Hello everyone, I wanted to share my feedback with you about the big buzz in the cruise industry these days….the new Royal Caribbean, Oasis of the Seas! She will home-port in Ft Lauderdale all year long. My husband and I had the pleasure to spend two nights onboard during a pre-inaugural travel agent/media familiarization cruise. I have to tell you, I had my doubts about such a large ship….the largest at sea, 225,000 GRT (gross registered tons), up from the Freedom class ships at 160,000 GRT. This ship carries about 6500 passengers plus staff.
I thought, before I cruised…..too big, too many people, a monstrosity I would not really want to cruise on. I thought….why would I every need a ship that large.
Well let me tell you……I was WRONG! This is an innovative ship, she has more to do, more to see, more to experience and more to enjoy then I could in a week. And better yet, she is easy to maneuver (unlike many ships where you must go up and down and all around to get where you want to go).
She has an ice skating rink, basketball court, mini-golf, two flow rider surf simulators, a zip line, a mini-golf course, two rock climbing walls, 5 pools, a spa, a fitness center, a large indoor theater, a comedy club, a jazz club, a piano bar, a pub, a Spanish night club, a Royal Promenade with grand parades, an Aqua Theater, casino, full size carousel, shopping, shopping and shopping (candy store, Pets at Sea store (think Build-A-Bear), kids boutiques, teen boutiques, COACH, Prince and Greene, Willow, etc), two arcades, table tennis, a fabulous kid’s pool area, great kid’s and teen clubs and much more.
This does not even include the two dozen dining venues. Yes, many of them charge a surcharge but what a fabulous selection from the must have cupcake shop on the Royal Promenade, to Johnny Rockets and the Seafood Shack on the Boardwalk, to the Izumi Japanese and Sushi restaurant, to the very upscale 150 Central Park which I hear is absolutely the best with an awesome young chef preparing an indescribable multi-course meal. And, I have never seen a buffet dining area as nice as the one on this ship. The Windjammer Marketplace, as they call it, has windows that face directly out over the boardwalk, the zip line, basketball courts and mini-golf. We sat at the end of the zip line and enjoyed watching the faces of those zooming across the open air zip line 10 decks above the Boardwalk while we ate lunch.
THIS SHIP IS A DESTINATION….
When I am lucky enough to return, I plan to take my kids (15 and 12) although I am sure I will never see them. Did I mention the great teen club? It is located far from the rest of the kid’s clubs and convenient to the sports deck, the Wipe Out cafe (think pizza, hotdogs and soft serve ice cream) and a big arcade. It has enormous bean bags to laze around in (as teen’s like to do), it has a music studio, a gaming area, what looked like a yoga area, and even an outdoor shaded hangout area.
My thoughts on what I will do when I get to enjoy 7 nights….spend a day in each neighborhood. I loved the Boardwalk with the Aqua Theater where they will have shows featuring high divers, synchronized swimmers and much more. The floor of this pool adjusts from being a dry stage to 18 ft deep. How cool is that? I also want to spend more time in Central Park. I didn’t even get a chance to take a ride and have a drink on the Rising Tide bar that floats up and down between Central Park and the Royal Promenade. It looks like a giant new age surfboard! And oh, don’t forget the adults only Solarium with its own pool, two amazing whirlpools that are suspended over the side of the ship, its own “healthy choice” buffet area, lazy lounges and of course, a bar.
And let me mention the accommodations on this ship….you have far more to choose from then every before. Of course, the standard inside, ocean view, balcony and suites but more. How about a balcony that faces the Boardwalk or Central Park, or perhaps an inside overlooking the Royal Promenade. Maybe you prefer a suite…..how about the new 2 level loft suites….they are amazing, especially the Royal Loft suite! I fell in love with the Aqua Theater suite that accommodates up to 8 guests. It has a large balcony that overlooks the ocean on one side and the Aqua Theater and Rock Climbing walls on the other. And there are even a handful of 6 person inside and ocean view cabins for those of you with large families of young children. I think I heard there were 7 onboard so be sure to book these well in advance. They will go fast!
My recommendations when you cruise….book your evening entertainment in advance, before boarding the ship. You can review schedules and options once you have booked. You will be able to do this from your interactive TV in your stateroom but why wait….be sure to get what you want. I especially recommend this for the Comedy club as it only seats about 110 people per show. I also recommend that you don’t wait to book your cruise. This ship is very popular since there is so much buzz and pricing has been going up. If you book early, with Best Cruise Buy, you will get the best selection of cabins, but you will also get the best rates because we keep watching those rates for you on a bi-weekly basis. If the prices drop, we get you the lower rates! No work required on your part to keep an eye out. We are after your best interests because we want to be the agency your refer to your friends and family and the agency you come back to again and again. Don’t forget, we also offer the best available rates Royal Caribbean has to offer and then discount everyone by providing you onboard credit to enjoy on the ship.
Enjoy our pictures by writing to us. We will be happy to send the pics. You can also find our pics on our Facebook page. To link to it, go to the About Us page on our website. Let me know if you have any questions, I’ll be glad to talk about this ship with you anytime. Yes, pricing is kind of high in 2010 but this is like no other ship at sea! It is on my must do list now..다낭 붐붐