Oasis of the Seas B2B Trip Report - 5/10/14 & 5/17/14

[celyvabeach]

Awesome review! I'm taking notes...

[cparkerkite]

Following!!! We are cruising May 2015 on the Oasis!

[Julia’s Journey’s]

You need a WOW card :)

Awesome review and looking forward to the rest, we are booked on the westbound TA on Oasis as I knew a week wouldn't be enough for our first cruise on her and RCL:D

Going to stock up my starbucks card before we go, it gets a workout here already so imagine it will be worse onboard.

Happy belated anniversary and b'day :)

[marklodi]

Day Two – Sunday, May 11th: Sea Day

 

At 7am, I was up, surprising myself. I was really tired when I went to sleep the night before, and anticipated sleeping in. My the anticipation of our first full day on the ship was too much. I took a shower in the transporter tube (next time you are in one, in the back of your mind you will hear the words “energize!” Yes, I have implanted that thought in your mind. You’re welcome.)

 

By 7:30, Mona was also up and at 8am, we walked down to Johnny Rockets for breakfast. We really enjoyed eating here, which not only was convenient, but one of the few places you could get an egg cooked to order. Tip: NEVER order a scrambled egg. It will come scooped out of an ice cream scooper and taste…just…wrong. But for someone like me who isn’t a fan of runny eggs, ordering it over hard was perfect. My go to breakfast there was French toast with bacon, and an egg over hard. I think Mona, though, tried something new every time.

 

We then walked through the Royal Promenade and spent our first real time looking through the shops. One thing that I immediately noticed? Everyone – and I mean EVERYONE – was in shorts. Of course it made sense, being so warm, but I have always been a pants person. I quickly regretted not packing more shorts.

 

We made another stop at Starbucks for Mona, and then headed to the Shop Talk at 10am in the Opal Theater. We actually went down to Deck 4 about 9:30am….and the line was already snaking past Studio B and down the hallway into the casino. Huh? I quickly found out why – there was promise of a free diamond bracelet for everyone who attended. I rolled my eyes, knowing exactly what was going on. We stuck it out, though, just in case I was wrong (I wasn’t).

 

The other thing that bothered me is that they did NOT open the theater early to absorb the crowd. I would have much rather sat and waited for the talk to start, rather than stand in line with a bunch of people complaining about standing in line. The finally let us in at 10:10am – the only time I can recall during both weeks that a show or event started late – and we took our seats. Jan, the shopping host, was standing on stage, tossing bamboo leis and Del Sol color changing rings to swarming masses of women, screaming like she was one of the Beatles.

 

Okay, seriously, here’s what you need to know. This is NOT an informative session on the Ports of Call. You will not learn how to deal with aggressive hawkers, where to find off-the-beaten-path deals, or where the best place to have lunch is. What you WILL get is a 90 minute infomercial on Diamonds International, Del Sol and a few other “Ship Approved” shops…all of which, strangely enough, Jan seemed to be wearing very expensive examples from.

 

And the free diamond bracelet? You didn’t get it there. Nope. You got a coupon. Which you had to exchange at Diamonds International in Jamaican for the charm bracelet, and then you could attend more shopping talks and visit more DI stores to get charms for this bracelet. We left about 45 minutes into the talk, skipping the raffle, as we had a Meet & Mingle to get to. Safe to say we did not attend another shop talk, but since we did attend the first one, for the next two weeks, we constantly received fliers, envelopes with VIP cards for shopping in port, coupon books, etc. We basically made the mistake of giving the telemarketer our mailing address.

 

At 11:15am, we entered Dazzles on Deck 8 for the Meet & Mingle. There were very few people there, perhaps around 30 or so. Frankie, the activities manager, hosted the event and gave away a bunch of small prizes – hats, gift certificates, coffee mugs. Mona won 30 free minutes of internet, which delighted her to no end. It meant she got to text the kids mid-week, which made her day. The free prize you get when entering is the same one we received 5 years ago – a blue badge holder with paper to write notes. I saw a couple people wearing theirs (newbies – lol), but most just engaged in the free coffee and pastries and some small talk.

 

Frankie asked who the leader of the roll call was. Trev’s name immediately came up, but he was not there. I was tagged as his second, and a few people recognized my screen name. When asked if anyone had a cabin tour or slot pull planned, no one did. And no one wanted to say anything, so the meet ended after about 15 minutes. We met one couple who, I’m ashamed to say I cannot remember their names, but no one else really seemed interested in being very social. Fortunately the next week’s M&M made up for it, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

After leaving Dazzles, we headed down to Deck 6 and over to the Schooner Bar, grabbing a spot by the railing for the “Rockin’ Rhythm Nation Parade”. This is actually a really good spot, but not the PERFECT spot. That would be the little section of railing at the top of the spiral staircase leading up to Focus about a third of the way down the Royal Promenade on the starboard side. Seriously, if you can get a spot here for any parade or nighttime event in the Royal Promenade, you are absolutely set. It looks down on the area right in front of the Cupcake Cupboard, which seems to be even central. It also looks directly across from the band area above the shop, as well as the extending floating bridge that comes out of the huge globe above the Globe & Atlas Pub. If you’ve got those areas in sight, you will see 90% of every RP event.

 

The parade featured lots of colorful costumes, characters from Dreamworks animated movies, and the aerialist we would see later in the week in Come Fly With Me. The cruise director, Drew Devine, made his entrance on the Rising Tide Bar which came down halfway, a few selected children on it dancing with him. While watching the parade, I had another Pineapple Blast (the pattern begins).

 

Once finished, we made our way down to the Royal Promenade and we used our Soda Cups for the first time. Only the freestyle machine on the right didn’t seem to be working. You could select a beverage, but then it would come up with a message saying it was “performing maintenance”. It kept performing maintenance for the full two weeks we were on board. I never saw it working once. The left one, now pulling the load of two, often ran out of the more popular beverages later in the evening. It was one of the reasons we didn’t use the soda cups very often. Out of the full two weeks, we probably used them 3 times, and all during the first week. We never even opened to ones we received the second week. Don’t get me wrong, though. We made up for it with the bottled waters, fresh squeezed orange juice (when THAT machine was working) and lots of mocktails. So it was definitely worth the $20 per person per day, considering frozen drinks run on average $7 each.

 

We ate at the Café Promenade, having small ham & chees croissants, and several desserts. Over time, I quickly discovered the softest and tastiest cookies onboard were the sugar free lemon cookies, which were amazing and did not taste sugar free at all. Other favorites found here included the rum raisin roll and the Raspberry cookie (which just happened to be loaded with white chocolate chunks). The chocolate chip cookies always seemed hard as a rock, and always seemed to be out of stock.

 

We headed up to Central Park to talk to the Maître D at Giovanni’s to make a reservation for lunch for Wednesday (we would actually cancel this, once we heard about the possibility of a free Giovanni’s lunch for consecutive cruisers). While there, I mentioned to the Maître D that we had seen a message on the TV that morning saying that for Mona’s birthday today, we would receive 25% discount on dinner in a Specialty Restaurant this week. He asked did we have one booked (we had two) and he sent a message to the manager at Chops for Friday night with the information, and said they would take care of it.

 

At 1:45pm the doors opened for Hairspray, and we sat dead center just a few rows back. What a wonderful show. I was especially impressed with the actor who played Edna’s husband. Turns out he also played the flasher, drunk and Mr. Pinky. His name is Vincent Kracht, an Improv actor from Chicago. Great guy.

 

As we exited the theater, we took the spiral stairs up to the Royal Promenade and – what’s that right in front of us? I turned to Mona, but she was no longer beside me. I turned around, and then looked back to where we were facing. Yep, she was already back in line at Starbucks. I stared a moment, then smiled, shrugged, and bee-lined to Bolero’s for another Pineapple Blast.

 

Since we now had a beverage in hand, it wouldn’t be a cruise without a snack in the other, so we walked slowly up to deck 6 and the Boardwalk, where we visited the Donut Shop. And it was now that I first tasted my favorite flavor hands down – White Chocolate with Sprinkles. Soooo gooood! I shudder (or is that jiggle) at the thought of how many of those I had over two weeks, but I know the crew working the shop began to instinctively reach for the White Chocolate donuts when I approached.

 

We headed back to our cabin at 4:30pm for a break – we sat on the balcony, Mona chilling with her Fill In puzzle book and me writing notes. Suddenly I heard a knock on the cabin door. I hopped up and a waiter was there with a tray of snacks and chocolate pastries. More gifts from the Anniversary & Romance Packages. Sweet! Literally… And the timing was perfect. We sat on the balcony, the warm breeze blowing by, snacking when we didn’t really need to but oh, so enjoyed it.

 

Time to get ready for formal night, and by about 7pm, we headed down to the Royal Promenade for the Captain’s Reception. We hit several of the photo stations – we had posing down to an art by the end of the two weeks – and then took our picture with the Captain in front of the car parked next to the Rising Tide Bar.

 

Dinner was nice in the main dining room – they even brought Mona a piece of cheesecake with a white chocolate “Happy Birthday” on it - and thanks to James’ efficiency, we had time to change into more casual clothes before heading down to the Aqua Theater for Oasis of Dreams. As we sat there, we watched the water slosh in and out of the pool. The ship was really rocking. I made a comment to Mona how I couldn’t believe they could dive with so much motion like this. Turns out I was right. About 5 minutes before show time, Frankie came out and announced that due to the motion of the ocean, the show would be postponed until 5:15pm the next day.

 

We wandered around a bit – something we did a lot of, actually – and eventually made it back to our cabin just before midnight. Florin had made a heart-shaped towel sculpture for us, and I sat on the couch with the next day’s Cruise Compass to make notes and write down any purchases we made during the day. Reflecting back, it was a quiet day. Nothing too spectacular, a lot of walking around, meandering. It was fun and mellow. Complete opposite of my normal daily life. I could get used to this.

[marthkat75]

You're amazing. I hope to.be this organized so.I can share my trip, too. Thank you so much. You're time and effort is appreciated.WOW

 

Marthkat75

[marklodi]

Day Three – Monday, May 12th: Labadee, Haiti

 

We were up at 5:30am, a bit tired but very excited for our first port of call. The boat was still rocking like crazy. We later learned we had to sail through a weather system in order to make Labadee on time and there was only so much the stabilizers could do.

 

Breakfast was a quick affair at 7am – another donut for me, while Mona opted for liquid breakfast of the Starbucks variety. We walked up to the Solarium and lucked out to find one of the cushioned chairs by the windows available. We plopped down, opened the sliding window in front of us, and watched as the captain brought us into Labadee. This took quite a bit of time, actually, which surprised me.

 

At 8am, we were at the gangway, checked out our beach towels – you just tell the attendant standing there how many you need and they scan your SeaPass card that many times - and were some of the first off the ship. We headed directly through the gates, turned left and found the golf cart drivers. I asked one of them if he could take us to the Cabana’s at Nellie’s Beach. “No problem!” and we were off, just the two of us. We stopped at the gates of Barefoot Beach where the Cabana check in was. He asked to see our excursion ticket, and I mentioned I would really like to get Cabana # 8 if possible.

 

He nodded, hopped out of the cart and compared my name to the names on the clipboard. He yelled back and forth to another gentleman sweeping a little ways away, then climbed back on board the cart. “You are all set, cabana number 8. Let’s go.” And off we went. He actually drove us through the little walking gate on the left side of the Over The Water cabanas at Nellie’s beach. I did not think he would fit through there, but in we went. As he showed us to our cabana, I mentioned we had reserved our cabana before October 4th last year and should get the wrist bands for the Enhanced BBQ at Barefoot Beach.

 

He didn't bat an eye. Just nodded and said he would tell our attendant and it would be taken care of. I tipped him a couple bucks, and a few minutes later we met Mickey, a very tall Haitian with a kind smile and insisting he take care of everything for us. He brought us a cooler with 6 large bottles of Evian in it and said if we needed anything just let him know. He would make sure we had our wristbands at 11:30am, when they started serving lunch, and if we needed any drinks or needed a golf cart anywhere, he was the one to ask.

 

He left us to our cabana. It was perfect. It was three in from the beach, with a set of stairs that entered right into the water. I chose this based on reviews and a wonderful picture numbering the cabanas posted on Cruise Critic. It had a tree directly in front, which offered additional shade and privacy, yet not obstructing the view of the blue-green water and the Oasis parked just across the way.

 

We took off the clothes we wore over our swimsuits, and since I took less time than Mona, I started down the stairs. “What are you doing?! Be careful! I’m not down there yet!” Now, I need to stop and explain something or this makes no sense.

 

You see, I do not swim. I have severe hydrophobia, and cannot stand water in my face. I have to have a washcloth during showers. My dear wife loves to share the unfortunately true story of how, a few years after we were married, we visited the now-defunct Manteca Water Slides in Northern California. On one of the slides, you had to go down head first. At the bottom was a pool no deeper than 6 inches if that. She went first, then I followed. Mona is a fish – not that superior swimming skills are needed in a half foot of water – and bounced right up, laughing. Then she stopped, hearing rapid splashing and a panicked, gurgling scream. She turned and saw me, face down in a mere 6 inches of water, drowning.

 

Yes, you may proceed to laugh. I am used to it.

 

Obviously I’m still here (I think), since she simply rolled her eyes, sighed, bent over and said two simple words that saved my life. Those two wonderful live-giving, drownage-preventing words of wisdom that I live my life by each and every day. Bending to my ear and I saw my life pass before my eyes in a watery grave, she quietly yet firmly uttered these two syllables:

 

Stand up.

 

I think she also muttered “you idiot” after them, but I have chosen to forget that if she did. When I ask her, the eye roll and sigh again sums it all up.

 

So knowing how easily I can sink to the bottom of the shallowest of puddles – and yes I sink, I do not float - she was panicked to see me bounding down the steps into the Caribbean Ocean. However, despite her concerns I am proud to say I waded in up to my arm pits without any issues, though she was always nearby, knowing this was a bit deeper than before.

 

Being so early, there were only a few people in the water so far, and it was so crystal clear. At first, I thought the green formation next to me were leaves, but then the shape moved and twisted, hundreds of little green fish changing direction in unison. We chased them around a bit, but there is only so much wading one can do and consider it fun, so I went up to the cabana, grabbed the camera and headed back into the water.

 

“What are you doing?! It’s not waterproof!” She exclaimed, suddenly more concerned for the equipment I was carrying rather than the carrier himself. And of course, like a dork, I had purchased underwater disposable cameras before the cruise and left them in the cabin that morning. I am happy to report that both the camera and I survived without issue.

 

A little while later, we both entered the cabana, laying out towels out on the two lounge chairs and lying back in the warm tropical air. Mickey soon appeared and asked if we would like something to drink, perhaps their famous “Labadoozie”. I explained we did not drink alcohol, and he said “No problem”, took our SeaPass cards to verify we had the Royal Replenish and soon returned with two plastic cups full of that wonderful frozen pink concoction. It was so cool, sweet and refreshing.

 

We laid there a while, but before too long, that little voice we both have that says, “Why are you just lying there?! You should be doing something! Think of how much you are paying for all of this!” Someday I am going to learn to relax without guilt. I now have a new goal in life.

 

So we got up and asked Mickey, who was just nearby, where the shopping village was. He pointed to two different paths – the right one, he said, was down the beach and up the other side. But if we wanted to go through the trees, there was a path to the left that led right to the shopping area. I hefted the backpack we brought over my shoulder and was about to leave when he said, “You can leave that in the cabana, my friend. I am your guard as well. Nothing will be touched.” And the look in his eyes told me I had nothing to worry about, and he was absolutely right. We left stuff in the cabana all day and he made sure no one got anywhere near it. Too awesome.

 

As we headed down the path, he also asked if we would like another Labadoozie when we got back. We both nodded enthusiastically and he grinned. We headed up the path, which ended up being a bit steeper – both up and then down – then we had anticipated. When we came out, it was right in the middle of the shopping village…and The Swarm.

 

The Swarm is my nickname for the gaggle of vendors who swooped in on us like hungry mosquitoes. “Come see what I made for you!” “I have the best made just for you!” “This is perfect for your lovely wife! I show you!”

 

We actually went with the first one that came up to us, trying to be polite, but it was obvious, as I looked into all the different stalls, that this was all the same stuff, the same touristy stuff you see all over the place. And the in-your-face tactics immediately put both of us on edge and even concerned at one point. I finally gave a firm, “No thank you” and steered Mona out of the area and to the center of the street.

 

Not that the new location helped a bunch, but it gave us distance to plausibly ignore. We headed down the main road, feigning deafness and looking straight ahead. We soon emerged by more beaches and made a right turn toward the water of Columbus Cove. It wasn’t difficult to find the path back up to our cabana, blissfully devoid of hawkers.

 

Mickey was surprised we were back so quickly, and when I explained our experience, he genuinely seemed surprised. Was it just us? Or were we just that naïve to how things work in the Caribbean? A few minutes later, lounging again on the chairs, it was all forgotten as Mickey arrived with two more doses of Labadoozies, only this time in the plastic souvenir glasses they were selling. He made it clear these were on him, no charge, and we thanked him.

 

The beach and water of Nellie’s had grown quite busy by now, bordering on crowded. We watched as families played with their children in the sand, a young couple got a bit amorous in the far reaches of the cordoned off area, what they were doing in the water a bit obvious and they realized it, the 10 or 12 people who clearly forgot the purpose of sunscreen and soon turned the shade of a boiled lobster (seriously, some of these looked really bad.)

 

Soon Mickey arrived with our wristbands for lunch and pointed towards the gated compound across the beach. We walked over and were quickly met by a security guard standing in the shade. We showed him our wristbands and he nodded, opening the gate for us. Inside, we walked a short distance to the BBQ area and got into line. It wasn’t much – fruit, hamburgers, hot dogs, jerk chicken and steak strips and a skewer of shrimp. We grabbed a little bit of everything and hoofed it back to our cabana, choosing to eat in the shade and solitude there instead of the tables and benches in Barefoot Estates. Plus we had ice cold water waiting for us.

 

The food was, honestly, the most meh food I had the entire trip, including what we ate at the airport. It was bland, rubbery, tasted warmed over (which of course it was, cooked and carted from the ship) and thoroughly unappetizing. When I had first heard of the “enhanced” buffet perk being removed from Nellie’s cabana rentals, I thought it was another example of getting less for more. Now I can say, really, no big loss. Should we go back, a cabana is a must, but we’ll skip lunch and eat back on the ship later.

 

After we finished, I stood and took some more pictures of the beach. A moment later I looked back and Mona was sound asleep on the couch in the back of the cabana. I let her sleep a little bit, walking over to Mickey who was sitting nearby behind the cabanas and asked if he could get us a cart over to the Dragon’s Tail Coaster. “No problem!”

 

About 10 minutes later, a golf cart arrived exactly where it left us off, the same driver from that morning. I woke Mona, who upon hearing we were going on a coaster asked if she could instead go back to sleep. I harrumphed, she smiled and off we went. The art of cart driving on a busy Labadee is one I do NOT want to learn. Insanity. We stopped briefly at a shack where we signed waivers and had our SeaPass cards charged for the ride. If you both ride in the same coaster, it’s only one charge.

 

Then he drove us the short distance to the coaster track. We walked up a ramp and sat down on a bench. It was then that Mona got a good look at the cars. They were basically sleds with a seat and two big handles in the back that controlled the brakes. Only the levers were controlled by the person sitting in the back. And the bigger person sat in the back. And that would be me. And that would not be Mona. And she was not happy.

 

“You’re not going to use those brakes, are you?” I just smiled. She already knew the answer.

 

We watched the short safety video and then boarded the coaster. A couple in front of us went first, and then a minute or so later, we were released. The lift hill is actually three hills in one, and it went quite a ways. Enough for even me to say, “Wow, we’re really up here.” Mona was sitting between my legs, holding onto the small handle in front of her for dear life….Okay, rereading that, it sounds dirty, stop thinking that. It was a BIG handle. No, really.

 

When we reached the top of the hill, I pointed to the side and said, “Why look, my dear, there sits our ship, the majestic Oasis of the Seas. Such a beauty in the aquamarine water upon which she rests. We are indeed so blessed to be here.”

 

Mona replied with “AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

 

We sped down the mountain, me pushing the levers as far forward (no brakes) as I could to build up speed. At a few points, even I thought we might be going too fast. Mona kept pointing at “brake here” signs, yelling “Brake! Brake!!! I'm gonna kill y-BRAKE!!!”

 

I just yelled back, “Those are only suggestions.” Her reply I cannot print here.

 

Soon, however, I did have to apply the brakes, because the couple in front of us were apparently not as brave (or stupid, depending which one of us you ask) as we were, and they had slowed down considerably. So much so that at a couple of points, I had to stop completely just to let them get far enough ahead to go faster than a Sunday drive. All during which I was concerned someone with less patience was going to smack us in the back.

 

We loved the ride, really. Yes, both of us. The views were tremendous. Mona even asked if we could go again, but we decide against it, as it was warming up and we still wanted to see more of the island. Instead of waiting for the cart driver to return, we decided to walk back.

 

We paused at Adrenaline Beach and watched a group of brave souls soar down the Dragon’s Breath zip line. We had actually originally planned on doing this on Labadee. But at a cost of just under $100 per person for what culminated in a 90 second ride, we decided to spend $50 more and get a cabana for the entire day. One of the best decisions we made.

 

We walked back towards Nellie’s, stopping briefly at the less-invasive Artisan’s Market and looked around, but nothing really caught our attention. We ended up back at the cabana about 2pm. It had become really hot, even in the shade of the tree and the small ceiling fax did nothing to help. We decided to call it a day, tipped Mickey, and walked back towards the ship. We stopped in the small shop near the entrance and picked up a couple of Labadee t-shirts, then headed onto the Oasis and a needed shower.

 

At 5:15pm was the re-scheduled Oasis of Dreams show. We headed down to the Aqua Theater, the ship already having sailed and rocking a bit. We grabbed a donut for a snack, and settled into our seats for the show. It was excellent, with amazing divers, swimmers and acrobats. We thought they did the full show, but from watching parts of it the following week from our balcony, it was clear they had left a few parts out – specifically the metal chain ladder bit, as well as one of the two high dives. Understandable given the weather. In fact, the very next show that night was completely rained out, an insane thunderstorm opening up over the ship….and then it was gone, allowing the final show to go on without issue. Bizarre.

 

After our show, we went back to the cabin to change into nicer outfits, as tonight was the Chef’s Table. Our invitations, received in our cabin earlier in the day, said to meet at 7:15pm in the library. I was expecting Colonel Mustard to be there with a lead pipe.

 

Instead we found the chairs arranged in a face-to-face configuration, undoubtedly there to initiate conversation. But there was just one couple already seated. We entered, and soon two other couples followed.

 

At 7:15 exactly, Inshan (“Ta Dah!” – if you’ve ever met him, you will understand that reference. Almost as bad as the “Ding dong! Ding dong!” guy in Windjammer) arrived and escorted us through a side door and into the Concierge Lounge. Because it was pouring rain right now, the lounge was PACKED with people, and the conversation was LOUD. For the first hour of the dinner, everyone nearly had to yell to hear each other.

 

You see, the Chef’s Table is up a curved staircase in the balcony overlooking the concierge lounge. The view of these huge windows is directly out to the Boardwalk, with the lounge located above Dazzles (if that helps you picture the location.) There is a huge, single table with max seating of 14 people. We thought, based on who was in the Library, it was just 8 people. But a boisterous single group came in shortly thereafter filling all the seats.

 

As I mentioned earlier, Mona and I do not drink very much, and – despite living in Lodi, the home of many wineries, including Robert Mondavi, and claiming the title of the Zinfandel capital of the world and home to the Tokay grape – neither of us like the taste of wine. We were concerned this might alter or detract from our experience. I’m happy to say it did not.

The Chef’s Table manager, Nekeisha, asked us if we wanted anything from the bar (a virgin Berry Banana Colada for Mona and, you guessed it, a Pineapple Blast for me) and it arrived soon after. Yes, we were the only ones not drinking wine, but no one seemed to care. They did, though, still pour is tastes of all the wines. And we did try them all. And didn’t care for a single one.

 

Inshan (“Ta Dah!”) was the sommelier and described his selections, their history and why each was in a different glass or poured a different way. The chef was Negi Revendra from India, and while the 5 courses were delicious – you can see the menu in the links above – he was unfortunately very difficult to understand. We all picked out about every 7th or 8th word, and then applauded politely when he finished. He seemed quite proud of his preparations, but really have no idea what he said.

 

The meal was delicious and, as predicted, as the night and the wine progressed, so did the conversation and laughter amongst the guests. At the end of the meal, after all the deserts were served, another plate of chocolates came out, just for Mona and I. It had both the Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary white chocolate plaques on it, and they sang an alternating version of Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary that was, well, strange but funny. Finally, each couple was handed a very large, heavy cookbook autographed by both the chef and sommelier. We got a picture with both Negi and Inshan (“Ta Dah!”) and headed back to our cabin.

 

With all of that good food, it is no wonder why we both collapsed in a food coma sleep about 10:45pm, the meal taking 3 hours easily. It was a great experience and one I would recommend to everyone at least once.

Edited May 30, 2014 by marklodi

[travelfan75]

All I can say is WOW!!! You are a gifted writer! Not only did you describe your experiences, but you made me laugh out loud a couple of times! Reading your review is like reading a book and I'm in love! I'm not going to be able to read it all before we leave (day after tomorrow for our b2b on the Allure), but I will finish reading it when we return just because I like it so much!

 

THANK YOU for a phenomenal review!

[marklodi]

All I can say is WOW!!! You are a gifted writer! Not only did you describe your experiences, but you made me laugh out loud a couple of times! Reading your review is like reading a book and I'm in love! I'm not going to be able to read it all before we leave (day after tomorrow for our b2b on the Allure), but I will finish reading it when we return just because I like it so much!

 

THANK YOU for a phenomenal review!

 

Thank you. That is very kind of you to say. Autographs are available for $24.95 or a sealed White Chocolate Donut from the Boardwalk. :D

[marklodi]

Day Four – Tuesday, May 13th: Falmouth, Jamaica

 

We slept in this morning until 8am, which was wonderful and needed. We weren’t arriving in Jamaica until 10:30, so we headed up to the Windjammer for breakfast. We were not impressed. In fact, we only ate breakfast here one other time, and only because we had an early excursion and it was the best option. Well, perhaps not best…

 

At 10:30am, we headed off the ship and into the shopping plaza that Falmouth has installed at the cruise port. I must say, out of all the ports we visited, this was the best one as far as a shopping experience goes. There were enough different types of shops that we were able to find some really fun items before our excursion started. Mona bought a sun dress, some Blue Mountain coffee, as well as a few shot glasses and magnets for friends.

 

Looking at our suddenly large bag of items and knowing we were about to go on an excursion, I decided to make a dash to the ship and drop everything off in the cabin. All while the skies above us began to darken ominously. I sat Mona on a bench and headed back, making the round trip in about 15 minutes.

 

We then headed over to the meeting spot for our Chukka Horseback Ride N’ Swim. We were still a bit early, so we stopped into the “Tuff Gong” shop, which specialized in Bob Marley items. We found a really neat mini guitar our son would love, and put it on hold to pick up after the excursion. We also walked past a gentleman who I had seen previously on a Travel Channel show about Jamaica. He painted these small Caribbean scenes on pieces of wood. They were beautiful and very colorful. We decided to stop by after the tour, time permitting, and pick something up.

 

It was time to meet up, and the rain had begun, coming down pretty good now. We got into the bus and settled in for the 45 minute drive to Chukka Beach. When we arrived, the rain had let up and we had the opportunity to rent lockers for $5, which given they would not let us take cameras with us and we had out towels for the swim part of the tour, we took advantage of.

 

Now they paired us up with horses based on our body sizes. I’m 5’11”, 215 lbs, so I got a larger horse named Rhino. Mona is shorter and much, much lighter, so she got a smaller horse whose name escape me at the moment. What I do know is that Rhino and this other horse did not like each other, which made this trip all kinds of fun. (Actually, it really was.)

They moved us all into a pasture and started walking us all in a circle, moving us around so everyone was with their families and groups. Took a good 10 minutes, all the while me remembering how smooth a horseback ride can be. Ouch.

 

We all started out on the trail, all in a long line. Every 4 or 5 horses were assigned to a guide. Ours was named C.J., which he said stood for “Crazy Jamaican”. He would tell us about the plants and trees, pulling down samples of different leaves to smell or point out animals that would appear. The trail ride lasted about 30 to 40 minutes and was very enjoyable. Some parts were very steep, and naturally my horse, following Mona’s horse, did not have cruise control or power steering, which I remember specifically requesting. What he DID have was a mind of his own and a healthy neglect for my feeble attempts to control him.

 

Towards the end of the trail ride, we started to head into shallow water on the beach…and then it became obvious this was going to come up to our knees. Mona, wearing only sandals, had no problem, but quickly turned and waived at me, pointing to my tennis shoes and socks – I had, after all, thought this was the “dry” portion of the ride.

 

Before I could even say anything, CJ had ridden up next to me and was untying my shoes. I could not reach, given my hanging on for dear life, and felt a little embarrassed this nice man was taking off my shoes and socks. But he just grinned and said “No problem, mon”, and carried them high and dry until we were back at the stables.

 

We were given 15 minutes or so to change into our swimsuits (ours were just under our clothes) and head back to the horses. In groups of about 10 or so, we were matched back up with our horses, who were now wearing just a thin waterproof cushion and their reins. All the riders had floatation belts buckled around our waists and in we went.

 

The water was cool but not cold – still took your breath away, as this was the ocean – and we rode out into the ocean, which in this case was a sheltered bay around Chukka Beach. Mona had apparently talked to CJ about my “swimming abilities”, and he stayed very close to my horse, actually guiding him by the reins most of the time, steering him towards less deep areas of the bay. It didn’t matter to me; I was having the time of my life. My smile was almost as big as Mona’s, and I was laughing and having a ball….all while having a death grip on the reins and squeezing in with my legs. They hurt for about 3 days afterwards.

 

Actually my legs and butt weren’t the only thing hurting for a few days. At the very end of the trotting through the waves, the horses galloped as fast as they can towards the beach. This is what is called “fun”. CJ looked at me and saw how rigid I was sitting and yelled, “Stand up in the stirrups!” But did I listen? Of course not. Standing up meant losing my balance, which meant falling into water that was much deeper than 6 inches and we know how well I do there!

 

Now a horse galloping through the water is not a normal gallop. The horse really wants to keep its head above water, so it actually jumps and lunges forward. Meaning you get very high and then very low very fast. And if you are not prepared, you land on the horses back very hard. And during one of these jumps, one of my, er, “boys” decided to head a bit too far south. And I landed hard. I saw white sparks. My legs went numb. And every guy reading this right now knows EXACTLY the sensation I am talking about. There is a lack of pain for a moment, but you know it’s coming. It’s nothing but absolute, pure fear. And then WHAM! A quick sharp pain, that quickly resolves into a steady ache that sucks the air out of your lungs and makes you talk 10 octaves higher.

 

CJ saw this happen. He winced. Then he shrugged and laughed, “You okay mon?”

I managed a squeaky “Yah mon”, and was glad we were in the water, so you couldn’t see the tears.

 

We were soon back on dry land and I hobbled back to the lockers with Mona, hurting but smiling. That was just too much fun, despite my impromptu performance of the Nutcracker Suite. We took turns changing in the way too small bathrooms and then took a look at the pictures they had taken of us. Their prices were not too bad – 10 pictures for $30, with several of us together, and we purchased the CD (remember this reasonable pricing when we get to Cozumel later in this report…) I also purchased a small bottle of Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum and soon it was time to board the bus.

 

What was so neat is that this whole time we were at Chukka Beach, riding the horses, the rain had pretty much stayed away. A few sprinkles here and there, but never anything serious. But as soon as we were all on the bus, the skies opened up and poured down. I took off my sunglasses, setting them on my hat on Mona’s lap, and took some pictures as we drove back.

 

Now note how I just mentioned my sunglasses. This is called “foreshadowing”.

 

We arrived back at the port at 5:45pm and we immediately headed over to the Tuff Gong store to pick up the mini guitar for our son….and yes, I got one too. Then we stopped by the artist’s stall and purchased two of the small paintings he had. He was selling them for $15 each, but we got two for $25. Yes, I probably could have haggled him down more, but these are awesome pieces and we felt he deserved it. He was very nice and very thankful, so that was worth it to us.

 

We headed up to the cabin and took showers, then dressed casually for the evening. I went to get my glasses from my glasses case, which I then use to hold my sun…glass…where the heck were my sunglasses?!!

 

Panic mode immediately set it. We had already sailed. I tried to remember back to when I last had them. They have neck straps so I always have them around my neck. I then remembered taking them off on the bus, because it was so overcast out I didn't need them. Oh no. No, no, no. I do not lose sunglasses. These were brand new RayBans I bought a few months previously after having my old pair for 17 years (not kidding – bought them in ’97 and still have them today), and had saved up for them for a while.

 

I looked everywhere in the room, our bags, etc., but inside I knew they must have been left on the bus. Talk about a horrible feeling. We were headed down to get in line for the Headliner Show at 8:30pm, and as we passed by Guest Services, I saw Andre. Just for the heck of it, I walked over and asked him if there was any chance a pair of black Ray Ban sunglasses were turned in? They had a neck strap.

 

He left and went into the back. About 2 or 3 minutes later he came back….WITH MY SUNGLASSES! I was ecstatic, and he couldn't help but laugh at my expression. Looking back, I think I know what happened. No, we did NOT leave them on the bus. What Mona also had on her lap were the two towels from the ship that we used. My theory is that my glasses were wrapped up in the towel when we got off the bus and, miraculously, they stayed in the towels right up to when we checked them back in on the ship. The laundry team must have found them and turned them in.

 

There is also the chance the bus driver found them and turned them into the Shore Excursion team with the ship. A possibility. Regardless, I got them back and still have them. Me without sunglasses in the Caribbean for two weeks would have been a very, very bad thing.

 

We got front row seats for the Headliner Show, with this week was Motown singer Kenny James. He was originally a 13-week winner on Star Search, and now performs all over the world. His show was very energetic, though he was definitely sweating buckets – it was hot under those lights. A neat side note is that his son played bass during his performance, and is his arranger for the bands he works with, such as the Oasis Band. We were so impressed we purchased his CD for $20 afterward, meeting him and getting an autograph and picture.

 

Quickly heading across Deck 4, we entered Studio B for the Throw Me A Line Improv Show, starring Simeon (the Oasis Comedy host), Vince and two other actresses from Hairspray. They put on a great improv show despite some horrible suggestions from the audience.

 

Afterwards we had a very late dinner (11:30pm) at Sorrento’s pizzeria on the Royal Promenade. We then headed back up to the cabin where Mona used her 30 free minutes of internet to text the kids (only 9pm back home). They sent us a picture of the two of them with our two little Yorkies, which made Mona tear up a bit, missing them.

 

I made my Planner adjustments and read through the Compass for the next day, wrote down my daily notes, and we were in bed around 12:45am. And yes, I was still sore….very sore….

[Wildcatfish]

You found your sunglasses! Wow, what are the chances of that? (coming from a person whose wife only allows him to buy cheap sunglasses because he always loses them :D)

 

Really enjoying your review! Looking forward to the next chapter..

[roe2ship]

You have a wonderful writing style. What a great detail review so far! The sticker on the card made me laugh as that would have bothered me as well, lol! We celebrated our 25th anniversary two years ago on the Oasis. I"m looking foward in reading about the rest of your cruise. Thanks for taking the time sharing your experience on this incredible ship.

[kcmrlitz]

What a great review!!! Thank you for all of the time that you are putting into this! I have a quick question. Does the bus out to the horseback riding have a bathroom on it or is it more like a school bus than a charter bus? Just curious. Thanks again and keep the review coming :)

 

Kevin

[marklodi]

What a great review!!! Thank you for all of the time that you are putting into this! I have a quick question. Does the bus out to the horseback riding have a bathroom on it or is it more like a school bus than a charter bus? Just curious. Thanks again and keep the review coming :)

 

Kevin

 

Hi - It was a charter tour-type bus, but I do not believe it had a bathroom. To be honest, we sat in front and didn't really look. There are bathrooms at the port and at Chukka Beach before you leave each way, though.

[marklodi]

Day Five – Wednesday, May 14th: Sea Day

 

With a sea day today and us getting to bed about 12:45am, you would think we would sleep in. But for some reason, I was up at 6:30am and ready to go. I took a shower and woke up Mona, then while she was getting ready, I walked down to deck 5 and did 2-1/2 laps on the walking track, which is very nice, taking your around the perimeter of the ship, behind the Aqua Theater on one end and past the Fitness Center on the other. 2.4 laps equals one mile and I used this track often during the vacation, as it was always breezy and cool, regardless of the temperature outside. On the walk back to the cabin, I cut through the Royal Promenade and grabbed a Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice at the Café Promenade.

 

Now with Mona, we walked back down to the Royal Promenade for the 9am sale in the shops – it was chaotic, but we picked up a couple of shirts and Mona got a nice light jacket. We also met June, the shops manager – a great guy, and Zandie (Zandy), who worked in the Logo Shop. We always stopped by and greeted them whenever we saw them and also became known to them as “M&M”.

 

It was now time for Mona’s birthday purchase. I had given her some money at the start of the trip for her Birthday and told her she could get whatever she wanted. So it did not surprise me in the least that she gravitated towards the Coach store in Central Park. She purchased a black and white purse which she absolutely loves.

 

Since we were in Central Park, we walked over to the Park Café for Breakfast. I had a breakfast burrito, while Mona had a ham & egg Panini. She also ordered another mocha, but Jason wasn’t there. It was then that she quickly learned only Jason knew how to make a decent mocha (or perhaps he had just spoiled her with how he made it), but from that point forward, if Jason wasn’t there, no mocha.

 

We then went back down to the RP where another sale was in full swing, and Mona bought a bracelet – black and silver with a ship’s charm on it. It looks very nice on her. It was during this sale that we met a nice couple and started chatting about the cruise. One thing led to another and I mentioned Cruise Critic. The couple mentioned they were on CC as well but couldn’t make the Meet & Mingle. My eyebrows raised up. Could it be? I asked his name.

 

“Trevor”.

 

Aha! The missing Trev from Canada and his lovely wife. I told him my name and it was instant connection, having talked so many times in the roll call. Too funny that we met and started chatting like old friends without even knowing who we were.

 

Wandering around some more, we eventually made it up, for the very first time, to the sports deck on Deck 15. Only took us 5 days to get up here! We played miniature golf (I won – yes!), then I rode the zip line for the first time.

 

Okay, remember what had happened the day before on the horseback ride in the ocean? Right. So now I’m going to wear a harness that comes right up between the legs, tight on the thighs and butt, and cinches up really, really tight to keep you safe.

 

Ow.

 

Ow ow ow ow ow.

 

Mona didn’t ride this time as she had a dress on, but she was able to watch me and laugh hysterically as I didn’t quite grasp the concept of putting my feet down on the yellow area at the landing in order to slow myself down before lifting up and onto the cushioned platform. No. I had to do it the hard, painful way first time through. I kept my legs up and hit the bumper at the end – HARD! Ooph! All my hurting areas screamed at me and the crew member at the landing just looked at me, pointed at the yellow area and said, “You won’t do that again, will you?” I chuckled and replied “Nope”.

 

We then watched the flow riders for a while, and then played a couple games of Ping Pong (yep, I won those too. Woot!) before finally having lunch at the Wipeout Café. Actually we weren’t planning to eat lunch there. Mona just saw they had ice cream. But while she was getting a cone, I saw their pretzel dogs and French fries and, well, yum! Best hot dog and fries on this ship, hands down. (Yes, the fries even rivalled Johnny Rockets.)

 

At 12:30, we watched the Move It, Move It parade on the Royal Promenade, then grabbed a donut and headed up to the cabin to rest a bit. My donut was a Boston Crème filled. Ugh. Worst donut of the trip.

 

After taking a short nap, we headed down for the Splish Splash Comedy Show at the Aqua Theater. We got a couple of great seats in the shade and I went back to the Boardwalk Bar got a Berry Banana Colada for myself, and a Pina Colada for Mona (all mocktails, of course).

 

The show was great, full of energy with a lot packed into just 25 minutes. The only down side was the sun shifted while we were sitting there and settled directly on the back of my neck. I kept scrunching my head down, as I was sure I was burning, but lucked out and was okay.

 

After the show we headed back to the cabin so Mona could change and then back up to the zip line. This time I did much better, hitting the yellow area with a couple of steps then up to the platform. Made a HUGE difference. However, despite knowing to do this, Mona couldn’t – she was too short. She tried, but couldn’t reach the yellow. Too funny.

 

Quick stop in the cabin for our drink cups and to swap out Mona’s Coach purse – she discovered a defect in the leather on the purse, and they let her look through all of the same style purses they had in stock to find one she like. Awesome customer service! June’s retail team is exceptional on the Oasis.

 

Stopping by the excursion desk at the Clock Tower on the Royal Promenade, I asked about our tour for the next day vs the Planner, as the Planner said we weren’t getting into Cozumel until 9:30am, but everything I read said it was at 8am, and even my excursion tickets said to meet on the pier at 8:15am. The excursions manager was surprised by the error and went with us to Guest Services, where they admitted the Planner was incorrect. She thanked us for pointing it out, so they could correct it before the next Western itinerary in two weeks. Oh, and guess who helped us in Guest Services? Andre of course. Such an infectious smile!

 

We also met the most amazing person on board the Oasis. Her name is Maria and she is a lead for the restaurants on the Royal Promenade, but her primary location was the Cupcake Cupboard. She was always wearing her pink and white outfit with her pink hat. We chatted for quite a while as we waited for our turn for pictures on the stairs next to the shop. She is from Brazil and told us about her sister and how we absolutely must visit Brazil someday. She became very special to us over the next two weeks, always there with a hug, a smile and an amazing personality. We really miss her.

 

At 6pm, we returned to our cabin to get ready for the second formal night, and by 7pm we were back down on the Royal Promenade for more pictures. The photo stations were all in the same place, but many had new backgrounds up, giving us even more choices to choose from later on. We took 5 more sets this time, and were becoming real pros. It was also the first time we met Christopher, who turned out to be the Photo Department manager and a wonderful person. He always went out of his way to greet us by name and even helped us out later in the week.

 

Dinner in the Main Dining Room was lobster night (aka the Fisherman’s Platter). I also ordered the prime rib, which was a HUGE mistake. The meat started out tasting pretty good, but soon I realized how, well, how “squishy” and wrong it was. The texture was not unlike silly putty, really, and I would not be surprised if it was made in a Play Doh kitchen. The rest of the meal, though, was excellent and James and Savio made sure we were in and out in record time.

 

By 9:30pm, we were on our way back to our cabin to change clothes and still make it down to Comedy Live for great seats for the show. The comedians were Jim David – our favorite from both weeks – and Wayne Cotter, hosted tonight by my personal favorite, Vince from Hairspray! Jim David interacted with the audience more than anyone else – for example, there was an Australian couple to the side of the stage, but the woman was very British. Jim zeroed in on her accent and the “corrections” she made when Jim repeated something she said. He loved it, and told everyone in the audience, whenever they saw or heard something they liked on the ship during the week, to simply put their right hand in the air and say, “Here, here!” And sure enough, throughout the week, every once in a while, when you least heard it, you would hear someone say, “Here, here!” out of nowhere. Hilarious.

 

At midnight, we were tucked into bed, having spent a few minutes chilling on the balcony, me with my usual routine of review the next day’s Compass, updating my Planner, and writing my notes down. Tomorrow was Cozumel and I had high hopes for the excursion there. Unfortunately, I would be disappointed…

[Cruisegirl6]

I know exactly that texture regarding the prime rib, had it like that on other ships its awful! I do have a question, did you find your cabin getting warmer during the night time?

[marklodi]

I know exactly that texture regarding the prime rib, had it like that on other ships its awful! I do have a question, did you find your cabin getting warmer during the night time?

 

Hmm. Never really thought about it, but yes, I believe you are correct. Mona, however, gets really cold - while I fry - so we would usually turn the temp on the A/C to medium (straight up and down), and then as soon as I got up, I would crank it down to full cold in the morning.

 

So while I can't say that it WAS getting warmer, it did feel that way. :)

[marklodi]

Day Six – Thursday, May 15th: Cozumel, Mexico

 

Up at 5:30am, since this was an early port day. While Mona was getting ready, I headed down to Café Promenade to get us a OJ and mocha for Mona (though she did not like it – it wasn’t Jason-made). As we had an early excursion, the only place open at 7am was, ugh, the Windjammer. Up we went, and were immediately accosted by the server with the box of Purell hand cleaner in his hand (“Ding dong! Ding dong!”) Hands scrubbed, we ate a few bites, staying away from the runny scrambled eggs, rubbery pancakes and warmed-over sausage and bacon.

 

We were off the ship at 8am and headed to the meeting spot for our Dolphin Encounter at Chankanab Park in Cozumel. We were loaded in small groups into taxis and drove about 5 minutes to the park. Once there, we were given the instructions that NO cameras were allowed during the encounters and NO pictures could be taken by observers standing beyond a large yellow line drawn on the pier. We then were given free access to lockers, changed into our swimsuits and were fitted for life vests.

 

There were about 10 of us just doing the Encounter, with the other tours there being more interactive with the Dolphins and Manatee, including being able to swim with them. Since I don’t swim, this was the one for us. They led us into the very cold water and onto a platform. They introduced us to the dolphin and led him back and forth past us a few times so we could touch him on the side.

 

Then individually they had each of step forward to the edge of the platform and do three different poses – first touching the fins of the dolphin as it came out of the water, next kissing the dolphin on the nose, and then finally having the dolphin kiss you on the cheek. During each pose we were told to turn and smile for the camera person taking pictures behind us on the dock. We were only out there about 20 minutes or so, and then back to the dock.

 

We were not allowed to go and dry off or change clothes. Instead, we took off our life vests and were immediately ushered into the gift shop to look at computer screens with the photos they took. I have to admit, some looked really good, and given the price we paid in Jamaica, I thought we might get a few.

 

But then I was reminded about what I had heard on the Cruise Critic boards before: the absolute price-gouging they do there. ONE 5x8 picture was $38!!! I couldn’t believe it. We were so upset and bummed out. Since this was special for Mona, we bought the one with the dolphin kissing her cheek, but there was no way I was going to pay for any more than that. So we have no evidence that I actually did the Dolphin encounter.

 

It was just about 11am by the time we changed our clothes, and we still upset about the pictures and not being able to take one together, that we left and were sent in a taxi back to the ship. We shopped a little at the port – including me making a huge mental error. In one of the stores, we saw these really awesome candles that were in shot glasses. They had little dioramas inside, and were very inexpensive. We thought what great gifts for our family. So we purchased them, and the shop wrapped them up and placed them in a bag for us.

 

We stopped by Senor Frogs and I bought a t-shirt, then headed back to ship by noon. It was while going through security that they stopped us and asked us if we had purchased candles. I look confused and said yes….then it hit me. Candles are not allowed on board. Oh, no. I’m an idiot.

 

The security guard confiscated our candles, but placed them in a bag, gave us a receipt and said we would receive them when we got off the ship in Florida. We nodded, but now I was concerned because when we got to Florida, we were staying on board another week. We stopped by Guest Services and they assured us it would not be a problem. We’ll see.

 

We changed clothes and walked around a rather quiet ship, since we weren’t scheduled to leave port until 6:15pm. We played some ping pong, a little air hockey in the arcade ($1.45 a game? Really?), then ended up at Sorrento’s for a design-your-own pizza, which wasn’t bad. Mona really liked hers.

 

Back at the cabin, I looked through the compass for something to do and saw the following:

 

HAPPY HOUR SPA SPECIAL•----- Stop by the Spa between 8:00 am and 10:00 pm to get the royal treatment. Start with a Back & Neck Massage, followed by a Scalp Massage, a hydrating Mini Facial and a Foot and Ankle Massage. Just $99. Dial 4600 for reservations!

 

A massage! I called the number and asked about the details, saying we might both be interested. The girl asked be if we would like to be in the same room. Like a couples massage, I asked. She said yes. Any extra I asked. Nope. We’re on our way!

 

We walked over to the Vitality Spa, which was just as quiet, and had to traverse down those awesome clear glass steps again. We were greeted by name (not sure how they did that) and escorted into the relaxation room, a circular room with lounge chairs facing this large tree in the center, Enya-like music playing softly. There were a couple of water stations on either side, as well, and we were handed clipboards to fill out questionnaires. Where are your aches and pains (my neck and shoulders), what causes you the most stress (my kids, but they are a continent plus away, so we’re good), any open sores (Ew. Really? That happens?)

 

Soon we were greeted by two therapists and escorted into a room with two massage tables about 3 feet apart. We each chatted with our “Steiner girl” – I told mine about my neck stiffness; my stress always goes to my neck, and is usually where any migraines I have start from. I mentioned how I had the sample of the hot stone massage earlier in the week and how good it felt. She stopped me and asked if I wanted to add on the hot stones for just $20. Would it? Absolutely! I asked Mona if she wanted to as well, but she said she was fine.

 

The girls left, telling us to strip down to our underwear and slip under the sheet on each table. (They actually said “your own table”, which made me think perhaps they came back once and found a naked couple together on a single table. Hmmm…)

 

We were told to lay face down, the tables equipped with those horseshoe shaped face pillow extensions, where you look straight down at the floor. They came back in a few minutes later to find us both under the sheet on the same table – KIDDING!

 

I can’t speak for Mona’s experience, but she said she enjoyed it. Instead, I will describe mine. She started with a defoliating brush, which was a bit rough, all over my neck, shoulders, arms, legs and feet. Then came the warm oil and she started working my neck, shoulders and arms. She then applied the hot stones and I swear I went to heaven. They felt so good, so soothing, it was amazing. She worked them down my neck and back and then my arms, leaving a stone in each upturned palm. She then worked oil onto my legs and then did the ankle and foot massage, which also felt wonderful.

 

I could sense the stress and tension, especially from the morning’s issues at the Dolphin encounter, just fade away. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see it floating up and away from me like a dark cloud, disappearing into the ceiling. More hot stones on the neck and back (a spot I said was my worst and she had said she would spend more time there), and then she switched to a menthol-based oil which was very cold on my skin and caused me to suck in a mouthful of air when she first touched my back. She asked if I was okay. I said yeah, just caught me off guard, but it felt great.

 

Then we were both told to turn over, as they strategically held the sheets for us. I kept my eyes closed the entire time, not from embarrassment, but just from relaxation. She then worked my arms and chest before doing something I have never had before – a facial. It was, um, different. Not unpleasant. A few different creams or something were applied, all with a strange smell and apparently purpose. After each application, my face was softly wiped clean with a warm cloth. Then a final ointment was applied and a warm, wet compress place across my eyes.

 

At this point, she started working her fingers through my hair and the scalp massage portion of the treatment had begun. A few minutes in, they asked both of us if it was okay to put oil in our hair. I didn’t mind, but Mona hesitated for a moment before saying yes. Then she worked a warm oil into my hair and scalp.

 

Finally, she took my right hand and placed it into Mona’s left and a small chime sounded. They asked us how we felt and we both said wonderful. They said they would leave for a few minutes and come back with some cool water, and that we could lay here for a moment and then get dressed carefully, as we were oily. They left and I finally looked over at Mona. She was looking at me smiling. We were both so relaxed. We forced ourselves to get up and get dressed, which Mona immediately disliked because of the oils. Then she looked at her hair in the mirror and about lost it. “I have to go take a shower. I can’t go out like this.” We both looked like Kenickie from Grease.

 

Then came the part we both knew was coming, as we had both had a massage 10 years ago on the Pride and, well, some things never change. They came back in with our water, and then proceeded to explain the different lotions and oils and etc and etc and how many would we like to buy. We politely explained this was a splurge for us and that we were here for another week and might be back. They smiled, were polite, and escorted us back to the stairs of doom.

 

We floated up the stairs and back to our cabin, where we were greeted by a towel monkey hanging from a hanger, wearing my sunglasses, my Sharpie pen stuck in his mouth like a cigar. Florin outdid himself this time. We took showers to remove the gloss coats that had been applied. Getting dressed, we headed down to the Royal Promenade, where I gave my business card with my email address on it to both Andre and Maria. We also headed up to Focus where we officially met Christopher and looked at our photos.

 

Here’s how this is set up. At any time of the day, you can head to deck 6 aft and use your SeaPass card in the photo kiosks they have to view your photos. However, if you want to see the real things, you need to wait until the hours they are open. You can then find your “folio” which are located in binders stored in numbered towers normally locked up. You will also find some pictures up on the boards on the wall, but the facial recognition software RCI uses does a pretty good job of identifying who you are and which folio you go into.

 

In the binder, you will find all of your pictures, with any posed portraits taken on formal nights, the Captain’s picture, etc, in 8x10 size, with – usually – the ones taken at the dock or at dinner or other events in 5x8 size. (You can of course select a picture and have them print a different size, but you do have to confirm buying the picture.)

 

At this point, you can glance through the photos all you like. You are NOT allowed to take pictures of your pictures – that’s stealing. Instead you can buy the pictures individually, in packages, create a phot book or even get them digitally on CD.

 

We picked out one picture we really liked and handed Chris our coupon for the anniversary picture and frame, which he placed into the frame for us. We picked out several others we liked, setting them a different direction in the folio – note this does not always work – and decided to come back the next morning to make a final decision.

 

At 7:30pm we headed up the Deck 17 Aft and the Viking Crown Lounge for “Broadway Live with Edna and Tracy”, which starred the actor and actress who played Edna and Tracy singing broadway tunes. They were very good, and we sat in chairs right in the front, so it seemed like personal show for us. Awesome.

 

It was now time for dinner, and we headed down to the MDR. Since we had dinner at Chops the next night and our belief that the waiters and assistant waiters would be rotated, we said our goodbyes to James and Savio, taking pictures with them and taking them for their quick service. I also handed one of my two WOW cards to James, as his prompt service really fit our schedule so perfectly. He was very appreciative and thanked us for the recognition.

 

It was time to head over to the Opal Theater for the other big production show, Come Fly With Me. What a great show! Tons of energy, using the same cast as Hairspray, minus only the four main leads (Tracy, Edna, Vince and Mabel). It also included two aerialists who knew no fear, despite the increased rocking of the ship this evening. My favorite part was the anti-gravity stairs, by the trampoline artists were fantastic as well. It looks way too fun to be work.

 

We were getting tired, but we had one more show to go to: at 11:30pm, in Studio B, was The Quest. Knowing what was to come, and wanting only to watch and not participate, we sat several rows back. All the things you’ve heard about The Quest is true, and the CD, Drew Devine runs a great one. I don’t want to embarrass her, so I won’t tell the exact story, but let’s just say Trevor’s wife – sitting in a section across the rink from us - made quite an impression not only on Drew but the entire audience. She was so red faced with embarrassment, but laughing like crazy, so I truly hope it was a good experience for her. Way too funny. But a word of warning to everyone: it really is adults only. Do everyone a favor, including the future therapists for your kids, and leave them in the cabin.

 

At 1am, we filled out and hung our anniversary breakfast menu on the door, then we collapsed in bed, laughing and relaxed….and nearly rolling out of bed. We were seriously rocking and rolling on the seas. And tomorrow wasn’t going to be much better.

[trev71]

Hey Mark enjoy reading your reviews on the cruise we were on. I know Katie and I did the same dolphin thing you did but it was in Grand Caymens in 2011 , the cd with the about 20 pictures was 75$, But only 10 pictures of them were of us the other 10 were some spanish couple, since they took the pictures of the group not the couple. They wouldnt let us take our camera either. Big money they make from people there.

[marklodi]

Hey Mark enjoy reading your reviews on the cruise we were on. I know Katie and I did the same dolphin thing you did but it was in Grand Caymens in 2011 , the cd with the about 20 pictures was 75$, But only 10 pictures of them were of us the other 10 were some spanish couple, since they took the pictures of the group not the couple. They wouldnt let us take our camera either. Big money they make from people there.

 

Hi Trevor! Again, real pleasure meeting you and Katie. :)

 

Even at 20 for $75, that's considerably better than the racket they have going now. I think my biggest disappointment was the response from RCI.... you'll understand when I post the next entry.

Edited June 2, 2014 by marklodi

[NolaFireLI]

Mark - This review is, for lack of a better term - AWESOME!! I have laughed out loud (while at work no less) a few times while enjoying it!! Having been on the Allure during it's first year and have the Oasis booked for this November for my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary, reading this extremely detailed review is making my heart flutter all over again with delight!! :D

The next 159 days can not come soon enough for me.

Thank you for your endless work on giving us all the little ins & outs and especially the Cruise Compasses, it's going to make planning my cruise so much easier!!

[NolaFireLI]

Mark - This review is, for lack of a better term - AWESOME!!

Edited June 2, 2014 by NolaFireLI
duplicate entry

[magdar]

Thanks for the very detailed review. My wife and I are taking the Western Caribbean Cruise on the Oasis in 3 weeks and this has been very helpful!

[marklodi]

Day Seven – Friday, May 16th: Sea Day

 

Waking up at 7:30am voluntarily made me question by sanity, but I couldn’t get back to sleep. It also didn’t help that the ship was dancing around like my daughter about to open her first report card from college. I let Mona sleep in and did a couple of laps on the track – very windy, but felt great – and then came back and took a shower.

 

Wifey was up at 8am, and at 9am, our breakfast was delivered. I tipped the waiter a couple of dollars, and moved the items out to the table on the balcony. We had a wonderful breakfast of French Toast (me) and a Spanish Omelet (Mona), plus Mimosas, Orange Juice, Coffee and small pastries. Wonderful gift from the family.

 

Headed down to the RP for more wandering, and gave our second WOW card to Andre in Guest Services. He was beside himself, thanking us over and over again. He later told us when he turned it in, he got a free gift in return. Nice!

 

We stopped by the Shore Excursions desk to complain about the Dolphin Encounter and the outrageous prices they charge for pictures. I did not expect them to do anything for us, but I did expect them to listen and be understanding. Nope – the two girls standing there looked at us like we were idiots and said, “Yes, all dolphin encounters are like that, regardless of what port you go to. These prices are actually reasonable.” They then moved on to other people.

 

I was taken aback. Really? That’s the best you can do? Basically, “Yep. Deal with it.” Actually, I really doubt that’s the best Royal Caribbean can do. Back when we started planning this cruise, we had booked the Isla Passion by Twister on Cozumel, a twister boat ride out to Passion Island. But a few months later, it – and several other tours – were cancelled and disappeared from the shore excursions list. It was reported widely on Cruise Critic, and the overall consensus was that RCI terminated or did not renew their contracts with these tour operators. Now I can only imagine the lost revenue from just the Oasis and the Allure alone, let alone all RCI and Celebrity ships (which I believe had the same tours cancelled.)

 

IF RCI wanted to go to bat for their customers, they could charge us the same price, yet demand operators like those at Chankanaab provide a “Royal” photo package. Perhaps include 2 8x10 photos of the cruisers choosing with the excursion standard, and then offer a reduced digital CD package at rates more like what we saw in Jamaica – say 10 pictures for $25, extra if you wanted them printed or even more for a combo pack, etc. But do not simply say, “Yes, that’s the way it is. What’s your point?” That left a sour taste in my mouth on an otherwise fantastic cruise. Ah, well. At the time, we just ignored it.

 

We next visited focus and purchased the 4 picture package, which gave us 4 8x10 photos, the keepsake Oasis DVD, and a leather portfolio that also included a picture of the Oasis. We purchased it from Chris, of course, telling him how difficult it was to narrow it down to 4. He asked if we thought we might get another package next week. We said very possibly. He said, “Don’t worry then. As a consecutive cruiser, we keep all of your pictures from the previous cruise in the back. Just let me know if you want to see them next week.” Very cool option I was unaware of. And even though we never did take him up on it, I wanted anyone reading this to know that is there for them.

 

Also one other quick note about this package: earlier in the week, I did purchase the DVD on its own. Chris simply asked me to bring down the receipt when we bought this package, and he credited back the DVD cost against the package cost. No problem at all.

 

It was now 11am and time for the Consecutive Cruisers meeting in Dazzles. There were only about 30 or 40 people at the meeting, and they served coffee and pastries. The host was a member of the Cruise Director staff and went through the important notes:

 

1. Everyone needs to meet tomorrow (Saturday) morning at 10:30am in the Schooner Bar on deck 6 above Guest Relations.

 

2. We only needed to bring our passports and our old SeaPass cards. New SeaPass cards would be handed out at 10:30am.

 

3. If you were heading off the ship early to tour around Florida on your own, you could leave anytime before 10am, but needed to first get an In Transit card from her before leaving the meeting today, and pick up your new SeaPass cards from Guest Services between 6am and 9am tomorrow morning. You WOULD have to go through customs, so take your passports with you. You only need to show your SeaPass and In Transit card to get back on the ship after boarding commences sometime after 11:30am

 

4. If you have to change staterooms, you do have to pack everything except hanging clothes, which your attendant will move for you with your luggage. If you are in the same stateroom like we are, you don’t have to do a single thing. Yay!

 

5. At 10:30am, those in the Schooner Bar would be escorted off the ship into the terminal, checking off the ship with their old SeaPass card. They would then go through customs and then be allowed back on the ship before any other guests, with the new SeaPass cards. A RCI crew member from the ship will be with you the entire time.

 

6. Important to note all transactions, On Board Credits, etc are all closed out. No account info is carried over to the next cruise.

 

7. We all should be prepared for possible delays tomorrow as the Coast Guard would be onboard doing inspections. They hoped it would not delay too much, but no guarantees.

 

She also mentioned a couple other cool perks. First, there will be a complimentary lunch for all consecutive cruisers on Saturday in Giovanni’s from 11:30am to 12:30pm. Simply head there right after getting back on board.

 

Also available to us right now, there in Dazzles, were members of the Cruise Director Staff (for entertainment reservations), Specialty Dining, Main Dining Room and Shore Excursions.

 

What was cool is that EVERY time slot was available to us for reservations. I did not hear a single person being turned away or denied a time, even those further in line. I was able to change our Comedy Live reservation from midnight to 9pm to next week (which turned out to be a great move). I also booked Izumi’s for one night and was told something I did not know – the per person fee was gone! It was now completely a la carte, just like Vintages and the Seafood Shack.

 

They also mentioned that anyone booking a specialty restaurant for the very first night (Saturday) would get a 20% discount. We had already booked three specialty restaurants for the next week, including 150 Central Park on Saturday, so I ask the rep about the discount. He said they could not discount reservations already made and paid for in advance. However, because we had 3 restaurants reserved and paid for, we qualified for the 20% discount package, and would receive a credit back to our On Board account for the difference on the first or second night. And if we had booked four, the discount would have been 25%. He said this was for all cruisers, not just consecutive, which would explain why you no longer could see dining packages on the website. They were being automatically applied when you got onboard. What a great solution!

 

Finally, while there, we booked our Air Boat excursion for the following Saturday, when we left the ship. The whole meeting and process was worth our time and well organized. Please be sure to attend this if it applies to you. Some people did not and, well, I’ll get to that impact tomorrow.

 

We quickly headed down to Deck 4 and Comedy Live, as I wanted to attend the Improv Workshop. I was thrilled that it was hosted by Vince! I had been wanting to meet him, and now actually got to be up on stage with him. Mona sat out and took a few pictures, not interested in being on stage, but I couldn’t wait. I was the first up there when we all stood in a circle and did various improve warm ups, like Zip Zap Zop, and One Word Story. It was a blast! Vince was so nice, and I got to get a picture with him before leaving.

 

Outside of the Comedy Warehouse, most likely waiting for Vince, were the actors who played Edna and Tracy (I apologize for not getting their names). I told them I didn’t want to impose, but would they be willing to take a picture with us. Of course! Again, so nice.

 

We headed across to the Opal Theater for the Captain’s Corner hosted by Captain Trym. He was very personable, narrating a short video about the crew and doing a quite long (over an hour) Q&A session. Towards the end, the last question, someone asked about the dry dock for the Oasis in October. He mentioned all of the refurb work being done, etc. I yelled out “And Cats, right?”

 

He looked at me and said, “Yes, and Cats will be replacing Hairspray. How did you know about that?”

 

I answered simply, “Cruise Critic”. I was a little surprised at his response.

 

His nose wrinkled up and he said, “Oh. Cruise Critic.” Like it was a bad thing. He then looked out at the rest of the audience and asked if there were any other people on Cruise Critic here. He almost said it like he expected it just to be me and perhaps to embarrass me. To his surprise – clear on his face – several hands went up. “Oh,” he said, “That many. Well good for you.” And with that he ended the session, as if we didn’t exist. I found it amusing, though found several people looking our direction when we stood up. Very strange treatment and reaction. After all, there were over 70 people signed up this week for the Meet & Mingle, so I know he knew we were on board. Just a little bizarre. Oh well.

 

As we went up the stairs to the Royal Promenade, I noticed that the Freestyle Coke machine on the right side was still broken, and now the one on the left was just about greyed out, as if there were no drinks left in it. Mona, of course, went right past the machine and straight for Starbucks. Then we headed down the Promenade, up one floor, and were soon munching on a donut on the Boardwalk.

 

Up to the Sports Deck and lunch time at the Wipeout Café, consisting of course of pretzel dogs and French fries. Yum! We watched the adult dodgeball tournament begin, but given the winds accompanying the crazy rocking of the ship, the balls were heading every way but at where they were being thrown. We stopped by the Boogie Boarding flowrider on the Starboard side to watch for a while, then back down to the cabin to rest a while before getting ready for dinner.

 

At 6pm, we arrived at Chops for a great dinner. I love Chops on the Mariner and made sure to book it twice during our vacation this time. Mona had the salmon while I had the Porterhouse steak. Delicious. I also found out that they did apply the 25% discount I asked about earlier in the week, and it appeared later that night on our account as a credit.

 

We changed into more casual clothes quick, then headed down to the Royal Promenade for the Farewell Event. Lots of kids dancing with the Dreamworks costumed characters. And then we saw the Globe open up above the Globe & Atlas and the floating walkway roll out. Very cool. I did not know that was there, so it was a nice surprise. Drew came out and acknowledge cast members from all the different shows, who came out onto the walkway. Then he mentioned that he would be on vacation next week, which we already knew.

 

We headed down to the Opal Theater for the Farewell Family Comedy Show, which was excellent. Hosted by Simeon, he did a hilarious bit reading “real” comments left by cruisers, such as “The french toast was too soggy and the regular toast too try. Please treat your toasts equally.” And “The weather was much nicer on Princess Cruises”. Both comedians were really on their game and everyone loved it. Drew came out to wrap things up and invite everyone over to the Dirty Minds Game Show in Comedy Live at 9:45pm, which is exactly what time it was now.

 

Sitting down front, we had to wade through the crowds to get over to where the entrance to Comedy Live was. Only the doors were closed and there was a huge line. We got in line, thinking we might get in. But after about 10 minutes, something didn’t seem right. I walked out of line and looked inside Comedy Live. It was already packed and the game show was going on – it had already filled up before we got there and they had closed the doors. Ugh. We let everyone know, but people still stayed in line. Why I have no idea.

 

We meandered over to Dazzles at the other end of the ship at listened to the South Side Band for a while, then headed up to bed. Hardly anyone was around, but there was a TON of suitcases in the hallways. But none in front of our door. We smiled and headed to bed, excited about the next half of the cruise, but still that little voice in the back of my head saying, “Wow….it’s already half over.”

 

I threw that little voice over the balcony and went to bed.

[PompeySailor]

Great review, all the answers that we were needing for Oasis all nicely presented in a fun and very informative manner.

Has to be one of the most detailed accurate reviews on CC and enjoyable to read

Kudos to you a Sir!!

Happy Days:)

[marklodi]

Day Eight – Saturday, May 17th: Turn-Around Day

 

I woke up at 5:30am, knowing full well I could sleep in, but also knowing I now had Internet access through my cell phone’s hot spot and needing to pay bills, check email, etc. Yes, yes, I let real life come back in for a little bit. Mona slept in until 6:30pm, then powered up her phone and immediately started posting on Facebook. Of course.

 

At 7:30am, we walked to the other end of the ship and at breakfast at the Solarium Bistro. Rather healthy fare, but again the eggs were a mess. Sigh.

 

We headed back to the room and lounged around on the Balcony, watching people scramble around on the Boardwalk, taking one last photograph, the luggage trailing behind them. Ours was still stored under the bed.

 

At 9:45am, we headed down to the Schooner Bar, mainly so Florin could start on the room. 15 minutes earlier, we had heard an announcement that a crew drill was starting, and when we left the room, we found all of the crew wearing yellow vests and holding flashlights. This was obviously the Coast Guard inspection, and as we rounded the stairs of Deck 6, we saw several Coast Guard members being escorted through the ship.

 

Holding our passports and old SeaPass cards, we settled down in chairs waiting for 10:30, starting a nice conversation with a couple from Ohio. I looked around and saw a LOT of people that were not in the Consecutive Cruiser meeting the day before. Hmm.

 

At 10:45am, the Passenger Embarkation Officer arrived and escorted us off the ship. We walked downstairs, but instead of exiting through the same doors on deck 5 – starboard side by the Rising Tide Bar – we instead passed through the middle of the elevators and turned right toward port. It was then I realized the ship had backed in, nose out. I later learned this was also due to the inspection.

 

We “dinged” off the ship with our old SeaPass cards and were escorted to a hallway just outside the gangway. Our escort reminded everyone to have their passports out. It was then that a couple near us – who had NOT been at the meeting – raised their hands and said, “Wait? We need our passports? They’re in our safe in the cabin.” You should have seen the look on the girl’s eyes. Fortunately we were joined by an RCI shoreside rep, Jim, who said he escort us further in if she wanted to take them back to the ship. She was immediately on her cell phone, getting authorization for these two guests to come back on board and get into their cabin. Not an easy thing, since they had been “zeroed” from the ship, especially in the middle of a Coast Guard inspection. She did not look at these guests with kind eyes. And thinking they might delay us getting back on, not many others looked at them very nicely either.

 

Jim led us to several rows of chairs in a waiting area where we, yep, waited. We all were handed new Health Questionnaires – which I later discovered were due to a NoroVirus outbreak on the ship during the previous week. I’m pleased to say it never hit us and we were never aware of it. But this also mean, on top of the Coast Guard inspection, the crew was also doing a “deep clean”. Joy.

 

Soon our escort and the two forgetful guests were back and she handed out the new SeaPass cards. It was then that a Customs Officer showed up. Jim, standing next to me – we’d been chatting while we waited – said under his breath, “Oh no. Not her.” I looked at him quizzically. He quietly said, “She’s the lead officer and a real stickler for details. I’ve seen her scrutinize every little detail and take forever. Fingers crossed.”

 

As she worked down the aisles of guests, a couple of them were pulled out and had to go down to another room. Turns out they were all Canadian guests who did not get an entry stamp in the passports. I’m not sure how that worked exactly, but after the first few couples, the officer appeared to stopped sending them down – at least that’s what I gathered watching – and just informed them they needed to make sure they got stamps in the future. She worked rather quickly, and as she neared us, Jim said, “Wow. You guys are lucky and got her on a great day!”

 

At 11:45, we were led back into the large “Holding Cell” waiting area where we heard an announcement to all those people waiting to board that the ship had been cleared, and that those people boarding in front of them were consecutive cruisers. We got a few sharp looks from those I think were Suite guests, Diamond level, etc. After all, how dare we get on board before them, right? Lol.

 

Jim said one more thing to me: “Fingers crossed your pictures transferred from your old SeaPass cards to the new ones, or this could get slow fast as we take new pictures.” Finally they let us through (after a couple of false starts, which reminded me of a Keystone Cops routine - yes, I know who they are) and Mona dinged right through. Mine buzzed. Huh? The security guard looked at me, then waived me through. I have no idea what was wrong. Hopefully it wasn’t comparing weights of when I first boarded versus now. Yikes.

We immediately headed to Giovanni’s and were the second couple seated for lunch. As we sat there waiting for our appetizers, I saw Mona staring at her SeaPass card, shaking her head and saying “Oh no”. I looked over.

 

The RR sticker was completely sideways. So was mine actually. I started laughing and so did she. Oh, Andre!

 

That would have to wait. Lunch was delicious. We shared a lasagna appetizer and then Mona had a chicken dish, while I went with Steak on a bed of mushroom risotto. Very good. But it was also very rich. We were glad we only did lunch, as I’m not sure even in Cruise mode our stomachs could handle a dinner here. And we didn’t want to eat too much right now for lunch, as we had dinner tonight at 150 Central Park. My poor waist line.

 

We headed up to our room, since it was about 12:45pm, and everything was ready for us. All our stuff was still there of course – Florin even left our decorations up, which was a nice touch. We found our shore excursion tickets and Meet & Mingle invites, as well as Cruise Compasses for the day (Never did get a boarding edition version). Also there was the envelope with this week’s Crown & Anchor events, including the Welcome Back party on Day 3, and the Meet The Stars event on Day 7.

 

At first, I thought this was new. Why didn’t we get one the first week? But looking through what I brought back, I found the envelope. For some reason, I skipped right past the events. We made sure to visit them this second week though.

 

We also found a letter that was brand new. It informed us that there had been Norovirus on the previous cruise – the one we had been on, obviously. Here is the first paragraph of the letter:

 

“Dear Oasis of the Seas Guest,

 

“During Oasis of the Seas last sailing, a small percentage of guests onboard experienced gastrointestinal illness, though to be Norovirus. According to health experts, nearly 300 million people worldwide are affected by Norovirus each year. Only the common cold is more prevalent. In abundance of caution and to help prevent any illness from affecting your cruise, we have implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitizing procedures onboard the ship as recommended by public health agencies worldwide. You will likely see some of these activities throughout our sailing, as we are taking all steps necessary to maintain our high health standards. “

 

That would explain some of the activities and delays we saw around the ship earlier. With that now known, we felt really lucky it missed us, as well as confirmed our constant hand washing and use of the Purell machines around the ship did make a difference.

 

We locked up our passports back in the safe and headed down into the mass of people milling about, many still trailing their carry-on luggage. It seemed like only a week ago that was us….okay, actually it was. It also felt like there was a LOT more people on board than the previous week. At the time I wrote my notes, I wondered if it was just an illusion. But now back at home I can confirm that perception – true or not – lasted all week. There must have been more people on board, though I have no way of knowing for sure.

 

The crowds really stopped us from doing much – even the crew members we normally chat with were busy or at different stations. So we headed back up to our room – Mona took a nap and I made sure I have everything complete I might need the internet for before we sailed away and I was once again off the grid for a week.

 

At 4:15pm, we again headed down to the muster drill – same area, same video, practically same message from the captain. We then headed up to the top deck, starboard side so we could watch the sail away from the other side (well, after he pulled out, since we were already facing the opposite way), but due to all of the delays, we had to head back to our cabin at 5:30 to get ready for dinner and we still hadn’t moved yet. Turns out there was a tanker blocking the lane to exit, and we didn’t leave until around 5:45pm.

 

6pm we arrived at 150 Central Park. Very elegant, we were seated in two of those high back chairs they show in pictures of the venue. The meal was unique and delicious, especially the salt tasting – that was a kick! Salt that tasted like a hardboiled egg – wow. At the end, though, after the Giovanni’s lunch earlier, we were stuffed.

 

By 7:30, we had swung by the room so I could lose the tie, and then headed down to the 8:45pm Hairspray show. It started out exactly like before, but about 30 seconds into Tracy’s opening “Good morning Baltimore” song, while she was laying/standing in bed, all the lights went out on stage and the sound went dead. The ship still had power – the lights were on behind us and in the audience – but something had tripped a “hard stop” in the safety program. Looking at the stage it became obvious – the orchestra pit where the band raised and then quickly lowered as the show stopped had not closed up, causing a huge danger for the dancers about to appear.

 

The audience was murmuring and then some background 50s music cam on the speakers. Everyone laughed as, in the faint light we could see the actress playing Tracy, still in the standing bed, clapping along to the music. We all soon joined in. Then we saw several maintenance guys above and below the pit looking all around with flashlights. Finally someone came and got Tracy, who rand half way across the stage, bowed to the applause and then continued off. Nicely handled.

 

About 10 minutes later, everything reset and the production started again from the very beginning. The band raised up again and the applause was enormous, causing most of the band members to smile or start laughing. They lowered back down, Tracy was back in bed singing, and the pit closed without issue.

 

The rest of play continued fairly well, though at one part Edna dropped her purse and it skittered across the stage. She/he recovered it as if it was written into the play, and people may not have even realized it was an accident….until later during the scene between Edna and her husband (Vince), where there is a break and they purposely try to crack each other up. He made references to technical troubles and the dropped purse and Edna lost it. Hilarious. As ever, it was a great production.

 

Something else, though, did happen during the show – it was the first time all cruise I caught myself falling asleep during a show. Danger Will Robinson! Danger! Mona said the same thing was happening to her, so after the show we decided to cut the night short and head to bed.

 

We did, however, stop by the logo shop to say hi to Zandi – she pulled us aside, gave us a hug and showed us a brand new Rising Tide t-shirt design that just came in as a sneak peek. She said if we came back by tomorrow, she would help find my size to make sure we got one. She is so awesome. We also purchased a RCI rolling tote as an additional carry on when we headed home. We had enough “stuff” for ourselves and family that we needed to make one of our original carry-ons and checked and devote this new piece to just souvenirs and the like. Actually later on, we figured we might have made it work without it thanks to not having to pack quite so neatly (and thank goodness for the luggage scale we brought, we were able to pack the smaller suitcases right up to their 50 lb limit). But better safe than sorry.

 

Heading up, June was watching the center shopping area and came up to us to welcome us back aboard for another week, and a few steps further, Maria came bounding out of the Cupcake Shop with hugs for both of us and her amazingly bright smile.

 

By 11pm we were in bed, tired but feeling better than ever, especially after the greetings from the crew. The M&Ms had a brand new week aboard the Oasis of the Seas! But first…. Sleep.