Undecided about seeing Cats on the Oasis?

[Beachammo]

So, if I am understanding it's the price of the oasis that makes you not sail it.. not necessarily the show? I say this because most of your upcoming cruises that are on your signature dont have a "broadway" show on them. I am just trying to understand peoples thought process and along those lines if the oasis was the same price as your upcoming cruises would you then accept to oasis?

 

Season, days at sea, ports, and price are the biggest factors. These factors have done more to keep me off Oasis than the show. If everything was equal I would take Allure over Oasis because I would enjoy Chicago/Mamma Mia over Cats. I would actually try to see either of those shows twice during the cruise.The Liberty did have "Saturday Night Fever".....not really Broadway but enjoyable.

[John&LaLa]

Hope you enjoy sitting 2 /12 hours watching people dressed up like cats slithering on the stage and down the aisles.

 

It's so disappointing that RCCL chose to have this show when there are so many others fabulous musicals and plays! The only way I could get through such a show is to sit there with blindfolds on and listen to the beautiful music. Thank goodness we have already been on Oasis and saw Hairspray. I have no desire to go on Oasis as long as Cats is "the show".

 

When we saw it on broadway, we also walked out...too creepy for us...

 

Slithering up and down the aisles is why I reccomend anaisle seat on lower level. Somewhere around row 10

[joand452]

So many folks have complained about the Broadway show, “Cats,” on the Oasis. Many say they were bored because it was hard to follow. For that reason I am including a brief summary that hopefully will help future cruisers who have never seen the production and want to take a chance on it. I should preface this by saying the stage never changes (not even on Broadway) and there is no dialogue….only songs and dancing.

 

Every year “The Jellicle Ball” is held in the neighborhood junkyard. It’s a big deal to all of the town cats…both purebreds and feral … because one of them will be selected by their leader to be ascended to a special place (paradise? heaven? big spa in the sky?). While there they will receive special status and an extra 9 lives. Needless to say, the competition is fierce and it’s the basis of the story as each cat tries to persuade Old Deuteronomy that he/she is deserving of this coveted honor. One character in particular, Grizabella the Glamour Cat, is not so glamorous anymore and is the subject of much ridicule and bullying by all of the other cats. Will she win her way into the heart of Old Deuteronomy and be chosen to be whisked away to the “heavy-side layer?"

 

You can certainly find better and more detailed summaries online…but that’s pretty much it in a nutshell. You might also consider purchasing the soundtrack and getting familiar with the music and lyrics. You might even find yourself getting a little addicted to it! Hope this helps those of you who are on the fence about seeing the show. Needless to say, I am a huge fan of Cats.

 

Thank you so much for this summary! We have seen Cats twice -- once when our daughters were very young (in fact I found out that day about my third pregnancy) and again with them about 8 years later. But I never understood the plot, just enjoyed it the first time. Unfortunately, I'd had a stressful day the second time and couldn't stay awake.

 

We have seen Chicago, Hairspray, and Momma Mia onboard ships and many other musicals/plays in the theater. Neither of us cared much for Chicago (and we had seen that in the theater, and I slept through Allure's version), I enjoyed Hairspray (DH not so much), and I know we both enjoyed Momma Mia (onboard Quantum).

 

We'll sit toward the back in aisle seats when we see Cats later this month.

 

Just in case... ;)

[Dinkachu]

This is an honest question, Not a slam or derogatory comment... My question is. Would you seriously not sail a ship because on one of the seven nights there was not a "broadway" type show that you were interested in seeing? (I know you said you saw the same show twice) For me, I always just thought of it as one more option, I consider the ship and the ports, but never put any thought into the show that was playing.(mostly because most ship have the branson missouri, Hee Haw shows that I would never walk into anyways)... To my knowledge there are only a handful out of all the cruise ships that actually have a "broadway type" show on them... so if not the oasis, what ships on any line (based on the show) are on your list for consideration? Also, as you said, you would rather see the "full production" but due to the size of the theaters and the wing space, they cant really do the full production, they dont have the space or the budgets for the scenic elements.. That's why the broadway version will always be a more complete option"

 

YES, when planning our Dec. 2015 cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale, we chose to leave on ALLURE on Sunday, instead of OASIS on Saturday (we live in Central Fla, so flights are not an issue) in large part, due to CATS. We have sailed both ships, and they are comparably splendid. SO, it came down to horrible reviews for CATS, which we did not enjoy locally either, and the men wanting all you can eat meat on a sword at SAMBAS, which Oasis does not offer. So, CATS was at least 50% of our reason for choosing ALLURE. Actually, I just asked the family and even if we couldn't get into SAMBAS, they still would choose ALLUE to escape CATS, so I guess Avoiding CATS really was or reason for choosing ALLURE over OASIS. Maybe we should re-think this plan. If others make similar decisions, it might be less crowded on Oasis.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Dinkachu

[DonnaK]

This is an honest question, Not a slam or derogatory comment... My question is. Would you seriously not sail a ship because on one of the seven nights there was not a "broadway" type show that you were interested in seeing? (I know you said you saw the same show twice) For me, I always just thought of it as one more option, I consider the ship and the ports, but never put any thought into the show that was playing.(mostly because most ship have the branson missouri, Hee Haw shows that I would never walk into anyways)... To my knowledge there are only a handful out of all the cruise ships that actually have a "broadway type" show on them... so if not the oasis, what ships on any line (based on the show) are on your list for consideration? Also, as you said, you would rather see the "full production" but due to the size of the theaters and the wing space, they cant really do the full production, they dont have the space or the budgets for the scenic elements.. That's why the broadway version will always be a more complete option"

 

Absolutely! Entertainment is a very important part of the cruising experience for us. In the case of Oasis, I have another alternative: Allure. There are also MANY ships (not just RCI) doing the same itinerary. Those may not have Broadway shows on them, but we also enjoy the various variety and production shows.

 

Liberty is our next cruise. We chose Celebrity Summit out of NJ twice because we enjoyed the entertainment. And we HATED our cruise on Jewel because the entertainment was terrible.

[DarthGrady]

I'm going on OA in October, I plan on seeing it. I saw it at the Bob Carr in Orlando when I was young and liked it. Maybe I will again, maybe not, but I'll give it a chance. I've spent two hours doing dumber things.

[radtech]

I heard an unconfirmed rumor that Cats is no longer playing on Oasis but they brought back Hair Spray. Can anyone confirm rumor that Hair Spry is the show on Oasis.

[beachnative]

I heard an unconfirmed rumor that Cats is no longer playing on Oasis but they brought back Hair Spray. Can anyone confirm rumor that Hair Spry is the show on Oasis.

 

Take a look for yourself at royalcaribbean.com and bring up the Oasis advertisement screen.

 

You know how rumors are on Cruise Critic. Some are created to stir a pot, some came from "expert":rolleyes: knowledge given by a cabin attendant, some are from other "expert" sources such as "heard it from a friend who was sailing and was talking to a bartender in one of the ports who knew as a fact……"

 

That rumor started when someone was researching the Oasis on google and clicked on something old….not unlike someone resurrecting a 4-year old thread and referring to it as current information.

 

"If" they "had" brought back Hairspray there is no way it could be put in place this fast. We just saw it a couple of weeks ago.

Edited August 8, 2015 by beachnative

[hardingk]

Cats played this week on Oasis. Someone posted live from it. We are sailing in 2 weeks and it's listed in our entertainment.

[golfer20]

Me too, I think to long for me to watch one show. I would rather be out on the promenade.

[kadams718]

I just booked Cats for me, my DH and two 14 year old boys for our Thanksgiving cruise. We'll see how long we last. But at least we'll be able to say we gave it a shot!

[Cinerama]

I also saw CATS on Broadway many years ago and did not like it. But, I plan on seeing it on the Oasis 9/12 departure. If you go to wikipedia it gives a detailed idea of what the story is about. Might help to read before seeing it on the Oasis.

[rua642]

I saw Cats on Broadway twice and loved it. The first time was with my son's class -- he was 10 years old at the time. He loved the show so much that I bought him the 2 disc CD, and he memorized all of the songs. If you have the opportunity to see this wonderful show, go see it and keep an open mind. You just may enjoy it.

[John&LaLa]

I'm going on OA in October, I plan on seeing it. I saw it at the Bob Carr in Orlando when I was young and liked it. Maybe I will again, maybe not, but I'll give it a chance. I've spent two hours doing dumber things.

 

Cats is playing at Cocoa Village playhouses this winter. Not sure how ticket sales are going though

[10717]

We saw it on the Oasis a month ago or so, glad we did it but would never go again....Just sayin

[Amtrack Springfield]

We canceled our reservations last January. It was too long and most people left half way through. There are too many things to do on the ship.

[sasha96]

We hooked family on DCL but have two cruises with them booked on RCI. I'm sure they will be hooked when they get on Oasis. With that said, I'm a bit embarrassed that this is one of the main shows. I don't think it will be representative of the shows RCI often puts on. We will probably get tickets and sit in "bail out" seats, or maybe we won't even try to see it. IDK. If it was Mamma Mia I'd be excited for them. Though on the longer side, it was fun! Still, Rock of Ages on NCL Breakaway was my favorite show at sea so far!

[Sherri914]

I saw Hairspray on Oasis before the changeover to Cats. What a wonderfully fun, entertaining show for a cruise! I had seen it prior - off Broadway - and the Oasis production certainly didn't disappoint. My husband (who doesn't like musicals at all) was thoroughly entertained by Hairspray. That being said, he's now all pumped about seeing another show in November, and we're on Oasis again, so that means Cats! (I booked it, but I fully expect the "let's get out of here" look once he hears and sees what it's all about. I'm guessing about 3 songs in. We'll be sitting in the back just in case.)

 

I've heard - and the OP verified - that knowing the story is helpful if one has any chance of enjoying this show, given the lack of dialogue and obscure music. I decided to give it a go and found the entire score on YouTube. I truly wanted to love it. I've listened to every song - start to finish - and I just can't get into it. Hairspray was so much fun you couldn't help but tap your toes and dance in your seat!

 

I know Cats was a Broadway phenomenon. Perhaps the phenomenon was more that it lasted as long as it did when it is so darn hard to enjoy! Or maybe, it ran so long because of some colossal, cosmic joke! Oh... wait... maybe it was because there's a secret pact where one guy got duped into seeing it, then decided he shouldn't suffer alone and recommended it to his friends, and so on and so on. (KIDDING - KIDDING - Don't rip me apart over that all you Cats lovers out there ;)). Seriously though, I can appreciate the elaborate costumes and sets others have reported and posted pics of on here. I just have absolutely no desire to sit for 2.5 hrs in a show I don't connect with. I think theater is like anything else artistic - it either speaks to you or it doesn't. And Cats isn't speaking to me at all.

 

I've seen several musicals, and with so many options out there I am just surprised that Royal chose this particular one to feature on Oasis. That being said, my husband is so excited to see another production show in November that despite my warnings of it being not well received, he wants to go. I've booked it, but I fully anticipate him giving me the 'let's get out of here' signal about 3 songs in, so we'll be sitting in the back of the theater.

Edited August 24, 2015 by Sherri914

[Sitzmark]

We will probably get tickets and sit in "bail out" seats,

 

Do you need tickets? I was under the impression that you could just line up and be admitted.

[Clarea]

Do you need tickets? I was under the impression that you could just line up and be admitted.

If you have advance reservations for the show, you are admitted to the venue much earlier than those who line up in the standby line.

[CruisingLover]

How long do shows run on cruises before they are changed? How long has Cats been on Oasis?

 

Just wondering if there will be a different show for our cruise in January 2016...

[Clarea]

How long do shows run on cruises before they are changed? How long has Cats been on Oasis?

 

Just wondering if there will be a different show for our cruise in January 2016...

Shows run for many years, over 5 years in my experience. I believe CATS started on Oasis earlier this year.

[beachnative]

Sherri,

consider sitting in the one of the front rows…it makes a difference.

Edited August 24, 2015 by beachnative

[markeb]

How long do shows run on cruises before they are changed? How long has Cats been on Oasis?

 

Just wondering if there will be a different show for our cruise in January 2016...

 

According to the castmembers on our behind the scenes tour on Brilliance, a typical RCI production how is expected to remain for 8-10 years. The Broadway productions are expected to be on board for 5 or so.

 

I've not seen Cats on Oasis, but assuming they're bringing on board a version of the full set, you're going to need a dry dock or at least several days out of service to remove the sets and bring a new set onboard. Not something they're going to do very often.

[Havingfun2010]

CATS is the third longest running broadway show.....so it becomes a matter if you like it or not, but you can't knock it for not being a good selection.