Have you heard about the new Oasis of the Seas and wondered what it’s like?  Well, four of our agents got the privilege of going on one of the inaugural sailings, so we have firsthand experience!  Meet Rosemary Montooth, Branch Manager and Travel Agent at our Norman location, who is one of those lucky four and read her impressions of this new ship.  Rosemary, like most of our agents, has also been all over the globe, and she loves to share her impressions.  So put her experience (or that of any of our agents) to work for you!

Tell us about your background as a Travel Agent.  I started in travel 18 years ago in San Diego at an agency that had an office on the campus of San Diego State University.  I later moved to one of their other offices and stayed there for 5 more years.  After my husband’s death, I decided I needed a change, so I packed up my car and moved to Oklahoma City.  I got a job in Yukon for 2 months and when I saw an ad for AAA travel, I applied.  I was at the 39th Street office for 8 years and then I moved to the Norman office, where I am now.

You book a lot of travel for groups.  What are some of the advantages of traveling with a group?  I got interested in doing groups after my husband’s death because I still wanted to travel but didn’t always feel safe in doing it alone.  The biggest advantage of traveling in a group is that often the price is better and you get a lot of added amenities, such as shipboard credit, dinner in the specialty restaurants, wine, etc.  As a single traveler you also have other people with whom you can travel, and if something should come up where you need help, there is someone there to help you.

You recently sailed on the brand new Oasis of the Seas.  Tell us about that.  The Oasis of the Seas is amazing.  There are so many new features on this ship such as all the different  neighborhoods.  There is the Boardwalk which is the amusement area.  The merry go round is there as well as games for the children to play.  The AquaTheater is also there, and the rock climbing walls, Johnny Rockets, the donut shop, ice cream store and the Seafood Shack are there as well.  Next you have the Central Park area which has a lot of restaurants and is a quiet area where you can read or just relax.  At night it is lit up just like a park would be.  The Royal Promenade is huge.  That is where most of the shops are located as well as the cupcake store, pubs, pizza place, sports bar, and other restaurants.  There are a total of 27 different places to eat.  One of the best features is the interactive boards that are at all the elevators.  You can find out anything you want to know at these boards. It tells you directions to every place on the ship, how full the restaurants are at that time, what is going on at that time, as well as what will be going on later that day.  As big as that ship was, I never got lost and the ship was not difficult to get around on.

What is your most favorite trip and why?  My most favorite trips are usually cruises because that is what I enjoy doing the most.  I have been very fortunate to be able to see at lot of the world on cruises.  My favorite land trip was to Ireland 4 years ago.  I took a group of 28 people for 14 days  We did Brendon Tours Sight and Sounds of Ireland.  We saw the Cliffs of Moher, Giants Causeway in Northern Ireland, Belfast, The Book of Kells, Waterford and the Ring of Kerry.  We went to Rathbaun Farms where I got to feed a baby lamb.  On our last night we went to a Medieval Castle Banquet where I got to choose a Lord and Lady of the Manor and we were all guests of honor.  It was fun and everyone enjoyed being treated like royalty.  

What hints and tips do you share with your travel clients?   I always tell my clients to pack light, bring a washcloth with you if you are going to Europe, and just have a good time.  A lot of people get stressed traveling when it should be a fun time.  I always just go with the flow and try not to let things bother me if something doesn’t go the way I want it to.