Where to start? What struck us most about Oasis is that this really isn't a typical cruise. It is more like a city or resort on water. This was our family's 4th cruise on RCI and my 5th. My husband and I have cruised 3 times as a couple on Celebrity, and as a family we have cruised Disney 1x and Royal 3. We find RCI the best fit for our family at this time. Until this cruise on Oasis, I had assumed that we would switch lines once our daughter is an adult and, although I'm not counting that out, I have to say that Oasis may have changed our minds. The fine dining we were missing from our Celebrity days was more than met on Oasis, in fact, I think it surpassed it. That along with the casual dining options, neighborhoods that gave adults plenty of separated space, not-to-be-found-elsewhere Broadway caliber entertainment, and activity-oriented features (zip-line, rock-wall, flowrider, running track etc. totally won us over. Sure. At first we felt a little separated from the sea, but we soon found the places to go and connect. Do I think I'll never do a smaller ship in the future? I would never say never, but I am sure I'd miss the features that can only be found on the Oasis class of ships. At least as a family with a teen, I think we will stick with RCI and the larger classes for now. Below are my feelings & experiences on the ship, food and entertainment.

Cabin: We were in 2 inside, connecting cabins, 9430 & 9432. We usually do balconies and have had the luck of getting aft balconies in the past with larger cabins and balconies so we are rather spoiled in that way. But, our teen wanted her own space and a real bed this time, not to mention we would like some privacy on vacation (cruises are romantic after all!) so we decided that connecting insides would work well on a ship like Oasis. Plus, it cost not too much more than 3 of us in an inside balcony, anyhow. Yes, we had to pay the single supplement, but our family got 21 points for a cruise that cost less than last years on Adventure where we had 1 cabin and got only 7 points. A worthwhile compromise. The cabins, even the insides, are very nicely laid out (yes the bed by the closet is very inconvenient) and RCI has truly mastered the bathroom/shower area. Best shower at sea. Ever! Next time, we would most likely do the same thing if our budget is the same; however, I can see why balconies are a good idea on this ship if you can swing it. If a connection to the sea is important to you, then I would get a balcony. The inside was comfortable and great for sleeping, but I had no desire to hang out in it. It was very quiet, by the way, and we couldn't hear a thing next door when the connecting door was closed.

Food: The restaurant options are what sold us on this ship and make us think we can't go back to a smaller one (or one without options. Quantum might work!) The MDR was fine, as usual. We did My Time Dining 2 times: the first night and the first formal night. We had reservations and the first night were moved to a different dining room, but it was not an issue. The second night we were seated immediately. There was no long wait as we had feared. We tried Giovanni's which was awesome (get the tiramisu!) The service was superb and the food delicious. We did the Windjammer the last 2 nights and it was not crowded and a good as expected. We checked it out the first formal night and they had lobster tail (all you can eat) on the buffet! Needless to say, we didn't stop and eat as we had reservations in the main dining room, but if you don't care about formal night, this might be the night for WJ. We had a lunch and a dinner at Sabor. It is "gourmet" Mexican food and the best deal economically. Their dinner course in $19 and easily feeds 2. The white sangria was delish. We couldn't decide whether we liked Sabor or Giovanni's the best. We also had some delicious appetizers in Vintages. Most of our breakfasts were in the Solarium Bistro which has a nice buffet without the crowds at the WJ and a much nicer ambiance. Read more