its big enough to get away from things you don't want. My wife and I took Allure on our 6th cruise. On our first 5 cruises we did everything! But on this one, we did what we wanted and relaxed the rest of the time. We both have very stressful jobs and she and I both would tell you that this was a great cruise. With a little preparation and knowledge of the ship and events you can make the most of a a great week. We did.

[philip_g]

Nice review. We sail on Oasis in 52 days. I hope we don't regret it. I've read similar reviews from several different people. I'm much more apprehensive about our upcoming cruise now. We primary cruise so my wife can take a break from her extremely stressful job. It now sounds like that may not be as easy on this ship.

 

I was just on oasis in november and share the threadstarter's views pretty much, but we still had a great time and a great vacation, the little annoyances kind of wash away and there's a lot of good on the ship as well.

And for gods sake put the bad things you read out of your mind or you'll be looking for them on the ship

[LAatl]

Oh yes...it is a very nice area with comfortable seating and wonderful views. So many people do not know it is there, so finding a spot is usually very easy.

 

That is my personal favorite class and all of my next 3 sailings (including a transatlantic) are radiance class. I, like others, enjoying seeing the sea...and all the windows in the public areas allow me to enjoy that aspect.

I would love to do a transatlantic!

[daveky]

I'm glad I tried the Oasis last year to see what the ship is about. Fantastic ship but will probably alternate between smaller class ships and Oasis/Allure from time to time to balance out my cruising. I tell my friends the Oasis/Allure the cruise is all about the ship and all of the things to do on her. If they prefer more ports, take one of the other ships at they hit more ports. I glad there are the different choices of ships and will book accordingly based on the mood i'm in. I know if the only choices were the Oasis/Allure, I would not have cruised the number of cruises I have with them so far.

[sweet angel]

I have sailed on Freedom class, Voyager class and Radiance class. We like the promenade, and there are still plenty of spaces with ocean views. We felt a bit trapped on Serenade, and found it easier to find coffee and snacks 24/7 on the Freedom/Voyager class.

 

I would like to experience Oasis/allure, but like many others, will wait for the price point to drop.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[stones902]

I have sailed on Freedom class, Voyager class and Radiance class. We like the promenade, and there are still plenty of spaces with ocean views. We felt a bit trapped on Serenade, and found it easier to find coffee and snacks 24/7 on the Freedom/Voyager class.

 

I would like to experience Oasis/allure, but like many others, will wait for the price point to drop.

 

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

Sue, we prefer the Freedom Class to the Oasis Class but the Radiance would be #1 in our book. Perhaps Gina & I are old fashioned but I was pretty happy with the limited choices we had and also the chance to interact with staff.

 

Of all the ships we have done I would say the Serenade was our favorite. When we did our b2b on board we really got to know several of the staff the 2nd week when they recognized us from the prior cruise. Naturally, this is much more difficult on a ship with 5,400 passengers versus a ship with 2,500. Being that there is less staff as well tends to create more of an intimate atmosphere.

 

I haven't done any of the huge ships on other lines but I expect the experience would be similar.