Help me choose. Dream or Oasis!

[ohal1]

I'm looking at Thanksgiving 2010 for either Oasis or Dream. We are a family of 6 with the childrens ages of 10,9, and twins that will be 6. The kids have never sailed so we have no experience with the kids clubs. Although my husband and I sailed alone on the Freedom of the Seas last Spring, we noticed children just sitting playing games in the kids clubs. It didn't look very exciting. Does Carnival have more activities with the children. Or will Oasis, being a new ship , have improved programs? I already known we will need two rooms on either cruises with The Dream being the cheapest. Have been searching reviews and forum trying to get any feedback. It can all be very confusing since the ships I chose are brand new with not much info. Any help would be great!

[Cuizer2]

Personally I think you would have fun on either ship. The Oasis has family sized cabins that will sleep six.

[ohal1]

Thanks for responding. I didn't see any prices on those. Are they any more than the two rooms?

[boulders]

You have to call a TA or RCCL directly to inquire about the cabins that sleep 6. I usually find that the price for a family oceanview that sleeps 6 is comparable or less than 2 oceanviews. However, the pricing really varies from cruise to cruise, so the only way to make the comparison is to get the actual numbers.

[Cuizer2]

Thanks for responding. I didn't see any prices on those. Are they any more than the two rooms?

 

The reason you didn't see any prices is because you cannot book them online. You have to call (either Royal Caribbean directly or your travel agent).

 

There are different categories ...

 

There is the family ocean view with balcony ...

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cabinclass/cabinTypes/cabinType/cabin/home.do;jsessionid=0000WGrF_Xg8ZA7f5wde4t96Nt-:12h3g0fq2?shipCode=OA&cabincls=B&cabinType=FB&br=R&deckCode=07

 

The Royal Family Suite ...

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cabinclass/cabinTypes/cabinType/cabin/home.do;jsessionid=0000WGrF_Xg8ZA7f5wde4t96Nt-:12h3g0fq2?shipCode=OA&cabincls=D&cabinType=FS&br=R&deckCode=09

 

Family ocean view ...

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cabinclass/cabinTypes/cabinType/cabin/home.do;jsessionid=0000WGrF_Xg8ZA7f5wde4t96Nt-:12h3g0fq2?shipCode=OA&cabincls=O&cabinType=FF&br=R&deckCode=11

 

Family interior ...

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cabinclass/cabinTypes/cabinType/cabin/home.do;jsessionid=0000WGrF_Xg8ZA7f5wde4t96Nt-:12h3g0fq2?shipCode=OA&cabincls=I&cabinType=FI&br=R&deckCode=11

 

Obviously the family interior will cost the least, follow by the family ocean view, the family balcony and finally the family suite. The way the pricing works is that you pay more for the first two and you pay the reduced rate for passengers three through six. If you get two cabins, you pay full rate for four (the first two in each cabin) and a reduced rate for the third or fourth in each cabin.

 

So, lets say the family ocean view is $1,500 each for the first two and $500 each for the other four. Then you pay a total of $5,000 ($1,500x2 + $500x4). If it cost $1,000 each for an ocean view then the cost would be the same ($1,000x4 + $500x2). So the only way to find out which is the better deal is to all an get the prices. Then decide if you want the privacy of two cabins or being all together in one cabin. Also, only the Royal Family Suite has two bathrooms, the others just have one. So with two cabins you also get two bathrooms.

 

There are other suites that will sleep six. However, those will also be expensive (the first two in the suite will be very expensive and the other four will be at the reduced rate).

 

As an example, I stayed in the Royal Family Suite on the Freedom of the Seas in June 2007. It was $4000 each for the first two and $1,000 each for the other four. Total $12,000. The Royal Family Suite is the size of three normal balcony cabins. Pricing for two normal balcony cabins would have been less (likely around $8,000 to $9,000). Now keep in mine that this is during the prime summer period. I've seen prices that were half this amount during the low season.

[cb at sea]

Kids in your kid's age groups LOVE the kid's programs....of course, they won't be having max-intensity activities 24/7, but I think you'll be hard-pressed to get them OUT of the club!

Call both cruiselines and see about the cabin situation....it's really best to do that on the phone, WITH THE DECK PLANS IN FRONT OF YOU, so you'll know exactly what they're talking about! You want to know what you're paying for!

[ohal1]

Thanks you for the info on the rooms. I guess there is not much difference in the kids programs. Both will have lots of things to do!

[Cuizer2]

Thanks you for the info on the rooms. I guess there is not much difference in the kids programs. Both will have lots of things to do!

Based on my limited experience (neither cruise line will allow me to participate :(), both programs are good. If you children enjoy one, they will enjoy the other.

[RENMama]

i think oasis looks beautiful and lots of fun. i just wonder with that ship being so much bigger than others out there how it will be on board. im waiting to see the first reviews before making my opinion.

 

we are sailing carnival dream in dec.

[crusinmama06]

If price isn't an option, then Oasis, hands down, no doubt.

 

The kids club schedules are at the link in my signature. My kids prefer the Adventure Ocean activities on Royal Caribbean verses Camp Carnival.

[lollylew]

After reading an article describing just how expensive the cabins are on Oasis, I seriously doubt ANY kid's club can be that AWESOME! WOW! :eek: I would probably choose Dream simply because I can't bring myself to pay those prices for me (or my children). :o

[crusinmama06]

After reading an article describing just how expensive the cabins are on Oasis, I seriously doubt ANY kid's club can be that AWESOME! WOW! :eek: I would probably choose Dream simply because I can't bring myself to pay those prices for me (or my children). :o

 

The 7 night Oasis starts at $729. The 7 night Carnival Dream starts at $579. I'd say it's worth it for $150 extra. But if the times are during peak season, then maybe not. :)

[bdink921]

We were trying to decide the very same thing and ended up going with Oasis for 4/2011 (yes we have to wait THAT long). I really like the look of the Dream and the price ;) but while we had a blast on our Glory cruise, DS10 did not love Camp Carnival at all (maybe as a teen he would have liked it better?). He wanted more active things to do and at camp they did alot of arts and crafts type stuff--definitely not his thing. I really had no intention of sailing on Oasis until my sister and her DH booked followed by my parents--my mom had the brochure and all I can say after looking at it is WOW and once DS saw it...well we now have side by side cabins booked with the rest of my family :D. It's a little more expensive but not by a huge amount---and it just has so much to offer. I'm really looking forward to the first reviews and pics.

[momofsamandeden]

We were deciding that same option also for Thanksgiving 2010 and went with the Dream family deluxe ocean view because it has two bathrooms in the same cabin and was half what the Oasis was and we figured we would rather take the extra from not going on Oasis and go to the parks in Orlando for two days.

The Oasis does go down to that 739 pricing for 2011 so maybe we will try that the following year....

[Julienatul]

Personally I think the oasis offers way more ammenaties than the dream. Although you will have a great time on the dream and it probably would be cheaper also.