Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas: Overview and Things to Do

As the first Oasis-class ship for Royal Caribbean, Oasis of the Seas set a new standard in the cruising industry when it first appeared in 2009. The Oasis class made headlines as the largest ships in the world at the time, and these ships were filled with tons of fun things to do and groundbreaking, never-before-seen features.  

While, today, Oasis of the Seas and its sister ships have been surpassed in both size and innovation, they’re still worth considering for an upcoming cruise, for many reasons. The ships are still relatively young and they still offer plenty of fun for the entire family. You certainly won’t be left wanting for options, either, whether it’s entertainment, food, drinks or staterooms and suites.

Here’s what you need to know, if you’re considering taking an Oasis of the Seas cruise in the near future.

Oasis of the Seas Stats

As already mentioned, Oasis of the Seas was a record-setting ship when it debuted in 2009. It was not only the largest overall cruise ship in the world by gross tonnage, but also the ship with the highest guest capacity. Prior to the Oasis class, the largest cruise ships were those in Royal Caribbean’s Freedom class. Oasis of the Seas measures as such: 

• Gross Tonnage: 226,838
• Length: 1,187 feet
• Decks: 18 total, 16 for passengers
• Staterooms: 2,801
• Passenger Capacity at Double Occupancy: 5,602
• Passenger Capacity at Full Occupancy: 6,771
• Crew Capacity: 2,109

Interestingly, while this ship is smaller than later Oasis-class ships, it has more staterooms than those later, bigger ships. 

Oasis of the Seas Construction

Oasis of the Seas was built at STX Europe in Turku, Finland, in the late 2000s, with the hull laid down in November 2007. STX Europe delivered the ship to Royal Caribbean in October 2009, nearly two years later. The ship departed on its first sailing on December 5, 2009, after being christened on November 30, 2009, by seven different godmothers.

The seven godmothers represent the ship’s seven neighborhoods, and the godmothers include famous faces such as Gloria Estefan, Michelle Kwan, Dara Torres, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Shawn Johnson, Jane Seymour and Daisy Fuentes.

Read Also: Royal Caribbean Ships By Age – Newest to Oldest

When the ship debuted, it impressed with its range of fun features, such as a zip-line, skating rink, five pools, sports courts, the AquaTheater and more. 

Oasis of the Seas Refurbishments

Since this ship is just over 10 years old, you might think that it hasn’t had all that much work done, but you may be surprised at just what lengths Royal Caribbean has gone to, in order to keep this ship in top-top shape.  

First, there were some extensive upgrades made in 2014, in Rotterdam, with work including an engine replacement, hull painting and carpet replacement. The biggest changes included splitting the main dining room into three main dining rooms, as well as adding a few new, smaller restaurants.

New shopping options were also added, as well as new, private VIP areas for suite guests. The refurbishments also included the addition of 44 new staterooms and suites. 

Another dry dock followed in 2019, in the Bahamas, when two cranes fell and caused the ship a large amount of damage, requiring it to suspend operations further, and head to Cadiz for broader repairs.

In 2019, the ship received $165 million worth of refurbishments, including the addition of waterslides (like the Ultimate Abyss, the tallest slide at sea), new restaurants and new children’s amenities.

Oasis of the Seas Itineraries

Over its lifetime, Oasis of the Seas has crisscrossed the globe. Today, though, you can find this ship offering both European and Caribbean cruises. European cruises depart from Rome or Barcelona, and travel throughout the Mediterranean over the course of a week (shorter, three-night cruises visit Spain, France and Italy). Caribbean cruises depart from Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and take place over as few as two nights, but up to over a week, with stops all throughout the region.

Caribbean itineraries include stops at CocoCay. If you’re not familiar, CocoCay is a big deal for Royal Caribbean. When it premiered, it was met with rave reviews. It’s basically a private island where families can have even more fun than they can aboard the ship, with all kinds of activities and adventures created by the same great minds behind Royal Caribbean’s best on-board attractions.

The “Perfect Day at CocoCay” experience includes access to a zip line, multiple restaurants, thousands of lounge chairs, helium balloon rides, more slides than any other waterpark in the Caribbean, three coves in the lagoon, the tallest water slide in North America, the largest wave pool in the Caribbean, an adventure pool with an obstacle course, overwater cabanas, an infinity pool, paddle boarding, jet skis, volleyball games, soccer, basketball and more. 

Now that definitely sounds like a perfect day.

Staterooms

There are staterooms and then there are staterooms, and Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas offered some of the best when it debuted. Granted, now, you may find better options on newer ships, but these are hardly the worst staterooms we’ve seen. 

These staterooms are designed with both style and function in mind, giving you a cruising experience that’s a step above. Regardless of the kind of stateroom you choose, you’ll find that each comes with tons of space (both for you and your luggage!) and all the amenities you could need. Staterooms are broken down into the following categories:

• Interior
• Ocean view
• Balcony

So what can you expect in each?

Interior staterooms are further broken down into several additional categories, including interior accessible rooms, promenade-view interior rooms and Central Park-view interior rooms. If you feel like a standard interior room is a bit too boxy and cramped for your liking, go with one of the staterooms that come with a view of the inside of the ship. While it’s not the same as an ocean view, it’ll still make the room feel a bit airier and bigger.

Otherwise, interior staterooms are a little on the bland side, with blasé décor that’s suitable and functional, but nothing exciting. Ocean view rooms feature the same décor, but more space and furnishings.

Balcony staterooms are further split into spa-centric balcony staterooms and boardwalk-view balcony staterooms. The former gives you spa-inspired amenities, while the latter gives you a view of all the action. 

Suites

The suites are where Oasis of the Seas impresses, with upgraded options that are a far cry from the staterooms.

Additionally, Royal Caribbean offers something it calls the Royal Suite Class. You get, firstly, the amazing accommodations offered within the big, gorgeous luxury suites that are more akin to something you’d see in a boutique luxury hotel than on a typical cruise ship. Then, there’s everything that goes above and beyond the accommodations.

VIP Royal Suite Class travelers get extra amenities, personalized service and exclusive experiences. Whether you’re on or off the ship, everyone’s treating you like a VIP traveler.

Royal Suite Class can be divided into three different options: Sea Class, Sky Class and Star Class. Sea Class travelers enjoy a dedicated check-in line, priority ship boarding, a coastal kitchen dinner, classic bathrobe, upgraded bathroom amenities and in-room coffee and tea service.

Read Also: Incredible Cruise Ships With Family Suites

Sky Class passengers get all that, plus concierge service, exclusive activities, suite lounge and concierge club access, priority departure and more. Star Class passengers get all that plus complimentary gratuities, specialty dining and deluxe beverages. 

Suites can be broken down into the following options:

• AquaTheater Suites
• Star Loft Suites
• Crown Loft Suites
• Royal Loft Suites
• Grand Panoramic Suites
• Owner’s Suites

Grand suites offer high ceilings, big views, large living areas and large bathrooms. Owner’s suites spread out the space even more, with plenty of room for a large group of friends or a family. AquaTheater suites provide views of the AquaTheater and Boardwalk.

Then, the range of loft-style suites vary in terms of how big they are and what exactly they offer, but all provide a unique loft-style configuration, which makes each space feel larger than it is, providing extra privacy and separation from living and dining areas.

Free Dining

There’s plenty of dining options aboard Oasis of the Seas and you don’t even have to splash out any extra cash in order to enjoy a wide range of dining experiences. The complimentary and free restaurants on Oasis of the Seas include:

• The main dining rooms (split into three separate restaurants)
• Boardwalk Dog House, for quick bites by the pool
• Café Promenade, for coffee and pastries
• El Loco Fresh, for Mexican-inspired eats
• Park Café, a conveniently located eatery with fast bites
• Solarium Bistro, for casual bites near the adults-only Solarium
• Sorrento’s, for pizza
• Vitality Café, a healthful restaurant next to the spa
• Windjammer Marketplace, the ship’s buffet 
• Coastal Kitchen, a complimentary restaurant only open to suite guests

You can also order room service, for a minimal fee. No matter what you’re in the mood for, you can likely find it on Oasis of the Seas. However, if you want even more options, you’ve got ’em.

Specialty Restaurants

There is a range of specialty restaurants on Oasis of the Seas. These specialty restaurants operate very similarly to any restaurant you might visit at home, with a la carte menus that you order from, and pay for menu items individually, accordingly. These restaurants include:

• 150 Central Park, for fine dining
• The Chef’s Table, a limited-seating dining experience led by the ship’s chef
• Chops Grille, a classic steakhouse
• Giovanni’s Table, an Italian option
• Izumi, for hibachi-style experiences
• Johnny Rockets, the classic diner brand you may already know
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, for dinner while you watch the big game
• Starbucks, for your favorite caffeinated beverages
• Sugar Beach, to satisfy your sweet tooth
• Vintages, for light bites and wine
• Wonderland, a futuristic, tech-centric restaurant added in one of the refurbishments
• Portside BBQ, also added during one of the refurbishments and offering classic BBQ

Whether it’s a date night during your cruise, or you just want to treat yourself, you can do so at one of these specialty restaurants.

Bars and Lounges

With a bar on every corner, Oasis of the Seas keeps the drinks flowing, with some amazing atmospheres at each bar that will hook you in and keep you coming back for more. Bars and lounges include:

• Bionic Bar, for futuristic drinks
• Blaze, a club 
• Boleros, a Latin venue
• Globe & Atlas, a British pub
• Jazz on 4, with live music and a jazz focus
• Rising Tide Bar, a bar on an elevator over the deck
• Schooner Bar, for a nautical setting
• Solarium Bar, in the adults-only solarium
• The Lime & Coconut, the expansive pool bar
• Trellis Bar, a small bar perfect for people watching
• Wipeout Bar, a bar by the surfing simulator 
• Spotlight Karaoke, a karaoke bar
• The Diamond Club, for Royal Caribbean loyalty members

No matter your preferred way to drink, no matter your drink of choice, you’ll find it on Oasis of the Seas. 

Activities and Entertainment

There’s no end to the fun on Oasis of the Seas. The following options will quickly fill your itinerary.

Pools and Slides

On the ship’s top deck, you can find amazing entertainment for those who want to sit by the pool, play in the water, just get some sun or have some high thrills. 

There’s The Ultimate Abyss dry slide, 10 stories of fright and fun, as this slide was the tallest slide at sea when it debuted, with twists and turns and thrills galore.

Then there’s the new The Perfect Storm — not one, not two, but three waterslides, named Typhoon, Cyclone and Supercell. (In other words, it really is the perfect storm for fun.) And then there’s the Caribbean pool deck, with a kids aqua park, poolside bar, live music, hammocks, casitas, in-pool loungers, and more. 

The AquaTheater

This unique entertainment venue is a high dive pool where you can watch acrobatics and stunts. (If you really think this entertainment option is cool, you might want to consider booking a room with a view of the AquaTheater.)

The Royal Theater

If you prefer more standard, cruise ship entertainment, you can find it in the ship’s Royal Theater. Broadway-style shows and variety acts are the name of the game here.

The Spa

At the ship’s spa, you can find amazing classic spa treatments, from massages and wraps to facials and manicures, but you can also find medi-spa treatments for more advanced beauty needs. If you just need a quick fix, then pedicures, hair styles, cuts and teeth whitening are all an option, too.

Shopping

Go shop ’til you drop when you browse the various shopping options, including all your favorite luxury brands and all the best known labels. Whether you want clothes, perfume, accessories, liquor, wine or jewelry, you’ll find it — and it’s all tax and duty-free, just like on sister ships such as Allure of the Seas.

The Casino

In the Oasis of the Seas casino, you can find easy ways to test your luck, whether you’re an avid gambler or someone new to (all) the games. Rookies can get a crash course in popular casino games before the casino opens each day, or you can get straight to the action, playing roulette, the slots, dice, blackjack and more.

Kids Venues

There’s something for every age on Oasis of the Seas. 

Within the Adventure Ocean program, children up to 12 are split into various age groups and programming is available nearly round-the-clock. There are plenty of ways for kids to be entertained, creative and educated all at the same time. They can visit the Adventure Science Lab, for science-based activities, like chemistry experiments.

The kids can get crafty at the Imagination Studio, with all kinds of craft materials available. They can even get on stage and put on some shows for parents, whether they like to act, sing or direct, thanks to the Adventure Ocean Theater.

Preteens and teens aren’t left out, either. The Social298 space is a teen lounge with cool gaming consoles, music, movies and even an outdoor deck, so the older kiddos in your crew can kick it in the sun.

Oasis of the Seas FAQ:

Final Thoughts

At just over 10 years old, Oasis of the Seas is still young enough to offer many of the newer amenities and activities cruisers have come to expect, as well as lots of variety in dining and staterooms.

Worth Reading: Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas – Overview and Things to Do

Additionally, thanks to Royal Caribbean’s continual enhancements, the ship remains in good condition and ready to welcome your family for a royal-worthy trip around the Mediterranean or Caribbean.