All Aboard the Oasis of the Seas: Royal Caribbean’s Colossal cruise ship

“They’re about to close the zip wire. The weather’s too dangerous.” Not the most reassuring words to hear when you’re about to jump off a nine-deck-high platform on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship ever to visit the UK.

[Read about our trip on board another Royal Caribbean ship, The Independence of the Seas, here]

Here, the wonderful Swazi from Chocolate is Not the Only Fruit puts into words what I was feeling at the time:

But it all went well. I zipped across the ship on what was a thrilling and surprisingly safe-seeming ride, considering I was held up only by a wire and a distinctly unflattering strap between my legs.

But I should probably rewind to give this whole thing a bit of context.

A day on board the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

I was on board the Oasis of the Seas at the invitation of Royal Caribbean, who had asked a group from Mumsnet to look round the ship; sample some of its facilities; and give it the once-over for a family holiday.

The ship is massive.

You’d be forgiven for thinking The Oasis was an end-of-jetty hotel rather than a boat; while on board, it was easy to forget the sea was somewhere beneath your feet. At 1,187ft, the ship is longer than London’s Shard is tall. It’s 208ft wide, larger than the wingspan of a Boeing 747, and the Oasis is big enough to house 5,400 passengers and 2,394 crew. Looking along its side when I arrived at Southampton’s docks, it just seemed to go back….and back….and back.

I’ve never been on a cruise before, and I had a few reservations. Would my day on board the Oasis of the Seas settle my fears?

Public space on the Oasis of the Seas

Considering the vast number of people on board the ship (it was 50% full when we visited, as well as housing a load of press and PR people who’d been invited along for the day, to nose around), the ship’s public spaces seemed remarkably quiet.

Central Park was hushed and tranquil. The Promenade, on the other hand, was all glitz, neon, music (a live steel drum band) and bottomless servings of hot and cold beverages (if you’d opted for the unlimited drinks package, that is).

Who sails on board the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas?

The US influence is inescapable (Royal Caribbean’s original base is in the States), but the onboard staff brought an international flavour. They were all enthusiastic, and clearly happy in their jobs. The ones we spoke to hailed from England, Scotland, the Phillipines, South America and of course the Caribbean, where the Oasis usually sails. This time it was headed for Florida, which (according to staff) was why so many people of retirement age were on board. Apparently, there are fewer silver sailors on Caribbean or Mediterranean Cruises, and more people with children, or couples looking for a spot of adventure and R&R.

But no hen- or stag-do booze cruises. The Royal Caribbean team were very clear about that.

Accommodation on the Oasis of the Seas

The Stateroom accommodation we saw (a basic room) was on the small side, although I suspect that on a cruise you’d only need only a crashpad, rather than a place to spend lots of time. Most cabins look out to sea, or onto the interior spaces, all of which are several decks high, making them feel airy and spacious.

Food on the Oasis of the Seas

On arrival we were treated to lunch in Giovanni’s, an Italian-inspired restaurant, and our evening dinner was held in Chops Grill, a very upmarket diner decorated with a Chicago cityscape. These are both premier resturants which charge an additional cost over the basic cruise package; but the surcharge is reasonable (somewhere in the region of £15-£30), and the food was…well, for me as a meat-and-fish lover, nothing short of superb.

There were three main dishes to choose from in each restaurant, with one or two vegetarian options. The lunch flew past in a whirl of fresh insalata, antipasti and surprisingly delicate baked ricotta parcels; flavoursome, tender chicken; and a light tiramisu that smouldered with delicious espresso. In the evening, I chose a simple baked goats cheese salad (my only complaint would be the breadcrumb coating. No need for that on a goat’s cheese). Then, I ate a rare 8oz filet mignon, which is one of the best steaks I’ve ever sampled.

I’d have been happy to leave it at that, but dessert was a choice between chocolate mud pie and berry cheesecake. I opted for the latter as the ‘lighter’ option (ho hum); there was a good balance between tangy fruit and dense, sticky cake. It was all washed down with subtle wines and good quality mineral water.

The staff were attentive, merry, and pretty dishy (*cough*).

We were visited at lunch by some characters from the hit kids’ film Madagascar, who decided to help Rosie from Mummy and Boo, and Carissa from Little Likely Lads, to servings of Parmesan.

Kids’ clubs and daycare on the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

The onboard children’s facilities were very impressive. A bubbly, enthusiastic childcare worker took us on a tour of the vast daycare area. There were four rooms for different age groups; an educational science lab, where we took part in an ‘exploding vocano’ demonstration; an art workshop, theatre (showing several films a day), climbing wall, amusement arcade and ‘teens’ zone’.

The daycare is available for all passengers, from morning till evening, and is operated on a responsive drop-in basis, so parents can change their number of childcare hours from one day to the next. Apparently all childcare staff are educated to degree level, with a range of different expertises, including child psychology. The ship even holds an ‘autism of the seas’ event, where they bring a large group of autistic children on board to sail with other children and parents who understand their needs.

Safety (as well as hygiene) seemed to be a prime concern of the childcare staff, and the daycare is all set indoors. Parents who want to take their children out on deck to the pools, or on a day excursion, have to look after the youngsters themselves.

Children with special needs on the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

I spoke to Esther, one of our Royal Caribbean hosts, who told me she had been on a cruise with her wheelchair-bound grandmother, and they both managed to get out and about on a Royal Caribbean day trip itinerary, to see the sights of Paris. If that worked for them, I’m sure taking young children around on day tours wouldn’t pose too much of a challenge. And, as we heard at the end of the day, at a Q&A session with senior Royal Caribbean staff, the onboard facilities are only part of the cruise experience. Moving from place to fascinating place would, I imagine, be incredibly exciting and stimulating for youngsters (as well as us grown-ups….)

The rest

Over the course of ten hours, we only scratched the surface of what the Oasis of the Seas had to offer. There was the delightful mini-massage, shown here with Rosie and Carissa as models.

A lithe instructor took us on a tour of the gym, which was well-stocked with equipment to help burn off all that divine cheesecake. And with special yoga sessions on the helipad, it sounds as though there would be plenty of opportunities to reach equilibrium under those blue Caribbean skies. Unfortunately, there just wasn’t enough time in the day to see the ice rink, sports court, or the cinemas…

But then, there was the zip wire. The thought of which terrified me (I’m scared of heights), but after braving the experience, I’d do again in a flash.

On the whole, my day spent on board Oasis of the Seas has reassured me that my fears about cruising aren’t that well-founded; at least, not if we were considering sailing on a Royal Caribbean ship.

And I would love to eat another of those steaks one day.

What do you think? Would you take a cruise as a family holiday? And why?

[Read about our trip on board another Royal Caribbean ship, The Independence of the Seas, here]

Disclosure: Royal Caribbean and Mumsnet invited me on Board the Oasis of the Seas for the purpose of this review. Thanks to them and to my fellow bloggers for making the day so special. All views remain my own.

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