Need some advice.

[Rland8228]

I am very torn and have no idea what to do! My husband and I went on the Mariner for our honeymoon back in 08 and absolutely loved it. We told each other all we would do is cruise forever. I think part of the reason why we loved it so much was 1. we went without my then one year old. 2. It was really alone time for us. (we live with my parents so that I can care for my 90 year old grandfather.) Please don't burn me for this but I am a huge Disney fan but also love royal Caribbean. Currently I am stuck, my husband and i would really like to go on a cruise next year and thought that we would take my son three now on Oasis, but Ive read some of the reviews about all the extra fees and how bigger inst always better and thought that maybe we should just stick to Freedom of the Seas. The other thing i love is Port Canaveral. I know this will sound so stupid but i loved the hotel we stayed at. I like to arrive a day or two in advance. I guess that I am really stuck I don't know which to take my family on whether it should be Disney for my sons age or one of the royal Caribbeans ships. I really wouldn't use the kid areas that much because i know my son really would cry his head off. The only time we can really go on vacations is in September or early Jan Feb my husband works in the grocery business and its always busy. Any help would be great! Thanks in advance!

[Sunkissed Mommy]

Hey there, don't feel bad!

 

Freedom or Oasis would be great either way, there is plenty to do.

A lot of people have complained about fees on the Oasis, but I can tell you that there are MANY free things to do as well! I will be sailing on her at the end of May, my mother in law went on her in February and LOVED it, and she thought she would hate it.

 

Did you look into a Disney cruise? I've heard they are AMAZING, pricey, but amazing!

[Rland8228]

I have looked at Disney to go next Sept with them would cost me $3,604.04

To go on Allure and in a balcony is $3,323.08. To go on Freedom would be $2,817.86 for a balcony or I could stay in a JS for $3,577.86. So Im really not sure. The one thing i learned from my honeymoon is that I would like to have everything prepaid before i go so that I don't really have anything to worry about and more to charge on my card. LOL. I have heard some mixed things about Disney just like Ive heard mixed things about royal Caribbean .

[BobbyD]

I don't think you can go wrong. Oasis, Freedom or Mickey Mouse! Win, win all the way! I have only been on Freedom and absolutely loved it. I'm sure you would as well. Have a great trip whatever you choose.

[seriously_subdued]

Hi Rland,

 

IMHO you should either go on the Freedom of the Seas or Disney. Your child will not be able to do the extra features on the Oasis (Flowrider, Zipline) to really justify the extra cost between the two ships.

 

Both have the splash zone and both have Adventure Ocean and from my research the Freedom is much less money.

 

Sorry I can not comment on Disney as I have not sailed with them but have heard great things about their line especially for kids.

 

Good luck.

[Rland8228]

thank you all for your help my husband and i both agreed that since my son would not be old enough to do most of the zip line and flow rider that maybe it would be better to go with freedom . The only thing that really has me picking Freedom over Disney is that amazing kids water park that Freedom has. I guess we will see my husband and I are going to discuss it tonight when he gets home, we are supposed to go camping in Ft. Wilderness this sept but are thinking about pushing it back and maybe doing a week at Disney and then a cruise.

[bubbadog]

I Would go with royal caribbean,and they have everything you could want;):p

[krisko]

The obvious answer with a 3 year old is Disney. But if the child doesn't do well in public (he cries all the time?) then you wouldn't get the use of the great disney child facilities. If you guys love Disney it could still be worth it, but you should know that there is no casino and the ship mostly closes down at 11pm.

 

Disney is roughly the same cost as Oasis if you can believe that. I think neither Oasis nor Disney is worth it when you can get Freedom or Liberty for roughly half the price. But if you were ever wanting to try a Disney cruise, now is the time with a 3 year old.

[sharod]

I've been on both Disney and Freedom. Believe me, you can't go wrong either way!!! Loved them both.

 

Now I am just waiting on sailing the Allure in March of 2011.

[Marie51]

Disney does not have a casino so if that is important to you go on RC.

[Rland8228]

Casino isn't a really big thing for my husband and I and its not that my son cries in public all the time its just Ive never really put him in that type of situation to say. When i should my husband the price for oasis vs Disney he flipped and said Oasis is a brand new ship we will go on that but he also agrees that you can go on freedom for a lot less to. lol He really isn't a big Disney fan just me.

[maureencruiser]

Hi, You don't say where you are from, so paying for flights may or may not be a problem for you? Why don't you go to Disneyworld for a few days, staying in that great hotel you loved then do Freedom for a week? September is my preferred month to vacation because the kids are in school and the prices are lower (It is Hurricane season, but, that is June to November-half the year). Would a three year old really remember anything you did on vacation? Why not wait till he is older/ more able to handle crowds, new experiences then do the Disney ship-maybe their prices will be more reasonable by then....Maureen

[cb at sea]

Do Freedom, in a JS...it will be a great vacation!

[maureencruiser]

Hi, not knowing where you live, I couldn't compare residency rates, but Sept 25,2011, 2 adults 1 child in a JS is 3327, Balcony is 2327 and OV is 1737 for the Freedom. Would you be willing to save 600 and give up the balcony? I know it's nice, but, you could do more cruises this way ...Maureen

[Rland8228]

Sorry I am from West Chester, PA right outside of Philadelphia and we rarely fly my husband loves to drive. My son actually has a fantastic memory. We went to Disney last sept and while planning for it my husband said the exact same thing I don't think he will remember a lot. Last night before he left for his fathers my son was talking about all the rides we went on and when we could go again my husband looked at me and said I am already eating my words. And really im not worried about taking him overall he is a very well behaved child and its also a vacation that my husband and I can go on to.

[Rland8228]

Hi, not knowing where you live, I couldn't compare residency rates, but Sept 25,2011, 2 adults 1 child in a JS is 3327, Balcony is 2327 and OV is 1737 for the Freedom. Would you be willing to save 600 and give up the balcony? I know it's nice, but, you could do more cruises this way ...Maureen

 

 

We thought about that, My husband really likes having the balcony as would i like to have one. I guess my whole thing on price is the fact of what you get and everything else. Like on Disney to have an inside room is the same rate to have a balcony on Freedom of the seas. I don't even think we would do the junior suite. We had a regular room on Mariner and were perfectly fine with it and I think the three of us would be fine to.

[Ocean Boy]

I would just add this.... If you loved Mariner I think you will find Freedom to be only better. I love the Voyager class ships but the Freedom ships are just that much better. I am trying Oasis next only to experience a new class of ship. But unless I find myself absolutely loving the ship I expect that I will be going back to the Voyager and Freedom ships afterwards.

 

If you do Freedom next maybe by the time you are ready for Oasis it won't be commanding so much of a higher price differential. We just spent 8 nights on Independence for less than half of what 7 nights would have cost us on Oasis sailing the same week.

[Rland8228]

I would just add this.... If you loved Mariner I think you will find Freedom to be only better. I love the Voyager class ships but the Freedom ships are just that much better. I am trying Oasis next only to experience a new class of ship. But unless I find myself absolutely loving the ship I expect that I will be going back to the Voyager and Freedom ships afterwards.

 

If you do Freedom next maybe by the time you are ready for Oasis it won't be commanding so much of a higher price differential. We just spent 8 nights on Independence for less than half of what 7 nights would have cost us on Oasis sailing the same week.

 

That's exactly what my husband said that we should just do freedom or something else until the demand and price of oasis goes down. Its just like the brand new Disney ship coming out I think end of this year for a 4 night I could have stayed in a grand suite on Freedom of the seas. Its just ridiculous.

[maureencruiser]

Well, now, from PA, don't forget about sailing out of Baltimore or Norfolk, that might be an option. I love to drive, also, but with a 3 year old from PA to FL? YIKES!! It sounds like your best deal would be the Freedom, wait a year or 2 for the prices to drop on Disney or the Oasis...Maureen

[Ocean Boy]

Well, now, from PA, don't forget about sailing out of Baltimore or Norfolk, that might be an option. I love to drive, also, but with a 3 year old from PA to FL? YIKES!! It sounds like your best deal would be the Freedom, wait a year or 2 for the prices to drop on Disney or the Oasis...Maureen

 

But if the OP really loved the Voyager class ships she might be let down a bit by anything sailing out of Baltimore or Norfolk. I would not consider it.

[Rland8228]

But if the OP really loved the Voyager class ships she might be let down a bit by anything sailing out of Baltimore or Norfolk. I would not consider it.

 

 

I really am not. One of my former coworkers sailed out of Baltimore and said she was surprised at how small the ships were sailing out of there. And as far as driving from PA to FL we did it last year and my son did amazing. Plus we did most of the driving at night.

[PrincessBelle39]

I have only sailed with Disney and it was an amazing experience. My kids had an absolute ball. I would be cruising with them again but just can't afford the rest of the trip to get there. We have booked a 3 night Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ex Sydney as its our only option. I know people comment about Disney being expensive but I found it great value for money. I think our RCL cruise seems expensive for 3 nights. With DCL we paid around $3700 for 7 nights. Our RCL cruise is costing $2700 for 3 nights. The cabins are both balcony cabins with the Disney one being bigger and we also got a $225 OBC with Disney. So really I see RCL being more expensive. Of course the itinerary is different. We did a Western Caribbean with Disney. RCL is a cruise to nowhere.

[waterbug123]

thought that we would take my son three now on Oasis, but Ive read some of the reviews about all the extra fees !

 

The fees are really no different on Oasis than on any other RCI ship, or any cruise ship for that matter. They all charge a cover for alternative restaurants, they all charge for cocktails, etc. It's just that on Oasis there are so many additional alternate restaurants that it may seem like more. But you can go on Oasis and pay no more in "extra" fees than you would on any other ship.

Having said that, as others have mentioned, your son is really too young to participate in some of the extras, and at his age he won't care if you are on Oasis or Monarch. For the price difference, I'd choose Freedom. Its waterpark area is fantastic, and it has everything you remember from Mariner, but for less $$ than Oasis. And from Port Canaveral you can easily add on a couple of days at Disney World so your son can get a character fix.