In reading cruise reviews I have always found those featuring a great number of negative elements to be most enlightening so long as they're taken with a grain of salt and the understanding that they were probably written by people who are inherently hard to please. In writing a cruise review about RCI's Oasis of the Seas I'd like to follow the same pattern except that there is virtually NOTHING really negative I can think of to be derived from our recent five-day cruise.

First, a little background. My wife and I have now cruised eight times; we are in our early sixties, and we had a Central Park balcony cabin on deck ten. Though we are discerning, we're not hard to please. We found the Oasis, especially the week before Christmas, to be strikingly beautiful, well planned, well kept, well engineered, and undoubtedly the best sailing experience we've ever had. The entertainment was, without exception, the best to be found on the high seas with the possible exception of the Oasis' sister ship, the Allure of the Seas. Hairspray was just magnificent.

As mentioned before I have little of a negative nature worth mentioning, but I do have a few tips specific to sailing on the Oasis that others may find helpful. One of the most consistent complaints I've read about the Oasis is the inadequacy of the seating in the Windjammer. Knowing that, I ate there only once, but I did find that obtaining a plate, silverware, and drink, THEN seeking and saving a table BEFORE hitting the buffet eliminated the problem of the food getting cold while searching for a table. Likewise, if a table is difficult or impossible to locate, one can always simply leave and seek some other dining venue--The Solarium Bistro, Johnny Rocket's (free breakfast), The Opus Dining Room (highly recommended) or the Promenade Cafe. Check out the dining options on one of the numerous touch-screens before choosing any of the above and pay particular attention the the little "thermometer" indicating how busy each one may be. Expect the Windjammer to pretty much always be running at capacity. Read more