Yes, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas is all this and more and if you have not heard about her; here is a recap of my 2-night preview cruise I spent on her on November 27th-29th.
I must begin by saying how fortunate I was to be able to join my colleagues from OSSN and how privileged it was to sail with such a fun and hardworking group of people. So, with much anticipation, I began my trip to Port Everglades and could not wait to see the Oasis in person. And as expected, there she was looming over the horizon, bright and shiny, as she is not hard to miss when you are in Ft. Lauderdale driving on I-95. The Oasis of the Seas is the largest ship in the world and was definitely giving the condominiums on the beach a run for their money in terms of size. In fact she dwarfs a couple of the buildings near the port and is unmistakably massive. At over 225,000 gross registered tons; she is larger than 5 Titanics and is 40% larger than any other cruise ship today. But is she too big?
Now I have sailed on most of Royal Caribbean’s cruise ships (not every one, but at least one in every class of ship) and they are in my opinion one of the best cruise lines out there, but this is not about comparing cruise lines, but about the evolution of their ships. The Oasis takes cruising to a new level and coupled with the entertainment and dining opportunities equal with the new stateroom designs and neighborhoods that are onboard, the ceiling has been reached and broken.
In terms of cabins, the standard inside and balcony rooms are still available, but they added a number of suites that can handle a large family or more and are larger than some people’s actual houses. Plus the addition of the stunning 2-story loft suites with floor to ceiling glass and a spectacular view, you have the most choices ever.
Dining is taken to a all new level also with over 24 dining options that include the tried and true Main Dining Room and Windjammer to specialty restaurants such as Giovanni’s, 150 Park Place and the Seafood Shack, plus numerous other pizza and sandwich style options. Gourmet to Italian, fried seafood to cupcakes; spread out over 17 decks, there is very little chance that one would have to go far or go hungry for that matter.
Along the expansive top deck are multiple pools, Jacuzzis, 2 Flow Riders, a miniature golf course, the exhilarating zip line 9 decks high and the extremely awesome Solarium in the forward of the ship which has to be seen to be appreciated. Water falls and incredible deck chairs, atmosphere and a view over the bow, this place was one of my favorites.
This ship is utterly fantastic and I could go on and on, but in my opinion, I also have a few thoughts about her that could be slightly negative; so here goes. I felt that the most important feature that disappointed me the most was the lack of outside viewing. Except from a balcony room or top deck; when you are inside the ship, there is not a lot of outside glass to remind you that you are at sea. Since the ship is so big and that you really do not feel her move, it would be nice to have the natural sunlight and ocean horizon available to enhance the cruise experience. Now there were some spots that light did make its way in, much of it was from the Central Park or Boardwalk but not with an oceanview perspective. Some of Royal Caribbean’s ships are designed just for that purpose such as the Radiance class of ships that have multideck glass on the sides of their ships.
Additionally, some of the specialty lounges such as the comedy club and the Jazz on 4 seemed too compartmentalized in their location while the gym looked like it was an after thought; after finally finding it housed up front of the ship. Another issue was the very narrow promenade deck where the life boats are kept; it felt small and uninspired, even though this has been a signature spot on cruise ships that have been a source of activity, relaxation and reflection for decades. I personally have always enjoyed this usually quiet part of a ship; strolling along the deck meeting people and gazing off to the horizon, but again, it is rather cold and plain on the Oasis. Another observation was the main dining room and although the Oasis has many other awesome dining environments I felt the main dining room could have had a greater entrance to show her off. It seemed hidden behind the elevators and was nothing special as opposed to the Opal Theater which was more inviting and extravagant. To be fair though the dining room itself was quite inviting and cozy.
I could write about a great many more details of the Oasis in depth and maybe at another time when I would feel more inclined, but overall this ship has a lot going for Royal Caribbean and when her sister ship, the Allure of the Seas comes out in 2010, the opportunity to sail on one of these magnificent ships will become more available as the premium pricing starts to drop. It definitely is an amazing ship with plenty to do and enjoy and the few knocks I made about her does not diminish how much I enjoyed and was honored to sail on her. The crew was very friendly, the captain was a pleasure to meet, the service was, as always quite attentive and the friends I sailed with made this quite the experience and one not to forget, even though it was only for 2-nights. The Oasis of the Seas is truly a destination to see and although, as some say, that she is a game changer, and I can understand why, she is still a Royal Caribbean ship which makes her worth taking a cruise on.
