Firstly, thankyou to Adele, Karen and David who took us around. Your hospitality was great.
What experience or facility did you find onboard that you didn't expect?
I was hoping to have seen more of the ship than we did. There was quite a bit of waiting around and it would have been nicer if smaller groups of us were able to take separate tours.
I was not expecting an ice-rink, but nor do I find it necessary. I would have liked to have seen the cinema and the library, as these are things we would enjoy as a family. I would have liked to have seen the general dining areas and the running track.
The rooms were rather small. I knew they would be cramped but they were too cramped for my comfort. I understand that space is a premium but I would not have enjoyed staying in a cabin that size for any amount of time. It is a shame we did not get to see the larger rooms.
The touchscreen boards were really helpful at identifying a route but I don’t know how helpful they would be in real life as we were only shown them once and then walked to the location rather than navigated to it. It seemed confusing to all that on several occasions we were led somewhere only to be led back again to correct our route. This was most annoying when trying to disembark.
What were your highlights of the day?
Seeing the ship was impressive. I am an engineering geek and loved understanding its size and scale.
Despite not volunteering for the zipline I managed to experience it. It was fun but a bit gimmicky. I do like the sound of the sky diving pod though, perhaps because it would last longer than 45 seconds. The time to prepare Vs activity ratio would be higher.
The staff were amazing. Everyone was friendly and wanted to make our stay pleasurable.
The food was wonderful but as I said on the day it would be nice to experience, or at least see, the regular restaurants. I enjoy fine dining as much as the next person but I imagine when onboard 60% of dining will be made up of the less formal dining plan.
You chatted to lots of people onboard. Now imagine you and your family are going on holiday on a Royal Caribbean cruise - what facility / experience would your children be most excited about and what would you be looking forward to most?
If we were to cruise it would definitely be a small ship. Whilst the ship was lovely it was incredibly noisy. I would imagine it would be unbearable to my DS when at capacity. It was an assault on the ears. At the end of the day I was glad to disembark and escape the noise. I didn’t get to experience how soundproof a room could be as we viewed them in large groups.
I would look forward to the dining but as someone mentioned upthread I would have like to have seen more fruit and vegetables on offer. The portions that came at dinner were tiny and I do try to get as much healthy things into them as possible.
What did you think of the facilities onboard for families: please think about food, drink, relaxation, kids etc?
The facilities were great. Just not for us. I travel so as to spend time with my family. We like doing things together but because of their ages and sizes most of our activities if we were onboard would have meant separating so as both DD and DS got to do their own things. To me it felt like lots of the activities met individual needs but not family needs. Perhaps if it were a cruise with lots of sightseeing opportunity I would feel differently.
When I have used kids clubs in the past it has been for a morning session so as my DH and I can go diving or take part in a grown up activity. We have only ever used them when it has been a good ratio of adults to children. I would not feel happy leaving my child in a club with up to 75 kids to 3 staff. No matter how qualified they are or how many activities they have planned I do not feel comfortable with those ratios. Also, mine are different ages so would need to use separate clubs which they would not be happy about.
After your experience on Oasis of the Seas, would you consider going on a cruise for a family holiday? If so, why? If not, why not?
I would consider cruising just not on this ship. I prefer a quieter more intimate holiday. I was hoping to be persuaded by the attractions onboard but experiencing the boat has put me off.
I was disappointed in the smell of cigarettes coming through into the gym. This would be the last place I would expect to smell this.
I was disappointed in the general lack of visibility of prices for what is offered. The website has a list stating what is and isn’t included but it does not differentiate between drinks packages etc. It felt as though there were lots of hidden costs to be navigated whilst onboard. I prefer to see upfront prices and costs without feeling as though I have been tricked.
Overall, if it came up in conversation, would you recommend going on a cruise to your friends and family? If so, why? If not, why not?
For my family no, for the reasons stated above. For others perhaps.