Honest Review of Oasis of the Seas

Oasis of the Seas in Haiti

If you’re searching for a family trip report from the Oasis of the Seas, we’ve got you covered! My extended family and I recently traveled on Royal Caribbean’s beautiful Oasis of the Seas cruise ship. Our group of sixteen included toddlers, kids, teens, adults, and seniors.

So, no matter who you plan to sail with, this review of Oasis of the Seas will provide plenty of tips and insight on the ship and its activities. The Oasis of the Seas review below will follow my family on our 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise itinerary where we visited Labadee, San Juan, St. Thomas, and CocoCay. I’ll share information on and pictures of the fun excursions we experienced.

This post will also include information on the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas rooms, suite perks, restaurants, and more! So, continue reading the review of Oasis of the Seas to discover everything you need to know about one of the largest Royal Caribbean ships in the fleet!

Planning

My husband, two kids, and I (along with my brother-in-law’s family) had originally booked a cruise through Royal Caribbean a few years ago. However, that trip was canceled due to the Covid pandemic. Luckily, we were able to use our Future Cruise Credit on this Oasis of the Seas cruise a couple years later.

cruise ship and pool with text overlay Oasis of the Seas with Kids

In addition to our original group of 8 people, my sister’s family agreed to join us on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas. Plus, we had three grandparents who decided to book the cruise as well. So, our final party of sixteen included 3 seniors, 6 adults, 2 teenagers, 4 young kids (ages 4-9), and 1 toddler.

Royal Caribbean Eastern Caribbean Itinerary

I knew we wanted to cruise on one of the Oasis class ships, and the Oasis of the Seas turned out to be our best option compared to her sister ships due to dates and prices. We were all looking forward to our Eastern Caribbean itinerary since it offered stops at both of Royal Caribbean’s private islands: Labadee and Coco Cay. Plus, we had always wanted to visit St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.

View of St. Thomas cruise port from hill
St. Thomas

My sister and I really lucked out in finding three staterooms right beside each other. She and I both wanted to cruise in junior suites for the added space. However, my sister didn’t want to pay the extra cost for a junior suite for her two teenagers. She was able to book a junior suite right next to mine. She also booked the room on the other side of her, which was one of the oceanview balcony cabins.

Even though our three cabins were not adjoining rooms on the inside, we were able to open the balcony dividers outside. This meant our three rooms enjoyed one long balcony which we could freely move between.

Cruise Planner

Right after booking the cruise, we began researching activities, excursions, and entertainment options available onboard the Oasis of the Seas. The Royal Caribbean Cruise Planner is a really helpful tool that allows you to book extra items for your trip. Some of the additional things you can purchase for your cruise include

  • Drink packages
  • Internet packages
  • Excursions
  • Dining packages
  • The Key

You are required to pay for these extras when you book them, but you are also able to cancel an item before your trip if you change your mind. Our group initially booked the extras listed above, but we kept an eye on the prices as they tended to fluctuate a lot. This was especially true during the Royal Caribbean Black Friday Sale.

Alcoholic beverages with text Deluxe Beverage Package and sale information

Many of the extras went down in price, so we were able to cancel and rebook for the discounted prices. If you’re wondering if the Wi-Fi on the cruise is worth the price, I highly recommend checking out my article on the Royal Caribbean Internet Packages.

Checking In

Once we got closer to the cruise dates, we were able to complete online check in for our trip. This opened up at midnight EST 45 days before our cruise. My sister and I chose to stay up until 12:00 AM when check in opened because we really wanted to book an early port arrival time. Once check in opened up at midnight, we skipped all of the check in forms EXCEPT the port arrival time selection.

Check Out My Etsy Shop Here!

Cruise Planner

Luckily, we were both able to choose the 10:30 AM port arrival time. We then finished the rest of the online check in process the next day. Note that other members of our travel group forgot to check in at midnight, yet they were able to grab an 11:00 AM port arrival time the following morning.

Upgrade Opportunities

Although we were completely content with the junior suite we had originally booked, my husband and I had been looking forward to seeing our Royal Up options. Roughly 30 days before our cruise, I received an email from the Royal Caribbean RoyalUp program. This email listed various suites that we could bid on for the cruise. Many of these suites were WAY outside of our budget even when bidding the minimum.

picture of cruise cabin with description of Aquatheater Suite and RoyalUP bid price
One of our RoyalUp Offers

However, we were able to bid on a few of the suites in the email. Unfortunately we did not win any of our bids and ended up cruising in the junior suite we had originally booked. This worked out really well for us, though, since we were able to enjoy the connecting balconies with our other family members. You can read about the full process in our post on the Royal Up Program.

Booking Shows

Since Covid, Royal Caribbean had been requiring guests to book their onboard entertainment on embarkation day once they were physically on the ship. Since I am a huge planner, this policy really stressed me out! Luckily, our Oasis of the Seas sailing became one of the first to return to the pre-Covid booking options.

Oasis of the Seas Entertainment Schedule
Entertainment Schedule

Around 30 days prior to our sail date, we were able to book entertainment like Cats, Aqua 80, and the Frozen in Time ice show. Additional entertainment options like the Comedy Show opened up about a week before sailing. If you plan to attend these shows, I highly recommend booking them as soon as you can. Most of them booked up fairly quickly. 

The reservations are free to make, and they basically allow you to by-pass the line if you arrive at least 15 minutes early. If you aren’t able to make reservations, you can get in the standby line before the show. At 15 minutes to show time, they open the doors for anyone to enter the theater. So, those without reservations can come in and choose any available seats.

Pre Cruise in Miami

Our Oasis of the Seas cruise was scheduled to set sail from Port of Miami. We all decided to fly down to Florida the day before the cruise to be safe. Since flight schedules and prices were better to Fort Lauderdale, we flew into this airport rather than into Miami International.

Skyscrapers in Miami
Miami, FL

My sister scheduled ground transfers through SAS Transportation to pick us up at the Fort Lauderdale Airport and drive us to our Miami hotel. This turned out to be a really easy process as our driver was on time and the Mercedes Sprinter Van was roomy and comfortable.

Intercontinental Hotel Miami

We booked reservations at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami since it sits super close to the cruise port. After checking in just before lunch, we were all a bit bummed to learn the hotel pool and pool restaurant were under construction.

Instead of swimming and eating by the pool as planned, our large group decided to explore Miami’s Bayfront Park since it is an easy walk from the Intercontinental. We grabbed a late lunch at Landshark Bar and Grill. Then we let the kids run around in the park to burn off energy.

Ferris Wheel on the Bay in Miami
Ferris Wheel in Bayfront Park

For dinner that night, we decided to order from a food delivery service. We enjoyed our meals outside near the pool since tables and chairs were available. Then the kids played on the large lawn space where the Intercontinental had outdoor games like a giant Connect 4, basketball, etc.

Packing List

After dinner, we went back up to the room to shower and get ready for embarkation day. I had printed our luggage tags after online check in, so I attached them to all of our bags. I also packed our embarkation day carry-on bag. We like to board with a backpack since it’s easy to carry. Inside our embarkation day backpack, we pack:

  • lanyards
  • sunscreen
  • sunglasses
  • hair brush
  • ZipLock bag with kids under garments (since they board with swimsuits under clothes)
  • prescription medications
  • seasickness remedies
  • chargers for electronic devices
  • identification
  • dollar bills
  • luggage tags

Note that you will want to bring plenty of cash with you on your trip. We brought about $200 in smaller bills to tip people throughout the week. Before the cruise even started, we had tipped our driver to the hotel, driver to the port, Intercontinental bellman upon arrival, Intercontinental bellman while leaving, and the porters who handle luggage at the port.

Day 1 Embarkation Day

We were so excited that embarkation day had finally arrived! Our shuttle service was scheduled to pick us up an hour before our port arrival time, so at 9:30 AM. Since we were suite guests, we were technically allowed to arrive an hour before our scheduled 10:30 time slot. We ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and hopped in the shuttle at 9:30 for the roughly 15-minute drive to the Port of Miami.

Terminal A where we embarked is only a couple miles from the Intercontinental Hotel. However, traffic in Miami is crazy, so it took a while to arrive. Our driver dropped us off with the porters at the terminal. They checked that all of our bags held luggage tags. Then we joined the line for the suite guests to wait for the terminal doors to open.

seating areas with large windows and cruise ship in the background
Suite Waiting Room at Cruise Terminal

At 10:00, the doors opened and the suite guests were escorted to an elevator that took us to a separate security line. This was a really fast process that took less than five minutes. Then, we walked right into the suite waiting area. This large room consisted of plenty of seating options, refreshments, and restrooms. A Royal Caribbean employee came over to our large group and checked in each party using her tablet. We didn’t even have to get off the couch.

Boarding

At around 11:00, the Royal Caribbean crew members opened the doors to the gangway. The people inside the terminal formed a line to prepare to board the ship. After showing our digital Sea Pass cards from the app, we were permitted to walk onto the ship. Passengers board on Deck 5, which is the Royal Promenade. There were plenty of crew members at the entrance who greeted us as we entered, and they offered assistance if needed.

Christmas Tree in Royal Promenade on Oasis of the Seas
Royal Promenade on Oasis of the Seas

Once we were in the Royal Promenade, we saw clearly marked signs for the muster stations. We had watched the safety drill in the app that morning at the hotel and checked the boxes to confirm our participation.

Note that I watched this video prior to embarkation day, but the confirmation at the end didn’t appear until boarding day. Our first task once onboard was to check in at our muster station. This took less than a minute as the crew member just scanned each member’s digital Sea Pass card.

Activities

After completing the safety check, we took the elevators up to Deck 16 to enjoy lunch in Windjammer. Although this buffet gets quite crowded during peak times, our early embarkation day lunch was fairly calm and peaceful. My kids love to swim on embarkation day since the pools typically aren’t crowded at all.

Oasis of the Seas Pool and Water Slides
Empty Pool on Embarkation Day

So, after lunch, we grabbed seats by the pool, and the kids swam and enjoyed the water slides. While the kids and dads swam, my sister and I walked down to the Main Dining Room to request a table together at dinner. We were directed to different areas and then never did find a crew member to take our request.

I wish we had called Royal Caribbean prior to our cruise to make this request, but I assumed it wouldn’t be an issue since our reservations were all linked in the app anyway. It turned out NOT to be an easy fix, which I’ll discuss more below. So, my sister and I headed back up to the pool deck to watch the kids swim and enjoy our favorite Oasis of the Seas cruise beverage – the Strawberry Blonde.

Staterooms

The kids were still enjoying the pools at 1:30 when staterooms were supposed to open. So my sister and I left the husbands and kids again and went to check out our rooms. Surprisingly, our luggage had already started to arrive. So, we were able to unpack and organize right away.

Cruise ship balcony with seating
Balconies with Dividers Open

Our stateroom attendant stopped in to say hello, and we asked him to open the dividers between the balconies. We loved the large closet in the junior suites as it provided plenty of space for a 7 night cruise. We also enjoyed our spacious balcony and spent tons of time out there each evening before bedtime. For a more detailed review of our stateroom, you can check out our post on Royal Caribbean Junior Suites.

Main Dining Rooms

We had signed up for early dining prior to the cruise, but we headed down a bit earlier than the 5:30 dining time to inquire about a table for seven of us. Unfortunately, we learned that the dining room wasn’t going to be able to grant our request. My family of four had been assigned to sit with two strangers in the dining room.

This made no sense to me since we clearly had family members linked to our reservation. I don’t know why they assigned us to a table with people we didn’t know, but the crew member told us to go to the dining room on Deck 5 to see if they could help us. Fortunately, they were able to accommodate our group of seven, but they made it clear it wasn’t a permanent solution.

Sorrento's Pizza
Sorrento’s Pizza

The Oasis of the Seas dining rooms are lovely, and the food tasted great, but we didn’t really love the main dining room experience. The portions were tiny, and the service felt rushed, although our waiter was super sweet. The dining room experience on this ship left us wanting more, so we left dinner and went to Sorrento’s in the Royal Promenade.

Most of us ordered slices of pizza to eat since we were still hungry after our dinner. We never did go back to the main dining room for the remainder of the trip. I wanted to give them another shot because I know the first day can be so hectic. But, the great thing about the Oasis ship is there are plenty of other dining options available!

Day 2 Sea Day

Our first full day on the ship was one of our sea days. We didn’t really have any set plans for this sea day, but this was the first formal night of our cruise.

Windjammer

We started our sea day with breakfast at Windjammer. Although it was a bit crowded, it offered the most variety for the wide range of preferences in our group. Windjammer offers open seating, and we were always able to find a table for the seven of us who dined together. The teenagers loved Windjammer, and I’m pretty sure they ate almost all of their meals there each day.

Desserts at Buffet
Desserts at Windjammer

My husband is allergic to dairy and gluten, and he was always able to find food there too. And the younger kids loved the diverse options and desserts. After breakfast we headed to the pool deck to swim. The weather was extremely windy so it wasn’t super hot outside. We were grateful for the Sports Pool since it’s heated. After swimming for a couple hours, we went back to the room to change into dry clothes for lunch at Windjammer.

Sports Deck

After lunch, our group decided to split up. My sister and I put our little ones in their strollers and walked the jogging track so they would nap. My husband and older daughter met up with other family members on the Sports Deck where they played on the basketball court and on the miniature golf course.

Miniature Golf Course on Oasis of the Seas
Mini Golf

In addition to the sports deck, sea days are full of fun entertainment venues and activities. Some of the other kid-friendly activities we experienced on sea days and throughout the cruise included:

  • game shows
  • zip line
  • Ultimate Abyss (dry slide)
  • rock walls
  • escape room
  • ice-skating rink

Additionally, our mid-December cruise also offered several holiday activities throughout the week. There were options for holiday crafts, Christmas games, and holiday entertainment. We also enjoyed viewing all the Christmas decorations set up throughout the ship. For an extensive list of activities to enjoy on the ship, check out our post on the Best Free Things to Do on the Oasis of the Seas.

Formal Night

Prior to the trip, my family and I went back and forth about whether or not to participate in formal night. To us, dressing fancy on vacation seems like a chore. I also didn’t want to mess with packing formal attire and footwear. So, we compromised and wore somewhat dressier clothes that weren’t quite formal, and I’m so glad we did! While touring the Royal Promenade, you’ll see lots of cruisers decked out in formal wear for the photo sessions that are set up.

Cruise Planner

Other than that, the majority of the people I saw were wearing just nice vacation clothes: Polo shirts and slacks for men and sundresses for women. We spent our formal night dinner at Windjammer, and it was actually quite pleasant. We had our pick of tables, and the buffet wasn’t crowded at all. After dinner we spent time enjoying the Boardwalk neighborhood. The kids loved the carousel and the small climbing section near the AquaTheater.

Day 3 Labadee

The ship was scheduled to arrive in Labadee at around 7:00 AM, so we ordered from the room service menu the night before. This process was super simple. We just specified the quantity of each item and hung the menu on our stateroom door. After eating, we loaded up our backpack with sunscreen, snacks, and sand toys and headed off the ship. 

Excursions

Months prior to our cruise, I booked beach bungalows at Columbus Cove to enjoy at Labadee. I had originally reserved one bungalow, but I added a second one after more family members joined our cruise party. Each bungalow held 8 people, so two of these cabanas worked perfectly for our group. We received tickets and instructions for our bungalows in our stateroom on the first day of the cruise.

Beach Cabanas on Labadee
Columbus Cove Bungalows

The instructions specified that the bungalows were first come first serve. So, we tried to leave the ship early to secure two bungalows that were next to each other. We ended up getting off the ship at around 9:00 and taking the tram to Columbus Cove. There was only one other family at a bungalow at this time, so we had plenty to choose from. The bungalows came with towels, water, floating mats, and a server. This allowed for a relaxing day in the water and on the sand.

Oasis of the Seas at Labadee
View from Beach Bungalows

After enjoying Columbus Cove for a few hours, we decided to head back to the ship for lunch. We had plans to watch the World Cup at 2:00, and we wanted to eat and change into dry clothes prior to that. The line for the tram was really long, so we decided to just walk back to the ship. The walk took about 15 minutes, but we were able to see more of the island and take lots of pictures.

Playmakers

Playmakers is one of the specialty restaurants onboard the Oasis of the Seas. It sits on the Boardwalk near the carousel. Even though the food costs extra here, the prices are really reasonable. We had planned to watch the World Cup at Playmakers since they have large screen televisions. My brother-in-law ended up reserving the sofa area in front of the big screens for around $100. This included appetizers and beverages (including some alcoholic drinks). 

Two large screen tvs at Playmakers
Playmakers Bar

The ship was also playing the game on the large screens in the AquaTheater, but the atmosphere in Playmakers was much more fun! After the game ended, we headed back to the room to shower and get ready for dinner. We skipped the main dining room on this night and opted for the buffet again. Since we were all exhausted from our day in the sun, we grabbed some wine from Vintages and enjoyed it on our balcony before heading to bed that night.

Day 4 San Juan, Puerto Rico

Our ship wasn’t scheduled to arrive in San Juan until around 4:00 PM, and we had booked the Aqua 80 show for 7:00. So, we weren’t exactly sure how to fit in an excursion in San Juan. We had several plans on this day, and it was difficult fitting in everything we wanted to experience.

Central Park

We started our morning by eating breakfast at Windjammer. Then we hung out by the pools on the ship so that the kids could swim. We really wanted to try El Loco Fresh for lunch, but the line was always extremely long. So, we headed to Park Cafe to grab food instead.

Pathway through trees and shrubbery with bar
Central Park

Our staterooms were located on Deck 8 near the Central Park neighborhood, so Park Cafe turned out to be a really convenient dining option for lunch and breakfast.

Boardwalk on Oasis of the Seas

The World Cup was on again during Day 4, so my husband and brother-in-law reserved the private space at Playmakers again. The little kids enjoyed the appetizers at Playmakers, but then they got a bit bored of the game.

colorful candy store
Sugar Beach

We had planned to let them ride the carousel or buy some treats from Sugar Beach to keep them occupied. However, neither of these activities was available at this time. So, we grabbed some milkshakes from Johnny Rockets, which they devoured. They also enjoyed walking around the Boardwalk and playing in the small climbing feature near the AquaTheater.

Coastal Kitchen

Since we had booked a junior suite, we were able to reserve the Coastal Kitchen (Oasis of the Seas suites restaurant) for dinners. We originally did not do this because my sister’s name was technically on the reservation for the ocean view balcony room and NOT on the junior suite. However, the concierge team in Coastal Kitchen assured us they could make it work.

restaurant with wall of windows
Coastal Kitchen

My sister’s junior suite had three names on its reservation, so they were willing to let my sister attend dinner instead of my teenage niece who was actually on the reservation. When we checked in, they just asked for her room number. After seeing her suite had 3 guests in it, they didn’t require identification for the three people.

We had an amazing experience at Coastal Kitchen! Not only did Coastal Kitchen provide excellent food, but it also offered excellent service. The servers were all really attentive and great with the kids. They brought coloring papers and crayons, did magic tricks, made balloon animals, etc.

Aqua 80

We had reservations for the Aqua 80 show at 7:00, so our 5:30 dinner was really cutting it close. We ended up having to skip dessert to arrive at the theater 20 minutes before the show started to secure seats. The theater had a separate line for guests with reservations, so we were able to walk right in and grab our spots.

acrobat on a line in theater
Aqua 80

Shortly after this, they opened the doors for anyone to enter, so we made it just in time. The Aqua 80 show was amazing, and I highly recommend you watch the aqua shows on any of the Oasis class ships. My brother-in-law and I had both watched the show online and agreed the videos didn’t do it justice. Every single member of our family absolutely loved this show!

Excursions

As mentioned above, we didn’t really have time to book any excursions in San Juan. But I was adamant that we had to get off the ship and at least walk around. I had read that the Old Town area decorated for Christmas, so we were hoping to tour the streets and see some of the lights.

Oasis of the Seas cruise ship at night
Oasis of the Seas in San Juan

By the time we left the Aqua 80 show and debarked the ship, it was after 8:00. Since the kids were getting sleepy, we walked a block or two and then turned around to head back to the ship. We got some really great photos of our group in San Juan, but we didn’t see the Christmas lights we had hoped for. However, once back in our room balconies, we were able to see the Christmas decorations as we pulled away from the port. On a side note, we also counted nine shooting stars from our balcony that night!

Day 5 St. Thomas

Our ship was scheduled to arrive in St. Thomas early in the morning on Day 5. We ate our room service breakfast outside on our balcony while enjoying the music being played at the port.

Excursions

We planned to debark the ship at 8:30 and hire a taxi to take us across the island to Coral World and Coki Beach. We easily found a taxi driver after debarking the ship and were able to ride together in one shuttle. I believe it was $15 per person (including kids). Our taxi in St. Thomas looked more like an open-air bus. The bench style seats were located in the back of a pickup truck with bars and a canopy.

entertainer on stilts in St. Thomas
St. Thomas Port Entertainment

The pickup truck itself had a backseat, so the driver allowed some of our family members to ride in the air conditioning with him. You get beautiful views of the island on the roughly twenty-minute drive to Coki Beach, but the ride is wild! The roads are super narrow with lots of twists and turns.

Our driver was great about announcing good photo ops as we passed by certain places. He even slowed down almost to a stop to give us the opportunity to take pictures. When we arrived at Coki Beach, the taxi driver instructed us on where to walk to find Coral World. He also gave us his card and asked us to call him when we were ready to return back to the ship.

Coki Beach

Coki Beach is a really small beach in St. Thomas. Although we didn’t snorkel, I noticed lots of other people in the water wearing snorkeling gear. So, I’m guessing it’s a great spot to see fish and sea life. The water was warm and clear during our December visit. We noticed lots of seaweed on the sand, but it wasn’t really in the water.

Coki Beach in St. Thomas
Coki Beach

We were not asked to pay an entrance fee at Coki Beach, but we did ask for chairs. The beach attendant was super friendly and set them up for us. We gave him a decent sized tip because he also took the time to show us where to order food, rent umbrellas or snorkeling gear, etc. We were approached several times to buy different items or services from vendors. They were always really friendly and didn’t press when we said no. After spending an hour or so on the beach, we took the short walk over to Coral World.

Coral World

I had called Coral World prior to our trip to reserve a “Dolphin Moment” for twelve of us. Even though they typically only allow eight people in each group, Coral World was really accommodating and shifted their schedule for us to enjoy this dolphin experience together. After checking in, we walked over to the dolphin section of Coral World. Our guide greeted us and was super friendly and informative.

Dolphin and people on a platform
Coral World

Coral World provided a locked storage bin to place our personal items during the experience. They also offered water shoes, showers, and restrooms if needed. We watched a short video to prepare us for the dolphin experience, and then we were led to a platform to stand during the interaction. We were able to stand about knee-high in water during the dolphin experience. The two guides did a great job of answering questions and keeping the kids entertained.

Some of the activities included in the interaction included:

  • Petting the dolphin
  • Giving hand signals for tricks
  • Feeding fish to the dolphin
  • Getting splashed by the dolphin

We also had a great photo op with the twelve of us looking at the camera while the dolphin jumped up in the air behind us. Overall, this was a really great experience that everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Afterwards, we visited the gift shop and purchased pictures from the experience.

We had planned to spend some time touring Coral World after our dolphin interaction. However, the park was much smaller than I had anticipated, so there really wasn’t much to see. We ended up walking around for about ten minutes before walking back over to Coki Beach.

Frozen in Time Ice Show

We called our taxi driver when we were ready to go back to the ship, and he arrived within ten minutes. The St. Thomas port is really lively and entertaining and may be one of my favorite ports we have visited. Once back on the ship, we showered and got ready for dinner. We had reservations at Coastal Kitchen again on this night.

We were just as impressed with Coastal Kitchen on our second visit as we had been on our first. After eating, we walked down to Studio B for the Frozen in Time show on the ice rink. Since we had reservations, we were able to enter the room early and grab our seats. This show was an interesting one. The kids seemed to enjoy it a lot, but the adults were very confused the whole time.

ice skaters in duck costumes
Frozen in Time

Frozen in Time features ice skaters acting out different stories from Hans Christian Anderson. There is no talking, so I wouldn’t have even realized the premise except for the title of each story being displayed on a small screen.

The music that went along with each act kind of put us to sleep too. I think it would have been a better show had the characters been dancing to popular songs. Instead, we found it to be really strange and boring, and we definitely would not sit through it again.

Day 6 Sea Day

We woke up and enjoyed breakfast at Windjammer on Day 6 of our trip. Then, we headed to the heated pool to let the kids swim. My brother-in-law wanted to participate in the belly flop competition. This event was scheduled to take place at the Sports Pool, and it was a really entertaining show.

Cruise Planner

After spending several hours at the pool, we went back to the room to change into dry clothes. I wanted to pack so that I didn’t leave it all to do on Day 7 when we were at CocoCay. My husband took the kids to the Sports Deck to play mini golf while I got our luggage as organized as I could.

Chops Grille

My niece and my brother-in-law share a birthday, which took place on Day 6 of our trip. So, we made reservations to celebrate at the specialty restaurant, Chops Grille, before the cruise. We arrived early for our reservation to let Chops know about the birthdays. At the end of our meal, they brought out a special dessert for each birthday guest. 

slice of cake with a candle and the words Happy Birthday Chad
Chops Grille Birthday Dessert

I had read mixed reviews about Chops prior to our trip, but we all enjoyed the food. That is, except my toddler niece and my four-year-old. So, after dinner we took the two little ones to Sorrento’s to get pizza. After eating at Sorrento’s, we had one of my favorite experiences of the whole trip.

We pressed the button to get on an elevator, and the doors opened to a man sitting at a piano inside. We climbed on the elevator, and he started playing Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid. It was a really fun and special moment that the kids loved!

Day 7 Perfect Day at CocoCay

I think CocoCay was the port we were all looking forward to visiting the most. And it didn’t disappoint! We arrived at CocoCay at around 10:30 AM just after Freedom of the Seas. My brother-in-law had booked an Overwater Cabana at the CocoCay Beach Club prior to our trip, and my sister had booked a Beach Club Cabana.

Each cabana held eight guests, so we were all able to enjoy the Beach Club and the two cabanas. We had the Overwater Cabana on the end of the dock, and it sat right across from our Beach Club Cabana. So, the kids enjoyed floating on the mats from one cabana to the other without having to walk. And of course, the slide on the cabana was a huge hit!

beach cabana with chairs, tables, and hammock
Coco Beach Club Cabana

The attendants brought each cabana a platter of every appetizer on the menu. After snacking on appetizers for a while, we each ordered an entree for lunch from the Beach Club menu. Later in the afternoon, the attendants brought a tray holding all of the desserts from the menu. Needless to say, we ate a ton that day!

floating cabana with green slide
Overwater Cabana

This port was the perfect end to our vacation as we all had the best time on the island. We hated to say goodbye, but we finally headed back to the ship around 4:00. For our full guide to the island, check out our CocoCay Review post where we discuss the pools, beaches, and activities available.

We showered and got ready for dinner, which was at Coastal Kitchen again. Since our reservations weren’t until 7:00, we took time to finish packing so that we could place our luggage outside our room by 10:00 that night. After dinner, we spent time on our balcony one last time before calling it a night since we had to be up early the next day.

Day 8 Debarkation Day

The morning of debarkation, we had to vacate our rooms by 8:00 AM. We headed up to Windjammer buffet around 7:45 and ate breakfast. We had chosen a debarkation time of 9:00, but we were finished with breakfast by 8:15. The line to get off the ship was massive, so we went to the Main Dining Room on Deck 5 since it was our designated waiting area.

view of beach from a high balcony
Loews Miami Beach

Most of the tables and chairs were set up for the new guests to arrive, so people just kind of sat on the floor or stood until they received the text stating it was their turn to disembark. At 8:30 ish we realized the line was barely moving, so we opted to get in the line thinking that by the time we made it to the front, it would be 9:00.

This turned out to be a smart plan as we finally made it off the shop just after 9:00. We had reserved a shuttle to pick us up and take us to the Loews Miami Beach Hotel after the cruise. The driver loaded our luggage, and we waved goodbye to the Oasis of the Seas.

Is Oasis of the Seas a Good Ship?

Overall, we had a great time on the Oasis of the Seas cruise ship. It was our first time taking a major vacation with a large group of family and friends. The ship offered plenty of fun activities for all age groups, and the variety of restaurants and bars was appreciated.

Other than the Aqua 80 show, we wished there had been more quality entertainment offered. Although, we did enjoy the live music in the Royal Promenade and other areas. My family’s stateroom was the perfect size for us, and the other suites we were able to see on the ship looked even more amazing!

cruise ship and pool with text overlay Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas Review

In summary, we would book another Oasis class ship again. I found that I was constantly comparing the ship and experience to our past cruises with Disney Cruise Line. If you’re interested in our comparison, we recommend checking out our post on Royal Caribbean vs Disney Cruise Line.

For information on everything we packed for this trip, check out our Printable Cruise Packing List post. In that article, I list all the items we packed for the vacation. You can also grab a copy of the free printable! Do you have a review of Oasis of the Seas Comment below to share your experiences with the ship!

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6 Comments

  1. Wow! Shari this is an excellent blog. I am a 1st time cruiser and will be going on Oasis of the Seas-Mar 31. Your advice and suggestions are great. I wish I would have found your blog earlier in my planning but so glad I did find it. It helped so much with my last minute questions, especially about check in and booking shows. We have the new Hide Away Beach booked for CocoCay!
    Thanks again

    1. Hi Norma,

      I’m so glad you found the information helpful! You’re going to absolutely love sailing on Oasis! CocoCay is beautiful, and I bet the weather will be amazing there in March/April. Hope you have a great trip!

    1. Hey Jan,

      We were on Oasis last year, and the ship looked great! I think she was refurbished in 2019, so you must have just missed the updates.

  2. Hi. We have sailed on 2 Disney Cruise ships. We are getting ready to do another cruise finally. We are a family of 5 and my kids are little older now. My husband wants to stick to Disney but I am torn between Disney and maybe trying Royal. Any thoughts on the differences? We have done the 5 night on the Magic and the 7 night on the Fantasy. I worry because I read so many things that say once you go on a Disney cruise nothing else comes close.

    1. Hi Anne Marie. I have sooooo many thoughts on this! I’m going to write a post comparing the two, and I’ll add a link to it here once it’s complete: Royal Caribbean vs Disney Cruise. I’ll try to briefly give a comparison though. If your kids are older, I think they will really enjoy the Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ships. The two teens and older elementary aged children we traveled with had a great time! They would all gladly cruise with Royal or Disney again. The main difference between the two brands for my husband I was the level of service. Disney just completely outshines Royal in this department. If you can swing a suite on Royal, I highly recommend it! The only time we felt Royal matched Disney’s level of service was in the Suite Lounge and in Coastal Kitchen (the suite restaurant). If the suites aren’t an option, I would just go in knowing the service may not be the same and that the vacation is a little less relaxing than one with Disney Cruise Line. That being said, the kids had a blast and loved every minute of it! Hope that helps!

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