Oasis of the Seas

Oasis of the Seas deserves its accolade as one of the most important ships in Royal Caribbean’s history. When it debuted back in 2009, it was almost 50% bigger than the second-largest cruise ship in the world, ushering in a new era of mega-resorts at sea for the world’s most popular cruise line.

Waterparks? Check. Crazy waterslides? Check. More dining options? Absolutely. Royal Caribbean took the Freedom-class ships and asked the all-important question: what if we packed even more into our cruise ships? That is probably why Oasis of the Seas has an AquaTheater, a Broadway musical, the tallest slide at sea, a carousel, a children’s waterpark, and much more. If you love sailing on ships like Freedom of the Seas or Independence of the Seas and want even more, Oasis of the Seas is ready to welcome you onboard.

What we like about Oasis of the Seas

Oasis is packed with things to do, making it a perfect choice for families and children. It adds a lot of new activities and toys compared to the previous ship, Independence of the Seas, which debuted in 2008 as the last of the Freedom Class. Among the new attractions, Oasis of the Seas has a brand-new Escape Room themed after Apollo 18, a zip line, a bionic bar where robots serve your drinks, a library and card room, the Ultimate Abyss slide (considered the tallest at sea), a carousel, and a bowl-style waterslide called SuperCell. 

That’s in addition to the ice rink, mini-golf, rock climbing wall, and other fun activities that were already present on the Freedom Class ships. As you can see, Oasis of the Seas is essentially a buffed-up Independence of the Seas, offering more entertainment, activities, and dining options.

Oasis of the Seas also introduced the idea of huge blockbuster shows onboard, and the ship doesn’t disappoint when it comes to entertainment. It is packed with high-quality productions and is definitely one area where it went all in, making major upgrades compared to previous ship classes. You get the AquaTheater with water shows like Aqua80 (the best show onboard), the Frozen in Time ice rink show, the One Sky stage production, and even smaller shows aimed just at children. The big headliner is CATS, which runs about 90 minutes. It’s better than the movie… I mean, even a play based on Paw Patrol would achieve that, and it was one of the first blockbuster productions Royal Caribbean ever welcomed on their ships.

We did say that Aqua80 is great, and it deserves its own paragraph. This is probably the best aqua show in the entire fleet, and it says a lot about the ship and Royal Caribbean, especially since you get to see it on a ship that isn’t overly expensive. Aqua80 mixes acrobats, lights, special effects, and lots of water with big hits from the 80s… and let’s be honest, almost everything with 80s music is good. The show is so impressive that most guests watch it twice during a single cruise.

Oasis of the Seas also introduced some unique restaurants not found on previous ships, like the upscale 150 Central Park, Portside BBQ for a quick burger, the Vitality Café offering healthy smoothies and juices, and Coastal Kitchen with Mediterranean dishes. You’ll also find some Royal Caribbean classics, including Chops Grille, Chef’s Table, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi Hibachi & Sushi, Johnny Rockets, and fan favorite El Loco Fresh, serving free tacos.

Portside BBQ is a really comfy spot, and I’m pretty sure Oasis is the only ship in the entire fleet with it. For around $20, you can enjoy delicious burgers, fries, ribs, and a classic BBQ without worrying about long lines or expensive dishes. It’s located near the zip line and mini-golf, making it the perfect excuse to grab some ribs or a turkey leg after hitting a few hole-in-ones. Bonus: sometimes there’s even live music!

What we don’t like about Oasis of the Seas

Oasis is still a great family-friendly ship, but it shows its age in some aspects. Crowd flow works better on its younger siblings, and a great example of that is inside Windjammer. The buffet just feels small for the amount of guests onboard, as it might be very hard to find seats and spaces to move around looking for food. Seating might also be a problem in the Aquatheater, so make sure to arrive early for Aqua80 and seat more in the back if you don’t want to get soaked.

Also, while the ship has plenty of shows, the best by far is Aqua80. One Sky is a bit disappointing, and Cats is interesting but skippable. With Cats, it’s really a love-it-or-hate-it situation, and most of the people I’ve talked to fall into the second group.

Conclusion

Oasis of the Seas is a great party and family-friendly ship, even fifteen years after it launched. It features what is probably the best water show at sea, and Portside BBQ is an excellent choice over Johnny Rockets if you want to try some amazing ribs and burgers. Now all that’s left is to gather your courage and ride the Ultimate Abyss.