Day 3: Taste and Touch
Loathing life boat drills is not unusual. Inevitably, the first day at sea you find yourself being herded around the ship, bumping into complete strangers as you waddle down thin corridors in an oversized life vest. Your preferred stealth-like cover quickly becomes compromised. The bulbous-like screaming orange life jacket consumes you as you search for your muster station.
Obviously, it’s hard not to recognize the necessity of these drills, but the idea of suiting up in a bulky life jacket, complete with strap between your legs, is never very appealing. Nonetheless, the infamous muster drills on a passenger cruise ship have become an accepted way of life in the cruise industry; until now. The Oasis has changed that too. Bigger must be better, because there are no life vests required during the emergency drill!
Our familiarization of the emergency procedures associated with an evacuation was nothing more than a well organized movement of the entire complement of the ship’s passengers into designated areas. Comfortably seated, we watched an overview of the emergency procedures on any number of 52” flat screen televisions. It was fast, easy and, a welcome relief.
Solarium Bistro
We found a great little oasis on the Oasis this morning. The Solarium Bistro sits on the very front of the ship on the 15th deck. This is an intimate little getaway from the hustle and bustle of the Royal Promenade or Boardwalk with their many eateries and bars. The Bistro is the antithesis of that busy environment; quiet and far removed from the crowds. Behind the Bistro are well appointed sitting areas; chairs, lounges and covered cabanas. There are also a couple of adult-only Jacuzzi’s on the back deck, just outside of the Solarium, surrounded by artificial palms. The palms required touch, great scrutiny and considerable family debate to ultimately determine that they were, in fact, fake. It’s gorgeous on the back deck; the perfect hideaway.
My youngest son (8) and I took to the pools and Jacuzzi’s for a test ride early this afternoon. We started with one of the main pools which, not surprisingly, is larger than those on the average ship. I could literally swim laps and get some much needed exercise. We then hit one of the many Jacuzzi’s, which sports both Jacuzzi jets and bubbles. The Jacuzzi was made for 10, but even when full, it was very comfortable.
Kid's Aqua Playground
Our next stop was the Kid’s Aqua Playground. The kids-only pool was circular and had a constant current pushing the kids around the pool. The pool has glass walls that were a couple of feet high so you could snap your kids in action in an underworld environment. The Kid’s Aqua Playground also had a generous assortment of showers, artificial rainfall, squirting jets of water and, of course, water guns/cannons to provide the right ingredients for water warfare.
View from the top of the Oasis- Putting Green and FloRider
After paying my dues in the Kid’s area, I had ample justification for returning to the Big Boy’s Playground that featured the Zip line and two FloRiders. I was all signed-up; wristband qualified and ready to ride the wave on the waves. However, due to thunderstorms in the area, the FloRiders were both closed. I think I was disappointed. I’d been watching the surfers/hot doggers/wave riders earlier in the day (with big crowds in attendance) with some well-concealed trepidation. So, I dodged the bullet today. Perhaps I was saved by the thunder showers. I’ll try it again tomorrow.
That postponement led us back to a kid-friendly eatery called the Wipe Out Cafe. Geared for kids, this buffet had the staples for the average America boy or girl, burgers, fries, hot dogs, pizza and Mac and Cheese. They also had a do-to-it yourself soft serve ice cream that was a big hit with everyone (adults and kids).
Gym
I used the gym today. It is huge and well-appointed with much of the latest exercise equipment. The fitness center offered a number of classes, many complimentary, but some required modest fees.
Day 4: Finding the Time
There is anything but a shortage of things to do on the Oasis. We were at sea for three full days and the ship remained a novelty. There is so much to see and do that I suspect you could take an entire week on-board and still be having new experiences. On an experiential level, there is something for everybody; kids, teens and young adults and seniors. Although the ships seems geared toward a younger demographic, it’s still served as a tremendous generational ship. There are plenty of family venues and for grandparents, plenty of opportunities to be both participants and spectators. Here’s an outline of some of the events.
Sports:
• FloRiders. There are two flow riders and, when it’s busy they can be divided, creating a total of four lines for riding. My experience was great fun, despite the intimidation factor that existed due to a small grandstand of curiosity seekers who waited patiently for a wipeout. Strangely, that’s part of the fun. I’m afraid I disappointed the crowd as I was wipeout-free in my first attempt, having a great ride. I even received a smattering of applause for my efforts. I made up for my beginners luck my second ride. I wiped out in record time for a grateful crowd. The lines were short, maybe five or 10 minutes. You’ve got to make the effort; it’s well worthwhile.
• Full Court Basketball. Beautiful court and plenty of basketballs (good ones).
• Gym: Extremely well-appointed with all the latest equipment.
• Pools. Lap pools, resistance pools and plenty of Jacuzzi’s, for adults only and families.
• Rock Climbing: Two beautiful climbing walls with an excellent support staff.
Health and Fitness:
• The Oasis must have the largest, best equipped gym at sea. It had all the latest equipment and never a need to wait.
• A Spa worthy of worthy of many at the finest resorts
Entertainment:
The variety was plentiful:
• Full Broadway type-shows
• Comedy - Great humor, spontaneous, fun, audience interaction Ice skating (Amazing show) The Aqua Theater: The show, the Oasis of Dreams, was incredible. The show is staged on the tail of the ship. The cast of gymnasts and divers was comprised of former Olympians and a collection of top-level athletes. It was, without question, the most awe-inspiring program at sea I have ever seen. It is perhaps one of the greatest shows I’ve seen on land or at sea. These athletes were nothing short of amazing. See the video.
• Jazz Club.
Windjammer Restaurant
Restaurants and Bars:
You won’t find a shortage of variety or quality on-board. Central Park features four restaurants that could rival any in any major metropolitan city. There is also a full wine cellar (Vintages) with tastings, education and sales.
Specialty restaurants are suddenly in vogue and, for good reason. These Epicurean meals are top drawer and often include wine pairings.
That positive spin on the specialty restaurants shouldn’t take away from the main dining room on the Oasis. The food was very good and the service exceptional. There are also plenty of places where you can get a meal, in-between meals. The Fish Shack and Johnny Rockets are family friendly and sit on the boardwalk. There are also plenty of places to grab a piece of Pizza, hot dogs, burgers and arguably some of the best fries on the high seas!
Communities:
• Royal Promenade: What a way to board a ship. Your first impression of Oasis is the Royal Promenade. It’s arguably the heart of the ship with shops, restaurants, bars and open spaces.
• Central Park: Is this really a ship? Central Park was literally a central park. Plants and vines and winding cobblestone paths, elegant restaurants and sidewalk bars. This too was nothing short of spectacular.
• The Boardwalk. The Carousel is if the anchor, but it’s surrounded by that boardwalk feel with donut and candy shops, Johnny Rockets and the Fish Shack. A quick stroll down the boardwalk takes you to the Aqua Theater and Rock Climbing.
What makes this ship so interesting is the manner in which they integrated all these different elements. They are independent of one another, yet connected. I guess that’s why they call them neighborhoods.
Miscellaneous:
It’s important to note that even though this is huge vessel, it is really quite cozy on board. The design of open space features the Royal Promenade, Central Park and the Boardwalk. The ship design has a very open architecture with a surplus of interesting and attractive design features that nothing gets old. There is really nothing cookie cutter about the public areas. Lastly their designers leveraged the use of natural light and real plants to create a warmth that I have yet to see duplicated on any other ship. Wherever you go, there is always enough energy and activity to create interest and excitement. Best of all, we never felt like the ship was crowded.
I would be remiss in not mentioning the highly effective interactive information systems that are located on all floors near the elevators and the public areas. The systems are featured on 52” LCD flat screen monitors that are touch screen activated. Looking for your room? Just type in your stateroom number and a map appear and show you the way. Looking for a specific venue or activity? You can scan almost anything and it’s will show you the way. It even will show you the occupancy level in the various restaurants. This was a terrific feature that we used every day.
Lastly, I had raved about the embarkation process. It was smoother and faster than any ship I’d ever been on. However, the real test was disembarkation. Can you imagine 5,000 passengers with luggage all trying to leave the ship at 9:00A to catch their planes home? Neither can I. The Oasis made this a complete non-issue. They used a number of paths for disembarkation. It was simple and fast. The coordination between the ship crew and the ground crew was exceptional. I timed our departure from the moment the elevator door opened on the 1st floor. From the moment I stepped from the elevator onto the Royal Promenade, it took 11 minutes until I found myself (and family) standing street-side with baggage in hand waiting for my taxi. To say it was well-managed would be an understatement.
Oasis at Night
Tim’s Top 10
All in all, the Oasis has earned the designation of being the new #1 in my ranking of the cruise lines. It’s family perfect. That fact should dissuade more seasoned travelers from sailing on Oasis, but in truth, the sweet spot is for families and active adults. The Oasis has dethroned a number of incredible ships. You name it, design, activities, entertainment; Oasis seems to have it all. It’s impossible not to believe that with the launching of the Oasis, Royal Caribbean has ushered in the next generation of ship building from which others will follow.
For more information and to book the Oasis of the Seas - call CAREFREE VACATIONS at 1-800-CONFIRM or visit our website at www.carefreevacations.com
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