A Disney Family Sails Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas!

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas is one of the largest cruise ships in the world and is packed with family and adult fun for almost everyone. In recent years, Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has come on strong in the cruise line industry with their offerings of diverse ports of call, novelty options on board (ice skating, rock climbing, flow riders, zip lines, etc.), and a price point that generally far less than some of the more acclaimed cruise lines. The Oasis of the Seas offers a great value with a lot of amenities that will appeal to the most stringent of budgets.

Adults will love the spacious and tranquil solarium. The Adult area comes complete with a pool and hot tubs, and that’s not even the best feature of the area! The layout and the ability to just be under the sun (granted through panes of glass) and relax in peaceful tranquility is a huge plus over other ships where the adult section is quite small, or you are still overwhelmed by noise from the family areas. The proximity of a bar and eatery mean you can do most anything there and just slow the world down to your pace.

The neighborhoods are a great addition to the cruising experience. From Boardwalk to Central Park, it is refreshing to have different areas to visit. Insider Tip: The roast beef sandwich in Park Café is one of the best things onboard any ship I have indulged in!

Which leads us to the food! There are lots of options! Now, in exchange for the lower price point, Oasis of the Seas has several restaurants for an upcharge. I do not feel like it is a big deal to go out of your way to do one of these as the food in the main dining rooms are just fine, and you should not feel like you are missing out. Actually, I preferred the huge dining buffet every night, and if you did not want the typical sit-down dining experience, there are tons of options with a Mongolian Grill. I was more than set! Another insider tip: Royal Caribbean usually offers an option called “First Night Done Right,” and, for a charge of $15 per person (at the time of this writing), you can have a seating at one of the specialty restaurants. They chose that restaurant for you, but I was able to change it the moment I got on board to their Steakhouse “Chops Grille.”

I have two teens, and my kids were very pleased by the size of the family pools and had a lot to do from zip-lining and flow riders to watching the entertainment and movies on the big screen on Boardwalk. Boardwalk is a great area for families--from all you can eat hotdogs (there are several types!) to “Johnny Rockets.” While the breakfast here is complimentary, lunch and dinner have a $9.95 cover charge per person, so go hungry and order everything!

Ziplining fun!

Trying out the Flow Rider!

The Laska Family are avid vacationers who enjoy trying new and exciting adventures. Based out of Williamsburg, VA, they enjoy finding the forgotten or obscure locations (you have not traveled till you have seen the World's Largest Ball of Twine), cruises, and even visits to the Happiest Place on Earth, Disney World!