Royal Caribbean is renowned for building the world’s biggest and most advanced cruise ships. However, it wasn’t until last year that my husband and I cruised on an Oasis class ship together for the first time.
Although we’ve traveled the world, most of our sailings have been aboard Royal Caribbean’s older and smaller ships. Our very first Royal Caribbean cruise was aboard Mariner of the Seas in Southeast Asia, followed by our engagement trip on Brilliance of the Seas and honeymoon on Rhapsody of the Seas!
Since then, we’ve cruised together in Alaska, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, the Canary Islands and the Caribbean many times. Typically, we book our cruises based on the itinerary rather than the ship itself. For many years, we never even cared about the ship at all, as the destinations have always been the highlight.
For instance, our most recent Royal Caribbean cruises have been aboard Jewel of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, and Serenade of the Seas. So, when my parents invited us to join them on a 4-night cruise aboard the brand-new Utopia of the Seas, we were eager to experience one of Royal Caribbean’s newest ships.
Not to mention, Luke and I had never cruised together on a brand-new ship before! Even more exciting was the fact that my husband, Luke, would experience an Oasis class ship for the first time. While this wasn’t my first time onboard one of the world’s largest cruise ships, this would be our first time together aboard an Oasis class ship.
Overall, Luke was impressed with the entertainment and dining options, but he hated dealing with the constant crowds. We had a wonderful family vacation, but like any trip, it wasn’t perfect. Here’s what he thought of his first Oasis class experience, and whether we will consider booking another one.
Entertainment was a highlight, which normally isn’t the case for Luke
My husband enjoys cruise entertainment, but it’s usually not his favorite aspect of a cruise. His favorite shows are typically comedy acts, and he won’t turn down a magician or variety act. Instead, Luke typically prefers relaxing in a bar or lounge after dinner, followed by an earlier bedtime.
That really aboard Utopia of the Seas, as Luke was blown away by the entertainment! In my opinion, Oasis class ships have some of the best cruise ship entertainment in the industry. I really hyped up the entertainment, and luckily, it didn’t disappoint.
Luke was especially impressed by the Aqua80Too show at the AquaTheatre. He said the diving, acrobatics, technology, and synchronized elements were unlike anything he had seen at sea. Throughout the entire cruise, he kept commenting on how talented the athletes were and how well-executed the production was.
In addition, he loved the ice skating performance on board. We have seen ice shows on Voyager Class ships before, but the YouTopia show felt elevated in both choreography and overall production quality.
By the end of the sailing, even the late-night comedy show on the final evening turned into one of our favorite shared moments. The comedian had us laughing so hard that we were in tears!
He loved the wide selection of specialty dining options
When Luke and I took our first cruise together, I knew he would love all of the complimentary dining options. What 21-year-old college kid doesn’t love an all-you-can-eat buffet?
During our early years of cruising together, we only dined at the complimentary restaurants. We were newlyweds on a budget, so we didn’t have a lot of extra cash to splurge. Not to mention, there is already so much included in your cruise fare, so we never felt the need to spend extra.
Over the years, we’ve started to splurge on specialty dining experiences. Now, we really appreciate the elevated ambiance, attentive service, and higher-quality cuisine. We’ve never purchased a specialty dining package, but we always try two or three of the specialty restaurants during our cruises.
On Utopia of the Seas, Luke was shocked by the huge selection of dining options. During our four nights aboard, we managed to dine at Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, and Mason Jar. Each restaurant offered a distinct and memorable experience, although Mason Jar did not quite meet our expectations.
Even still, the dining variety available on an Oasis Class ship is especially impressive. With only four nights aboard, there were still venues we did not have time to try, including Izumi Sushi, which is one of Luke’s favorites.
Compared to the older and smaller ships with only a few places to eat, it’s a completely different dining experience aboard an Oasis class ship.
However, we both found the main dining room to be underwhelming on Utopia of the Seas. This has become a common theme for us in recent years. At this point, we include specialty dining in our cruise budget, as we pretty much always splurge now. While the service is always attentive, the cuisine in the main dining room simply does not compare to specialty venues.
Embarkation day was overwhelming, which wasn’t the best first impression
They say first impressions are everything, but the crowds on embarkation day were particularly off-putting for Luke. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that you might experience crowds while cruising aboard an Oasis class ship. These are among the biggest cruise ships in the world, with Utopia of the Seas holding nearly 6,000 passengers at capacity.
However, it seemed like we were battling the crowds from the minute we arrived at Port Canaveral for embarkation. The crowds only continued as we entered the Royal Promenade after boarding and looked for a quick snack. Sorrento’s was packed with passengers lining up for pizza, and we found ourselves weaving through the busy walkway just to get through.
Once we finally escaped the Royal Promenade, we headed to another packed venue: the Windjammer buffet. Luke loves seafood, so he was especially excited to indulge in lobster during the seafood spread. Embarkation day is always one of the busiest times in the Windjammer, and adding lobster to the menu only seemed to amplify the crowds.
Finding a table proved to be the biggest challenge. Traveling with my grandma, who uses a walker, made navigating the busy restaurant even more stressful. What should have been a relaxed first lunch onboard quickly turned into a frustrating experience. We didn't return to the Windjammer after this, as we wanted to avoid the long lines here.
At the same time, Luke and I were running around frantically trying to get our dining and entertainment reservations. He said he hadn’t experienced anything like that on embarkation day before, and it wasn’t exactly relaxing. Unfortunately, securing all of your reservations is crucial aboard an Oasis class ship.
With so many people vying for reservations at the same time, you’ll want to ensure you have all of your plans sorted as soon as possible. For example, we weren’t able to secure entertainment reservations before boarding, and our Diamond Plus BOGO specialty restaurant can only be redeemed onboard. This meant our first few hours of vacation were pretty chaotic.
Luke loved the thoughtful design and amenities
After sailing on many older ships together, Luke immediately noticed how modern Utopia of the Seas felt. Newer ships naturally come with updated technology and state-of-the-art amenities, but he really appreciated the thoughtful details throughout the ship. Beyond the aesthetics, Luke appreciated how intentional and practical many of the features felt.
For instance, he loved the dedicated jogging track on Utopia of the Seas that wraps around the ship. As a runner, he appreciated being able to run easily without weaving through chairs or loungers on the pool deck. Although I am not a runner, I enjoyed being able to walk around the path with my parents and soak in the ocean views.
Moreover, Luke found our interior stateroom to feel contemporary and functional with many thoughtful design elements. Although we booked the cheapest cabin on board, our stateroom was very comfortable for the four nights on board.
In particular, Luke appreciated the USB port and outlet conveniently located on the nightstand. On many older ships, the only outlets are at the vanity, which usually means relying on a portable charger at his bedside. With phones, watches, headphones, and laptops all needing regular charging, that small design upgrade makes a noticeable difference.
Finally, Luke even noticed the improved bathroom layout in our cabin. As a 6’4 cruiser, he loved having a larger walk-in shower with more space. This was certainly a welcome design improvement compared to older ships, which can often feel outdated and very cramped.
We still prefer smaller vessels, although it was a great vacation!
Despite the ship’s many impressive amenities, Luke still prefers cruising on smaller vessels. As destination-focused cruisers, we prefer visiting new regions and booking sailings to new ports of call.
Unfortunately, Oasis class ships are limited in where they can sail because of their massive size. In addition, you won’t be able to tender ashore while cruising aboard an Oasis class vessel, further limiting the ports of call that you can visit.
If you’re someone who prioritizes unique ports and longer voyages, you won’t be sailing on Oasis class ships very often. For those wanting to experience new places, Oasis class ships never seem to check the boxes. Additionally, Royal Caribbean has been transitioning its Oasis class ships to focus on shorter, party-centric sailings in the Caribbean.
Additionally, cruising together aboard Utopia of the Seas felt completely different than our recent Royal Caribbean cruises, such as our 12-night cruise to Iceland on Jewel of the Seas. As a Radiance class vessel, Jewel of the Seas is about 60% smaller and holds only 2,191 passengers.
With fewer passengers onboard, Luke and I loved being able to see familiar faces throughout our cruise. This built a sense of community, especially on a longer voyage. Luke and I value those small interactions with both crew members and fellow guests.
This isn’t to say we didn’t enjoy the service aboard Utopia of the Seas, as it was very professional. However, the experience felt less personal, likely because of the ship’s larger passenger capacity. This can make it harder to grow those connections during your sailing.
Essentially, our cruise on Utopia of the Seas was extremely fun and memorable. We loved being able to spend time with my family, including my late grandfather who recently passed away. However, we both prefer the smaller, more intimate cruise ships, such as Celebrity’s Edge class ships.
