A Bigger Ship Does Not Equal a Better Cruise

The ship and crew were good. The stateroom (10626) was always clean and stocked as needed. The food quality in the main dining rooms was good and the waiter we had was great. 

The entertainment seemed to be sparse given the number of passengers on the cruise. We had reservations for the Aqua Show and were postponed twice due to rough sea and winds. Nothing was available in the now vacant time slots. If you go on this ship, reserve entertainment in advance - they do not have capacity for everyone. "CATS" was not that good (I'm being extremely generous); we left during intermission and many left prior to us.

Shore excursions were about the same as several other cruises we have taken with the same ports of call. One major difference with a large ship is the popular excursions are crowded and many sold out. We stood in line on the pier for over 30 minutes after start time in the hot sun waiting for our excursion buses. 

Elevators on the ship cannot accommodate the number of passengers. The choice is either wait or use stairs. For this reason, I advise everyone to review deck plans and determine which deck is best for your interests since you may be using stairs more than you'd think.

Embarkation and disembarkation were painless. We stayed in a Suite, so there was a separate line. For embarkation at Port Canaveral, we saw no real lines regardless of Suite Guest, or general boarding. For disembarkation at Port Canaveral, we did the self assist and were off before 8 am. There was a long line at Customs for non-suite guests; there was no line for suite guests.

Parking options are either at the pier ($128 for 7 day cruise) or offsite parking for much less. I'm not sure which is better since there was a significant traffic snarl trying to get into the parking garage at the pier and it took us almost 30 minutes to park (at the pier). It seemed offsite parking and shuttles to the ship may have been a better option for leaving port; upon return, we walked to the car in the garage and drove away with no delays.

The crew was professional and nice and the food in the dining room was good. The standard "free" dining options around the ship were always overcrowded. The wipeout cafe had ok burgers, fries, pizza, and dogs. Sorrentos pizza was a little like cardboard. The hot dog stand was good and the dogs seemed fine. They have a small Park Cafe with continental breakfast fare; it is good for egg muffin sandwiches, bagels, danishes, coffee, etc. We enjoyed the Solarium Bistro dining area, especially on day one after boarding. The Windjammer was typically overcrowded and several times we couldn't find a place to sit. Go early, or don't go at all to breakfast on port call days. We used the room service several mornings and ate on the balcony. It was nice. However, the menu is split - continental breakfast with no eggs is no additional fee; if you want eggs, omelettes, etc, it will cost you $7.95 per delivery to the stateroom. For us, it was worth $7.95 for the convenience and to avoid the breakfast crowds. Room service delivery was always during the time we requested; the food was hot; we got a call a few minutes before each delivery.

Overall, the Oasis Eastern Caribbean is  not a bad cruise. However, in my opinion, this cruise was not nearly as nice as the same itinerary a few years ago on Freedom of the Seas. If you are considering this as your first cruise, I recommend looking at a smaller ship to avoid getting a bad impression of what a cruise vacation can be like.