Oasis of the Seas - Day 9 - Disembarkation Day

The time has come to say goodbye to our newest friend, the Oasis of the Seas. Disembarkation Day has arrived. One of the perks for Star Class on this day is to have the genie escort you past the lines and through to customs. Since we booked the disembarkation tour of visiting Kennedy Space Center to kill time before an evening flight, Smitha wasn't allowed to escort us through and then meet up with the tour. She even tried to persuade them on board but the tour guide wouldn't allow it.

The one upside was that thanks to luggage valet, we weren't one of the masses rushing to Studio B for the meeting time all while dragging our large suitcases. We must have been cutting it close though because the crew member checking in people at the door remarked "Oh 8330 is finally here!" when we said our cabin number. We were given a number sticker to wear and I noticed that some said VIP and others didn't. Not sure why since there was only one Kennedy Space Center tour option. Our tickets had VIP in the excursion name so it wasn't just a Star Class thing. They seemed to put everyone on a disembarkation tour inside Studio B but it wasn't crowded as far as seating. They called our groups up separately shortly after we got there so the ones going on the Everglades tour got in one line and we got in the other.

We followed the group back through the ship with and followed the crowd working to disembark. Our guides kept directing everyone to stay in this super long slow moving line which we later found out was for those who needed the elevator to go downstairs to customs with their luggage. We tried asking a port employee about being able to go in another line but she kept insisting we stay put too. Dad overhears her telling someone else that they can also use the escalator if they're willing and we hopped in with their group. No point in waiting in a line moving as slow as molasses because they were waiting for an elevator for every few people. Once downstairs leaving 2/3rds of that line behind us, we walked right past luggage pickup and started weaving through the ropes set up for the lines at customs. 2/3rds of the way through a nearly empty set of ropes, Dad spotted the cut off and sign that was marked for suites and pinnacle customs line. Within a minute or two, we were through customs and headed outside where everyone was being directed to either airport transfers, taxis, or shore excursion buses. Having long since left our tour group behind, the employee who first greeted us outside noticed our stickers right away and directed us to our shore excursion bus. We were the first ones to arrive, handed over our excursion tickets to the actual tour guide, and hopped on board the air conditioned bus to sit and wait. Took about 30-40 minutes for everyone else on this excursion to make it through customs, get their luggage loaded, and onto our bus.

Quick ride once we got going and we were able to leave whatever we wanted on this bus with the promise it would be locked and secure. I had heard that the facility wouldn't allow you to carry bags inside but several of our group carried everything from large purses to backpacks. Our first stop was at the Atlantis building. Our guide went and got everyone a ticket saving us from standing in any line except to scan said ticket and go through the same kind of security you'd see at any theme park entrance. There was some displays of rockets outside so once everyone was through security, our guide pointed out each one.

Next we moved inside to see the museum displays and our guide gave us the option of taking 30 minutes to ride the simulator or use the entire 45-50 minutes to explore the displays on our own. Many of our group went right for the simulator. I browsed the exhibits briefly before finding a bench to rest. I knew my joints would disown me if I tried out such a jerky simulator experience since they were already protesting from walking the ship.

If you wanted to channel your inner child, you could weave through the section at the top to feel the twists and turns the shuttle goes through and then head down the slide to reach the bottom level. Or just walk down the ramp next to it.

I noticed after a while of trying to sit and wait in the same area as the simulator, that several tour members were veering off into the gift shop. Finally with only 15 minutes left until we were to meet up, I ventured that way and found a cute shirt. As I checked out, the store employee noticed my tour sticker and said the VIP meant I saved 10% off my purchase. In the end it was more like 100% off my purchase because as soon as Dad saw what I picked out, he spent the rest of the time trying to convince me to get a hot pink version so he could swipe the one I'd bought. In the end, I found an acceptable alternative in the airport's KSC gift shop outlet and let him have this shirt. Happy Father's Day, birthday, and Christmas Dad!

Picture from the KSC's online shop

Once everyone was back outside at the meeting spot, we boarded a different bus with a driver who gave us a guided tour from inside the bus of the more secure areas until we reached the Mercury building. She pointed out how the grounds are also a wildlife sanctuary and even had to brake quickly for an animal in the road in front of us. Several tour members and our driver spotted alligators lying in the marshy areas lining the side of the road. Who knew we'd get the Everglades tour and visit the Kennedy Space Center in one stop? She dropped us off at a theater where we met up with other tour groups from the area. As we all stood outside waiting for the doors to open, it was funny to hear the other tour guides explain our presence as being from "that big cruise ship Oasis of the Seas" and hearing everyone gasp. We were first ushered into a large open room where most of us stood or sat on the floor to watch a brief movie about the history of the space program. Then we were led into a room with benches where they house the real equipment used at the Houston space center set up like it was there at the time of the moon landing. They ran a simulation via lights and sounds on the equipment and video of news reel footage on screens so it was like you were watching the moon landing in real time.

After the presentation, our guide walked us through the Gemini building that had several rockets separated out into parts and on display. She gave us a meeting point and time and we had the option of more gift shops and/or lunch in the Moon Rock café.

It was interesting to learn that each mission patch was designed by the astronauts themselves. The only two to not to feature the names of the astronauts are Apollo 11 and Apollo 13.

We voted for a bathroom break and lunch. The lines were long at both. To be quicker, we skipped the line for ordering at the prepared food counter and picked out a couple boxes of hot personal pan pizzas and sodas from fountain dispensers.

Dad was in the mood for a sugar pick me up so we also grabbed a Milky Way bar. Hey when in the Kennedy Space Center, you best not be buying Snickers!

Back to the Atlantis building where we started but this time our main guide showed us around the displays showcasing the future of space travel and what companies are working on now.

A short ride back to the parking lot where our guide left us. Before she left, she gave out a warning for us to wait until the bus driver had parked and gotten the entire bus full of luggage out before getting off the bus so as not to have us standing in the busy road while we tried to grab our luggage. Dad asked if we could still get off without waiting since we didn't have luggage so the guide made a point of saying "everyone stay on the bus except for the driver and these two." As we all gave her a round of applause, she made her exit and I heard a couple people muttering toward the back of the bus about how could we possibly not have luggage insinuating that we were trying to get away with something? I'd have been happy to explain if anyone had outright asked instead of mocking under their breath.

Most everyone was subdued and I know I was nodding off a couple times as we drove in silence to the airport. We got there around 3PM and thanks to already being checked in, we proceeded directly into the security line. The TSA agents were outright chanting their usual instructions to keep the line moving along. When one agent repeated his chant right by us, Dad started saying it in unison with the guy and then thanked him for his message. The agent laughed and opened the ropes to let us into a new line. As we moved to the new line I heard a guy behind us decry "Well hell maybe I should be nice to the TSA guy too!" With plenty of time to kill we browsed a couple shops and got a snack before finding our gate.

Our flight from MCO to Charlotte went well but our connection to BWI hit a snag. We'd all boarded the plane and taken our seats only for the pilot to announce that we had a mechanical issue and everyone needed to get off so they could lift up the plane to fix it. We stood there all crammed into a gate waiting area that was already full with people waiting on the next flight for the next hour. While we stood there, we watched members of the maintenance crew come out from the crew door next to the gate and walk away. A short while later, they came back with ice cream and went back in the same door. Dad commented that it was our maintenance crew taking an ice cream break as we waited and the guys from the crew just laughed and waved. We spent the rest of the wait listening to a guy who was either our pilot or a pilot traveling with us (wearing the uniform) tell horror stories about his past flights and how he wasn't looking forward to the next flight he'd be making after we got off at BWI. Made us all the more relieved to finally make it home safely 1-2 hours after we expected to around 9PM.

An ending note to urge everyone to fill out their post cruise surveys that come to your registered email accounts. They do have a time limit to be filled out so look for them right away when you get home and your memories are still fresh. Especially if you're anything like me and had over 1,000 emails waiting for you in your inbox that an important one like the survey could get lost in. I filled mine out being sure to cite the good and the bad experiences. I was very impressed when the next day I got a call from Royal Caribbean asking to talk more about my survey answers. I retold the story of our bad evening in 150 Central Park and the rep insisted on sending a report up the chain because as she put it "it sounds like that host shouldn't be working in that position or needs more training." I also told her about our diminished service level from Mickey on Labadee and she (unsolicited) offered to refund half the cost of the cabana because of it. I thanked her for the generous offer and we had a credit show up on our credit card a few days later.

Thank you all for reading my saga and sticking with me to finish my retelling almost a month after returning home from this sailing. In subsequent posts, I'll be sharing the menus and Compass daily schedules. If you have any specific questions I didn't address, please share them in the comments below and I'll be happy to answer them there.