Imagine a self-contained world, far away from the rest of civilization, where attendants supply your every need and your only decisions involve which activity to choose next. This is the fantasy that the Oasis of the Seas brings to fruition. There are separate and unique neighborhoods, live plants and gardens, twittering birds, entertainment galore: Broadway musical, production dance and song, comedy, ice shows, diving and water shows, headliners, music everywhere. Ready to eat - the profusion of choices is remarkable, from the main dining room to the speciality restaurants, the delicious spa food, the main buffet, grills, sandwich shops, Johnny Rockets...the list goes on and on. During a seven day cruise, there is barely time to check out all the venues. And if you are a privileged traveler with concierge access, you have your own private world for assistance, computer access, cooked breakfasts and pre dinner drinks and snacks.

My first concern was all those people aboard ship! But remarkably the design and crowd control made the Oasis feel as if it had far fewer passengers than the manifest stated. Embarking was a smooth breeze, port access was fast and orderly, leaving (sadly) was equally expeditious. The organization of the ship is simple to learn and the high number of elevators made only short waits. Because of the reservation system, show access is also easy. We enjoyed wonderful, professional shows, the musical Hairspray was better than the one I attended on Broadway, we were directly on the ice for the great ice show, and divers were almost overhead of our seats. The ship itself is an entertainment, there are incredible art works throughout the ship and each turn and corridor brings new images to view. Watching people try the wave surfer and zip line is another source of amusement and lying by the pool or reading in the garden is its own reward. The neighborhoods are physically isolated, so each one feels like it is its own space.

The ports visited keep the theme of easy life in mind. We particularly enjoyed the island of St John, assessed via St Thomas, which has kilometers of pristine beaches to explore and lazy about. The contrast with the Nassau's Atlantis with the man-made adventures worked well to bring variety to the cruise ports. Of course, St Martin has a mix of beaches and shops to explore. Read more