FROM OASIS OF THE SEAS 鈥� I had a couple of reasons for being on the largest cruise ship in the world (sister ship Allure of the Seas is two inches longer, but that鈥檚 splitting hairs).
I was with the first group of reporters to board Oasis in 2009, skeptical I must admit, doubtful that anyone could build a cruise ship for 6,000 passengers and make it work.
So I came back, to see if the builders lived up to their promises, to Royal Caribbean customers and executives alike.
The second reason?
It's winter in sa国际传媒.
Four years ago, my immediate reaction to Oasis of the Seas was 鈥淲ow!鈥� Here was a ship almost four football fields long capable of carrying 2,000 more passengers than its next-biggest rival. It was designed to cater to everyone 鈥� families, adults of all demographics 鈥� even honeymooners, we were told. Another promise was that getting on and off the ship would be simple and, by creating themes around the ship, it would be an easy place to navigate.
Fast forward 48 months. I showed up at 2 p.m., dropping my bag outside the terminal. At 2:25, I was putting the key in my stateroom door. That's fast. Most ports we visited worked just fine, too, although I heard that embarking in Nassau was slower.
Four years later, Oasis still commands a premium price in the seven-day Caribbean market, higher even than her stablemates in the Royal Caribbean fleet.
I soon learned if an Oasis entertainment venue calls for reservations, then make them. For example, the comedy club was full for most shows.
With a ship so big, designers carved out the middle and created Central Park and Boardwalk, both with staterooms that have unique inside balconies looking down on the two features.
Boardwalk houses the AquaTheater and its high-dive and water acts, which have the ocean as a backdrop. Central Park offers high-end restaurants 鈥� Chops Grille, 150 Central Park and Giovanni鈥檚 Table, all at a fee less than what comparable restaurants on shore would charge.
Besides Boardwalk and Central Park, there are theme areas for entertainment, adventure and sports.
Children and teens have 30,000 square feet of space, divided by age, and for the youngsters a partnership with DreamWorks means that characters like Shrek and Fiona are all over.
The dining room covers three storeys, and from below it has the appearance of opera balconies. Close to 3,000 diners can be served at one seating, yet the curves and corners on each level disguise the enormous size of the room.
Windjammer Caf茅 is the buffet, and that's one area that could use more space, because it鈥檚 crowded.
Royal Caribbean is testing a new WiFi system on Oasis and Allure, using technology that works everywhere on the ships and at much higher speeds than what we've become accustomed to at sea. I bought the 24-hour-a-day weekly package for $179, and it worked for me. Many passengers were busily using the Internet to talk with family members back home. The faster this technology gets to all Royal Caribbean's ships 鈥� and to in-the-family lines such as Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises 鈥� the better.
In short, Oasis is four years old but still looks good. It needs a refreshing and will get one with a refit next year. For the most part, the promises were fulfilled and management is so satisfied that a third Oasis Class ship is coming in 2016.
I am now on Celebrity鈥檚 Eclipse, cruising to Caribbean Islands less travelled, including ports like Bonaire and Curacao. Lots on that trip can be found at .
