My TOP TIPS for your Royal Caribbean Oasis Class cruise!
Ok, today we’re talking about some of the largest cruise ships in the world, and I’ll tell you now - these ones are amazing! We’re going to step onboard the Oasis Class ships from Royal Caribbean, as I offer you 10 ‘top tips’ following my time onboard Symphony of the Seas. Before boarding this ship, I was SO intimidated by the sheer size of the ship - would I find my way around ok, or would I get lost constantly? Would I be able to experience everything the ship had to offer, or leave wanting so much more time? There was only one way to find out - let’s get onboard!
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Anyway, let’s get started with the obvious question - what is an Oasis Class cruise ship?
In the simplest terms, a ‘class’ of cruise ship is a type of ship. When a cruise line builds a new ship, the'y’ll often order multiple of the same build/design of ship. In this case, the term ‘Oasis Class’ refers to the following ships: Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas, Allure of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas and Utopia of the Seas - there’s quite a few!
Before we get started on the tips themselves, you can also head to my YouTube channel to hear these tips in video form, and gain further insights to my time onboard via my other videos - the link’s below!
Anyway, let’s get started with tip number 10 for your Oasis Class cruise - you should think about turning a port day into a ‘fake sea day’. This means that you stay on the ship during a day where the ship’s in port to enjoy the same facilities as on a day at sea, but with a MUCH quieter ship! Ok, some of the venues won’t be open the same as if you were at sea, for example the dining options, but lots of the ship will be open as normal. For example, you stand a good chance of not waiting in long lines if you try the rock climbing, the flow rider, the carousel, the gaming arcade and so much more while the ship is docked, and other passengers are off the ship and enjoying a day ashore.
I know what you’re thinking - why would you pay all of that money to cruise around different ports and not leave the ship? Remember that a huge part of cruising on this type of ship IS the experience onboard the ship, and you might be cruising in a part of the world that you’re already familiar with. For example, on my Symphony cruise, I found myself docked in an Italian port I’d been to before, so I really enjoyed staying on the ship that day!
Number 9 - dine at Wonderland. Wonderland is the Alice in Wonderland-themed restaurant onboard and, in here, you can expect themed characters to be serving your dinner, in addition to a heavily themed dining venue itself. This one’s great if you’re cruising with friends, or if you make new friends on your cruise - a really immersive experience.
My recommendation in here is to be open to new things - the menu is really varied, and not always what you might expect - but I won’t give anything away…! If you don’t fancy dining at Wonderland, why not come in before you eat elsewhere for a pre-dinner cocktail? The crew at the bar would love to see you! This one can be quite expensive, but you can save some money by pre-booking a dining package before you board the ship! Here’s a few photos to get you ‘in the mood’ to try Wonderland:
Number 8 - go for a run! I know - you’ve booked a cruise on one of the biggest cruise ships on the planet, and I’m recommending that you go running. Don’t worry - I’m not proposing you leave the ship - there’s a massive running track onboard! On Symphony, you’ll find this down on Deck 5, and it’s where you can get some incredible views looking out both sides, and also out the back of the ship. You can either access the running track from one of the side doors on Deck 5, or go into the gym and go downstairs for direct access.
So many cruise ships nowadays either don’t have running tracks, or they’re part of the sundeck and therefore have sun loungers around for most of the day, so it’s GREAT to see how Royal Caribbean have incorporated a real running track into the design of this ship! Also, rumour has it - if you do a few laps of the running track, you might be able to justify another dessert at dinner that evening…
Moving on to number 7, check out the onboard Solarium! This adults-only relaxation space features a number of hot tubs and a larger bathing tub in the middle, in addition to some of the best views out the front of the ship. My top tip? Go right to the front and check out the exterior sections that take you out over the front of the ship - they’re absolutely amazing!
There’s also a section out here with a glass floor that looks all the way down to the ocean surface. Remember you’re up on Deck 14 here - are you brave enough to stand on the glass? If so, remember to take a selfie to prove to everyone back home that you did it…! Another tip - relax at the bar in here - as it’s ‘adult only’, it’s much more chilled out than elsewhere on deck!
Number 6 - go to the beach! No, not the beach on land - the beach on the ship! I know - I’ll let that sink in for a second - there’s a ‘beach’ onboard these cruise ships! Here’s the area in question onboard Symphony (see picture below) - it’s one of the onboard pools where the floor angles nicely into the water, and the motion of the ship moving then creates the sensation of waves lapping up on the surface - amazing, isn’t it?! This is totally free of charge and just part of the top deck, so go grab your favourite cocktail and set up camp there for a few hours during one of your days at sea!
It’s important to remember that, while on the top deck, DO NOT ‘chair hog’. ‘Chair Hogging’ on a cruise ship is when someone attempts to ‘reserve’ sun loungers for large periods of the day by leaving their belonging on top of it. For example, if you want to leave your towel on your lounger to reserve it while you disappear to the Dining Room for lunch, don’t! Royal Caribbean have a clear policy on this, and will remove your belongings and send them to the lost property area. Not only will this be embarrassing for you to return to your empty lounger infront of your fellow cruisers, but it’s much worse to then hope your belongings have made it to the right place. Don’t risk it - there are plenty of loungers on this ship!
On to number 5, which means we’re half way through our list! Now, we’re thinking about food again, and my tip is that you need to dine at the Solarium Bistro. I met so many people onboard who assumed this was a Speciality dining venue (in other words, one that you pay extra for), but this isn’t the case! In here, you’re going to find a much more calm environment than the huge windjammer buffet at the back of the ship, and it’s a selection of generally pretty healthy foods in here. Think sandwiches, think salads, think light desserts - if you’re looking for the bigger meals, make your way further back to the Windjammer where you’ll find exactly what you’re after! The theming in here is also lovely - go on, give it a try while onboard!
Number 4 of my tips for what you need to do onboard your Oasis Class cruise? Try to surf using one of the amazing Flow Rider machines onboard! The ‘Flow Rider’ is the onboard surf simulator, and these are one of the most famous attractions onboard these ships thanks to Royal Caribbean’s marketing team. When you board, you’ll have the option to sign up for pay-as-you-go lessons on these simulators, but my advice is to try your hand at this during one of the ‘free’ sessions. It’ll be one (or sometimes two) at a time on the simulators, and you’ll be coached by the crew working the machine at the time. If you enjoy, you can then progress to get some lessons under your belt or, like me, you can accept that once is probably enough…! Even if it’s not for you, at least you can wear the medal of ‘I gave it a try’ when you go home after your vacation!
Next tip number 3, dine at Jamie’s! Not all Royal Caribbean ships have a Jamie’s onboard, but this was one of my favourite dining options onboard Symphony of the Seas. In here, you can expect traditional Italian food with a modern twist, and I can tell you now - it’s some of the tastiest food you’ll find on the ship! The food I MUST tell you to try is the Garlic Buns - oh my goodness - they were AMAZING! This restaurant is one that you’ll need to pay extra for on your cruise, but you can purchase cheaper dining packages through your booking account online before you sail! I could talk all day about my experience in this restaurant - I loved it! Instead, why not head over to this article when you’re finished here, which shows you the food (and SO much more!). Warning - don’t read that article if you’re hungry - it’ll make your stomach rumble, for sure!
Number 2 on my top 10 tips - ride the Ultimate Abyss. These 10-deck slides are SO much fun, and will whizz you from the top pool deck areas down to the outdoor promenade part of the ship in seconds. Be prepared to gather speed as you go down there - you’ll be given a sack to sit in for the journey, so make sure you’re well tucked in as you are entering a steep, metal slide. Top tip - protect your knees on the way down! If you’re looking at these slides and feel absolutely terrified, my advice to you is to not worry - they actually don’t go as fast as you’re worrying about! These slides are totally included in your cruise fare - I actually suspected they may have been an additional charge, but they weren’t! It could be worth ticking these off on your list while the ship is docked in port - the lines can be really long on sea days!
Finally, number 1 - my top tip for your cruise onboard Symphony of the Seas, or another Oasis Class ship? Try and discover EVERYTHING! These ships are absolutely enormous - they’re 1,188 feet long and 215.5 feet wide. To help you visualise that, the Empire State Building in New York City is 1,250 foot tall, and so these ships are almost as long as the Empire State Building is tall - amazing, isn’t it? Just think - how much could Royal Caribbean fit onto a ship of this size? The answer - a LOT! There’s a park, water slides, a huge indoor promenade, an outdoor promenade, loads of restaurants, more bars than you can count, an aqua theatre… You get it - there’s a lot for you to explore! Try and get round as much of the ship as you can - after all, you can rest when you go home!
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