Great time on Oasis

Item: Oasis of the Seas
Rating: 4.2
Author: Anaved

Oasis of the Seas Cruise Review

Anaved

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 89

Overall rating:

4.2 out of 5

7 Night Western Caribbean (Miami Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 09, 2020

Ship: Oasis of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 12721

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

There isn’t a section on how I booked this but i feel the need to share the wealth. I always check direct before using a third party. I end up booking through CheapCaribbean because of the perks. I received $250 in onboard credits, free specialty dinner, pre paid gratuities for 2 and it costed the same as what Royal Caribbean was offering. I did this same exact cruise two years ago with my late husband. My close friend’s birthday happened to coincide with this same Valentine’s Day Cruise. We tried all we could with the time we had and made sure we spent time at port. This was a great trip.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

We took a Lyft from FLL for about $34. Setting up the sea pass through the app ahead of time is the way to go. We arrived at 12:15 for our 1:30 checked (flight and bags arrived early) and had no issues boarding. Passes we scanned. Security lines were not too crazy. Got my wine through no problem. Bonus pints for our room being ready when we boarded.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

I recommend getting the smallest meal package your cruise has to offer. There is a noticeable difference in the quality of food and service. The include food is mass produced and not as well as seasoned.

El Loco Fresh℠

4 out of 5

Ate here after boarding the boat. It’s quick and convenient. Who doesn’t like making their own nachos.

150 Central Park

3 out of 5

I traveled with a vegetarian and the selections on the surface for this restaurant seemed decent but the portions were disappointing. We both started with the beet salads, one with prosciutto and one without. Pretty good. The vegetarian had the sunchoke veloute and it was phenomenal. I gave the seared honey glazed scallops a try and found them to be perfectly cooked. For the entree the veg had the only option which was the cauliflower steak. It was disappointing because it was just a giant piece of cauliflower and no sides. On the other hand, I had the lamb Wellington which was clearly cooked ahead of time and was over cooked. I also tried the lobster thermidor which was tasty. For dessert we shared the fried cheesecake and it was very rich and delicious. Overall an ok meal.

Izumi Hibachi & Sushi

4 out of 5

We went to Izumi twice. First was for the sushi side. Very good and fresh sushi. Great for vegetarians but you’ll need to order a lot to cover the $35 credit. We came back a second time for the hibachi. Fun show with no fire for safety reasons. Overall a great meal. Would give 5 stars if it weren’t for the meal package not covering the minimum meal.

Main Dining Room

3 out of 5

We only spent two separated nights at the main dining on deck 3. The vegetation options were limited and my friend order a cheese plate, garden salad and for the entree eggplant Parmesan. The eggplant was comically smaller than a hockey puck. I had a Caesar salad, shrimp potato salad and for my entree I had the roasted chicken and they had a lobster night. The chicken was extremely dry. I found myself smearing butter on it for moisture. The lobster was pretty good. For dessert I attempted the sugar free pineapple cake. Was not good for me. Others may enjoy it. At the conclusion of our meal, we politely provided feedback about the vegetarian options and were informed there was a vegan menu we should have been presented with. The head waiter, Cheryl went out of her way to ensure our second visit went wellWe called her 10 minutes before arriving as she requested. She had the chef prepare a delicious tofu and veggie stir fry for my friend as well as presented us with the vegan menu. We tried the tempura veggies and salads again. My friend tried the veggie mousakka for dinner. Overall it was good.I gave the spiced tuna and New York strip a try. It was cold when it arrived but I was starving and didn’t want to wait for new dishes. My personal opinion is the main dining room has great service but so so food.

Starbucks

5 out of 5

It’s like the Starbucks on land. Pleased to find out I could use my Starbucks card and accumulate points.

Windjammer Cafe

4 out of 5

The options are great. Only problem is how crowded it gets at all the time of day. It can be hard to find a table

Solarium Bistro

4 out of 5

The best buffet on the boat for a classy experience. Food options are great if you like Mediterranean flavors

Giovanni's Table

5 out of 5

This is probably the best restaurant on the boat for vegetarians and omnivores alike. From the cheese plate to the pasta selection, simply amazing. Give the gnocchi al Gorgonzola a try. You won’t regret it. Haven’t had a bad dish from there in the several times I’ve visited over the years.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

The escape room isn’t an option for the individual review. It’s is awesome and worth the $20. Make sure you bring smart people and try not to be drunk. You’re math skills are needed. Other than that, kind of missed out on fun activities because they overlapped each other. I hope they would offer activities multiple times. The Abyss was extremely underwhelming and was a pain to get on.

Beach Pool

4 out of 5

Love love the poolside Zumba. Get your heart pumping then cool off in the pool.

Entertainment

4 out of 5

Spotlight℠ Karaoke

4 out of 5

Would give it 5 stars if our names didn’t mysteriously disappear one night as well as allowing people go several times in a row when there’s a capped amount of time.

Studio B

4 out of 5

We did the laser tag in the studio. It’s only offered on sea days. It’s something to try at least once.

Comedy Live

2 out of 5

The comedians were eh. We really just needed to fill time. If there were a charge for this, I would request my money back.

AquaTheater

5 out of 5

The Aqua80 show was great. Upbeat and beautiful. The performers did a fantastic job even with the high winds.

Children's Programs

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

I had a very negative experience with one or two people and very positive with others. Cheryl in the main dining room was amazing. All of the photographers were also great. Can’t wait to come back just to see her. Some of the younger European staff are just unpleasant. Rude in their responses. This isn’t a job you can do if you hate it. I will not let them ruin my trip. There’s a lot of boat and a lot of staff that want you to have a great experience.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Initially was on this ship back in 2018 for the same week. I like the amplified features. Some like the digital elevators are quirky and a bit buggy. The new pool deck is gorgeous and water slides are a ton of fun. The boat was always clean but the rooms could use a nice upgrade.

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

This is a balcony overlooking the boardwalk. You can see the ocean from this room. You can also see the aqua theater. If you aren’t into staying late to the sounds of 80 music I recommend you go across the hall to an ocean view. You can hear all the noise from the boardwalk and the pool deck above on 15. It was plenty comfy for 2 adults and a 6 year old.

Ship tip

Double check your excursion tickets once on board. Two of the ports we stopped at had time changes that overlapped. It’s possible for your excursion to get canceled at anytime so keep backups in mind. Definitely get off the boat and have fun

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

3 out of 5

We paid for jet skis and kayak. Only ended up doing kayaking for two reasons. First being they overlapped our excursions having them both at 8 am. We ended up switching the time slots for our jet skis. The weather was too windy for the jet skis in the afternoon so we only did the kayak. The kayak adventure was cool. Very exhausting if you’re looking for an upper body workout. But in the middle the guide stopped took us to a “beach” where we were forced to look at trinkets for 20 minutes and politely declined. Could have go without that.

Thumbs Up 3

Falmouth, Jamaica

5 out of 5

We went to Chukka Good Hope Adventure Park and falls. If I could I would give this 10 stars. You start by having a 20 minute drive to the park. When you arrive, they kick it off with the zipline course which was a lot of fun. The guys working there are hilarious and definitely add to the experience. We then went to the challenge rope course. Also a ton of fun. The guy stood below guiding and supporting us through it. We took a break and enjoyed our authentic Jamaican lunch that was included. Soo delicious. The options were jerk chicken, steamed veggies, rice and peas and festival (cornbread). After the lunch, proceeded to ride the atvs. It was dusty and bumpy. Super fun we they pulled us into a smaller group and we were able to go fast. Last my we had relaxed in the water tube. The guys

Thumbs Up 1

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5

We did two excursions in Cozumel. Started the day with the Blue Water Sea Trek and Snorkeling. We enjoyed it a lot more than we initially thought. There were drivers with us the entire time and a lot of pictures were taken. Finished this excursion off with two free drinks and a shot of yummy tequila. Our afternoon excursion was an atv to the jade cavern. I got up to 50 kpm on one of those bad boys. I didn’t jump into the cenote. Too murky for my taste. Plus the bats were a bit scary just hanging above. This was a great excursion. This one also ended in a free tequila tasting.

Thumbs Up 1

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

Just as smooth as embarking. Left our bags outside at 10 pm. Had breakfast at the windjammer and headed out. Was out in the street within 15 minutes. Decided to use Lyft to get to FLL and it was disorganized for a bit but then they got it together.