Have you ever contemplated the pros and cons of spending your hard earned money on a cruise vacation rather then indulging in utter gluttony at an all inclusive resort in the Caribbean? Well if you have, then I will be happy to recount my most recent travel experience aboard Royal Caribbean’s ship the Oasis of the Seas, which together with her sister ship The Allure of the Seas, make up the two largest passenger cruise ships operating in the world. I coincidentally was also one of the fortunate few individuals to have sailed on the inaugural ship sailing for The Allure of the Seas back in November of 2010 therefore I can certainly speak from experience when I say that regardless of which ship you choose, the sheer magnitude of these floating metropolis’s will be enough to create memories that last a lifetime.
Now I am not about to pretend that cruising on a ship the size of the Allure or the Oasis (they each carry over 6,000 passengers) is something that is suited for every traveller out there but if you generally choose larger resorts or hotels when travelling then you are most likely the type of person who enjoys having a larger selection of services and amenities at your fingertips. If this sounds like you, then your wants and desires will be far exceeded should you choose to be a guest on either one of the Oasis class of ships.
The Oasis of The Seas features such attractions as a casino, zip line, rock climbing wall, a mini golf course, multiple night clubs, several bars and lounges, a karaoke club, comedy club, five swimming pools, volleyball and basketball courts, and a few theme parks for the young ones or just the young at heart. If you are travelling as a family then Royal Caribbean also has one of the best onboard nurseries and kids clubs available in order to enable the adults to have some much needed alone time when at Sea. I must applaud the company for their ability to keep the children so engaged in their programs that you are never forced to feel as if you are a part of a floating remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. If you are seriously in need of some completely child free relaxation then the ship also boasts the Solarium, which is an adults only section at the very front of the ship that contains a bistro, multiple hot tubs, a nightclub and a beautiful glass platform for optimum viewing of the spectacular sunrises and sunsets over the Caribbean Sea. I particularly enjoyed this section of the ship for very obvious reasons!
One of the many reasons that I am an avid supporter of cruising with Royal Caribbean, when it comes to mainstream cruise lines, is their ability to be adaptable to a large range of clientele. Whether you are a family on a budget looking to get away for March break, a group of single friends searching for a good time or, a couple in love looking for a romantic getaway; Royal will certainly have a room category and entertainment venue to satisfy your need. If you are looking for the least expensive option then an inside stateroom is going to be your best bet. This particular room does not feature any windows hence the expression “inside” and can be rather stuffy but definitely ensures a solid night’s sleep with no impending daylight to disturb you. If you find yourself to have claustrophobic tendencies then I would recommend going with either an outside room (which could be with an obstructed view or without, be careful of the stateroom description) or you could go with a balcony room which is my personal favourite.
Normally on a cruise ship choosing a balcony room means that you will have an ocean facing balcony giving you and your guests the ability to witness the ship arrive in and out of port which is indeed spectacular, but on these two vessels there happens to be an alternate option. Both the Allure and the Oasis contain a section of the ship which is called Central Park and subsequently you can purchase a balcony room that overlooks that area so again just be cautious when booking your room to be certain that it is the exact category you are looking for. There is nothing worse then showing up for your long anticipated vacation only to find out it is not at all what you had expected.
For the couple in love I would suggest splurging on one of the many suites that are available on the ship such as the spa suites which give you immediate access to the award winning spa for more accessible pampering. You can certainly go a step higher and stay in one of the two storey loft suites or luxury suites offered onboard measuring 1,600 sq ft overlooking the sea or promenades.
After you have finally managed to narrow down your accommodation choice you can then begin to decipher which specialty restaurants you may or may not want to visit. I thoroughly enjoyed eating at both the Italian restaurant Giovanni’s Table as well as the elegant fixed menu restaurant 150 Central Park. I was only lukewarm over the Japanese restaurant but by all means have a go and make your own conclusion although I do consider myself to be somewhat of an unofficial food expert. If you are voyaging on the Allure of the Seas then I implore you to visit the Mexican restaurant Rita’s Cantina which has one of the best taco salads I have ever eaten. I have only really touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to dining options aboard these floating anomalies but the majority of the restaurants are included in your price so be sure to get your money’s worth and try them all.
As you can see when cruising on the Allure or the Oasis, the ship often becomes a destination in itself but if you are anything like me then you want to know exactly where this ship is traveling to. This also presents quite a few choices wether you are cruising with Royal or you are cruising with another company. Western Caribbean cruises encompass some of the more “common” destinations such as Jamaica, Mexico etc while Eastern Caribbean itineraries will give you access to the more “exotic” Islands such as St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Lucia and so on. I always recommend doing a bit of research on the specific ports of call and making a decision based on your own wants, needs and travel expectations. Because I am someone that is always searching for the “exotic” in life, naturally I would gravitate towards Eastern Caribbean but there are certainly some equally as beautiful opportunities in the West.
St Thomas Ariel View
On my most recent cruise aboard the Oasis of the Seas the ship docked in Nassau, Bahamas, in St. Thomas and lastly in St. Maarten. I was particularly fond of St. Thomas and St. Maarten both for their natural beauty and landscape and also for the novelty of being in an off the beaten track Caribbean destination in comparison to other islands. I highly recommend making the extra effort to get out of bed early on the day you arrive into St. Thomas as the view of the surrounding islands is absolutely breathtaking and certainly a sight to be remembered. If you have in fact taken my advice and gotten out of bed to see the ship arrive into port, you can then take advantage of your full day and venture out to St. Johns which is a bit of a hike to say the least but will rival the most extravagant white sand beaches you will ever see. If you are a late riser or are simply looking for something more convenient, Magen’s Bay is a full service white sand beach that is only a short taxi ride away albeit a little crowded and touristy feeling.
As for St. Maarten I implore you to delegate some time during the day to visit some of the many jewelry stores that dot the coastline. If you haven’t been enjoying yourself thus far your heart will certainly skip a beat when your eyes catch a glimpse of the bargain prices for fine diamond jewelry. Make your vacation truly unforgettable and buy yourself or your loved one a beautiful keepsake at an unbelievable price. All that being said, the cruise ships will always be selling a variety of shore excursions that you can purchase for your port days and this is certainly a great option but I found that the majority of the time it was cheaper to go the independent route and bargain with a local taxi driver to take you to the closest beach or shopping centre.
As I had mentioned earlier cruising on the biggest ship in the water will certainly not appeal to every type of traveller, therefore the most important thing when choosing any type of vacation is to be honest with yourself and/or your travel agent about what your expectations are when you are in destination. If you know that you generally prefer smaller more intimate venues then why not choose a smaller ship with less passengers? If you are a luxury traveller that requires only the finest there are numerous luxury cruise lines such as Azamara or Silversea that will serve to indulge your highest expectations while showing you some of the world’s most exotic destinations.
Royal Caribbean does it’s absolute best to appeal to as large an audience as possible and they do a mighty fine job but there will always be the individual who is looking for something else. Cruising is only one of many vacation options that are made available to us by the tourism industry each year but it has an ever expanding cult following and will continue to grow and evolve to adapt to our insatiable need for more. There is no better example of the consumers need for “more” then Royal’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas so go ahead and soak it all in!
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