This was my first solo cruise and first transatlantic crossing, and unexpectedly has become my most favorite cruise so far.
First of all we were lucky it was the first and only transatlantic crossing this year with passengers that CDC has approved, and being a non US citizens we were luckier the travel ban was lifted and I received the sailing confirmation the night before my flight to Barcelona after a stressful week.
Then it was a rare opportunity to spend 2 weeks on the biggest ship in the world at barely 20% capacity. I loved how quiet and relaxing it was, and I also got more onboard credit than to know what to do with (ended spending it on gratuities). My only disappointment is shortening the original itinerary by 1 day which prevented me from reaching Diamond by 2 points. As for having to wear a mask in closed spaces it wasn't a big issue for me as I originally worried. This was indeed my best cruise and I will be looking forward to more longer repositioning cruises in the future.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Barcelona cruise terminal is nice in general. I arrived before my assigned check-in time but everyone was allowed to enter. The process was smooth considering I used the app to complete most of the check-in process. It was a bit crowded and stressful after we completed the COVID test and had to wait before boarding, as my phone couldn't connect to the WiFi network to receive the result.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food was great as expected in a Royal Caribbean cruise, but because of the low capacity they didn't open Windjammer for dinner and there wasn't as much food variety as I have seen on previous busier sailings. My biggest surprise on this cruise was the Solarium Bistro which I preferred for diner over the main dining room. They have desserts I didn't expect to see on the ship. Oh and I ate figs as well. You don't see those on US sailings!
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The 2-weak Transatlantic crossing didn't feel boring at all with so much to do on an Oasis class ship like this. Between multiple meals a day, wall climbing, ice skating and several great shows and lectures I enjoyed attending, there was always something to do and I found myself skipping something I wanted to see in favor of attending something else.
With the ship at 20% capacity there was no wait lines at any activity, and I had the ice rink for myself for quite some time to enjoy learning new skills.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
The main Broadway show Grease was so good I didn't mind seeing it more than once. There were 2 ice shows (same performers) and one aqua show. There was a special comedy show in the Royal Theatre as well and was very entertaining.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Had the pleasure talking to several crew members and a chef in Jamie's Italian and learning more about their life and jobs on the ship. Really nice people and worth every penny I spent tipping them.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Ship is 5+ years old but still felt new and clean, aside from some tile work that was happening on the Solarium or minor cracking when walking the corridor to my stateroom or when ship is rocking from side to side.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
I was lucky booking an inside cabin during the 2nd wave of the COVID pandemic when prices where the lowest. It was like getting one whole week for free. Didn't really need more than that as I used to get up early each morning to enjoy the sunrise on deck 16, have early breakfast and spend 99% of the time enjoying the rest of the ship. I deliberately booked the most forward cabin I could find on the ship to get better sleep quality (ship rocking) and I can tell you I would fall asleep each night very quickly before I could think of anything! I needed that so much!
Ship tip
This is a general tip for all Oasis class ships. Try to book and watch the first available aqua show in the itinerary, as subsequent shows may get canceled because of weather. This happened on the transatlantic cruise when the show kept getting canceled each day because of the "motion in the ocean" but I was lucky catching the first performance early on the sailing so I wouldn't regret it if they could never perform again by the end of the cruise.
Another general tip, I try to book and watch as much shows at the beginning of the sailing, so that if a subsequent performance conflicts with another activity later on in the itinerary I don't have to regret missing it.
Spent about 2 days in Barcelona before the cruise. Booked a hotel in the middle of the Gothic quarter and enjoyed waking up to the bell of a nearby church, or it could have been the old Cathedral of Barcelona which was only few hundred meters away from me.
Exploring the narrow streets of the Gothic quarter was a magical experience (there were some great street performers too) and I also enjoyed my time in Catalunya Square. And of course you can't be in Barcelona without seeing the Segrada Familia.
I enjoyed my day in Malaga beyond my expectations. I walked from the port to the Castle of Gibralfaro on top of the hill. I loved the scenary and old walls, and the nature there smells so nice, the trees, ground, plants, so refreshing and brings back some happy childhood memories. I would definitely go up there again.
Our day in Nassau was rainy and disappointing, and most of us preferred CocoCay instead. I still got the chance to get on the island for 3 hours and explore the nearby beach and some historic sites before heavy rain arrived.
Didn't do anything in Port Canaveral or Orlando. From the cruise terminal straight to the airport. But I'm sure a day or two in Disney World would have been nice. I was surprised to see the influence of Disney inside Orlando international airport.
Didn't like the disembarkation process at Port Canaveral. We had to wait long and there weren't enough officers on the customs control. Took me at least an hour between exiting the ship and making it outside the terminal.
Don't know why some pictures were uploaded more than once or why the overall rating was 4 stars, but I would definitely rate this a 5-star cruise in spite of the few disappointing experiences I had here or there.
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