Travel of America's Jim Petzel files another report on his recent trip to Florida to cruise aboard Royal Caribbean's brand new Oasis of the Seas.     

When I first stepped aboard Oasis, I made my way to the Windjammer Marketplace on Deck 16 to grab a quick lunch. Besides a wide variety of popular dishes – from soups, salads, entrees, and Asian dishes to burgers and fries and just-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies, cheesecakes, and pies, this signature Royal Caribbean venue also offers spectacular ocean views, along with my first glimpse of the Boardwalk and AquaTheater below plus the Sports Deck.

    Some guests were already trying out the Zip Line and watching them fly over the Boardwalk as I savored my spaghetti a la carbonara and a glass of chardonnay, I figured I was up for the challenge. Bring it on! I can handle this – after all, I am now a citizen of Royal Caribbean’s nation of “Why Not!”

    So I immediately headed off to take flight. But before I could make my maiden flight, there were a couple of things I had to do. The first was to sign a waiver which would cover my use of both the Zip Line and Flowrider. This is something you can do online before you even leave home. I would suggest you do this because it saves time when you get to the ship.

    Next, I had to book an appointment. Currently, you cannot walk up to the Zip Line and ride. You can only go off at your appointed day and time. Again, I would suggest that you make your Zip Line reservations when you board the ship. Royal Caribbean is committed to making sure everyone who wants to ride is able to do so, however, because this is such a popular attraction, it makes sense to book right away and also to schedule your ride during the earlier part of the cruise when demand may be somewhat less.

    You should also know that the Zip Line cannot operate when it rains, it’s windy outside, or at night. And finally, you must wear dry pants (don’t go from FlowRider to Zip Line), shoes and socks (no flip flops), you cannot have anything in your pockets, and glasses or sunglasses are not permitted.

    So I returned to Deck 16 at my appointed time, once again pumped up and ready for my debut. This time I entered the staging area for the Zip Line where I was suited up in a full body harness and given a helmet. Three attendants checked and re-checked the harness, tightened all the straps and gave me the low-down on what was about to happen. (The process takes about ten minutes.) It was then that my bravado began to weaken - slightly.

    The staging area for the zip line is right along the edge of the deck overlooking the Boardwalk, which when I timidly glanced down, now appeared to be not nine decks but several miles below. The carousel looked so tiny, and the people maybe measured an inch tall. I began to harbor thoughts that maybe this was not such a good idea, what had I gotten myself into, and perhaps I should turn back…. But then I surmised that I couldn’t make a quick exit because I was already strapped into the harness and it would take another 10 minutes to get out of it.

    I kept making my way to the launch platform and tried not to look down, but by now my palms were starting to sweat. As I saw the grip bars which I was to hold on to moving into position, I thought, What if my hands slip? Would I be left to dangle above the Boardwalk for everyone in Windjammer to see?

    I didn’t have any more time to speculate my fate because it was my turn to launch. I was secured to the line and after some (repeated) coaching from the attendant, my body assumed a sitting position, the bar was raised, I lifted my legs, and I was off, racing 82 feet diagonally over the open air atrium of the Boardwalk.

    Honestly, I did not scream. I looked down just once but then looked back up right away because it all happened in less than a minute, and by now I was preparing for landing – getting my legs and feet into position to brake my flight.

    All too soon, the attendant at the other end of the line caught me and my solo flight was over. My knees were a little wobbly and my heart was pumping as I made my way back to the staging area to return the gear. But I also felt exhilarated and a tingling rush at having conquered the world’s first zip line at sea aboard Oasis. And so I proudly made my way to Flowrider to face my next challenge of the day. But that’s another story.