A look at the eateries the line plans for the ship, organized by neighborhood:

Central Park

-- 150 Central Park. The most exclusive dining venue on Oasis of the Seas will have "a trend upscale ambiance" and serve "leading-edge cuisine." Signature features will include a tasting menu with customized wine pairings. Open for dinner; $35 cover charge.

-- Giovanni’s Table. A casual Italian eatery with indoor and outdoor seating offering rustic dishes with a contemporary flair, including toasted herbal breads, pizzas, salads, pastas, Italian sandwiches, braised meat dishes and stews, all served family-style. Open for lunch and dinner; $10 lunch and $15 dinner cover charge.

-- Park Café. A casual, indoor/outdoor gourmet market with walk-up counters serving freshly prepared salads, made-to-order sandwiches, paninis, crepes and hearty soups. European pastries, sublime chocolates and decadent fudge will round out the offerings. Open for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner and late night treats.

-- Vintages. Royal Caribbean regulars will recognize this popular wine bar, also found on Voyager- and Freedom-class ships, but it is moving into a larger space on Oasis of the Seas. In addition to wine, it'll offer a selection of cheeses and a broad tapas menu. Open for lunch and dinner; á la carte pricing.

-- Chops Grille. Royal Caribbean’s popular signature steakhouse is back, serving premium cut, quality meats. Open for dinner; $25 cover charge.

Boardwalk

-- Seafood Shack. An indoor/outdoor casual family restaurant serving seafood. It'll offer an extensive beverage menu of non-alcoholic cocktails and over-sized desserts. Open for lunch and dinner; $7.95 lunch and $9.95 dinner cover charge.

-- Boardwalk Bar. The main bar in the Boardwalk will offer on-the-go snacks and a variety of pre-packaged sandwiches, fruit and salads. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

-- Donut Shop. A classically styled shop with casual snacks available all day. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

-- Ice Cream Parlor. An 1950s-style ice cream venue serving classic sundaes and a ice cream mixed with toppings to order on a frozen slab. Open throughout the day; á la carte pricing.

-- Johnny Rockets. The branded burger joint, found on a number of Royal Caribbean ships, is back with even longer hours (it'll offer a breakfast menu on Oasis, too). Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; $3.95 breakfast and $4.95 lunch and dinner cover charge.

The Royal Promenade

-- Mondo Cafe. A new addition to the Royal Promenade that features coffee, sandwiches and pastries native to countries such as Italy, Spain and Cuba. Open for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner and late night treats.

-- Sorrento’s Pizzeria. The New York style pizzeria will offer a more extensive menu with made-to-order pizza pies and slices, in addition to the ready-made selections introduced with the Freedom-class ships. Open for lunch, dinner and late night snacks.

-- Café Promenade. Located on the opposite end of the Royal Promenade from the Mondo Cafe, this coffee house willl continue serving Seattle’s Best Coffee, fruit shakes, pastries and sandwiches throughout the day and night. Open 24 hours; á la carte pricing.

The Pool and Sports Zone

-- Solarium Bistro. Located in the Solarium, the contemporary bistro will offer health-conscious dining for breakfast and lunch in a casual setting. In the evenings, Solarium Bistro will transform into a romantic and intimate dining setting for specialty healthy-fare dinner and dancing under the stars. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; dinner has a $20 cover charge.

-- The Wipe Out Café. A casual self-service buffet with pizza, hamburgers, sandwiches, fresh salads and the like aimed at young cruisers on-the-go. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center

-- The Vitality Café. Located at the entrance of the Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, the Vitality Café will feature healthy snacks, sandwiches, wraps and fruit, in addition to refreshing juices and smoothies from the Vitality spa menu for the calorie conscious guest. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Other options

-- Opus Dining Room. The ship's three-level main dining room, featuring decor that the line says will "revive the grandeur of the 1920s." Passengers will be able to choose between Royal Caribbean's newly introduced My Time Dining and My Family Time Dining, as well as the traditional main and late seating options will be offered. Passengers who sign up for My Time Dining will be able to go to dinner in the dining room whenever they wish during dining hours (they can make daily reservations for specific seating times or choose to walk in). My Family Time Dining accommodates parents and children by offering an expedited 40-minute dining service for young cruisers, ages 3-11. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

-- Windjammer Marketplace. The ship's casual buffet eatery will have multiple islands.

-- Izumi. A new Asian cuisine restaurant with a sushi bar and hot rock cooking, as well as other Asian fare in a more formal setting. Open for lunch and dinner; á la carte pricing.

quote:

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Originally posted by Arison:
There are alot of resturants no doubt. RCCL definitely wants people to spend their money. There are some resturants that are pointless (eg. Doughnut Shop, Seafood Shack, Mondo Cafe, The Vitality Cafe, Cafe Promenade) I also dont understand the room service fee. It seems that they want to sqeeze every dime out of you. Over and Out Arison

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Overall, I would imagine there are more free dining choices on OASIS then any other ship sailing today.

I have to wonder if NORWEGIAN EPIC will have as many free choices?

Carnival and some other lines seem more inclusive only because they have far fewer dining choices. They are not nearly as innovative as Royal Caribbean and NCL in this regard. This is fine for people that like a basic cruise experience with the main dining room and buffet as pretty much your only dining choices, but many people today expect more. They are also willing to pay extra for those choices. If they weren't , these fee-based dining experiences would not exist. Simple as that. It's market driven.

There seems to be some duplication though - for example, Park Café, Mondo Café and Café Promenade all sound rather similar.

The emphasis on "casual" options (even if they have fees attached) is interesting.

quote:

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Originally posted by dmwnc1:
This is a stupid question, but is the 'cover charge' a per person charge?

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Park Café
Vintages
Donut Shop
Johnny Rockets
Mondo Cafe
Sorrento’s Pizzeria
Café Promenade
The Wipe Out Café.
The Vitality Café
Opus Dining Room.
Windjammer Marketplace.
In-Cabin dining.

quote:

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Originally posted by Frosty 4:
Some others are al carte meaning pay for what selections you take.
F$4

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Apologies, I was using a little artistic license. I've had freebie Appetizers in both Vintages & The Champagne bar on freedom class ships and you don't need that many cruise credits to get free vouchers for Johnny Rockets. I'm sure there'll also be a free ice-cream option on Oasis as well.

The problem with this is perception. If the cover charge dining options were less or not there at all then the free dining options would look fantastic. Which they are. Why people perceive it differently, I have no idea. I think they're either looking for an excuse in their own mind not to go on the ship or they have their own Agenda regarding Oasis and RCL.

[ 06-26-2009: Message edited by: TC@Sea ]

Sure it cost us $300 or so to do so, but dinner each evening was so much more interesting... new menu, new setting, new experience.

I never once felt gouged. The food was quite good and dinner became part of our evening's entertainment.