Great Cruise - for the most part

Oasis of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Eastern

Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Reviews: 3
Helpful Votes: 163

Overall rating:

4 out of 5
Verified Review
Oasis of the Seas

7 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: June 18, 2016

Ship: Oasis of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 14277

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 8 years ago

Review summary

This was our 3rd cruise on RCL, and it was definitely the best!  The Oasis of the Seas is a fantastic ship! The different neighborhoods are a lot of fun, though we found ourselves drawn to the Royal Promenade for shopping or having a cup of coffee, while relaxing and people watching.  We also enjoyed the comfortable, yet also dynamic atmosphere of the Schooner Bar with the always smiling and dancing cocktail waitress.  It was quite nice to enjoy the adults only Solarium area at the bow of the ship, though something needs to be done about what seems like day-long reserving of lounge chairs, since signs are posted stating 30 minutes max without chairs being occupied.  We could have also left our towels on the chairs in a great location we found relatively early in the day, but that would not have been fair to other passengers who may not be early risers.  So what could be better on the Oasis?  For one, the food could be better.  We had dinner in the main dining room every night, and we were pleased with the food quality about 75% of the time.  Service was always quite good, even excellent at times, but we did not like all the dishes.  We enjoy gourmet food, and we just didn't get that consistently.  Also, the food at the Windjammer did not seem as good as we remember it from the Freedom of the Seas.  The selection and quality were good, but not great.  This was our first cruise with two teenagers, our son and a friend who had their own cabin.  While they had a fantastic time on the cruise, the teen program is in definite need of improvement. The intentions seem good, and the program looks good on paper, but in reality and execution, some changes need to be made.  For starters,  the meet & greet event on the first night hardly gave the teens the opportunity to actually meet and talk, and I think this set the tone for the remainder of the cruise.  We were all excited about the "Prom Night" dance on the evening of the last formal night, and this turned out to be a big let-down, with hardly any participation, in part because the event was just not promoted, or communicated effectively.  Perhaps Royal Caribbean could create an online focus group, consisting of teens who have cruised and been part of the program, in order to make improvements.  To close on a positive note, we always felt comfortable with our two teens having the freedom to roam about the ship until the 1:00 am curfew, and they had the time of their lives!  The Oasis of the Seas is a great ship for adults and teens, and the three days at sea give you the opportunity to do as much or as little as you please onboard.  I would highly recommend the Oasis of the Seas!  

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5
Essentially what I said in my review: We felt like the food quality was "hit or miss", with the misses being quite dramatic! Imagine having cilantro included as a garnish for a sweet desert, or having your prime rib overcooked. These are things that are just not acceptable.

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5
There is always something to do on the Oasis of the Seas.

Entertainment

5 out of 5
The variety of entertainment is outstanding.

Children's Programs

3 out of 5
This is aimed at the teen program.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5
Our head waiter Yatin was simply THE BEST! He certainly went above and beyond and we reward him accordingly!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

3 out of 5
The room as ok, but it was very tight, and we could have used more storage space for clothes.

Ship tip

Spend the night at a decent hotel in Ft. Lauderdale and take a shuttle bus to the port, to avoid the "chaos" before check-in. Traffic was "nuts", and I'm glad we did not need to park ourselves after dropping our check-in bags. Also, check in as early as possible.

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

5 out of 5

Nassau, Bahamas

3 out of 5

Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

5 out of 5
Nice town and shopping area, but tons of traffic! Go to one of the remote beaches. Megan's Bay may be over-rated and tends to be too crowded. We visited there on our last cruise.

Basseterre, St. Kitts

5 out of 5
The catamaran cruise to Nevis and snorkeling along the way was perhaps the BEST shore excursion we've ever done. The crew on this boat definitely knows how to throw a party and make their guests feel welcome!!
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1 Comment

eamdh    8 years ago

Great review.

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