Hairspray, FlowRider fun and the next challenge for Royal Caribbean – Sara Macefield, onboard Oasis of the Seas, continues her diary for TTG

Thursday, November 26
Last night I saw the best show I have ever seen on a cruise ship.

I thought I’d pop along to the Opal Theatre on Oasis of the Seas to see the first showing of the new production that Royal Caribbean has been shouting about – Hairspray.

I felt I could take it or leave it. The show had never appealed to me in the West End, but I was curious, So in true journalist style, I chose an aisle seat in one of the back rows, so I could sneak out after 20 minutes or so.

I never made it! In fact I was part of the standing ovation at the very end when the cheers rang to the rooftops in appreciation of a truly wonderful show.

The singing, the dancing and the overall standard of this production made it a joy to watch and an experience I would happily repeat.

The same could be said for tonight’s show at the AquaTheater which was full of awe and spectacle – as well as some rather impressive male physiques!

When it comes to entertainment on Oasis of the Seas, I really don’t think anyone else can touch it, currently.

The scale and range of the shows and activities put the ship in a class of its own.

With the sun out today, everyone flocked outside to catch some rays by the pools or down at the Boardwalk where the carousel spun laughing riders around.

Nearby, families were trying their luck at traditional fairground games with hoops and soggy sponges to throw.

The whole area had a great buzz and everywhere you looked something was going on, whether it was a daring passenger whizzing across the decks on a zip-wire or scaling the climbing walls.

Phil Nuttall of The Cruise Village provided a few laughs when he had a go on the FlowRider surf simulator. If you want a giggle, take a look at his effort below.


Royal Caribbean cannot afford to fail.


Wednesday, November 25
Well, it seems the influx of Brits who flew in yesterday brought the good old British weather with them.

All 4,300 passengers onboard Oasis of the Seas awoke to dark grey skies and pouring rain this morning, which put rather a damper on things.

For those who over-indulged in the ship’s 40 or bars and restaurants last night (and there were many as all the bars were free) the gloomy skies simply added to the heavy heads.

In fact trying to spot any agents this morning was like trying to spot a needle in a proverbial haystack as many passengers failed to emerge for some considerable time!

Tours planned for a rather soggy Central Park and an AquaTheatre that had rather too much aqua around it had to be hastily re-scheduled inside.

And the Royal Promenade became even more of a hub than usual with its bars and cafes teaming with people.
Unfortunately it proved that even Oasis of the Seas can’t escape the depressing curse of the rain clouds.

Royal Caribbean president Adam Goldstein told me today that he didn’t think the ship has enough people onboard on this sailing to breathe life into all its facilities. A walk through the Royal Promenade this morning might have changed his mind!

But the one place that seems to be the perfect retreat to escape from this hubbub is the wonderful Solarium, dotted with pools and tropical plants.

This adult-only haven has its own bistro, which makes a perfect lunch break away from the masses. A wider choice of food wouldn’t go amiss, but the relaxing surroundings more than make up for that.

Diary: Sara's first day onboard Oasis (25 Nov 2009)

FlowRider on Oasis from ttglive on Vimeo.

My few days onboard have given me a taste of Oasis of the Seas, and I’ve been truly wowed and impressed.

So would I cruise on this huge new ship? I’m not sure. I think I’d need to be convinced that Royal Caribbean International can truly cope with 6,000 people in its bars, restaurants and attractions.

If everything gets booked out – or there are huge queues everywhere – the novelty of being on such a huge ship will be short-lived.

This, I think, will be the key to Oasis’s success. It will be a challenge – but it’s one that