We sailed on the Oasis of the Seas for a Christmas cruise for the family. Embarkation was smooth. Arrived about 10:30, stood in line for 2-3 minutes, and then received our stateroom cards. We boarded with the Platinum group and headed to make dinner reservations, show reservations, and purchase a couples thermal spa pass for two of our guests. I had made reservations for many of the shows before we left and I am glad I did. Most every show was sold out before the ship even left port. Dinner reservations were very easy to make. Just know that if you want to eat hibachi in Izumi, you need to make your reservations pretty quickly as they only have three tables. We purchased the Ultimate Dining Package during the Black Friday sale so we ate in a specialty restaurant every night except for Christmas day.

Dining: Service is really hit or miss in all restaurants. Overall, the food was very good. Chops and 150 Central Park were our favorite places to eat. The hibachi at Izumi was pretty bad--mushy rice and an overly-dramatic chef. We stayed away from Windjammer because it was so crowded and the food quality was the worst we have seen on any of our 20+ cruises. Overall, the food choices on the ship are great and no one went hungry.

Shows: There is no shortage of things to do on the ship. The "Cats" show wasn't our taste at all and we left after the first 15 minutes. The comedy shows were funny and the water show was entertaining despite there being no understandable story-line. Read more