We don't know anything about Royal Caribbean...

[Newsies]

... So we took a blind plunge and booked Oasis of the Seas (7 night) July 2022 today.

I cringed at the thought of booking a vacation when we've done so little research, but everyone was on board for the itinerary and the prospect of getting back on a cruise. This will be the second of two non-Disney vacations we've planned in over a decade and we couldn't be more excited. None of us have been on a cruise since 2006. Our previous ships were Norwegian and Carnival.

It'll be our family of four, with my younger sister turning 21 on our Nassau day. We were looking at Disney Cruise Line for 2022, but we fell down a rabbit hole of RCL tour videos over the weekend and when we priced everything out this afternoon, we just couldn't say no. It's going to be really nice taking a non-theme park based vacation.

I'm our family's Disney planner, I'm not a stranger to research, but would love any pointers anyone can give me about pretty much anything! Oasis, Coco Cay, Packages/Excursions... please let me know anything you'd wish you had known before your first Royal Caribbean cruise!

 

[hdrolfe]

Oasis will be an amazing ship for your first RCL cruise. I still haven't been on an Oasis class (have one booked for December... fingers crossed we can go, who knows with all the changes to rules at the moment).

Since you aren't going for awhile watch for sales on packages/excursions. Black Friday/Cyber Monday are usually the best deals for everything from excursions to drink packages or wifi. If you have an adult in the cabin who gets a drink package, all the adults have to so keep that in mind.

Coco Cay, haven't been since the updates. It will depend on what you like to do. If you just want to swim and sit on the beach, that's free. Other stuff will cost. My son wants to do the water slides so I will book the day pass at the water park there.

Since you haven't been before I'd recommend just the regular dining, though you can of course look at the paid packages. Sorry, I don't usually pay to eat so not sure which places on Oasis would be good.

 

[DizneyNutz]

... So we took a blind plunge and booked Oasis of the Seas (7 night) July 2022 today.

I cringed at the thought of booking a vacation when we've done so little research, but everyone was on board for the itinerary and the prospect of getting back on a cruise. This will be the second of two non-Disney vacations we've planned in over a decade and we couldn't be more excited. None of us have been on a cruise since 2006. Our previous ships were Norwegian and Carnival.

It'll be our family of four, with my younger sister turning 21 on our Nassau day. We were looking at Disney Cruise Line for 2022, but we fell down a rabbit hole of RCL tour videos over the weekend and when we priced everything out this afternoon, we just couldn't say no. It's going to be really nice taking a non-theme park based vacation.

I'm our family's Disney planner, I'm not a stranger to research, but would love any pointers anyone can give me about pretty much anything! Oasis, Coco Cay, Packages/Excursions... please let me know anything you'd wish you had known before your first Royal Caribbean cruise!

After 8 Disney Cruises and around 25 stays at WDW we decided to try RCCL on a large ship like Oasis and we haven't looked back. I saw it posted this morning that a person booked TWO oversized adjoining balconies on a 7 night cruise for what Disney wanted for a 4 night single balcony. Check out the link I will put below. it is long (around 45 mins.) but will explain CoCo Cay thoroughly. Also dont get caught up in the Sticker Shock right now for cruise planner items. They will go on sale many times before your cruise. Often Black Friday being one of the best. Also if you purchase the drink package, ie: Beverage Only or the Alcoholic Deluxe PKG , It works at CoCo Cay also, so unlimited drinks on the Island! Two Free Buffets also on the Island. As an example of "deals" we have booked CoCo Beach Club Tix for $40 while right now they are around $189. Water Park Tix for the Huge Slides and wave pool also around $40 and currently $140. Deluxe Beverage ( $45/day) currently $71. You get the idea.

Perfect Day Coco Cay | Full Walkthrough Tour & Review | Royal Caribbean | 4K | 2020 - YouTube

 

[cutigerlady]

My family hasn't looked back either! We prefer the extra space of adjoining rooms (we often book rooms next to each other and not adjoining for even less) and like being able to buy the packages we want for the extras that are important to us. There is so much to do on the Oasis! Plus the ship is so large that it didn't feel crowded (except trying to take an elevator).

• We didn't find activities crowded like we did on a Disney cruise, so we often would open the app and decide what we wanted to go do in the moment.
• We always stay on the ship in Nassau and enjoy the empty ship.
• At Coco Cay there are plenty of places to sit with umbrellas, so you don't need to spend money for something extra if you don't want to. Also the food is really good (snack shack opens at 10:30) and it's not necessary to pay for the wing place there. My kids loved the water park, but it was alot of steps to climb all day!
• Keep checking for sales for cruise planner items (although they now make it difficult to see price drops on drink packages, so you may have to call to check on this one) and keep good records of your purchases, because if your excursion gets cancelled you may need it to get the right amount refunded.
• Check-in through the App (you may get selected for Expedited boarding, which was awesome)
• Johnny Rockets serves a sit down complimentary breakfast and the potatoes are very yummy! (Oasis class ships)

Enjoy your trip!

 

[mevelandry]

... So we took a blind plunge and booked Oasis of the Seas (7 night) July 2022 today.

I cringed at the thought of booking a vacation when we've done so little research, but everyone was on board for the itinerary and the prospect of getting back on a cruise. This will be the second of two non-Disney vacations we've planned in over a decade and we couldn't be more excited. None of us have been on a cruise since 2006. Our previous ships were Norwegian and Carnival.

It'll be our family of four, with my younger sister turning 21 on our Nassau day. We were looking at Disney Cruise Line for 2022, but we fell down a rabbit hole of RCL tour videos over the weekend and when we priced everything out this afternoon, we just couldn't say no. It's going to be really nice taking a non-theme park based vacation.

I'm our family's Disney planner, I'm not a stranger to research, but would love any pointers anyone can give me about pretty much anything! Oasis, Coco Cay, Packages/Excursions... please let me know anything you'd wish you had known before your first Royal Caribbean cruise!

I haven't sailed on Oasis yet but if we are lucky I'll be on Oasis later this year (fingers crossed).

Packages: I have tried the drink package but I had a hard time making it worth the money because it was hard for me to drink 7 drinks per day (I broke even by drinking too many sparkling water, juices, teas and specialty coffee.) But that's me. I'd say the soft drink package is worth it if you can drink 3 softdrinks/juice/smoothies. Easier to achieve .

Coco Cay: Absolutely amazing. However they raised the price of the waterpark. It's a great waterpark but I don't know that it's worth the price they charge for it now. The gigantic pool was great. The food was fantastic. I used to be a fan of Castaway Cay's Serenity BBQ but CocoCay beats that, IMO.

Excursion: Where are you going?

Staff: Definitely among the best we've had.

What I didn't know before my first RCCL cruise: that RCCL would make it even harder for me to justify DCL's prices.

 

[Robbydj13]

Oasis was my first RCL cruise as well and is what got us hooked to them. Now we wont sail on anything besides Oasis Class ships.

Always book shows as soon as possible. Do the drink package if you plan on drinking, for us, anytime you can find it at 25% - 35% off of normal, book it and don’t look back. There is so much to do every night, but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. The first time we went, we just relaxed and didn’t go to many things besides the main shows, the next time we went to a whole lot more. Now we play it by ear and love seeing and doing different things.
It will seem super crowded the first day, but the crowds spread out after that.

What all ports do you go to?

 

[DizneyNutz]

... So we took a blind plunge and booked Oasis of the Seas (7 night) July 2022 today.

I cringed at the thought of booking a vacation when we've done so little research, but everyone was on board for the itinerary and the prospect of getting back on a cruise. This will be the second of two non-Disney vacations we've planned in over a decade and we couldn't be more excited. None of us have been on a cruise since 2006. Our previous ships were Norwegian and Carnival.

It'll be our family of four, with my younger sister turning 21 on our Nassau day. We were looking at Disney Cruise Line for 2022, but we fell down a rabbit hole of RCL tour videos over the weekend and when we priced everything out this afternoon, we just couldn't say no. It's going to be really nice taking a non-theme park based vacation.

I'm our family's Disney planner, I'm not a stranger to research, but would love any pointers anyone can give me about pretty much anything! Oasis, Coco Cay, Packages/Excursions... please let me know anything you'd wish you had known before your first Royal Caribbean cruise!

Make sure you make reservations for the Aqua Theatre Show. Just don't sit too close (splash zone)! It is a great show with high dives into a very small pool.

Also one evening if you have a few extra minutes, hop on the Rising Tide Bar in the promenade and maybe order a cocktail/ mocktail and ride it up to Central Park. I say evening because the twilight/nightime ambiance is very nice for a stroll through the Park. There are live birds in the park area but they also pipe in cricket sounds and soft music at times. We usually book a Central Park Balcony when we travel on one of these. Have one booked on Harmony for this Thanksgiving.

Park Cafe in Central Park and Solarium Bistro are both good choices if you want a (included) bite for lunch without wanting the huge buffet in Windjammers. We prefer early dining times because it doesn't interfere/ rush you for the evening showtimes.

Want a good laugh attend the Quest show. Usually around 10PM on one night of the cruise. Warning it is more Adult Themed but usually very funny. As others have said, there is so much you can do if you are the take it all in type. Or just chill and relax, it's up to you.

 

[hdrolfe]

Make sure you make reservations for the Aqua Theatre Show. Just don't sit too close (splash zone)! It is a great show with high dives into a very small pool.

Also one evening if you have a few extra minutes, hop on the Rising Tide Bar in the promenade and maybe order a cocktail/ mocktail and ride it up to Central Park. I say evening because the twilight/nightime ambiance is very nice for a stroll through the Park. There are live birds in the park area but they also pipe in cricket sounds and soft music at times. We usually book a Central Park Balcony when we travel on one of these. Have one booked on Harmony for this Thanksgiving.

Park Cafe in Central Park and Solarium Bistro are both good choices if you want a (included) bite for lunch without wanting the huge buffet in Windjammers. We prefer early dining times because it doesn't interfere/ rush you for the evening showtimes.

Want a good laugh attend the Quest show. Usually around 10PM on one night of the cruise. Warning it is more Adult Themed but usually very funny. As others have said, there is so much you can do if you are the take it all in type. Or just chill and relax, it's up to you.

We have a Central park balcony booked on Harmony for December and this has me excited about staying in it! I was wondering if we'd miss the ocean but my son has white noise cricket sounds every night to help him sleep so this is even better lol.

 

[DizneyNutz]

We have a Central park balcony booked on Harmony for December and this has me excited about staying in it! I was wondering if we'd miss the ocean but my son has white noise cricket sounds every night to help him sleep so this is even better lol.

Hard to beat the ambiance of Central Park at night. It is special during the day also but even more so evening and night! This Thanksgiving (providing we get to sail) Will be our 5th (I believe) in a CP Balcony. Not sure if any changes have occurred since the Covid, but in the past they have always given a free bottle of wine and complimentary (limited menu) lunch at either Sabor or Jamie's Italian to Central Park Balcony Guests.

 

[DizneyNutz]

We have a Central park balcony booked on Harmony for December and this has me excited about staying in it! I was wondering if we'd miss the ocean but my son has white noise cricket sounds every night to help him sleep so this is even better lol.

Hard to beat the ambiance of Central Park at night. It is special during the day also but even more so evening and night! This Thanksgiving (providing we get to sail) Will be our 5th (I believe) in a CP Balcony. Not sure if any changes have occurred since the Covid, but in the past they have always given a free bottle of wine and complimentary (limited menu) lunch at either Sabor or Jamie's Italian to Central Park Balcony Guests.

We have a Central park balcony booked on Harmony for December and this has me excited about staying in it! I was wondering if we'd miss the ocean but my son has white noise cricket sounds every night to help him sleep so this is even better lol.

Just be aware when staying in any balcony (inside or Ocean) when you open the sliding door to your balcony, if someone has the entry door open and maybe their hand in the door they could be badly injured. It creates a serious vacuum and will try to slam the heavy entry door shut on anything in the way. So just make sure to be aware, especially if you have younger children who would not expect it and it could surely break bones in a hand/fingers caught in the door. Hope you love the CP Balcony as much as we do.

 

[Robbydj13]

We have a Central park balcony booked on Harmony for December and this has me excited about staying in it! I was wondering if we'd miss the ocean but my son has white noise cricket sounds every night to help him sleep so this is even better lol.

A friend of mine swears by CP balconies. Whereas I have to have ocean view. I see the benefits of both and I’ve always considered looking at a CP or Boardwalk balcony just to people watch but ultimately have booked an ocean view balcony. Maybe one of these days I’ll branch out....

 

[hdrolfe]

A friend of mine swears by CP balconies. Whereas I have to have ocean view. I see the benefits of both and I’ve always considered looking at a CP or Boardwalk balcony just to people watch but ultimately have booked an ocean view balcony. Maybe one of these days I’ll branch out....

We do like ocean view of course but the CP was quite a bit cheaper and I thought we'd give it a try. Better than an inside

 

[DizneyNutz]

A friend of mine swears by CP balconies. Whereas I have to have ocean view. I see the benefits of both and I’ve always considered looking at a CP or Boardwalk balcony just to people watch but ultimately have booked an ocean view balcony. Maybe one of these days I’ll branch out....

I could go with either but watching/ visual of the water moving by tends to increase sea sickness for my wife. Not a problem with the inside balcony. she does fine as long as she doesn't WATCH the water passing by.

 

[Robbydj13]

I could go with either but watching/ visual of the water moving by tends to increase sea sickness for my wife. Not a problem with the inside balcony. she does fine as long as she doesn't WATCH the water passing by.

I get that
Like I said, I keep telling myself to try an inside balcony, I just haven’t yet. Maybe when cruising started back normal I’ll give it a go

 

[DizneyNutz]

I get that
Like I said, I keep telling myself to try an inside balcony, I just haven’t yet. Maybe when cruising started back normal I’ll give it a go

We are booked in a JS on the Port side of the Odyssey for her 14 night Apr. 22 TA. I will just have to be cognizant to not let her focus on the sea when we are out there. Travelling with another couple in room beside us JS also, so not sure how much time we will actually spend on the balcony anyway?

 

[Robbydj13]

We are booked in a JS on the Port side of the Odyssey for her 14 night Apr. 22 TA. I will just have to be cognizant to not let her focus on the sea when we are out there. Travelling with another couple in room beside us JS also, so not sure how much time we will actually spend on the balcony anyway?

Truth be told, I am not sure how much time I really spent on the balcony either. Maybe at night, or between getting ready for dinner, other than that were rarely in the room

 

[Newsies]

Oasis will be an amazing ship for your first RCL cruise. I still haven't been on an Oasis class (have one booked for December... fingers crossed we can go, who knows with all the changes to rules at the moment).

Since you aren't going for awhile watch for sales on packages/excursions. Black Friday/Cyber Monday are usually the best deals for everything from excursions to drink packages or wifi. If you have an adult in the cabin who gets a drink package, all the adults have to so keep that in mind.

Coco Cay, haven't been since the updates. It will depend on what you like to do. If you just want to swim and sit on the beach, that's free. Other stuff will cost. My son wants to do the water slides so I will book the day pass at the water park there.

Since you haven't been before I'd recommend just the regular dining, though you can of course look at the paid packages. Sorry, I don't usually pay to eat so not sure which places on Oasis would be good.

Appreciate this response so much! We're very much looking forward to staying on the Oasis and hoping it will just be the start of a series of great vacations with RCL.

The visibility on Black Friday/Cyber Monday is VERY appreciated here! We'll start planning our excursions now and keep an eye on the prices this fall when they drop. Thank you!!

After 8 Disney Cruises and around 25 stays at WDW we decided to try RCCL on a large ship like Oasis and we haven't looked back. I saw it posted this morning that a person booked TWO oversized adjoining balconies on a 7 night cruise for what Disney wanted for a 4 night single balcony. Check out the link I will put below. it is long (around 45 mins.) but will explain CoCo Cay thoroughly. Also dont get caught up in the Sticker Shock right now for cruise planner items. They will go on sale many times before your cruise. Often Black Friday being one of the best. Also if you purchase the drink package, ie: Beverage Only or the Alcoholic Deluxe PKG , It works at CoCo Cay also, so unlimited drinks on the Island! Two Free Buffets also on the Island. As an example of "deals" we have booked CoCo Beach Club Tix for $40 while right now they are around $189. Water Park Tix for the Huge Slides and wave pool also around $40 and currently $140. Deluxe Beverage ( $45/day) currently $71. You get the idea.

Perfect Day Coco Cay | Full Walkthrough Tour & Review | Royal Caribbean | 4K | 2020 - YouTube

Amazing, AMAZING link!! Thank you for the video, really helps us visualize the island!!

My family hasn't looked back either! We prefer the extra space of adjoining rooms (we often book rooms next to each other and not adjoining for even less) and like being able to buy the packages we want for the extras that are important to us. There is so much to do on the Oasis! Plus the ship is so large that it didn't feel crowded (except trying to take an elevator).

• We didn't find activities crowded like we did on a Disney cruise, so we often would open the app and decide what we wanted to go do in the moment.
• We always stay on the ship in Nassau and enjoy the empty ship.
• At Coco Cay there are plenty of places to sit with umbrellas, so you don't need to spend money for something extra if you don't want to. Also the food is really good (snack shack opens at 10:30) and it's not necessary to pay for the wing place there. My kids loved the water park, but it was alot of steps to climb all day!
• Keep checking for sales for cruise planner items (although they now make it difficult to see price drops on drink packages, so you may have to call to check on this one) and keep good records of your purchases, because if your excursion gets cancelled you may need it to get the right amount refunded.
• Check-in through the App (you may get selected for Expedited boarding, which was awesome)
• Johnny Rockets serves a sit down complimentary breakfast and the potatoes are very yummy! (Oasis class ships)

Enjoy your trip!

Appreciate this so much ... love the idea of Johnny Rockets breakfast!! We're looking at an excursion in Nassau, but thinking about taking your advice and enjoying all the ship has to offer on our Port Canaveral day.

I haven't sailed on Oasis yet but if we are lucky I'll be on Oasis later this year (fingers crossed).

Packages: I have tried the drink package but I had a hard time making it worth the money because it was hard for me to drink 7 drinks per day (I broke even by drinking too many sparkling water, juices, teas and specialty coffee.) But that's me. I'd say the soft drink package is worth it if you can drink 3 softdrinks/juice/smoothies. Easier to achieve .

Coco Cay: Absolutely amazing. However they raised the price of the waterpark. It's a great waterpark but I don't know that it's worth the price they charge for it now. The gigantic pool was great. The food was fantastic. I used to be a fan of Castaway Cay's Serenity BBQ but CocoCay beats that, IMO.

Excursion: Where are you going?

Staff: Definitely among the best we've had.

What I didn't know before my first RCCL cruise: that RCCL would make it even harder for me to justify DCL's prices.

Fingers crossed that your Oasis sailing goes on as planned this year!! Appreciate the advice on the drink packages and Coco Cay.

We're stopping at Port Canaveral, Nassau, and of course, Coco Cay-- we are thinking about enjoying the ship on our Port Canaveral day and checking out Pearl Island in Nassau.

Oasis was my first RCL cruise as well and is what got us hooked to them. Now we wont sail on anything besides Oasis Class ships.

Always book shows as soon as possible. Do the drink package if you plan on drinking, for us, anytime you can find it at 25% - 35% off of normal, book it and don’t look back. There is so much to do every night, but you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to. The first time we went, we just relaxed and didn’t go to many things besides the main shows, the next time we went to a whole lot more. Now we play it by ear and love seeing and doing different things.
It will seem super crowded the first day, but the crowds spread out after that.

What all ports do you go to?

Really amazing advice here, thank you so much! We do want to book shows as soon as we can-- entertainment is still being figured out for our date for obvious reasons, but we'll keep checking back.

We'll be going to Port Canaveral, Nassau, and Coco Cay, but planning on staying on the ship at Port Canaveral.

Make sure you make reservations for the Aqua Theatre Show. Just don't sit too close (splash zone)! It is a great show with high dives into a very small pool.

Also one evening if you have a few extra minutes, hop on the Rising Tide Bar in the promenade and maybe order a cocktail/ mocktail and ride it up to Central Park. I say evening because the twilight/nightime ambiance is very nice for a stroll through the Park. There are live birds in the park area but they also pipe in cricket sounds and soft music at times. We usually book a Central Park Balcony when we travel on one of these. Have one booked on Harmony for this Thanksgiving.

Park Cafe in Central Park and Solarium Bistro are both good choices if you want a (included) bite for lunch without wanting the huge buffet in Windjammers. We prefer early dining times because it doesn't interfere/ rush you for the evening showtimes.

Want a good laugh attend the Quest show. Usually around 10PM on one night of the cruise. Warning it is more Adult Themed but usually very funny. As others have said, there is so much you can do if you are the take it all in type. Or just chill and relax, it's up to you.

Absolutely AMAZING advice here, I appreciate this so much! We are VERY looking forward to Rising Tide, Bionic, and Lime & Coconut so far!

 

[DizneyNutz]

Also Sorrentos Pizza on the esplanade stays open until 1-2am! So if you go to any of the late night venues and need a bite to hold you over till breakfast, this is the place! Last cruise we had an awesome band ( Royal Swedes) and we shut them down most nights for the whole cruise around 1am and would hop next door to Sorrentos for a bite before turning in.

If you have a used gift card laying around or in your wallet, take it along. Just inside your stateroom door is the light switch. You have to insert a card into the top however before the switch will work. You can use your room Key but if you leave the room and forget to pull it, then someone will be taking the long stroll back to get it! Your drinks, purchases, etc. are all done with your card. So if you have a worthless card, you can just insert it into the slot and leave it for the duration and if you forget to pull it at the end no harm. Please still turn off the lights when exiting the room however. Your stateroom attendant will appreciate it.

 

[mevelandry]

Appreciate this response so much! We're very much looking forward to staying on the Oasis and hoping it will just be the start of a series of great vacations with RCL.

The visibility on Black Friday/Cyber Monday is VERY appreciated here! We'll start planning our excursions now and keep an eye on the prices this fall when they drop. Thank you!!



Amazing, AMAZING link!! Thank you for the video, really helps us visualize the island!!



Appreciate this so much ... love the idea of Johnny Rockets breakfast!! We're looking at an excursion in Nassau, but thinking about taking your advice and enjoying all the ship has to offer on our Port Canaveral day.



Fingers crossed that your Oasis sailing goes on as planned this year!! Appreciate the advice on the drink packages and Coco Cay.

We're stopping at Port Canaveral, Nassau, and of course, Coco Cay-- we are thinking about enjoying the ship on our Port Canaveral day and checking out Pearl Island in Nassau.



Really amazing advice here, thank you so much! We do want to book shows as soon as we can-- entertainment is still being figured out for our date for obvious reasons, but we'll keep checking back.

We'll be going to Port Canaveral, Nassau, and Coco Cay, but planning on staying on the ship at Port Canaveral.



Absolutely AMAZING advice here, I appreciate this so much! We are VERY looking forward to Rising Tide, Bionic, and Lime & Coconut so far!

For Nassau, I would recommend Blue Lagoon. It's a little piece of heaven.

 

[Robbydj13]

We have gone to Atlantis in Nassau a 2 or 3 times and done the dolphin encounter (way overpriced, but fun) where we swam with them and hung out in the lagoon for 3-4 hours and it was really cool, and the water park at Atlantis is really fun too, but then again, you have CocoCay for that.