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

[laurieal]

I’m so sorry for worrying everyone! It was a very poor choice of words and an insensitive way of describing how I was feeling at the time. 
 

Lots of love to everyone here who is following along. We’ve been together for almost three weeks, now, and it means a lot that you would worry about this stranger on the internet ❤️ 

[laurieal]

Cruise Critic would not let me post, yesterday, so I couldn’t tell you about Cats. 
 

 

I am familiar with the soundtrack, but I can’t say it’s a musical I connect with on a personal level. I don’t really get that “goosebumps on my arms” feelings from the songs or the story. 
 

But I do love musicals a lot and it always blows my mind that it’s something I can watch on cruise ships. 

 

I thought the cast was solid and there wasn’t any song that I didn’t enjoy. I just can’t say that I was enchanted or mesmerized, but that was not the cast’s fault at all, it’s just not a musical that moves me in that way. 
 

(The exception is Memory, which I think is a very powerful song)
 

 

 

 

Having said that, I will absolutely see it again the next time I’m on Oasis. The set looks really cool and it’s 90 minutes of good singing and dancing. I consider it a very good use of my time. 
 

 

I did notice several people leaving, but most of them did so quietly, so I appreciate that. 
 

So, do I think you should see Cats if you’re on the Oasis? Of course! It’s a freaking musical on a ship!

 

If you’re a cat owner, some of it may seem somewhat unrealistic. None of those cats was napping during those 90 minutes? Ok, I can get behind that idea, it is the middle of the night after all. But no zoomies? Mmmhmm…

[laurieal]

11 hours ago, Siostra said:

 

Hi Laurie, I think there might be quite a few who got scared... I've read the part about dying and rushing and then the pictures followed, and my thought was "how on Earth is she able to continue with her review while her life is in danger????"

 

Anyway, I hope you have a good and safe (!) rest of your cruise. Thank you so much for the details and pictures you share! I joined your topic because I have my cruise on Oasis from Rome on 9th May. This will be my second cruise ever, the first being also on Oasis back in 2011. Cruising as a way of spending vacations is not very popular here in Poland. My first cruise was my honeymoon, now I am bringing my children with me. This leads me to my actual question to you - as we plan to be having breakfasts in Windjammer, because it is easier for my girls to deal with buffet style, especially at breakfast - when you wrote that Windjammer was super busy did you mean that there were lines to the food isles or just many tables taken, or maybe there was a line even to get a table? 

 

As a kind of bribe for your time to give me details on Windjammer, I can offer pictures of my cats. Hope that works. Also, mushroom soup forever!

 

Anna

Anna is a beautiful lady! The bribe is absolutely working. 
 

I think I have a low tolerance for crowds and I tend to get overwhelmed by people easily. So when I say it was super busy, I agree that it doesn’t say much about actual business level to other people. 
 

Most of the tables were occupied, but I was able to find a table for two towards the back during my first round. 
 

At most, I would say I had two or three people waiting in front of me for a station when I went to get food, which I don’t think is that bad. 
 

What made it feel busy were the people circulating between stations going to get food or going back to their table. No one is going in the same direction, so I kept finding myself in someone else’s way. 
 

I believe the Windjammer has both sides open for breakfast, so even if more people are there for breakfast than dinner, I don’t expect you will find super long lines for a table or for food. And if you would like to experience a less busy breakfast buffet, you can check out the Solarium Bistro. It doesn’t have as many options as the Windjammer, but it’s a different vibe. 

 

[laurieal]

9 hours ago, dpostman said:

@laurieal, I wish to add my own thanks to all the others for your Live review.  I also really admire your writing and sense of humor. 

 

I do not have a cat pic to offer up, but my DD just came back home from university and she had this.  I thought it looked a lot like your avatar. 

 

Looking forward to reading more.

 

dp

 

That is one cute octopus! I bought a similar one while I was on Wonder because it reminded me of my avatar. I keep it close to my work desk, so I’m always thinking about my next vacation 😊 

[laurieal]

I couldn’t answer everyone and now I have to go and meet my tour guide in Cadiz, but I will continue when I get back. In the meantime, here’s the…

 

Day 11 Compass

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SquishTheWhale]

Enjoy your day in port!

I have Cats booked for our cruise (less than 2 weeks!) But I'm in 2 minds about going- based on what you say ill give it a shot! On the one hand its a very nostalgic show to me- I had this Lloyd Webber greatest hits cassette I'd play on repeat as a kid so I love some of the songs. Its the very first musical my parents took me to in London. On the other hand the show overall and lack of plot just doesn't float my boat. Wondering if my 4yr old will find it entertaining- did you see many kids? Although I'm guessing kids are thin on the ground with it being a TA!

[laurieal]

12 hours ago, Rogueperson said:

I’ve done the Sushi & Sake Lunch and they usually have to cart me out because of it.  I’ve done it twice but will probably not do it again.  The first time, my friend took me and the last time, I had to take my wife.

 

In my opinion, Izumi’s is meh sushi.  Not great but passable.  However given the price Royal charges, i feel i should get better quality.  Like Chops’ steaks which are awesome.

 

Worse, I am getting the same quality sushi here on Scarlet Lady and its available every day with no surcharge.  In fact, i had some earlier today before my toue.  Its actual part of the Galley which is Virgin’s “buffet”

 

 

You had a lot of us scared because of the “I’m dying” bit.  Think about it.  All of us, you, Odyssey and now us had medical emergencies that required us to divert.

 

Enjoy Cadiz.  Never been there.  Funchal was AWESOME!!

That’s some good looking sushi! Looks simple, but full of fish. The poké from the other day looked really good, too!

 

Yeaaaah I’m so sorry about that. I really wasn’t thinking at the time. There would have been loads of better ways to convey how bad I was feeling. 
 

I need to get caught up on your thread. For some reason I thought your first stop was also today. We’re together tomorrow in Malaga, right?

[laurieal]

4 hours ago, SquishTheWhale said:

Enjoy your day in port!

I have Cats booked for our cruise (less than 2 weeks!) But I'm in 2 minds about going- based on what you say ill give it a shot! On the one hand its a very nostalgic show to me- I had this Lloyd Webber greatest hits cassette I'd play on repeat as a kid so I love some of the songs. Its the very first musical my parents took me to in London. On the other hand the show overall and lack of plot just doesn't float my boat. Wondering if my 4yr old will find it entertaining- did you see many kids? Although I'm guessing kids are thin on the ground with it being a TA!

I saw one kid. He was hard to miss, because he had shoes that light up 😂 

 

I didn’t notice any other kids, but I also wasn’t really looking for them. I’m sure there were others. 
 

I think 90 minutes is quite long for a 4 year old. Maybe getting a seat at the end of a row could be a good idea. That way, you could make a quick and quiet exit if needed. 

[laurieal]

We were already docked in Cadiz this morning when I went up to deck 16 to check out the view. 
 

 

It was raining at that time, but the forecast said it was going to stop soon, so I grabbed a table in the Solarium until it was time to leave for my tour. By the time I got off the ship, it wasn’t raining anymore. 
 

I had booked a free walking tour of the city that started at 10:30 in Plaza San Juan de Dios. One of the couple I was hanging out with yesterday was in the same group. 
 

Here are the stops for the tour:

 

And here are some of my pictures for today. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[laurieal]

More pictures from my free walking tour of Cadiz. 
 

 

 

 

 

[DbPA]

Did it feel great to finally get off the ship?

[laurieal]

I thought the tour was excellent. Pablo, our guide, did a good job of bringing his city to life during the two hours he spent with us. 
 

As a wheelchair user, it was difficult to navigate this old city. I can deal with cobbles. I can deal with uphill cobbles. But downhill cobbles? Those are so difficult to navigate, because you feel the gravity pulling you down and with so much weight on the front of the chair you’re one cobble away from a front wheel getting stuck and being ejected from

your wheelchair. 
 

I had plenty of offers for help, which I appreciate, but I have trust issues when it comes to strangers helping me (especially on cobblestone). I ended up going down the biggest hill backwards because those big back wheels don’t get stuck on stuff the way the front ones do. 
 

But it’s a beautiful city and I liked the tour a lot. 
 

The tour ended close to one of the beaches. Since I was a bit sick of cobblestone by then, I decided to enjoy the promenade by the water. Not only is it flat and almost smooth, the scenery is beautiful. Once I was near the cathedral, I cut through the city to return to the ship. 
 

The following pictures are from my walk back to the ship. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[laurieal]

2 minutes ago, DbPA said:

Did it feel great to finally get off the ship?

It was good to get off and explore a lovely city, but I was enjoying the sea days so much that I could have gone to Barcelona without ever touching land and I would have been ok with that. 

 

[little britain]

We went to 150CP last night. Very disappointing. The maitre d’ was also setting up tables, they seemed very short staffed and unorganised. He gave a party of 3 a large table that would seat 6, and he gave our party of 4 a very small table that they couldn’t even fit the two plates of bread onto it! 
Service was slow. They seem to have run out of vegetables - the lamb Wellington came with … absolutely nothing! Not even a smear of something across the plate. 🍽️. Just half a Wellington.  We had to pour our own wines. 
Not impressed.
Our meal at Giovannis on the other hand was superb 

[laurieal]

27 minutes ago, little britain said:

We went to 150CP last night. Very disappointing. The maitre d’ was also setting up tables, they seemed very short staffed and unorganised. He gave a party of 3 a large table that would seat 6, and he gave our party of 4 a very small table that they couldn’t even fit the two plates of bread onto it! 
Service was slow. They seem to have run out of vegetables - the lamb Wellington came with … absolutely nothing! Not even a smear of something across the plate. 🍽️. Just half a Wellington.  We had to pour our own wines. 
Not impressed.
Our meal at Giovannis on the other hand was superb 

That is so disappointing, especially from a specialty venue!

 

Now that you mention it, I remember my waiter at 150 thanking me often for being patient. I didn’t even notice how long it was taking, because I was lost in my book and the bread, but perhaps they were overworked and I was oblivious. 

[laurieal]

I did not leave Cadiz empty handed. Oh no. I brought a bag of jamón flavoured Ruffles chips aboard. I’m running low on Pringles, so that should be a fun snack. 
 

I went straight to my stateroom for a shower and a little rest. It’s been a while since my shoulders have had to work that hard and I’m definitely feeling it. 
 

Eventually, feeling refreshed, I went up to my usual spot on deck 16 for a frozen mojito. 
 

 

I took a stroll around the deck and got a good view of our neighbour, the Costa Diadema. 
 

 

And also what I think is the Celebrity Equinox in dry dock?

 

 

The weather was, for a Canadian, beautiful. It was 18 degrees and quite lovely in the sun, but the wind was chilly. Still, there were a bunch of what I assume were Canadians and Northern Europeans enjoying the pool deck. 
 

 

 

 

Eventually, the Costa Diadema sailed away. 
 

 

And eventually it was our turn, too!

 

 

Do you know if there’s a reason why a captain will blow several short blasts or one long one? Ours was doing a few short ones. 

[Rogueperson]

What time are you in Malaga tomorrow?  We originally were delayed until 11:30 because our medical emergency but now because I told the Captain that we were drag racing with Oasis, he sped up and now our arrival time is 9:30.

 

Go team Scarlet Lady 

[laurieal]

I had been saving my appetite all day for this moment. I was having dinner at the Portside BBQ. 

 

 

Several people have told me I absolutely have to eat there. I was repeatedly told to order the half chicken. 
 

Did I listen?

 

 

No! I’m not going to order HALF A CHICKEN. Who am I, Sandor Clegane?

 

 

I got the brisket and the pulled pork. For my sides, I went with the mac and cheese and the corn on the cob. For my dessert, I had to get the brookie. 
 

It was alright. Unfortunately, we went to the Polite Pig in Disney Springs, so it was hard not to compare the two. The Polite Pig wins hands down for me. 
 

I wish the corn on the cob had some excitement to it like some garlic spread thing or some spices or maybe some parmesan. I make a better corn on the cob in my air fryer. 
 

The mac and cheese was very similar to the one at Chops. Very creamy with some crunchy bits on top. I liked it, although I would have liked some sharper cheese in there. 
 

The pulled pork was good. I was surprised to enjoy it more than the brisket, which I thought was just ok and a bit dry and a bit too mustard-ey for me. 
 

The things I enjoyed the most were their cocktail, the Portside Spiked Palmer. My tastebuds couldn’t understand what was happening there, but it was good! I think it was the mint that tied it all together for me. Also, the brookie was delicious. I liked that the brownie part was super moist and gooey and that the cookie part was harder. Would get it again without hesitation. 
 

 

Despite it being just ok, I think I want to try it again and get other things. At the very least it would give me an opportunity to get that cocktail and brookie again. And maybe that time I’ll listen to directions and order half of a whole chicken. 

 

 

Now there has been some questions about whether Portside BBQ will still be there after the dry dock. I asked and the guy who was there said yes. But also a guy at the hibachi said that it was going to go away. I don’t particularly trust either of those guys. Sounds like it’s all rumours at the moment. 

 

[laurieal]

1 hour ago, Rogueperson said:

What time are you in Malaga tomorrow?  We originally were delayed until 11:30 because our medical emergency but now because I told the Captain that we were drag racing with Oasis, he sped up and now our arrival time is 9:30.

 

Go team Scarlet Lady 

Not sure how accurate my notes are, because we’ve had some changes in the past, but I think 7:00 to 17:00. 
 

If you see me, come say hello! I’ll be the one with the printed-at-home Virgin SesPass card trying to get on for some Pokémon. 

Edited May 1 by laurieal
I’m just going to leave that autocorrect there because it makes me laugh.

[Roybthered]

We sailed on Oasis 2 years ago out of NJ and did not try Portside BBQ so are looking forward to trying it out. We have the UDP so will be indulging as much as we can! We sail on Sunday (5th May) and are looking forward to a nice 7 nights away.  

[dpostman]

1 hour ago, laurieal said:

I had been saving my appetite all day for this moment. I was having dinner at the Portside BBQ. 

Several people have told me I absolutely have to eat there. I was repeatedly told to order the half chicken. 
Did I listen? No! I’m not going to order HALF A CHICKEN.

I got the brisket and the pulled pork. For my sides, I went with the mac and cheese and the corn on the cob. For my dessert, I had to get the brookie.

 

dp

Edited May 1 by dpostman

[Jimbo]

4 hours ago, laurieal said:

I had been saving my appetite all day for this moment. I was having dinner at the Portside BBQ. 

 

 

Several people have told me I absolutely have to eat there. I was repeatedly told to order the half chicken. 
 

Did I listen?

 

 

No! I’m not going to order HALF A CHICKEN. Who am I, Sandor Clegane?

 

 

I got the brisket and the pulled pork. For my sides, I went with the mac and cheese and the corn on the cob. For my dessert, I had to get the brookie. 
 

It was alright. Unfortunately, we went to the Polite Pig in Disney Springs, so it was hard not to compare the two. The Polite Pig wins hands down for me. 
 

I wish the corn on the cob had some excitement to it like some garlic spread thing or some spices or maybe some parmesan. I make a better corn on the cob in my air fryer. 
 

The mac and cheese was very similar to the one at Chops. Very creamy with some crunchy bits on top. I liked it, although I would have liked some sharper cheese in there. 
 

The pulled pork was good. I was surprised to enjoy it more than the brisket, which I thought was just ok and a bit dry and a bit too mustard-ey for me. 
 

The things I enjoyed the most were their cocktail, the Portside Spiked Palmer. My tastebuds couldn’t understand what was happening there, but it was good! I think it was the mint that tied it all together for me. Also, the brookie was delicious. I liked that the brownie part was super moist and gooey and that the cookie part was harder. Would get it again without hesitation. 
 

 

Despite it being just ok, I think I want to try it again and get other things. At the very least it would give me an opportunity to get that cocktail and brookie again. And maybe that time I’ll listen to directions and order half of a whole chicken. 

 

 

Now there has been some questions about whether Portside BBQ will still be there after the dry dock. I asked and the guy who was there said yes. But also a guy at the hibachi said that it was going to go away. I don’t particularly trust either of those guys. Sounds like it’s all rumours at the moment. 

 

Give me some tips on how you cook fresh corn  on the cob in an air fryer please?

[maggieq]

18 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Give me some tips on how you cook fresh corn  on the cob in an air fryer please?

We just bought one so would appreciate any tips on cooking in an air fryer.  Thanks!

[perfect match]

18 hours ago, laurieal said:

That is one cute octopus! I bought a similar one while I was on Wonder because it reminded me of my avatar. I keep it close to my work desk, so I’m always thinking about my next vacation 😊 

My cats have a very cute pink octopus 🐙 toy. I’ll post a picture of it when I get home. 

I’m not seeing any of the pictures you posted on this page.Could be the wonky Allure internet. It keeps going out today

 

This night 🦉 was up at 5:45 AM today to go snorkeling 🤿 and did not manage to fit in a nap today!  Ocean Aria was awesome tonight. I’m going to bed now which is way earlier than normal for me.

[little britain]

The WiFi on this cruise has been excellent the whole way. Not one drop out, and switching between devices has been seamless. 
 

@Rogueperson we were docked by 6:30a. Beat ya! 
 

@laurieal we missed that cat graffiti. Will have to look for it when I’m back next year. From the angle I’m guessing it’s on the front where the road kinks out?