Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Sea
Over the past few years I have been on four cruises to the Caribbean. I have always enjoyed the effortless planning that goes into cruising. It is a great way for a large group of people to vacation together without all the stress. You can pretty much guarantee that at some point not everyone is going to agree on what they want to do, and to please everyone would be nearly impossible. My recommendation, establish an agreement that everyone can do whatever they want and not feel obligated to do everything together. Every time I have gone this understanding has allowed me to enjoy the company of the people I am traveling with, but allowed a break when needed.
I travelled on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas one of their newer ships. It was my first time going with Royal Caribbean - as I have cruised mostly with Norwegian. I was interested in seeing how It compared. The Norwegian Epic was one of my favorite ships because of the entertainment that they offered, which included Second City, The Blue Man Group, and an acrobatic dinner show.
The Oasis was as incredible as described. The ship includes seven different "neighborhoods", The Royal Promenade, Central Park, The Youth Zone, Entertainment Palace, The Boardwalk, The Pool and Sports Zone, and Vitality at the Sea Spa and Fitness. The "neighborhoods" were one the big things that separated this ship from the others that I had been on. While in Central Park or the Royal Promenade you did not feel like you were on a ship at all. My room overlooked Central Park, which was beautiful when light up at night.
There are twenty-five dining options including complementary and restaurants that charge a cover. There is an outdoor theater, casino comedy lounge, ice skating rink, a zipline, multiple pools, and a flow rider surf station. There are extensive activities for children on board including a youth program. It allows parents to get a little R&R or alone time while onboard the ship.
While on board I also took advantage of their spa services. They had spa packages that were offered everyday. As the week progressed the promotions only got better. For $125.00 I received a 50 min hot stone massage, a facial, a scalp massage, and a foot massage. It was my favorite part of the trip and I left more relaxed than I have felt in a long time.
The entertainment on the ship was not a good as I anticipated it would be. It offered a very unique style of entertainment. It included Oasis of Dreams centered around high diving, Frozen in Time featuring ice skating, the Comedy Show focusing on interactive improv, and Hairspray the musical. Personally Oasis of Dreams was not my cup of tea, but nonetheless stared very talented divers, synchronized swimmers, and gymnasts. I always enjoy the comedy shows, but their rendition of hairspray was very well put together.A number of activities we advertised daily. I have to admit one of my favorite things was to wake up early and read the daily itinerary.
The ship was by far the largest and most beautiful I have ever been on. I would recommend it to those who love to cruise or are attending with a large group of people. With the variety of dining options, entertainment, and activities you will never be board!