Enjoyable Caribbean Cruise on Royal Caribbean
Oasis of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 2-3 cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 48
7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)
Sail date: December 15, 2019
Ship: Oasis of the Seas
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 9268
Traveled as: Family (young children)
Reviewed: 4 years ago
Review summary
I really don't have anything else to add that hasn't already been covered in the various questions and comment boxes above.Embarkation
This was my 2nd cruise, and I was quite impressed with the efficiency of Royal Caribbean staff as well as the process of embarkation. We went from dropping our luggage to boarding the ship in less than 15 minutes, and this included an extra stop to get ID wrist bands for our children traveling with us. I don't think things could have gone any smoother.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
The Windjammer buffet and the Solarium Bistro were amazing! The variety of options available made each visit feel brand new, and everything tasted delicious. Steak cooked to order, all the shrimp you can eat, scrumptious soups and flavorful salads, plus dishes inspired by local cuisine from our ports of call. So much fun! The main dining room ambiance made dining there quite enjoyable, even though the servers for our table didn't speak clear English, so communication was a little difficult. The food here was delicious! The rest of our party traveling with us only dined here once, though, so we didn't get the opportunity to sample the menu more than 2x. I would have preferred more. We weren't too impressed with the Port Side BBQ due to portion sizes and pricing. Sorrento's Pizza also disappointed due to the quality of the pizza. Very thin and minimal toppings that lacked in the taste department. It wasn't bad for a quick snack though. The Park Cafe and Promenade Cafe were great for those in-between meal snacks of fruit and small bites, but more than once, a hot sandwich I requested wasn't cooked thoroughly and cheese wasn't melted. The fruit and salads and desserts were amazing. Oh, and Johnny Rockets ranks #1 in dining experience. The waiters made the entire time fun and memorable, including a dance routine that entertained everyone. A significant disappointment was the cost of non-alcoholic specialty drinks. I would think without alcohol, they would cost the same as any other beverage, but they were the same as a normal alcoholic beverage. Definitely not happy about that!
Onboard Activities
The pools were fun, but they could have been a little bit larger. They often got too crowded to do much, and the party crowd frequently dominated the hot tubs, so those weren't available much. We did have fun on the water slides, Splashaway Bay, Flow Rider, Ultimate Abyss (10-deck dry slide), Boardwalk Carousel, Laser Tag, and the rock climbing walls. We never got around to the ice skating or the Escape Room, and we didn't use the fitness centers, but we still had a lot of fun.
Entertainment
The Aqua 80's water show and Frozen in Time were by far the favorites. We saw the water show 3 times!! Never took in CATS or anything else in the theater, but the live musicians on the Promenade did a fantastic job.
Children's Programs
Our kids had a great time and begged us to return each day. There were also bonus family activities that made the experience even better. It was clear the staff loved their job and loved kids, and it was nice being able to enjoy some things without the kids while they were still having a good time.
Service and Staff
Everyone greeted us with a smile, exchanged pleasant conversation, and seemed happy to be there. This translated in top-notch service, going above and beyond, and seeing to every possible need that might arise. The service definitely made the experience more enjoyable.
Ship Quality
It always amazes me to take in designs of various locations and establishments. The ideas had to exist in someone's head before becoming a reality, and the Oasis did not disappoint. With 7 distinct areas of enjoyment, there was something for everyone. Central Park made a nice stroll when crossing the ship from bow to stern or forward to aft; the Promenade provided shopping, entertainment, and unique features every day; the Boardwalk didn't have a lot happening, but the Abyss slide exited here and the Carousel was also here, so we found ourselves there a lot; and Adventure Ocean provided hours of entertainment. We never saw an overflowing trash receptacle, and if dishes were cleared away efficiently. The carpeted areas remained free of any dirt, and the rest of the floors were swept regularly, offering a pristine appearance.
Cabin / Stateroom
Our cabin was kept quite clean, but the space between the foot of the bed and the wall, as well as the proximity to the desk/vanity made movement difficult when going from one side of the cabin to the other. The beds really weren't that comfortable, even with a mattress pad, and the bathroom was rather tiny. On a smaller cruise ship, there was a full bathtub on one side and a vanity of the same length on the other with the toilet in between the 2, opposite the door. Felt much more spacious. With younger kids, a bathtub would have been nice. Also, the only hair care provided was a low-quality combination shampoo/body wash, and that's not good for most people. It would have been better to have separate shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. The water pressure and showerhead were amazing though! The height was perfect for even my 6'3" husband and the angle came straight down, which improved the cramped shower space immensely. Storage space wasn't bad considering the minimal square footage, and there were more than enough hooks for our personal items as well as towels we would use again. I would never cruise without an oceanview balcony, and although we enjoyed our time outside, the glass wall was always cloudy and/or spotted, so viewing through it when seated was impossible. We had to stand in order to see anything, so that sort of defeated the purpose of chairs out there.
Ship tip
Don't purchase the drinks packages unless you plan on drinking a LOT, as the value isn't worth it. Also, bring ALL of your own toiletries.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)
Since it wasn't really an "island" as much as a private cove with 2-3 inlets, I felt options for enjoyment were more limited. I wasn't impressed that we had to pay for water bottles since we were told only sodas and alcohol would come with a charge. Also, beyond the "excursions", there really wasn't much else to do at an affordable cost. Paying an additional $75+ per person to enjoy anything simply wasn't worthwhile to our family of 4 and party of 10. So, we ventured out around 10, swam a little, enjoyed lunch, then returned to the ship. I think I would prefer a private island in the Bahamas to this one.
Although safety was the top priority, I wasn't impressed with discovering you couldn't leave port without being booked on an official excursion. Not even to visit the beach! Port was small and limited with an overabundance of jewelry shops, souvenir or artisan booths, and minimal eating options. We managed to book a historical trolley tour, which was quite educational and informative, but beyond that, this stop didn't impress us much. I think Kingston or Montego Bay would have been much better!
Again, the ability to be a tourist and simply explore on your own was quite limited. The port was significantly larger than any of the others, and the island offered a wide variety of activities, but even a taxi ride for 2 miles cost $16-20 American! At least here, we could take a ferry to Playa del Carmen for added exploration. Unfortunately, the costs of everything again made many experiences prohibitive. $40 simply to gain *access* to the beach! Ridiculous! Also, high winds caused all water activities to be canceled, and no refunds were offered. The only thing that made this port of call memorable was connecting with family friends we hadn't seen in 25 years. Otherwise, we likely would have remained on the ship. On another cruise, all 4 ports of call were fun, cost-efficient, and allowed free roaming or exploration.
Disembarkation
Again, a smooth process that didn't involve much waiting overall. However, when we scanned our sea pass cards to get off the ship, my husband was redirected to guest services. Something about him not being connected to my account, so duplicate charges were assessed for our stay. No cellular signal made communication impossible, and we weren't permitted to wait for him anywhere other than baggage claim just outside of customs. So, we had to wait more than 30 minutes before he arrived. Beyond that, the rest of the disembarkation procedure went well, with minimal time spent in customs and fluid traffic control outside as we waited for our ride to our hotel.