Final Comments and Comparison Between RCI and Princess

First this is my personal experience of the cruise and our experience as a couple that have cruised numerous times, have no kids, I am in my late 40s and Bernie is his mid 50s.

After sailing for a week to the Western Caribbean on Oasis these are my final thoughts.

Cabin

Loved: 

• the bed
• tv
• shower stall
• lights around the mirror, lighting throughout cabin especially bedside lights and the night light in the bathroom
• couch in room
• magazine/paper rack
• balcony furniture and balcony flooring
• lots of plugs.

Did Not Like: 

• closet too hard to get into and not very big
• small bedside table
• not enough drawers
• can hear what is happening up on the the pool deck when band is playing
• TV doesn't have enough channels and miss all the dedicated movie channels and shows that Princess shows
• sink is way too small and very low
• no toiletries other than soap is provided unless you ask
• no chocolates every night
• no glasses (other than the two in the bathroom) provided in the cabin or napkins
• no house coasts provided

 

Ship

Loved: 

• wow it is huge
• relatively easy to figure out where things are after a while
• loved all the interactive screens throughout the ship made maneuvering around very fluid
• lots of pools and chairs
• liked the solarium but could be better executed as it got very loud in there sometimes
• Opus Theater is huge and beautiful but hated all the pillars that blocked views
• on board stores - there are numerous stores but they are all over the ship and they are small and hard to find something when you are looking for something. 
• disembarkation/embarkation was done so smoothly on this ship because the gangways were so easy to get to
• Dazzlers and Viking Crown Lounge were stunning
• The Art throughout the ship blew me away, every little detail of art was thought of - very impressive
• Central Park - I loved the concept of the park like atmosphere
• the gym/spa area was huge and impressive
• loved the outside jogging track
• loved the reclining seats with foot stools around the sun decks

Didn't like:

• too big
• didn't feel like I was on a ship, felt very little movement and hardly ever saw the ocean
• no outside Promenade Deck to walk around or sit out on and look out at ocean
• No venues (except on top decks) where you could look out at the ocean
• shore excursion desk was in a bad spot in the middle of the Promenade and no real queues
• no big movie screen like MUTS, really missed watching a movie on a lounge chair eating free popcorn (Oasis charges for popcorn)
• to attend the big shows you need reservations or you have to line up and hope for space
• cabin numbering was odd, use to even on one side, odd on another, not here, there was no rhyme or reason to the numbering
• lots of pools but hard to find a seat right next to a pool (similar on Princess too), and especially hard to get a seat in the Solarium during busy times.  The pool in the Solarium is an odd shape and more of a plunge pool, and area gets very noisy
• did not like the lounge chairs that were not a solid piece of material but were plastic straps going across them
• you have to go to a towel station to get towels (Princes you have them right in your cabin and replaced daily) here if you don't return the towel you are charged $25

Food

• good but nothing spectacular
• pizza was some of the worst we have ever had, worse than frozen pizza
• donuts never tasted fresh
• some venues (i.e. Promenade cafe) have a 20 minute window when you can't get the food even when it is right in the display case cause they don't change over till 11!  Found a lot of venues that were not open yet or were closed, don't ever recall experiencing this on Princess
• love the Starbucks store and that the prices on board were the same as on land, but automatic 15% gratuity is added
• Johnny Rockets was okay, certainly not worth the extra fee.  Their burgers were good but find Princess' fresh grilled burgers at the Trident Grill much better and free
• Giovannis was just okay, service was very poor and venue was way too noisy
• Chops we loved the food!  Everything was great but again the venue was very noisy and service was so so
• in the dining room we felt the menu was limiting and would of like more options.  Didn't like that you had to pay extra for items like lobster, or good steak.   Also they ran out of escargot and was never available.  Service in dining room was so so
• Windjammer we hated the layout and that you had to walk thru the food area to enter and to leave the room, making the area very crowded.  Prefer that the Horizon Court closes off their buffet area so if you are just walking in you are not in among the food stations.
• Food in Windjammer was okay but definitely below what I have enjoyed on Princess
• cups of juice, water, ice tea are sitting in trays, but staff fill cups here too and often spill the liquid causing all the glasses to sit in half an inch of liquid creating drips when you lift the glass, this causes drips onto the floor or onto your clothes
• hamburgers and  many food items had been sitting a long time and looked dried out, on numerous occasions we saw staff add water to many items and stirring, yuck
• meal at 150 Central Park was very good and we felt it was worth the added costs
• Solarium buffet is a nice venue that was often under utilize but loved that is was all healthy options
• room service menu was limiting and did not like that the only way you could get morning breakfast was to order it the night prior, there was no option to order breakfast the day of
• Central Park Cafe is a nice option with a variety of salads, sandwiches and fruit, loved the chips! 

Overall Experience:

• staff were very friendly and attentive and helpful.  However level of service was definitely not what we are use to.  We encountered a few errors in orders, bar drinks or requests with steward, this rarely happens on Princess.
• Embarkation and disembarkation was the most efficient I have ever seen.  They have this down to a science.  Even disembarkation/embarkation at each port was handled very smoothly - loved this.
• activities on board were far less than what we are use to, or at least the activities we like to do.  We love trivia, games etc and on this ship we had only one or two of these type of activities to do a day.
• however their family type activities, like meet the characters or parades were plentiful but not something we are interested in
• the prizes they offered for activities were very good, much better than Princess
• there were just too many pay options, sure you can certainly sail without paying an extra dime but it seemed every time we turned around I had to ask does this cost?  Often the answer was yes.
• most lounges were very very noisy and hard to find a nice bar to have a drink and chat
• Boleros was a great venue but they allow smoking.  Not sure if other bars allowed smoking as we did not visit all of them but we did notice the smoke smell in Boleros because it is open to the Promenade so when you sit at Starbucks you smell the smoke, and on a few occasions we left because of it
• still with smoking RCI allows smoking on balconies that face the water, but balconies that face the Boardwalk or Central do not allow smoking and there is a clear sing on the door of your balcony to this affect; however we say at least three different cabins across from us smoking, and we could smell smoke coming from a balcony near us.  I am glad that Princess does not allow smoking in any cabin or balcony but does have designated smoking areas that I can choose to go to or not.
• we really like the age of the passengers we defiantly like we were with people more our age and enjoyed more children on the cruise and most of them were very well behaved some not so much but then again some adults were not well behaved either.  Age on Princess is much older and we often feel young on board, but we make due and meet really great people.
• music playing in the public venues were more our style and we often would be signing along, it was more current music

Things we really missed from Princess

• great food
• higher level of service
• views of the ocean while sipping a coffee in the International Cafe
• International Cafe to get a quick snack and people watch
• Vines wine bar
• the numerous game type activities in the evening
• Movies Under the Star
• Sanctuary
• Great burgers and great pizza
• Horizon Court Layout and lots of seating
• storage space in the cabins
• afternoon daily tea service
• warm cookies and milk that are handed out throughout the ship
• fruit in the cabin daily
• log of the cruise at the end of the trip
• port information that includes history and practical port info
• port lecturers or interest lectures
• numerous comedy acts throughout the voyage
• chocolates on our pillow daily
• housecoats
• large floral bouquets throughout the ship
• channel showing where we were in the Caribbean
• free beach towels
• free carry bag with Princess logo, handy to take to the beach
• the mail slot for each cabin along with our name tag (never thought about it before until we didn't have it on Oasis)
• laundry on each floor
• large library with numerous books available
• enclosed pools on numerous Princess ships
• walkable Promenade deck with lounge chairs
• pub lunch
• Horizon Court buffet that is open from first thing in the morning till 11 pm

Things we Really Liked About Oasis we Wish Princess Did:

• interactive TV with menus, room service, venue business, events happening
• great beds
• great lighting in the cabin and couch in the cabin
• comfortable reclining chairs with foot stools around the pool area
• the screens all over the ship to direct you to a location, tell you what is going on NOW, very helpful
• the entire ship is so beautiful, I really loved all the art work everywhere and every time I looked I saw something new
• the production shows were some of the best we have ever seen on the seas and even many we have seen on land
• embarkation/disembarkation done to a perfection
• the diversity of the passengers, numerous variety of languages in the passengers as well as a much younger group
• the gym including the running track, well done
• lots of elevators and even though sometimes it was harder to get an elevator than other times they were efficient and numerous

Final thoughts:

This was a trip that I talked my husband into because I really wanted to see the big ships either Oasis or Allure.  We never had any intention of changing lines permanently but we were curious to see how RCI handled things.  We did enjoy the cruise but in the end we know that Oasis and RCI are not a fit for us and what we like.   At this stage in our life we like to take longer cruises and really get away from everything.  We like peace and quiet with good food, good service and good wine.  We like to rest up on our trips and visit exotic locations.  We enjoy the feeling of being on a ship and the movement and views of the ocean.  We also prefer the longer itineraries that Princess offers.

Even though Oasis wasn't for us I would not have any doubts to recommend it to a family with kids or a couple who like to be active and busy.  It is like visiting Disneyland, it will be expensive, you will be busy, it will wow you, there will be lots of kids, and you will probably need a vacation after your vacation.

In the end we are glad we went but we also can't wait to get back on Princess.

Thank you for reading - if you would like to follow and learn more about Princess check out my facebook page Cruise Princess Cruiseline with Vickie

Friday and I am Feeling Lazy

Oh I feel lazy today!  Bernie decides to head out to get breakfast in the Solarium buffet again.  I take my time getting ready.

For my breakfast I go to the Park Cafe and have a breakfast burrito and take it down to Starbucks where I meet up with Bernie.

It is noisy on the Promenade though as Zumba is going on, again the crowds doing the zumba cause a bit of a traffic jam as others try to maneuver past them to the other venues on the Promenade. 

Bernie goes back to the cabin to read.  I head up on higher decks to see the ocean and read.  It is very very windy out.  Lots of people are out getting their last chance of some sun.

I also go out with my camera to get more shots.  I come across the Captain giving his talk in the Opus Theatre.  It started with a very well done professional video showing the behind the scenes like the crew area, engine room, bridge.  I like the video and especially liked that the Captain was the one that offered commentary throughout the video.  After the video he took questions and that lasted for 45 minutes.  That impressed me, he was very personable and funny.

I head up to the Windjammer for a small bite to eat at around 2 pm and it was busy but definitely not crazy.  Food was good but definitely not great.

I am back in the cabin and I need a nap.  Now we were suppose to see the show Come Fly With Me at 5 pm but we are too tired and the nap wins out.  Of course one down fall of being overly scheduled with shows and dinners is you sometimes have to forgo a nap or a show for every one's sanity.  I would of loved to have seen the show, I heard great things about it, but again this trip was just all consuming with events planned.

Oh in our cabin was a paper survey.  Surprised since RCI seems so much more tech savvy and they do everything else has been done electronically which impressed me they still are in the dark ages when it comes to surveys.  I am surprised we don't get an email with a survey attached or at least the option.  We fill it out and have to drop it off at guest services. 

We also got our luggage tags.  A few days into the cruise we were given a form asking us what time we would like to get off at, and we selected 9 am.  But today when we were given our luggage tags it was set for 10:15.  Again why ask if you aren't going to give us the time we request anyways.  Now sure I could of gone and gotten earlier tags, and many people did but after discussing it we agreed that 10:15 would be fine as we are only going to a hotel anyways. 

Dinner tonight is one of my highlights that I was looking forward to.  Tonight's dinner is at 150 Central Park.

We are sat at a quiet table and we are given the choice of color napkin, white or black.... okay I pick black and Bernie picks white - that is a first.

Then we are asked if we want their signature Martini which sounded great so we each get it.  Yes it was darn good, but we later see it was a $15 Martini for each one!  I figured it would of been more in line with other Martini prices on board, maybe a bit more but no.... okay we drank $30 and it was just a glass.  I would definitely pass on this the next time.

We order a bottle of our wine from our wine package, although the wine pairing option looks good too and our waiter worked very hard trying to get us to get the wine pairing.  When I said we had one bottle left in our package, he said you could take it home with you, or you could get one of the pairings.  We said no again and I think he finally got the hint... again more up sell.

We start with a roast vegetable appetizer.   Butternut squash then a wonderful salmon dish (our favorite of the meal).  Then a serving of pork, which was our least favorite and didn't finish.  To the final main which was lamb.  I am not a huge fan of lamb but Bernie loved it. 

We loved the variety of salts at the table and the bread was very good too.  The chocolate dessert was also to die for and small amount of salt on it only intensified the flavours.

We are presented with a personalized menu to keep as a souvenir - actually I was waiting for him to say here you go and that will be an added $5 for the personalize menu but no it was free.

The waiter then comes and brings us the chef's cookbook and asks to look at it and also the wine decanter (which has been pushed on us at every meal) and then comes back and asks if we would like to purchase them.  Sadly this last part put a real damper on a top notch meal.  It made the whole experience kind of cheap.  Another sales push and after we had spent money on the specialty meal and that pricey drink. 

Our evening here was the best all week.  Service was the best also.  Our waiter was very attentive and informative explaining each course.  We are glad we decided to do it on the last night so we left with on a high note.  I would highly recommend dining at 150 Central Park on your cruise, but don't bring kids (they will get bored very very easily), and forgo the martini.

Also one thing we noticed, other waiters helped each other here.  Other waiters cleared and severed our food even if it wasn't in their section.  This is the first time we have seen this all week, and something we are use to.  Glad to see it here.

We decided to tip extra and that shows how impressed we were about the whole experience.

We return to the cabin to change and pack up the last of our clothes and put our bags out.  The halls are full of bags and they don't start collecting them until after midnight for some reason.  Which really created a lot of noise and hard to maneuver down the hallways.  Wonder why they can't pick up the bags throughout the night as people put out.

We head to Schooners to meet up with Fran and Curt for one last drink together.  It was lovely seeing them again and getting to know them better. They are a lovely couple.

Sadly the bar staff have a hard time with Bernie drink of vodka, soda and lime cordial.  The first attempt is just lime juice we ask for them to put some lime cordial in the glass.  The second attempt is some red liqueur added to it.  Finally the third attempt is done right.  Now I will say the lounge was noisy and they may of had a hard time hearing.

The next morning we take our time and we head to get breakfast in the Solarium Buffet and after reviewing our bill we see the only error was late last night in Schooners.  Bernie was charged for his drink twice and only a minute apart.  I guess when they remade the drink they charged him again.  We went to the Guest Services and was impressed to see lots of staff addressing issues and we were dealt with efficiently and it was corrected no questions asked.  Something we sometimes have to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt with Princess that we did not make that charge to the point that they have to go thru each bill from that venue to find.  Every time we have had an error it has been corrected but it is often a pain.  This time it was very smooth and easy, way to go Oasis.

We hang out in the Solarium until around 10 am and then make our way to the Opus Theater and sit for about 10 minutes when our number was called.

Oasis has disembarkation down pat!  I always thought Princess' was good but nope, Oasis was much much smoother.  There were almost 80 numbers and the first few numbers were off very early like around 7 am.  The screens throughout the ship identify what numbers have been called so you just have to hang out and relax and then proceed to either the Theater or the dining room just before your scheduled departure.  Once we were called there were no stairs involved, no long walks thru crowded corridors, no elevators just a flat walk to one of the two gangways and then you are on shore.  We quickly found our bags (thanks again to huge signs identifying your number) and then thru customs to a waiting taxi all within 15 minutes.  This is probably the smoothest disembarkation we have every experienced.

My next report will be a final summary and comparison.

Some Pictures Around the Ship and Comments

I have so many pictures I wanted to add some here that I don't have a specific place for during my blog report but some of you may be interested.

 

 

The signage throughout the ship is very well done. It is presented easily and clearly so that you can quickly look at it and figure out where you need to go.   This map of the entire ship shows areas throughout the ship as well as a large deck map.  These are located throughout the ship.  By every bank of elevators is this large wall directory with the current deck highlighted.  There are icons for each neighbourhood and the names of each venue.  Note the curved area on the left of the sign.  This curve is all over the ship on signage and it represents the front of the ship so you know which direction to go.  Very smart Oasis.

 



 

Of course every day the plate in the elevator floor changed to identify which day it was.  But I don't want to be reminded how quickly the trip is coming to an end. 

 

Loved these guys but boy are they bad workers as they made no progress at all on this sign.  :0

 

 

This area was for the shore excursions, port shopping and perhaps something else.  It is located right in the middle of the Promenade and even though it is easy to find it wasn't practical with so many people lining up to talk to someone with regards to their tours.  Lines formed that blocked traffic and many arguments occurred because people thought others were budding in.

 

 

 

I really wanted to try this, but never did get around to it.  The few times I thought about doing it, it wasn't open.  Oh I didn't do the zip line either, again I wanted to but when I saw how short it was I figured no big deal if I missed.  We also wanted to do some ice skating but we didn't bring any long pants except dress pants so we could not do it.

 

 

Loved these Adirondack chairs outside the Seafood Shack, great spot to sit and watch people.  Although the Boardwalk was never busy except after an Aqua show, from what we saw.

 

 

This is the Viking Crown Lounge and it was so pretty at night.  And since it is located in a out of the way place it is usually quiet.  Great place to come up to during the day to find a quiet place to read.  Made me think of Skywalkers Lounge.

Wonderful sports deck with basketball court and even set up for floor hockey.  Nice to see so many people staying active on board.

 

This is the infamous Fountain Drink machines.  These two are on the Promenade deck near Starbucks but I did see some in the Windjammer and elsewhere that I can't recall off hand right now.  When you buy the soda package you are given an insulated soda cup that has a microchip in it that allows you put it in this machine and select the soda you wish.  I don't know if you can just get a soda from any of the bars too by showing your soda cup.  Great idea but I hope you can also get from any bar staff or in the restaurants and I just don't know the answer to this.  Also the chip only recognizes your cup for that particular voyage.

We laughed when we saw this.  Great a bus!  Yup our job follows us even on a cruise.  We did have to get a shot with us behind the wheel though! 

This is the ice cream parlour located on the Boardwalk deck 6 - an added fee.

 

The following are from the bar menu.  Sorry the pictures can be hard to read but the key to taking the pictures is Princess could really learn from these.  The menus were large, lots of pictures and description that made me want to try so many different drinks that I would never try.  Great marketing tool.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Thursday - Cozumel Mexico Baby

This review is my own personal experience... if you would like more information about cruising check out my Facebook Fan Page Cruising-Princess-Cruiseline-with-Vickie where knowledgeable cruisers share their experiences.

 

 

entrance to Solarium Bistro

 

We wake around 8:30 and we must be docked but there is no way to know for sure.  Wish this ship had a bridge cam that showed the pier/island.  There is a channel that has a map and info but the map is not very detailed and it is very hard to read and you can see the Promenade on it, and occasional it flashes out to the water, but at night it is always showing the Promenade.  Definitely miss the detailed map and bridge cam on Princess - at least I could figure out what island we were sailing past etc.

 

We decide to try the Solarium Buffet for breakfast as the Windjammer is showing as being packed. 

 

The Solarium is lovely with healthier options and we can sit outside in the small area they have for the buffet. 

 

The weather outside is not cooperating, it is raining, but we decide to head ashore always with our rain jackets on, we are from Vancouver - we live in rain gear all winter long - this is nothing.

 

Just walking from the ship to the shops at the end of the pier we are soaked.  We wander around a few stores but we are drenched including out socks, runners, underwear well you get the picture. 

 

 

that is Bernie behind the rain drops

 

This won't do so we look at each other and head back on.  We peel off the clothes and squeeze out all the excess water and hope they will dry before we disembark on Saturday.  Our cabin and balcony look like a laundry mat.

 

Rain is not letting up!  People are all over the ship, and many are soaked.  Because of the rain a lot of people have put off going ashore or have gone and come back like us.

 

It is 1 pm and we try and figure out where we can get a hot lunch.

 

• Room Service (menu is very limited and not many hot options)
• Windjammer is an absolute zoo (we later understand why as it is the only dining venue that serves hot food that is open)
• Dining room is closed
• Park Cafe has few hot option but they are lined up out the door onto Central Park and there is no seat to be had.
• Sorrentos for pizza is there but it was so bad yesterday we don't want it.
• Wipeout Cafe doesn't open till 3.

 

We think okay well lets just go to one of the pay venues.

 

• Vintages doesn't open for another hour
• Giovanis is not open for lunch today
• Johnny Rockets is the place we head to but nope it only opens at 2:30, same as the Seafood Shack.

We are very frustrated, we are a little upset too.  We just want to get something hot to eat, but the only option is Windjammer and it is so busy that I am prepared for them to close the doors to control the amount of people inside.  Considering how many people are on the ship I really think they should of attempted to open something to accommodate everyone. 

 

As we sit there in the Promenade we both look at each other and say "this ship is not for us" sure maybe I am being critical but too many things just don't add up.  Pretty sad and the first time it has ever happened in all my cruises that I actually was hungry and I couldn't get a decent hot meal.

 

We now know that Princess is by far a better line in regards to service/food/venues and fits us better.  For example today if we were on Princess we would have the following options for a lunch while in port:  International Cafe (similar to Promenade Cafe), Horizon Court buffet (that seems like it is the same size as Oasis' buffet and definitely has more seating), Pizza grill (with much better pizza), hamburger/hot dog grill by the pool, and room service that offers hot entrees including chili, lasagna, club house, Caesar salad with chicken, chicken fingers, croque moiseur, etc.  And of course we would not be dealing with double the passengers.

 

We both decide that we will try to do our best to get thru the next few days and then look forward to our trip on the Emerald in January.

 

After not being able to get anything on board we try again for Cozumel.  It has officially stopped raining.

We catch a cab from the pier to the main square for $7 total.  We walk away from the main drag and get a great Mexican meal and a few drinks, and even enjoy a Mariachi band.  The place is lovely and we love chatting with the owner.

 

We spend a short time wandering around downtown but we visit Mexico a lot and we really don't need anything so we decide to just catch a taxi back to the ship.  We are back on board a 4 pm.

 

We place an order for 2 cheese plates to enjoy with our champagne.

 

Tonight we made reservations for 8:15, we wanted 8 but we couldn't get it.  We are fine with this though.

 

We are relaxing in the cabin and I suggest that we watch a movie.  But we can't just watch a movie cause it isn't an option unless we pay for it.  I miss Princess' movie channels and the numerous channels of stocked shows (no commercials, expect ones for cruising).  Here we have a few regular tv channels with commercials.

 

We decide to watch the movie Hope Springs with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones.  It was a lovely show but another added fee of $11.99.  So far this trip has not only cost us more initially per day we have also spent more on board, not including the dining package which we paid for ahead of time.

 

Here is a video of our balcony

 

 

We head down for dinner and get sat at a nice quieter table.  The tables are squished in and Bernie's seat is constantly bumped every time the server go past.

 

I had the shrimp cocktail and the cordon bleu for my entre.  Both were okay.  Cherries jubilee for dessert which was so so would of been much better if they were served hot over cold ice cream.

 

Service at this table was the best so far but still not as good as we have experience on other Princess ships.  Two times we had to ask for more wine (we couldn't pour ourselves as it was being chilled).

 

After our meal our server came over to explain all about the survey we will receive tomorrow and how important it is to give them all a good rating etc.  Felt a little awkward.

 

 

We have a 10:30 reservation tonight for the comedy show.  The MC was hilarious.  The two comedians were the headliners.  The first one Cary Long came out and right away we recognize him.  We have probably seen his show 5 times and his act really hasn't changed over the years, exact same jokes.  Time to drop the one pair of underwear joke Cary.  Now Cary is funny but after five times we knew all the punchlines.  The second comedian was Richie Miniervini another funny guy, who we have never seen.  I do miss Al Katz and his show!  Or I was too drunk to remember.

 

 

 

I will say that the venue for the comedy show is a joke (pun intended) and definitely was an afterthought.  This venue is located on deck 4 and it is small/dark and crowded.  I believe they said it holds just over a hundred people.  Did someone not send them the memo about how many people this ship holds.  Sure there are two shows a night, every night but every night there were line ups in the standby line.  This venue could never even accommodate half the ship's passengers if they wish to see this show.  This was the only black mark we noticed with the entertainment on board.

 

 

 

 

Wednesday a Precious Sea Day

This review is my own personal experience... if you would like more information about cruising check out my Facebook Fan Page Cruising-Princess-Cruiseline-with-Vickie where knowledgeable cruisers share their experiences.

 

the aft deck I sat out on to watch the Aqua show

 

 

Had another great sleep, slept in, nothing like sleeping at sea.  The rooms are very quiet, we never hear our neighbours.

 

We decide to try the dining room again.  We sit at a table of 8 and meet some very nice people.  Service today was much better and I had their feature item the Onion Quiche and it was very good.  Bernie had his usual, oatmeal, toast and tea and it all arrived hot and he is content.

 

Afterwards we head to Starbucks and pass thru the zumba class that Amy the Cruise Director is leading.  Lots of people attending, she is on a stage and it is easy to see her and follow her moves.  The class is an hour long and she played great and current music.  The only downside is it is right in the middle of the Promenade, the major thoroughfare and it causes a bottleneck trying to get around.

 

At 10:45 we attend the trivia game and team up with a nice couple from Seattle.  The game is held in Schooners and again it is very hard to hear the questions, and made even harder when the fountain below the rising tide bar starts it's performance and the music is played.  Please move the trivia venue to a quieter area (like On Air or Boleros) or don't play music when it is going on.  But in the end it didn't matter, we still sucked, but had a good time.

 

Not sure what we will do this afternoon.  So far relaxation is wining out.  I want to check out the Dreamworks Parade and head down to take some pictures.  The place is busy and I am enjoying the performance and getting right into it.... yes that was me signing along to the songs.  You never really grow up.

 

 

 

For lunch we want to try something new. We both love pizza and head to Sorrentos to try their pizza. When you arrive you have the option of an individual made to order pizza or you can choose from the already made pizzas. We opt for an individual made to order pizza each. It is about six inches in diameter. The wait to get them is about five minutes and they are served to us at our table.

 

 

 

 

However it is some of the worst pizza we have ever had. Very thick/dry crust, not enough sauce. We don't finish them. We then go and get a slice of the already made pizza hoping it may be better. But it tastes like frozen pizza (but I don't think it is), and actually it is really worse than frozen pizza. Neither of us finish the pizzas.

 

 

 

 

We head to the photo department (called Focus on deck 6) and pick up our embarkation photo along with our silver frame that we got for free from the Romance package. I am very impressed with how this ship handles the photos, you can view them on the screen and you can either alter them and change the background from the screen or you can go to your binder and pick the stocked photo there. Which we do.

 

 

Bernie and I decide to participate in the Flip Photo Scavenger Challenge.  Each team is given a small flip camera to record the activities from the list of things given to us.  One person records and the rest of the team performs the activity.  Each activity has a point value.  We are then given 20 minutes to run around the ship and accomplish these events.

Some of these activities include propose to a total stranger, dance in the glass elevator, have a nap in an odd place, play leap frog etc. ect. 

One of them was to sing "I Will Survive" to a total stranger.  I see two of the singers from Mo5aic at the Starbucks and I ask if I can bother them and sing to them and record it (best to explain why this crazy woman who can't sing is doing this).  I break out into song, Bernie records and they are very gracious and clap. 

When we all meet up they show the videos on the screen.  We ended up coming in first.  We win a RCI small camera case bag.  Prizes on RCI are very good, better than Princess, but then again I will never use this camera case thing and end up giving it away.

Back in the cabin and Bernie is reading but I head all the way aft to a small public area to catch the splish splash comedy show at the Aqua Theatre.  Very Well done, again the shows are top notch.  Here are some shots from the show. 

 

you can see the divers below the surface that assist the performers

 

 

Another nap!  Yup I am officially rested.

We made reservations earlier today for dinner tonight.  We got 8 pm, as that was the only time we could get unless we went at 5:15.  That is what we get for leaving it to the last minute.  It is our second formal night and we dress up.  There is a long queue for those with reservations and when we finally get to the hostess it is now 8:08, she asks if we will share and we say no as we made reservations for 2 because we wanted two.  She asks us to sit and wait as a table will be a few minutes.  We are sat at 8:15 in the middle area of the dining room. 

Their "my time dining" is something we love and we always choose "anytime dining" on Princess.  Things I am impressed with on Oasis is everything is electronic, you get to the hostess she asks for your cabin # and confirms if you have my time dining.  Princess I wish you would check and confirm that only those that have anytime are using the dining room.  Then the hostess prints out a chit and hands it to a hostess to sit us, that chit is given to the waiter and they know our name and any requests we may have.  All their ordering is down electronically and this also means Oasis knows exactly when we eat, what we ate, and how much we ate.  Downfall with Oasis is even with reservations we have to line up and it takes a long time, and even with reservations we have had to wait. 

Something we have noticed on both lines is even though it is formal night, the dress code is not enforced at all.  We witness a lot of people in jeans, t shirts, flip flops and yes this is Formal night.  But this is an occurrence on Princess too.  Now I have no problem if you want to dress casually, but I think you should eat elsewhere (like the buffet).  The rules for the dress code are there when you book, there are in the Compass/Patter, and sometimes even posted at the entrance to the dining room.  Just wish they would enforce it.  But that may just be me.

The table we are at has a great view of the entire dining room, but again since it is in the middle of the room it is very noisy.  A large table behind us is just about to finish up though, and the large one beside that is also finishing up and when they leave it is quieter and we can chat. 

We ordered a nice bottle of wine and an appetizer of mushrooms in puff pastry and they were very good.

Bernie got the Corn and Pepper soup, and he loved it.  I got the Caesar Salad and it was overly dressed in salad dressing that I didn't finish.  I think most would like it though as it seems that most like this much dressing, I prefer a lot less, and usually ask for it on the side.  I will know better next time.

We both ordered the seafood platter which was a plate with peas, carrots, potatoes, 5 shrimp and a lobster tail.  First thing that surprised me was the waiter came and removed the shell, but she picked up our fork and knife and used it to remove the shell.  She then put the shell on my bread plate and left it there.  A little odd, I am use to them coming and using their own utensils and then taking the shell away.  Oh well again not a big thing but odd.  The meal was definitely good but nothing special.

Bernie then ordered the souffle, he loves his souffles.  He thought it was not good at all, and compared to the other one he had on the first formal night that he loved.  I just go the cheese plate.

We didn't have anything reserved tonight but wanted to get out and walk around a bit so we went back to the cabin and changed and went exploring. 

We went all the way up to the sun deck and all the way forward then all the way back.  We checked out the spa and gym and it is very big.  Very nicely laid out with lots of cardio machines, weight area, aerobic area, and small sitting area for talks. 

We then went to the aft deck and played a game of mini golf.... what a great night.  Here are some shots of the course taken during the day.

 

I really don't think I would like a loft suite that looks down on the mini putt or the basketball court
 

We are back in the cabin and after flushing the toilet something has happened and water is pouring out like a pipe broke.  The water has filled the floor of the bathroom and we throw down some towels and moved a few of our lower stored items away.  There is a good drain and it is helping otherwise the whole cabin would of been flooded.

We call maintenance and after waiting about 10 minutes they show up and shut the water off and fix the problem within 10 minutes.  They then have to call housekeeping to get someone to come clean the floor as it is contaminated - it really is only fresh toilet water (thankfully) but we have no choice.  So here we are at midnight waiting for housekeeping.  They show up and clean it all up but they don't have any towels and all three of ours are soaked.  We will have to wait until tomorrow to get some new ones.  In all it took 40 minutes from the first call to the repair/clean.   In the end nothing else was done or said, a nice card of apology would of been good.  But it didn't ruin our night and these things happen.  We later learn that there were a few others that had the same problem during the trip.