President's Message
What a WHIRLWIND tour we just experienced on the two-night inaugural sailing of Royal Caribbean's "Oasis of the Seas," along with 17 OSSN chapter directors from across the United States!

RCCL Delivers the WOW
By Melody Fee

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The ship consists of 17 "public" decks of the MOST amazing venues that you can imagine! Although we only had a mere 48 hours to discover all of the "wonders" of the "Oasis," we all made the most of every opportunity to enjoy every fabulous venue and amenity aboard this floating resort, including inspecting the amazing variety of staterooms and elegant suites aboard the ship. There are such great combinations of staterooms and suites aboard this ship that you will NOT have a challenge accommodating ALL of your clients' desires, including family suites that are really going to be so popular that you need to start booking them now!

From the Boardwalk with its amazing and authentic carousel and fun dining at the Seafood Shack and Johnnie Rockets, to the Central Park region which is elegantly landscaped and contains several specialty restaurants, as well as the Park Cafe and Vintages Wine Bar, and then to move on to the third unique area of Entertainment Central (the Promenade) which includes everything from Sorrento's Pizza to the lovely Champagne bar, in addition to the unique "Cupcake Cupboard," On Air Karaoke Bar, fun shopping, Mondo's coffee Bar, Bolero's Latin themed bar, and SO much more is just an amazing way to spend a few remarkable days at sea! Just a typical day on the Oasis! Did I mention that RCCL really knows how to deliver the WOW?

RCCL has taken the entertainment to a new level as well with their new Aquatheather at Sea! Although the Ice Show and Hairspray at Sea are also both new and exciting AND not to be missed, the "Oasis of Dreams" staged in the amazing AquaTheater will soon be presenting a program that you will not want to miss! Offering synchronized swimming routines, expert divers flying from SEVEN stories up and executing Olympic dives into this amazing "aquatic stage" and ending with colorful fountains that surpass those of Bellagio in Las Vegas, with lighting and music to highlight these exquisite water routines. This new form of entertainment is just what will make you want to sell this product to every client who ever wanted to cruise! Even for those of you with clients who only want total luxury, there are suites (overlooking the aquatheater) that are the perfect fit for them, too! Would it not be the BEST seat "in the house" from which to view this exquisite entertainment?

So, all I can say is that you MUST learn as much as you can about this ship and sell it! YOU will be delivering an unforgettable experience to your clients. As I sum up this short synopsis, below you will find a few of the comments from our OSSN directors who traveled with us on this spectacular 48-hour tour! Without a doubt, I would be glad to get STRANDED on this OASIS any week of the year!

Just a few special comments from other OSSN Directors onboard the Oasis include the following:

"My favorite part of the Oasis was Central Park. I just loved walking in the neighborhood looking at all the beautiful flowers, the trees, the shops, and the different places you could dine. The room categories just blew me away. My hats off to Royal Caribbean because they made it happen!" Darlene Allen, OSSN Alabama Director

"My favorite place on board was the Solarium, it had a sense of peace to it, but not so serene you could not enjoy yourself. It had ambiance, food, drink, and comfort." Phyllis Evenson, Jacksonville. FL Director

"My favorite venue is the entire ship! This is a complete resort at sea that needs no ports of call. With the Boardwalk, Flowrider, Zip Line, and many other "excursions" on board, I would never get off the ship. Thanks to OSSN and Royal Caribbean for this 'Incredible' experience!" Jeff Grieder, OSSN Midwest Regional Manager and Houston Chapter Director

"What an experience we all had on the OSSN Oasis of the Seas Pre-Inaugural last weekend! The ship was magnificent and the many entertainment areas were breathtaking. The best experience overall for me was the zip lining! I wanted to go again and again! Thank you for a wonderful experience, OSSN and Royal Caribbean!" Kelly Chiusano, OSSN Headquarters and TRUE Administration Office

"The quality of the entertainment was truly unbelievable ... from the sound systems, to the lighting and stage props, to the musicians. My favorite moment was watching the Russian artist move sand with her hands during the Hans Christian Anderson ice show. My mouth was open in amazement the entire time ... just like a little kid! WOW, Royal Caribbean!!! You certainly delivered the WOW for THIS little kid!" Bobbie Murphy, OSSN Northern Kentucky Director

"My favorite thing onboard was the floating bar. What a unique idea. It was truly a hit with everyone. RCCL has gone over the top and has created a ship that is a destination in itself. It could sit out in the middle of the sea for seven days, and you couldn't see everything that there is to see. What a wonderful opportunity this is for sellers of travel to promote! This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I am most thankful to have been a part of it with OSSN!" Patricia Bannister, OSSN Southeast Regional and Memphis Chapter Director

"The ice show 'Frozen In Time' was outstanding. My favorite part was the Sand Artist from Russia who performs within this show. I've never seen anything like it before! Royal Caribbean knows how to bring the WOW." Jennifer Brown, OSSN Chicago Chapter

"The thrill of becoming a child again on the Carousel ... the thrill of absolute freedom while flying across the ship on the zipline ... the thrill of high-dive cliffdivers diving into an itty bitty pool of water at the Aqua Theatre." Ed Rimassa, OSSN Daytona Beach Co-director

"The smoothness of the sailing! You could not sense the movement unless you were looking out at the water, itself! I really enjoyed the Promenade Cafe with its people-watching, yummy pastries AND Seattle Best coffee at virtually any time you wanted!!! And, of course, the Shows!!!! VERY PROFESSIONAL!!!" Myrtis Rimassa, OSSN Daytona Beach Co-Director

"Just loved all the "neighborhoods!" Enjoyed riding the Carousel and remembering my childhood days!" Hema Khan, OSSN NJ and Philadelphia director

"One of my favorite highlights was the FlowRider. I felt like a kid again and had a lot of fun from something I was absolutely terrified. It was a true Why Not? moment." Maria Ramirez-Gregg, Chicago Chapter Co-Director

Melody Fee serves as executive vice president of the Outside Sales Support Network. You may reach her at melodyfee@ossn.com.

(Credits: Melody Fee; OSSN)