Just off the Mall of America, I mean Allure

Shortly after the launch of Oasis a reviewer commented that he thought the major fault for him was that there were virtually no places inside the ship to sit and see the ocean. This has been a constant issue with many cruisers myself included. Everything faces in. As I recall you couldn't even get a window table in one of the specialty dining restaurants with an ocean view. I thought for sure RCCL would make a few adjustments to the blueprints for subsequent builds for this class but apparently they haven't.

My number one gripe with Oasis-class, followed closely by secondary venues (non main-theater) just too small to accommodate planned activities. They do manage passenger flow very well and the ships are beautiful and technically interesting, but the lack of sea connection was a big turnoff. And now "commoners" can not access VCL for a large lounge with panoramic views. I too thought they'd make changes on the newest builds, especially on deck 4 lounges.

I don't know about that. All Oasis class ship sail full every week.

Full at double occupancy and "full full" are two very different numbers. I think the variance is 900 or 1000 people. I suspect with a spring break cruise they were much closer to the true full with 3rd and 4th berths filled and that can make an impact on how crowded a ship may feel.

We love the Oasis class ships. We have also cruised on Radiance, Voyager, and Freedom class ships and enjoyed all of our cruises. However, we have found there are more activities on the Oasis class and the quality of the shows is much better. We also enjoy specialty dining every night and there are more options for this. We wanted to do the southern Caribbean on our last cruise and sailed on the Adventure with our teen son. We felt like there was not a lot to do compared to Oasis class and learned that the big ships are definitely our preference.

Our worst experience on Oasis class was sailing during Spring Break. Ship at full occupancy and way too many kids (ours included). My guess is any ship at that time would be the same.

Now that our kids are older and we are retired, we enjoy the Oasis class at times when there are fewer kids and lower overall occupancy (have an October Allure and February Oasis cruise reserved).

I am fortunate to have a wife who is great at planning ahead and reserving all the shows / activities on board. And you learn to arrive early to things that don't have reservations (like karaoke) to be sure you get a seat.

We prefer the Freedom class....still large with lots to do but not as big as the Oasis class. We split our family between a promenade cabin and a balcony cabin across the hall. Best of both worlds!

We absolutely love oasis class ships. In fact after being on oasis last February I had to book allure for February 2018. We love Central Park and no other class has that. We never felt we were missing the ocean because most of the time we Re either up by the pool or on our balcony. Getting a grand suite also helped . :D

While it is "nice" to see the ocean go by, I found it almost trivial. With an oceanview balcony, I saw the ocean plenty. And if I wanted to sip a cocktail and see the ocean, I went to the solarium or one of the bars on the pool decks. All of which I loved. Also, the Sabor bar near the AquaTheater.

Seems the OP is just negative. Can't do much about that. I was on Carnival Glory and didn't feel much more connected to the ocean than Oasis. I thought the Oasis promenade was such a destination that we ended up not even thinking about seeing the water go by. Maybe it's just me, but watching the water go by gets old, fast. And it's not like Oasis is totally enclosed.

But then also consider Central Park and Boardwalk... where on other cruise lines if you want outside, it's pools, pools, and pools... and maybe a sun deck. On Oasis, you get several wonderful venues with fresh air, real plants, etc. We loved enjoying the classical music in Central Park in the evenings, breakfast at Johnny Rockets on the boardwalk in the mornings, sipping drinks in the solarium during the day...

It's not for everyone, I guess... but I can't relate to the dislike of Oasis class. I think it's a damn near perfect ship design, a total home run.

While it is "nice" to see the ocean go by, I found it almost trivial. With an oceanview balcony, I saw the ocean plenty. And if I wanted to sip a cocktail and see the ocean, I went to the solarium or one of the bars on the pool decks. All of which I loved. Also, the Sabor bar near the AquaTheater.

 

Seems the OP is just negative. Can't do much about that. I was on Carnival Glory and didn't feel much more connected to the ocean than Oasis. I thought the Oasis promenade was such a destination that we ended up not even thinking about seeing the water go by. Maybe it's just me, but watching the water go by gets old, fast.

I guess this is the obvious question, but why not do a land-based trip then?

I guess this is the obvious question, but why not do a land-based trip then?

There is a lot more to cruising than sitting in a chair and staring at the water. Though I do this also sometimes - as I said in my comment.

I appreciate the honesty of this review. I have been on the fence about trying an Oasis class ship, for all these reasons which I have seen mentioned in one way or another before, but never quite like this. ;) I thought I would enjoy trying it once, just to see, but now I'm not so sure. I definitely want to see the ocean on a ship, and the older I get the less I'm into malls. I rarely shop on a cruise. As for size in general, Independence seemed almost too big to me.

You really should try it at least once. We sail the Oasis class ships, although not my favorite class, they have a lot to offer, especially if you have kids. I am one not fond of the Promenade, and actually rarely spend anytime there on any of the classes that have them. You do not have to go there. There is plenty to do on the Boardwalk, (Deck 6) and Central Park (Deck 8). And from the upper decks you can see the water and find a place to watch the sea go by. It might be a bit noisier than you want, but it is doable.

The aqua show is unbelievable. As is the ice show. Food is subjective, I am a very picky eater and we tend to eat in the Windjammer, rather than the dining room. We also do not tend to go to specialty restaurants with two exceptions, Samba's Grill (on the Allure and Radiance) and Sabor's.

Yes, you do need to plan a bit more with reservations, and I do believe Royal could do a better job on their website. (Such as showing you all the available options for each day) But you really should give it a try, you might be surprised.

The whole Royal Promenade is a mall thing is getting tired. Other than a couple shops (like EVERY other cruise ship/atrium area), the promenade has MANY bars and food options. We never even saw it as much of a shopping destination... Lots of entertainment and things to do there. It connects via nice stairway to the entertainment neighborhood also. It's an outstanding area to hang out. Trivia, dancing, casino, food, coffee, bars, shows, etc. We absolutely love it.

Thanks for sharing your comments. Your experience on Allure will hopefully, be very different than ours in May. We love this class of ship and do not mind making reservations in advance. When we sailed Oasis, we went standby for most of the shows and just cancelled the reservations we made in advance. Hopefully, we will be able to do the same if our plans change while we are on Allure.

 

Enjoy your next cruise on whatever ship makes you happy.:)

^^^ Precisely ^^^

We are booked on b2b on Oasis in late August, after schools start. Never been on this class before mainly because we also feel they are a bit too large, but thought it was time to give it a try. Our favorite class in Radiance class, just the right size for us but of course they aren't available out of FLL in August, early Sept. Booked in a deck 11 hump OS. Hope Oasis isn't too much!

Basics-family of four 59,49, 20,18. Cruised 8 times previously on Carnival and NCL. We've been happy with all of cruises because we're glad to vacation together. We enjoyed our trip to the Eastern Caribbean but would not sail a ship this size or likely with RCCL again. Generally we've found cruises to be a good value for the $ spent. Unfortunately this was not the case here. Restricted to the Spring Break school schedule meant RCCL got more of my $ than they should for this trip. Food was just awful (main dining room slightly better but still mediocre). Reservations were required for everything...what a drag. You can't just play it by ear and decide spur of the moment to see a show. Want to eat on MTD plan? Make a reservation or wait in a line that wrapped around the hallway. Room steward and dining room staff were excellent! We had 2 interior rooms which cost more than our 2 bedroom suite on NCL last year. Rooms were a little stuffy/musty. Would be nice if tv photos from bridge were of the sea instead of the Royal Promenade. Who wants to look at the interior of a ship? Anyway, halls were kept clean, noise was not a factor and we all slept well. I missed seeing the sea. Other than deck 5 (walking track) and deck 15, you can't view the ocean. There was no place to sit with a cocktail and watch the world go by. The ship ultimately felt like a shopping mall to us and just not our vibe. Within 2 days we had all said, we miss Carnival! So, overall, great vacation and memories made. Lesson learned for us bigger is not always better. Happy Cruising!

did you ever try to just walk into a show before it starts? I've sailed Oasis class ships 21 times in a row and have had zero trouble getting into shows. I have reservations that I never go to and just walk in when I feel like it at other times. (The only exception this can sometimes apply to is the comedy show)

You really should try it at least once. We sail the Oasis class ships, although not my favorite class, they have a lot to offer, especially if you have kids. I am one not fond of the Promenade, and actually rarely spend anytime there on any of the classes that have them. You do not have to go there. There is plenty to do on the Boardwalk, (Deck 6) and Central Park (Deck 8). And from the upper decks you can see the water and find a place to watch the sea go by. It might be a bit noisier than you want, but it is doable.

 

The aqua show is unbelievable. As is the ice show. Food is subjective, I am a very picky eater and we tend to eat in the Windjammer, rather than the dining room. We also do not tend to go to specialty restaurants with two exceptions, Samba's Grill (on the Allure and Radiance) and Sabor's.

 

Yes, you do need to plan a bit more with reservations, and I do believe Royal could do a better job on their website. (Such as showing you all the available options for each day) But you really should give it a try, you might be surprised.

I'm sure I will try it at some point. Even if it doesn't become my favorite, I've never actually disliked any cruise or ship. ;)

We've decided to go forward with our b2b cruises on Oasis in late August. Just not that many choices out of FL in August. Still concerned about being on a floating "Mall of America" but hoping with schools starting it wont be too crazy. The OS balconies are killer on Oasis and that is one of the most important things we consider on a ship. Just wish the Radiance class shills sailed out of FL in the summer months.

I got a good visual on what you described and I don't think I would enjoy a mega ship either. I like the connection to the ocean when sailing too!

In fact I booked the Symphony for the western Med in 2018 and promptly switched to the Jewel instead. Love the Radiance class and since I really enjoyed a similar itinerary on the Serenade so it was an easy switch....

The thing to remember is everyone has their own idea of what a cruise should be. We love the larger ships and how much there is to do. Next week we are back on the Allure for the 3rd time and have done Oasis 2x. I can see where it wouldn't be for everyone. We have learned there are a lot of hidden spots on the ship to connect to the Ocean but you have to find them.

I understand how you feel. We have sailed once with Oasis of the Seas and have decided not to take this category ships anymore. It was good to have a balcony cabin on the sea side, because it was the only place to have a litle peace.

However we do enjoy once in a while the ships from Royal Caribbean in the Radiance category. Those ships provide a better experience for us specially on transatlantic crossings.

I cruised on Oasis and know of the must smell you talk about, i smelt it all over the ship in different places. As a matter of fact my first cabin (balcony) was so bad i refused to stay in it, and guest services confirmed my opinion. They moved me to a JS, which was great the cabin and no smell.

Took a long time but RCI did the right thing by me.

Shortly after the launch of Oasis a reviewer commented that he thought the major fault for him was that there were virtually no places inside the ship to sit and see the ocean. This has been a constant issue with many cruisers myself included. Everything faces in. As I recall you couldn't even get a window table in one of the specialty dining restaurants with an ocean view. I thought for sure RCCL would make a few adjustments to the blueprints for subsequent builds for this class but apparently they haven't.

I agree with the OP's comment and with this one that there is no indoor place to have a drink and look out on the ocean. The Viking Crown Lounge used to do this, but now it is a private lounge and restaurant that most of us do not qualify to enter.

I have not been on the Harmony yet and wonder if this has been corrected, but I doubt it. I like the big ships, but I don't like that there is no indoor bar with a sea view. I still go on these ships.

I don't think your problem was with Royal Caribbean, but with the ship you chose. I know a lot of people like those big ships, which is why they keep building them, but after doing my research I can already tell you without ever having sailed her that I would hate it. Too big, too enclosed and more like a Vegas hotel on water than a cruise ship. I'd suggest trying the voyager class ships or Freedom class ships before you give up on Royal altogether. Although the prices do seem to be a lot higher than carnival and Ncl, so if you know you like those and the itineraries are ones you like, I don't blame you for sticking with them.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I agree with others that you should try the large ships(Oasis Class) and make up your own mind. They are different.

We tried the Allure T/A 12 nights and had a good time. However.......it was like the Mall Of America to us. More like a land vacation than a CRUISE. If this was the only option to us, we would make other travel choices. Bottom line....we enjoyed the Allure, but would not be in a rush to go again.

I agree with the OP's comment and with this one that there is no indoor place to have a drink and look out on the ocean. The Viking Crown Lounge used to do this, but now it is a private lounge and restaurant that most of us do not qualify to enter.

 

I have not been on the Harmony yet and wonder if this has been corrected, but I doubt it. I like the big ships, but I don't like that there is no indoor bar with a sea view. I still go on these ships.

The Viking Crown Lounge was a wonderful place for drinks and viewing the ocean, but it isn't like that on Harmony either. You can enjoy sitting outside on the Boardwalk with drinks looking toward the back of the ship at the ocean, but it will be a busy place, not the quiet area of the Viking Lounge. I did enjoy sitting on the Adirondack chairs and relaxing though.

We are looking forward to our first Oasis cruise in October. We may like it or we may not but we figure we have to give it a try as we have waited all these years for prices to be where we wanted it to be for the class of cabin that we like before we sailed on Oasis. Right now our favorite ship is Freedom. As far as the big connect to the ocean, with us it is not like we are always somewhere sitting and looking out at the ocean other than our balcony and when we are up on the pool deck area. If we are sitting somewhere that has a window to the outside then fine if not then oh well! We usually cruise in October so at dinner in the MDR or Specialty Restaurant sitting next to a window is of no effect as it is dark outside! :cool:

I, also, am in the minority on here as I loved my cruise on Allure. DH and I always cruised in a balcony on other ships and have been on many cruises on many lines. My sister and I went on Allure and she had been on her previously, so taking her advice, we booked a Boardwalk balcony. I absolutely loved it!

We were the 3rd cabin from the aft end of the hall and when on our balcony we could see the ocean as well as looking down on the Boardwalk. We were able to see the OceanAria show from our balcony and that worked out well as we had reservations for the first night and due to the weather, it was cancelled. I also got the opportunity to people watch, which is one of my favorite things to do.

More often than not, we had breakfast in the MDR and it was fine. I did get freshly fried eggs in the Windjammer and one day at lunch they had Pad Thai which I enjoyed. I am NOT a buffet person, so we only did that a couple of times.

We had anytime dining with reservations. We only went to the MDR two nights, the 2nd formal night and the last night. The formal night, even with reservations, the line was long and after reaching the hostess, we were herded into a waiting area that was pretty much packed. The wait was about 10 minutes there, so not too bad. The last night there was basically no line, so we were able to get right in.

The other nights we had reservations at Specialty Restaurants. We did Chops three times, Giovanni's and Samba. We had the best service in Chops and really enjoyed our dinner. Giovanni's was good too, but Samba was terrible. I like going to Brazilian Steak Houses, and this one was one of the worst dinners and service that I have ever had on a ship. Our reservations were for 8:30 as we had gone to Mama Mia (excellent) for the 5PM show. There were only a couple of others in the restaurant when we got there. The salad bar was basically empty. The only things on it were some seafood things we wouldn't eat.

When it came to being served meat, the gaucho only came around twice. Once with bacon wrapped chicken, which I didn't take and then with a tiny, tiny piece of filet. The pieces were about 1" square and he had 2 on the stick. Keep in mind that was for 2 people. He didn't come back to the table to see if we wanted anything else and after waiting about 10 minutes, we decided to go to the dessert area and that also was disappointing. The one really good thing was the bread that was served in the beginning of the meal. I was totally disappointed in the meal there as was my sister.

I am going again on Allure with my family which includes my soon to be 12 year old granddaughter. My family wants to go to Samba as they go to Texas de Brazil and love it. I will give them one more shot as I am thinking that because we had a late® reservation and that there weren't many in there, that the service, food etc. was sub-par. We will go earlier and hope for the best.

Our next cruise we will have an ocean balcony as that's what my family likes, so it will be a comparison for me. I totally enjoyed the shows and the ship. I didn't feel it was crowded except for day 1 when people were boarding and had no idea where things were. I understand that and am looking forward to our cruise this summer.