Alrighty.. let me try my best since I just got off of the Oasis on Saturday. I have been on 9 cruises so far.. and usually do Halloween or Christmas. I took this Easter one so I could experience the Oasis. First off.. for those that have NOT cruised before, the Oasis is huge. It is simple to get around though, easier than the smaller ships! It never seems crowded.. there is so much for everyone to do. It runs much much differently though. My last cruise in October had 26 children (ages newborn-18) This cruise had 1925 .... and yes that is NOT a typo. I worked 14 hours, 2 hours a day. Most were 2 hour sessions from 4:30-6:30pm. There were two special days though - pirate and circus days, which I was sent to Adventure Ocean to paint for 1 hour, 10:30-11:30, and then scheduled from 11:30-12:30 on the Boardwalk. This was utterly impossible. If I had known then what I know now I would have talked my contact into another avenue. When I went to Adventure Ocean for the 5-8 yr olds there were over 50 of them. They were all supposed to be painted as pirates. NOT POSSIBLE. Unfortunately to get through them all.. a quick swipe for a scar and an eye patch was all I could do. (Plus my husband was trained quickly how to do eye patches.) With the two of us doing childlike quick stuff, we barely got through them all in the hour. Now, I was supposed to be at the Boardwalk station ... it's unfortunately at the other end of the ship and down 8 decks.
This happened for both of the Adventure Ocean days. This was the first cruise that I have done that they had me work while we were in port. Because of this, I was unable to do some excursions. Don't book your excursions before meeting with your director the first day at 5pm. Keep in mind, this ship they do not "babysit" you like the others. They have enough to do. You are to find your own table/chairs/spot. No one ever checked on me. I called one day for a table, they said they would get it, but never did. They want you on the Boardwalk to paint - near the Merry-go-round. My best tip is go right next to the Zoltar fortune teller machine and use the ice cream shop table and chairs. I started painting on the other side one day, and they turn the lights off at a certain time and I was stuck in the dark, with a line I couldn't move. The Boardwalk is busy.. every day I had to end a line. I also had many many unhappy people I couldnt get to unfortunately. STAND your ground though, if one sees you give in you are stuck. TIPS - well the best news is, I got a lot! This time, unlike others I did not put out a tip jar, instead I wore the white "tips appreciated" button I sell on my site, then I just had a glass cup from my room on my table "seeded w dollars".. tips were coming in nicely. This area is very very busy, because of the Merry go round and because the aqua theatre is only accessible this way. At the end of the show, be prepared to be bombarded. YOU REALLY need your guest with you to end lines and stand there for you. Every time I tried to end the line myself, it never worked. I loved the cruise, on this ship however, you never feel like you are sailing. From the Boardwalk you dont even see the water, or feel the ship move. I felt more like I was working an amusement park. On most cruises I get to know the crew very very well. This ship was not like that. The crew did not mingle as much nor were they ever where I went. If its your first cruise be sure to bring a highlighter to mark what you want to do daily. Dont miss The Quest game. For experienced cruisers however, been on one, its a been there done that type of thing, for almost all the day time activities. TIP for Oasis people.. the day you get on, be sure to BOOK your shows. (unlike other ships you have to make reservations for the shows.) They fill up immediately. I had to mostly do all 10:30pm shows. Do not miss the Aqua show or Hairspray or the Headliner. (We has the Osmond Brothers). If you are scheduled for 1st dinner seating go and have it changed 1st thing when you get on the ship to second seating at 8:30. (They have you work til 6:30 some nights, so you wont make dinner otherwise). Some shows are not over until after midnight, so afternoon naps are a must. Get to the ship early on departure day.. and know enough NOT to stand in the "regular" line. You go the the special line for enrichment crew, I believe they called it Pier Coordinator. It goes faster. If you make the mistake and stand in the regular line, they just make you change. I was on the ship within 15 minutes of getting to the port. All in all, the Oasis is an experience. By far the best ship I have been on, they worked out all the kinks the other ships have. (They even put a foot rest in the showers so we can shave now!! - YES!!!) I definately enjoyed working the Halloween cruise better though, because adults wanted to be painted. I only did children on this cruise. Learn a few spanish words.. for the things you paint (they appreciate it, even if you dont speak fluently) tigre - tiger gato - cat Mariposa - butterfly flores - flowers More people on this ship did not speak any English at all than on previous ships. Remember you can take 2 bottles of alcohol off per person, without paying anything in customs. If you are going to buy a soda package, do it the first day you are on. You will get sick of their ice tea and lemonade, to me its worth the $6 per day. If you want to be served for breakfast Johnny Rockets on the Boardwalk has free breakfasts, which are great, they do expect tips though. I found this the best part of the morning, because it was relaxing outside. Natanya is the head waitress out there, you'll know her because she will call you her "Baby" and know you throughout the cruise by name. If you want to do the zipline, make an appointment for it the first day, but.. a little known secret is, if you go up and ask when they arent busy, and dont let others know what you are doing, they will usually let you on. They do book up entirely though so make appts just in case. Getting off the ship was very different than on others, they bring your luggage down and put it in rows, it does not go on a belt. I learned a long time ago to use express walkoff and take all of my own luggage off with me. I hope this helps the 2 of you scheduled to go next.. and any others that have questions. If you have other questions.. please feel free to email me. I do have some pics that I will try to post to my facebook page too, if you want to see where to set up. Have fun.. :) Kim www.chitchattheclown.com Face Paint & Glitter Tattoo Distributor. East Coast Face Painting Convention Jan. 12-17, 2011, Manchester CT. --- On Mon, 4/12/10, Cynthia Keeler <[email protected]> wrote: From: Cynthia Keeler <[email protected]> Subject: [fpba-assn] : FP Cruise Questions To: "CATINHAT99" <[email protected]>, "Face Painting and Body Art Association" <[email protected]> Date: Monday, April 12, 2010, 12:23 PM My cruise is May 1st-8th on the OASIS, I promise I will share my experience and photos when I return. Which ports will you visit? Don't Worry, Be Happy ;o) Cynthia Keeler Conus Keeler Productions, Inc [email protected] 407-628-9998 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Face Painting and Body Art Association." This is a PG-13 forum dedicated to the discussion of Face Painting and Body Art. This group is provided for the benefit of all and as such is not moderated. Our goal is to promote open and unrestricted communication between people interested in face painting and body art. We hope that you will be courteous to others and try to stay on topic. You are free to offer products or services related to face painting as well. Please address concerns with the original poster before contacting the management. 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