Oasis of the Seas - 9-Night Eastern Caribbean: San Juan & Puerto Plata
Oasis of the Seas stretches the no-fly New York getaway deep into the Eastern Caribbean on this 9-night Cape Liberty roundtrip, adding Old San Juan and Puerto Plata to the usual Port Canaveral and Perfect Day at CocoCay calls. Two closing sea days ease the run back up the Atlantic coast.
Price Range
$
Budget
*Prices vary by cabin type, sailing date, and availability. Confirm rates with Royal Caribbean before booking.
Ship Details — Oasis of the Seas
View full Oasis of the Seas details
Year Built
2009
Tonnage
226,838 GT
Passengers
6,780
Crew
2,165
Decks
18
Class
Oasis
Itinerary & Route Map
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Where this cruise calls, day by day
6 ports and 4 sea days over 9 Nights.
- Day 1
Cape Liberty, NJ
United StatesDepartCape Liberty is Royal Caribbean's New York-area homeport, built on the old Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne - a flat 430-acre peninsula sticking into the harbour with essentially nothing on it but the terminal. That is fine, because you are not staying: Newark Liberty is roughly 20 minutes away and Manhattan half an hour. The sailaway past the Statue of Liberty is the best in the country.
- The sailaway: the ship passes the Statue of Liberty close aboard on the way out
- Liberty State Park in Jersey City, ten minutes north, with ferries to Ellis Island
- Hoboken's Washington Street for dinner with the Manhattan skyline across the water
- Manhattan itself if you build in a full day - the PATH from Journal Square gets you in
- Getting ashore
- A single terminal building at Piers 11 and 12, 14 Port Terminal Boulevard in Bayonne, with parking alongside; Newark Liberty is about 20 minutes, Manhattan 30-45, and the nearest light rail station roughly two miles away.
- Best months
- Apr-Nov (a few winter Caribbean sailings run, but the harbour in January is bleak)
Day 2 · At sea
- Day 3
Port Canaveral, FL
United StatesPortCanaveral is Orlando's cruise port, which is the whole point: most passengers arrive off a theme-park week or straight from MCO, about 45 miles and an hour west. The terminals - 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 - are modern and low-rise, wedged between a working cargo harbour and a Space Force launch complex. Launches are visible from the ship and worth checking the schedule for.
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, half an hour north - the Saturn V hangar alone eats three hours
- Cocoa Beach and the original Ron Jon Surf Shop, open around the clock
- Jetty Park, where you can watch your own ship sail out from the beach
- Historic Cocoa Village for a slower afternoon of shops and riverfront bars
- Getting ashore
- Cruise Terminals 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 10 are spread along the harbour with their own parking garages; Orlando International is roughly 45 miles west (45-60 minutes clear of traffic) and Melbourne is closer at about 35 minutes.
- Best months
- Nov-May (Aug-Oct is peak hurricane season; summer afternoons bring daily thunderstorms)
- Day 4
Perfect Day at CocoCay
BahamasPortRoyal Caribbean's island in the Berry Islands, open only to its own ships and Celebrity's. Beaches, the freshwater Oasis Lagoon, the Splashaway Bay kids' area and lunch at the buffet grills come with your fare. Almost everything with a name attached does not: Thrill Waterpark, Coco Beach Club, the zip line, the helium balloon and every cabana are separate purchases that sell out weeks ahead.
- Chill Island, the main swimming beach
- Oasis Lagoon, the freshwater pool with a swim-up bar
- Thrill Waterpark and Daredevil's Peak (extra cost)
- Coco Beach Club and its overwater cabanas (extra cost)
- Getting ashore
- Ships dock at the pier - no tendering - and the island is walkable, with a free tram running the main spine.
- Best months
- Nov-Apr for reliable sun and calm water; Aug-Oct calls are the most likely to be swapped for weather
Day 5 · At sea
- Day 6
San Juan
Puerto RicoPortThe piers sit directly under the walls of Old San Juan, which makes this one of the few Caribbean calls where you step off and are already somewhere worth being. Blue cobblestones, 16th-century Spanish fortifications, and a working city rather than a shopping arcade. It is also a major homeport, so a call often lands in the middle of turnaround traffic.
- Castillo San Felipe del Morro on the headland
- Castillo San Cristóbal and the city walls
- Casa Bacardí distillery, reached by the Cataño ferry
- El Yunque National Forest, about an hour east
- Getting ashore
- Most ships dock at Piers 1-4 in Old San Juan and you walk straight into the historic district; the largest ships use the Pan American piers on Isla Grande, a short shuttle or taxi ride out.
- Best months
- Dec-Apr is driest and busiest; Aug-Oct is peak hurricane season
- Day 7
Puerto Plata
Dominican RepublicPortTwo purpose-built cruise terminals serve the same north-coast town: Carnival's Amber Cove, a self-contained resort compound east of the city, and Taino Bay, which opened in 2021 much closer in. Both are designed to keep you inside them, and many passengers never leave. Puerto Plata itself — Fort San Felipe, the gingerbread houses around Parque Central — takes a taxi and some initiative.
- Mount Isabel de Torres cable car to the Christ statue and botanical gardens
- Fortaleza San Felipe on the waterfront
- 27 Charcos de Damajagua, a canyoning route of waterfall jumps
- Playa Dorada or the beach at Sosúa
- Getting ashore
- Both are docked berths but neither is in town — Amber Cove is roughly 20-25 minutes by taxi from Puerto Plata, Taino Bay about 10.
- Best months
- Dec-Apr; the north coast is wetter than the south year-round and Aug-Oct carries hurricane risk
Day 8 · At sea
Day 9 · At sea
- Day 10
Cape Liberty, NJ
United StatesArriveCape Liberty is Royal Caribbean's New York-area homeport, built on the old Military Ocean Terminal at Bayonne - a flat 430-acre peninsula sticking into the harbour with essentially nothing on it but the terminal. That is fine, because you are not staying: Newark Liberty is roughly 20 minutes away and Manhattan half an hour. The sailaway past the Statue of Liberty is the best in the country.
- The sailaway: the ship passes the Statue of Liberty close aboard on the way out
- Liberty State Park in Jersey City, ten minutes north, with ferries to Ellis Island
- Hoboken's Washington Street for dinner with the Manhattan skyline across the water
- Manhattan itself if you build in a full day - the PATH from Journal Square gets you in
- Getting ashore
- A single terminal building at Piers 11 and 12, 14 Port Terminal Boulevard in Bayonne, with parking alongside; Newark Liberty is about 20 minutes, Manhattan 30-45, and the nearest light rail station roughly two miles away.
- Best months
- Apr-Nov (a few winter Caribbean sailings run, but the harbour in January is bleak)
Onboard Amenities
Cruise Highlights
About the Ship
What Travelers Say About Oasis of the Seas
Reviews of the ship itself — the same for every Oasis of the Seas sailing. Based on 9,000 discussions.
Oasis of the Seas is the ship that started it all - the original and oldest of Royal Caribbean's Oasis class, debuting in 2009 and pioneering the now-signature 'neighborhood' concept of Central Park, the Boardwalk, and the Royal Promenade. The vibe is big, busy, and family-forward: this is a floating resort built around doing things, from the FlowRider and zip line to the AquaTheater high-diving show and the hand-carved Boardwalk carousel. A major 2019 'Royal Amplification' kept it competitive, adding the 10-story Ultimate Abyss dry slide, The Perfect Storm waterslides, a Caribbean-themed pool deck with The Lime and Coconut, an Apollo-themed escape room, and several new dining venues.
What People Love
- Best value of the four Oasis-class ships - cabin pricing sits within roughly $12/night of its newer sisters, so you get nearly the same 7-neighborhood layout for less when sailing from comparable ports
- 2019 'Royal Amplification' added the 10-story Ultimate Abyss (then the tallest slide at sea), The Perfect Storm racing waterslides, and a reimagined Caribbean-themed pool deck with The Lime and Coconut bar
- Standout entertainment lineup including the AquaTheater diving show, an ice-skating show, and acclaimed Broadway-style productions like 'Come Fly With Me' that reviewers rate among the best at sea
Common Complaints
- Oldest Oasis-class ship (debuted 2009) and it shows - reviewers consistently say it feels dated next to Harmony and Wonder despite the 2019 refit
- Staterooms were largely untouched in the amplification and look much as they did in 2009, with worn carpet/furnishings reported, limited drawer and shelf space, and a lack of USB ports
- Main dining room and Windjammer buffet food is frequently called mediocre - the best meals require paying extra at specialty venues