MyNext Cruise - Oasis of the Seas update

MyNextCruise OASIS OF THE SEAS UPDATE

The new $1.2 billion Royal Caribbean cruise ship Oasis of the Seas will be about 4 football fields long, and 154 feet wide. 5400 passengers will have the run of her 16 decks. She’ll be about 5 times the size of the Titanic, Royal Caribbean has broken her up into 7 “neighborhoods” with distinctive features that will be hubs for different types of passengers. You’ll be on a ship with 5400 people, but may only see one seventh of them who share your values. Only three of these neighborhoods have been announced, but they are astounding in their innovation. Let us help you choose among the 37 categories of staterooms (Including the 2 storey "Loft" suites). Here is part of a press release from Royal Caribbean that will fill you in on the first three neighborhoods announced:

BOARDWALK

This breathtaking space was inspired by both the seaside piers that dot the coast of England and the nostalgic boardwalks of yesteryear such as Coney Island. Boardwalk will be an area for the entire family to enjoy together, whether young or just young at heart. The elements of the Boardwalk will be a dynamic way to engage families in classic fun with a colorful original carousel as well as eateries, retail outlets and carnival games. Signature elements of the Boardwalk will include:

1- AquaTheater, a remarkable outdoor venue at the stern of Oasis of the Seas with a backdrop of the ocean across the horizon. The amphitheater-style space will celebrate water with a full-spectrum of day and night options, including professional diving and theatrical performances. The first of its kind and the most technologically-advanced area of the ship, AquaTheater will be a complete sensory experience that plays on the element of surprise, as the latest technology and design features amaze audience members.

2- A one-of-a-kind and first-ever at sea carousel, the centerpiece of Boardwalk. Specially hand-crafted for Royal Caribbean from poplar wood, the full-sized, traditional carousel will take six to eight months to complete. It will feature 21 figures suspended from stainless steel poles, showcasing a time-honored menagerie of animals such as zebras, giraffes and lions, alongside a variety of hand-painted horses, including a princess horse and a crowned frog prince. The lead horse, customarily the fanciest horse of the carousel, will be adorned with Royal Caribbean logos, while a single chariot will serve as a stationary seat for two. The frame of the carousel will have a red and golden yellow facade, turn-of-the-century artwork scenery panels, and LED lights that twinkle during the day and night.

3- A zip line, a thrilling new feature suspended nine decks above Boardwalk. Adventurers will take in a birds-eye view of the action below, as the rider speeds diagonally across the open air atrium – a distance of more than 82 feet (25 meters).

4- Six AquaTheater Suites, 221 Boardwalk-view balcony staterooms, and eight Boardwalk-view window staterooms.

Additional features of Boardwalk:

Five shops:
Madame Zamara’s - Psychic and Tattoo Parlor
Smile - novelty photo shop
Candy Beach - specialty candy store - believe it or not!
Star Pier - teen retail
Specialty children’s retail
Five restaurants/bars:
Johnny Rockets
Ice Cream Parlor
Boardwalk Donut Shop
Seafood Shack
The Boardwalk Bar

ROYAL PROMENADE

1- A natural evolution of the signature Royal Promenade featured on Voyager- and Freedom-class ships, the new design found on Oasis of the Seas will allow guests to have a physical connection with the neighborhood above – Central Park – as natural light cascades down from the sky. Giant glass-arched skylights, the Crystal Canopies, will form a sculptured roof that will look up into Central Park and the sky beyond.

2-The unique Rising Tide bar – the first moving bar at sea – will be an engineering feat that span three decks and allow cruisers to enjoy a cocktail as they slowly descend from Central Park and arrive into the Royal Promenade.

3- Suspended above the Globe and Atlas Pub, an unfurling bridge on hinged hydraulics will create a spectacular, surprise element for guests. Incorporated into the pub’s facade, a giant copper globe will “crack open” as part of its unique construction and extend over the Royal Promenade as a bridge platform. A focal point of the Royal Promenade, the bridge will be approximately 10 feet above and adjacent to the entertainment area for performances.
Towards the aft of the Royal Promenade, a mezzanine level will allow for sweeping views of the promenade and feature the cruise line’s Schooner Bar, Adventures with Royal Caribbean International, and the Diamond Club, an exclusive lounge for Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members.

4- Another first for the cruise line, the Royal Promenade will serve as the entry point for all guests embarking on Oasis of the Seas, rather than the traditional lower decks. A vast tree sculpture by international artist Larry Kirkland will serve as an impressive welcoming spot.

Additional features of Royal Promenade:
18 Promenade View Staterooms
Eight retail outlets including:
Focus - photo shop and gallery
Regalia - fine jewelry and gifts
Solera - perfume and cosmetic shop
Prince & Greene - Get Out There store
The Shop - logo and souvenir shop
Port Merchants - liquors and sundries
Willow - accessories shop
A Close Shave - men’s salon
Nine restaurants and bars including:
Sorrento’s Pizzeria
Mondo Coffee Bar
Café Promenade - signature café
Schooner Bar
On Air Club - Karaoke bar
Boleros - Latin dance club
Rising Tide - moving bar
Globe and Atlas Pub
Champagne Bar

CENTRAL PARK

Royal Caribbean will bring the best of the land to sea with Central Park, a revolutionary design in which the center of the ship opens to the sky and features lush, tropical grounds spanning more than the length of a football field. An exquisite public gathering place featuring serene pathways, seasonal flower gardens and canopy trees, Central Park will provide cruisers with more choices in a unique outdoor space. One of the ship’s most ground-breaking spaces, this new concept was the first of seven neighborhoods to be unveiled on Oasis of the Seas.Additional features of Central Park:

Three retail outlets including:
Parkside Gallery - art gallery
Picture This - portrait studio
Specialty Retail
Six restaurants/bars:
150 Central Park
Chops Grille
Antonio’s Table
Central Park Café
Vintages
Canopy Bar

Oasis of the Seas will be the first ship to tout the cruise line’s new neighborhood concept of seven distinct themed areas, which includes Central Park, Boardwalk, and the Royal Promenade. The ship will sail from her home port of Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

P.S. The official web page for this new ship is www.oasisoftheseas.com. I’ve extracted highlights for this blog, You can go there for more details, and I’ll try to let you know as other neighborhoods get announced. As of now, my contacts at RCCL tell me that bookings may open as early as September, and that inaugural cruises may start in late October (Check our Cruise Finder). Above all, be flexible. Remember that inaugural sailings are also Beta tests to see if new features and personnel can handle the crowds, Except for the bragging rights, waiting a little while makes sense, It can also save dollars!

A Vermonter that I know says that "It's the second mouse that gets the cheese"!

Hand Jive (Non verbal communications)

When we lived in Germany in the eighties, we quickly realized that hand gestures did not mean the same thing as they do at home. In a logical teutonic way, the auto club (ADAC) had an article in its monthly magazine that helped visitors and guest workers like myself determine just how strong their road rage was. They published a series of hand signs in order of the amount of fine levied if you are charged by the police. It was kind of funny in a roadside dispute to bring up that article in your mind and decide just how PO'd you were. Am I DM50 angry or should I go for DM100?

Have you ever noticed that airline stewards seem to have their fingers sewed together when they point out the emergency exits? Well' there's a reason. Almost any finger combination will be a serious insult in some society. Pointing with your index finger is not polite in Europe, is only for inanimate objects in Africa, and is a gross insult in most other countries.

The first awareness came from the ADAC book. I had noticed that people in our factory looked startled when I flashed our (circle + three finger) OK sign. According to the ADAC, I was either calling them assholes or homosexuals.

Good-by can be very difficult. We wave our entire forearm, while Europeans wave the hand from the wrist only. Often, they think our frantic waving means "Stop, comeback!". In Greece, you always seem to be called back just when you are leaving the driveway. It seems that their good bye wave is accomplished by extending their hand palm-up, and curling and uncurling all 4 fingers. We could only see it as "Gimme" or "Come back".

Counting can be an issue too. What we call "the Bird" means the number one in Indonesia. To compound the confusion, Europeans start a count with their thumb, so that when you signal a clerk for one, you are actually asking for two.

Even the V for Victory sign can get you in trouble. With your palm facing away from you, you're saying "Great". But, when your palm faces your face, you're saying "Up Yours".

As usual, Texans can get in more trouble than the rest of us. When they use the "Hook-em Horns" sign, a Brasilian hears "good luck". At a heavy metal concert, they're saying "Rock on". But in Africa you're saying "Up yours". Argentinians, Italians, and Romanians will think that they're saying that "your wife has a lover".

My caveat to you is to go to http://www.cntraveler.com/ and find their Etiquete 101 Article before going overseas. You won't be known as "the Ugly American", and you'll probably pay less and have better service.

Cruise Spas

While Patti often spends some time in spas when we cruise, I do not. I have to do research to know which lines to make recommendations for spa enthusiasts.

I noticed that Conde Nast Traveler showed cruise line spas to be equivalent to land based spa/resorts. Then I looked at cruise line comparisons, and found Cunard's Canyon Ranch (90.4) to be alone at the top of the list. SilverSeas, Regent, and Disney were close behind. Oceania, and Seaborn got the lowest luxury cruise line scores, mainly due to their small ship workout facilities. While not rated in this survey, the Thai spa crew of 8 seemed to give our less than 100 passengers sweet dreams on our recent transatlatic Seadream crossing reviewed below.

Among the contemporary cruise lines, Celebrity placed first, followed closely by Holland America. At the bottom of the list were Royal Caribbean and Princess cruise lines. While Carnival and Norwegian were not included in this rating, I'd expect them to fit right in with others in this class based on my tours of their ships.

The value of the spas seems to track well with the per-diem cost of the cruises, with the slight exceptions mentioned. But remember, like the cruise experience, for most of us the spas start at a grade of A, and the competition is concentrated on who will be an A+ valedictorian.

The Massages, herbs, steam rooms, thallasotherapy pools, whirlpools, aromatherapy, etc. are wating for you. Get out there, and get happy too!