markinct

Thanks for the pics! I recently booked an Alaska cruise, but I'm ready to think about sailing from FLL again - especially with a snow storm tomorrow....

Bingo. I believe it's that perceived need to get as low as possible for that "Starting at price". I wonder if MSC has partially figured this out with their "Experience" pricing?

@michelle, I can see this post saving a lot of first time /occasional travelers a LOT of heart ache and frustration. Thank you for taking the time to post it! @Matt this might be good grist for a full blog post or the podcast...

Well, I'm not on that sailing, but I truly wish I were! I hope you have an awesomely awesome trip! If you're going to get to Tampa a day or two in advance, head to Ybor City for some great restaurants and night life.

@twangster - that is an awesome picture! We're working with @michelle from MEI ... my wife and I had almost decided on a midship cabin, but now.... ?

@Brobbins246 - off topic, but if your cruise on Allure is anything like my experience on Oasis a few years ago, you are going to absolutely love it.

We're considering an Alaska cruise on Radiance - would an aft balcony be a good choice for the views, or a mid ship cabin?

I certainly get that Cuba is a sovereign nation that can impose whatever laws and restrictions it desires. The question is should the cruise industry enable it? How many cruises went to South Africa during apartheid?

I'm late to the discussion, but based solely on my one experience with Chops aboard Oasis I'd say it's well worth the price. So while I don't really have a lot of experience with Chops I can say that as a strict beefatarian the steaks at Chops were excellent and the sauces awesome.

Well, this is disturbing: As it stands now, if you were born in Cuba you can't book on Carnival. And Carnival is citing Cuban law as the reason. From the Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/fabiola-santiago/article70622582.html Key portion: This is ridiculous and repugnant. Cuba isn't denying an individual a visa based on that individual's actions, history, etc., they are banning an entire class of people. US Gov and Carnival should be ashamed for letting this happen. I'd love to visit Cuba, but I won't go as long as they are allowed to do this.

That's just not right. Have you tried calling RC?

We had very good luck staying at the Crowne Plaza.; excellent staff, a decent restaurant in the hotel and good service all the way around. As a bonus I could see Oasis of the Seas from the hotel when we went to breakfast.... free shuttle from air port and they arranged a shuttle to the port for (I think) about $8 per person. I used the shuttle (All Stars) to get from port to airport when we returned. http://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/fort-lauderdale/fllhi/hoteldetail

Winner, winner!! Well, I'd use that name for a dog.

Bonus for Firefly reference!! Maybe if not a direct RCL reference, perhaps something from one of your favorite ports of call?

Maybe.... just schmaybe a 5 or 6 night cruise if the itinerary was just right, .... but I've only cruised once (can't wait to do it again), but I think a 7 night cruise is the lower threshold for me.

Thanks for the kind words. Oasis was my first cruise, so I'm sure I missed many things. One thing I should have added - even though the ship was full, I never felt crowded except at the Windjammer at peak times, and when there was a sale on cheap t-shirts towards the end of the cruise. I was kind of amazed that people who had just spent thousands on a vacation would go crazy to save a few dollars on a t-shirt. (OK, I admit to buying a couple myself, but....)

If you find yourself shopping in Cozumel around lunch time, do your self a favor and stop in at Poncho's Backyard. The food was excellent. TripAdvisor reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g150809-d1032770-Reviews-Pancho_s_Backyard-Cozumel_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

1) There are two Coke Freestyle machines in the Royal Promenade near the pizza parlor 2) Make your Next Cruise appointment as early in your cruise as possible. 6000 of your newest friends are waiting until day 6 or 7 3) Johnny Rockets for breakfast - yes, really! 4) Don't worry about getting caught in the rain in Central Park, there are umbrellas at the entrances for you to use. 5) For a smallish upcharge, you can order a steak from Chops when eating in any of the main dining rooms (at least until Dynamic Dining comes on line) 6) probably not specific to Oasis, but the cold soups are The Best Thing in the main dining rooms. 7) Ordering room service with the manual card gives you more delivery time options than using the smart TV application. 8) Book a Back to Back cruise; you'll never do everything you want to do on Oasis in just 7 days. 9) Book your dining and entertainment reservations as early as possible. 10) The fitness center is never crowded (go figure....) (also probably not specific to Oasis) 11) The wifi really is fast enough to stream video and make wi-fi voice calls.

An Alaskan cruise is on my "someday...." list. One of the things that keeps it away from me is the airfare. Is an Alaskan cruise an instance when booking air fare through Royal Caribbean is better than striking out on your own?

You actually ride two ziplines - a shorter training run and then the Big One. My kids (17 and 15) did it in April and loved it. I would book in advance - if nothing else it will help you plan your day in Labadee (which should include a Labadoozie or two!)

I hope you enjoy your time on Oasis! If you've sailed on her before I'd really be interested in your opinion of the ship now, especially the tripartite main dining room(s).

We stayed at the Crowne Plaza when we sailed on Oasis in April. Convenient location - it was really cool seeing our ship from the hotel when we went to breakfast. We had flown into Ft Lauderdale, so we used their shuttle from the air port to hotel and hotel helped arrange a shuttle to cruise port for $8 per person. (We used the same shuttle service to get from port to air port after the cruise). The hotel has cruise packages as well that might include parking: http://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/us/en/fort-lauderdale/fllhi/hoteldetail/hotel-packages For what it's worth, I found the hotel to be clean, well maintained, and quiet. Front desk and bell service staff were professional and friendly. The restaurant in the hotel is a touch expensive but good. I'd stay there again. Enjoy your cruise! I guarantee that you'll find some things aboard Oasis that you'll love!

I bought the soda package for both of my kids when we sailed on Oasis last month, and I actually think it's a good deal. I just wish that there were more machines (why, oh why, isn't there one on the Boardwalk?) and the machines were not serviced. One of the machines in the Windjammer was out of Coke syrup for the whole cruise. That said there were four machines in the Windjammer and there was rarely a line.

With two teens I "had" to buy wifi packages when we sailed on Oasis. We then used Google Hangouts to communicate. We use T-Mobile and amazingly enough were able to use wifi calling, even with the phones in air plane mode. I called my parents while sitting on my balcony en route from Jamaica to Cozumel. The wifi service is pricey (we paid a total of $280 to simultaneously connect four devices for the whole 7 days), no doubt, but when you factor in the ability to communicate aboard ship it eases the pain a little. The service itself is actually quite good. We were able to watch YouTube/Netflix and quickly backup our vacation photos, etc.

Wow. You would think that a mega giant communications company would have worked this out with a mega giant cruise company a head of time. I think I'd invest in using UPS or FEDEX. And maybe give Verizon a call and ask if they have redemption instructions.