For years I had been looking forward to sailing on the Oasis of the Seas, but I think I'll stick with the Voyager-class and Freedom-class ships going forward based on employee:guest ratio and overall value provided.
Embarkation
2 out of 5
-Long lines in terminal and check in process was delayed. Upon arrival in Port Canaveral, we were informed that a small percentage of passengers on the last cruise had come down with norovirus. Consequently, employees were thoroughly sanitizing the ship. It would've been nice if Royal Caribbean had sent out notifications to passengers via E-mail to notify them of such a delay before arriving to the pier.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
We didn't visit any of the specialty restaurants and only visited the dining room for breakfast. We dined at the Windjammer buffet every evening for dinner. The lines to get in dining room for breakfast wasn't bad; however, it was always a challenge to find an empty and/or clean table when visiting the Windjammer buffet for dinner. There also seemed to be too few staff working at the buffet for the number of guests dining in the evenings. At times, the available food options in the buffet weren't replenished until a guest brought the issue to an employees' attention.
We were also surprised to learn that Royal Caribbean now charges a delivery fee of $7.95 for room service.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
We relaxed on the top deck in the afternoons while at sea, and particularly enjoyed observing other guests taking part in the Flow-rider and zip lining activities. It was entertaining to watch guests participate in these activities indeed.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Avoid the musical Cats. By the end of the show only 20% of the audience remains. The other shows onboard were great.
Children's Programs
Not traveling with children
Service and Staff
3 out of 5
The staff are overworked and there doesn't seem to be enough of them for the number of guests onboard. We waited over an hour one day to speak to guest services when we called from our room. Our room steward also only made 2 towel animals out of the 7 days we were onboard. Clearly, the staff who work on this ship have far more responsibilities than those who work on other ships we've been on.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Extra precautions were implemented for our cruise sailing, as a small percentage of guests came down with norovirus on the previous voyage. The ship appeared to be immaculate. There is some noticeable wear and tear, however, throughout the ship since its last refurbishment.
Central Park was my favorite because of the serenity that it provided. We even saw a real bird that makes its home there.
Cabin / Stateroom
3 out of 5
We usually book an interior stateroom and always found the divider curtains in the cabins on previous ships to be helpful for privacy when getting dressed. Unfortunately, Royal Caribbean did away with the divider curtains in interior cabins on Oasis of the Seas. The interior rooms are also located in their own area of the ship, rather than being directly across from rooms that have balconies. It is very confusing at first.
St. Maarten is beautiful. The rebuilding efforts since Hurricane Irma is evident. Our tour only visited the Dutch side of the island because the French side is still badly devastated.
We only docked in this port until 1:30pm and so there wasn't a lot of time to explore the city. We spent our time close to the dock and went to Starbucks.
Provides a tranquil and relaxing experience. We didn't participate in any of the excursions offered due to high pricing. The buffet line was also quite long throughout the day and so we waited to eat once we got back on the ship. The locals selling handmade crafts are a bit aggressive though as other reviewers have mentioned.
Delayed process getting off the ship. Representative calling numbers was 20-30 minutes behind schedule. There was also a long line to go through immigration/customs.
I’m going on this ship next month and cats was one of the reasons we booked this ship. I love this musical and can’t wait to see it. It is long but it’s a good musical I’m looking forward ton seeing how it is on this ship. Have been on 3 other cruises on 2 cruise lines and only went to one or two shows on each of these. So far cats and the aqua theatre show are the only two we have booked
When people have never been on a mega ship they are sometimes surprised by the difference
Dont expect it to be like other cruises- you have to spend some time planning and organizing when you’re on a ship of this size with thus many people
Love oasis
I loved cats!!! The main character/singer was one of the best I have ever ever heard :) I did not enjoy the shows on Anthem and several people on here said they liked it- you e got to try it for yourself, it’s included in your fare so give it a chance!
Keep your reservations. Get end of row seats so you can leave if you don’t like it? I made my husband sit through Mama Mia on Allure and I’ve never heard the end of it. We haven’t seen Cats yet and I’m still undecided if I want to go on our May cruise.
I wouldn't cancel Cats merely because everyone has their own tastes and opinions. You may love it! I haven't seen it, so not speaking from experience. All I know is that on here, much as in life, everyone has differing opinions and what one person loved, another hated. I'd hate to think o missed out on something because of someone else's grumblings.
I enjoyed Oasis both times I was on her. The windjammer is only crowded at peak meal times, go early or late....to each their own, but Oasis is what got me hooked on cruising.
They just recently instituted the charge for room service as they have revamped the menu. I do believe that they do offer coffee and possibly some breakfast items at no charge. I miss the old shows on the Oasis class ships. Hairspray was the best!
Really? I've really looked forward to going on her too and will be in about a month. They charge for room service ? We have cats booked. We should unbook it ?
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