Christie

Nobody knows expensive bingo until they go on a Disney cruise 

I think the babies are more resilient to this than we are for sure. My 2.5 year old will be going on her 5th cruise next week and has never shown signs of sea sickness. 

Nobody knows expensive bingo until they go on a Disney cruise 

Sounds delish.  I'll have to try it in 2.5 weeks!

Don't be such a fuddy duddy, Wilson ?

I wouldn't stress over Nassau.  I prefer to stay on the ship :-)
We have a similar schedule on San Juan in a few weeks.  We are doing a 3 food tour.  

Don't be such a fuddy duddy, Wilson ?

I disagree that comparing DCL to RC is like comparing WDW to Six Flags.  It's more like WDW to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure.  Both REALLY good at what they do.  WDW has the charm and Universal has the thrill.  
Nobody does Disney like Disney, but I don't think you can say nobody does cruising like Disney- they are pretty comparable experiences.  

I disagree that comparing DCL to RC is like comparing WDW to Six Flags.  It's more like WDW to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure.  Both REALLY good at what they do.  WDW has the charm and Universal has the thrill.  
Nobody does Disney like Disney, but I don't think you can say nobody does cruising like Disney- they are pretty comparable experiences.  

I disagree that comparing DCL to RC is like comparing WDW to Six Flags.  It's more like WDW to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure.  Both REALLY good at what they do.  WDW has the charm and Universal has the thrill.  
Nobody does Disney like Disney, but I don't think you can say nobody does cruising like Disney- they are pretty comparable experiences.  

Sorry to chop this up into multiple replies.
I've been on Oasis and Anthem.  I would definitely choose Oasis over Anthem.  Don't get me wrong- Anthem is amazing in its own ways, but NOTHING beats an Oasis class ship especially for Caribbean itineraries.  If you were looking to go north to Canada, then I think Anthem would be perfect.  Anthem is more of a cold weather ship with lots of indoor spaces.  Oasis is made for the Caribbean.  I agree with the love of the Aquatheater and Central Park- they are such unique experiences for a ship. 
Also agree with 150 Central Park.  Best food I've had on sea.  

Hey there!
I won't beat a dead horse, but I too choose to view Royal Caribbean as a la carte pricing vs nickel and dimeing.  I'm so glad you've decided to keep an open mind. 
I am a Disney girl through and through.  Like DVC members, married at Disney with 150 people there, parents will buy into Golden Oak at some point type of people.  We have cruised Disney 9 times, including 12 night Northern European cruises.  I actually started looking into RC because of Matt's old Disney podcast haha.  
Our first ship on RC was also Oasis of the Seas.  I'll be honest.  I was expecting it to be like going to Six Flags after being a Disney fan your whole life.  I was so surprised.  Disney is a great cruise line, but in my opinion, it doesn't lead the industry like their resorts do.  They have truly started to price themselves way too high as well.  There are a few things that Disney does better than RC in cruising, but not many.  On the flip side, I think there are things Royal Caribbean does better.  
I think you'll be blown away by Oasis.  It's a different experience than a Disney ship, but not better or worse.  Just different.  Keep an open mind- you won't have to force yourself to keep it for very long.  You won't have Cast Members calling your name out and clapping for you as you board, but you'll look left and right on the Royal Promenade and your jaw will drop.  
A little advice- there's a ton to see and do and know that you won't do it all.  You've probably given the same advice to people at Walt Disney World.  Prebook shows on your cruise planner- you don't have to necessarily stick to that plan, but at least you have them.  You can get into shows without pre-booking, but you'll get better seats by doing it.  That doesn't cost you any extra.  Look at the old cruise compasses on this site (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass) to get a feel for your itinerary.  If you like rotational dining on Disney and enjoy getting to know the wait staff, stick with classic dining.  With My Time Dining, there's a chance that you'll get a different wait staff.  Specialty dining is worth trying- especially 150 Central Park since it is unique to Oasis Class Ships.  Try the cucumber martini- you won't regret it! 
I may have missed it- how old are your kids?  If they're at all adventurous, they are going to love Oasis!  There's a zip line, two surf simulators, two rock climbing walls with multiple courses, mini golf, a ginormous splash pad area, carousel, ice skating rink, and more.  They won't get bored.  The aquatheater is unlike any venue you'll find at sea.  The diving shows are incredible.  
Hope that helps you get a little more excited for your upcoming cruise.  If you're anything like us, you'll find out that you would rather take 2 RC cruises than 1 Disney cruise.  Let me know if I can be of any more help!
 

Hey there!
I won't beat a dead horse, but I too choose to view Royal Caribbean as a la carte pricing vs nickel and dimeing.  I'm so glad you've decided to keep an open mind. 
I am a Disney girl through and through.  Like DVC members, married at Disney with 150 people there, parents will buy into Golden Oak at some point type of people.  We have cruised Disney 9 times, including 12 night Northern European cruises.  I actually started looking into RC because of Matt's old Disney podcast haha.  
Our first ship on RC was also Oasis of the Seas.  I'll be honest.  I was expecting it to be like going to Six Flags after being a Disney fan your whole life.  I was so surprised.  Disney is a great cruise line, but in my opinion, it doesn't lead the industry like their resorts do.  They have truly started to price themselves way too high as well.  There are a few things that Disney does better than RC in cruising, but not many.  On the flip side, I think there are things Royal Caribbean does better.  
I think you'll be blown away by Oasis.  It's a different experience than a Disney ship, but not better or worse.  Just different.  Keep an open mind- you won't have to force yourself to keep it for very long.  You won't have Cast Members calling your name out and clapping for you as you board, but you'll look left and right on the Royal Promenade and your jaw will drop.  
A little advice- there's a ton to see and do and know that you won't do it all.  You've probably given the same advice to people at Walt Disney World.  Prebook shows on your cruise planner- you don't have to necessarily stick to that plan, but at least you have them.  You can get into shows without pre-booking, but you'll get better seats by doing it.  That doesn't cost you any extra.  Look at the old cruise compasses on this site (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass) to get a feel for your itinerary.  If you like rotational dining on Disney and enjoy getting to know the wait staff, stick with classic dining.  With My Time Dining, there's a chance that you'll get a different wait staff.  Specialty dining is worth trying- especially 150 Central Park since it is unique to Oasis Class Ships.  Try the cucumber martini- you won't regret it! 
I may have missed it- how old are your kids?  If they're at all adventurous, they are going to love Oasis!  There's a zip line, two surf simulators, two rock climbing walls with multiple courses, mini golf, a ginormous splash pad area, carousel, ice skating rink, and more.  They won't get bored.  The aquatheater is unlike any venue you'll find at sea.  The diving shows are incredible.  
Hope that helps you get a little more excited for your upcoming cruise.  If you're anything like us, you'll find out that you would rather take 2 RC cruises than 1 Disney cruise.  Let me know if I can be of any more help!
 

Hey there!
I won't beat a dead horse, but I too choose to view Royal Caribbean as a la carte pricing vs nickel and dimeing.  I'm so glad you've decided to keep an open mind. 
I am a Disney girl through and through.  Like DVC members, married at Disney with 150 people there, parents will buy into Golden Oak at some point type of people.  We have cruised Disney 9 times, including 12 night Northern European cruises.  I actually started looking into RC because of Matt's old Disney podcast haha.  
Our first ship on RC was also Oasis of the Seas.  I'll be honest.  I was expecting it to be like going to Six Flags after being a Disney fan your whole life.  I was so surprised.  Disney is a great cruise line, but in my opinion, it doesn't lead the industry like their resorts do.  They have truly started to price themselves way too high as well.  There are a few things that Disney does better than RC in cruising, but not many.  On the flip side, I think there are things Royal Caribbean does better.  
I think you'll be blown away by Oasis.  It's a different experience than a Disney ship, but not better or worse.  Just different.  Keep an open mind- you won't have to force yourself to keep it for very long.  You won't have Cast Members calling your name out and clapping for you as you board, but you'll look left and right on the Royal Promenade and your jaw will drop.  
A little advice- there's a ton to see and do and know that you won't do it all.  You've probably given the same advice to people at Walt Disney World.  Prebook shows on your cruise planner- you don't have to necessarily stick to that plan, but at least you have them.  You can get into shows without pre-booking, but you'll get better seats by doing it.  That doesn't cost you any extra.  Look at the old cruise compasses on this site (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass) to get a feel for your itinerary.  If you like rotational dining on Disney and enjoy getting to know the wait staff, stick with classic dining.  With My Time Dining, there's a chance that you'll get a different wait staff.  Specialty dining is worth trying- especially 150 Central Park since it is unique to Oasis Class Ships.  Try the cucumber martini- you won't regret it! 
I may have missed it- how old are your kids?  If they're at all adventurous, they are going to love Oasis!  There's a zip line, two surf simulators, two rock climbing walls with multiple courses, mini golf, a ginormous splash pad area, carousel, ice skating rink, and more.  They won't get bored.  The aquatheater is unlike any venue you'll find at sea.  The diving shows are incredible.  
Hope that helps you get a little more excited for your upcoming cruise.  If you're anything like us, you'll find out that you would rather take 2 RC cruises than 1 Disney cruise.  Let me know if I can be of any more help!
 

Hey there!
I won't beat a dead horse, but I too choose to view Royal Caribbean as a la carte pricing vs nickel and dimeing.  I'm so glad you've decided to keep an open mind. 
I am a Disney girl through and through.  Like DVC members, married at Disney with 150 people there, parents will buy into Golden Oak at some point type of people.  We have cruised Disney 9 times, including 12 night Northern European cruises.  I actually started looking into RC because of Matt's old Disney podcast haha.  
Our first ship on RC was also Oasis of the Seas.  I'll be honest.  I was expecting it to be like going to Six Flags after being a Disney fan your whole life.  I was so surprised.  Disney is a great cruise line, but in my opinion, it doesn't lead the industry like their resorts do.  They have truly started to price themselves way too high as well.  There are a few things that Disney does better than RC in cruising, but not many.  On the flip side, I think there are things Royal Caribbean does better.  
I think you'll be blown away by Oasis.  It's a different experience than a Disney ship, but not better or worse.  Just different.  Keep an open mind- you won't have to force yourself to keep it for very long.  You won't have Cast Members calling your name out and clapping for you as you board, but you'll look left and right on the Royal Promenade and your jaw will drop.  
A little advice- there's a ton to see and do and know that you won't do it all.  You've probably given the same advice to people at Walt Disney World.  Prebook shows on your cruise planner- you don't have to necessarily stick to that plan, but at least you have them.  You can get into shows without pre-booking, but you'll get better seats by doing it.  That doesn't cost you any extra.  Look at the old cruise compasses on this site (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass) to get a feel for your itinerary.  If you like rotational dining on Disney and enjoy getting to know the wait staff, stick with classic dining.  With My Time Dining, there's a chance that you'll get a different wait staff.  Specialty dining is worth trying- especially 150 Central Park since it is unique to Oasis Class Ships.  Try the cucumber martini- you won't regret it! 
I may have missed it- how old are your kids?  If they're at all adventurous, they are going to love Oasis!  There's a zip line, two surf simulators, two rock climbing walls with multiple courses, mini golf, a ginormous splash pad area, carousel, ice skating rink, and more.  They won't get bored.  The aquatheater is unlike any venue you'll find at sea.  The diving shows are incredible.  
Hope that helps you get a little more excited for your upcoming cruise.  If you're anything like us, you'll find out that you would rather take 2 RC cruises than 1 Disney cruise.  Let me know if I can be of any more help!
 

Hey there!
I won't beat a dead horse, but I too choose to view Royal Caribbean as a la carte pricing vs nickel and dimeing.  I'm so glad you've decided to keep an open mind. 
I am a Disney girl through and through.  Like DVC members, married at Disney with 150 people there, parents will buy into Golden Oak at some point type of people.  We have cruised Disney 9 times, including 12 night Northern European cruises.  I actually started looking into RC because of Matt's old Disney podcast haha.  
Our first ship on RC was also Oasis of the Seas.  I'll be honest.  I was expecting it to be like going to Six Flags after being a Disney fan your whole life.  I was so surprised.  Disney is a great cruise line, but in my opinion, it doesn't lead the industry like their resorts do.  They have truly started to price themselves way too high as well.  There are a few things that Disney does better than RC in cruising, but not many.  On the flip side, I think there are things Royal Caribbean does better.  
I think you'll be blown away by Oasis.  It's a different experience than a Disney ship, but not better or worse.  Just different.  Keep an open mind- you won't have to force yourself to keep it for very long.  You won't have Cast Members calling your name out and clapping for you as you board, but you'll look left and right on the Royal Promenade and your jaw will drop.  
A little advice- there's a ton to see and do and know that you won't do it all.  You've probably given the same advice to people at Walt Disney World.  Prebook shows on your cruise planner- you don't have to necessarily stick to that plan, but at least you have them.  You can get into shows without pre-booking, but you'll get better seats by doing it.  That doesn't cost you any extra.  Look at the old cruise compasses on this site (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass) to get a feel for your itinerary.  If you like rotational dining on Disney and enjoy getting to know the wait staff, stick with classic dining.  With My Time Dining, there's a chance that you'll get a different wait staff.  Specialty dining is worth trying- especially 150 Central Park since it is unique to Oasis Class Ships.  Try the cucumber martini- you won't regret it! 
I may have missed it- how old are your kids?  If they're at all adventurous, they are going to love Oasis!  There's a zip line, two surf simulators, two rock climbing walls with multiple courses, mini golf, a ginormous splash pad area, carousel, ice skating rink, and more.  They won't get bored.  The aquatheater is unlike any venue you'll find at sea.  The diving shows are incredible.  
Hope that helps you get a little more excited for your upcoming cruise.  If you're anything like us, you'll find out that you would rather take 2 RC cruises than 1 Disney cruise.  Let me know if I can be of any more help!
 

It was fantastic and worth every penny!! So when we got off the ship we had to get on a ferry to Playa del Carmen. If you get the least bit sea sick, take something before you get on!! So many people (including my hubby) lost or almost tossed their cookies on the way over! The staff even has little green barf bags in their pockets and were handing them out like candy lol
Then you meet up with your group and take a 15 min walk to where the buses are lined up and another 15 min ride to the park. We got off the boat at 8:30am and didn't walk into the park until 10:30am, but we got to stay until 4pm (ship time) and back on a ferry by 5pm, at the port by 5:45 and back on board by 6:15, just in time for 6:30 sail away
So the tour guides were great and they have a recommended order that you do the activities, but you are free to go on your own as long as you are back on the bus on time. Definitely go with them to the ziplines first because you get to cut most of the line. There are 2 sets of lines and they will take you to both if you want. 1 set was enough for us and took a good hour to get through. The towers are VERY tall so there's a lot of walking uphill and my lazy 14 year old couldn't cut it anymore lol so she didn't want to do the second line, but there was time. 
So we wandered from the group and went to the amphibious cars which was a blast! My husband thought he was a race car driver lol. Other than wearing your helmet and seat belt there are no restrictions. You drive through water, bridges and caves! We did 2 tracks which took about 20-25min each. Then we went to go eat and when I say that was the best food we had all trip I mean it!! Huge selection, fresh, tasty! Plus they have another bar set for just fresh juices and smoothies. 
By the time we finished eating, we saw the rest of our group walk in. We then went to do the cave swimming-do the long track which takes about 30 minutes to swim through-its worth it! We skipped the rafting because we I've heard from others including our tour guides that its very physically difficult to do and if the person in front of you doesn't know what they are doing, you're stuck and can't move around them. We had just enough time to lay out in some hammocks for a few minutes, get some smoothies and mozy on over to the lockers to clean up and change before having to be back with the group. I think if we had stayed with them, we would have gotten in 2 ziplines, 1 car, and the short cave swim only. 
We  had so much fun were already talking about bringing other family members back with us. Enjoy!

I'm the one that Matt interviewed in that podcast- I don't have a 3 year old (yet), but I do have a 2.5 year old.  
I would suggest getting some smaller, new toys to bring on board.  We like blow up things since they are easy to pack.  I always pack a beach ball for the room- she always has fun with it.  I also like to bring my own sand kit (Old Navy typically has some smaller ones this time of year, and amazon as well).  
I bring extra snacks to have in the room, and I also put them in her bag to take to the nursery (I know yours will be at full blown Adventure Ocean).  
The splash pad area on Oasis is going to be great for her!  Definitely bring water shoes as the pool deck can get hot.  
I try to keep the schedule as close as possible to home to avoid major melt downs.  Sometimes that involves one of us "retiring early" to the room to watch her. If she's still taking naps, try to keep that as well.  
 

I'm the one that Matt interviewed in that podcast- I don't have a 3 year old (yet), but I do have a 2.5 year old.  
I would suggest getting some smaller, new toys to bring on board.  We like blow up things since they are easy to pack.  I always pack a beach ball for the room- she always has fun with it.  I also like to bring my own sand kit (Old Navy typically has some smaller ones this time of year, and amazon as well).  
I bring extra snacks to have in the room, and I also put them in her bag to take to the nursery (I know yours will be at full blown Adventure Ocean).  
The splash pad area on Oasis is going to be great for her!  Definitely bring water shoes as the pool deck can get hot.  
I try to keep the schedule as close as possible to home to avoid major melt downs.  Sometimes that involves one of us "retiring early" to the room to watch her. If she's still taking naps, try to keep that as well.  
 

I'm the one that Matt interviewed in that podcast- I don't have a 3 year old (yet), but I do have a 2.5 year old.  
I would suggest getting some smaller, new toys to bring on board.  We like blow up things since they are easy to pack.  I always pack a beach ball for the room- she always has fun with it.  I also like to bring my own sand kit (Old Navy typically has some smaller ones this time of year, and amazon as well).  
I bring extra snacks to have in the room, and I also put them in her bag to take to the nursery (I know yours will be at full blown Adventure Ocean).  
The splash pad area on Oasis is going to be great for her!  Definitely bring water shoes as the pool deck can get hot.  
I try to keep the schedule as close as possible to home to avoid major melt downs.  Sometimes that involves one of us "retiring early" to the room to watch her. If she's still taking naps, try to keep that as well.  
 

I'm the one that Matt interviewed in that podcast- I don't have a 3 year old (yet), but I do have a 2.5 year old.  
I would suggest getting some smaller, new toys to bring on board.  We like blow up things since they are easy to pack.  I always pack a beach ball for the room- she always has fun with it.  I also like to bring my own sand kit (Old Navy typically has some smaller ones this time of year, and amazon as well).  
I bring extra snacks to have in the room, and I also put them in her bag to take to the nursery (I know yours will be at full blown Adventure Ocean).  
The splash pad area on Oasis is going to be great for her!  Definitely bring water shoes as the pool deck can get hot.  
I try to keep the schedule as close as possible to home to avoid major melt downs.  Sometimes that involves one of us "retiring early" to the room to watch her. If she's still taking naps, try to keep that as well.  
 

When I did the all access tour, I was expecting to see most heat and serve food and was shocked to see how much was made from scratch. 

It would help if I had a group cruise booked. 

This thread overwhelms me and I think I'll stick to the coin pushing machines ?

If you want a quick intro to craps, keep on reading. Otherwise go ahead and skip to the next post. 
Side note before I start: Craps has some really funny myths when it comes to new players. "Craps virgins" are considered extra lucky and a lot of players will bet more when they know a brand-new player is at the table and making their first rolls. And they get treated a lot more nicely when it's known. So maybe advertise the fact. 
 
 
Craps is both intimidating and at the same time (to me, at least) one of the easier games in the casino to learn (as far as basic play). The table looks like something vomited up by a guy with a dice fetish, but for beginner play the only part you care about is the line marked "PASS". Ignore everything else about the table. Honestly I'm not a novice and I still just play the pass line. It's the simplest bet and (combined with the secondary "odds" bet, which I'll explain below) actually has odds that are sometimes in your favor. So this intro will just focus on pass line play.
I won't bore with you probability analysis about dice throws or odds of any given bet working. Just know that 7 is the most likely number to come up on any given roll of two dice, and the game is basically built around that.
Everyone gets a turn rolling the dice, moving clockwise around the table. Before a person makes their first roll, you place your bet on the pass line.
Once all bets are down, the player rolls. If they roll a 7 or an 11, that's an instant win and everyone gets paid, then a new round of bets go down and the player rolls again. If they roll 2 ("snake eyes"), 3, or 12, that's an instant loss and the next player gets a turn to throw.
If the player rolled any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), that becomes their "point" and they start rolling the dice over and over until they roll the "point" again (win, payout) or they roll a 7 (lose, all bets lost, next player starts).
Thats really about it for the basics. The only additional part to be aware of is "taking your odds" after that first roll, when a "point" is set:
After a point is rolled, you have the option to put a second bet as a separate stack of chips behind the pass line. That second bet is usually allowed to be 2 or 3 times your original bet, but I read in another thread that RCI casinos limit you to just the original amount. It gets a little wonky when the point is a 6 or 8, because of how the payout is calculated, but just know that in this case you bet $6 for every $5 of the original bet.
Generally speaking, always take this secondary bet, as it improves your payout by more than the amount put in since a multiplier is applied to the bet based on the point that was rolled.
That covers all of the basics. Not as simple "just bet red" on roulette or "insert coin and pull handle" for slots, but roulette and slots have way crummier odds of winning than craps.