Oasis - reconsidering?

[yogimax]

We jumped in and booked the Oasis for a January 2010 sailing. When I then rethought the price I was paying for an inside cabin, I transferred the booking to another ship. I can wait til prices come down

[CVU]

Love the idea of the huge ship. :)

Really love the Freedom Class and we are excited about the Oasis.

[Jumbiecruiser]

I feel the exact same way. The Adventure was too big, and too crowded, and I did not like it nearly as much as I love the Radiance Class ships. The Serenade is my favorite.

 

I found the Radiance class ships to be the most congested and crowded of all.

[denhur]

I like small ships for port-intensive exploration-holidays, the bigger ships are perfect for seaday-intensive relaxation-holidays. when i see a crowd on any ship..... back to my balcony with an oreo-shake (am) or a strawberry lavaflow (pm)!

[FOXTROT]

The itineraries the Oasis does are terrible. The main reason to do the cruise has to be in a big part the ship board experiance. So we will be doing it in 2011.:rolleyes:

[Gracie115]

I found the Radiance class ships to be the most congested and crowded of all.

 

 

Well...don't know when you sailed on a Radiance class ship but I've been on them 4 different times and they were NEVER congested....we never stood in line at all, especially for tendering. The pace is just more mellow, and the service is better in the lounges, the MDR and Chops for that matter, in my opinon. But to each his own, that's why we have choices......:)

[Gracie115]

when i see a crowd on any ship..... back to my balcony with an oreo-shake (am) or a strawberry lavaflow (pm)!

 

Yup...have to deal with crowds at work..not doing it on vacation too...

[Janice M]

My reluctance to try Oasis has to do with the ports- since she can only get into big commercial ports and I tend to want to go to smaller, more off-the-beaten-path places, I don't think she'll be a good fit. That said, I'll be on Independence this February. If I fall in love with the huge ship and feel that I could buy into the "ship as a destination" concept, I could see my mind changing. I think Oasis would also have to come down in price to compete for my vacation though.

 

I felt the same way, but now we more than likely will take a cruise on it. I was not in favor of the Freedom class either, but we did the Freedom in Feb. and were impressed with it.

 

Jan

[janetz]

I am one of those that thought the Oasis was massive overkill and was way too gimmicky. I was of the opinion (and still am to some extent) the RCI bit off way to much in committing to two of these monsters. I could never imagine that we would have any interest in being on these ships.

 

Lately I have started to become curious about the Oasis and have started to sneak in and look at the website, etc. We are actually starting to think about booking a cruise on the Oasis. Is anyone else who was initially turned off by the Oasis starting to have second thoughts?

 

We felt the same way you do now. I started looking at the Oasis website and reading about the ship and we did book for Oct 2010. For us, this saling is about the ship. Just to experience it. We did however book far enough out to see the reviews of the ship as people sail. If it sounds good, we will do it. :)

[critterchick]

Nope, not the slightest bit interested. Give me a Radiance size ship anytime.....have been on Mariner and that's as big as I ever want to go...frankly it was TOO big....

 

Oasis, is not a ship....it's a small city....

 

I agree!

 

Well...don't know when you sailed on a Radiance class ship but I've been on them 4 different times and they were NEVER congested....we never stood in line at all, especially for tendering. The pace is just more mellow, and the service is better in the lounges, the MDR and Chops for that matter, in my opinon. But to each his own, that's why we have choices......:)

 

Every RCI ship I've been on has had its bottlenecks, including Radiance.

 

But I want to sail on a ship with a soul, that takes me to places I haven't seen. To me, Mariner has no soul and that's largely a function of her size. Too many passengers and too many crew. I loved being able to board Monarch, Vision or a Radiance class ship and find a favorite crew member just by asking the nearest person doing the same job. On Mariner they hadn't even heard of the person I was looking for. That kind of thing.

 

Perhaps we'll book Oasis when we're too old to navigate the ports. By then she'll be the smallest ship in the fleet! (I hope we live that long)

[Gracie115]

I loved being able to board Monarch, Vision or a Radiance class ship and find a favorite crew member just by asking the nearest person doing the same job. On Mariner they hadn't even heard of the person I was looking for. That kind of thing.

 

Yes, that's what I meant by better service.

[MarinerBoy]

There is no such thing as "TOO BIG" the whole point of going on a cruiseship is to be on a resort.. The bigger the BETTER.. i thought that was obvious..

 

What kind of a person would say its "too big?" being 25 i am so excited to be around 5000 people, so many more people to meet, way more young people to choose from, hotter girls etc.. More people in clubs.. MOre stuff to do, bigger ship means more choices, more adventure..

 

RCI is catered towards young people and young working proffesionals.. The older 50+ bracket is slowly being sent away to things like Princess and Celebrity... That market segment is dying breed, the future is in young people and that is what RCI is trying to appeal to..with ships like the OASIS..

[A2Mich]

There is no such thing as "TOO BIG" the whole point of going on a cruiseship is to be on a resort.. The bigger the BETTER.. i thought that was obvious..

 

What kind of a person would say its "too big?" being 25 i am so excited to be around 5000 people, so many more people to meet, way more young people to choose from, hotter girls etc.. More people in clubs.. MOre stuff to do, bigger ship means more choices, more adventure..

 

RCI is catered towards young people and young working proffesionals.. The older 50+ bracket is slowly being sent away to things like Princess and Celebrity... That market segment is dying breed, the future is in young people and that is what RCI is trying to appeal to..with ships like the OASIS..

 

Uh-oh...........here it comes......:rolleyes:

[Captain Jake]

There is no such thing as "TOO BIG" the whole point of going on a cruiseship is to be on a resort.. The bigger the BETTER.. i thought that was obvious..

 

What kind of a person would say its "too big?" being 25 i am so excited to be around 5000 people, so many more people to meet, way more young people to choose from, hotter girls etc.. More people in clubs.. MOre stuff to do, bigger ship means more choices, more adventure..

 

RCI is catered towards young people and young working proffesionals.. The older 50+ bracket is slowly being sent away to things like Princess and Celebrity... That market segment is dying breed, the future is in young people and that is what RCI is trying to appeal to..with ships like the OASIS..

The Hole in your theory is the fact that the 50+ crowd has more vacation bucks than the younger crowd that is making house payments,raising children,working and making our Social Security payments.Plus the 50+ crowd is the fastest growing segment in the USA and are projected to live longer than the less healthy 25 year olds so our government will have to raise social security deductions for the working stiffs to give us our cost of living raises

[Beanie01]

Uh-oh...........here it comes......:rolleyes:

 

Yes, here it comes...

 

Dear MarinerBoy:

 

I am booked on the NCL Epic next Sept., which is almost as large as Oasis. I'm on Liberty of the Seas this Oct., which is currently RC's largest class until Oasis debuts. Between both ships and what they offer, I'm planning on rock wall climbing, boogie boarding on Flowrider, ice skating, cage climbing, bowling, water sliding, drinking in the Ice Bar, and dancing in clubs. I love the idea of bigger with more to do. I work with a few physicians in their 60's. They love the larger ships, too. Even though they aren't climbing rock walls, they love the people watching and excitement. So don't think you're wiping us "older 50+ bracket" off the map so fast to retire on Princess or Celebrity!

 

P.S. I turn 50 on the day I set sail in Oct.

[ahornb]

The itineraries the Oasis does are terrible. The main reason to do the cruise has to be in a big part the ship board experiance. So we will be doing it in 2011.:rolleyes:

 

Agreed.

 

I don't care where the Oasis sails. I just want to experience the vessel.

 

Now when I finally get a chance to cruise Europe, I will be most interested in the ports. I'll only need the ship to be safe and comfortable with acceptable service.

[lakette3]

If the majority of people don't get off the ship at ports (by the comments I have seen over the past few weeks), it will seem crowded during the day with that many people.

 

We booked for October, 2010 and were reluctant as we didn't like the ports but decided that we wanted to see the world's largest ship and all the nuiances.

[A2Mich]

 

I am booked on the NCL Epic next Sept., which is almost as large as Oasis. I'm on Liberty of the Seas this Oct., which is currently RC's largest class until Oasis debuts.

 

Quick question......I don't know a whole lot about the Epic, as I don't have much interest in NCL at this time, but I ran across the specs for the Epic, with it being listed at 153,000 GRT and a double occupancy capacity of 4200. Now Freedom class ships have a displacement of 158,000 GRT and a double occupancy of 3600.....which indicates that the Epic will have a lower passenger space ratio...do you think the Epic may be or at least feel overcrowded? Just curious.......still can't get over the funky "frontal lobe" over the bridge.....looks like an afterthought, as if the ship looks unbalanced now.

[ehfl]

I've always thought it was an amazing ship, and am looking forward to going on it. I've had a great time on Freedom class ships, as well as the smaller ships such as Majesty. I don't think that the size of the ship determines whether or not you will have a great vacation. It's all about attitude. I have a blast on Majesty, and I have a blast on the big ships too.

[cruiselvr04]

We have liked all sizes of ships. (Empress to Liberty) Are we booking yet? No. Still want to hear from those who go before we jump on board. At first we said no thanks. We may look at the Oasis for the fall of 2010 or the Southern route out of PR. Ports or Ship? Ports may win out although price may influence us too. I just can not fathom that many people off a ship at one time in places like Costa Maya and Labadee.

[Beanie01]

Quick question......I don't know a whole lot about the Epic, as I don't have much interest in NCL at this time, but I ran across the specs for the Epic, with it being listed at 153,000 GRT and a double occupancy capacity of 4200. Now Freedom class ships have a displacement of 158,000 GRT and a double occupancy of 3600.....which indicates that the Epic will have a lower passenger space ratio...do you think the Epic may be or at least feel overcrowded? Just curious.......still can't get over the funky "frontal lobe" over the bridge.....looks like an afterthought, as if the ship looks unbalanced now.

 

I don't think there will be crowding issues, as that "frontal lobe" is entirely a private area with villas and owner's suites with it's own pool, restaurant, and night club, so that can be kept in mind with regard to the number of people on board. They call it "a ship within a ship" concept. That actually will help with spreading people out. There's also 2 main restaurants which are included, as well as the buffet restaurant. The larger of the 2, the Manhattan Room, was designed completely different from your basic cruise dining room. It's 2-story with a large dance floor and live music in the middle, and floor-to-ceiling windows that run the length of both decks. There's also plenty of other restaurants for those who choose to pay - again, will help with crowding issues.

 

Also, instead of the basic early show and late show, there's different venues around the ship like an improv club, comedy club, jazz club, 2-hour Cirque dinner/show (as of now, $15), Blue Man Group (as of now, included), Ice Bar (17 degrees!), an indoor dance club with neon bowling, and an outdoor dance club where the pool converts to a dance floor, huge LED screen, and stadium seating.

 

So all in all, it sounds like people will be spread out.

[nanner10]

There is no such thing as "TOO BIG" the whole point of going on a cruiseship is to be on a resort.. The bigger the BETTER.. i thought that was obvious..

 

What kind of a person would say its "too big?" being 25 i am so excited to be around 5000 people, so many more people to meet, way more young people to choose from, hotter girls etc.. More people in clubs.. MOre stuff to do, bigger ship means more choices, more adventure..

 

RCI is catered towards young people and young working proffesionals.. The older 50+ bracket is slowly being sent away to things like Princess and Celebrity... That market segment is dying breed, the future is in young people and that is what RCI is trying to appeal to..with ships like the OASIS..

 

To My Dear MarinerBOY;

 

Print out a copy of your posting. Tuck it away in a safe place. Pull it out once every 10 years, read it and write a quick note about your reaction to it and put it away again.

 

Once you are over 50 make sure you carefully prepare yourself beforehand to read it. Keep your walker close at hand, consider a lengthy (careful now!) stretching routine, check with your doctor and have a (young working professional) person standing nearby ... because you are going to laugh your (old) a$$ off!!!!!:D

 

Remembering my youth fondly,

 

Nancy

PS: I am in my late 50's and thank goodness I am booked on the Inaugural sailing of the Oasis in December 09, before I am "sent away"!

[Islandbear]

I just don't get the attraction to these huge ships?

 

1. They have shifted the focus from good food in the Dining Rooms to high cost upgrades in the specialty restaurants, if you want a decent meal, that use to be free.

 

2. They are to big to visit any interesting ports. If you do get to a port you would be interested in getting off in, your presence over runs the port. If you don't want to get off the ship why not stay at a resort for a week?

 

3. No matter what people say about cubic inches per passenger and neighborhoods, or ships within a ship, you are still basically spending a week in a Mall with 6,000 friends.

[browneyes7]

I think the Oasis is too large with too many people.......but that doesn't mean I won't cruise on it! I'm waiting to hear from people who have already cruised on it before I decide anything. I, too, am not impressed with the ports.....so far. I prefer the smaller ships with less people.:)

[nanner10]

To My Dear MarinerBOY;

 

Print out a copy of your posting. Tuck it away in a safe place. Pull it out once every 10 years, read it and write a quick note about your reaction to it and put it away again.

 

Once you are over 50 make sure you carefully prepare yourself beforehand to read it. Keep your walker close at hand, consider a lengthy (careful now!) stretching routine, check with your doctor and have a (young working professional) person standing nearby ... because you are going to laugh your (old) a$$ off!!!!!:D

 

Remembering my youth fondly,

 

Nancy

PS: I am in my late 50's and thank goodness I am booked on the Inaugural sailing of the Oasis in December 09, before I am "sent away"!

 

My apologies to Marinerboy: I usually refrain from that kind of post but unfortunately that one was just too hard to resist and got the best of me! I look forward to seeing you onboard and .... no I am just not going to say any more, lol! :p