Introduction

Oasis of the Seas was the first of 6 Oasis class ships (others are the Allure, Symphony, Harmony, Wonder and Utopia – all ‘of the Seas’). She was launched in 2009, and she now weighs in at 226,838 GT with a maximum guest capacity of 6,699 and a crew of 2,181. She was a game changer when launched due to her innovative design with her ‘neighbourhood’ concept with 7 distinct areas around the ship.

Entertainment Place – deck 4 – home to Studio B, the Ice-skating rink, nightclub, and Casino 

Royal Promenade – deck 5 – the heart of the ship with shops, bars, restaurants, entertainment  venues & Guest Services. 

Vitality Spa and Fitness Centre – decks 5&6 – as the name suggests, this is the place for spa  treatments and the gym for work outs 

Boardwalk  – deck  6  – reminiscent  of the  seaside with  a handcrafted  carousel,  it  conjures  images  of  Coney  Island.  Home to  rock  climbing  walls,  casual  restaurants  and  the  amphitheater-style  AquaTheater,  where  aerialists  perform  deck  defying  stunts  and  white knuckle dives into the deepest pool at sea. There are balcony cabins on decks 8 – 14 which  overlook the Boardwalk.  

Central Park – deck 8 – a gathering place that opens to the sky complete with flower gardens  and exotic trees. There is a library, restaurants, shops and bars. There are balcony cabins on  decks 10 – 14 which overlook Central Park. 

Pool & Sports Zone – decks 15 & 16 – Spanning the length of the ship this encompasses four  unique types of pools, two FlowRider surf simulators, an adults-only zone called the Solarium,  courts for basketball, volleyball and soccer matches, Mini Golf and H2O Zone℠ or Splashaway  Bay℠ for kids, waterslides and the world’s first zip line at sea, which soars ten decks above  the Boardwalk. 

Youth Zone – decks 14 & 15 – areas dedicated to younger guests and home to the Adventure  Ocean program.  

We booked a category 2D ocean view balcony cabin, 9263 aft, port side.  This was to be our 48th cruise and our 6th transatlantic crossing.  

In the rest of this review, I will refer to Royal Caribbean as RCI. 

Pre-voyage preparations 

The cruise was a 14-night transatlantic sailing, departing from Barcelona on 24th October and  terminating in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA on the 7th November. 

The itinerary was: – 

• Day 1, 24th Oct – Embarkation at Barcelona, Spain 
• Day 2, 25th Oct – Palma De Mallorca, Spain 
• Day 3, 26th Oct – Valencia, Spain 
• Day 4, 27th Oct – Cartagena, Spain 
• Day 5, 28th Oct – Malaga, Spain 
• Day 6, 29th Oct to day 13, 5th Nov – Sea Days 
• Day 14, 6th Nov – Nassau, Bahamas 
• Day 15, 7th Nov – Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA  

We stayed overnight on 7th November at the Cadillac Hotel & Beach Club located on Collins  Ave, Miami Beach. 

We flew back to Manchester on 8th November via London Heathrow on British Airways.

There  were  several  pre-cruise preparations  that  were needed, and  one  included the  downloading and installing  of  the Royal app which enabled us to enter a lot  of pre-cruise information which helped with the check in process. 

Once onboard, more  facilities become available once connected  the ship Wi-Fi for no  fee,  such as your onboard account, activities such as booking a table for dining at a venue of choice or entertainment like the Ice-Skating show.  

We pre-purchased the Deluxe beverage package, (despite receiving 5 beverage vouchers per  day as being Diamond plus Crown & Anchor loyalty program members) which covered any  drink up to $14 value. We also purchased a 3-night speciality dining package which allowed  us  to have dinner or lunch at 3 of  the 6 dining venues  that incur a  fee. For  those  that are  priced  al  la  carté,  there  is  a  credit  allowed. As  Diamond  plus  loyalty  guests  we  also each receive a ‘buy one, get one free’ dinner which we planned to use at Chops Grille on day 2 for  my  birthday,  and  150  Central  Park  on  day  4.  The  3-night package  we  used  on  day  7  at  Giovanni’s Table, day 13 at Izumi Hibachi ($15 pp supplement) and day 10 at the Portside BBQ  ($20 pp credit against the al la carté prices). 

Pre-Cruise Stay in Barcelona

Barcelona Airport Hotel

We flew from Manchester to Barcelona on October 22 and stayed at the Barcelona Airport Hotel. The hotel provided a free shuttle service and included an excellent breakfast.

From Manchester, UK we flew direct to Barcelona on Tuesday, 22nd October with Vueling on a 08:40pm flight, arriving after midnight and so booked a 1-nightstay at the Barcelona Airport Hotel.

The hotel offers a free shuttle from the airport, so once we collected our bags, we followed the signs to the meeting point and were the only people on the shuttle and were in the hotel in a few minutes.

We had booked the Eurostars Grand Marina hotel next to the port for the night before sailing and before we booked our flights to Barcelona, but we couldn’t add another night there on the 22nd due to lack availability so that’s why we stayed at this airport hotel. Perhaps the big football (soccer) match between Barcelona and Bayern Munich on the 23rd October could explain lack of availability in hotels in the city. The rate included  breakfast which had an excellent selection of food, so it was well worth the short stay! Check out was 12 midday, so we left as late as possible as official check in time at our next hotel wasn’t until 3pm.

Eurostars Grand Marina

After checking out of the Barcelona Airport Hotel we took a cab to our next hotel, the Eurostars Grand Marina hotel, which is the closest hotel to the cruise port, located in the World Trade Centre complex, and the fare was around €19. The hotel offers great views of the port, harbour and city of Barcelona.

Even though we arrived just after midday, our room was available which was great. So, we checked in and settled into our room. We then walked over to Port Vell and Maremagnum which is a retail and dining complex next to a large marina. We grabbed a quick lunch and made our way back to the hotel. One strange thing about this hotel that lists itself as 5 star, is that rooms do not provide an iron and board. 2 calls to reception ensured one was delivered! We enjoyed a drink on the terrace being mesmerised by a robot delivering food to guests in the lounge!

In the evening, we set off for dinner by walking up La Rambla and stopped en route in Plaça Reial for pre dinner cocktails enjoying the atmosphere of a bustling square in the early evening. We headed for dinner and ambled back the hotel for a last drink and then bed.

Boarding Oasis of the Seas

As part of the online check in process we had already printed our luggage tags and our boarding passes (Setsail Pass) with the required bar code for scanning at the terminal. These were also available to download to our Apple Wallet and were available in the Royal app. We had been able to choose a 11:30am – 12:00 midday check in time and was allocated Terminal B (Oasis class ships use 2 terminals in Barcelona, B & C) for check in.

We had breakfast, checking out just after 11am. The location of the hotel is ideal for cabs and the cruise port shuttle if you don’t want to take a cab (‘blue bus’). The journey took a maximum of 10 minutes due to traffic and cost €12. Although we were supposed to check in at Terminal B, as we approached, the cab driver was advised it was full and so we were re-directed to terminal C. On arriving at the terminal our bags were taken from us, we entered the terminal and passed through security scanning. We were directed to a counter to check in, and our security photos taken. Our ESTA documents (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) which we need to travel to the USA were checked and although stored electronically, RCI insist on a paper copy. If you did not have a printed copy RCI had advised, you would be denied boarding. We then had to present ourselves to immigration control, but this process was painless, and we headed straight on board! The whole process taking around 15 minutes from arrival.

As usual when we board an Oasis class ship, we head to Central Park and the Trellis Bar for a celebratory drink. We would normally grab a snack from Park Café for lunch whilst waiting for the cabins to be available but realised that as there were no previous guests onboard, they were already available, and we so set off at midday to locate our home for the next 14 nights. Shortly after we were exploring our cabin, 1 of our 4 bags were delivered.

Our stateroom attendant called and introduced himself to ensure everything was satisfactory with the cabin. Worth noting though that on this sailing, as opposed to our sailing on Navigator in April 2024, we were not advised that there is now only 1 service per day nor offered a morning or evening service and were left to assume it would be just a morning service. He also enquired about any other baggage, and we advised another 3 bags were to be delivered. Around 2 hours later another 2 of our bags were delivered, but no sign of the final bag for hours. As per the notice in the Cruise Compass, if not delivered by 7pm, you were to visit the baggage area on deck 3 aft. I did visit the area but was advised that due to the volume of luggage, delivery was still ongoing and as the bag was not there, it must be in transit. Around the same time photographs were posted on social media showing lots of bags still on the quayside and this could be the reason the ship had not set sail. As we use Apple AirTags, we had been checking on the location of the final bag, and although it had been shown as on the quayside, it did appear to have moved onto the ship. We took a walk to see if we could see any bagsstill on the quayside, but there wasn’t anything. As we returned to our cabin, hallelujah, the final bag was outside. So, despite handing 4 bags over before midday and they being loaded into the same cage, it took around 7.5 hours for the last suitcase to be delivered.

The ship finally set sail around 8:30pm whilst we were at dinner.

Stateroom

9264 category 2D, deck 9 

Upon approach, our Seapass cards were in the letter rack in a sealed envelope. You enter cabin into a corridor, with the master power switch and air conditioning control.  The door  to  the bathroom was also on  the right. Upon entry, the bathroom had the usual  toilet with an enclosed round shower cubicle, with body wash, soap tray, grab rails and foot  bar. No clothesline, just 2 hooks near the shower head.  

The wash hand basin area had 3 shelves on the wall, small drawer, a large mirror over, and  shaver socket.  

Towel rails held bath and hand towels, with face cloths and shower mat provided. Underneath  more shelving, and a rubbish bin were available.  

Moving into the main living  area, there is a closet with 2 sliding doors behind which are a set of shelves, one of which is taken up by a small in-room safe and hanging rails.

Opposite was the ‘Royal King’ bed which we requested was divided into twin beds. Each had  a set of bed side shelves, the in-room telephone took up the top of one bedside shelf. There  were bedside lamps above.  Next was the desk area with an illuminated mirror above. The top draw contained the hair  dryer. The TV was above and could be angled towards the bed area. The mini bar and a set of  3 drawers were underneath. 

A chair was provded and above the desk was 3 US 110v power outlets. Under the desk was a European 220v round pin socket and another US outlet. Opposite was a 3 seat sofa with coffee table and waste bin. Floor to celing windows stretched across the width of the cabin with a sliding door onto the balcony. On stepping onto the terrace, the furniture consisted of a large round table with 2 chairs.

Moving into the main living  area, there is a closet with 2 sliding doors behind which are a set of shelves, one of which is taken up by a small in-room safe and hanging rails.

Opposite was the ‘Royal King’ bed which we requested was divided into twin beds. Each had  a set of bed side shelves, the in-room telephone took up the top of one bedside shelf. There  were bedside lamps above.  Next was the desk area with an illuminated mirror above. The top draw contained the hair  dryer. The TV was above and could be angled towards the bed area. The mini bar and a set of  3 drawers were underneath. 

A chair was provded and above the desk was 3 US 110v power outlets. Under the desk was a European 220v round pin socket and another US outlet. Opposite was a 3 seat sofa with coffee table and waste bin. Floor to celing windows stretched across the width of the cabin with a sliding door onto the balcony. On stepping onto the terrace, the furniture consisted of a large round table with 2 chairs.

Royal App/Onboard Wi-Fi/Cruise Compass 

Prior to boarding the Royal app provided limited functionality, but once onboard when you  joined the ships Wi-Fi (no fee for app use) more functions became available, including access  to your onboard account and statement. The app can also be used to check what activities are planned for the day.  It is important to check your planner daily to see what is happening around the ship. It is also  worth noting that the “Cruise Compass” is no longer delivered to your cabin on a daily basis,  but is available online and there is a note with a QR code in your cabin. However, you can visit  Guest Services for a paper copy. 

Safety / Muster drill 

At this point it is worth pointing out that not until you had watched the safety videos on the  TV and attended your muster station are you considered to have completed the drill. The sign  on  the  back  of  the  door detailed  which  venue  we  had  to  visit. Ours was  in Café  Promenade on deck 5 on the Royal Promenade.  Our ID cards were scanned, and we were  allowed to leave. It is worth noting that life vests are not located in your stateroom but would  be provided, if needed, at the muster station.

Dining 

Oasis of the Seas has several dining venues, from the Main Dining rooms spanning decks 3, 4 & 5 aft, to severalspeciality restaurants and complimentary and casual venueslocated around  the ship. There were 2 formal and 1 ‘Wear your best’ nights where people don their finerary and various themed nights including Halloween and Country nights.  

Working our way down from deck 17, the various dining venues are detailed below. Opening  times are displayed in the Royal app and in the Cruise Compass.  

Deck 17

Coastal Kitchen 

Located within the suite complex this is the dedicated restaurant for suite guests.   

Deck 16

Windjammer Marketplace – buffet restaurant offering complimentary breakfast, lunch and  dinner. 

There are numerous areas providing a wide range of foods. Team members made their way  around offering tea/coffee/juices/beverages.  

Deck 15 

Solarium Bistro – complimentary venue located forwarded adjacent to the Solarium, offering  buffet breakfast and an alternative venue for dinner 

El Loco Fresh – complementary self serve dining venue serving Mexican cuisine. 

Portside BBQ – serving authentic barbecue  food including brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends  and even turkey legs for a nominal fee, either individual al la carté items or several combo  options.  

Deck 8 – Central Park  

This neighbourhood has 3 of the main speciality restaurants serving lunch and dinner for a  set cover charge.  

Chops Grille – traditional signature steakhouse  

Giovanni’s Table – Italian restaurant serving traditional dishes 

150 Central Park – contemporary restaurant serving modern cuisine    

Park Café  – complimentary venue serving breakfast and lunch snacks with indoor and  outdoor seating. Great alternative to the Windjammer Buffet.  

Vintages – wine bar where tapas type dishes available for a nominal charge. 

Deck 17

Coastal Kitchen 

Located within the suite complex this is the dedicated restaurant for suite guests.   

Deck 16

Windjammer Marketplace – buffet restaurant offering complimentary breakfast, lunch and  dinner. 

There are numerous areas providing a wide range of foods. Team members made their way  around offering tea/coffee/juices/beverages.  

Deck 15 

Solarium Bistro – complimentary venue located forwarded adjacent to the Solarium, offering  buffet breakfast and an alternative venue for dinner 

El Loco Fresh – complementary self serve dining venue serving Mexican cuisine. 

Portside BBQ – serving authentic barbecue  food including brisket, pulled pork, burnt ends  and even turkey legs for a nominal fee, either individual al la carté items or several combo  options.  

Deck 8 – Central Park  

This neighbourhood has 3 of the main speciality restaurants serving lunch and dinner for a  set cover charge.  

Chops Grille – traditional signature steakhouse  

Giovanni’s Table – Italian restaurant serving traditional dishes 

150 Central Park – contemporary restaurant serving modern cuisine    

Park Café  – complimentary venue serving breakfast and lunch snacks with indoor and  outdoor seating. Great alternative to the Windjammer Buffet.  

Vintages – wine bar where tapas type dishes available for a nominal charge. 

Entertainment 

In terms of entertainment, the options are varied and there are many venues to be enjoyed. Listed below are the venues where entertainment takes place with an example of the events  taking place. There are also several bars  that offer live music whilst you are enjoying your  favourite beverage. 

Decks 3, 4, 5, 6 

Royal Theatre – spanning  decks  3,4 &  5  this venue  hosts production  shows, game shows,  quizzes, and comedy shows. The main production show is Cats the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s  famous show.  

Deck 4 – Entertainment Place 

Blaze Nightclub – late night disco but also used for various comedy shows Studio B – ice  rink used  for professional ice shows, guest ice skating sessions, &  the adult  Quest show. 

Deck 5 – Royal Promenade  

Spotlight Karaoke – as the name implies this is a karaoke bar 

Boleros – latin themed bar with regular live music 

Globe and Atlas Pub – resident live singers 

Deck 6 – Royal Promenade & Boardwalk 

Schooner Bar – piano bar with live entertainment and resident pianist 

Aqua Theater – huge outdoor theater with regular water themed acrobatic shows Deck 8 – Central Park 

Live strings and singers performed nightly

Bars and Lounges 

All  bars  and  lounges  had the  normal  beverages  available  with  some  speciality  drinks  and  cocktails unique to each bar.

Deck 4 – Entertainment place 

Blaze nightclub  

Studio B ice skating venue 

Casino Royale 

Deck 5 – Royale Promenade 

Boleros 

Spotlight Karaoke  

Globe & Atlas Pub  

Rising Tide Bar – did not work during the whole sailing, accessible from Central Park, deck 8 Bionic Bar 

Deck 6 – Boardwalk 

Schooner Bar – overlooks the Royal Promenade  

Playmakers Sports Bar 

Deck 8 – Central Park 

Vintages Wine Bar 

Trellis Bar 

Music Hall 

Deck 9  

Music Hall 

Deck 15 – Pool Deck 

The Lime & Coconut 

Deck 16 

Solarium Bar 

The Lime & Coconut 

Wipeout Bar 

Deck 17 

Suite Sun deck Bar 

Suite Lounge

Activities/Fitness 

Deck 4 – Studio B  

Regular complimentary ice-skating sessions that can be booked via the app.

Deck 5 – Running Track 

This track allows you to complete a full circuit either walking or running. 2.4 laps = 1 mile. At  the aft there are a few “steamer” type chairs where you can relax whilst enjoying the wake. 

Deck 6 forward – Vitality Fitness Centre 

Fully equipped gymnasium with a large variety of machines, free weights and holding regular  classes. There is also the Vitality Café serving healthy snacks and beverages.  

Deck 7 Aft – Rock Climbing Walls 

Two rock climbing walls located next to the Aqua Theatre.  

Deck 14 

Adventure Ocean, including a theatre for kids is located forward on this deck together with  the nursery. 

The Escape Room is located aft which offers a chance to test team skills to escape for a fee. 

Deck 15 – Pool and Sports Zone 

The partly covered Solarium is located forward of deck 15 with a pool and hot tubs with an  external area with great views.    

Working aft from the Solarium is the Perfect Storm water slide, Main, Beach and Sports pools and Splashaway Bay for youngsters.     

Further towards the aft is the Challenger’s Arcade with a selection of arcade games for a  fee. There is also another hangout area for younger guests called “Teen”.  

At the aft of deck 15 is Oasis Dunes a miniature golf course and an enclosed sports court.     

Deck 16 – Sports Zone 

Located at the aft are several sports activities offered as there are 2 surf simulators  (Flowriders), a zip line that allows you ride 10 decks above the Boardwalk and the Ultimate  Abyss dry slide that takes you down 10 decks to end on the Boardwalk.

Services/Shopping 

Deck 3 – The conference centre is on deck 3. 

Deck 4 

Crown and Anchor loyalty “Crown Lounge” is located here giving access to a concierge and  providing continental breakfast and snacks during the “Happy Hours” normally 5-7pm.  

The Art Gallery is also located on this deck.  

Deck 5 – Royal Promenade 

Several  shops  are  located  on  deck 5 providing clothing,  souvenirs,  jewellery,  cosmetics,  perfumes, and any necessities you may have forgotten, snacks and duty-free sales. 

Guest Services and a desk for internet issues with the “Voom” system are also on this deck.  Deck 6 

The Next Cruise sales office is on this deck on the port side with Shore Excursions and the  Focus photo gallery on the starboard side.  

Deck 12  

A card room and the Loyalty Ambassador office were located on this deck. 

Disembarkation 

During the sailing you were invited to complete an online questionnaire to advise of your post  cruise travel arrangements. On the next to last day on board, a departure information sheet  was provided in your cabin together with coloured luggage tags which were numbered, and  these corresponded with your chosen disembarkation time, the latest on this sailing was with  an indicated departure time of 9:00 – 9:30 am.

If we had wanted for our luggage to be delivered to the terminal, then it had to be outside  our stateroom by 10pm on the last evening. 

Due to minimise crowds, instead of congregating in bars/lounges, guests were allowed to wait  in various venues around the ship after leaving your cabin by 8am. 

Breakfast was available in the Windjammer Marketplace, the Main Dining room, Park Café and the Crown Lounge for Crown and Anchor loyalty members.

Post Cruise Stay in Miami Beach 

We were staying 1 night in Miami Beach before flying from Miami back to Manchester, UK � via London Heathrow. 

Collection of our bags in the terminal was easy but with immigration control required, there  was a lengthy line snaking around the terminal. It moved along so the wait wasn’t too long. 

We headed for the car rental shuttle as I had a reservation with Budget for a one-way rental  from their port depot dropping off at Miami Airport the next day. It is important to note that  this  shuttle  does  not  provide  transportation  to  the  Budget  car  rental  at  Fort  Lauderdale  airport. A few people got caught out by this.  

We picked up our car and headed off  to our next hotel  for  the night, the Cadillac Hotel &  Beach Clu (https://www.cadillachotelmiamibeach.com ) located on Collins Avenue.

Cadillac Hotel – Miami

Summary & Conclusions  

Positives 

I only had to visit Guest Services a couple of times which is always a positive indicator of a  good cruise for me, especially over 14 nights. 

The ship is beautiful, clean, and well maintained after its dry dock with a vast array of venues. 

Food  quality  is  very  subjective,  but  we  found  it  to  be  good in  all  venues,  especially  the  speciality  restaurants Giovanni’s Table and 150 Central Park although  the menu selections have changed, and the cover charges increased. 

The My Time dining process now appears to try and seat you the same wait staff if you dine  around the same time each night, which is what we do.  

Staff obviously  take note of  situations as guest  relations called  to check I was OK after an  incident in the casino (see negatives for this), the beverage manager called as they thought I  had an issue with bar service  (we did in some venues but had not  reported anything) and  because dinner service was extremely rushed one night (only mentioned when asked by the  door host when leaving, we didn’t lodge a complaint) the maître d’ offered us a Chops Grille  steak for no fee the next evening (there is normally a $19.99 supplement).  

Negatives 

Were there any negatives? 

These will vary depending on people’s tastes and expectations.

There are staff shortages in some areas which is evident in popular bars (Trellis Bar) as drinks  service was slow, but in others just as busy (Vintages) it was fantastic.  

The Rising Tide bar was out of action for the whole sailing, so that was a bit of a negative.  

The air conditioning in the cabin was not good some days and it was cooler in the hallways.  This is due to the air conditioning systems being replaced and works will not be completed  until the end of 2024. I know others suffered from toilets not flushing or no hot water. 

Entertainment on so many sea days was a bit of a let down. However, if you liked trivia quizzes on what felt like every subject under the sun you were well catered for.  

Our fellow guests were another negative. The incident I referred to above involved a fellow  passenger who was cussing and swearing whilst waiting in line for a cashier in the casino. They pushed me out of the way whilst I was collecting my winnings at the cashier desk. When I  asked what their problem was they were in my face, obviously enraged, obviously intoxicated  with spittle coming in my direction. I left, but someone obviously  reported the incident to  security and guest relations called the next day to see if I was OK and advised that they were  on camera and would be spoken to. From some Pinnacle C&A members there was an air of  entitlement which is a big negative to me. We personally know Pinnacle members, and not  all are like that, but a few bad apples can always tarnish the experience for others.  

The  Voom  internet  service  wasn’t  good  on  the  days  when  I  paid  for  it  so  we  were  given  complimentary food at Playmakers. 

The specialty restaurant cover charges are getting silly. They used to include gratuity, but that  is now an additional cost. When you add local tax and gratuity to the cover charge at Chops  it now amounts to $83. Chops is not worth that in our opinion, and for my birthday meal I had  to  return  the  steak  as  it  was  appalling.  So  much  so,  the  manager  offered  us  another  complimentary meal. The red velvet cake is half the size it was just 6 months ago on Navigator  and is no different than that served in the main dining room.  

Conclusion 

After  all  this,  would  we  cruise  with  RCi again  – no  doubt we will, but the price has to be right. This was  our  26th sailing  with  Royal  but  we  are  not  ‘Loyal  to  Royal’ as in our opinion there are other cruise lines who offer better value for money.  I hope you found this useful. Any questions, just ask. 

Please check out our social media channels below as the videos from this sailing will appear  there soon! 

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