Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
8/27/2016-9/3/2016
Summary:
The Ship
Debuting in 2009, Oasis of the Seas ushered in a brand new era in cruising. As the largest class of cruise ship ever built, Oasis offers the 5,000+ cruisers who set sail on her each week a variety of entertainment, dining, and onboard activities. From those looking to relax in comfort, to adventure seekers, to music fans, there is something for everyone onboard. Even though she is the oldest of the three Oasis class ships, Oasis of the Seas should not be overlooked. We were excited to test this ship out after previously sailing on the middle sister, Allure of the Seas, a few years ago. Would this older vessel live up to our fond memories on Allure of the Seas? You will need to continue reading our Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review to find out!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Oasis of the Seas Docked in Labadee, Haiti
Itinerary
Having visited the Eastern Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas in 2016, we were able to make the tour de force and sneak in a Western Caribbean cruise for our last sailing of the year. Visiting popular cruise ports Cozumel, Mexico and Falmouth, Jamaica, we were looking forward to returning to these locales as we had not visited these destinations since 2013. Our itinerary also included a full day at Royal Caribbean’s private island of Labadee, Haiti. As a place we visit quite often, our plans were to sit back, relax, and enjoy the sun and beach.
Highlight
While larger ships may not be for all cruisers, we gravitate toward ships that can provide a wide range of options onboard, and Oasis of the Seas delivers. From the full length Broadway production of CATS, to two different shows in the outdoor Aqua Theater, Comedy shows, Ice Skating, and live music in multiple venues each evening, you have plenty of excuses to stay up late. Your typical cruise parties and themed events are also supersized on this ship, making them worthy of your attendance. Sailing during hurricane season, the venues were never crowded, but we still recommend you pre-book all shows when planning an Oasis of the Seas cruise.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Aqua Theater
What’s Missing
During our sailing, brand new menus were being tested in the main dining room. We are sure Royal is still working out the kinks, but we did feel that these menus lacked cohesion. Selections were somewhat limited, and menu items did not seem to coordinate well through the courses. It is possible that because we sail quite often with the brand, we have grown accustomed to the other menus. Specialty restaurants are available, and we did dine at Chops on one evening. We also tried the relatively new Sabor, a Mexican inspired venue, for some light fare during lunch time. Both specialty restaurants were great, but we did feel the selections in the MDR need a bit more refinement.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Inside the Grande Dining Room
Main Takeaway
Can ships get better with age? It is possible that after 7 years of service, Oasis of the Seas has gone through her growing pains and knows exactly how to deliver a superb mega-ship cruise vacation. It didn’t hurt that we sailed during an off time of year with fewer travelers and essentially none of the crowding issues that you would expect to find on a ship her size. Staff were mostly cordial and attentive, and the ship flow was easy to navigate. The cruise director staff kept game shows, trivia, dance parties, and other onboard activities vibrant with their energy level and enthusiasm. Our main dining room waitstaff, and even our stateroom attendant, always had a smile on their faces and aimed to please. Like a well oiled vessel, from beginning to end, our cruise was fun, entertaining, and never lacking in things to do, see, and eat. After such a smoothly executed trip, we are looking forward to seeing how the newest Oasis class ship, Harmony of the Seas, fairs when we sail on her in a few months.
Read our detailed, day by day Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review…
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
I still can’t convince the Princess to move to Florida. So, we have become accustomed to the early morning alarm on our pre-cruise departure days. This time around, our flight was scheduled for slightly after 6:00am which seemed earlier than usual even for us. With a 2:30am wake up, we were up and ready for the hour drive to the airport. Feeling a bit more prepared for this cruise than our last one- perhaps because we had been planning our Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean cruise for months- we left the house a few minutes earlier than planned. Was this a sign of things to come on this trip?
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Getting to the airport slightly before 5:00am, we had our bags checked, snaked through airport security, and grabbed our iced lattes and scones at Starbucks within 30 minutes. Just another reason why we will always fly through the Providence airport versus Boston. By the time we finished breakfast, the airline was getting ready to board the plane. Nearly flawless execution so far. Then again, it was only the first morning of our vacation. The flight down to Ft. Lauderdale was smooth, and the three hours went by as fast as can be expected. Luckily, there were no storm related issues, even though we were traveling during hurricane season.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Enjoying the Ft. Lauderdale Weather
The Ft. Lauderdale airport was not as busy as usual, and we would find out the following day that Oasis of the Seas was the only ship in port. We had our bags collected in no time, and an Uber arrived within a few minutes of our request. The short ride from the airport to the hotel took around 10 minutes and was very inexpensive. We highly recommend using this car sharing service when exploring Ft. Lauderdale, especially if you do not want to trek around in 90+ degree weather.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Exterior
Wanting to try out a new hotel, we opted for the Hyatt Regency Pier 66. Located on SE 17th Street, this hotel is quite literally within walking distance of the port; although, we don’t recommend that. With some amazing facilities, including one of the nicest pool areas of any hotel, one could easily spend a few pre-cruise or post cruise days at the hotel and never be bored. Arriving at the hotel by 9:45am, our room was not ready yet. While a bummer at first, as the Princess wanted to “touch-up”, the wait ended up being worth it in the end.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Pool Area at Hyatt Regency Pier 66
Making the most of our pre-cruise day, we took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed outside to take some pictures of the hotel’s public areas. After about an hour of exploring the surrounding areas, our room was still not ready. So, we had to move on. We had reservations to take the 1:30pm Jungle Queen Riverboat Cruise. The marina was just under a mile away. Walkable, yes, but not in this hot and humid weather. So, we grabbed a cheap Uber ride. With at least an hour before we needed to check in at the Jungle Queen, we explored the nearby beach/park and found the Starbucks located inside the Marriott Harbor Beach Resort.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Ft. Lauderdale Beach Park
With our additional caffeine, we were now ready to see the homes of the rich and famous. The website for Jungle Queen recommends getting to the pier 45 minutes prior to departure. During the off season, getting there with that much time to spare is not needed. During peak season, we are sure the queue starts adding up even earlier. We checked in and starting boarding right around 1pm.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Jungle Queen
On a boat that can hold 300 passengers, our cruise had probably no more than 50 fellow travelers. Just another benefit of traveling during the off season. Departing on time, our three hour tour included a 90 minute cruise up New River to the company’s private Isle, which has a small animal sanctuary and hosts a dinner on the evening cruise. The trip takes you by some incredible looking, and even more incredibly priced, homes of business executives and entrepreneurs.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Some of the Most Expensive Homes in FL
Due to some difficulties opening one of the 7 drawbridges on the trip, our cruise was unexpectedly cut short. We had to turn around without ever making it to Jungle Isle. Due to some further technical difficulties, read iPhone battery dying, we had to take the 3/4 mile trip back to our hotel on foot rather than by Uber. Adding to the frustration of not getting the full boat tour, we arrived back at the hotel even more hot and sweaty from the unexpected cardio session in the Florida mid-day sun. Around 4:15pm, we now had time to shower and change up before dinner.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Junior Suite at Hyatt Regency Pier 66
Remember I mentioned that our room was worth the wait? Well, that is because the hotel gave us an upgrade to a junior suite balcony with a perfect view of the cruise terminal! The next morning we would get spectacular photos of Oasis of the Seas docked right in front of us!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Balcony with a View
Probably the most spacious hotel room we have ever seen, we made sure to grab plenty of pictures before getting ready for the evening. You know the Princess is a planner, so you shouldn’t be surprised that we had already made dinner reservations. Keeping it low key, we decided to try the Pelican Landing. This outdoor venue, located on site at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66, has been voted as one of the best places in the city to watch the sunset.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Pelican Landing
Having already gotten our fill of the giant yellow marble in the sky for today, we didn’t mind that the partly cloudy conditions blocked the evening’s sunset. The food was good, and the drinks helped ease a long day of travel and unexpected workouts. Next time, we would definitely stop in for a drink and hopefully catch a sunset, but probably get dinner elsewhere.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dinner with a View
If you decide to have dinner at the Pelican Landing, make an Open Table reservation, as you get a table with better views of the waterway. We were finished our dinner by 8:00pm, so what to do now? With all of this time on our hands, and a lovely Ft. Lauderdale evening, there were so many nighttime options to get our vacation started. Instead, we opted for some sleep!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Ft. Lauderdale Skyline
From a combination of heat and exhaustion, we both passed out in our room by 9pm. We were going to need all the energy and focus we could muster for our embarkation day on Oasis of the Seas!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
Normally, we cruise in the winter to escape the cold New England weather. However, in 2015, we took a family cruise in August on Adventure of the Seas as this was the only time that worked for everyone’s schedules. This year, the Princess wanted to add another “summer” cruise to our routine. For this trip, she did not need to do too much convincing. Along with loving the Oasis class ships, another reason we took this cruise was because of the fantastic deal we got on the Junior Suite Balcony room.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Junior Suite Room
Timing the booking of this room with a Royal Caribbean International promotion, in addition to perks from our travel agent, we scored the room for a great fare along with a free internet package, free gratuities, and $600 of onboard credit. Also, along with the 2 Crown and Anchor Society points you get for traveling in a Suite class room, our promotion gave us double points. Meaning we would get a total of 28 points for the sailing, instead of just 14. This cruise would officially make us Diamond members and achieve the Princess’ goal of Diamond before her 35th birthday.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – We Will Be Visiting Here on our Next Cruise
The first day of a cruise is a big deal for any cruiser. For the two of us, it has become almost ritualistic. We have our embarkation day checklist, and Oasis of the Seas was going to be no different. To prepare, we were going to need fuel. Up at 7:30am, I made the jog/power walk to the nearest Starbucks for coffee and breakfast, located slightly over a half mile away. Making the round-trip in 45 minutes was doable; although for those who need their morning java, I would suggest taking an Uber to Starbucks.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – View of Hyatt Regency from Across the Water
Arriving back at the hotel, I was informed by the Princess that we had an amazing view of Oasis of the Seas. Our 7th floor room gave us a perfect vantage point of the ship. Needless to say, several photos were taken of the vessel.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – View of Oasis from our Balcony
It probably doesn’t shock you to know that we already had our Day 1 outfits picked out and ready for those Welcome Aboard pictures. Showered and dressed, travel documents in hand, and a last survey of the room completed, we headed out around 10:00am, slightly later than we had originally intended. Then, add on an extra 5 minutes of getting stuck in the elevator! Not wanting to further delay our morning plans, the shuttle service at the hotel was ready to leave so we just hopped onboard for a cost of $7 a person.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Departing Hyatt Regency Pier 66
The shuttle took about 15 minutes due to traffic delays from disembarking passengers. Once we were dropped off and bags checked with porters, it took 10 minutes to go through security and get checked in. By 10:30am, we were seated in the Suite Lounge waiting area.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Suite Lounge Waiting Area
About 45 minutes later, the terminal crew came by to tell us it was time to board. Besides back-to-back cruisers, we would be among the first to board the ship! Our cruise vacation had officially started. Now, it was time to show Oasis of the Seas what DB and the Princess were made of! Entering in the Promenade, we headed aft to the elevators in the back of the ship. Rising to Deck 15, we began our picture tour of the ship with the pools, as this is one of the only times you will find them empty.
Scoring some great photos of many of the outdoor venues, it was a bit tougher to get photos of the interior bars and lounges as they were starting to fill up with cruisers. We were able to capture the dining rooms and other locations on our close to 2 hour photo tour.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Inside our Dining Room Grande
Before the cruise, our Cruise Planner indicated that the drink packages were 20% off pre-cruise only. Not sure if this was truly the case, and given the sizeable amount of onboard credit we had, we decided to only pre-purchase one drink package. So upon finishing up our pictures around 1:15pm, we stopped by a station on Deck 6 (near the Next Cruises) to get the Princess her Premium Drink Package. We can confirm that prices on the ship were 20% more than what was advertised online.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Booking a Cruise Already?
Hearing about the Cafe Select Coffee Cards offered on previous sailings, this drink package kiosk was also selling the cards. However, we waited until we went to Starbucks, which was our next stop, to make sure the coffee cards on Oasis of the Seas did indeed work at the Princess’ favorite coffee house. Mission accomplished. On our sailing, the coffee cards were $31 (plus service charge) and were good towards basic espresso based drinks at Starbucks, Cafe Promenade, and Park Cafe.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Coffee Cards Work at Starbucks
By now rooms were ready, so it was up to Deck 11 to our first ever suite. O.M.G. We have never stayed in such a large cabin. In fact, our next two cruises are interior rooms. After staying in this Junior Suite, I am not sure how we will manage. All of the additional space, walk-in closet, and sitting area were more than we expected.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Some Extra Room
While here, we noticed our luggage in the hallway, so we wheeled those three bad boys into our room. Somehow, the Princess refrained from wanting to unpack at that moment. After documenting every square inch of the cabin, we left all of our bags and decided to get something to eat.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
This meant we were heading down to Central Park for Park Cafe. Close to 2pm, we were anticipating a large line at Park Cafe, similar to what we experienced on our Allure of the Seas cruise a few years ago. Oddly, the venue was rather quiet. That would be a common theme throughout the cruise. While we did not ask any crew members, we got the feeling the ship was not sold out.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Embarkation Day Lunch
To officially kick-off the eating bonanza that would be this cruise, I went with the famous kummelweck roast beef sandwich. Following lunch, we tried to change one entertainment reservation we made. Our itinerary was changed about three weeks prior to sailing, and this meant that our favorite Love and Marriage Game show was going to be shown at the same time we had reservations for the comedy show.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Outside Comedy Live
Unfortunately, Comedy Live only holds about 130 people, so there were no more reservations left to accommodate a switch. According to the staff member, all Comedy Show reservations were booked up pre-cruise, so make those reservations ASAP. Also, as a Sea Class suite passenger, we had access to Coastal Kitchen for dinner, so we wanted to stop by to look at the menus and possibly make some reservations. The restaurant is located on Deck 17, but you need to swipe your card to get in, and there was no host outside of the restaurant. Later in the week, we would learn that you could call or just “knock” on the door to gain entrance to make reservations. It turns out, we never ended up dining at Coastal Kitchen.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Having essentially done everything on our checklist, it was now time for a drink. Starting our drink around the ship, we hit the outside Sabor Bar in the Boardwalk on Deck 6. It was here that we had our first, and only, DB and the Princess sighting. Caught a bit off guard, we were happy to know that the two fellow cruisers that approached us had read our blog in prep for this cruise.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Expecting to find a signature cocktail menu at this bar, we were disappointed that it only offered the Quenchers at Sea Menu. This small, outdoor bar is different than the bar inside the Sabor restaurant. In the restaurant, there is a specialty drink list with some delicious handcrafted margaritas and other libations. More about those later.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
With our first drinks of the cruise in hand, we decided to venture back to our room to unpack before Muster. Usually a daunting task, with all of the closet space and additional storage, unpacking was smooth and effortless. During the process, Donna, our room attendant, came by to introduce herself. She was very pleasant and a great room attendant. I referred to her as a ninja, as she would sneak in and get our room cleaned in record time.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
By the time we were unpacked, we had to head to the 4pm Muster. Our station was Guest Services on Deck 5. Muster was over before you could blink, and we were up to the Boardwalk for the 4:30pm Dreamworks Sail Away party. Perhaps not the most lively sail away we have ever been to, but it does feature the other Princess sailing on the ship, Princess Fiona and Shrek.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dreamworks Sail Away Party
There can be no comparisons between DB and Shrek made at this time. In usual fashion, we had 6:00pm main dining, so we headed back to our room after sail away to get ready for dinner. Our table assignment was 538 in the Grande restaurant on Deck 4.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Entrance to our Dining Room
This did not mean we had to dress up for dinner every night as Oasis of the Seas never implemented Dynamic Dining, even though the restaurants were converted during dry dock- Silk (on deck 5), The Grande (on deck 4), and American Icon Grill (on deck 3). American Icon Grill is reserved for My Time Dining, and the other two dining rooms are for traditional dining.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Entrance to American Icon Grill
Our wait staff consisted of our Waiter Michael, Assistant Waiter Allan, and Jorge our bar server. They were a great team, and service at dinner was exceptional. This is another reason why the Princess prefers traditional dining as opposed to other “freestyle” setups. Our head waiter was also one of the best that we have had in a long time. He stopped by every night to check on things and would even help out the servers at times by clearing plates.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Drinks at Dinner
With the new menus, we had some old and new offerings. My shrimp appetizer was better than expected with warm and crunchy shrimp in a light coating; however, the beef carpaccio was sub-par. For my entree, the prime rib was prepared well, tender and juicy.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – MDR Dinner 1
The Princess tried the new Waldorf chicken salad which was one of the better salads she would sample on the cruise. Her Chicken Marsala was much different than previous versions of the dish served on Royal, and also different than your traditional presentation of this meal. It did meet the approval of the Princess, even if it was not exactly what she expected.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – MDR Dinner 1
The dessert this evening was hit or miss. While I had ordered the warm chocolate cake from the menu, I was brought the chocolate sensation from the classics menu. It was sweet and paired well with the vanilla ice cream I also ordered. The wife’s cobbler was average at best.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dessert Night 1
Finishing up around 7:30pm, the timing for the first night was as expected. Most of our meals lasted about 75-90 minutes. To continue our drink around the ship, we stopped in at the Schooner Bar, located on deck 6, before heading to the Boardwalk for our Aqua Theater show.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Schooner Bar
This is the only bar on the ship that makes a proper sidecar. There was no live music, rather some trivia was just starting up as we sat down. With so much to do and see, we actually never got to listen to the piano music in the Schooner Bar. Unlike other ships where the Schooner tends to be near the theater, the location on the Oasis class is a bit out of the way, so it doesn’t get as much foot traffic.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Tonight’s entertainment was Oasis of Dreams in the Aqua Theater at 9:30pm, meaning we had less than an hour before we wanted to get to the show. Passengers with reservations can usually get scanned into the show about 30-45 minutes before showtime. Finishing our drinks at the Schooner Bar, we stopped in the Logo Gift shop. Not wanting to miss out on our souvenirs, and looking to spend some of that onboard credit, we got our ship Christmas tree ornament and my ship t-shirt, along with a set of toss pillows that the Princess fell in love with.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Shopping on Night 1
I know, shopping on Day 1! On other cruises, we have been burnt by waiting until later in the cruise to purchase these items only to have them sold out. Not this time around. Running our purchases back to our room, we decided to get a pre-show drink at the Princess’ favorite spot, the Champagne Bar. The dessert cocktails, not the champagne, are her favorites here.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Entrance to Champagne Bar
This time around, she did the Strawberry Cheesecake martini. As if we hadn’t already had enough dessert earlier in the evening. The dessert drinks are $15, 2 dollars above the drink package allotment. You do need to pay the $2 (plus 18%) difference. I tried the Sidecar here, which is covered in the drink package. With no time to spare, we grabbed our drinks and headed to the Aqua Theater. Slightly past 9pm, seats were already filling up for the show.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Round Two of Post Dinner Drinks
These diving shows are weather dependent, so we try to book them earlier in the cruise, when there is less chance of bad weather. This evening, our strategy backfired, as we encountered several passing showers before and during the performance.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
The weather meant the crowd kept getting up and down, and also impacted the duration of the show, which was cut short by at least 15 minutes. We enjoyed what sections of the show we could see, but it did feel a bit disjointed.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Understandably, the safety of the performers is important. It is tough to compare the show to the one we saw on Allure of the Seas, as I feel we did not get the full Oasis of Dreams aqua show experience. Either way, we recommend you check out this diving show.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
The stunts are incredible, and the venue is truly an amazing place to see a show at sea. Now 10:30pm, and slightly wet from sitting in the rain, it was time to call it a night. Luckily, we had 6 more to go!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
With embarkation day completed, our cruise so far was smooth sailing. Taking my orders like a good husband, I was up around 7am to make the most of our first full sea day. I mean, who wants to sleep in on their vacation anyway? As the Princess got ready, I did a loop of the quiet Promenade getting some additional pictures of the inside venues which were packed the day before.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Promenade Rides
The ship was even quieter than I thought it would be given the early hour. That was one trend we found on this cruise- the venues were not as busy as we remembered them being when we sailed on Allure of the Seas back in 2013. Using our new Cafe Select Coffee card, I grabbed us two morning lattes. This is when I learned that you are charged for additions, such as syrup.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Read the Fine Print
In the name of cruise food research, the Princess was determined to eat breakfast and lunch in as many venues as we could on the ship, minus the Windjammer. With so many other venues on Oasis of the Seas, we actually did not end up eating any meals in the Windjammer. For this first morning of the cruise, we decided to eat breakfast at Johnny Rockets.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
A complimentary breakfast venue, this popular hamburger stop is an a la carte restaurant for lunch and dinner. Many cruisers don’t realize right away that breakfast is complimentary here, so we thought it made sense to visit earlier in the cruise to avoid wait times. Arriving around 9am, there were plenty of open seats outside and inside the restaurant.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Service was fast, and we were in and out of the restaurant within 30 minutes The wife had a made to order omelet, and I accidentally ended up ordering only a side of home fries. Breakfast was cooked well and as expected.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Custom Breakfast
Being 9:30am now, the real test was going to be pool chair availability. I was already expecting the Deck 15 chairs to be taken, but to both our surprises, we found plenty of open chairs near the Beach Pool. The perfect location for some sun and tanning. Perhaps the cruise gods were shining down on us this cruise?
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Beach Pool Lounge Chairs
We got to spend about three hours basking in the sun before it was time to be more productive. When you cruise with the Princess, there is a to-do list every day of the trip. Being near lunch time by now, we grabbed a few snacks. Me, I went with my first hot dog of the cruise at the Boardwalk Dog House. A favorite of mine on Allure of the Seas, this snack shack did not disappoint.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
As you might have guessed, the Princess did a slice of pizza from Sorrento’s. Attempting to eat this lunch on the Boardwalk, we ended up encountering a passing shower. We decided to take our food back to the room, along with a drink, instead. When you have the Premium Drink package, you have to make good use of it!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Mid Day Cocktails
With food and drinks in tow, we headed back to our Junior Suite. With a large balcony and additional space, we spent the afternoon going between the outdoors and indoors, working on the blog, checking email, and doing social media until about 3:30pm.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – My Work Station
Tonight was the first of two formal nights, which meant picture studios opened at 5:30pm. The Princess would need two hours of prep time to be ready for her close-up! Plus, we had reservations at Chops for 6:00pm and a show reservation at 8:30pm, so being on time was crucial. I was going to need some caffeine, and bottled water, to keep up with the rest of the evening’s events. Heading to a few bars to grab multiple bottles of water to have in the room, I ended the trip with two iced lattes from Starbucks.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Down to the Promenade for 5:15pm, there were a total of 20 photo stations spread across Decks 3-5, with most studios on the Promenade deck. Given that we have plenty of pictures from our previous cruises, the Princess was more selective on the backgrounds for us to target. This gave us a total of 7 photo stations to hit before our dinner reservation. Done with photos in perfect time, we were able to get to Chops right at 6:00pm.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Inside Chops
Our first time ever eating at this restaurant, we greatly enjoyed our experience. Spending two hours digging through the series of appetizers, entrees, and desserts, it was a bit longer than we expected.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Opting for the filet, I was not disappointed. It was cooked to perfection and served with as many sides as you can ingest. The upcharge for this specialty restaurant was well worth it in my opinion. See our detailed review of Chops coming soon.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
With another passing shower, or more like a downpour, just as we were ready to leave the restaurant, we were escorted out of the restaurant through a back door. Scurrying through the Deck 8 hallway of staterooms, we made our way to the Opal Theater.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Arriving at the Deck 4 entrance of the theater, cruise staff were already letting people with reservations into the venue. Scanning our cards, we got into the theater and found seats at our usual stage left location. With time to kill, we decided to get some drinks. And, even though we had just scarfed down more food than I can remember at Chops, Royal found a way for me to eat (and spend) more.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Set for CATS
In the theater, they now offer fresh popcorn. For $2.50, you can get a personal sized container of this salty snack. It is nearly impossible to resist when you walk into the lobby of the theater and catch the aroma of this addictive stuff.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Tonight’s show was CATS. This is the full theater, Broadway production of CATS running about 2.5 hours, with a brief intermission. Having done no research about the show prior to our sailing, I was not aware of the plot. I was just anticipating some dancing cats.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
And that there was! Personally, the show was not one of my favorites- that title still goes to Mamma Mia on Quantum of the Seas. The Princess enjoyed the show much more than I did. Still, the female leads were excellent, especially the actress who played Grizabella, the glamour cat who sings the standard “Memory”.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
With more people than expected not returning after intermission, we stayed through the entire show which ended around 11:30pm. With little energy left, it was bedtime. We returned to our room to find our first towel animal of the cruise waiting to greet us.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
Coming off a late evening the night before, we decided to follow that up with an even earlier wake up time. After all, the Princess had some additional items on my picture taking list and a new breakfast location to hit before getting off the ship. So, up at 6:30am, I was off on a morning jaunt to get pictures and coffee while the Princess got ready.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Morning on the Boardwalk
Today was our call into Labadee. A perfect beach day was in store, as long as the weather would hold up. Returning from my errands, it was time for me to get ready. I was going to be wearing a bathing suit and t-shirt all day, why did I really need to “get ready”?
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Wanting to be among the first people off the ship, we were at the Park Cafe for 8:30am. Slightly busier than expected, but we still had no problem securing a table outside. Getting a few breakfast sandwiches, we were able to check this venue off the list. It seemed like the breakfast burrito recipe had changed a little, not for the better, or at least it was different than the versions I enjoyed on Quantum and Anthem.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Breakfast Selections at Park Cafe
Having explored Labadee a few times and done many of the top things to do on the island, today’s plan was to keep it low key. For some reason, we usually gravitate towards Adrenaline Beach, all the way down one end of the resort area. Not because it is the nicest beach, that goes to Columbus Cove, but mainly because it is the quietest beach with fewer families.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Getting off the ship, we took several pictures of Oasis of the Seas docked as well as a few more photos of the island. We would eventually find ourselves at our preferred spot about 30 minutes after leaving the ship. Enjoying the hot sun for about two hours, we both needed a break. There is no better way to escape the heat than with a Labadoozie. Yup, somehow I convinced the Princess to get a drink before noon on a cruise.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Two Labadoozies
Sipping on these frozen delights for a while, more shade time was need, as was more rum. So, off to the Artisan Marketplace we headed. Here, we did some shopping for a few new sun dresses and bottles of rum. I will let you figure out who purchased what on this trip.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Adrenaline Beach
Not really in the mood for the barbecue lunch being offered on the island, we decided to head back to the ship around 1pm. This would be the ideal time to try a few offerings at Sabor restaurant.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Outside of Sabor
Among the first people in the restaurant when it opened at 1:30pm, we dove into some margaritas (covered in the Premium Beverage Package) as well as the chips and salsa (which are addictive). The Princess went with the Grand Margarita, and I tried the Simply Perfect. Both were well blended and refreshing on this hot Labadee day.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Now These are Margaritas!
We each tried our own “snack”; although, the small plate vs. entree designation at this restaurant is not an exact science. I went with the pulled pork tacos. A bit salty, but the “build them yourself” aspect let me find the right combination of condiments to pork inside the handmade tortillas. There was plenty of food here to share.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – A Lot of Food at Sabor
The Princess ordered a chicken quesadilla, which according to her report was very cheesy and filling.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Finishing our mid day meal, we headed to the Focus studio to check out our photos from the previous night. We had to use the computer kiosk as the shop was closed at present. The Princess was not overly impressed with many of our photos. Looks like I would save some money on this cruise.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
As the afternoon approached, we were both in need of a pick-me-up. Starbucks and the Cafe Select Card to the rescue. We soon realized that our calculations were way off. We had purchased one card, covering 15 drinks, but in reality, we were each going to need our own card. Not sure if they would continue to sell the cards all cruise or not, I purchased another one before getting our coffees today.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Enjoying our coffees for about a half hour, we went back to our room to enjoy the view and take a few aerial shots of the port.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Views of Labadee
Feeling the desire to workout, I went for an afternoon run today. It was unfortunately the only time during the entire cruise that I did any type of formal workout. Hey, I blame it on my fitbit for dying mid-cruise. Workouts only count if you can share the stats on social media, right?
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Deck 5 Running Track
Coming in from my run, I showered and changed up for dinner. Being a bit behind schedule, we got to dinner around 6:15pm tonight. On night 1, we told our waitstaff that we would not be at dinner night 2 but to save our table as we would be returning after that for the remainder of the cruise.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise – Entrance to our Dining Room
Zipping through dinner rather quickly, we were out of the dining room by 7:30pm. Our bar server, Jorge, was getting to know us, and it would take only one more night before he had our drinks ready for us when we arrived. To keep things simple, we went with a Cosmo and a Manhattan.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Pre-dinner Drinks
Selections for dinner tonight were odd pairings. The Asian Style Pork Tacos tasted like the pork I had earlier in the day doused in a bland sauce on a puffy role. The Tuna Tartar was not very flavorful either.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Asian Style Pork
Good thing my double order of Garlic Tiger Shrimp made up for the under performing starters.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Garlic Shrimp
The Princess fared better tonight as her wedge salad and Chicken Parm were a much better combination.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Chicken Parm, A New Menu Item
Dessert this time around was also more to our liking. It is rare that we both get the same dessert, but when the dessert menu features warm donuts, you have no other choice. Just as delicious as we remembered from Anthem of the Seas, we easily devoured this last course.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dessert Night 3
On to the next stop on our Drink Around the Ship, we got some seats at Boleros. One of the few venues with a specialty cocktail menu on Oasis of the Seas, we each got something different for a change. I went with the Caliente Caipirinha and the Princess, a Royal Borgona. Boleros was filling up with other cruisers quickly. But when an announcement was made that the Cha Cha dance class would be starting soon, that was our cue to exit!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Prior to the cruise, we had booked the 10:30pm comedy show in the small Comedy LIVE venue on deck 4. However, tonight was one of our favorite cruise time activities, the Love and Marriage Show, which was occurring at the same time. After an unsuccessful attempt at switching the reservation earlier in the cruise, we decided to wait in the standby line to see if we could get into the earlier 9pm show. If everything worked out, we would get into this show then race up to the Love and Marriage show.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
But alas, our string of good luck ran out. Arriving at 8:30pm and waiting nearly a half hour, the standby line was cut off at us. With time to kill, we decided to head to On Air. Karaoke would be happening later in the night, but we actually never did catch any live singing.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Instead, we crossed the bar off our drink around the ship and watched the rather interesting Who Wants to Feel Like A Millionaire game show. Not sure if it was the poor translation and technical issues with the activities staff or the actual game show that was more entertaining.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review- Inside On Air
Approaching 10pm when the game show ended, we got to the theater in time to watch a round of Bingo before the Love and Marriage show. Of course, we also ordered a round of the Love Connection frozen cocktails. Watching Bingo was a bit depressing as someone was too late on the Bingo call and actually missed out on winning the $500 jackpot. Too much pressure involved with Bingo!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Love Connections
Never a disappointment, the Love and Marriage show featured three couples- one married a year, one married 32 years, and one married 51 years. The middle couple, from New York, were by far the best part of the show. The husband was hysterical, and the wife was equally comical. Our cruise director, Patricio, was a great M.C. of the show as well. Quick with his banter and one liners, he kept the game show moving along and the crowd engaged.
Oasis of the Seas WesternCaribbean Cruise Review – Contestants of the Love and Marriage Show
Lasting nearly 90 minutes, the game show ended with the oldest couple taking the victory. Approaching our bedtime, we decided to retire for the evening. Upon our return back to the room, there was yet again another towel animal to bid us goodnight.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review -Tonight’s Towel Animal
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
Today was another port day, this time stopping in Falmouth, Jamaica. This meant another itinerary set by the Princess. We had made arrangements to do a shore excursion through Royal Caribbean. Having a change of itinerary, our originally planned 9am tour could not possibly be occurring since we did not arrive in Falmouth, Jamaica until 10:30am now.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise – Docking in Falmouth, Jamaica.
When we inquired at the Shore Excursion desk on Day 2, we were told the tour would start at 11am; however, on day 3, we received a call that our new departure time was now 12pm. Would this time change throw a wrench in the Princess’ plan? Would we have enough time to shop, take pictures of the port, and get back to the ship in time for her pre-dinner routine?
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
The delayed arrival into port did give us some additional time to sleep. Up at 7:30am, the usual morning routine was in full effect. Down to Starbucks to get some iced drinks and some additional pictures of the Boardwalk and indoor venues.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Morning Joe
On the menu for breakfast today was the Wipeout Cafe. We got there slightly after 9:15am to find no line. More importantly, this is the only breakfast stop that offers made to order omelets on Oasis of the Seas. Yup, this is the hidden gem for those who want a custom breakfast and don’t want to be stuck in the main dining room.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Entrance to Wipeout Cafe
Offering a small buffet section, we tossed some side dishes on our plate then placed an order for our custom omelets. The omelets took a bit longer than expected, even though the place was relatively quiet. Finishing up breakfast, we watched the ship sail into port before stopping back at the room to collect our bags so we could be to the gangway when it opened.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Made to Order Breakfast
Exiting the ship around 10:45am was a bit chaotic, but we survived. With about an hour to explore and take pictures, we headed up one side of the port area shops and restaurants. Later in the day, we would get shots of the other parts of the port with less people in them.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Falmouth Port
During our travels, I was able to get a bottle of Appleton Estate Rum, handcrafted in Jamaica. Let’s just say we did not attempt to bring any of the island’s signature “plants” back with us.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Port Stores
Given the crowds and layout of the area, it took us only 45 minutes to get some good shots of the shops, the Margaritaville, and the port. Heading over to the meeting area for our shore excursion by 11:30am, our tour felt a bit unorganized from the beginning.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Margaritaville
Our “tour guide” was not the friendliest, and she seemed a bit indecisive about our departure time and how many people were supposed to be on the tour. Once she had the bus fully loaded, the driver headed off while she waited for the remaining guests. I will not complain about leaving early, but the tour was probably the most poorly executed of all the shore excursions we have ever taken with Royal Caribbean. Presumably, the guide would have given us some narrative if she were on our bus, but she wasn’t, so the bus driver did his best to provide us with some insight into Jamaican history and culture during our short drive to the Martha Brae River.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – A Raft Guide
Located about 10 minutes from the port, the rafting trip itself was enjoyable. We were able to relax on a 30 foot bamboo raft as we were escorted down 3 miles of the river by a friendly raft captain. See our full review coming soon. On the way back from the excursion, some passengers on the tour were asking the bus driver to bring them to a restaurant, but ourselves and a few others wanted to get back to the ship with no unexpected detours. Luckily, we got back to the pier in one piece and over a half hour earlier than expected.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Shops in Falmouth
Upon return, we spent some more time browsing the shops for a souvenir and t-shirts. We had looked earlier in the day and still had no luck. Having purchased a model-sized bamboo raft that could double as a Christmas ornament, it would have to do for this trip to Falmouth. Getting back on the ship around 3pm, we needed a little snack.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – German Dog from Boardwalk Doghouse
Splitting up, just for the sake of eating, I went to the Boardwalk for a hot dog, and the Princess went to Park Cafe for a panini. Again, finding seats in Central Park weren’t an issue. We were able to enjoy our midday snack in the park, complete with some bird chirping sounds and all.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Outdoor Seating in Central Park
No midday snack would be complete without some coffee and dessert too. Going to Starbucks for another round of iced lattes, we also grabbed a few sweets from Cafe Promenade. These tasty treats hit the spot.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Midday Dessert
Approaching 4pm, it was time to head back to the room. While the Princess showered, I picked up a few extra bottles of water as the stash in our room was running low. Tonight, we arrived to dinner on time. Our bar server saw us walking in and gave us a nod, so our drinks were delivered moments after we sat down. Even with the new menu, the Princess was back to her boring Classics meal of a Caesar salad and the roasted chicken tonight.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – MDR Dinner Night 4
I went with an order (or two) of the shrimp cocktail. As usual, the starter was cool and crisp. The cocktail sauce did not have the usual zest though, but I will let that slide. On the waiter’s recommendation, I did the short rib entree, and I am very glad I did. It was the most tender and flavorful beef that I would have in the main dining room all cruise, so do give this dish a try.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Braised Short Rib
Finishing up our dinner, it was time for dessert. The wife did the sweet potato pudding, and I did the warm chocolate cookie with vanilla ice cream. Do I even need to say which one of the desserts was better?
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – The Better of the Two Desserts
Dinner lasted a little over an hour tonight, with excellent service by our waitstaff and bar server. We had made reservations already for tonight’s headliner show. With some time to kill, we ventured through the casino, another venue that seemed pretty empty all cruise. Finding a slot machine that tickled the Princess’ fancy, we spent about 45 minutes riding the wave up and down.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Casino Entrance
Down only about $15, we made our exit to get seats for the show. The headliner this cruise was an a Capella group called VoicePlay. Similar to Mo5aic that we had recently seen on Anthem of the Seas, these performers recreated all sounds purely with their voices. I particularly liked the show production, selection of songs, and arrangement.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – VoicePlay
The wife preferred Mo5asic, mainly because of the song choices I think. Still, we agreed that tonight’s group was one of the better headliner performers we have seen on a cruise ship to date. With a great vocal range, a little bit of comedy, and amazing talent, you should definitely check out VoicePlay’s performance. Finishing up right around 9:30pm, we timed our departure perfectly to take a ride on the Rising Tide Bar. Such a trip would not be complete without a couple of signature cocktails.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Rising Tide Bar Mid-Flight
Our minds are a bit hazy of the menu at the Rising Tide Bar on Allure of the Seas when we sailed back in 2013, but now the bar serves a menu very similar to the R Bar found on other Royal Caribbean ships. In fact, the cover of the menu even says R Bar. Rising up and down 3 decks in about 30 minutes, we checked in at the 80’s party in Studio B next. Playing the top hits of the decade, we rocked out (in our seats) to the “classics” of Michael Jackson, Journey, Bon Jovi, and more until about 10:45pm.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – 80’s Party
Our evening was not over yet though. The Princess had more on her agenda; if we were going to finish this drink around the ship, I guess we better keep drinking. Taking things outdoors, we got to the Trellis Bar just before it closed at 11pm. Getting our last round of drinks for the evening, we were able to enjoy a night in Central Park and score some lovely nighttime pictures too.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Trellis Bar Drinks
Before retiring, we took the elevators (even I was not going to take the stairs in this condition) up to Deck 15 to grab some nighttime aerial shots of Central Park and the Pool Deck.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Night Time Shots
Nearly exhausting our camera’s memory card, it was time for bed. Descending the few decks down to our room, we returned to find this guy wishing us a good night.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – More Towel Animals!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
Retiring close to midnight last evening, we decided to “sleep in” a bit until 7:30am. Another sea day ahead, we decided to give the Main Dining room breakfast a go this morning. Getting ready in some beach attire, our first stop was Starbucks, of course, for iced lattes.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Inside American Icon Grill
Down on Deck 3, we arrived at American Icon Grill about 9:30am. Here, you can opt for sit down breakfast or a buffet. We requested to be seated in the sit down breakfast area, which was quite busy. Now we knew where all the other passengers had been all cruise.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Breakfast
Service was slow this morning, and the eggs and omelets were on par with what we had at the Wipeout Cafe earlier in the cruise. Although, the French Toast and Strawberry Pancakes were standouts.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – French Toast
Already Day 5, we took our first pass at the mini-golf course after breakfast. Another tradition of sorts, the Princess and I like to battle it out for mini-golf champion each cruise. Today, neither of us were really all that good, and we couldn’t even blame it on the wind. In the end, victory was mine!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Mini Golf Attire
Crowds were gathering at the Flowriders, so we decided to watch others give the surfing and body boarding a run. One day, I am going to learn how to do the stand-up surfing. After some entertainment and additional picture taking, we ventured off to find the “secret” sun deck on Deck 14.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Staff Flowrider Demonstration
Heading forward on Deck 14 portside, you will find the secret Sun Deck, which also contains the “wings”. These viewing platforms hang over the sides of the ship and give you a view of the ocean that only compares to if you were actually on the bridge. If you must, recreate the “King of the World” pose, or just marvel at the views. There was literally only one person here when we visited, so you might want to get a lounge chair and hide away here for a couple hours.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Deck 14 Wings
All of this “work” and it was still before noon. Time for a drink! Continuing our drink around the ship, we grabbed two frozen drinks around 11:30am from the Pool Bar on Deck 15, portside. Note, this is the smoking section of the ship. Grabbing our normal photos and taking a few sips, it was time to head down to the Boardwalk.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Drink Time
There was some daytime entertainment happening here that we were not going to miss! Getting to the Aqua Theater around noon, we got some center seats for the 12:15pm comedy dive show, Splish Splash. A bit “theme park” like in nature, the show did feature some great aerial feats from the divers and synchronized swimmers.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
With almost non-stop diving and action, the show might have been over the top, but it was more memorable to me than our performance of Oasis of Dreams. What it lacked in artistic expression, it made up for in pure adrenaline and acrobatics. This show lasted about 30 minutes and ended with the announcement that signups for the Belly Flop contest were beginning.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
Yes, back to back cruise ship craziness. Always a delight, this cruise’s Belly Flop contest lived up to the usual display of pain inducing, face first flops. Patricio did a fine job of hosting the event. A very charismatic CD, he always kept the activity moving. Not to mention, he loved to reference Family Guy.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – The Cruise Director
Today’s competition consisted of a rather “light” group of gentlemen. The eventual winner was actually in pretty good shape, but went full out flop to win the crowd over. Nothing helps you work up an appetite like watching others’ “physical activity”. Lunch time!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Going For the Glory
Getting a few snacks at the Cafe Promenade and Sorrento’s, I was able to convince the Princess to go back to Deck 16 to get some sun. Arriving around 2pm, we were amazed to find a sea of open lounge chairs. Getting two chairs in direct sun, next to the bar, we soaked up some rays for about an hour.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Okay, Maybe it Wasn’t This Empty
During this time, we grabbed some drinks at the Sky Bar, slowly crossing off more establishments on our Drink Around the Ship. Having our fill of the sun by about 3pm, it was time for a break and some blogging back in the room. I made use of the balcony to continue some writing, while the wife enjoyed the air conditioned room and did some social media.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Sky Bar
Her time was cut short due to formal night, meaning she had to get ready for pictures. Not being a fan of any of the photos from the first formal night, she was determined to get down to the Promenade early to take even more pictures. Needing close to two hours to ensure every eye lash was curled and every hair was perfectly straightened, we got down to the Promenade by 5:20pm.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Formal Night 2
A few more families and couples were taking pictures tonight, but the crowds were still manageable. Taking about the same number of photos as we did the first night, we were at dinner a little after 6:00pm.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Cheers to Formal Night
Formal night means one thing to most cruisers- lobster! Of course, you have to start with apps as well. Tonight, we both tried the vidalia onion tart. This tasty quiche-like app is served room temperature and is lighter than it looks.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – A Cruiser Favorite
I also did the insalata Caprese, which was okay. I really missed the balsamic that is normally paired with this dish. The mozzarella too was just okay, the right consistency but lacking flavor.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – A Salad on a Cruise?
This cruise, I behaved myself when it came to ordering. For some reason, the Princess makes it a point to tell each waiter that my “record” of lobster tails is 4. It is like she is daring me to eat more. Well, no luck tonight as I was more than content with my meager display of only a couple of lobster tails.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Caribbean Lobster Tail
The Princess went with the cheese tortelloni which came in a cream sauce. Good but small, she had plenty of room for the double dose of dessert tonight.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – MDR Dinner Night 5
Along with some special desserts presented to us by the kitchen staff, we of course also got our normal portions. This meant the Princess could get her favorite Baked Alaska, and I went with the Chocolate Molten Cake. Both were quite tasty.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Princess Approved Dessert
Our show reservations tonight were for the 8:30pm ice show, always a highlight of any Royal Caribbean cruise. Finishing dinner in about 90 minutes, there was still time to spare. Holding on to the slot machine ticket from the other day, we again wandered into a relatively quiet casino. Unable to muster up a win, we walked away down about $100 in 30 minutes. Good thing we had a show to catch, or we could have lost even more money!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Inside Studio B
When we arrived at Studio B, the seats in the center were mostly taken, so we sat on the Starboard side, next to the bar. There was a pole slightly blocking our view, but the seats were fine. Frozen in Time was the name of this production. It featured recreations of fairy tales written by Hans Christian Andersen including The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, and the Ugly Duckling.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Frozen in Time
The skaters were excellent, and the choreography, given the small stage, was impressive. The music and costumes definitely made the show; we recommend you reserve tickets to see this show during your sailing on Oasis of the Seas. One of the featured performers was a sand artist who almost stole the show from the skaters.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Special Guest Artist
Following Frozen in Time, it was a mad dash up to the Promenade for another Royal Caribbean staple, the 70’s Disco Party. Complete with bell bottoms and the Macho Man, this regular cruise event is always fun and well attended. Who doesn’t like singing along to the songs of ABBA and the Village People? We suggest getting seats near the Cafe Promenade for the best views of everything.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – 70’s Selfies
The 70’s party was about 45 minutes, culminating in a “Love Train” of passengers parading down the Promenade. Following the Disco Party, the Promenade was now packed. Sneaking into the Pub, we got a round of drinks to cross this venue off our Drink around the Ship and listen to the performer, Scott, play a few songs. A decent vocalist and guitarist, the song selection was a bit more 60’s and Motown than I was expecting though.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Globe and Atlas Pub
With neither one of us liking our drinks, we decided to abandon them and move on. Another perk of getting a drink package! We ventured next door, but it was standing room only in On Air, and karaoke hadn’t even started yet. In fact, the crowd was singing along to the music in the background. These people were eager! With no place to go and drinks still to be had, we headed up to Deck 8 to Dazzles around 11pm.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Entrance to Dazzles
The House band was in full effect playing live 70’s music when we arrived. No seats were available on the lower level, but we scored some balcony seats and ordered a round of our usual drinks. This band was serious, playing music straight for close to 45 minutes with no breaks.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Non Stop 70’s Music
Finally, we had enough of the 1970’s, so we called it night around midnight. Returning to our room, we had become accustomed to meeting our new towel animal friend of the day. Tonight, we were greeted with this impressive display for our anniversary.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Love Swan Towel Animals
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
A rather late night for us the previous evening, we were up early today as it was our last port of call. We hadn’t visited Cozumel, Mexico since our cruise on Allure of the Seas in 2013. Interestingly, we will be returning to the island twice more in the next 16 months on two other mega ships. There are only so many places in the world that these vessels can dock.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Oasis Docked in Cozumel
Given our future sailings, we opted for something low key this time around. Using a credit we had with Shore Excursions Group, we purchased passes to the Chankanaab Beach Park. Located a short drive from the pier, this park offers a variety of activities from the Dolphin Discovery zone, to zip lines, to some great snorkeling right off the coast. We were determined to get there as soon as we could get off the ship to make the most of our day.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Welcome to the Park
Our ship was expected to arrive at 8am (ship’s time) with clearance around 8:30am, 7:30am local time. To ensure we had breakfast and were off the ship in a timely manner, the Princess decided we should get room service. Our food was slated to arrive between 7am and 7:30am. It couldn’t have been timed any better as we received a call at 7:15am that our food was on the way. A few moments later, there was a knock on the door to deliver our food.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Room Service Delivery
Devouring our breakfast, even though neither one of claimed to be all that hungry, I ran down to Starbucks for our morning lattes. During my travels, the Princess got some nice pictures of us pulling into port, including lovely shots of Royal’s “newest” ship, Empress of the Seas. She looked so little next to her big cousin, Oasis of the Seas.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Empress of the Seas
Later in the day, we would grab some comparison shots of the two ships next to each other. You can truly appreciate the mammoth size of Oasis when comparing her to these other much smaller ships. There were also a few Carnival ships in port so we were able to grab a few shots of those too. Mexican officials cleared the ship a little past 8:30am, and we (along with a vast majority of our fellow passengers) were off the ship before 9am.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Carnival Ships
Snaking through the port area, you find a series of typical souvenir shops with liquor, t-shirts, and the like. Not sure why, but the stores in Cozumel have the most obscene, but often hilarious, t-shirts. Not that the Princess would let me buy any of them though. Within a few minutes, we were already in the taxi line. The fares are set prices for 1 to 4 people, and prices are advertised in pesos and USD on a large sign. Be sure to note the price for the location you are heading and confirm the price with the driver before leaving the port.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Entrance to Chanknaab Beach
The $12 cab ride to Chankanaab took probably about 12 minutes. We arrived to the park which was already open but relatively quiet. We would spend from 9:30am to 1:30pm exploring the grounds and mostly relaxing under a thatch umbrella. I know, tough life! I did rent some snorkel equipment for $10 and spent about an hour exploring the reef right off the beach. It has been a while since I last went snorkeling, so it felt great to be back in the water.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – This Sums it All Up!
At 1:30pm, we caught the Sea Lion show, which is complimentary and part of the park admission. Starting later than the scheduled time, we were heading out of the park a little after 2pm. Upon our exit, we were able to negotiate down the price of our “Welcome to the Park” photo quite easily. Read our full review of Chankanaab Beach Park coming soon.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Sea Lion Show
Taxis are lined up in the parking lot ready to go, so there is no worry about getting transportation back to the pier. Back at International Pier by 2:15pm, we explored the shops and took some pictures for about an hour, purchasing another Cozumel t-shirt and Christmas ornament in the process. Boarding the ship around 3:15pm, we were in food no man’s land.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – When in Cozumel?!?
Ultimately, we decided that a second round of Sabor would be a good snack to hold us over until dinner. Hey, we were in Mexico, so why not get some margaritas with chips and salsa? We could see why this place was a fan favorite. Our drinks were equally as refreshing as our previous visit a few days earlier.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – More Margaritas
My small plate of calamari was anything but small and really hit the spot. The wife’s chicken empanadas were also well prepared, but for an entree, they were a bit small and overpriced. Finishing up our “snack” by 4:30pm, we got coffee and headed back to the room to get ready for dinner. Tonight’s attire was White Night.
Being a little behind schedule, we got to dinner about 15 minutes late. Dinner tonight featured one of my favorite apps, the Maryland style crab cake. While different than usual, the starter was flavorful, with a solid offering of crab and bread crumb stuffing.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Crab Cake
For dinner, I did the the strip steak from the Classics menu. None of the other menu items were speaking to me this evening. The steak was pretty average and lacked seasoning.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Strip Steak
The wife went with her pretty plain and typical dinner again tonight. For an app, she tried the Burrata salad, which was a healthy dose of cheese on top of a few strands of arugula and a couple tomatoes. Even a bit too much cheese for her.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – MDR Dinner Day 6
For her main entree, she did the spinach and ricotta ravioli. Luckily, they were not too heavy, and the portion was not overwhelming. After all, we needed room for dessert.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Princess’ Dinner Night 6
If there was one dining let down this cruise, it would have to be tonight’s dessert. We had high hopes for the new profiteroles on the menu. We had these at Le Bistro on Norwegian Escape earlier this year, and they were amazing. Royal’s version definitely needs some work; they were obviously frozen, like a rock, making them possible to eat.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dessert
Our servers were great as usual, getting us out of the dining room by 7:30pm. By now you know, we were planning on seeing a show tonight. However, given that we skipped the Comedy Show on Day 3 for the Love and Marriage show, we were going to switch up our show times so we could try, one last time, to go stand-by at Comedy Live. Royal Caribbean had been kind enough to give us VIP access to the shows (this works for everything except the Comedy Live).
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Showtime
Instead of waiting for our 10pm scheduled performance of Come Fly with Me in the main theater, we used our VIP sticker to get into the earlier showing at 8pm. Probably our favorite show of the cruise, Come Fly with Me is an ode to fun, fantasy, and escape complete with singing, dancing, aerial acrobats, and amazing stage props and effects.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Come Fly With Me
Ending right before 9pm, the Princess had the bright idea to try the standby line for the 9pm comedy show. As our luck would have it, again, the line was cut off at us. Not to be dismayed, we would return again around 10pm for the 10:30pm showing. If there was ever a chance to get in, it would probably be now as the Quest was occurring simultaneously.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Day Time Shot of Vintages
In the meantime, we headed up a few flights to Central Park to get two glasses of wine and check Vintages off the list. There was only one other couple inside the lounge when we arrived. Not really sure why Royal keeps putting this venue on their ships as it is never busy. Sipping our wine and reviewing the day for a few, we needed a more lively atmosphere if we were going to stay awake.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Inside Vintages on Oasis of the Seas
With the White Party slated to started at 9:45pm on the Promenade, we decided to review our photos from the night before in Focus. Plus, this would be a good viewing spot for the popular event. Adding a few photos to the maybe pile, we were a bit let down by the White Party. It turned out to be just one large line dancing event on the Promenade. So, we grabbed a few cocktails at the Champagne Bar and made our way back down to Comedy LIVE.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – More Cocktails at Champagne Bar
Would the third time be the charm? Would we finally get to see the comedy show? Securing a good position in the standby line around 10pm, this time we would actually get into the club and get pretty decent seats.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Inside Comedy Club
This meant we had to finish our drinks quickly so we could get another round of drinks in the club before the show started. Our two comedians were Robbie Printz and Andrew Kennedy. We really enjoyed the show, though liked the first comedian better as his material was funnier and much more appropriate for a cruise audience. It didn’t hurt that he was from Boston either! Stay tuned for our entertainment guide coming soon.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review
The show wrapped up around 11:30pm, and we were ready to call it a night as well. After all of the late evening drinks, there was no way we were walking up 7 flights of stairs. Good thing there was virtually no wait time for an elevator. We were back to Deck 11 quickly and were greeted by our last towel animal of the cruise.
Oasis of the Sea Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Our Towel Animal Family
With only one more night to go, our cruise was coming to an end.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
Unfortunately, today was the last full day of our cruise. Typically, we have encountered not so great weather on our last day at sea. Don’t ask us why, perhaps the cruise gods are trying to tell us we need to stay onboard longer?
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Entrance to Solarium Bistro
First on the Princess’ list today was breakfast at the Solarium Bistro. The Solarium Bistro on Oasis of the Seas was different than when we sailed on Allure in 2013. Essentially, it has become just a smaller, and less stocked, version of the Windjammer in a more tranquil location.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Breakfast
Scooping up a few items, just to say we “ate” there, neither of us were very impressed with the offerings. Our suggestion is to skip this place and go to the Wipeout Cafe instead. Good thing we did not have a heavy breakfast because next on the list was a zip line ride. Opening right at 9:30am, we were among the first in line. Before riding, I needed to sign the waiver and get a wristband.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Suited Up for the Zip Line
All suited up, I was on the platform in no time. I took off down the 80+ foot zip line only to hear “Oh, you have to do it again; the picture did not come out”. Really? By this time, there was a line, so I had to get unsuited, get back in line, and wait another 10 minutes or so to do it again. Thankfully, the Princess was able to snap a usable picture this time.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Zip Line Photo!
To round out our drink around the ship, we had to suck down many more cocktails today. Going for a record of the earliest drink on a cruise, we got Mimosas at the Wipeout Bar around 10am. Photos were necessary to capture this! We definitely suggest grabbing a drink here and enjoying the wake views all the way aft of the ship.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Cheers to the Last Day
Next up was a ride on the Carousel. Not opening until 10:30am, we browsed the nearby shops for a few minutes and ended up buying a “captain’s” t-shirt for our nephew. He will probably never go on a cruise, or wear the shirt, but we thought it was cool. With drinks done, and more money spent, we took a few spins on the Carousel to get some selfies. Yes, even us big kids need carousel selfies.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Selfie on a Carousel
After a few spins, it was now on to the photo gallery to purchase our pictures. After more careful consideration, we ended up with just two photos, using our buy one, get one 50% discount. This was a far cry from a few years ago when I would have to buy the all inclusive digital package for hundreds of dollars.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Checkout at Photo Studio
Approaching 11:30am now, we had a few lunch menu photos that we still needed to take. From Central Park to the Solarium Bistro, we snapped photos of all the necessary specialty restaurant menus. Then, it was on to the Mast Bar, Deck 16 port side, to get another round of drinks for our Drink Around the Ship.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Crew at Mast Bar
Trying to change things up, I went with a rum runner. The Princess had been craving the frozen drink that Royal Caribbean used to offer, which she thought was called an “electric lemonade”. But she did not end up with a Frozen Lemonade like she remembered; instead, it was a much more potent drink filled with booze.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Another Round of Drinks
While she sipped her drink, I took a self guided tour of the Windjammer Buffet. For a ship this size, the Windjammer is a bit small. When the ship is at capacity, I could easily see how navigating this restaurant at peak times could be difficult. Seeing all of this food was making me hungry. So, next on the agenda was sit down lunch at the main dining room.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Main Dining Room Lobby
The surprise here was the fancy salad bar spread. This salad bar and tapas area were a pleasant addition to the sit down menu. Again, there were also entree offerings served buffet style if you did not want to order off the sit down menu.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Some Tapas
We both ordered entrees to compliment our made to order salads; though the entrees were just okay. The fries with my steak frites were probably the best part. We wish that we had discovered the salad bar offering sooner as it would have made for a great lunch all by itself.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Steak for Lunch
Finishing up lunch around 1pm, we stumbled upon the $10 t-shirt sale. How did we miss this? Miraculously, one of the t-shirts I had been trying to acquire for quite some time was still available in my size! With plans to get pictures with Skrek and Fiona at 1:15pm, I ended up waiting close to 30 minutes to make my purchase.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review
While I waited in line, the Princess had time to take her own selfies with Shrek and Fiona and get back in line where I was able to meet her for a second round of photos. It was a close call, but we pulled it off.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dreamworks Photo Op
With decent weather, we needed to cap the afternoon off with more drinks on our list at the Solarium Bar. Getting our last frozen drinks of the cruise, we relaxed in the tranquil area for about an hour and a half. The Princess doesn’t usually tolerate the humidity in the Solarium well, but the weather here was quite perfect today.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – One of the Last Bars on Our List
To prepare for the last evening, we went to get some iced lattes around 3pm. And needing some change for tips, we went to the casino to break some larger bills. Knowing the Princess could not resist one more round on her Alice in Wonderland slot machine, I gave her some money for a third and final battle while I went to get change. Upon returning from the cage, I came back to witness a few “big wins”. Going up and down for close to an hour, she walked away up a couple hundred bucks for that session, making us exactly even for gambling on the cruise.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Come On Down
Needing to pack and get ready for dinner, we were back to the room for 4pm. All the extra space of the Junior Suite made the usually difficult task of packing rather easy. With our luggage mostly set, we changed up and were to dinner slightly after 6pm.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Waitstaff Shenanigans
Tonight’s dinner featured the Princess’ favorite Turkey Dinner entree, which she accompanied with a Caesar salad. With a slightly different presentation than usual, it was still tasty. Not to bother our waiters, but she also added a side of mashed potatoes to truly complete this Thanksgiving style dinner.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Turkey Dinner
Having had my fill of multiple entrees and starters for the week, I went simple tonight. First up was the crispy coconut shrimp app. While similar to the shrimp starter on the first day, this was one of my favorite apps. Warm, crispy, and just a hint of coconut in the breading.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – My App on the Last Night
Then, it was the braised lamb shank for my main course. Yes, only one entree tonight! It was very tender and slid right off the bone. I was very glad I opted for this as my last entree on the ship.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Final Entree
Not that we needed dessert, but it was our final night of the cruise. With nothing striking our interests, we went with some basic desserts tonight. Me, I did the apple pie, with extra vanilla ice cream (courtesy of our waiter, Michael).
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dessert Night 7
The Princess got the strawberry trifle which was layers of cheese with a strawberry sauce on the bottom. It was light and sweet, but probably not something she would order again.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Final Dessert
For the last night, the waiters were extra cheerful and full of smiles, complete with the parade and music to wish us well on our trip back home. Wanting to catch the other parade down on the Royal Promenade, we caught our waiters in mid “dance” to give them a little something extra for their amazing work all week.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Our Waiters Hamming it Up!
Arriving at the Promenade for the Move it, Move it Parade, we were able to squeeze into a viewing area near the Rising Tide Bar. Advice: Set up shop near Sorrento’s or the Pub as this is where most of the parade action is. Getting a few photos of the parade and the Dreamworks characters, our final night of the cruise was winding down.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dreamworks Parade
With good timing, we were able to hop on at the Rising Tide Bar for one last trip. While there, we struck up a conversation with a couple who were fans of Princess and Celebrity. They were quite the pair, discussing the over 40 cruises they had been on over the years. We will get there someday!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Rising Tide Drinks
Back down on the Promenade, we went to the Schooner Bar to get drinks and listen to some piano music. Drinks we scored, but live music, not so much. It was past 9:30pm, and the musician, Kim, hadn’t started playing yet. With drinks finished, we abandoned our attempts to hear some music and went to the theater for the final comedy show instead.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – No Piano Music Yet?
The same two comedians featured in Comedy LIVE were performing here tonight with no reservations required. While it’s advertised as being the same show, we would say that approximately half of the material was the same with some new jokes sprinkled in for those repeat customers. Perhaps it was the venue, but neither comedian seemed as funny tonight as they were in the comedy club.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Jazz on 4
The show wrapped up around 11pm, perfect timing for us to sit and listen to the Jazz band in Jazz on 4. This venue is hit or miss. It is often used for private events and only has live music on select nights. Jazz is not really our thing, but the performers were solid. With another round of drinks, that we didn’t really even need, we relaxed here for about a half hour. Then, it was time for our last stop on this quest, our final drinks of the cruise at Blaze, the nightclub.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Inside Blaze
Neither of us are nightclub people, but it is a bar, and we needed to complete our drink around the ship. Being relatively “early” for some, the club was not overly busy. We got two drinks…and two seats. Watching the very odd mix of passengers was entertaining for a while. But alas, as midnight approached, we knew that our 6am alarm clock would be ringing very soon.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Dance Floor of Blaze
Taking our final cruise drinks with us, we took an elevator up to our room, only to find that our towel animal farm had been confiscated. This was our stateroom attendant’s message to us that our cruise was over.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review 2016
Disembarkation day- the worst day of any cruise. Gloomy and depressed cruisers all packed and ready to leave the ship, while thousands of eager travelers are waiting to board. Such an opposing dynamic. One day, we will do a back-to-back cruise so we can experience what it is like to leave and get right back onboard again. Our alarm was set for 6am, as unassisted checkout would start at 6am and proceed until 8am.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – No More of These for a While
Our scheduled flight was not until 5:50pm, so we were not technically in a rush to get off. Yes, Southwest had done it to us again! Still, our plans were to explore more of Ft. Lauderdale and enjoy as much as we could before our vacation was officially over.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Ft. Lauderdale
Successfully eating at every breakfast venue, and feeling stuffed beyond belief, we were both fine grabbing a quick bite from Park Cafe this morning before disembarking. As the Princess got ready, I went down to Starbucks and used two more of our drinks from the Cafe Select Espresso Card.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review- We Will Miss This Card!
Drinks in hand, I thanked them for the service all week and provided an extra gratuity. We ended up with three drinks left on the card, but it was still a great value. Back upstairs, I jumped in the shower and was ready pretty quickly. We were going to be in the hot and humid Florida sun for the remainder of the day. Did I really need to look all that appealing? We left our luggage to go to down to Central Park by 7:30am.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – No More Breakfast at Park Cafe for a While
With a decent crowd, we were still able to get breakfast sandwiches rather easily to hold us over for the day. Back to the room for last minute packing, we were on our way by about 8am.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – The End!
It took virtually no time to get an elevator, all to ourselves no less. Down to Deck 5 with our three pieces of luggage, we were off the ship within 5 minutes. Weaving through the line, we were through Customs and at a taxi stand in about 30 minutes. This was a very smooth and easy disembarkation, unlike some of our other cruises this year. We got a taxi to Hyatt Regency Pier 66, where we had stayed the day prior to our cruise, as the hotel staff had indicated that we could leave our bags there given our late day flight.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Back to Where it all Started!
Taxi rides leaving the port have a minimum charge of $10, even though the meter ran just over $7. Nothing we could do about that as we were certainly not going to walk from the pier to the hotel with all these bags. Checking the bags with the hotel, we were ready to grab a water taxi and start exploring. But, then it started to pour. For about an hour, we were stuck in the hotel lobby as the “passing” thunderstorm continued.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Welcome Aboard
Finally the rain stopped, and with tickets in hand, we caught a 10:45am water taxi at stop 6, right over the bridge from our hotel. Although, it was a farther walk than the Princess expected. Taking the Taxi to stop 4 on New River, we got off to explore the hip shopping area of Las Olas.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Some Window Shopping
We walked by the quaint stores and art galleries but weren’t really in the mood to do any high end shopping. But, we are always in the mood to eat! La Bonne Crepe is a restaurant in Las Olas that the Princess had heard good things about. Why not give it a try? Knocking out two entree crepes and sharing a dessert, we were very glad we decided to eat here. The food was scrumptious. We suggest taking a ride over to Las Olas in Ft. Lauderdale, if for nothing more than the food.
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Lunch Stop
Getting back to the Water Taxi stand, we headed uptown to walk around the beach and “strip” for about a half hour. With the sun beating down on us, and full of crepes, we were ready to get into some air conditioning. Hailing an Uber instead of taking the Water Taxi back, we returned to the hotel around 2:30pm. With a quick touch up, we grabbed our luggage and requested another Uber to the airport. Probably the quietest we had seen Terminal B in a while, we used one of the self check-in kiosks to check our luggage and print our boarding tickets. Having done our check-in on my phone, and paid the $15 additional for priority seating, we were in the A group for boarding. No worries there!
Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise Review – Already Missing These Views
With a couple of hours to kill, we checked our email, did some social media, and called family. Boarding started a little past 5pm, and we were on the plane and on our way home in no time. For the most part, our ride home was smooth, minus the last 40 minutes or so when we encountered some turbulence. Back home to Providence Airport about twenty minutes ahead of schedule, we collected our luggage and hopped on the shuttle bus to the parking lot.
We Will Need to Wait for our Next Cruise on Harmony of the Seas in Jan 2017!
In our car and on the highway, we were home by about 9:30pm. No laundry or unpacking tonight. We were both exhausted, so it was straight to bed tonight. Where, as expected, there was no towel animal to be found. An official sign that our cruise was over, and it was back to reality….or on to the countdown until our next trip on Harmony of the Seas.
Comments
Have you sailed on Oasis of the Seas to the Western Caribbean? If so, drop us a line below to tell us about your experiences on this amazing ship.
