Just back from RCCL Oasis of Seas - quick wrap up

[dbal]

Hi-... I know, I know it's not disney and it was a difficult decision to make, but we wanted to try newer ship for 7 days and we traveled w/ bil & sil, so..... here goes....



Who went: myself, dh, and 2 youngest dd's 12 and 9. (older dd's in college and couldn't join us) also bil and wife no kids.

My bil and wife have cruised many times never disney and sailed rccl 4x prior. Our family has done the Disney Magic Eastern 2x and loved it.


I was actually excited about the new big ship, so were the kids. My dh was a little reluctant. I kept telling him to have an open mind.

We left from fort lauderdale. You can actually see the ships from the airport grabbed a taxi and were on the ship 45 minutes after plane landed.
Embarkation was FAST! Then up the gangway and onto the ship's.......shopping mall??? I guess we were used to the grand entrance and big welcome from the Magic.
The ship was phenomenal. It was huge. It had all the bells and whistles you could ever possibly imagine or want. We had an inside stateroom which was very similar to the one on the Magic. no split bath (we didn't have one on magic either) The shower was smaller, so you actually had more room on vanity. There was alot of storage for small items and toiletries which was very handy, but it was lacking in larger drawers, and shelves for clothing. They had 2 plush robes to purchase in closet, but they took up alot of room.

The pools were great and the kids had a blast jumping from pool to H20 zone. The windjammer buffet is near the pools and is set up better than topsiders because they have alot of smaller round buffet tables so long lines don't develop. They also have people there helping you find tables. Disney's topsiders had better food however.

The Main Dining room was huge (i kept getting lost) The kids were not impressed. They kept asking where we were eating the next night. They thought we rotated. The service was awful. There were 2 different drink servers. one for the bar and one for soft drinks. We ate in the dining room 4 nights. Only one of those did we get drinks. They never came over. You could get the bar waiter, but the soft drink waiter was mia. The bar waiter wouldn't take our soft drink order either.

The service for the rest of the cruise was seriously lacking. The bartenders walking around the pool rarely smiled or gave more than 1 word answers. Our room attendant was not very tidy, but he was nice. There were more incidents with the service we had that just left a really bad taste.
Labadee; Rccl private beach is big and beautiful. i was impressed. I couldn't decide what I liked better that or castaway key. My dh and dd 12 liked castaway key better. My dd 9 liked labadee.

The flowrider was cool! dd 12 did it a couple of times and really liked it. My dd9 was too short for it. we couldn't do the zip line or rock climbing walls because we didn't bring closed toe shoes (my fault) We did go ice skating and that was alot of fun.
we went to 3 shows. They were excellent. the only part I didn't like about the shows is that you needed to reserve them before hand.

We went to Chops which is a pay restaraunt. It was excellent and the service was too! Also did Johnny Rockets one night; good burgers there.

All in all it was a great trip. We had lots of fun. I never thought I would ever say this, but the ship was too big for me; too much walking and I had a hard time finding my way around. But it isan unbelievably beautiful remarkable ship!
I did miss Disney and I didn't think I would.


Oh- Also I have a question for experienced cruisers. For tipping purposes, do you still tip the servers in the dining room the recommended suggestions if you don't dine in the dining room every night? I wasn't sure how to handle this. Any questions feel free to ask! - Deb

 

[iloverags2]

They didn't have climbing shoes at the rock climbing wall? That's odd! They use special shoes for it, and in fact on the Monarch of the Seas my niece brought her own shoes, but they wouldn't let her wear them...she had to use the shoes they provided.

Nice to hear your report...it looks like a beautiful ship, but just too big for me! Even the Dream seems too big for me!

 

[dbal]

ya know what..... you r right! Everyone was wearing black shoes and just until you mentioned that, I assumed they were their own. I'm not gonna mention that to my family. They will be mad The zipline required your own shoes though...... I think

 

[Gdes1]

I'm glad you had a good time, but I see why you missed Disney.

They lost me at "robes for purchase"...it should either be included or not there. One thing I like about DCL is that most of what you see is included and, yes, there are shops, but they are not constantly trying to sell you things.

And taking up closet space is a no-no...I wonder if the stateroom host would have removed them to storage if you asked? But, I'd be worried I'd get charged then and never be able to straighten it out.

The shower is smaller? That must make it pretty tight for the average adult.

The drink waiter thing would have driven me nuts, and I have to say I love rotational dining.

DH and I discuss it a lot and I guess I'd rather keep cruising DCL, even if it means fewer cruises overall for us.

And thanks for posting! I know booking other lines is on a lot of people's minds these days!

 

[iloverags2]

ya know what..... you r right! Everyone was wearing black shoes and just until you mentioned that, I assumed they were their own. I'm not gonna mention that to my family. They will be mad The zipline required your own shoes though...... I think

I won't say anything!

 

[Disney On A Dime!]

Thanks for your review! We have cruised DCL and RCI (Freedom Class) and are really wanting to try out the Oasis Class. I have heard that the ships are so big that they become the destination sometimes! Anyhow...we just got off the Disney Dream...in Nassau we were docked next to the Allure of the Seas...my kids wanted to jump from DCL to RCI right then! They are older and like all the amenities on the RCI ships. As far as service...IMO...I think that it is hit or miss with whichever cruise-line you go with. On the Dream this past week...some had great service (like us) and some had lousy service. Hey - it's still a vacation!


Crystal

 

[Mickeyhugger]

Your report reminds me of our last (and I mean LAST) cruise on RCCL. It was Adventure of the Seas. The servers in the dining room was SO POOR (mostly, nonexistent) that my DH and I agreed "People are going to think we made this up." It saved us a little bit of $$, though (we weren't very generous with our tips for nonexistent service.) Also, room service no-showed. The ships are beautiful though. Customer service and good food are what keep us returning to our favorite cruises (DCL and CCL.)

 

[Seahunt]

Oh- Also I have a question for experienced cruisers. For tipping purposes, do you still tip the servers in the dining room the recommended suggestions if you don't dine in the dining room every night? I wasn't sure how to handle this.

JMO but we do, because the servers in the dining room don't just work in the dining room -besides the dining room they usually have to also help out and work other rotated schedules throughout the week (private island BBQ, deck buffets, etc.) and these are not tipped venues. And they work hard at those too

Also, since your seats are empty the nights you go elsewhere, and will not get filled by other passengers, they don't get a chance of getting a tip from anyone else - you're it for the week for that seating.

That's just us though, everyone should do what they are comfortable with

 

[Tanzanite]

We had a horrible time on the Oasis having spent $12,000 on the cruise i was dissapointed after writing 2 letters no reply i will never go on that cruiseline again .Icould of gone lots of other places with that money and my kids were so dissapointed .

 

[Evan&Kimberly]

I am having the dilemma should I try the Allure of the seas for a couple of 100 dollars more than Disney’s Dream 3 day itinerary. I have cruised both lines and like both. I have done the Freedom of the Seas and the ship was not too BIG and it was not too small it was just right. I am not sure about the MEGA MEGA ships! I have been to Labadee and Castaway Cay and both private islands are beautiful but Labadee wins by a tiny tiny bit.

My question is what did you think of the DreamWorks Characters did you do any of the character breakfast or character meet and greets.

My second question is what did you think of the food in the MDR compared to Disney’s MDR food. I really was not happy with RCCL’s food but I know the Oasis class has so many other specialty restaurants that I can eat at. Just would like your thoughts on RCCL’s food compared to Disney’s. I really have enjoyed the food on the Wonder in the past.

 

[narsibvl]

Hi-... I know, I know it's not disney and it was a difficult decision to make, but we wanted to try newer ship for 7 days and we traveled w/ bil & sil, so..... here goes....



Who went: myself, dh, and 2 youngest dd's 12 and 9. (older dd's in college and couldn't join us) also bil and wife no kids.

My bil and wife have cruised many times never disney and sailed rccl 4x prior. Our family has done the Disney Magic Eastern 2x and loved it.


I was actually excited about the new big ship, so were the kids. My dh was a little reluctant. I kept telling him to have an open mind.

We left from fort lauderdale. You can actually see the ships from the airport grabbed a taxi and were on the ship 45 minutes after plane landed.
Embarkation was FAST! Then up the gangway and onto the ship's.......shopping mall??? I guess we were used to the grand entrance and big welcome from the Magic.
The ship was phenomenal. It was huge. It had all the bells and whistles you could ever possibly imagine or want. We had an inside stateroom which was very similar to the one on the Magic. no split bath (we didn't have one on magic either) The shower was smaller, so you actually had more room on vanity. There was alot of storage for small items and toiletries which was very handy, but it was lacking in larger drawers, and shelves for clothing. They had 2 plush robes to purchase in closet, but they took up alot of room.

The pools were great and the kids had a blast jumping from pool to H20 zone. The windjammer buffet is near the pools and is set up better than topsiders because they have alot of smaller round buffet tables so long lines don't develop. They also have people there helping you find tables. Disney's topsiders had better food however.

The Main Dining room was huge (i kept getting lost) The kids were not impressed. They kept asking where we were eating the next night. They thought we rotated. The service was awful. There were 2 different drink servers. one for the bar and one for soft drinks. We ate in the dining room 4 nights. Only one of those did we get drinks. They never came over. You could get the bar waiter, but the soft drink waiter was mia. The bar waiter wouldn't take our soft drink order either.

The service for the rest of the cruise was seriously lacking. The bartenders walking around the pool rarely smiled or gave more than 1 word answers. Our room attendant was not very tidy, but he was nice. There were more incidents with the service we had that just left a really bad taste.
Labadee; Rccl private beach is big and beautiful. i was impressed. I couldn't decide what I liked better that or castaway key. My dh and dd 12 liked castaway key better. My dd 9 liked labadee.

The flowrider was cool! dd 12 did it a couple of times and really liked it. My dd9 was too short for it. we couldn't do the zip line or rock climbing walls because we didn't bring closed toe shoes (my fault) We did go ice skating and that was alot of fun.
we went to 3 shows. They were excellent. the only part I didn't like about the shows is that you needed to reserve them before hand.

We went to Chops which is a pay restaraunt. It was excellent and the service was too! Also did Johnny Rockets one night; good burgers there.

All in all it was a great trip. We had lots of fun. I never thought I would ever say this, but the ship was too big for me; too much walking and I had a hard time finding my way around. But it isan unbelievably beautiful remarkable ship!
I did miss Disney and I didn't think I would.


Oh- Also I have a question for experienced cruisers. For tipping purposes, do you still tip the servers in the dining room the recommended suggestions if you don't dine in the dining room every night? I wasn't sure how to handle this. Any questions feel free to ask! - Deb

Just the post I wanted !!!!

I am right now shopping for carribean cruise either on the RCL ships or the Disney. So to sum up your review,

1. Bigger ship( could be a pro or a con)
2. Food better on disney.
3. Bigger pools then disney.
4. CC / labadee...not sure which is better.
5. Service not as good as Disney.


Now here are my questions.

1. Are the stateroom sizes comparable ?
2. I heard the boarding process for RCL is slower..apparently you have a different experience ?
3. How is ur review of the Dreamworks experience ? Would a five year old and 3 year old enjoy it ?
4. Port excursions are they comparable to disneys ?

 

[NancyIL]

Your report reminds me of our last (and I mean LAST) cruise on RCCL. It was Adventure of the Seas. The servers in the dining room was SO POOR (mostly, nonexistent) that my DH and I agreed "People are going to think we made this up." It saved us a little bit of $$, though (we weren't very generous with our tips for nonexistent service.) Also, room service no-showed. The ships are beautiful though. Customer service and good food are what keep us returning to our favorite cruises (DCL and CCL.)

I've never had poor dining room servers on RCI, but I've had mediocre servers on my last two DISNEY cruises: Wonder in Dec. 2009 and Dream in Feb. 2011!

My last RCI cruise was on Adventure of the Seas in Nov. 2010, and we were on the ship for 14 days. The service was good, but I have noticed a decline in the food quality since my first RCI cruise in April 2005.

 

[lilpooh108]

We had a horrible time on the Oasis having spent $12,000 on the cruise i was dissapointed after writing 2 letters no reply i will never go on that cruiseline again .Icould of gone lots of other places with that money and my kids were so dissapointed .

Can you explain why?

To the OP--thanks for your review. We're planning on trying out the Oasis or the Allure sometime soon (in a year or two)...hoping we like it

 

[Evan&Kimberly]

I've never had poor dining room servers on RCI, but I've had mediocre servers on my last two DISNEY cruises: Wonder in Dec. 2009 and Dream in Feb. 2011!

My last RCI cruise was on Adventure of the Seas in Nov. 2010, and we were on the ship for 14 days. The service was good, but I have noticed a decline in the food quality since my first RCI cruise in April 2005.

I love RCCL but while they are building the biggest ships in the world they need to build a better menu that includes quality and variety because some nights my sister and I had to order room service after dinner I never had to do that before.

 

[NancyIL]

I love RCCL but while they are building the biggest ships in the world they need to build a better menu that includes quality and variety because some nights my sister and I had to order room service after dinner I never had to do that before.

I was satisfied with the food in the dining room, but it wasn't as good as in the past.

 

[Evan&Kimberly]

The food was not bad but it was far from what it used to be. I started cruising RCCL in 1998.

 

[jmatias]

Thanks for the review. We are going on Oasis this June as our kids are a bit older now, we wanted to try out a new ship after doing the Magic the past two cruises.

I can tell you that the older kids are excited about the zip line and flowrider. And DD thinks its cool she can go ice skating, and have a Dreamworks character breakfast.

We will see how it compares to our DCL experiences.

 

[Evan&Kimberly]

Thanks for the review. We are going on Oasis this June as our kids are a bit older now, we wanted to try out a new ship after doing the Magic the past two cruises.

I can tell you that the older kids are excited about the zip line and flowrider. And DD thinks its cool she can go ice skating, and have a Dreamworks character breakfast.

We will see how it compares to our DCL experiences.

Hope you guys have a great time if your going to Labadee you will love it, please make sure you let us know how Oasis compares to Disney!

 

[Mickeyhugger]

I've never had poor dining room servers on RCI, but I've had mediocre servers on my last two DISNEY cruises: Wonder in Dec. 2009 and Dream in Feb. 2011!

Easy, there.

It's great that you've never had poor service in the dining rooms on RCCL, and I don't deny that people have had mediocre or even bad service on DCL. This is what we experienced in the MDR on Adventure of the Seas:

The server delivered regular Coke (to one of our table-mates) three nights in a row, even though he'd requested diet.

The server served me the wrong entree, and didn't return with my original order until one-half hour later. By that time, it was lukewarm.

My husband bit into the lobster (formal night) and it was still frozen in the middle.

My daughter ordered a Coke, and was served Sprite. The second night, the kids (they were sitting at the end of our 12-table) they received their drinks AFTER dinner. Nights 4-7, the drink servers didn't even take their orders. The pretended they weren't there.

We ordered the wine package. It was fine the first night. The next 2 nights, they didn't even open the wine until we'd ordered our desserts. Night 3 (or 4?) they didn't even bring the glasses. We sat there and looked at the wine bottle (I'm almost laughing at the memory, cause I still can't believe it happened.)

Midway through all of this, we addressed the issue with the Maitre'd, but nothing was ever resolved. He said "I'm sorry."

My husband had to visit the infirmary on one of our port days. While in the waiting area, I met a woman there with her son. I jokingly said, "wonderful way to spend your vacation, huh? In the infirmary." She sighed, "this is my first cruise. I'm disappointed. I don't know if I'll cruise again." Guess what her complaint was? The service in the dining rooms. She said her friends told her how wonderful cruising was, that you're pampered, entertained, the casinos." I told her..."oh please, don't let your experience on THIS cruise sour your opinion on future cruises. There ARE great cruises and other cruise lines out there." She'd had the same problem, servers bringing the wrong food, getting the drinks wrong, and not even showing any concern. I laughed.."we must have the same servers," which, we didn't.

These are the memories which stand out (this cruise was almost 4 years ago.) This is why I said "people are going to thing we made this up..."
And, they want $10.00 per person per day in tips? They didn't get it. My husband and I are generous tippers too. (I waited tables while I was in college, and I know how important good service is.)

I'm glad, though, that you receive great service on RCCL. I wished we had.

 

[Laurie12820]

I agree about the food/dining room service.

As someone who is "Loyal to Royal" and has yet to stray; I can't say I've been too happy with the food quality or the service in the dining room lately. When I went on my first cruise in 2002 I was impressed with the food and service. Every cruise after that, the quality has gone downhill. I think a lot of it has to do with their ships becoming larger, serving more people and trying to keep things easy in keeping menu/food orders alike.