Not as relaxing and appealing as previous cruise experiences
Oasis of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 20
7 Night Western Caribbean (Port Canaveral Roundtrip)
Sail date: October 22, 2017
Ship: Oasis of the Seas
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 10600
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 6 years ago
Review summary
My wife and I honestly did NOT like this cruise experience and will try avoiding this newer style of cruising on the larger ships. Each cruise we eagerly anticipate great dining experiences, nightly shows, and adventures (off the ship) in a stress free environment. We could eat well and see a show where we live, but we plan cruises to have those things brought to us without much thought on our part. This was NOT the case on Oasis of the Seas. We could go shopping anywhere and did NOT appreciate an the shopping ports. We stopped cruising Royal Caribbean a few years back due to food quality going downhill and switched cruise lines. Since we came back, we decided to upgrade our food this time with the "Ultimate Dining Experience" package. Unfortunately, it was not well defined what we would get for paying so much extra. Basically, we got 7 meals each (lunch or dinner but not both) at the specialty restaurants. Overall, the food at the nicer restaurants was exceptional and worthy of a gormet restaurant. It was well worth the extra money, but I was shocked that you still could be charged MORE money for certain foods (like lobster at Chops). Also, the menu stayed exactly the same at each restaurant so if you went to Chops twice, the choices didn't change (unlike the typical dining room that varies their menus nightly). Moreover, we were still asked to pay for drinks and tips at each restaurant on top of the standard daily gratuity charged on our cruise bill. If you pay extra for the dining experience(s), I would highly advise you preserve your choices for dinners and only at the finer specialty restaurants like Chops, Giovanni's, 150 Central Park, and Izumi's, and MAKE your reservations early in your cruise to get the time you want. The Solarium Bistro, Sabor, Johnny Rockets, and Boardwalk Dog House are lesser valued venues and probably a waste of a meal choice (choose to pay cash instead). Regarding the entertainment, again we were disappointed with the very non-traditional, unstructured, and sometimes under-par entertainment. Cats was amazing, but the hassle of booking tickets for each show and waiting in stand-by lines if not pre-planned was a hassle expecially since we were not properly informed of this new style of cruising when we initially boarded. It can all be very confusing so passengers SHOULD be offered some type of concierge service (hint, hint: Royal Caribbean), so we do NOT have to worry about the hassles of planning the entertainment and pre-paid meals. By the way, you can make reservations using your interactive cabin TV, but you can NOT cancel them. It's a hassle to go to Guest Services or call the 7000 # only to be transferred, put on hold, and then told to call back when THEY'RE availabe. This whole aspect did not help to have a "RELAXING" experience. Other comments I have are regarding the internet service and soda package. Get the internet it if you want to use your phone or have internet access on the boat. The speed was fast and useful if you have a Wi-Fi Calling capable phone. Forget the old days of bringing Walkie-Talkies. Also, they must have routers all over the ship because reception was good almost everywhere (except during heavy rain). Regarding the soda package: it's a disgrace on many levels (besides the consumption of soda). First, they give you ONE cup and no means of washing or sanitizing it during your week-long trip except by using the tiny bar soap in the cabin's tiny bathroom sink or shower. Secondly, there were not nearly enough machines on the ship and if I wanted something to drink at night after your cup is empty, you have to exit your cabin and floor to find a working machine (Windjammer doors closed early or inbetween mealtimes) or a bar without being suffocated by smokers on deck. For $70 the same cost as 3 dozen 2-liter bottles of Coke, I expect more convenience (like a machine on every deck) and less risk of bacteria. Next time I'll pick up some bottled soda and water from Publix and save myself a fortune (from a possible hospital stay). Royal Caribbean NEEDS to get a few self-contained cup washing stations near the Coke machines where someone can just place their cup and lid inside, have it go through a washing cycle and steam bath, and receive their sterilized cup back within seconds, BUT that would cost R.C. money, which won't happen until somebody gets SERIOUSLY sick and sues them. Anyway, to conclude, my wife and I will be seeking a different experience for our next cruise. It will be one that will have pre-planned nightly shows, include ports that don't focus mainly on shopping, and offers us more value with less extra charges. We'll also be packing our own beverages. We will also be more informed BEFORE boarding as to what is or isn't available on-board so we're not surprised by entertainment (or lack of) and don't have to rely on uneducated staff to point us in the wrong direction.Embarkation
Embarkation was very quick and easy due to pre-registration online
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We paid extra for the "Ultimate Dinining Experience" for 7 nights and did not use the regular dining room for dinner.
Onboard Activities
Pools were okay. It would have been nice to have been provided (or allowed to have) floatation devices that helped us to relax and float in the shallow water. The pools had shallow areas that were just slightly too deep to lay on, and the waves from people or the boat rocking kept dipping my head (eyes and ears) under the water.
Entertainment
First of all, EVERY prior cruise my wife and I have been on (about 20) has provided a nightly show after dinner for EVERYONE. This was the first cruise that did NOT have that planned. You were required to make reservations for the limited shows (comedy club, ice show, Cats Broadway show, juggling comedians) and were blocked out or put on stand-by when they were sold out. We didn't get that message soon enough in the cruise and missed out on some of the shows (which were really limited). It seems that Royal Caribbean is saving money on entertainment. I also thought the quality was somewhat lacking. Also, the acrobatics show was cancelled because a key supportive person left the ship due to an emergency and nobody thought that a backup person (like an understudy) should have been on standy-by for just an occasion. I guess they didn't want to spend the extra money, and really, it didn't cost them anything to cancel the show. It just cost US the disappointment of yet another night without a show, which is something I look forward to on a cruise.
Service and Staff
Most of the time, the service and staff were excellent. Because we paid for the "Ultimate Dining Experience" and the fact that there were no regularly scheduled nightly shows, my wife and I had many questions about the dining and the shows. Unfortunately, the staff was VERY under-informed when asked questions. Royal Caribbean should educate their staff better about the ship and amenities onboard.
Ship Quality
The ship was VERY clean, including the state room. The ship's layout from an engineering aspect was lacking. The common areas were usually hot. After 20 cruises, I don't recall being hot everywhere I went, and our cruise was in late October not July. The engineers should have accounted for the outside air incursion into air conditioned spaces. However, the hallways near the state rooms, the smaller theaters, and the state rooms themselves were uncomfortably hot. Also, the pool areas were VERY slippery. Lastly, the Central Park area in the center of the ship was open to the elements, and we had trouble going to dinner one night because it was pouring outside, and all the umbrellas were missing.
Cabin / Stateroom
The cabin was clean but a little dusty. The balcony was spacious and the door going out had a good lever lock that sealed extremely well to the outside air and noice. The bathroom was typically small and the sink extremely small. My only complaint are regarding the urine smell that rose from the floor drain and the two settings in the shower were "hot" or "scalding". There was no luke-warm setting that would have been appreciated to sun-burned individuals.
Ship tip
My advice would be to book shows early. There isn't much entertainment offered so plan quickly, book early, and try to get good seats by showing up to the shows early. Also, go to Guest Services and get a printout of the ship's map. The daily itinerary lists events and deck but not where on that deck it is. This is a big ship with 2 main elevator banks. It would be nice to know if the event was forward or aft, and the itinerary doesn't give that detail, which would be nice. Therefore, having the map and planning which way to walk before you hit the computerized map near the elevators might safe you unneccessary time and steps.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
It was only used as the departure and arrival port. I was surprised that we weren't required to fill out customs forms upon our re-entry into the US.
Nassau was nice, and the people there were nicer. We had a great time buying shirts in the Del Sol store because all the employees were exceptionally helpful and considerate. It was the exact opposite at the Del Sol store in Jamaica. We actually walked out of that one because the girls were so rude.
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)
It was relaxing and clean; however, the sandwiches / food obviously provided by our ship was sub-par. There were only two types of sandwiches offered and the all too common watered-down lemonaid and punch. Considering our original destinations were changed due to Hurricaine Maria (which saved them money and divert to their own private island), I was hoping for BBQ options like hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken and ribs, etc. Again, Royal Caribbean's thriftiness was showing. I booked the Wave Rider tour. The employees were great, and I had an incredible time despite the structured tour of follow-the-leader and no free play time.
It was like we parked at the mall (the mall that Royal Caribbean owned). We did not plan an excursion so we were limited to walking around the big outdoor shopping center with pushy and sometimes rude sales-people. The prices were often high (especially at the perfume and liquor store), and most of the stores sold the same stuff. My wife and I walked out of the Del Sol store leaving our chosen merchandise behind, because the saleswomen were so rude. I did find that the prices at the jewelry stores (especially Diamonds International) were better than expected, but I did not make a purchase despite the deals.
Disembarkation
Disembarkation was actually easier than expected. We waited in the Windjammer cafe, had breakfast, and quickly exited the ship when our number was called. I was surprised that we didn't have to fill out a customs form and weren't even asked about our purchases. We didn't have much to report, but the lack of security makes me wonder about what the other passangers were bringing back. Hopefully, there was much more going on behind the scenes than was obvious with regards to security (baggage x-raying, bomb/drug sniffing dogs, etc).