BIG SHIP CRUISING
acrobatic production in the Opal Theatre, the ship’s entertainers dazzled and enthralled in equal measure. Although it didn’t hit home with me,
one of my companions raved about ‘Hairspray’ – the schmaltzy story of Tracy Turnblad, who fi nds celebrity after her discovery on a television dance show. Indeed, Tracy would feel very much at home aboard Oasis of the Seas.
Dining 24-7 There are no fewer than 24 places to eat aboard this Titan of the Seas. The main dining room, Opus, spans three decks and is crowned by a magnifi cent chandelier. It offers open-seating for breakfast and lunch, but, at dinner, Decks 3 and 4 are dedicated to traditional seatings at 6 and 8.30pm while Deck 5 is reserved for passengers who have opted for ‘My Time Dining,’ Royal Caribbean’s fl exible dining programme. The Windjammer Marketplace, the thronged buffet-style venue on Deck 16, is open for breakfast and lunch as well as casual dining from 6.30 to 9pm. The adjacent Izumi, featuring Asian cuisine, proved popular despite having a la carte pricing. The delightful Solarium Bistro on Deck 15, with its spa-oriented cuisine, is a quieter option for breakfast and lunch, while in the evening there is a $20 dining fee. The surcharges continue in the Boardwalk
where classic American-style 1950s diner Johnny Rockets imposes a levy of $4.95 for burgers and hot-dogs. Fish and chips and other seafood-based comfort food comes with an $8.95 tab at the Seafood Shack.
FACT FILE Built
Tonnage Length Beam Draft
Speed
Passengers Crew
Oasis of the Seas 2009
225,282 1,187ft 208ft 30ft
Passenger decks
(double occupancy) 2,165 19
22 knots 5,400
There are seemingly countless bars for
cocktails, too, with our preferred option being the signature Schooner Bar. On most nights, polite conversation proved impos- sible due to the loud music from the City Lights Trio that echoed around the Royal Promenade, one deck below our watering hole in this tumultuously-busy open atrium. One night we headed to the epony-
mous Viking Crown Lounge only to discover it was deserted. It would appear the relaxing guitar rhythms of Wilfredo Arca were not a hit with our fellow passengers, who seemed to crave loud music in every quarter.
The real headline alternatives are all to be found in Central Park, where Giovanni’s Table offers family-style Italian dining for a $15 surcharge; Chops Grille serves excellent steaks for a $25 supplement; and the voguish 150 Central Park showcases a set menu devised by celebrity chef Keriann Von Raesfeld – with an accompanying $35 dining fee. We chose to dine in these alternative
restaurants on a few occasions and never required a reservation for a table after 8.30 pm, despite pressure to book. Other eating options with a supplement
Itineraries: 7-night alternating East and West Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale, year-round every Saturday; calling at Charlotte Amalie (US Virgin Islands), Nassau and Phillipsburg (St Maarten); or Cozumel, Costa Maya (Mexico) and Labadee (Haiti).
More info: in the UK, call 0844 493 4005 or visit
www.royalcaribbean.co. uk; in the US, call 1866 562 7625 or
www.royalcaribbean.com.
include Vintages Wine Bar on Central Park, where tapas are priced a la carte; the Ice Cream Parlour on the Boardwalk, where cones come at $1.95 a scoop; and the Cupcake Cupboard on the Royal Promenade, where a generous cupcake attracts an equally generous $2.50. If you really want to impress your friends, then the Chef’s Table on the top level of the Concierge Lounge has a hefty $75 supplement, although this does include course-by-course wine pairings. Gratis alternatives include the
Boardwalk’s Donut Shop, Wipe-Out Café, Café Promenade, Vitality Spa Café, the eclectic Park Café, and Sorrento for a slice of pizza until 3 am. Room service attracts a $3.95 service charge.
30 WORLD OF CRUISING I Summer 2010
away the most popular. The massive Casino Royale – half of which is designated non- smoking – was in full swing until very late. Because of its vast hull and relatively
A
deep draft, Oasis is limited to the ports she can visit. Whilst there are no shortage of lifeboats aboard, they cannot be deployed as ship’s tenders. Consequently, all destinations need to have the capability for the ship to be able to tie-up alongside a dock.
Currently there are three ‘marquee’ ports of call on the schedule: St Thomas, St Maarten and Nassau. In each port there were at least six other ships, which meant the downtown areas were bedlam. We tried to escape the madding crowd by taking taxis to remote beaches but the sheer volume of traffi c meant transfer times were long. In Nassau, we headed to Atlantis – only
to discover the citizens of Oasis had also uprooted to become temporary denizens of the deep in the fabled ocean metropolis of the Lost City. After seven days getting to grips with this behemoth that’s proud to be loud, I’m still sceptical. Big may be beautiful, but I am yet to be convinced that Oasis of the Seas is the alpha and omega of cruising.
s seems to be the case on ships these days, the few bars where smoking is permitted were far and
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