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2014 Oasis Caribbean
  • Rulocal

2014 Oasis Caribbean

A 7-day adventure by Rulocal Read more
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  • Trip start
    November 16, 2014
    Rulocal2014 Oasis CaribbeanRulocal

    First night syndrome

    November 15, 2014 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    What is it with the first night of a cruise that makes you so tired?
    I mean it's not like we've just got off a seven or eight hour flight, we've just got off a two minute bus ride from the Independence of the seas.
    It's eight in the evening and we're sitting there saying how tired we all are.
    So off we go to the windjammer have a bite to eat then bed.
    We didn't even go to the comedy club which we had booked!
    We did have the presence of mind to rebook it for tonight though.
    Speaking of the comedy club, it's the one thing I would recommend to any one, to me it's probably the best addition to the entertainment program, and that includes, the Aqua Theater etc.
    Just a quick word about the boarding procedure at Ft Lauderdale, it was once again brilliant and seamless.
    From arriving at the terminal to boarding the ship, was about 30 mins tops.
    Southampton could learn a lot from them.    Read more

  • Rulocal2014 Oasis CaribbeanRulocal

    Cats, Comedy, and Chops.

    November 17, 2014, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Wow! What a show it was fabulous, the costumes where amazing and the singing and dancing was brilliant.
    I had my doubts before it started as it is over 2.5 hours long, but the time flew.
    It's defiantly a show I'd recommend seeing.
    Just make sure that you don't have a knob with a 35mm camera sitting next to you, taking shots every 5 seconds, like I had.
    I let it go for the first hour then I had to tell him.
    But even with that little problem I still enjoyed the show.
    Later tonight we're off to the comedy club which as I've said before I'd my favorite place on the ship......

    Well the comedy club didn't let me down.
    Two great comedians, who both worked hard with a difficult audience.
    It was great to watch them switch their act till they got their audience, to me that's the sign of a good comic, the ability to change direction part way through the spot.
    Both these guys where from New York so were probably used to difficult audiences.
    The first comic was a guy called Al Romas, who I've seen a couple of times before, he's really good and knows how to work the audience, I gave him a bit to work with, sitting in the front row, with my multicolored bow tie, loud orange socks and my loud scouse accent.
    Not that I wanted to be noticed or anything, LMAO.
    The second comic was a woman, name of Vanessa Hollingsworth, very funny and Joan Rivers like. But she had to work hard for laughs too.
    Which she did very successfully.
    It's got to be one of the hardest things in the world to do, standing up in front of strangers and making them laugh.
    Maz and Sue turned pinnacle yesterday, that's 700 days at sea, and out of the blue Maz decided to treat the four of us to a meal in chops grill, all on him.
    It would have been rude to refuse, lol, and made a nice change to the windjammer.    Read more

  • Rulocal2014 Oasis CaribbeanRulocal

    Booze, booze and more booze!!!

    November 18, 2014, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    It started about 10.30am at the welcome back party with a large screwdriver and an even larger glass of white wine.
    We don't normally bother with the welcome back parties, but Maz and Sue where being recognized as new pinnacles and also second highest cruisers, so we all toddled along.
    Then lunch in the concierge with more wine, (it's rude to refuse) lol.
    Then Sheila had arranged a small celebration for Maz and Sue with a few of our friends on board with even more wine, then it was a quick shower and a shave and back to the concierge for evening drinks (it would be even ruder to refuse ) lol.
    Then to finish off six of us went for a meal in Chops Grill, to which Maz brought champagne.
    I don't remember much about getting back to the cabin, but I do know that I need lots of coffee this morning.    Read more

  • Rulocal2014 Oasis CaribbeanRulocal

    Well done Maz & Sue.

    November 18, 2014, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    They had a welcome back event this morning in the Aqua Theater for all the guests who had sailed with Royal before.
    We don't normally bother with them, but Maz and Sue where being recognized as Pinnacle members, which means that they have accrued 700 days at sea.
    So we went along and it was Wed quite a lovely event. Mainly because of their presentation, but there was also a high diving show which was good.
    Later today Sheila has arranged our own little celebration party for Maz and Sue and we've invited all our friends on board, so that should be a nice couple of hours.
    Then later on we're off to chops again which will be nice.    Read more

  • Rulocal2014 Oasis CaribbeanRulocal

    Why is there always a disappointment??

    November 19, 2014, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    On the last trip on here which was the transatlantic we got to know the guest services manager, Samantha from Scotland, and she was telling us that she's on board for Christmas, and will miss things like Mr Kipling mince pies and Tunnocks tea cakes, among other things.
    We told her that we where all back on board this trip and that we'd bring her some of the home comforts she'd be missing.
    Anyway Sue being Sue when we got home, went out and bought loads of stuff for Sam, and as we where driving to Southampton there was no problem with weight.
    Anyway we get on board with all this stuff and asks guest services to let Sam know that we where on board and had some things for her.
    It took two trips to guest services and three days before she got in touch.
    When she did finally meet us it was just a quick thanks, and that was it, no mention of how much did she owe us or anything.
    Not that Sue wanted anything at all in payment, but it would have been nice if she'd offered.
    To top it all she never even came to the concierge lounge to have a drink and a chat with us.
    Then again the old Lancashire saying "there's nowt so queer as folk" has never been truer.    Read more

  • Rulocal2014 Oasis CaribbeanRulocal

    Israel

    November 20, 2014, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    The concierge on this trip is called Israel, and we've travelled with him a few times before, and to be honest he's been, not to put to finer point on it, crap!
    But what a change, this trip he's been brilliant in fact one of the best concierges we've ever had.
    Nothing has been to much trouble and everything done with a smile.    Read more

  • Rulocal2014 Oasis CaribbeanRulocal

    I feel sorry for the staff

    November 21, 2014 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    The staff on this ship seem to be worked harder than on other ships.
    To my mind the main reason is because there are twice as many passengers as say the Independence ots, but definitely not twice as many staff.
    So the poor buggers on here are worked twice as hard.
    Take yesterday's breakfast for instance, as well as the normal breakfast guests, which is an almost full restaurant, there where about sixty or seventy extra families with loads of kids for the breakfast with the Dreamworks characters (which Royal charge about $100 per cabin for ) but no extra serving staff.
    So naturally the poor breakfast staff were run off their feet, making the service for the regular breakfast guests bad and slow, which leads to complaints and moaning from some of them.
    But the problem is with management, cutting costs, and saving money.
    Which I understand needs to be done to maximize profits for the shareholders.
    But not so much that it gives a drop in standards and service, which on this ship it is causing.
    Royal really need to up their game, and not have bean counters making all the important decisions.
    I'm certain that most of the Miami management have never travelled on a cruise ship as a normal passenger.    Read more

  • Rulocal2014 Oasis CaribbeanRulocal

    Officer visibility

    November 21, 2014, Caribbean Sea ⋅ 🌙 28 °C

    Quite simply on this ship there is none.
    The only time we saw the captain or his officers, be they senior or junior was at the welcome back party.
    The cruise director was only seen on stage or on TV on the morning show which was always filmed in his office never around the ship, which it is on other ships.
    Normally on a cruise one or two officers would come to the diamond and concierge lounges each evening to say hello and chat to the guests, not for long just maybe 20 to 30 minutes. But on this ship not once have we seen any officer.
    It seems like the company is just targeting first time cruisers on these big ships, the first timers are so in awe of the ship that the officers don't need to do any PR.
    I know that this will sound like sour grapes and moaning from me, but when you've shown loyalty to RCCL as all the diamonds and above have, it's annoying that your loyalty seems to be ignored.
    The company seem to think, that throwing a few free drinks at us is all that we "loyal" customers want or need.    Read more

  • Trip end
    November 22, 2014
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