Oasis of the Seas - Is it Really THAT Bad????

[ZerasPride]

I could really use some help and honest opinions DIS friends. DH and I are about 6 weeks away from our PIF date for our 25th anniversary cruise on the Oasis of the Seas. I have avidly read reviews on various sites including cruise critic and Facebook. Many of them comment that the ship is badly in need of its upcoming dry dock. Reports of carpeting needing replacing in public areas, public bathrooms not working properly and staterooms that need to be taken out of service for repair to name a few things really have me concerned.

Then I read other reports that say some do not notice these things at all and the ship is in fine shape! My husband says I should stop reading reports on line! Anyway, can someone who has been on this ship recently comment on its condition? Is it really as bad as some are saying? Thanks in advance!

 

[Mpadovani2]

I can speak to our cruise aboard this ship but from Oct ‘17. It was a fine ship. Unless you are an overly critical person, you will not notice the things you mentioned above. It is a massively beautiful ship with more things to do on board than can possibly be accomplished in 7 days. I have sailed RCCL ships more than 30 times and this is a spectacular ship. Does she need a bit of paint and a few new threads, yes, but it will not detract from your experience. Have a blast.

 

[Capt_BJ]

We were on in November ... had no major complaints. Had a deck 10 mini-suite ....

altho it did convince use that the mega-ships are not our thing

we're booked for Viking Ocean next .... small ship cruising is our cup of tea now ...

 

[NoNotMe]

We just got off the Oasis on Sunday. We didn't see any of those things. In fact we now prefer Royal Caribbean over Disney. Yes, the adult pool was very crowded and the alcohol flowed in the Solarium. That was my only complaint. The entertainment was exceptional in my opinion. But it is all a matter of perspective, I am sure someone on the cruise felt totally opposite.

 

[starvenger]

It’s getting harder to find reviews that don’t sound like an extended hot take. A cruise is always the “best ever” or the “worst ever” when the truth lies somewhere in between. I mean, it’s a cruise - even the “worst” experience is pretty good IMO.

 

[OKW Lover]

We sailed on the Oasis in late February and had no problems with anything onboard needing repair or showing unusual wear. Will be back on board in September.

 

[ZerasPride]

Thanks so much everyone for sharing your experiences. I have shared them with my husband. You have put our minds at ease. You guys are awesome!

 

[starvenger]

Enjoy yourselves! And don’t be afraid to play up that 25th anniversary for while on board. I don’t know if Royal will give you anything, but it’s worth a shot.

 

[OKgirl]

I have found most reviews on Cruise Critic to be overly critical and negative. I still read them but take them with a grain of salt. (As if a bunch of surly older folks are writing all the reviews!) I have seen paragraphs about how terrible a cruise was based on the fact that someone didn't get their free bottle of wine for sailing X number of days..... Seriously - how can someone let a $10 bottle of wine make the difference in a $3000-$5000 trip? Ask for your bottle if they forgot it and move on!! The Oasis is a beautiful ship! Maybe I'm more laid back but it takes a lot for me to be disappointed on a vacation. A little worn carpet? I probably wouldn't even notice to be honest! Other people drinking alcohol has never bothered me, even if I'm not drinking. (I actually find to to be free entertainment!) We love the Oasis class ships because there is so much to do. (Chef's Table is a wonderful splurge for your anniversary if you're foodies!) We cruise several lines but love the entertainment on the Royal Caribbean Oasis Class ships - there is so much to do that we rarely found ourselves out by the pool for more than 1-2 hours a day. Have a wonderful time on your trip!

 

[starvenger]

It’s not that different from yelp or tripadvisor in that sense.

I usually ignore 0 (if applicable), 1 and 5 star reviews as they tend to be too overly negative or positive.

 

[ZerasPride]

Thanks so much!! This really puts our minds at ease. We are really looking forward to this trip. I was a little spooked by the negative reviews but not anymore! You guys are the best!!

We have a grand suite booked and are super laid back folks. DH and I are as far away from foodies as people can be - can’t wait to see my hubby’s face when I tell him he can order chicken nuggets from the kids menu from Coastal Kicthen for lunch!

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

We sailed Mid June, and we did not find anything to the affect of which you read. Everything we say in that nature was fine

My comments were the same as above, the Solarium was very full, not one speck of shade, the floor was VERY hot, make sure you wear your sandals to the pool, and turn the OVER so they aren't burning hot when you put them back on.

My biggest comment of all was the food. Pretty mediocre for my taste and pretty redundant.

 

[ZerasPride]

I appreciate your comments! We plan to spend most of our pool time on the suite sun deck so we hope it is pleasant up there and not overly hot or crowded and that the food is a bit better in Coastal Kitchen than in the other general areas but we are pretty laid back eaters. Plus I’m seeing a few room service dinners on our balcony too.

 

[John VN]

...................and that the food is a bit better in Coastal Kitchen than in the other general areas but we are pretty laid back eaters. Plus I’m seeing a few room service dinners on our balcony too.

DW and I enjoyed our 1 dinner in CK when we had a JrS. Intimate and yummy. We simply had to re-book in a GS for this Nov. cruise because I wanted more CK and the ESPRESSO!!! Hope you managed to snare the reduced prices that RCL threw out there. Our PIF is now a few weeks away making things feel SO MUCH MORE EXCITING!!!! I was going to change to a June booking on Oasis for our anniversary but the prices were unreal and then an opportunity to do an Alaska cruise came up so instead we had a wonderful dinner on our 45th at sea coming back from Icy Strait Point.

ENJOY

 

[HopperFan]

My good friend just got off Oasis yesterday. He first cruised Carnival, then Disney, now RCI.

He said ... to paraphrase ...

Awesome trip! In my opinion of all 3 cruises I've been on the Oasis was the best ship. Never felt crowded, shows great, rooms were nicer and better quality of people. Can't beat the food and service on Disney, and Carnival is fun ship but bunch of drunks. Thought Carnival food was better.


I agreed with him that our Carnival cruise seemed to have better food in the dining room but RCI was much better with all their other food options and buffet. I like the staff on RCI, they are from all over the world, they are great to talk to and interact with, share about their countries.

 

[ZerasPride]

Awesome!! Thanks much for the nice comments John and HopperFan!

Yes John VN - we did get what I consider a great rate on our Grand Suite! We are actually paying the same price for our Grand Suite as we would have paid for a balcony cabin on the Fantasy with a 10% discount. So pretty excited about that! Our PIF date is fast approaching so its getting real!!!

HopperFan - your comment and your friend's adds to our excitement for this trip. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of people on board this vessel but it sounds like the neighborhood concept keeps the crowds spread out nicely. We can't wait!

 

[HopperFan]

HopperFan - your comment and your friend's adds to our excitement for this trip. I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of people on board this vessel but it sounds like the neighborhood concept keeps the crowds spread out nicely. We can't wait!

To add, the reason he gave texted me, as soon as he got off ship, was he had asked advice before going (after booking) because we sailed Oasis in September 2015. I loved the ship and it was my favorite to date. We are sailing Harmony (similar) in November. We had ocean balcony with two others, we opened up our balconies together. We dined in Main Dining room all but one night, we did Chops with a TA credit. First time I didn't mind the buffet but there are so many places to eat that we moved about. Park Cafe, Solarium Cafe and more. We had deluxe beverage package so we also checked out all the lounges. Really enjoyed all the shows.

If your concern is people, don't be. Ship is so large they spread out. Only time we were aware is waiting to get in comedy clubs (line) and arriving late to Aqua Show and getting 7 seats together, that is on us. Most the time we waited for nothing, had no trouble finding pool lounges, got off & on ships quickly, had extremely personal service from Steward and Dining Room you would think we were their only guests. My DS1 is disabled and can panic in crowds or loud rooms ... no issues at all.

I cruised RCI Freedom and Carnival Triumph prior to that ....... and have zero interest in anything other than these big boy ships now. The size completely dilutes the people.

 

[DnA2010]

We loved our cruise on Oasis- it was our first cruise and although different we loved it equal to our cruise on the Fantasy food choices, pools, shows, so many activities - we actually felt the Fantasy felt more crowded

 

[wdwfan]

We just got off the Oasis of the Seas on July 1, and we had a fantastic time!!!! Royal Caribbean is now our favorite cruise line! I didn't think anything could beat Disney, but Royal does. The Oasis is beautiful!! The shows are amazing, and go beyond anything you'll see on a cruise ship! Make sure you get reservations for your shows on-line on the RC site before your cruise to make sure you see everything you want to see. You'll need to do this since the ship is so big, not everyone can see the shows at once. Also, if you're doing My Time Dining, you should make reservations ahead of time too so you can be seated right away. The ship is huge and offers so much!! We bought the Deluxe Drink Plan before our cruise, which covered every type of beverage you can get on the ship from specialty coffees, to any alcoholic drink priced to $13 which covers just about everything but the drinks that come in souvenir glasses or pineapples. It also covers bottled water, which you should order each time you order a drink from the bar or bar staff, to soda and PowerAid. You can get lemonade, iced tea and water anytime from the various quick serves for free as well. We love Royal Caribbean so much that we're already booked on another cruise for next summer.

 

[frank808]

Thanks so much!! This really puts our minds at ease. We are really looking forward to this trip. I was a little spooked by the negative reviews but not anymore! You guys are the best!!

We have a grand suite booked and are super laid back folks. DH and I are as far away from foodies as people can be - can’t wait to see my hubby’s face when I tell him he can order chicken nuggets from the kids menu from Coastal Kicthen for lunch!

Make sure to try the flat bread pizza at lunch. Also read the menu for flat bread pizza carefully. The flavors change daily but you cant tell by reading the header, you have to read the description of what type of pizza it is. Remember you get cocktails in the suite lounge from 430 to 8pm daily. All the soda, beer, wine and bottled water you want from 1130am to 11pm in suite lounge and 24 hour access to espresso machine.
If you are flying, make use of the complimentary luggage valet for suite guests if you have a later flight. Put your luggage out on saturday night and you will not see it until you get to your final destination. So convenient for those of us flying.