I admit it. I was one of the many Oasis of the Seas' refusniks, wowed by the thought of the ship and all the things on it but convinced that Royal Caribbean International's new mega-ship would be just too big.
It took a couple of hours on the vessel, which weighs an incredible 225,000 tons and holds just over 6,000 passengers, for me to change my mind.
Specifically it was the moment I saw Central Park for the first time. I love the way it has been laid out with the real trees and shrubs, but the important thing is the way it is an "area", enclosed, it's own little bit of the ship.
Then at the aft, there is the Boardwalk, bigger than the Park - or does it just seem that way because it's not broken up with the greenery and opens out onto the sea? - and another "area" (what Royal Caribbean calls neighbourhoods).
It's a cliché, I know, but the design of Oasis means you rarely feel you are on a big ship. Even on the top deck, there are enough areas - the sports deck, the pools and aquapark - to break up the long view from front to back.
But what the eye doesn't see, the feet certainly feel. Mine had no doubt how big Oasis was after a day exploring, walking front to back a few times. Handy hint: Be sure to pack comfortable shoes for the daytime if you're planning to book a cruise on this ship.
Happily, I quickly discovered the Solarium Bistro at the front of Oasis, not far from my cabin. It's a self-service restaurant and has saved me the long trek to the Windjammer buffet at the back for breakfast and lunch. There's not such a big selection of food, but plenty nonetheless and it's wonderfully peaceful.
Windjammer is actually very well laid out with lots of food stations which should help to cut queues, and the food I had there one lunchtime was very tasty.
If that doesn't appeal, there's a Johnny Rockets' fast-food joint, just like the one on other Royal Caribbean ships, the Seafood Shack, which has always been busy but I've avoided as I don't eat either fish or seafood, a café on Central Park, a pizza parlour and lots of other places to eat and snack.
One thing I don't much like are the inside balcony cabins. They are an amazing idea and they look great from the outside, but how odd is it to go on a cruise and not have a view of the sea (and yes, I know it's the same for an ordinary inside cabin, and I think that's odd too)?
True, it does get very boring watching waves go by, but there's nothing to beat the excitement of being out on the balcony early morning as you sail into port or that Champagne moment, again on your own balcony, watching as a country fades into the distance as you head off in the evening for somewhere new.
Oasis is so smooth that I reckon passengers in those inside balcony cabins will never even know when they are at sea or docked. Maybe that's the idea? It's a cruise for people who don't do cruises. Oh hang on. Someone else has got there first with that slogan!
Personally I also don't like the idea of people in the cabins opposite mine being able to look across at me and I've noticed the ones overlooking the Boardwalk are very noisy. But although they don't appeal to me, others seem to love them as these cabins are commanding a premium over their sea-view equivalents. But then that's what this ship is about - something for everyone. Clearly it works.
One thing Royal has done very well on Oasis is the signposting. It might be a big ship, but it's very hard to get lost, especially as they have new touch-screen panels which not only show you where the venue you want is, but also also how to get there.
More and faster lifts - there are only fore and aft lifts, none mid-ships - would be nice, but speedy lifts have never been a Royal Caribbean strong point.
On their other ships, the queues at the lifts have been bad on port days and at disembarkation. On Oasis I imagine they could be horrendous as 6,000 people try to get off at once. Maybe that will be the cue for more cruisers to discover those things called stairs!
Jane Archer
