Jax

I noticed that on Day 1 we are scheduled to eat at Jaime’s not CK....I will check with Andres on Filet night. I have read so much about this that we don’t want to miss it! 

2 weeks and we are ? to NYC! Lots of last minute stuff to do. I have piles everywhere ... It seems I have begun staging. This morning was spent wrapping ?. We often travel over a Christmas and each year I challenge myself to get the smallest most travel friendly gifts for Reyd that he will ❤️ and be able to use on our trip.  I did not disappoint again this year! I always wrap the gifts and put them in our checked luggage to avoid possible hassles at security if in my carry-on.  
Meet Reyd our only child who recently turned 14 ? Here he is getting his suit altered this past weekend. You will be seeing more of Reyd I hope  (as he usually lifts the no picture embargo on trips). Plus he is going to help with the trip videos. We bought him the Osmo handheld as an early Christmas present so he could familiarize himself with it.  I can’t wait to see what he does! So far he isn’t telling me much! 
Haven't heard from our Genie Andres in a few days but I have no doubt he is using this time to plan dining, activities and any requests we had. From what I hear we will for sure hear from him again 7 days out.  
Be sure to pass along your questions and once we are on-board I will do my best to get answers. 
 

 

We will also be on this sailing! Just upgraded to a grand loft, and this will be our first time in star class. No contact from our genie yet, but since we just upgraded I am not surprised. I am also excited to see who our genie is and get started preparing. 
we also used to be avid DIsney Cruisers, but made the switch to RCCL for the same reason. We just couldn’t justify the rising prices for what was offered. In our opinion, the royal ships are far superior to disney, even for our children. 
we have 2 boys, ages 12 and 9. They LOVE Royal. Your son will have a great time no doubt. 

Our first star class cruise on Anthem of the Seas is approaching quickly.  Today marks 50 days to go. We completed our genie survey this morning.
This will be our first time as a family on Royal Caribbean (the husband previously sailed as a child on RCI). We have sailed on DCL concierge twice, both times on the Magic, once in the Walt Suite. The rising prices of DCL concierge had caused me to look into other options, and it seems that the amenities provided to star class cruisers on RCI are far beyond what is offered on DCL… and for a better price!
Our suite will include myself, the husband, and our 8 yr old son (who will be celebrating his 9th birthday onboard). My parents will also be joining us on the cruise, but will be in a separate cabin. 
Cruise Itinerary: 11 night Southern Caribbean (Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Antigua, St. Lucia, St. Kitts) from Cape Liberty, NJ on 1/27/2020. 
Stateroom: Owner’s Loft #8720
Shore Excursions:  St. Maarten Beach Rendezvous. Catamaran Sail, Snorkel, and Beach Cruise in Antigua. 4x4 Island Safari & Beach in St. Kitts. All were booked online on the cruise planner with Royal Caribbean. 
Transportation: We are fortunate to live approximately 2 1/2 hours from the port, therefore will be arranging transportation for the entire family through Delaware Express. We have used them many times for airport transportation, and have found them to be very reliable. 
Bonus: We didn’t realize this when we booked the cruise, but the Super Bowl will be happening while we are onboard. 
Looking forward to finding out who our genie will be!

7 days and we are outta here! Packing is underway and today I resigned myself to the fact that we need to take another checked bag ... I have made peace with this! The packing cubes seem to be working great! Definitely frees up space but my bag was over limit so I had to reshuffle some of the packing cubes. Resulting in the extra checked bag. Hubby is out of town working and missing out on all the pre cruise fun. He will literally walk in the door and we are off to the airport. All he said on the subject of baggage is, “that seems like a lot”.  To which I said, it is a lot.  End of discussion. ? He knows me too well! I decided not to stress over baggage; we are each allowed 2 free checked bags and I had already booked an SUV. So not a big deal. I have hair, mani and pedi booked for this week ????
Update on pre cruise communication with Andres
Andres hopes the holiday menus will be confirmed in the next day or two, at which time I think I will see a draft schedule of dining, entertainment and activities.  I think I will hear more by the end of the week.  ?‍♀️
Laundry services are included in star class and Andres got back to me about whether synthetic fragrances are used in laundry detergents. Not surprisingly, they are but we have several options so all is good! All that matters is that our ? will get done. 
I will post holiday menus when I receive them. 

7 days and we are outta here! Packing is underway and today I resigned myself to the fact that we need to take another checked bag ... I have made peace with this! The packing cubes seem to be working great! Definitely frees up space but my bag was over limit so I had to reshuffle some of the packing cubes. Resulting in the extra checked bag. Hubby is out of town working and missing out on all the pre cruise fun. He will literally walk in the door and we are off to the airport. All he said on the subject of baggage is, “that seems like a lot”.  To which I said, it is a lot.  End of discussion. ? He knows me too well! I decided not to stress over baggage; we are each allowed 2 free checked bags and I had already booked an SUV. So not a big deal. I have hair, mani and pedi booked for this week ????
Update on pre cruise communication with Andres
Andres hopes the holiday menus will be confirmed in the next day or two, at which time I think I will see a draft schedule of dining, entertainment and activities.  I think I will hear more by the end of the week.  ?‍♀️
Laundry services are included in star class and Andres got back to me about whether synthetic fragrances are used in laundry detergents. Not surprisingly, they are but we have several options so all is good! All that matters is that our ? will get done. 
I will post holiday menus when I receive them. 

The Music Hall.
First on an Oasis class this concept came over from some of the Quantum class ships.  It occupies the space of the former Dazzles nightclub.





Downstairs bar.

The FlowRiders received some TLC in the amplification.  I know these are a popular attraction so here are some FlowRider pictures.

Behind the restaurant near the sports area and mini golf is "The Porch" outdoor seating.

My first meal was lunch on boarding day.
Sammie with pulled pork.

It's a lot of food and quite filling.
For dinner another night I had the brisket and ribs.

Very tender. Fall off the bone tender.

It's so much food I couldn't finish the brisket and all the ribs.
Sauces are available at the table.

At dinner they had live music.



Turkey leg lunch on another boarding day.  I feel like Fred Flinstone the Turkey leg is that big.

All three meals at Portside BBQ have been really good.

Portside BBQ.
Where else but deck 15 aft on the port side. 





The inside section is air conditioned.

Orders placed on the left then you slide to the right for sides, desserts and beverages.

For dinner you can choose two or three meats, sides  and a dessert.

For lunch or a smaller snack you can choose some of the favorites.


The full lunch menu:

Dinner menu:

Late night menu:

The food all looks really good.

Decor always comes down to personal preference ?

Love all the pics!!  Thanks for posting @twangster!  While not a fan of the outdated decor in some places, I cannot wait for the 99 days to pass!

Oasis received the Ultimate Abyss.  Here are a few pictures taken at various times.

The suite sun deck has been refreshed.






Unfortunately the port side including bar is now a smoking area.














A local Haitian butterfly stopped by.

Here's some solarium pictures while we were at Labadee.

The solarium pool is always a popular topic and Oasis has retained her solarium pool.

Upstairs looks pretty good as well.

The water features around the Solarium Bistro remain.

Time to show off the Solarium.  They've done a really nice job and I love the huge forward outdoor public deck.

One thing to get out of the way.  The general decor of Oasis was not updated in all places.  Hallways, elevator lobbies, many cabins were not changed to use the newer decor that Harmony and Symphony have.  



 I can understand why.  The decor goes beyond carpet.  Floor tile, wall panels, the color of doors, the wood panels and marble elements would all need to be changed to adopt and match the Harmony and Symphony decor.  That would be a massive change that would take a lot of effort and expense. 
My cabin was not updated.  However that's okay with me.  There's nothing wrong with my cabin and replacing the cabinets, wall panels, carpet and curtains would be a huge undertaking for what purpose?  My cabin is fine.   

A new card room replaces the Diamond Lounge that was moved down to deck 4.
The upstairs section also has a desk for the loyalty ambassador.