My husband, Luke, and I have been cruising together on Royal Caribbean for nearly 10 years. Budget-friendly spring break cruises in college eventually turned into far-flung getaways to Asia, Alaska, Iceland, and Norway.
When choosing a vacation, we prefer booking a cruise with a unique itinerary. In fact, we often book our cruises without caring about the ship at all. We want to use our vacation time and money to visit new countries or destinations, and cruising allows us to see more while stretching our vacation budget further.
However, we recently sailed with my family on a 4-night cruise aboard Utopia of the Seas. My husband had never sailed on an Oasis class ship before. Although he has sailed on nine different Royal Caribbean ships, he had yet to set foot on some of the world’s biggest ships.
This wasn’t my first time onboard an Oasis class ship, so I warned him the crowds could feel significant compared to our other cruises. While the dining and modern amenities were a highlight for Luke, he hated the crowds. The cruise was great, but it wasn’t perfect - here’s why.
First impressions are important, and the crowding on embarkation day was an immediate turnoff
After boarding in Port Canaveral, we made our way onto the promenade and eventually to the Windjammer for lunch. Luke saw me frantically running around trying to get dining and entertainment reservations, which was something he hadn’t experienced before.
With so many people onboard an Oasis class ship, reservations are crucial. We weren’t able to reserve any entertainment beforehand, and we wanted to ensure our BOGO Diamond Plus benefit was applied to specialty dining. Because of this, our first few hours were chaotic, to say the least.
After working up an appetite, we ventured to the next crowded space onboard: the Windjammer buffet. We were told lobster would be served for lunch, and Luke is a big seafood lover. The lobster tails were a highlight, but the crowds were frustrating, so we avoided the Windjammer for the rest of the cruise.
By skipping the buffet, we splurged on specialty dining, which was a major highlight for Luke
When Luke and I first started cruising together, we were cheap college students or newlyweds and only dined at complimentary restaurants. Now, we value the option to upgrade our dining with specialty restaurants.
Luke was especially impressed with all of the dining options onboard, including unique specialty restaurants. With only four days onboard Utopia of the Seas, we were able to try three different specialty restaurants: Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, and Mason Jar.
Compared to smaller ships, Luke was blown away by all of the dining options. He didn’t even have time to try one of his favorites: Izumi Sushi. On the other hand, our meal at Mason Jar was slightly disappointing, and we wished we had tried another restaurant. Even still, having so many dining choices—both complimentary and specialty—was a huge perk of sailing on an Oasis class ship.
However, Luke still found the main dining room to be slightly disappointing. This is a common feeling we’ve had with cruising in general, but Luke was hopeful Royal Caribbean’s newest ship might be different. At this point, we pretty much expect to book specialty dining for the type of dining experience we want.
Along with dining, another highlight of sailing on an Oasis class ship was the high-quality entertainment
Luke enjoys cruise ship entertainment, but it’s not usually a highlight for him. While he enjoys the comedians and headliner shows, the entertainment isn’t one of his top reasons to cruise.
However, the entertainment on Utopia of the Seas was unlike anything Luke had seen before. In particular, he loved the Aqua80Too diving show at the AquaTheatre. The high-diving spectacle was mesmerizing, and Luke thought all of the performers and athletes were wildly talented.
In addition, he thoroughly enjoyed the ice skating performance, Youtopia. Although Luke had enjoyed other ice skating shows on Voyager class ships, he thought this performance was the best yet. We also enjoyed the late-night comedian on the final night - one of our favorite shows to attend together.
Beyond dining and entertainment, Luke also appreciated the modern amenities throughout the ship
After sailing on many older vessels together, Luke was impressed by the thoughtful design onboard Utopia of the Seas. For instance, he loved the unobstructed jogging track for uninterrupted runs. I also enjoyed walking here with my parents, taking in the ocean views.
In addition, our stateroom was well-designed with modern amenities and improved connectivity. Luke said the USB port and outlet on the nightstand was a “lifesaver” with all of our devices that need to be charged.
Our cabin's bathroom was another thoughtful design that Luke appreciated, including the large walk-in shower. Considering he is 6'4 tall, the larger shower was a huge upgrade!
Luke still prefers smaller ships for a more personal experience and better itineraries
While Utopia of the Seas had many modern amenities, Luke said he would rather cruise on smaller ships in the future.
Our recent cruises have been on smaller ships with longer itineraries, like our 12-night voyage to Iceland on Jewel of the Seas. With fewer passengers, we found it easier to recognize familiar faces and build a sense of community onboard, which we always enjoy.
However, Luke felt the Oasis class ships were less intimate than other ships. Although the service was excellent, Luke missed having a more personal connection with fellow passengers and crew members.
Perhaps a longer voyage could alleviate some of this, but most Oasis class ships only sail 7-night itineraries, with shorter itineraries in the near future. Because of their size, Oasis-class ships have a more limited port selection, which is another drawback for destination-focused travelers.
Ultimately, while Oasis-class ships offer fantastic dining and entertainment, they don’t provide the intimate atmosphere and diverse itineraries we prefer. For quick, fun-filled getaways, they’re a great option. But for longer, more immersive trips, we’ll stick to smaller ships or sail with Celebrity Cruises to explore more unique destinations.
