Not so mini-review: Oasis of the Seas (Eastern Caribbean) - July 2

[OllieGator]

I’ve been back about a week from our Oasis of the Seas cruise and had a bit of time to do this mini-review. No pictures, but lots of descriptions about the ship, the ports, the entertainment and the food.

Introduction and relevant information: This was a cruise for just my wife and I to celebrate our twentieth wedding anniversary. We’re both 44. We booked a Junior Suite (11232) – total cost not including gratuities was $3,700. It was booked through a TA, who also added $360 in OBC, a complimentary specialty dinner for two and a complimentary spa appointment. In advance, through the cruise planner, we purchased the Deluxe Beverage Package with VOOM internet for both of us, as well as a four-night dining package. We did NOT book any reservations for any of the specialty restaurants or the shows in advance. All were booked on the ship.

Itinerary – Eastern Caribbean.We visited St. Maarten, San Juan and Labadee

Ok, with all of that done, let’s get to the review. Those of you that have been on Oasis before and that have visited the Running/Walking Track, you’ll recognize these section headers.

Go man go

Not too fast

Spend it now

It may not last

 

Embarkation was a breeze – Port Canaveral has several clearly marked signs to get you to your destination. We chose to park at the port in the parking garage directly across from the ship. Arriving at 11:30, we were able to access the priority line due to our “Sea Class” designation, a benefit for having a Junior Suite. Quickly through security, we checked in, received our cards which were already clearly marked with our beverage package, and were directed to the ship. All told, about 30 minutes after we parked. Not bad!

 

You enter the ship onto the Royal Promenade (deck 5) – it’s a very lively place with a bunch of staff lined up to sell you all sorts of stuff. You can add a beverage package here, get a specialty restaurant package,change your dining reservation and more right after you board the ship. The promenade is spectacular – a soaring ceiling with all of the overlooking rooms.We sat there for a minute, then started to explore, visiting Central Park, the Boardwalk and the rest of the ship until we could get into our room (1 pm is the stated time).

Aaah Central Park(deck 8) – this quickly became our favorite hangout on the ship. We loved strolling through this area. At night, it lights up with thousands of lights, and most every night there are the lovely sounds of a pianist or violinist playing. It was never crowded and was great for relaxing, reading and enjoying a glass or three of wine.

 

The Boardwalk (deck 6) – Another well thought out space. This is where the Carousel and the Aqua Theatre can be found. This was generally a bustling spot, because it has the Boardwalk Dog House, the Ice Cream Shop,Johnny Rockets and one of the arcades in it. Sabor is also here.

The room (again, a Junior Suite – 11232), was very spacious. On the edge of the “hump” port side,it was very quiet throughout the week. It has a large walk-in closet and a bathtub. Easy to get to from everywhere. We found it had ample storage, but maybe lacked another electrical outlet or two for your electronics. A couple of things here to note – we were never very fond of the pillow selection. It was tough to get comfortable. Also, the bathroom has an emergency light in it that is ALWAYS on, even at night, and it’s much brighter than it should be. Royal should consider making this light red at least so that night vision is not compromised when you need to use the restroom in the middle of the night.

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon making all of our dinner and show reservations. The interactive TV’s are fine for this task,but I suggest you call about dinner reservations. We found they often had availability that wasn’t shown on the TV. (Another note, you cannot book the teppanyaki at IZUMI on your TV. You must call for this.)

 

To stop right now

Would be a waste

So journey on

Just set your pace

 

I wanted to spend a few paragraphs talking about entertainment and activities. Royal really hit it out of the park here. We never found ourselves lacking live music, karaoke or a show, or enjoying one of the many activities on board.

 

The shows – So, just to get it out of the way, we did not see Cats or Come Fly With Me. (Personal,unsolicited opinion - I think Cats was a poor choice for a cruise ship. It’s a convoluted story and very long). We also did not watch any of the comedians.

Frozen in Time –WOW. That’s really all I can say. It’s a great story line (reminds me a lot of Disney On Ice shows) and has good, engaging music. The athletes are all really talented and enthusiastic. Highly recommend.

 

Oasis of Dreams –Another WOW. It’s still amazing they do all of that on a moving ship. They had a technical difficulty during the show which caused a ten-minute delay, but it didn’t impact anyone’s enjoyment of it. Another strong recommendation.

 

We also saw the headliner on this cruise – a group called Mo5aic. They sing A Capella (without instruments) and were tremendous. A great surprise.

As for the music, we are also blown away. Far more live music on this ship than any ship we had been on previously. My personal favorite was the Dominican Quartet that played in Boleros almost every night. I couldn’t understand a word they were saying, but it was such a fun time that I enjoyed ending my night there. Top notch. The performers in Central Park were also great.

 

They had the traditional white party, as well as 70’s and 80’s nights on the promenade. They were reasonably well attended and the cruise director (Tim?) did a nice job.

To finish out music,we did end up in Dazzles (which is on deck 8 and 9) for a night or two, and were always entertained – and of course we watched karaoke. It might be just me, but it seems like there are more professional singers nowadays than before. It was great up until the last three nights when they started their “karaoke superstars” – all of the people we enjoyed earlier in the week got crowded out because of all the newbies that wanted to steal the show. Oh well.

Strong thumbs up here.

Another favorite pastime for us was watching the Flowriders. We would venture up there each afternoon, and it was enjoyable watching the participants increase their skill while getting the occasional laugh and enjoying a cold beverage or two.

Finally, for those that want to know about the pools and hot tub, we only went into the pool once.There were nice. (sorry – that’s about all I can comment on these)

 

One lap to go

Or maybe three

Tonight’s dessert

Can be guilt free

 

Ok, to the food (and drinks). I’ll hit on each of the specialty restaurants we ate in, Coastal Kitchen (it’s another benefit for “Sea Class” –dinner only) as well as the MDR and Windjammer.

Two words – mostly disappointed.

 

Giovanni’s Table (Central Park, deck 8) – We ate here two nights. The first night we ate outside, it was warm and humid but there was a breeze. Food here was meh the first night, and better the second night. My wife’s eggplant was way too “bready” to enjoy and my prawns were overcooked. The second meal I ordered the filet, and it was much more enjoyable. Three stars out of five.

 

Chops Grille(Central Park, deck 8) – Our most disappointing meal of the cruise. We did this on the first formal night (day 2), and it was not impressive at all. My wife ordered the filet, and it was overcooked by a little, and bland by a lot. I ordered the New York Strip. For those of your familiar with Sizzler or Golden Corral, it was basically on par with that. Thankfully, we got this meal for “free”. The server was tremendous, however. Two stars for food out of five.

IZUMI (deck 4)– This restaurant delivered what was easily our best meal of the cruise. We did the teppanyaki. The “show” is entertaining and there’s even audience participation. I ordered the filet and shrimp. Best cooked filet on the ship. Perfect temperature and very tender. We actually wanted to go back, but it was booked up. Five stars out of five.

Sabor (boardwalk, deck 6) – We only went here for “happy hour”, where you can get freshly made guacamole for $7. It was very good. Recommended.

Vintages (Central Park, deck 8) – We ate here for dinner one night, just getting a variety of tapas. They were all very good. This place was never busy and it was very cozy and intimate. Four stars.

Johnny Rockets (boardwalk, deck 6) – Also disappointing. We felt the burger lacked taste and was just “thrown together”. I do admit, it was better than the lido burger. Breakfast here was better (and it’s free, as a reminder). Two stars.

Park Café (Central Park, deck 8) – We did this on the day we embarked. It was fine, not spectacular.

 

Windjammer – we only ever ate here for lunch. It was just ok. Two stars.

 

Main Dining Room (we ate in American Icon Grill, deck 3) – We only ate here for breakfast. Other than a long wait to order one morning, the food here was consistently good. For breakfast, I would give it four stars.

 

Coastal Kitchen(deck 17) – reserved for those in the Royal Suite Class, it is an awesome space on deck 17 that overlooks the pool and sports deck. Service here was excellent,and the meals for the most part were good. Four stars.

As for as bar service, it was consistently good. We never had to wait for a drink, and oftentimes didn’t have to sign (especially if you tipped them in cash). Don’t be afraid to order something and order something else if you don’t like it (as long as you have the beverage package).My wife found a new beer that she likes (Pauliner) and I enjoyed a number of Grey Goose tonics with lime.

 

In closing here,this is one place where I can definitely say that Carnival has Royal Caribbean beat as far as taste. The steakhouses on Carnival are an excellent value ($35 pp) and the MDR food is also great (not to mention Guy's Burger Bar and Blue Iguana as free options).

Here we go

Back round again

The finish line’s

Just past the bend

Let me touch a bit on the ports, and give some final thoughts.

 

St. Maarten – We took a ship tour to Orient Beach (afternoon beach break), and it was not great. They dropped you off at this resort, but allowed every single person into the section to hawk items to you. We must have had 30 or 40 different vendors walking by our loungers. I know they have to make a living, but I would have much rather had to walk through a market than them obstructing the view. Do not recommend.

 

San Juan – We were only in port from 7 am to 2 pm so we didn’t get off the ship.

Labadee – Ugh. For something so beautiful from afar, it was a huge disappointment. I would not recommend Adrenaline Beach(closest to the coaster and zip line) – it was full of coral and muck and unless you had water shoes you didn’t even want to go in the water. I do like that the beverage package works there. We ended up just eating lunch and heading back to the ship, and I would likely avoid this place if I could on an itinerary in the future.

Debarkation was also a breeze; we were off the ship doing self-assist by 7:15.

 

Final, random thoughts:

• They do have a laundry special - $25 for wash and fold of everything you can fit in one of their bags. It came on day five, and we didn’t get our stuff back until the morning of day seven.
  
• My wife had to go visit the medical center, and she said it was very professional (don’t worry, it was just a sinus infection).
  
• No issues with the elevators for the vast majority of the cruise. Always available.
  
• Super impressed by all the signage. They don’t make it easy to get lost!
  
• I only visited the casino a couple times, it didn't seem as smoky as others. (I also won a fair amount so there's that.)
  

Overall, we LOVED the ship, were meh on the dining and mostly disappointed in the ports. We would absolutely sail on another Oasis-class ship, but we know better where to eat and what to do. The staff was friendly and accommodating. There are much worse things to be doing that cruising, so it was another successful one in my book.

 

Happy to answer any questions.

 

(P.S. The sayings are on the bulkheads about the running/walking track, of which we were super impressed by and enjoyed every day. My wife and I use cruises to supercharge our exercise, so we were out there often.)

[Ned11]

Thanks for the review. I'll be travelling on Oasis in December which will be the first time on this class of ship.

You mentioned about a show where you dine also, teppanyaki, what type of show is this and how much does it cost? Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BillOh]

Happy to answer any questions.

 

(P.S. The sayings are on the bulkheads about the running/walking track, of which we were super impressed by and enjoyed every day. My wife and I use cruises to supercharge our exercise, so we were out there often.)

 

 

Forgive me for not researching this myself, but when I have been on Oasis or Allure on the Eastern they didn't stop at San Juan. How long were you in San Juan?

 

Sorry didn't read all the way down - San Juan – We were only in port from 7 am to 2 pm so we didn’t get off the ship.

 

PS- I've got about 50 miles on those tracks before retiring from Marathoning.

[Ken076]

Ollie... Thanks for the helpful review - we have same cruise scheduled February.

 

If you are able to scan and post the Compass for this cruise/itinerary, I'm sure many would appreciate!!!!!!!

 

Did you notice if SABOR was fixed $19pp or AlaCarte? Were the Margaritas worth the price?

 

Thanks,

Ken

Edited July 14, 2017 by Ken076

[OllieGator]

Thanks for the review. I'll be travelling on Oasis in December which will be the first time on this class of ship.

You mentioned about a show where you dine also, teppanyaki, what type of show is this and how much does it cost? Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I'm pretty sure it is $49 per person. However, if you get a dining package, you can choose the teppanyaki. We did not get upcharged.

[OllieGator]

Ollie... Thanks for the helpful review - we have same cruise scheduled February.

 

If you are able to scan and post the Compass for this cruise/itinerary, I'm sure many would appreciate!!!!!!!

 

Did you notice if SABOR was fixed $19pp or AlaCarte? Were the Margaritas worth the price?

 

Thanks,

Ken

 

Savor was fixed $19 except for happy hour (3-6, I believe), when it was $12 for a margarita and a choice of one of three items. I found it to be a good value.

 

As for the margarita, it all depends if you have the beverage package and a good bartender! (Seriously, they were good, and had a chose of a few speciality ones)

[easyboy]

Thank you for your review.

[trigger]

My wife and I are doing this cruise in a October. Regarding the drink package, is it still good for drinks up to $12.00 or did rccl change their policy? Thanks in advance.

[OllieGator]

My wife and I are doing this cruise in a October. Regarding the drink package, is it still good for drinks up to $12.00 or did rccl change their policy? Thanks in advance.

 

I believe $12 is the official policy.

[PlanetX]

Thanks so much for the awesome and very helpful review! We are on Oasis in about a month, and this helps give us a little direction on what to do (and what to look out for!).