Oasis of the Seas Spring Break review 4/1-4/8

[vivianmarie244]

It’s our first day home after our family spring break trip (April 1st - 8th) on the Oasis. Came home to 58 degree weather. Brrrr!!!! This was my 8th cruise (7th with RCCL and 2nd on the Oasis ). Along for the ride was my DH, DS (12), DD (9), and parents (71 and 66). Both my parents and DH have cruised before but this was a first for my children.

 

 

Arrival – We drove from SC to FL the day before and stayed at the Country Inn & Suites in Cape Canaveral. We chose the hotel due to the breakfast buffet, family suite, week long cruise parking, and shuttle service. It was definitely a great savings. The accommodations were adequate but definitely not spectacular. Pretty much what you would expect from a mid range hotel. The shuttle service was great! They got us to the ship timely and we had no wait when we returned.

 

 

Embarkation – Took an 11:00 shuttle to the port. I didn’t check but we were probably on board after about an hour. It was pretty seamless and went quickly. We had a case of water and 2 twelve packs of soda in one of our carry ons and had no trouble getting through security with it even during Spring Break! They didn’t even open the luggage to inspect the water like they have done on previous occasions. My parents left a case of water in their checked baggage and it also got through without any problems.

 

 

Rooms – We had two balcony rooms (2 adults and 1 child in each) and both were in good shape. It was only tight when the sofa bed was made up. It was adequate for three but I can’t imagine more than that! The over the door shoe organizer was invaluable for this cruise. We’ve never needed it before but it was definitely needed with three people in a room. The one complaint I have is the outlets. Three outlets is not enough for today’s world. I was so glad that we brought our charging station as we never would have been able to keep all of our electronics charged. Our steward did well with keeping our room clean and supplied with ice. But he wasn’t especially friendly. However, my parents steward was excellent! He not only took care of their room but created a relationship with both of our kids. He regularly spoke to them in passing, calling each of them by name, and talked with them about what they did each day. It really made it special for them. We also had another stewardess down the hall that spoke with them each day. She was from Jamaica and my DS dubbed her“The Jamaican Queen.” I really appreciated her going out of the way to speak to us even though we were not one of her rooms.

 

 

Main dining room(MTD)– My family of four ate at the MDR for dinner the entire week. I guess we are just simple people as we were pleased with the food. Yes, there are definitely fewer choices but it was easy to find something to please everyone. Even my picky DD! Our service was exceptional! After our first night, we asked to be seated at the same table for the rest of the week. We couldn’t have asked for a better waiter and assistant waiter. After they found out my DD’s love of strawberries on the first night, she had a plate full each night immediately after we were seated. DS had to have a Ceasar salad every night and our waiter cut it up for him and fed him his first bite every night. He really got a kick out of that! We frequently order multiple appetizers and desserts with no problem. The waiter even encouraged our DS to try multiple entrees so that he could be exposed to some new foods. At the end of the cruise, we each had to hug our waiter and assistant waiter and left an additional tip to thank them for their outstanding service. Again, couldn’t have asked for better!

 

 

Chops Grille – My parents had a free specialty dining meal from their travel agent so they went on Day 2 for a date night. They both said they thoroughly enjoyed their meal but would not pay outright for it. The ticket price was just a little too high when they were just as happy to eat with us in the MDR.

 

 

Johnny Rockets –We went to JR on our second sea day for a late breakfast/early lunch. We aren’t floored by the quality of the food but enjoy it and the atmosphere. Since it was the kids first cruise, it was a must do. We were ready to pay the $9.95 charge for each but were pleasantly surprised when the waitress brought us our bill and told us she wasn’t going to charge for the children. So we ate there as a family of four for $23 plus a generous tip. It was worth it for us!

 

 

Shows – Our favorites were Frozen in Time and Come Fly with Me. Both exceptional shows that all age ranges were able to enjoy. The diving in The Oasis of Dreams was great but the story line was lacking. All of us commented after the show that we just couldn’t follow it. Still glad that we saw it. The Splish Splash comedy show was held in the aqua theatre on the last day. It was also very good! The headliner show was “Impact”, a four man group from Argentina that competed on America’s Got Talent. They did a variety show that included dancing, playing the drums, singing, and whips. In a word, horrible! I was done watching it within the first five minutes and would have left if we had not been in the middle of a row. All of the guys were sweating profusely and many times while dancing appeared to be flinging it all over the place! Gross! I felt bad for the first few rows! The only part that we “enjoyed” was when the main guy came out and had forgotten to zip up his pants! We were dying laughing thinking we were about to get a real show! I can’t imaging that RCCL will keep this act for long. I didn’t hear anything good about it from anyone on the ship. We did skip CATS as we aren’t into Broadway shows so I can’t comment on it.

 

 

Pools – In all of the cruises I’ve been on, I’ve never made use of the pools until this one. I’m pale as a ghost and only burn, never tan, so I don’t hang out on the pool deck much except in the shade. However, since we had the children this time, we endured for them and braved the pool crowds. The pool chair hogs were in full force! On the first sea day, there was NO chairs of any kind to be had. We finally had to just pile up our shoes and cover ups on the side of the pool and hope for the best. I will never understand why anyone is so selfish as to take up a chair for hours when they do not need it. With the exception of the days at port, all of the pools were crowded when we were there. This was especially true on the second day at sea. You couldn’t even move! Our next cruise will just be my DH and myself and I will NOT miss having to brave the pool crowds.

 

 

Ship – I am really confused as to many of the recent reviews I have read regarding the condition of the Oasis. I didn’t see anything that made me feel the ship was looking less than spectacular and needed to go into dry dock. It didn’t appear to be any different than when I cruised the Oasis three years ago. The most that I could find (and I really looked!) was some wear/stains on the stairs which I feel is to be expected. Oh, I also found a screw was missing in the door knob of my bathroom door. LOL!! Seriously, I must be easy to please because I saw nothing wrong with the ship.

 

 

Adventure Ocean –Both of our children are shy so, sadly, they didn’t feel like participating in Adventure Ocean. I feel like they would have had a great time if they would have given it a chance but it wasn’t worth pushing them and creating drama. So they stuck with us for the length of the cruise. However, I did take note of the activities that were available through the program and it seemed they kept the kids very busy.

 

 

Labadee – We didn’t spend too much time on the island but did walk the beach and visit the shops. My children wanted to buy a small souvenir from each island and had saved up for weeks so we looked around a good bit. One warning is to be very cautious of the little shops that are up the hill from the main building. The workers are VERY pushy. My poor son was pressured into buying a wooden sword that we thought he was okay with until we walked away. He broke down in tears and said he really didn’t want it but felt so bad that the islanders were so poor that he had to buy it. Of course, we told him we would buy it so he didn’t have to use his money. How could we make him pay for it?!?! I love his sweet heart!

 

 

Falmouth – Because we had planned a more expensive excursion in Cozumel, we decided to go cheaper on Falmouth and just do a ride around highlights and shopping excursion. We went through the ship for this excursion as I was a little hesitant to go on my own after hearing so many horror stories about the island. The excursion was very long mainly due to the driving time. Almost anything worth seeing is about an hour away and really not worth it. If we ever go on another cruise with Jamaica as a port, I think I’ll stay on the ship or just visit the area right at the pier. I’m just not impressed with this one.

 

 

Cozumel – We took a taxi ride to Dolphin Discovery and swam with the dolphins. The taxi was $24 for 6 people which was okay, I guess. It is a very short ride from the pier. Swimming with the dolphins was the highlight of the trip. We did the Swim Adventures Memories package that I reserved for $129 (adult)/$119 (child) through the Dolphin Discovery website on their online chat. I highly recommend doing this. The package I purchased included a kiss, handshake, belly ride, Boogie board push and 10 pictures per person on a CD. The best part of the package is the included CD of pictures. I never saw the package advertised with the CD on their website but only through the online chat. We were able to avoid all of the pushy sales before the swim for a $200+ picture package. However, while we were at the computer viewing all of the pictures and choosing our 10 pictures each, they did approach us several times trying to get us to buy another package. The longer we stood there the cheaper the package would go but none of them included a CD, only a book of pictures. So, if you don’t purchase the pictures in advance, I suggest you linger at the computer for a very long time. Eventually, they work edit down to $50 for a book of 10 pictures. Don’t pay the astronomical $200+ price tag. Also, we didn’t purchase it but we were surprised with an added encounter with the manatees before we left the swimming area. We didn’t get to swim with them but we were able to get in the water and pet them. It was a little intimidating when these large animals swim by but I’m glad I did it and even happier that I didn’t pay extra for it! We also walked around Chankanaab Park which is next door and included in the price but didn’t really spend any significant time there. As a side note– Be careful when in the room with all of the computers where you view your pictures. It is very slippery and one little girl slipped and hit her head on the floor. I think they called the EMS to check her out as she appeared out of it for a while. Poor thing!

 

 

Overall – We had a great time on the ship and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Maybe if you go looking for the bad, that’s exactly what you will find. But we went looking to have a good time and easily succeeded! I wouldn’t hesitate to cruise on the Oasis again.

 

 

Let me just add a note to the ladies. Please, please do not wear a wide brim hat to a show in the aqua theatre! I know that the sun is brutal BUT wearing one will block at least the two rows behind you from seeing the entire performance. Know your surroundings and be kind to others! For some reason, this really irked me when my DD had to sit in my husbands lap because she couldn’t see. I know I should have politely said something to her but I’m horrible at confrontation. :(

Edited April 9, 2018 by vivianmarie244

[E23NK1]

Thanks for the review...we sail on Oasis for the first time this Sun Apr 15...and first time for Oasis class also.

 

Cabins ready at 1pm still?....not looking forward to lugging my duffle bag of water...lol

[vivianmarie244]

Thanks for the review...we sail on Oasis for the first time this Sun Apr 15...and first time for Oasis class also.

 

Cabins ready at 1pm still?....not looking forward to lugging my duffle bag of water...lol

 

Yes, rooms were ready at 1. They actually made an announcement once we could go to our rooms. We were ready to get rid of our carryons for sure!

[ONECRUISER]

Sounds like great cruise considering it's Spring Break... Understand your comment on woman and wide hats but personally know several that need to because of Skin Cancer... Thanks for review...

[Cruisegirl6]

Thank you for your review! I sail on her the 15th and quite honestly, the negativity of some posters saying she was dirty and needing a dry dock did not make any sense to me as we were on her the sailing of October 29th.

 

That was very nice of your son and I would of done the same thing...but yes, they are pushers and I always told my kids when they were young, just say no thank you and walk away. lol

 

E23nk1- If I see a large heavy duffle bag I be able to pick you out, I also am on that same cruise lol....I am not one to even bring a single bottle or can of anything on a ship, but my sister in law has placed a case of water outside with the porters with a tag and had it delivered to the cabin, or you can use an extra suit case and place the water in there so you won't have to lug it all around with you.

[E23NK1]

 

E23nk1- If I see a large heavy duffle bag I be able to pick you out, I also am on that same cruise lol....I am not one to even bring a single bottle or can of anything on a ship, but my sister in law has placed a case of water outside with the porters with a tag and had it delivered to the cabin, or you can use an extra suit case and place the water in there so you won't have to lug it all around with you.

 

Good Idea...I will just leave it with the porters...Not sure why I wasn't thinking of that...now I will be able to carry the wine...haha

My son is type 1 diabetic so we unfortunately need to have water, juice boxes, snacks, etc available at all times.

 

Soooo looking forward to leaving this cold Buffalo weather behind.

[Cruisegirl6]

Glad I was able to help, have a wonderful cruise...its not as warm here as it should but certainly not what you have where you live, it be perfect weather.:D

[she8416132]

Thanks for the review. We sail next month for our first time on Oasis. We are like you, we have always found things to like and enjoy and do not notice the bad unless it is really bad. I was beginning to wonder how bad Oasis might be after reading other reviews. So thank you for your positivity.

[E23NK1]

Glad I was able to help, have a wonderful cruise...its not as warm here as it should but certainly not what you have where you live, it be perfect weather.:D

 

You too...if you see anyone wearing a Buffalo Bills shirt its me...stop me and say hi.

[Cruisegirl6]

OK lol....I have to wear a cervical electrical stimulator and will be wearing it four hours starting in the am so if you see me please say hello! I had a cervical discectomy & fusion and spinal cord surgery 7 weeks ago, didn't think I make the cruise but the surgeon told me I be ok to go, I am not as strong as I should as it takes 8 months for the stem cells to grow into bone but I am doing very well considering other people that got the surgery.

I am ready for eat, drink, sleep and repeat, hoping to spot you on the ship.

My name is Lynda

[E23NK1]

OK lol....I have to wear a cervical electrical stimulator and will be wearing it four hours starting in the am so if you see me please say hello! I had a cervical discectomy & fusion and spinal cord surgery 7 weeks ago, didn't think I make the cruise but the surgeon told me I be ok to go, I am not as strong as I should as it takes 8 months for the stem cells to grow into bone but I am doing very well considering other people that got the surgery.

I am ready for eat, drink, sleep and repeat, hoping to spot you on the ship.

My name is Lynda

 

Wow...glad you are doing well and able to travel.

I am ready for that as well...and I am Eric

[paper1122]

Thanks for the review. I am looking forward to stepping on board in 13 days, glad to see a positive review!

[Cruisegirl6]

Hello Eric hope to see you. :)

[momofmab]

I was on the same sailing and agree with everything you wrote! I am laughing at your description of the headliner show- we felt the same way! All the sweating was gross!

 

 

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[taketwo]

We were on same sailing. Ship was awesome!

 

Heard a couple of injuries during cruise. Hope all were okay.

 

 

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[riclop]

Thanks for the well balanced review.

[JaniceB]

Thanks for taking the time to write a reveiw. How was disembarking?

[vivianmarie244]

Thanks for taking the time to write a reveiw. How was disembarking?

 

Disembarking the ship was not bad until we got to customs. There was only 4 agents for the whole ship! But I didn't blame RCCL for that. I don't think they are in charge of the number of agents available but I could be wrong. I just soldiered through it with a positive attitude as much as possible. As I told my father, getting upset about something you can't control only ruins your day and no one else's. :D

[JaniceB]

Thanks for the information. The worst part about disembarking and having a bad experience is that you are already sad about returning to the real world, bad enough.