The suite life of oasis - Oasis of the Seas Nov 2012

[sbw80]

I went on my first cruise in November with my boyfriend onboard Oasis of the seas. We stayed in room 1716, a crown loft suite on deck 17. This is my review (Sorry it’s so late but I had to wait until I’d finished my degree with the Open University to write this and I’ve just sent off my last essay). It was quite an amazing and eventful trip with deaths (of a monkey), marriages (well propsoal) and a delightful encounter with Jesus (Our fabulous Disney Balloon loving room attendant).

 

Day 1 – Saturday

 

We spent the morning driving from Orlando, so arrived in Fort Lauderdale at around 2pm. The car hire company provided free transport buses to the port but they only leave when they’re full and we were first on (So typical). So after watching planes flying over for 20 minutes the bus finally started moving and we’re off. My Mickey Mouse balloon caused some strange looks I can tell you, ‘specially after I spun round with excitement to get my first look at Oasis and almost knocked somebodies head off, oops.

 

Suite guests have a dedicated check-in area for boarding. When you arrived there was no one waiting so we pretty much walked in, showed out documents, signed, had our photos taken and walked the planks (Well ramps really) up to Oasis. We were able to go straight to our room and I have to say… wow… crown loft suites are amazing.

We were so busy admiring our room that I had to drag J out just as all the eateries were closing for the safety drill. Be warned, places close early, CC had warned me about this but I remembered too late. We still had 30 minutes left but alas no food was to be found so we wondered over to the Aquatheatre to find out what we do if the ship hits and iceberg or if the captain decides to go on an off-course jolly to wave to some mates. Apparently, in the event of doom we go through the curtain (Never to be seen again…).

[sbw80]

After the drill we had a bit of a wonder, filled up our freestyle machine cups (We explored the arcade and found a drink machine in there that’s hardly ever has people waiting) and explored our room a bit more (It took me a while to master the button that opens and closes the curtains, I don’t generally use one in everyday life so took me a while to realise you have to hold it in) then we went to the MDR for dinner. As we were My Time Dinning and hadn’t booked a slot (Bit of a contradiction in terms if you ask me) we went to deck 5 and joined the que for 15 minutes. When we got the front we were told that as we have the almighty gold card we didn’t need to wait in line in future and were showed to a special ‘suite’ area in the centre of the room with amazing views of the chandelier and floors below. J had pork, I had beef, the food was amazing and we were very stuffed.

 

Full and exhausted from the fun packed Orlando week before and the long drive, we got our swimming stuff, put on our Royal Caribbean robes (for some reason we got four between us, maybe because the room can hold four, but two were soft and two were toweling ones) and heated to the hot tub. I’d never been in one before I have to to say I’ve certainly been missing out. The infinity hot tubs that hang over the side of the ship, float on your front, hold on to the edge and just watch the whole world disappear into ocean from your warm fuzzy oasis on the Oasis (Ignoring the broken large screen tv half showing some type of sport in silence over your head).

 

We didn’t get an animal on our first night :(

[sbw80]

Day 2 – Sunday

 

There’s nothing like having your first ever cruise breakfast… in the middle of a park. Central park, a planted an open air promenade in the centre of the ship on deck 8 of the ship, has to be one of the wonders of the modern cruising world. The garden is made up of 2,000 individual planters, 57 trees and 4 full-time gardeners.

Central park is also home to three paid speciality restaurants, 150 Central Park, Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, and Vintages wine bar. It is also the location of Park Café, a free eatery that serves breakfast and lunch but generally closes around 6pm each day.It serves a range of sandwiches, deserts and snacks and does a great sausage and egg morning sandwich (If you want to know more about food options, what’s free/paid for and what each venue has I put together a spreadsheet using CC info with sample menu’s before we went. Am more than willing to share it).

[sbw80]

We had a slight dilemma after breakfast. The meet and mingle for cruise and the drinks with the captain were pretty much the same time. We tried to squeeze in both, down to Dazzles first for the very funny assistant cruise director (I’m struggling to remember his name but he was much funnier than the CD Ricky Matthews and they made a fantastic double act), our free RC name tag holder and pen and a rather nice time. In hindsight it probably would have been better to stay around at the end and socialize but we ran upstairs to the Viking Crown Lounge on 16 where the captain had already vacated but we did get some nice drinks and fancy biscuits.

A quick stop at a room (through a swipe card access) led to a bit of a telling off from our room attendant. Apparently every time we leave the room we’re meant to put a card in the little stop in the front of the door to let them know that they can go in and clean. Now, I like to think that I wasn't dragged up in the gutters but to me generally whenever I've been to a hotel or something with housekeeping they come in once a day, bring their little trolley, make the bed, do a little wipe down and they’re off. I've never stayed anywhere where my room gets cleaned so often, and I mean seriously cleaned. I wouldn't say I’m obsessed with cleaning (My house is a mess) but when I’m staying somewhere I like to know how good the staff is so I’ll do a few little tests. I’ll leave the odd sweet somewhere, put some dust bits on top of a tv (On Oasis I had to improvise because there wasn't a single spec of dust anywhere, and I seriously checked). I don’t do anything mean (I tidy up all my stuff for room attendants, J even has to pick his pants up because I don’t think it’s nice for someone else to have to move your dirty clothes), but it gives you an idea of what they’re doing and on Oasis it helped me figure out the cleaning routine. Whilst we’re at breakfast they come in make the bed, put the ‘day’ covers and cushions on, clean the bathroom, give things a general tidy and change the daily menus. Round abouts midday (Although you can never truly know where, they’re like cleaning fairies who magic in and out in a flash), they clean the bathrooms again, hoover, dust, clean down all the services. In the evening, general when we’re at dinner, they go back in, remove the ‘day’ bedding, clean anything that isn't still clean from lunch time, make the towel animals and leave a load of chocolates on top of tomorrow’s daily compass. The level of finesse, attention to detail and dedication, if I ever get stuck in a war I’m having the RC suite cleaning staff on my side.

[NanciRDH]

Awesome TR so far! Loving all the pics, can't wait for more. :)

[jv_nyc]

Great review! We're booked in a Grand Suite on the Oasis in February, and if one becomes available, we may upgrade to a CL suite.

[229cruise]

Subscribing! Getting on Allure in 6days!

 

 

Send from device_name using Cruise Critic your_app_name App

[mais318]

Great Review! The Crown Loft suite looks great. Thanks for doing this, Can't wait for Oasis in a few weeks!

[sbw80]

This is the spreadsheet i created with Oasis dining options

Oasis food.xls

[ARCruisinNana]

This is the spreadsheet i created with Oasis dining options

 

Your spreadsheet is great, however you might want to make some kind of note that the Concierge Lounge is only available to those staying in a GS or higher, or are D+or PC members.

[sbw80]

Our mad dash around the ship had made us pretty hungry so we went back to Park Café, loaded ourselves up with supplies and went on a hunting expedition to find the secret land of the deck 14 forward outside area (Not so much of a secret if you read CC forums).

 

 

We left our spoils on a little seating area (One of my favourite spots on the ship) and ventured outside to the deck that wraps around the front of the deck just above the captain’s bridge. To say it was a might bit windy out there would be an understatement, a slow astronaut style moon walk got you to the edge of the deck at which point you hung onto the bar for dear life, it was such great fun.

 

 

After our near death (I tend to exaggerate a bit :)) experience, we sat in the comfy little window seat and ate our lunch. It was quite amusing to watch the occasional people come past, we’d warn them to hold on, they’d like and smirk (Like “Yeah, right”) then they’d return back to the safe side of the door and tell us how right we’d been. Most entertaining lunch I’ve had in a while. If you get the chance I’d seek out this spot (Just go to deck 14 and go as forward as you can on the left hand side. I think you can also get out through the kids club but we didn't try that).

 

 

From the front deck you also get a great view of the sides of the ship.

[sbw80]

Thanks for the nice comments everyone. Glad that people are finding my wittering on useful :)

[sbw80]

Your spreadsheet is great, however you might want to make some kind of note that the Concierge Lounge is only available to those staying in a GS or higher, or are D+or PC members.

 

Thanks ARCruisinNana, duly noted. I've updated the spreadsheet so will say so on it from now on. Can we delete comments on here so that people get the new version not the old one? I can't find any way to do it

Oasis food.xls

[NanciRDH]

Thanks ARCruisinNana, duly noted. I've updated the spreadsheet so will say so on it from now on. Can we delete comments on here so that people get the new version not the old one? I can't find any way to do it

 

You can click the "edit" button on your own posts, but I think there's a 30 minute time limit to do that.

[sbw80]

When I was at primary school (Age 4 to 11 for those who are not familiar with the UK education system) we’d get a mock ice skating rink in our school hall that was made of tile like jigsaw pieces. This is what I pictured when I heard that Oasis has its own rink because I didn’t think a full sized real ice skating venue was possibly in a big boat. I was so incredibly wrong. The sheer size will overwhelm you (and get used to that feeling, you’ll be getting it a lot on this holiday). It’s the first time I’ve ever been made to wear a helmet and knee pads to skate (which is probably a good thing considering how clumsy I am) and the staff had a great laugh when I had to wear a kids helmet (I have a rather small head) but it was worth it as it is so much fun. Sessions are broken down into 30 minute slots and there are quite a number of them throughout the day so it didn’t seem busy. Keep an eye out in the compass for them though as skating is only available on days when there isn’t an ice show.

 

I’ve never been to a prom or anything like that so I was really looking forward to tonight, the first formal. Another suite perk offered is steaming of your outfits for the first formal. Jesus, our room attendant, didn’t let us down – my dress was hanging up all neat and pretty (Impressive since it had been quite a few miles) ready when we got back. After getting dressed we walked around a bit taking some photos, including the mandatory one on the carousel.

 

Then dinner in the main dining room once more. It really comes alive on formal night but given recent debates I don’t think that those who don’t dress up make any difference. There is still an amazing atmosphere and everyone gets to wear what they want, win win. After dinner we’d reserved to see Hairspray (Gold card reserved seating area with good view of the stage is available but is given away 5 minutes before the show starts) and it was really good. Not quite west end but the cast was outstanding and the reduced staging is understandable given that you’re in the middle of the ocean.

 

After the show we took a midnight stroll through the park (It’s quite a different place at night, calm and tranquil but I think it’s cos of the animal noises they pump in. It is a very nice experience). We then chilled out on the balcony for a while. As they are double height and so high up it is easy to forget that the rest of the ship is below you. They are also heat traps, even on the windiest days there is very little breeze on the balcony, which is both a good and bad thing. Whilst I was standing in the warmth, watching the stars and listening to the sea, J started playing our song (Snow Patrol, Chasing Cars) on his phone. I turned around and he was down on one knee with a Mickey Mouse ring he’d somehow managed to buy in Disneyland without me knowing.

[sbw80]

Our towel animal on our second night was an elephant.

 

Oh, and I said yes. :D

[sbw80]

You can click the "edit" button on your own posts, but I think there's a 30 minute time limit to do that.

 

Thank you, i've find the button now but a bit too late for what i wanted to delete. :)

[NanciRDH]

 

Oh, and I said yes. :D

 

Congratulations!!!!

[sbw80]

Day 3 – Monday

 

And so our (well my really, I don’t think J would want any association) under-stairs zoo begins.

We had quite a slow start due to the eventful night before. It was quite a nice morning on our balcony but you really can’t use this as a judge for the normal weather.

 

 

We took our time getting up and had breakfast in the Concierge Lounge, which was pretty empty as most people had already departed for Labadee. The lounge (For suite members other than Junior Suites, Diamond plus and platinum members) has a really great breakfast menu and it’s a very nice spot to eat and there’s a lot of choice. After breakfast we heading off the ship (Which is not hard, there’s signs everywhere telling you where to go). Getting off the ship is a quick and painless experience (As long as you have your Seapass Card). As Labadee is owned by RC the ship tends to lose a lot of crew at this port so it’s not a good one to stay on board and to get less crowded activity time. The food served on the island is also made in the galley on board Oasis so there are a number of complimentary places to eat on the island. Suite guests get access to a private beach, Barefoot Beach. It’s a cove in a sheltered area which is very pretty and is the same location as the rentable cabanas. There’s a bbq area that does some great food, sun loungers, nice toilets, outside toilets and you also get a really good view of the ship.

 

 

Our day on Labadee was one of the windiest days ever (which is why you can’t judge the weather by a CL balcony). On the beach on the opposite side to the cove the trees were blowing from side to side, hammocks were getting tangled and sand was blowing all over but the cove is so protected that there was just a gentle breeze. See, gold card even comes with better weather.

[sbw80]

Congratulations!!!!

 

Thank you :)

[Sophia2007]

Love your writing style - very entertaining! :)

[sbw80]

 

Labadee has a number of activities including the longest zip line over water in the world and a really fun looking coaster. We didn't book anything which was a good thing in the end as both activities were closed because of the wind. Labadee its self is a nice little island though so if the weather is too bad to get a tan there are a lot of very scenic areas within walking distance but they mostly involve stairs so perhaps not very good for those with accessibility issues. There were really long lines to get back to the ship by around 2pm but I think everyone was leaving early because of the weather.

 

 

Back on the ship, I had a go at the climb wall (Was pretty slow but least I got to the bell) but have only really climbed real rock walls where you climb over the edge when you get to the top. After dangling for a couple of minutes I started half abseiling/half crawling back down. I could have done with a bit more guidance from the instructors but the only really give you safety advice before you start. If you’re unsure then probably best to watch people do it first. We didn’t find out until we got back but deck 11 (and maybe 12 and 14) if you walk as far aft as possible you’ll come to a door that leads to public balconies that have very good views of the rock climbing walls for good photos).

 

We ate in Windjammer Market Place on our third night as it was only one floor below us and we were feeling tired from our busy day of doing nothing. I’ve read some bad reviews of Windjammer but I have to say that it was really quite pleasant. There are lots of seating areas spread out so it feels quite spacious and doesn't have that school dining hall dull noise from lots of people talking at once. Also, although the main dining room is beautiful, it’s nice to sit by a window and watch the world go by as you it. There is also a great amount of choice, the food tasted great and the waiters were really attentive in regards to bringing drinks and clearing the tables. Also, if you feel like setting your very own man v food challenge this is the place to go – you gotta love self-serve.

[sbw80]

Love your writing style - very entertaining! :)

 

Thank you very much, glad someone is reading it :D

[rickdent]

Our towel animal on our second night was an elephant.

 

Oh, and I said yes. :D

 

Congratulations on your engagement! Glad you had a great time, and an excellent review so far, appreciate the pics and the time you're taking to write this.

Question: Do the Crown Loft Suites have 2 bathrooms? (1 on each floor?)

I can't seem to find a room layout and I have done CC board searches.

Thanks

Rick

[sbw80]

Congratulations on your engagement! Glad you had a great time, and an excellent review so far, appreciate the pics and the time you're taking to write this.

Question: Do the Crown Loft Suites have 2 bathrooms? (1 on each floor?)

I can't seem to find a room layout and I have done CC board searches.

Thanks

Rick

 

Thank you.

 

Yes there's two bathrooms. Downstairs is a toliet, normal shower and sink. Upstairs is a massive double shower, sink and toliet.

 

Upstairs

 

Downstairs