Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas
7-Night Eastern Caribbean
09/23/2018: Port Canaveral (Cape Canaveral, FL)
09/24/2018: Sea Day
09/25/2018: Sea Day
09/26/2018: Philipsburg, St Maarten
09/27/2018: San Juan, Puerto Rico
09/28/2018: Labadee, Haiti (Cruiseline Private Island)
09/29/2018: Sea Day
09/30/2018: Port Canaveral (Cape Canaveral, FL)
Below are links to our Youtube Channel. We did a full tour as well as day-by-day adventures of our trip. Make sure to check it out below. Also stick around and check out the pictures and tour on this blog!
Day 1 of 7 (Embarkation Day)
Day 2 of 7 (Sea Day)
Day 3 of 7 (Sea Day)
Day 4 of 7 (St Maarten)
Day 5 of 7 (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Day 6 of 7 (Labadee, Haiti)
Day 7 of 7 (Sea Day)Here we go, the ship that we've been wanting since we first started looking at honeymoon vacations back before our first ever cruise. We originally were set to do another trip on Carnival Sunshine, however a deal for Oasis came up that we've never seen and had to jump on it.
Now we've already been on Oasis' sister Allure a few years ago and had a great time, but it was only for 2-nights. This time we get a full week to relax and enjoy. This was our first time doing a week-long on Royal Caribbean, so it was a great chance to see what they were all about.
Getting to the ship we drove over to Port Canaveral and parked in the garage at the terminal. Check-in was a bit interesting, the setup was horrible, very compact and tight, also want to mention that the terminal when it was compact and tight was only 1,500 guest, out of over 4,000. Also in the terminal they have a shop setup, you can find all different types of lanyards and a few other things here. While you wait you're able to sign up for the drink or dining packages that are available on board. You can also do this once you board as well. We didn't wait too long in the terminal, we were boarded by 11:30 or so.
We will go more into Oasis below, but we're going to do something different with this blog. Since the ship was so huge and there is a lot to cover we're going to go deck-by-deck on our tour. We hope you enjoy this review of Oasis of the Seas.
DECK 3
We start our tour on Deck 3, which isn't home to much, but it was our home for 7-nights. The decks below are crew areas.
Conference Center
Our first stop on this tour is the Conference Center. The ship has many areas that are used for meeting points, which we had a complaint about on one of the sea days when all of them were booked up for private meetings during the afternoon, bad planning on their part.
Stateroom 3460 (Oceanview)
Now we head to our cabin. Which actually was in a great location. We were just a short walk from the aft elevators, as well as the American Icon dining room, which happened to be our dining room every night. Our cabin was decent in size, closet wasn't big at all, also in a bad location. Again great location.
(View from our window.)
(Breakfast was free every morning.)
American Icon Restaurant
Who's hungry? The American Icon is one of three main dining rooms onboard the Oasis of the Seas, this was the "Any-Time" dining one. Service was really good most of the time, food was also good. Found a lot of dishes that we enjoyed a lot. Also make sure to check out breakfast and lunch most of the days. In addition to the menu they offer a buffet in the center which is well worth checking out. You can also order from the menu and the buffet on the same visits.
(Our waiter Rajeev was amazing. His suggestions every night were spot-on and his service was perfect. His assistant waiter Duncan was also amazing. We stuck to him after our second or third night.)
(This was the Crab Cake, one of the best we've ever had.)
(This was the steak dish that was offered every night. Usually I'm not a big fan of this cut, but WOW, it was amazing every night. Such great flavor.)
(My Lobster Tails, I started with two then our assistant waiter came by and asked if I wanted another, I said yes! This time he added the butter. OMG!)
(One of the nights I went with Fries with a side of Mahi! Just kidding, but no kidding that was some really good Mahi.)
(Just imagine walking into this everyday for lunch. Wonder why I gained about 10 lbs.)
(I believe this was made of chocolate.)
(Speaking of chocolate, how about a Chocolate Fountain at lunch!)
(These are the made-to-order salads at lunch.)
(This was the Chicken Wrap, this was amazing. It is on their lunch menu. This was a huge portion, it's hard to see but there is a third wrap underneath.)
DECK 4
Time to head upstairs and continue our tour. The Oasis class ships have 7 different neighborhoods on board. Our first one is Entertainment Place, here you will find plenty of things to do and see.
Opal Theater
All the way in the front, we start at the Opal Theater, which is the main show lounge onboard the Oasis. Also home to the Broadway show Cats. Keep in mind all shows here and throughout the ship do require you to book ahead of time. You may be able to arrive without a reservation and get in, but it's not a certainty. Along with the shows, the theater also has movies and tours available. Check your daily Cruise Compass. One tip we have is to get to any theater or event early, seats and spots fill up very quickly. I'd say between 45 minutes and an hour before at least.
(We had a chance to have an amazing act on board our trip. This does vary from cruise-to-cruise. This was an ABBA tribute band. They were great. Saw the show twice, no reservations needed.)
(I did say before that they do offer tours. This was a behind the scenes tour of the theater. It was very small compared to what we thought it would have been like.)
(Some of the wigs for Cats.)
(The other show is Come Fly with Me, another great show.)
(Amazing performance!)
(We came to see Cats on one of the afternoons that they showed it. The first night we saw it we were too tired to enjoy the show. The second time was amazing!)
Jazz on 4
Like the name says, this is the Jazz Club. Here you will find nightly music. During the day maybe a Q&A or something like this. I was passing by one night and heard one of the singers performing songs from the Phantom of the Opera, one of our favorite musicals.
Comedy Live
Right next door to the Jazz lounge is our next spot, the Comedy lounge. Our comedians were very good on this cruise, we enjoyed the show we went to. This much like the main shows needs to be booked ahead of time. For our show on the night we went, standby was able to get in and still have almost half of the venue to choose from. We sat in the back by the door and it was perfect. The venue is small, for being on one of the largest ships in the world, even the comedians had to take jabs at that in their material.
Blaze
Across the way from Comedy is Blaze, which is the nightclub on board, which also was host to other events during the day. We only came in here just to take some pictures and video.
Studio B
This is the ice rink on the ship. Where you can actually strap up skates and hit the ice. They host an open skate several times throughout the cruise, check the Cruise Compass for signup times and hours of operation. Also on some nights, they host a variety of shows and events such as an 80's Dance Party, Gender Showdown and the famous Quest.
(Much like the Opal Theater, make sure to arrive early for good seats.)
(This was a lot of fun to see.)
(Battle of the Sexes.)
(This is from their Ice Skating Show.)
(This man was truly amazing with his work.)
(Me attempting to ice skate.)
(The Quest is not as raunchy as it is on Carnival. Still tons of fun.)
Art Gallery
We now head to the back towards the Casino. On your way you can check out the Art Gallery.
Casino Royale
We are now in the spot for adults, the Casino. We didn't do too horrible here. We were up, then down. Walked out about even. If you're not in the mood to gamble, you can sit back and watch some games on the tv's near the bar area.
(This is the bar area.)
(You can see the two tv's on both sides.)
Izumi
Tucked away near the stairs is Izumi, which is one of the specialty dining venues on board. I was shocked at how small this restaurant was, comparing it to the one of Getaway and Escape this was about a third of the size.
Grande
Up stairs from American Icon is Grande, another main dining room.
DECK 5
We now come up to deck 5, which is a ton of things to check out. Mainly the Royal Promenade. This is one of the most visited parts of the ship. Unique to Royal Caribbean the Promenade offers everything from eating, shopping and parades.
Royal Promenade (General Overview)
The Royal Promenade is going to be the first area you come across as soon as you enter the ship. On the Promenade you will find plenty to see and do as well as eat!
(This was the beginning of the Kung Fu Panda, Dreamworks parade.)
(We had a lot of fun!)
Silk
Our final main dining room is Silk, all the way at the top. This is where we had Wines Around the World, which was for $17.50 per person and you can try a few wines from around the world. Well worth the price.
(This was the setup for Wines Around the World, worth the money.)
Champagne Bar
Now we head to the actual Royal Promenade, starting with the Champagne Bar. In our opinion one of the best and most underrated bars on the ship. Just look at the menu, some amazing concoctions and a great location. A must try for your trip on Royal!
(Amazing martinis! This was the Strawberry Cheesecake Martini.)
(This was their Chocolate Martini, made with some amazing chocolate, delicious!)
Rising Tide Bar
Across the way from the Champagne Bar is the most popular bar on the Oasis class, the Rising Tide Bar. The unique thing about this bar is that it takes you from Deck 5 on the Promenade, up to Deck 8 at Central Park. Now it does not cost anything extra at all to take a ride. Feel free to grab a drink or a water and enjoy the ride!
(Waterfall from underneath, something Allure did not have running.)
Michael Kors
I said there was shopping, another store is Michael Kors.
Regalia
Right next store and across the way is Regalia.
Sorrentos Pizza
Welcome to the worst pizza at sea. Seriously this pizza sucks. We've been on four Royal ships and they have sucked every time. Oasis was slightly better than Allure, Vision & Majesty, by a hair. It is a great concept, but flavors lack. Also in this location you can grab a soda, if you're on the soda package at one of the Coke Freestyle Machines. Also another one up stairs at the arcade.
Prince+Green
Next to Sorrentos is Prince+Green, another shopping venue on board.
Boleros
At the end of the Promenade is Boleros, which is a Latin-inspired lounge. This is also the location of the art auctions.
Starbucks
Okay, I'm just going to say it, Dunkin Donuts is much better than this ripoff of a coffee joint! Seriously Disney is cheaper than this Starbucks. DISNEY!!! The most happiest-expensive place is beaten out by a cruise ship! I basically suffered for a week at the Cafe Promenade and bought coffee there since Starbucks was about $30 for a cup and the ship coffee was terrible. Okay rant over, back to the tour.
On-Air
Across from Boleros is On-Air which is their sports bar on the ship, also host to many of the trivia events. We did the Star Wars trivia.
Promenade Shops (Port Merchants | Solera & The Shop)
Next door is a few more shops. The logo shop, where you can get all of the Royal Merch, as well as the liquor store and perfume shop.
Globe & Atlas Pub
The Globe & Atlas Pub is a great little bar on the Promenade. We did wish that they served some food. Princess Cruises offers a pub with pub food.
Kate Spade
Continuing our tour, we come to Kate Spade.
Cafe Promenade
The Cafe Promenade is a busy location most of the time. Great place for a cheaper (than Starbucks) cup of coffee or some complimentary bites.
Guest Services
Any questions or issues, this is the place you need to be to get those issues fixed. Have to say that Royal has some of the worst overall Guest Services, from before the cruise to on board.
Running Track
Need to burn off some of those calories? Head out to the running track and do a lap around.
DECK 6
We now come to deck 6. Another very popular deck which is home to more of the Royal Promenade as well as the Boardwalk. Let's take a tour.
Vitality at Sea Spa & Fitness Center
All the way up front we start our tour at the spa. Keep an eye out on your daily Cruise Compass, the spa offers tons of free testers and seminars throughout the cruise. We checked out the free five minute massage tester. It was great, no obligation to buy. Also on the first day, once you board come and check out the spa with the open house.
(The spa has a cafe area as soon as you walk in.)
Schooner Bar
The Schooner Bar is a Royal Caribbean favorite and also host to many trivia games throughout the cruise. These get packed, so get a good seat early. Also a great view of the Royal Promenade below on deck 5.
(View from the bar, overlooking the Promenade.)
Next Cruise Desk
More like an office, liked the way they set this area up. It's right next to the Schooner Bar. If you're having a great time and want to sail Royal Caribbean again, head here and they will make it happen for you.
Shore Excursions
Across the way is the Shore Excursions desk.
Focus
Focus is right next to the Shore Excursions desk, this is where you can check our photos taken during the cruise.
Boardwalk (General Overview)
The Boardwalk is a very exciting area on the ship. Tons of fun day and night. Plenty of great places to grab a bite or see a show.
(One of my favorite pictures from the cruise. I took this on the last night.)
(The crew has a final day party on the Boardwalk, make sure to check it out.)
Boardwalk Dog House
Once you walk out of the doors from the Royal Promenade upstairs area you come out to the Boardwalk and to the left is the Boardwalk Dog House. Here you can grab a delicious variety of dogs.
Carousel
Once your finished grabbing a bite at the Boardwalk Dog House, now it's time to ride the Carousel. Our favorite is the Giraffe, if you go on tell her we said hi! This is totally free and so much fun.
Boardwalk Shops (Star Pier | Candy Beach | Pinwheels)
Just a few shops on the Boardwalk.
(The food here wasn't the best. Wanted to at least try it out.)
(These looked much better than they tasted.)
Aqua Theater
Finally at the back of the ship is the Aqua Theater, which is an Oasis class exclusive. The water show they offer is pretty cool, lots of high dives. They also offer plenty of other activities and movies. Be sure to get here early for good seats. For the water show be careful, in the first few rows you will get wet.
(View from deck 16.)
Sabor Bar
Heading back towards the inside elevators we come to the Sabor Bar. This bar also has a small area to grab ice water, which is a must on those hot days and nights.
Sabor
Sabor is the Mexican restaurant on board, which does have a la carte pricing.
Arcade
The Boardwalk Arcade is next to Sabor. This is one of two on the ship.
Cups & Scoops
Want ice cream? Or maybe some sweets, check out Cups & Scoops. Free ice cream available at the Wipeout Cafe upstairs on the Sports Deck.
DECK 7
Besides staterooms, deck 7 is only home to some viewing areas around the Boardwalk and the Rock Climbing Wall.
Rock Climbing Wall
Spanning up several decks, the Rock Climbing Wall is found on many ships these days, but none come as stunning than the ones found on the Oasis Class ships. They are built right into the ship on both sides of the Boardwalk.
DECK 8
Another popular deck is Deck 8, home to Dazzles and Central Park.
Central Park (General Overview)
Central Park is such an amazing area on the Oasis Class ships. Everything you see for the plant-life is 100% real. Thousands upon thousands of flowers, plant and trees surround the entire area, making you feel like you're walking in a real park. Even have birds chirping during the day. The bad part about this section, at least during the day that we noticed was the loud noise coming from the pool deck from the live music. At night however you are able to enjoy beautiful violin playing. Overall this is a great section of the Oasis, plenty of dining venues as well as a few shops and a bar.
(This is Strings in the Park.
Coach
In addition to Michael Kors and Kate Spade down on the Promenade, Central Park has it's own handbag store.
Tiffany & Company
Moving along on our tour of Deck 8, we come to Tiffany & Company.
Picture This
Up next, Picture This, which is an area that you can get formal portraits taken.
Trellis Bar
Another great bar on the ship, which is also one that is never too crowded is the Trellis Bar. It is a great outside bar, which a wide-variety of available drinks. Perfect setting in the park.
Park Cafe
The Park Cafe is a cafe where you can pick up breakfast and lunch. They don't have a ton of options, but enough to get you fueled up for the day. Also this is the home to Royal Caribbeans famous Kummelweck Sandwich.
(This was much better than on Allure.)
Chops Grill
Chops is Oasis' Steakhouse on board. They are open for lunch as well. Which both do have a fee to dine here. As I walked inside one night to take pictures I came across a few dishes that were coming out of the kitchen and everything looked amazing.
(Outside seating also available.)
Dazzles
Dazzles is a beautiful lounge, which spans two decks up. Lots of events do take place here and it is often occupied by weddings because of the amazing view of the Boardwalk.
150 Central Park
Back outside as we go down the other side of Central Park is 150 Central Park, which is another specialty dining venue on board. We dined here on our first night, we actually booked before we boarded on a "Dine Your Way" promo, which was $20pp. The promo is basically reserving you a restaurant and time slot. The ship books the restaurant for you, which you can try to change if you want once you board. You also don't find out until you board as well. We lucked out and landed 150 Central Park on the first try, which was our number one pick. Overall it was not something we enjoyed too much at all. Food was a bit lack-luster. Wouldn't go back again.
(These were salts from around the world. One tasted like eggs.)
(Bread service.)
(This was the Veal Bolognese Agnolotti, with tomato-parmigiano nage & chives. This we both enjoyed.)
(The Lobster Gnocchi was served with a carrot butter sauce. The carrot did not pair well at all in this dish. A BIG thumbs down!)
(For dinner I ordered the Pan Roasted Sea Scallops, which is served on a bed of chickpeas, chorizo, escarole & a saffron-clam broth. The scallops were basic, nothing special and everything underneath wasn't good at all.)
(The best meal we ordered was the Lamb Duo. It is a roasted loin with whipped pistachio and pomegrante, also sweet onion stuffed with ground lamp and apricots. This dish hit every right note. We'd go back just for this dish.)
(This is the Artisanal Cheese Selection, served with homemade bread and accompaniments. We paired the cheese with the honey it was served with. Unbelievable, that is a must do!)
(The Bittersweet Chocolate Bourbon Tart with salted caramel, spiced pecans, cranberry chutney and chantilly cream. I enjoyed this dish, my wife however did not.)
(These were the Warm Donuts, ehh, not that good.)
Giovanni's Table
Giovanni's Table is the Italian Restaurant on board which is also a fee restaurant. I believe they were also open for lunch, just like Chops, for a lesser price during the lunch hours then dinner.
Vintages
Vintages was the wine bar on the ship. It never seemed to busy, also looked pretty good with the ambiance and food selection.
DECK 15
Now we move upstairs to Deck 15 (Decks 9 - 14 are passenger cabin decks, also a few card rooms.) This deck is where you will find everything from Zip Lining, mini golf, to the pools and the Solarium. We spent a good amount of time up here relaxing in the cascading hot tubs before you enter the Solarium on both sides, as well as checking out the surfers at the Flow Riders.
Solarium
We start in the front of the ship in the Solarium, which is the adults-only section of the ship. Inside here you will find a pool, plenty of lounge chairs, as well as a bar upstairs on deck 16. We spent some time in here relaxing in the pool, it wasn't the biggest and did get crowded at times. Also it is a great viewing area while coming in and out of port.
(This pool got very busy during the day!)
(This is what I mean by busy.)
Solarium Cafe
The Solarium Cafe is located in the Solarium, it is a buffet which is open throughout the day.
Beach Pool
Outside of the Solarium and past the cascading hot tub is the Beach Pool. This pool is the only one with umbrellas to help stay hidden from the direct sunlight. The unique feature about this pool is that is has the "beach feel" when the water is coming out to the deck chairs like as you are at the beach. This from what we noticed was the busier of the pools.
Pool & Sports Zone (General Area)
In between the pools is a great viewing area, that overlooks Central Park. Also here you will find great music during the day.
(On the left is the H20 Zone and to the right is the Sports Pool. Down below is Central Park.)
(On the left is the Main Pool and to the right is the Beach Pool. Down below is Central Park.)
H20 Zone
Moving along, we now end up at the H20 Zone, which is the kids pool area. Over in this section is also the pool towel pickup and drop off area, you need your Room Key Card to pickup and drop off. The H20 Zone is a great setup with a large area, not found too much on many other ships.
Challenger's Arcade
This is the second arcade on board the Oasis. Also the other Coke Freestyle machine can be found here.
Wipe Out Cafe
The Wipe Out Cafe serves your standard hot dogs, pizza and burgers. You can also get soft-serve ice cream here as well.
Basketball Court
Towards the back of the ship we come to the Basketball Court. This is a full-size court and it looks tiny when seeing it in pictures from above the ship.
Oasis Dunes (Mini Golf)
We head across the ship now. You can go upstairs on either side to the FlowRiders, however we're staying deck-by-deck on this tour. So the Oasis Dunes is the mini golf that is open all the time. Really isn't anything special. Norwegian Escape and Getaway had a great setup. This is pretty basic with 9 holes.
Ping Pong Table
Oasis has a few sections dedicated to Ping Pong tables. It is enclosed so you don't need to worry about losing your balls!
Sports Pool
Walking down the deck towards the front we now come back to the pool section. This is the Sports Pool which is the spot for the volleyball tournaments that are held as well as a few other events.
Pool Bar
The Pool Bar is just one of many bars on this deck.
Main Pool
Finally we come to the Main Pool, which is just another pool on this deck. The pools are a good size and with all of the people on the ship we could always find a spot on here to relax. If you keep walking past this pool you will end up where we started, in the Solarium.
DECK 16
Deck 16 is the deck you will probably end up at the beginning of your cruise, it is home to the Windjammer Marketplace, the buffet. Also to a few other great sections.
Windjammer Marketplace
We start at the Windjammer Marketplace, this is the buffet on the ship. This isn't a large buffet at all. We did notice when it gets busy the staff forms a line with the guests and then you have to wait to be seated. They also announce to please hurry up and eat so others can. That was new for us. On Allure we felt it was too small and lacked variety of food. Here was no exception. Did not care for much of the food here.
FlowRider
To get to the FlowRider you need to enter it on Deck 15 and walk up a deck. We had a lot of fun just watching people. Most did very well. I wanted to try this out but was so busy during the cruise that I didn't have much time to do it. Make sure to check this out and sign up if you're interested.
Wipe Out Bar
We have a few bars up here, Wipe Out Bar is in the back and in between both FlowRiders.
Zip Line
Finally we come to the Zip Line, yes a Zip Line on a cruise ship. This takes you from one side to the other, below you is nothing but air until deck 6 on the Boardwalk. You also need to signup for this as well.
Ports of Call
We hope you had a great time checking out the tour portion of our trip. Now we check out our ports of call. Our ports were not the reason we booked. However overall we had a good time at our ports. Now let's head to our stops.
St Maarten
Our first port was St Maarten. We always enjoyed this port, this was our least favorite visit. We ended up taking the water taxi over to the other side (you can walk as well) and checked out the beach. We've been wanting to do this every time we came here. The beach is loaded with chairs, but all the way at the end is a section that you can find without any chairs, be careful if you do want a chair, don't take the first offer. So we just hung out in the water for a bit and headed back to the ship. We had good time overall.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Our next stop was in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We decided to stay on the ship for this one since there isn't much that we like to do here and we wanted a day to explore the ship.
Labadee, Haiti
Labadee is the cruise lines private section of Haiti. It is a true paradise. The section is separated from the actual country which isn't in the best of areas. The area is so beautiful and relaxing. You can take a tram over to different parts of the area. They also have four buffets throughout the area, which is a large area. We went towards the end and hung out there for several hours. The area we were at had a floating bar as well as a bar on land, cabanas and the buffet area, which was packed. If you look up you will see a zip line. That is about $100 per person and is very long and I think about 500 feet up, from what I had heard before. This can be booked on board. Again this area is simply beautiful and a highlight of our cruise. We never had such an amazing time at a port before like this. So much fun!
(Float up bar.)
(The zip line.)
(Now isn't this paradise!)
(The bar area, behind it is one of the buffets.)
We hope you enjoyed our review and tour of the Oasis of the Seas. We had a great time on our trip. I will leave you with one of the saddest images on any cruise, that is the luggage outside the room on the last night. Also make sure to check out our YouTube videos (links above at the top), while you are there give the video a like and SUBSCRIBE so you can check out all of our cruise and land adventures.
Below are links to our Youtube Channel. We did a full tour as well as day-by-day adventures of our trip. Make sure to check it out below. Also stick around and check out the pictures and tour on this blog!
Day 1 of 7 (Embarkation Day)
Day 2 of 7 (Sea Day)
Day 3 of 7 (Sea Day)
Day 4 of 7 (St Maarten)
Day 5 of 7 (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
Day 6 of 7 (Labadee, Haiti)
Day 7 of 7 (Sea Day)Here we go, the ship that we've been wanting since we first started looking at honeymoon vacations back before our first ever cruise. We originally were set to do another trip on Carnival Sunshine, however a deal for Oasis came up that we've never seen and had to jump on it.
Now we've already been on Oasis' sister Allure a few years ago and had a great time, but it was only for 2-nights. This time we get a full week to relax and enjoy. This was our first time doing a week-long on Royal Caribbean, so it was a great chance to see what they were all about.
Getting to the ship we drove over to Port Canaveral and parked in the garage at the terminal. Check-in was a bit interesting, the setup was horrible, very compact and tight, also want to mention that the terminal when it was compact and tight was only 1,500 guest, out of over 4,000. Also in the terminal they have a shop setup, you can find all different types of lanyards and a few other things here. While you wait you're able to sign up for the drink or dining packages that are available on board. You can also do this once you board as well. We didn't wait too long in the terminal, we were boarded by 11:30 or so.
We will go more into Oasis below, but we're going to do something different with this blog. Since the ship was so huge and there is a lot to cover we're going to go deck-by-deck on our tour. We hope you enjoy this review of Oasis of the Seas.
DECK 3
We start our tour on Deck 3, which isn't home to much, but it was our home for 7-nights. The decks below are crew areas.
Conference Center
Our first stop on this tour is the Conference Center. The ship has many areas that are used for meeting points, which we had a complaint about on one of the sea days when all of them were booked up for private meetings during the afternoon, bad planning on their part.
Stateroom 3460 (Oceanview)
Now we head to our cabin. Which actually was in a great location. We were just a short walk from the aft elevators, as well as the American Icon dining room, which happened to be our dining room every night. Our cabin was decent in size, closet wasn't big at all, also in a bad location. Again great location.
(However the regular room service had an additional fee.)
Who's hungry? The American Icon is one of three main dining rooms onboard the Oasis of the Seas, this was the "Any-Time" dining one. Service was really good most of the time, food was also good. Found a lot of dishes that we enjoyed a lot. Also make sure to check out breakfast and lunch most of the days. In addition to the menu they offer a buffet in the center which is well worth checking out. You can also order from the menu and the buffet on the same visits.
DECK 4
Time to head upstairs and continue our tour. The Oasis class ships have 7 different neighborhoods on board. Our first one is Entertainment Place, here you will find plenty of things to do and see.
Opal Theater
All the way in the front, we start at the Opal Theater, which is the main show lounge onboard the Oasis. Also home to the Broadway show Cats. Keep in mind all shows here and throughout the ship do require you to book ahead of time. You may be able to arrive without a reservation and get in, but it's not a certainty. Along with the shows, the theater also has movies and tours available. Check your daily Cruise Compass. One tip we have is to get to any theater or event early, seats and spots fill up very quickly. I'd say between 45 minutes and an hour before at least.
Jazz on 4
Like the name says, this is the Jazz Club. Here you will find nightly music. During the day maybe a Q&A or something like this. I was passing by one night and heard one of the singers performing songs from the Phantom of the Opera, one of our favorite musicals.
Comedy Live
Right next door to the Jazz lounge is our next spot, the Comedy lounge. Our comedians were very good on this cruise, we enjoyed the show we went to. This much like the main shows needs to be booked ahead of time. For our show on the night we went, standby was able to get in and still have almost half of the venue to choose from. We sat in the back by the door and it was perfect. The venue is small, for being on one of the largest ships in the world, even the comedians had to take jabs at that in their material.
Blaze
Across the way from Comedy is Blaze, which is the nightclub on board, which also was host to other events during the day. We only came in here just to take some pictures and video.
Studio B
This is the ice rink on the ship. Where you can actually strap up skates and hit the ice. They host an open skate several times throughout the cruise, check the Cruise Compass for signup times and hours of operation. Also on some nights, they host a variety of shows and events such as an 80's Dance Party, Gender Showdown and the famous Quest.
Art Gallery
We now head to the back towards the Casino. On your way you can check out the Art Gallery.
Casino Royale
We are now in the spot for adults, the Casino. We didn't do too horrible here. We were up, then down. Walked out about even. If you're not in the mood to gamble, you can sit back and watch some games on the tv's near the bar area.
Izumi
Tucked away near the stairs is Izumi, which is one of the specialty dining venues on board. I was shocked at how small this restaurant was, comparing it to the one of Getaway and Escape this was about a third of the size.
Grande
Up stairs from American Icon is Grande, another main dining room.
DECK 5
We now come up to deck 5, which is a ton of things to check out. Mainly the Royal Promenade. This is one of the most visited parts of the ship. Unique to Royal Caribbean the Promenade offers everything from eating, shopping and parades.
Royal Promenade (General Overview)
The Royal Promenade is going to be the first area you come across as soon as you enter the ship. On the Promenade you will find plenty to see and do as well as eat!
Silk
Our final main dining room is Silk, all the way at the top. This is where we had Wines Around the World, which was for $17.50 per person and you can try a few wines from around the world. Well worth the price.
Champagne Bar
Now we head to the actual Royal Promenade, starting with the Champagne Bar. In our opinion one of the best and most underrated bars on the ship. Just look at the menu, some amazing concoctions and a great location. A must try for your trip on Royal!
Rising Tide Bar
Across the way from the Champagne Bar is the most popular bar on the Oasis class, the Rising Tide Bar. The unique thing about this bar is that it takes you from Deck 5 on the Promenade, up to Deck 8 at Central Park. Now it does not cost anything extra at all to take a ride. Feel free to grab a drink or a water and enjoy the ride!
Michael Kors
I said there was shopping, another store is Michael Kors.
Regalia
Right next store and across the way is Regalia.
Sorrentos Pizza
Welcome to the worst pizza at sea. Seriously this pizza sucks. We've been on four Royal ships and they have sucked every time. Oasis was slightly better than Allure, Vision & Majesty, by a hair. It is a great concept, but flavors lack. Also in this location you can grab a soda, if you're on the soda package at one of the Coke Freestyle Machines. Also another one up stairs at the arcade.
Prince+Green
Next to Sorrentos is Prince+Green, another shopping venue on board.
Boleros
At the end of the Promenade is Boleros, which is a Latin-inspired lounge. This is also the location of the art auctions.
Starbucks
Okay, I'm just going to say it, Dunkin Donuts is much better than this ripoff of a coffee joint! Seriously Disney is cheaper than this Starbucks. DISNEY!!! The most happiest-expensive place is beaten out by a cruise ship! I basically suffered for a week at the Cafe Promenade and bought coffee there since Starbucks was about $30 for a cup and the ship coffee was terrible. Okay rant over, back to the tour.
On-Air
Across from Boleros is On-Air which is their sports bar on the ship, also host to many of the trivia events. We did the Star Wars trivia.
Promenade Shops (Port Merchants | Solera & The Shop)
Next door is a few more shops. The logo shop, where you can get all of the Royal Merch, as well as the liquor store and perfume shop.
Globe & Atlas Pub
The Globe & Atlas Pub is a great little bar on the Promenade. We did wish that they served some food. Princess Cruises offers a pub with pub food.
Kate Spade
Continuing our tour, we come to Kate Spade.
Cafe Promenade
The Cafe Promenade is a busy location most of the time. Great place for a cheaper (than Starbucks) cup of coffee or some complimentary bites.
Guest Services
Any questions or issues, this is the place you need to be to get those issues fixed. Have to say that Royal has some of the worst overall Guest Services, from before the cruise to on board.
Running Track
Need to burn off some of those calories? Head out to the running track and do a lap around.
DECK 6
We now come to deck 6. Another very popular deck which is home to more of the Royal Promenade as well as the Boardwalk. Let's take a tour.
Vitality at Sea Spa & Fitness Center
All the way up front we start our tour at the spa. Keep an eye out on your daily Cruise Compass, the spa offers tons of free testers and seminars throughout the cruise. We checked out the free five minute massage tester. It was great, no obligation to buy. Also on the first day, once you board come and check out the spa with the open house.
Schooner Bar
The Schooner Bar is a Royal Caribbean favorite and also host to many trivia games throughout the cruise. These get packed, so get a good seat early. Also a great view of the Royal Promenade below on deck 5.
Next Cruise Desk
More like an office, liked the way they set this area up. It's right next to the Schooner Bar. If you're having a great time and want to sail Royal Caribbean again, head here and they will make it happen for you.
Shore Excursions
Across the way is the Shore Excursions desk.
Focus
Focus is right next to the Shore Excursions desk, this is where you can check our photos taken during the cruise.
Boardwalk (General Overview)
The Boardwalk is a very exciting area on the ship. Tons of fun day and night. Plenty of great places to grab a bite or see a show.
Boardwalk Dog House
Once you walk out of the doors from the Royal Promenade upstairs area you come out to the Boardwalk and to the left is the Boardwalk Dog House. Here you can grab a delicious variety of dogs.
Carousel
Once your finished grabbing a bite at the Boardwalk Dog House, now it's time to ride the Carousel. Our favorite is the Giraffe, if you go on tell her we said hi! This is totally free and so much fun.
Boardwalk Shops (Star Pier | Candy Beach | Pinwheels)
Just a few shops on the Boardwalk.
Johnny Rockets
Next door is Johnny Rockets, which is open for breakfast (free), lunch (fee) & dinner (fee). Breakfast was nothing too worth-while. We did not come for lunch or dinner, the fee was about $10 per person, which includes anything you want except for shakes. When we did this on Majesty it was half the cost.
Aqua Theater
Finally at the back of the ship is the Aqua Theater, which is an Oasis class exclusive. The water show they offer is pretty cool, lots of high dives. They also offer plenty of other activities and movies. Be sure to get here early for good seats. For the water show be careful, in the first few rows you will get wet.
Sabor Bar
Heading back towards the inside elevators we come to the Sabor Bar. This bar also has a small area to grab ice water, which is a must on those hot days and nights.
Sabor
Sabor is the Mexican restaurant on board, which does have a la carte pricing.
Arcade
The Boardwalk Arcade is next to Sabor. This is one of two on the ship.
Cups & Scoops
Want ice cream? Or maybe some sweets, check out Cups & Scoops. Free ice cream available at the Wipeout Cafe upstairs on the Sports Deck.
DECK 7
Besides staterooms, deck 7 is only home to some viewing areas around the Boardwalk and the Rock Climbing Wall.
Rock Climbing Wall
Spanning up several decks, the Rock Climbing Wall is found on many ships these days, but none come as stunning than the ones found on the Oasis Class ships. They are built right into the ship on both sides of the Boardwalk.
DECK 8
Another popular deck is Deck 8, home to Dazzles and Central Park.
Central Park (General Overview)
Central Park is such an amazing area on the Oasis Class ships. Everything you see for the plant-life is 100% real. Thousands upon thousands of flowers, plant and trees surround the entire area, making you feel like you're walking in a real park. Even have birds chirping during the day. The bad part about this section, at least during the day that we noticed was the loud noise coming from the pool deck from the live music. At night however you are able to enjoy beautiful violin playing. Overall this is a great section of the Oasis, plenty of dining venues as well as a few shops and a bar.
Coach
In addition to Michael Kors and Kate Spade down on the Promenade, Central Park has it's own handbag store.
Tiffany & Company
Moving along on our tour of Deck 8, we come to Tiffany & Company.
Picture This
Up next, Picture This, which is an area that you can get formal portraits taken.
Trellis Bar
Another great bar on the ship, which is also one that is never too crowded is the Trellis Bar. It is a great outside bar, which a wide-variety of available drinks. Perfect setting in the park.
Park Cafe
The Park Cafe is a cafe where you can pick up breakfast and lunch. They don't have a ton of options, but enough to get you fueled up for the day. Also this is the home to Royal Caribbeans famous Kummelweck Sandwich.
Chops Grill
Chops is Oasis' Steakhouse on board. They are open for lunch as well. Which both do have a fee to dine here. As I walked inside one night to take pictures I came across a few dishes that were coming out of the kitchen and everything looked amazing.
Dazzles
Dazzles is a beautiful lounge, which spans two decks up. Lots of events do take place here and it is often occupied by weddings because of the amazing view of the Boardwalk.
150 Central Park
Back outside as we go down the other side of Central Park is 150 Central Park, which is another specialty dining venue on board. We dined here on our first night, we actually booked before we boarded on a "Dine Your Way" promo, which was $20pp. The promo is basically reserving you a restaurant and time slot. The ship books the restaurant for you, which you can try to change if you want once you board. You also don't find out until you board as well. We lucked out and landed 150 Central Park on the first try, which was our number one pick. Overall it was not something we enjoyed too much at all. Food was a bit lack-luster. Wouldn't go back again.
(This is the bread and accompaniment.)
Giovanni's Table
Giovanni's Table is the Italian Restaurant on board which is also a fee restaurant. I believe they were also open for lunch, just like Chops, for a lesser price during the lunch hours then dinner.
Vintages
Vintages was the wine bar on the ship. It never seemed to busy, also looked pretty good with the ambiance and food selection.
DECK 15
Now we move upstairs to Deck 15 (Decks 9 - 14 are passenger cabin decks, also a few card rooms.) This deck is where you will find everything from Zip Lining, mini golf, to the pools and the Solarium. We spent a good amount of time up here relaxing in the cascading hot tubs before you enter the Solarium on both sides, as well as checking out the surfers at the Flow Riders.
Solarium
We start in the front of the ship in the Solarium, which is the adults-only section of the ship. Inside here you will find a pool, plenty of lounge chairs, as well as a bar upstairs on deck 16. We spent some time in here relaxing in the pool, it wasn't the biggest and did get crowded at times. Also it is a great viewing area while coming in and out of port.
Solarium Cafe
The Solarium Cafe is located in the Solarium, it is a buffet which is open throughout the day.
Beach Pool
Outside of the Solarium and past the cascading hot tub is the Beach Pool. This pool is the only one with umbrellas to help stay hidden from the direct sunlight. The unique feature about this pool is that is has the "beach feel" when the water is coming out to the deck chairs like as you are at the beach. This from what we noticed was the busier of the pools.
Pool & Sports Zone (General Area)
In between the pools is a great viewing area, that overlooks Central Park. Also here you will find great music during the day.
H20 Zone
Moving along, we now end up at the H20 Zone, which is the kids pool area. Over in this section is also the pool towel pickup and drop off area, you need your Room Key Card to pickup and drop off. The H20 Zone is a great setup with a large area, not found too much on many other ships.
Challenger's Arcade
This is the second arcade on board the Oasis. Also the other Coke Freestyle machine can be found here.
Wipe Out Cafe
The Wipe Out Cafe serves your standard hot dogs, pizza and burgers. You can also get soft-serve ice cream here as well.
Basketball Court
Towards the back of the ship we come to the Basketball Court. This is a full-size court and it looks tiny when seeing it in pictures from above the ship.
Oasis Dunes (Mini Golf)
We head across the ship now. You can go upstairs on either side to the FlowRiders, however we're staying deck-by-deck on this tour. So the Oasis Dunes is the mini golf that is open all the time. Really isn't anything special. Norwegian Escape and Getaway had a great setup. This is pretty basic with 9 holes.
Ping Pong Table
Oasis has a few sections dedicated to Ping Pong tables. It is enclosed so you don't need to worry about losing your balls!
Sports Pool
Walking down the deck towards the front we now come back to the pool section. This is the Sports Pool which is the spot for the volleyball tournaments that are held as well as a few other events.
Pool Bar
The Pool Bar is just one of many bars on this deck.
Main Pool
Finally we come to the Main Pool, which is just another pool on this deck. The pools are a good size and with all of the people on the ship we could always find a spot on here to relax. If you keep walking past this pool you will end up where we started, in the Solarium.
DECK 16
Deck 16 is the deck you will probably end up at the beginning of your cruise, it is home to the Windjammer Marketplace, the buffet. Also to a few other great sections.
Windjammer Marketplace
We start at the Windjammer Marketplace, this is the buffet on the ship. This isn't a large buffet at all. We did notice when it gets busy the staff forms a line with the guests and then you have to wait to be seated. They also announce to please hurry up and eat so others can. That was new for us. On Allure we felt it was too small and lacked variety of food. Here was no exception. Did not care for much of the food here.
FlowRider
To get to the FlowRider you need to enter it on Deck 15 and walk up a deck. We had a lot of fun just watching people. Most did very well. I wanted to try this out but was so busy during the cruise that I didn't have much time to do it. Make sure to check this out and sign up if you're interested.
Wipe Out Bar
We have a few bars up here, Wipe Out Bar is in the back and in between both FlowRiders.
Zip Line
Finally we come to the Zip Line, yes a Zip Line on a cruise ship. This takes you from one side to the other, below you is nothing but air until deck 6 on the Boardwalk. You also need to signup for this as well.
Ports of Call
We hope you had a great time checking out the tour portion of our trip. Now we check out our ports of call. Our ports were not the reason we booked. However overall we had a good time at our ports. Now let's head to our stops.
St Maarten
Our first port was St Maarten. We always enjoyed this port, this was our least favorite visit. We ended up taking the water taxi over to the other side (you can walk as well) and checked out the beach. We've been wanting to do this every time we came here. The beach is loaded with chairs, but all the way at the end is a section that you can find without any chairs, be careful if you do want a chair, don't take the first offer. So we just hung out in the water for a bit and headed back to the ship. We had good time overall.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Our next stop was in San Juan, Puerto Rico. We decided to stay on the ship for this one since there isn't much that we like to do here and we wanted a day to explore the ship.
Labadee, Haiti
Labadee is the cruise lines private section of Haiti. It is a true paradise. The section is separated from the actual country which isn't in the best of areas. The area is so beautiful and relaxing. You can take a tram over to different parts of the area. They also have four buffets throughout the area, which is a large area. We went towards the end and hung out there for several hours. The area we were at had a floating bar as well as a bar on land, cabanas and the buffet area, which was packed. If you look up you will see a zip line. That is about $100 per person and is very long and I think about 500 feet up, from what I had heard before. This can be booked on board. Again this area is simply beautiful and a highlight of our cruise. We never had such an amazing time at a port before like this. So much fun!
We hope you enjoyed our review and tour of the Oasis of the Seas. We had a great time on our trip. I will leave you with one of the saddest images on any cruise, that is the luggage outside the room on the last night. Also make sure to check out our YouTube videos (links above at the top), while you are there give the video a like and SUBSCRIBE so you can check out all of our cruise and land adventures.
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