LIVE from Oasis of the Seas Transatlantic (with bonus Disney World) April 2024

[laurieal]

28 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

 

I just saw this post from @Jimbo.  I believe you are a Royal caribbean fan like I am.  You were with me in Greenland last year on Jewel?  There was another Jimbo, so i get confused.

 

Here’s the kicker for me.  Granted, I ate less meals at Disney than Laurieal, but on my end…. The food *here* is NOT a letdown.  In fact, in some ways, its better!!!

I don’t remember what you ate (I barely remember what I ate), but I don’t think Hollywood Studios is where the best Disney food is. 

 

What you’ve been eating on Virgin looks better (I think) than most food in HS (perhaps Brown Derby being the exception, but I haven’t made it there yet). 

[Rogueperson]

13 minutes ago, laurieal said:

I had to miss sailaway, unfortunately. Otherwise I would have waved from somewhere you could have seen me with those binoculars. 

See you soon! Are you in port tomorrow?

 

No.  I think we’re in Valencia together as well.

[Rogueperson]

1 minute ago, laurieal said:

I don’t remember what you ate (I barely remember what I ate), but I don’t think Hollywood Studios is where the best Disney food is. 

 

What you’ve been eating on Virgin looks better (I think) than most food in HS (perhaps Brown Derby being the exception, but I haven’t made it there yet). 

 

I may not have posted it.  I ate at 50s Prime time cafe which wasn’t bad for lunch.

 

Olga’s Cantina for a snack.

 

and Rodeo roundup BBQ which was delicious.

[laurieal]

It was a beautiful day today in Málaga. There was a shuttle available from the port to the city centre, but it’s a nice and relatively flat stroll for me and I like to do it on wheels. According to Google Maps it’s approximately 2km. 
 

 

Málaga has a pretty big terminal. The gangway today was on deck 5. 

 

 

Found some pretty neat art as I was exiting the terminal. 
 

 

 

If you want to walk to the city centre, just follow the people exiting the port area. There should be many of them if you’re getting off early in the day. 
 

The sidewalks are paved with small tiles. It’s not as flat as pavement, but it’s nowhere near cobblestones. 
 

 

I had to go pretty far, but eventually I was able to fit the Oasis into one picture. 

 

 

Just follow the sidewalk. Eventually you will arrive to a point where you can either go up or down. Both options are fully accessible and there are a couple of elevators along the way if you change your mind. You can find some accessible public washrooms in that area (downstairs). 
 

Once you see this waterside promenade, you’re close to the city centre. 
 

[laurieal]

I had booked a free walking tour with Explora Málaga and we were meeting in the Plaza de la Constitución. 
 

 

It turns out that the two Canadian couples I’ve been hanging out with were booked on the same tour, so it was fun to have people I know around. 

 

Málaga has a lot of very charming little streets with places to share a coffee or hide a body. 
 

 

Málaga’s cathedral, whose real name I don’t remember but they call her the one-armed lady because she is missing one tower. 
 

 

I enjoyed the tour a lot and I think the guide (Maria) and I could have fun together sharing a round of drinks. We certainly have one interest in common (Antonio Banderas). I do wish the guide had had a microphone, because it was hard to hear her sometimes. 
 

I was very terrible at taking pictures during our tour. If you would like to see more of Málaga, I invite you to visit my Wonder review. 
 

What I did take at least 15 pictures of was the candy store. 
 

 

 

We found ourselves close to the public market after the tour and we had bocadillos. Those little sandwiches are so good and satisfying! And they’re so simple! Just bread and olive oil and meat and cheese. But it’s so good! That one’s bread could have been crunchier, but it really hit the spot. 
 

 

And now I want another one. 

[laurieal]

Back on the ship, I returned to my stateroom for my usual refresh, but unfortunately it took a bit longer than I expected and I missed sailaway. 
 

Bye bye, Scarlet Lady! You look beautiful!

 

 

I found myself in what I can only describe as a reenactment of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. 
 

 

I ordered a Papa Jac, my first of the trip. The bartender (Ade from Indonesia, who is really nice) asked whether I was sure. 
 

👀 

 

Yes? Apparently people don’t like it. They find it too strong. He says he only makes one per cruise!  
 

 

Now I need to order 15 of them in the next days so RCI don’t decide to remove it from the menu. 
 

It should be a quiet evening today. I’m planning to have dinner in the Windjammer and then I have a reservation for One Sky at 20:00.
 

After that, who knows! There a Finish the Lyrics game show that I don’t think I’ve ever seen. Can anyone comment on it?

[laurieal]

33 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

 

No.  I think we’re in Valencia together as well.

Enjoy your last sea day! 😊 

 

28 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

 

I may not have posted it.  I ate at 50s Prime time cafe which wasn’t bad for lunch.

 

Olga’s Cantina for a snack.

 

and Rodeo roundup BBQ which was delicious.

I enjoyed 50s Prime Time. I approve of anyone who puts fried Boursin cheese on their menu. 
 

How much food did you get at Roundup Rodeo BBQ? My friends were there last summer and the people working there said they bring the same amount of food for 2 or 4 people. They needed a three days nap after their meal there. 

[Rogueperson]

36 minutes ago, laurieal said:

Enjoy your last sea day! 😊 

 

I enjoyed 50s Prime Time. I approve of anyone who puts fried Boursin cheese on their menu. 
 

How much food did you get at Roundup Rodeo BBQ? My friends were there last summer and the people working there said they bring the same amount of food for 2 or 4 people. They needed a three days nap after their meal there. 

Holy crap there was a lot of food.  But then again, my view is kind of jaded considering the amount of food i’m going through on this cruise.

 

The major thing that 50s Diner cafe has that is amazing is Gluten free fried chicken?  Not only is it gluten free, it’s indistinguishable from the normal ones.

 

I did not plan our meals at Disney.  I left it to my friend who is the pro.  So our original plan was brunch at 50s cafe at 10:45.  Lunch at rodeo round up at 3:30 and Olga’s at 6.

 

After 50s, I asked what rodeo bbq roundup was and she tells me and I’m like “I’m waddling out of 50s cafe at noon and we have a full meal at 3:30 waiting for us?

 

Fortunately, that was pushed to 9:30 which was still hard because brunch was heavy and olga’s snacks, though light, added to the heavy brunch.

[SquishTheWhale]

I love Malaga,I think it's a bit of a hidden gem! Am a fan of any port you can just get off and wander around.

 

Really interested to hear your opinion of One Sky, I've booked it but only heard negative opinions (not that I've heard many!)

 

On a side note, the MVP of food in Hollywood Studios is the brisket sandwich and tomato soup at Woodys Lunchbox, even if Woodys Lunchbox does sound faintly rude

They also used to do an amazing key lime pie on a stick in the incredibles area but I'm fairly sure that's gone.

Edited May 2 by SquishTheWhale

[LobsterStalker]

1 hour ago, laurieal said:

Back on the ship, I returned to my stateroom for my usual refresh, but unfortunately it took a bit longer than I expected and I missed sailaway. 
 

Bye bye, Scarlet Lady! You look beautiful!

 

 

I found myself in what I can only describe as a reenactment of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. 
 

 

I ordered a Papa Jac, my first of the trip. The bartender (Ade from Indonesia, who is really nice) asked whether I was sure. 
 

👀

 

Yes? Apparently people don’t like it. They find it too strong. He says he only makes one per cruise!  
 

 

Now I need to order 15 of them in the next days so RCI don’t decide to remove it from the menu. 
 

It should be a quiet evening today. I’m planning to have dinner in the Windjammer and then I have a reservation for One Sky at 20:00.
 

After that, who knows! There a Finish the Lyrics game show that I don’t think I’ve ever seen. Can anyone comment on it?

This could be quite entertaining if not for the constant audience (cheating), and in my opinion ruining it for everyone . Totally realize these things are just for "fun"or maybe a keychain, but let the selected players play on their own.

...interested to hear your comments

 

Cheers

[little britain]

We saw One Sky tonight. 
Not as good as the previous show they did. A bit “worthy” about the planet, random songs ( some I’ve never heard before), disjointed with inspirational quotes on the screen. Some Ariel artists too.  I liked the plane! 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 2 by little britain

[laurieal]

I went to the Windjammer a bit later (19:00), tonight, and it felt less busy than last time (18:00). There were several tables available in the back section and it didn’t feel like pure chaos trying to navigate between the stations. 
 

 

 

It was Italian night, so I was really hoping they would have lasagna and some lemon tarts. 
 

Score!

 

 

And score again!

 

 

Notice my second Papa Jac of the evening in the background. 

After dinner, I grabbed a spot in the theatre for One Sky. To be honest, I had no idea what I was going to see. If I’ve read about it, it didn’t make an impression at all. 
 

 

But you’re starting to know me. You know I love all the shows. 
 

And, well…it was ok. 
 

I liked that we could see the live band. 
 

 

And I liked how people were flying through the air. 
 

 

And I liked the cast. It was good singing and good dancing. Oh, and there was an airplane!
 

 

But I just didn’t connect with the material at all. I hadn’t heard of most of the songs, which made me wonder if they’re coming from a bank of royalty free music.
 

The backgrounds reminded me of those fake backgrounds that people use on Teams, which reminded me that I work on Monday, which made me sad. 
 

So, yeah…that one wasn’t really for me. 

 

Edited May 2 by laurieal

[laurieal]

1 hour ago, SquishTheWhale said:

I love Malaga,I think it's a bit of a hidden gem! Am a fan of any port you can just get off and wander around.

 

Really interested to hear your opinion of One Sky, I've booked it but only heard negative opinions (not that I've heard many!)

 

On a side note, the MVP of food in Hollywood Studios is the brisket sandwich and tomato soup at Woodys Lunchbox, even if Woodys Lunchbox does sound faintly rude

They also used to do an amazing key lime pie on a stick in the incredibles area but I'm fairly sure that's gone.

I didn’t love One Sky, but I’m not going to recommend not seeing it because it had its moments. If you think you might not like it, maybe sit at the end of a row so you can make a quick and quiet exit. 
 

I tried the brisket sandwich at Woody’s back in 2020 and I had the kid’s grilled cheese this time with the soup. I thought they were both excellent. Also excellent was their breakfast bowl with eggs, tater tots and brisket gravy 😋 

Edited May 2 by laurieal

[laurieal]

58 minutes ago, LobsterStalker said:

This could be quite entertaining if not for the constant audience (cheating), and in my opinion ruining it for everyone . Totally realize these things are just for "fun"or maybe a keychain, but let the selected players play on their own.

...interested to hear your comments

 

Cheers

They only had one participant, so they ended up canceling it. 
 

But thank you for your input! Maybe next time. 

[laurieal]

14 minutes ago, little britain said:

We saw One Sky tonight. 
Not as good as the previous show they did. A bit “worthy” about the planet, random songs ( some I’ve never heard before), disjointed with inspirational quotes on the screen. Some Ariel artists too.  I liked the plane! 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, hey! Same show tonight!

 

So it wasn’t just me who didn’t recognize the songs. I thought perhaps I was just out of touch with that the kids listen to these days. 

I love your “Top Gun” picture with everyone in the air!

[little britain]

@laurieal DH is just having his first Papa Jacs..

[little britain]

@laurieal he’s now on his 2nd and so is his friend!! I think we’ve saved them on the menu for you! 

[Rogueperson]

6 hours ago, laurieal said:

I do wish the guide had had a microphone, because it was hard to hear her sometimes. 
 

 

 

My tour was genius.  They gave is all a transmitter and earphones.  He spoke into a mic but it came to my ear.  It helped a lot as the accent in both Malaga and Funchal was a little difficult for me to understand.

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

11 hours ago, laurieal said:

 

 Then, at last, it was time for my Aqua 80 reservation. 
 

What an awesome show! A must see, for sure. My favourite part is always when they’re splashing around in, like, an inch of water. 

 

Do not miss it if you’re on the Oasis. 

OH, what a relief!! I was so afraid that you wouldn't get a chance to see it. In my humble opinion, it's the entire reason that one sails on the Oasis. 😉 I'm not generally a huge fan of Boardwalk balconies, but on the Oasis I make an exception. As long as it's all the way aft on deck 8. 😄

[perfect match]

Internet today was better than yesterday, but not much.  The quality we’re getting for it is it worth the price we’re paying for it. I’d do a speed test for you but it would take to long.

 

My snorkeling excursion was ship sponsored. It was run by a well known dive shop in Nassau, Stuart Cove’s. I have used them before for scuba trips so I knew who I was booking with. They have always  done a good job with the excursions I’ve been on. What they’re not good at is getting back on time. Our 5 hour  excursion took 7.5 hours.  I know from previous personal experience that their excursion frequently are late getting back to the ship. 😱.
 

The snorkeling itself was pretty good. Not the best I’ve ever done but certainly enjoyable. Lots of fish, some spotted eagle rays and even the Atlas Underwater statue. 

[laurieal]

Day 13 Compass

 

 

 

 

Info about Alicante provided by RCI

 

 

[LisaLisa87]

On 4/27/2024 at 6:19 PM, laurieal said:

I can’t say it was very well attended, but those who were there seemed to have a nice time.

 

I love a good silent party, but only in the dark and in a place without a lot of non-participating spectators!

 

I see the peach theme running throughout your report. Which peachy drink is your favorite?

[laurieal]

We were in Alicante, today.

 

 

 

I was feeling like experimenting something new last night when I went to bed so I ordered room service breakfast. I completely failed to document it, but they knocked on my door right on time. 
 

Once again, I had booked a free walking tour for our stop in Alicante. It was a 1.5km walk to the city center, so I decided to do it on foot. I think they had some shuttles that were wheelchair accessible, but I can’t say for sure. 
 

It’s a flat, albeit a bit boring, walk to the city center. Once off the ship, just follow the directions for the walking path. 
 

 

 

 

Eventually, you will come across a raised platform with an elevator. From the platform, you get a pretty good view of the beach. 
 

 

 

It wasn’t too long before I reached the city centre. 
 

[laurieal]

My tour started at 11:00. I was with two couples I know from the ship. It’s getting hard keeping track of everyone I’ve met while also preserving everyone’s anonymity. So there was the couple from Quest and the couple who was also in the same tour as me in both Cádiz and Málaga. 
 

Here are some pictures from the tour. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the last picture, we can see the Face of the Moor in the rocks. 
 

I already knew about the Face of the Moor for the most random reason. The last time I was in Barcelona, my goal was to go to that place called Rocambolesc and get a popsicle shaped like Jamie Lannister’s golden hand. 
 

Don’t ask…

 

Unfortunately, they were out. Instead I got a popsicle shaped like the Moor’s Face. 
 

 

I thought it was fun to see it “in the flesh”. 
 

The tour was good. Thankfully the guide had a microphone, but it was still hard to hear her sometimes partly because the city was SO LOUD. Cars, motorcycles, people emptying a bin full of glass bottles into a bigger bin. At one point we swore a marching band was passing behind us. 
 

Accessibility-wise, I would rank Alicante as better than Cádiz, but not as good as Málaga. There wasn’t a lot of cobblestones, and most of them were avoidable.
 

There were a couple of frustrating incidents. One involving a ramp that turned into stairs (why) and the other one was a sidewalk with no dropped curb (what’s this, Rome?). 

[laurieal]

The tour stopped at the market, so I decided to check it out. I was hoping to find a bocadillo, but sadly found none. 
 

 

 

Its’s a pretty good market, I think. And it’s bigger than it looks, too, because there is an underground floor. 
 

I was tempted by the Marvel cookies, but we had visited a non-accessible Nougat shop during the tour and too many people had brought me back some samples. I was so full of sugar already!

 

I picked a street going towards the water and I followed that until I reached that red, white and blue promenade where our tour had started. 
 

I knew there was an elevator going up to the Castell de Santa Bàrbara that wasn’t too far from there, so I decided to check it out.