The Sea Called...We Answered! Our Week Onboard the Oasis 4/26-5/3...Western Caribbea

[Ocean View]

Thank you to everyone who is following! Please if you are following along just let me know. I appreciate it : )

 

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

Day 4: Comedy Live & Blaze

 

So after a few sips of that super potent martini I gathered my sea legs and we headed one deck down to Entertainment Place. Entertainment Place is located on deck 4 forward and can be easily accessed by the spiral staircase in the Promenade, unless you are wearing heels then take the elevator unless you prefer a private tour of the medical facility. Located in Entertainment place you will find the Opal Theater, Casino Royal, Blaze Nightclub, Jazz on 4, Studio B, and Comedy Live.

 

Comedy Live is a small New York City style comedy club. It holds a very small crowd and that's why reservations are so important. This is the only show onboard where if you don't have reservations you will have a very hard time maybe impossible to get in. There are multiple showings all throughout the week so once you pre cruise planner opens online you need to jump on that! Just like other shows, every night there is a standby line of people without reservations waiting to get in. Its rare that the standby passengers do get let in and if they do it's only the first few on the line. I recommend, even with reservations, getting there about 30-45 minutes before show time. They do have bar service in the club so you can relax with a cocktail in your seat before hand. On the Allure attended the midnight showing so we decided to work that into our schedule on this cruise. I have heard people asking if the show is more adult like the later in the night you go. The show is pretty much the same, depending on crowd participation, because their material is the same every show. They did advertise there being two comedians per show plus the onboard resident host, but when we attended we just saw the host and one comedian. I don't know if they rotated the two comedians or what the situation was that night because you only can make one reservation per passenger for the whole week thru the pre cruise planner. If you hop on standby you can see the show as many times as you can. Thats frowned upon though because people who have not seen the show will have a harder time getting in. Don't forget, like every Royal adult themed entertainment they do, there is a friendly warning. This is for an adult audience. Please no children. If you are offended easily please leave now. Everything we do here onboard is meant in a fun light hearted way and is never meant to hurt or insult anyone. Sounds like fair enough warning to me!

 

When we arrived in Entertainment Place around 11:30 we noticed the last show was just starting to empty out. We also noticed people were being allowed in for the next show at 11:59. So my DH and I followed in the crowd and found two seats slightly removed back. For any comedy show in life, never sit front row in the comedians line of view unless you want to be part of the show. They had one bartender at the time working the room and she was very busy. We had awhile before show time so my DH got up and went over to the bar inside of Studio B to bring us back two drinks. When he came back he informed me that the lines were starting to build outside and that they finally put someone out there to scan Sea Pass cards. At this point it was already 11:45 and the venue was almost packed. They had let in a few more people and we finally reached maximum capacity. There is no standing aloud in this venue. Everyone must be in a seat for the show. Even after all the seats where full they tried letting more people in but they quickly walked out when realizing all the seats where taken. It looked to me because they didn't start scanning Sea passes until a few minutes before show time that a lot of people including us who had reservations weren't accounted for.

 

You do get a sense that you are in an authentic comedian club. The ceiling is very low, the seats are limited, and decoration is minimal. The eye catcher in this venue is the NY subway map located on the ceiling.

 

The resident comedic host onboard informed us that he has been sailing with Oasis since the beginning and boy was he hysterical. In my option better than the guest comedian. For those who have seen him or will be soon, he does this skit involving Frosty the Snowman that will have you rolling on the floor. The second comedian was brought onboard and she was funny as well. Whether of not its always your preference, you have to give a hand to Royal in that they always bring big name big resume performers onboard. Bar service was offered throughout the hour long show.

 

When the show was over we wanted to keep the night going but the only thing still open besides the casino was Blaze. Blaze is located directly across from Comedy Live and is a adults only nightclub. There is a night or two onboard during special hours when they have family night and also a teen night. They do scan your Sea Pass at the door to make sure you are above age. Unlike the nightclubs from the Voyager class and above this is a one level venue. There is ample seating and tables and also a large bar in the middle of the room. The dance floor is slightly small but everywhere else is spread out nicely. On the brick walls that surround the dance floor are mini windows that look out into Entertainment Place. You can see out and they can see in. Like any nightclub you go to on land or at sea there will always be people who had one to many and Royal had no problem cutting people off when they downed one to many.

 

At this point it was going on 2am and we had to be poolside in about five hours so we decided to head back to the cabin. We decided to cut through the casino on the way back. Since Royal has changed their smoking policy the beginning of this year there have been many reports here on CC that the casino is the new smoking lounge. Walking thru the casino that night I confirmed those reports. The air was stale and smelled like a dirty bar. I can handle the smell of smoke but this was a bit much. Besides the smell, the casino is beautiful. They had a real nice bar lounge area in the middle of the casino with beautiful decor. This was as close to Vegas style as you can get at sea. Because there was so much to do onboard and because there is a casino on every ship for the first time on all our cruises we decided to skip gambling this week. As silly as it might sound we just couldn't fit it into our schedule. After grabbing some waters from Cafe Promenade we hit the sack.

 

Sorry there are no coordinating pictures in this post. At the very end of the review I will be posting a bunch of pictures that were random shots.

 

Up Next: Day 5 Sea Day, Wipeout Cafe, Solarium Bistro, 150 Central Park, and Ice Show

 

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

Day 5:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

 

 

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

If anyone has any questions that I have not covered please feel free to ask!

 

 

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[Wildcatfish]

Loving this review! Keep it coming!

[At Sea 4Ever]

Loving this review! Keep it coming!

 

 

Thanks! When do u set sail?

 

 

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[Wildcatfish]

Thanks! When do u set sail?

 

Not soon enough! We sail in August. Thanks to your review I can virtually sail with you now.

[Katnwater]

Love the report! I have 16 months of cruise dreaming to fill until I finally get to board the Oasis.

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

I will be posting a whole lot more later today so please check back!

 

 

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[cruisinfan68]

Great review ! Thank you so much for doing this. :)

[Ocean View]

Keep it coming. I leave in 6 hours!!! I would live some shut eye but may be to excited. If I don't get back to your post I will def when I'm home. Thanks again!!!!

 

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

Day 5:

 

We woke up to the sunrise over the ocean on our second sea day. We didn't leave our cabin till 8 which I was nervous about considering the pool chair situation. Surprisingly when we arrived to the beach pool there where plenty of chairs to pick from. We chose ours and headed down to the Boardwalk for our morning donuts. When we got back to the pool I laid in the lounger and read the compass for the day. Don't forget to throw a highlighter in your bag so you can highlight your activities for the day! I read in the compass that for one hour starting at 9:30, the Coach store would be having a sale. Now I don't know to many women who would pass up the opportunity to at least go look. I told my DH I would be right back and I ran downstairs to Central Park. It's pretty much their same signature store that they would have on land except it's more limited. The store was very crowded and it appeared the sale items were from a small selection on the back wall. There was nothing that peeked my interest so I headed back up to the pool deck.

 

When I returned to the pool it was becoming crowded quickly. The pool attendants were doing their usual 30 minute time and grab of belongings. We hung out and caught some more of the morning sun until we were ready for some breakfast. Since the pool was filling up and we didn't want to lose our seats we needed something quick and close by so we chose the Wipeout Cafe. The Wipeout Cafe is located towards the back of deck 15 over by the sports zone. It serves breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks. First thing in the morning it's a quite crowd. Once the afternoon hits it becomes swarmed by kids and families. The teen area and arcade are located in that area plus the sports zone makes it a busy venue. That morning we had no problem finding a table to enjoy breakfast.

 

 

 

What's great about breakfast at the Wipeout Cafe is that they offer made to order eggs. You place your egg order at the counter and they give you a number to place at your table. Once your eggs are ready a waiter will bring them to your table. The Windjammer on the Oasis class does not offer that feature like on other ships. The Wipeout Cafe is small but has a decent amount of options for such a small dining venue. It reminds me of a condensed version of the Windjammer. It's a great place to grab a quick bite. Before heading back to the pool we walked farther back and grabbed a great view of the back of the ship!

 

 

 

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[Ocean View]

:)

 

 

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[Tru_blu68]

6 Days till we sail and your review has me totally emersed in the ship already thank you!

[smeck]

Just returned from the Oasis yesterday, it's great reliving our cruise, great job.

[helen haywood]

Love your review! Two questions: When we were on Oasis last year the Diamond Cocktail party was in Blaze. Was that not the case on your sailing?

 

And would you tell me the number of the CP balcony cabin you gave up that had the double balcony?

[At Sea 4Ever]

Love your review! Two questions: When we were on Oasis last year the Diamond Cocktail party was in Blaze. Was that not the case on your sailing?

 

And would you tell me the number of the CP balcony cabin you gave up that had the double balcony?

 

 

Thanks for following!! I believe they use Blaze if they have a big sailing that week. I never checked in with the Diamond lounge or Blaze during the cocktail hours during this sailing so I'm not sure what they did. I have read other reviews that mentioned Blaze as the cocktail area.

 

The CP double balcony was 10629 and I believe all the cabins above it up until deck 14 are double as well. Same goes for directly across. I'm pretty sure the code is C2. It won't be listed though anywhere as double balcony.

 

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

Just returned from the Oasis yesterday, it's great reliving our cruise, great job.

 

 

It's been a month since we have been back and I still feel like I'm reliving it while writing! The worst part of any cruise is the first day back home. It's hard adjusting to the real world lol!

 

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

Just to let everyone know my parents are on Allure right now so if you have any questions let me know!

 

 

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[At Sea 4Ever]

Day 5:

 

The afternoon was hot and I mean hot! The pool deck was packed after breakfast especially the beach pool, like always. You had to dunk in the pool every few minutes to keep cool. Just a side note, the beach pool is salt water where as the other pools and hot tubs are fresh water. We spent the afternoon working on our tans, people watching, reading, and taking advantage of our drink packages. I think now would be a good time to talk more in depth about the package.

 

In the past I have just gotten the basic soda package. I was really excited when Royal expanded their relationship with Coke and put the Freestyle machines on certain ships. When these new drink packages were released we were slightly skeptical. We figured we would buy as we go and pay the bill at the end rather than laying out all this money up front and feeling wasteful if we didn't even break even. After seeing so many posts on CC about this subject and getting so many emails from Royal I felt I at least had to look into it. Curiosity got the best of me! I wrote down how many drinks including soda we normally would drink and I also pulled out some old Sea Pass bills from previous cruises. Yes I do keep everything! I was kind of surprised to see that we fell into a drink package category. We also knew that on the Oasis we would have a higher bar bill just because we would not be getting off the ship during port days and because there are just so many more options as far as bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues that would grow our bar bill. After reading and researching we decided the Premium package would fit our needs. Yes tropical drinks are a need on a cruise. The Ultimate package had a few extra bells and whistles that just didn't do it for us. Fresh squeezed OJ, sparkling water, and speciality Non-Starbucks coffee was not a perk for us. Despite the majority I really enjoy the coffee on the ship.

 

The Premium Package was $55 per person per day. We ended up being above breaking even at the end of the cruise. Let me give you an idea of what we consumed so you can get an idea. One morning we started off with mimosas. We spent our entire day poolside and consumed multiple tropical drinks throughout the day. We had about 2 water bottles per person at the pool. The heat makes you thirsty so we got use out of our Coke cups at the machines for soda and flavored water and also at the bar for soda on tap. Some nights we had a cocktail before dinner. Once at dinner we enjoyed a few glasses of wine with our meal. After dinner at the shows we enjoyed a drink. If we stayed out late and went to a bar or club we enjoyed a cocktail or two. Before retiring for the night we would either fill our soda cups or grab some water bottles from the bar. By no means were we ever drunk. With the flow of continuos eating and walking we were more than fine. They do call it vacation for a reason.

 

The biggest factor of the package that we enjoyed the most was not thinking about ordering a drink throughout the week. It was all said and done before we boarded. It really did feel like an all inclusive vacation. My husband likes to try different beers so it was nice that he was able to do that without worrying about liking it or not. We did have our Sea Passes swiped but never had to sign a receipt at the bars. The only time we had to sign was in speciality restaurants.

 

You are probably asking yourself, "how do they know they made out good on the package?". Well since I am curious and love cruise info we kept track of our drinks throughout the week. I had my iPhone in airplane mode all week and used the notes section to record our drinks. Every time we ordered, whether it be an alcoholic drink, bottle of water, or something from the Freestyle Machine we wrote it down. It never seemed annoying to us because we were just so interested to see how it would play out. We did realize for future cruises that it would only be worth it for me to get a package. My DH isn't crazy about the Soda Cup, he isn't a wine drinker except for one particular wine that is only offered in the MDR, and doesn't care if his water is bottled or from the tap. For him using C&A coupons and ordering as he felt like it would be more beneficial. I do have the same opinion about water. Bottled is more convenient but a glass of ice water from the tap is fine by me. I do though enjoy wine with my dinner and I enjoy the Freestyle machine. I also enjoy after dinner shooters in the MDR when they are offered. For me a package is more than worth it.

 

I hope this helped everyone get a feel for the Premium Package!

 

Up Next: Solarium and 150 Central Park

 

 

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[Divaonthego12]

It was almost time to say goodbye to Jamaica so we decided to have our own sail away party on our balcony and watch the pier runners. I had chose the Starboard side of the ship when booking because I wanted to be facing the pier while in port. We had a great view of the compound and all it had to offer, including Margaritaville.

 

 

A view of the pier from our balcony

 

Ok every review is a loud one rant and here's mine! Pier runners or in some cases pier strollers. You have all day in a port. The Captain keeps us safe all week and provides us with a variety of beautiful ports. All he asks is that by a certain time you are back on the ship. Unless your tour is delayed or God forbid something happens to you there should be no reason why you are not on the ship on time! It delays the ships departure and adds unnecessary stress to the Captains already stressful plate. If you need more than the allowed amount of time at one certain port than maybe you should consider flying to the island and spending the week there at a resort. The crew was closing up the gangway when a couple pushing a baby stroller literally strolled down the pier with absolutely no urgency! The ship had started to pull its gangway and you don't consider to put a little pep in your step? I for one would not want to be stranded on an island with a baby and only have the clothes on our backs and whatever odds and ends are in my beach bag. But hey that's just me and this is just my opinion so to each their own. While we were on the Allure we had signed up for a stingray excursion thru Royal in Nassau. On the way back to the ship our boat died in the water and we were stuck for quite some time. After a decent amount of time had passed passengers were starting to get antsy because all aboard time was quickly approaching. Since I take my cell phone any time I step off the ship I called home and had my mom contact Royal Caribbean directly and also called the ship directly to alert them that an excursion was running very behind and may not make it back in time. She was assured the ship was already aware of the situation and that we had nothing to worry about that the ship would be waiting there when we arrived back. Although it was a nerve racking experience I understand things like that happen and the ship gets held. This is always why no matter what I'm saving or gaining I'll always book my excursions thru Royal and Royal only. Ok rant is over. I hope I didn't loose any followers!

 

We received a plate of pasties from C&A and enjoyed them on the balcony as we sailed away from the home of the great Bob Marley.

 

 

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I hate this too! I book my excursions via the cruise lines as well because once while docked in St. Lucia, the excursion was late getting back to the ship because of the traffic but since we booked through the cruiseline, the bus was able to call ahead and have the ship wait. I know that's something that's guaranteed when you book through them but I was still nervous. In case of emergencies (i.e., if for some reason the ship has to leave for safety), I keep my passport or a photo copy (if a copy, then another form of ID), my phone, and a credit card. You just never know.

 

So did the ship wait for them or teach them a very expensice lesson?

[bling19572010]

Day 5:

 

The afternoon was hot and I mean hot! The pool deck was packed after breakfast especially the beach pool, like always. You had to dunk in the pool every few minutes to keep cool. Just a side note, the beach pool is salt water where as the other pools and hot tubs are fresh water. We spent the afternoon working on our tans, people watching, reading, and taking advantage of our drink packages. I think now would be a good time to talk more in depth about the package.

 

In the past I have just gotten the basic soda package. I was really excited when Royal expanded their relationship with Coke and put the Freestyle machines on certain ships. When these new drink packages were released we were slightly skeptical. We figured we would buy as we go and pay the bill at the end rather than laying out all this money up front and feeling wasteful if we didn't even break even. After seeing so many posts on CC about this subject and getting so many emails from Royal I felt I at least had to look into it. Curiosity got the best of me! I wrote down how many drinks including soda we normally would drink and I also pulled out some old Sea Pass bills from previous cruises. Yes I do keep everything! I was kind of surprised to see that we fell into a drink package category. We also knew that on the Oasis we would have a higher bar bill just because we would not be getting off the ship during port days and because there are just so many more options as far as bars, restaurants, and entertainment venues that would grow our bar bill. After reading and researching we decided the Premium package would fit our needs. Yes tropical drinks are a need on a cruise. The Ultimate package had a few extra bells and whistles that just didn't do it for us. Fresh squeezed OJ, sparkling water, and speciality Non-Starbucks coffee was not a perk for us. Despite the majority I really enjoy the coffee on the ship.

 

The Premium Package was $55 per person per day. We ended up being above breaking even at the end of the cruise. Let me give you an idea of what we consumed so you can get an idea. One morning we started off with mimosas. We spent our entire day poolside and consumed multiple tropical drinks throughout the day. We had about 2 water bottles per person at the pool. The heat makes you thirsty so we got use out of our Coke cups at the machines for soda and flavored water and also at the bar for soda on tap. Some nights we had a cocktail before dinner. Once at dinner we enjoyed a few glasses of wine with our meal. After dinner at the shows we enjoyed a drink. If we stayed out late and went to a bar or club we enjoyed a cocktail or two. Before retiring for the night we would either fill our soda cups or grab some water bottles from the bar. By no means were we ever drunk. With the flow of continuos eating and walking we were more than fine. They do call it vacation for a reason.

 

The biggest factor of the package that we enjoyed the most was not thinking about ordering a drink throughout the week. It was all said and done before we boarded. It really did feel like an all inclusive vacation. My husband likes to try different beers so it was nice that he was able to do that without worrying about liking it or not. We did have our Sea Passes swiped but never had to sign a receipt at the bars. The only time we had to sign was in speciality restaurants.

 

You are probably asking yourself, "how do they know they made out good on the package?". Well since I am curious and love cruise info we kept track of our drinks throughout the week. I had my iPhone in airplane mode all week and used the notes section to record our drinks. Every time we ordered, whether it be an alcoholic drink, bottle of water, or something from the Freestyle Machine we wrote it down. It never seemed annoying to us because we were just so interested to see how it would play out. We did realize for future cruises that it would only be worth it for me to get a package. My DH isn't crazy about the Soda Cup, he isn't a wine drinker except for one particular wine that is only offered in the MDR, and doesn't care if his water is bottled or from the tap. For him using C&A coupons and ordering as he felt like it would be more beneficial. I do have the same opinion about water. Bottled is more convenient but a glass of ice water from the tap is fine by me. I do though enjoy wine with my dinner and I enjoy the Freestyle machine. I also enjoy after dinner shooters in the MDR when they are offered. For me a package is more than worth it.

 

I hope this helped everyone get a feel for the Premium Package!

 

Up Next: Solarium and 150 Central Park

 

 

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So if you have your phone on airplane mode you won't get charged for roaming?

[papcx]

So if you have your phone on airplane mode you won't get charged for roaming?

 

 

Putting your phone on airplane mode stops the phones "network" adapters working. So your phone won't be able to make calls, receive calls or use the cellular network to use the internet. So no roaming charges.

 

Depending on your make of phone, some can even turn the wifi back on whilst airplane mode so you can connect to Wifi.

[At Sea 4Ever]

I hate this too! I book my excursions via the cruise lines as well because once while docked in St. Lucia, the excursion was late getting back to the ship because of the traffic but since we booked through the cruiseline, the bus was able to call ahead and have the ship wait. I know that's something that's guaranteed when you book through them but I was still nervous. In case of emergencies (i.e., if for some reason the ship has to leave for safety), I keep my passport or a photo copy (if a copy, then another form of ID), my phone, and a credit card. You just never know.

 

So did the ship wait for them or teach them a very expensice lesson?

 

 

I do the same thing as you! I never step off the ship without ID, cell, and credit card because you just never know. The ship did wait for them but the crew were not to happy.

 

 

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