Disney Fantasy vs. Allure/Oasis or Freedom of the Seas for Family Cruise?

[quadman]

I just posted this question on the RCI board and wanted to ask the Disney cruisers here their opinion.

 

My DW and two DD's cruised on Jewel of the Seas (Eastern Caribbean) in 2006, along with 5 other extended family members, and we loved it! Jewel brings the outside in with its amazing windows in almost all public areas. We chose it over the Voyager class because of this (didn't want to spend time in a "mall" with fluorescent lighting). We had a Junior Suite cabin that was just right in size for us then. Our waiters and room steward were FABULOUS! We loved fixed dining as it makes it so easy for a large group to gather over dinner with no waiting, and we loved how our waiters got to know each of our preferences (by the second night they new our then 2 year-old loved PB&J as an appetizer).

 

We're now looking at an April 2012 cruise (Western or Eastern Caribbean) and are comparing Allure, Oasis, or Freedom of the Seas, and Disney Fantasy. The girls will be 11 and 8 and still love Disney princesses and characters. DW and I want good food, good service, and happy kids, and it appears from the boards that RCI's food quality and the level of small touches (turndown service with chocolates on the pillow, shampoo and lotion in the cabin, upcharges for steak in the MDR, etc.) might have declined over the past couple of years.

 

I typically spend 2 hours per day for 3-6 months researching the options before booking a cruise (I know it sounds crazy but I'm a CC addict). We are relatively easy-going folks who can have a good time on most vacations, but given our time is valuable, we want to optimize the cruise experience. Almost always, my research leads us back to Royal Caribbean (conclusions seem to be HAL caters to the elderly, Princess is nice but dull, Carnival too "Vegas-like", Celebrity too stuffy, etc. No doubt I'm over-generalizing here and that there are exceptions across each cruise line's fleet).

 

Would anyone here who has cruised on either Oasis or Allure, AND Freedom, AND Disney Dream comment on the differences in food, entertainment, service, and amenities amont these ships? Even if you have cruised for a week on Disney Wonder or Disney Magic, I would greatly appreciate reading your observations on the comparitive elements about these ships. We only get to cruise once every 3-5 years, and the kids are growing up, so we really want to hear what people think about DCL vs. RCI. Thank you so much!

[mom x4,grandma x4]

The Dream hasnt cruised with passengers yet so we cant compare that ship.

But when we took our 4 grandkids at various ages (including close to your kids ages) on Disney and carnival they loved Disney and didnt like Carnival at all. I know your not asking about Carnival but thats the only one I can compare from personal experience.

 

But from reading others experiences on the Oasis and Disney Magic its about 50/50 on which isbest for younger kids.

 

If I were you this is what I would think about.

As you said kids are growing fast. they love the princesses and there are plenty of them on DCL, Not on any other line.

If you do a different line now by your next cruise your kids will be older and not get the Magical experience with the characters that the younger kids age.

 

I dont know which ship has better food for your enjoyment but I know Disneys dinners are excellant. Other meals are good too.

So if you want to do something nice for the kids before they get too old, Disney is the right choice. You wont be sorry. Then in 3 to 5 years go on the Oasis or other line of your choice as the kids will be older and be better able to enjoy the more adult atmosphere of the other cruise lines.

 

If you wait 3 to 5 years to do Disney the kids will like it but it just wont seem as magical as it would when they are younger.

 

Just my opinion! But I would do it for my kids.

 

Good luck in choosing.

 

of course since this is a Disney site you will get more people voting for Disney.;)

[ma23peas]

We have been on a 10 day Med cruise with Disney Magic...I have NOTHING else to compare it to, but really, I wouldn't cruise any other line while the kids are going with us...a many reasons....

 

1. No casinos...this in itself lends itself to a bit better atmosphere for family fun...

 

2. Excellent children's programming, even with a very port intensive trip like the Med...the kids were always running off to an event the CM (cast members) had planned for them...they LOVED it, our girls were 10 and 11 at the time.

 

3. I loved the selection of movies for the kids and I to watch, nice movie theater and how cool to just go see a movie down the ship! :) The shows kept the kids in ahh's and ooh's..they even loved the comedian and never wanted to miss one...on the bigger ships, they're more 'broadway' or Vegas styled shows...if I want Broadway, I'll go there, and I do love broadway just not as fun with younger kids....

 

4. The dining is awesome! The servers rotate with you so you have the same ones each night, we never missed a restaurant night...the kids became very close with their servers and loved the special theming each night, there are some nights the servers get up and have the kids dancing in the aisles...lights going crazy and lots of hoopla..

 

5. The appointments of the ship are just precious...Mickeys everywhere, unique touches that kept them pointing and trying to find something else new they had missed the day before...

 

6. Free room service, this alone had my kids, free Mickey bars at bedtime! :) We of course tipped the delivery but it's nice it's free as are all sodas (except if you order one at room service, you have to walk to the deck and fill up your glass...with all that food, you'll appreciate the exercise! :))

 

7. It's Disney! It truly is a Disney experience....I've been to Universal, Six Flags, other 'theme parks'...but Disney does it right...you feel special, you know complaints will be treated seriously (I'm sure there are always exceptions) and you've got the Aqua Duck...now you do have to be 48" so that may be a sore spot with your younger one unless she's fairly tall...but I have NO doubt the kids will love it, and if you're anything like our family, if the kids are genuinely overjoyed, you can't help but be the same! :)

 

We're going on our second Disney cruise in March on the Wonder..2012 will be the Fantasy...maybe in our retirement age we'll hit another line, but we do it for family time....so I guess we'll be taking grandkids on these lines! :)

 

Tara

[IMKTDQT810]

Quadman..thank you for posting this. I am in the same boat...per say...as you. I am considering booking the Disney Fantasy June 2012 Eastern and was pricing out the RCCL Allure vs. Fantasy. I cruised on Enchantment this past June with my DH as our honeymoon cruise. I have been on 4 other RCCL ships but never a Disney. The 2012 cruise will be the first with our 7 yr old DS. What I found (In playing around....yes...I'm a cc addict and researcher also) was that via the DCL site, an outside window was cheaper on DCL then an inside cabin on Allure. Plus keep in mind, that on DCL there is no soda cards....it is included in the price (except if you order it from a waiter around the ship or the the shows...if I am wrong on this please someone correct me). But you can get soda on Deck 9 almost all day. Also on RCCL the adventure oceans is only open a few hours a day and it sounds like on DCL it is all day...even up to crazy late-night hours. I have not book the June cruise yet...even though I know I prolly will.....but would be very interested in hearing other opinions of both ships/lines.

So once again..thank you for posting this!! Kathy

[quadman]

Wow, great responses already after only a little while! You guys are super!

 

As I just posted over on the RCI board, I checked pricing again today. April 2012 Disney Fantasy Caribbean cruise pricing seems to be running in the $6,800 range for a cat. 4A cabin (Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Veranda). It jumped up siginificantly since yesterday (was at or under $6,000). The same date on Disney Magic Mexican Riviera cruise is pricing out at $5,585 (about $1,200 less than the Caribbean cruise). Yesterday the Magic pricing was higher and has dropped a bit.

 

On Allure for April 8, 2012 Western Caribbean, a JS is pricing out at $8,060 (went up today). Same weekend departure on Oasis is $7,860 and on Freedom (Eastern Caribbean ) it's $6,196. All up from yesterday! Must have been either a general increase today or a great 2-day pricing offer that just ended.

 

I think it makes sense to do Disney while my girls are still "princesses". We've stayed at Disney's Grand Californian hotel twice and really loved it. Given the high pricing on Allure and Oasis, the DCL pricing doesn't seem out of line. We don't gamble, so no casino is fine for us. Thanks!

[NancyIL]

I have been on 9 Royal Caribbean cruises and 2 Disney cruises, and I'm looking forward to sailing on the Disney Dream next month. :D I also loved cruising on Jewel of the Seas, and I prefer RCI's Radiance and Vision-class ships to the Voyager-class and larger ships with the Royal Promenade.

 

I don't cruise with kids, but given the ages of yours and the photos and reports I've seen from the Dream's preview cruises, I would choose the Fantasy for your 2012 cruise.

[Friend100]

We cruised twice - once on Liberty OTS and once on Disney Wonder. We loved both trips. We liked the food and services at RCL more. The shows and other kids stuff are better on Disney. Our next 2 cruises will be on Disney. After that maybe Oasis/Allure when the kids get bigger.

 

Happy planning!

[crzgrl66]

We have sailed RCCL Liberty of the Seas & DCL Wonder. If the prices are comparable, then I would go with DCL. You can try the RCCL megaships when they are older, but while they are young go for Disney. :D

[IHateSnow!]

I haven't cruised either of the specific ships you've mentioned, however I'm an avid cruiser with royal (Platinum status) and have done 2 cruises now with Disney, as well as a couple other cruises. I have 3 kids, age 16, 5 and 8 months. I cruised Disney over thanksgiving with 6 people ages 60-7 months. I've never cruised royal with a baby.

 

Plusses to Disney - embarkation & debarkation - smoother and less wait than Royal. Can only speak specifically to the Cape Canaveral location, but was very impressed. Disney moves people very well. Loved the ability to check the kids into Kids Club at the pier and get wristbands/pagers there. Loved the fact that there were Characters there & stuff for the kids to do.

 

Royal is great for the older kids - Disney is too - but I think royal has more to offer the teen crowd. The freedom/liberty is supposed to now have a nursery on board similar to Flounder's Reef.

 

All and all they're both great ships/lines, but for us as a family traveling together with the little ones we prefer Disney. As adults or with the teen we prefer Royal.

[nlcentralchmps03]

Hi,

 

I have been fortunate enough to sail on every ship that you mentioned above. I sailed the Disney Dream last week, Oasis of the seas last June, and Freedom of the seas in summer of 2009.

 

I will do my best to give a comparison of both lines.

 

Ship-This is like comparing apples to oranges, but not in a bad way. Disney Dream is a fantastic ship. It is absolutely stunning. It is more of a classic vessel compared to Oasis. Oasis on the other hand is like a floating amusement park (and again, I mean that in a good way). The ship is truly fantastic from the promenade, to the boardwalk (my personal favorite). I felt as if there was more to do for the adults on Oasis, however I was never bored on the Dream.

 

Oasis has ice skating, rock climbing, zip line, flow rider, larger pool area, full court basketball, putt-putt, a casino, central park and the royal promenade. There was never a dull moment onboard.

 

Disney Dream has a better kids program, the aqua duck, the district (which was hopping every night, and my personal favorite part of the ship), better cabins first run movies, 2 theatres, and animators palate (yes, it is that great, so I put it in here, even though more on dining in a bit).

 

Before I go onto entertainment, I am in my 20s, so I understand that I am not Disney's target audience. However, I must say I had a brilliant time on the Dream. They don't lie when they say there is something to do for everyone onboard. I would go back on it in a heartbeat. However, there is no ship that can even hold a candle to Oasis when it comes to entertainment.

 

There is Hairspray (or Chicago on AL), a dedicated comedy lounge, the Quest, the Love and Marriage show, Come Fly With Me, the aqua show (dont miss that), a headliner show, 70's party in the promenade (highlight of the cruise), belly flop competitions. That is just off the top of my head. It is absolutely impossible to be bored on this ship. There is something going on 24/7.

 

The shows on the Dream were very good, and I am sure that the Disney people will love them. I am not big into the movies and even I enjoyed it. Be sure to catch the show on the final night. The pirate night firework display is fantastic as well. This is very unique and won't be seen anywhere else. Don't miss that.

 

Service- This section and the food section are very objective and everybody has different experiences and encounters.

 

During my 3 days on the Dream, I had the pleasure of having Laurent (France) and Mila (Poland) as my servers. These two made a great team, and catered to any request I had. My cabin steward was a little bit boring, but he kept the cabin in nice shape, and that is all I can ask. Everyone else I came across was very pleasant. We were the second group of guests onboard and everyone was so happy to finally have people onboard and get in their routines. I had no complaints in the service department on the Dream.

 

Service on Oasis was fantastic as well. I felt that traveling with 6,000 people would cause the service aspect to decline a little bit, so I was pleasantly surprised. Our assistant server, Razvan, was the best we have had on any cruise to date.

 

Also there is chocolate on the pillows at night on Oasis (I believe this is the only class of RC ships that does this, unless you're in a suite). Shampoo was also in the showers.

 

Food- Here is where traveling with 6,000 other people makes a difference. The food on Oasis was not as good as previous RCI cruises. The food was not bad, but it just wasn't up to standard. Ironically, Chef Matthew who took out Oasis and I believe all Freedom class ships is now the executive chef on the Dream.

 

There are other venues you can pay for that I am sure the food is great, but if you are like me and just stick to the main dining room, your experience may be like mine.

 

The food on the Dream was very good, but not outstanding. I wasn't a huge fan of some of the menu items, but I would recommend the veal in animators palate. Speaking of Animator's......WOW. This was the highlight of the trip. It had been 10 years since my last Disney cruise and I remember the old Animator's Palate, but this one is FANTASTIC. There is a surprise that comes along throughout dinner that is something only Disney could do. You'll just have to see for yourself what it is.

 

Cabanas had decent breakfast food, and I really enjoyed the restaurant out by the pool which was good for burgers, chicken tenders and fries. The pizza was just average.

 

Final Thoughts- Our sailing on the Dream only had 2500 passengers on it, many of whom were still working. However, I feel like come summer when this thing is completely booked, you will feel the crowding up around the pool. I felt that the pools were quite small for such a large number of people. The line for the aqua duck is going to be a bit long as well.

 

You can't go wrong either way. I felt there is more to do for everyone on Oasis, but if you are looking for the Disney product, great service, good food, traveling with young kids who love the kids program and don't mind paying a premium, the Dream may be right for you.

[nlcentralchmps03]

If there are any other specific questions you had, please let me know. I will be happy to add my thoughts.

[NancyIL]

If there are any other specific questions you had, please let me know. I will be happy to add my thoughts.

 

Thanks, Justin - great comparison!

[JenAndDan]

Justin,

 

Thanks for the comparison as I am in a similar boat. We did the Serenade this past summer with my 18 month old and he had a fabulous time. We are considering a cruise in the Spring of 2012 when he will be 3 and we will have an almost 1 year old as well. I really wanted Oasis or Allure to be my next cruise but am thinking that a Disney cruise might actually be a better fit for my DS. When he was 18 months, it didn't really matter - he enjoyed just being on a ship but I feel at 3, the entertainment might be better for him on a Disney cruise (side note - he LOVES Mickey and we are taking him to Disney World next month). Do you agree that the entertainment for that age group (a 1yr old and a 3yr old) would be better on a Disney ship. Also, do both Oasis/Allure and Disney have splash zones and babysitting?

 

Any additional help you can be is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

[quadman]

Justin (and the others who posted) - This is great information! I really appreciate your insights. One other poster above also mentioned the smallish pools on Dream and that even Wonder/Magic have very crowded kids' pools. I think we'll review all of the information we can gather (DVD's, brochures, websites, etc.) with our kids (the soon to be 10 year-old is already a good travel planner - a lot like her dad at that age :)), and then make a decision.

[Zesty Italian]

To the OP, I'm sorry we haven't been on any RCCL cruises, but we have done 2 Disney (Wonder and Magic) with our DD's. Our first cruise was 4 days when they were 6 and 8yrs. We all loved it and couldn't wait for our 7 day. The DDs were 8 and 11 then and never wanted to get off the boat. The staff especially in the kid's clubs really go out of their way to make sure kids have a wonderful time. We saw special acts of kindness that they didn't even know we saw. On the other hand we were on Carnival and HAL, and the kid's clubs were a joke! The hours on Disney are amazing and allow everyone to have a good time because there are so many fun choices. I won't say that the food is gourmet, but it is very good with lots of choices. Our kids can't wait for our Dream cruise when they are 13 and 16 (see it's not just for little kids). They actually begged us to go back to DCL after HAL. From what I've read RCCL seems to have a lot of fun sports for teens, but they won't be bored on DCL and the small touches really do make a world of difference. If you have specific questions, I'd be glad to try to help.

[quadman]

Thanks, Zesty! We've avoided HAL and Carnival to date because HAL ships seem to offer little to nothing for kids and Carnival seems to be very party-oriented and with "Vegas" like ships that just don't suit our design tastes (a subjective matter, to be certain - to each his own). We wouldn't rule out HAL for an Alaska cruise in the future since they are the experts up there and the cooler weather precludes lots of pool time and water play.

 

I think it will come down to what is available in June 2012 that works with the school calendar and pricing for us and our friends. We would have a great time on either RCI or Disney and my hunch is that it might be Disney this time (before the kids grow up too much).

[Friend100]

Re the pool (sorry I can only compare between Liberty OTS and Disney Wonder), I think our kids liked the pool on Liberty OTS more. It was a 7 night cruise and there were 3 sea days. Yes there were a lot of people (we cruised last week of summer) but I didn't feel overcrowded. Everything on RCL ship is just bigger, and I would imagine Oasis/Allure will take this to another level. Disney Wonder is half the size of Liberty OTS. It was only a 4 night cruise. We just spent less time there. I felt the same amount of crowd as compared to RCL, even though I'm sure there were less people.

 

So in our limited experience, it is more the duration of cruise, # of passenger and the weather that affect our preference more than the actual pool itself.

 

One big difference though: there is no Mickey Mouse or Pluto taking pictures with you poolside on any RCL ships.

 

Have fun!

[nlcentralchmps03]

Justin,

 

Thanks for the comparison as I am in a similar boat. We did the Serenade this past summer with my 18 month old and he had a fabulous time. We are considering a cruise in the Spring of 2012 when he will be 3 and we will have an almost 1 year old as well. I really wanted Oasis or Allure to be my next cruise but am thinking that a Disney cruise might actually be a better fit for my DS. When he was 18 months, it didn't really matter - he enjoyed just being on a ship but I feel at 3, the entertainment might be better for him on a Disney cruise (side note - he LOVES Mickey and we are taking him to Disney World next month). Do you agree that the entertainment for that age group (a 1yr old and a 3yr old) would be better on a Disney ship. Also, do both Oasis/Allure and Disney have splash zones and babysitting?

 

Any additional help you can be is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks!

 

Yes, I would definitely agree that the entertainment for your kids would be better served on a Disney ship. I toured the kid's areas on the Dream and it was AMAZING. The entire area was huge. I have heard that the Adventure Ocean program (Royal Caribbean) is great as well. However, there is no kid's facility that can compare to the one I saw on the Dream.

 

The Oasis class does have a H2O zone (kids splash area). They also have babysitting, as long as the child is over one.

[iceman93]

Thanks, Zesty! We've avoided HAL and Carnival to date because HAL ships seem to offer little to nothing for kids

 

I've got to disagree with this. My daughter has loved our HAL cruises, and finds Club HAL to be a real highlight. Since there don't tend to be very many kids on board, they provide a degree of personalized service and activities that I suspect mega-ships cannot match. I will certainly agree that kids who are used to non-stop sensory overload may find HAL boring, as their activities are along the lines of crafts, board games, scavenger hunts, sports, etc. Then again they do spend time playing Wii and watching movies too. But don't sell HAL short on kids' activities just because of a reputation for catering to older passengers. They've made a great deal of effort to appeal to families in recent years, and have done a great job as far as mine is concerned!

[quadman]

Iceman - thanks for your input here. We would certainly look at HAL for a potential Alaska cruise. If we were able to cruise more often, we might also try HAL for other locations (Caribbean, Mediterranean, etc.) as I realize they have a reputation for good food, friendly service, and more space per passenger. Maybe a more calm or sedate cruising experience. As we cannot cruise as often as we'd like currently, we want to ensure that the kids have the best possible experience, which RCI provided on our last cruise and we think Disney could provide as well. Perhaps we're also slightly concerned about mixing our girls with too many kid-unfriendly elderly travelers who might choose HAL, Princess, or Cunard because there tend to be a lower percetange of children aboard. It's probably only 5%-10% of the folks who don't like children around, but they can be a vocal minority.

[iceman93]

Perhaps we're also slightly concerned about mixing our girls with too many kid-unfriendly elderly travelers who might choose HAL, Princess, or Cunard because there tend to be a lower percetange of children aboard. It's probably only 5%-10% of the folks who don't like children around, but they can be a vocal minority.

 

Understood; everything you've said here makes sense. And I wouldn't try to steer you towards HAL, but just wanted to provide my personal experience that they're actually better than their reputation when it comes to family travel.

 

Regarding grumpy old folks who hate kids, we actually haven't come across any at all on our HAL cruises so far. There seem to be plenty of them here at CC who post quite vocally, but at sea it seems to be quite different.

[PATRLR]

I've been on both lines with my DD who is in the same age bracket as your children. As you know, there is a lot of information out there and everyone has an opinion (which is goodness).

 

I think the lines are very, very comparable which makes it even harder to choose one over the other. But, in your situation I think the choice is easy, I would lean towards the Disney Cruise for the sole reason that your daughters are at the right age to truly appreciate Disney. Take them on RCCL next time.

[Oceanmarina]

Quadman,

 

Hi. I was deciding between the Dream & the Oasis/Allure cruises myself. We have 2 kids 3 & 6. DH & I sailed on the Wonder & RCCL Explorer of the Seas before we had kids & we prefered Disney (food was much better).

 

We went with Disney because my kids LOVE characters & I agree with what other previous posts that if it's going to be a few years till your next cruise, I would go with tthe Disney cruise now while the girls are in major princess stage.

 

I good a good price through *************.com (I would never use anything else to book a cruise, we have used them on 5 cruises & always get great prices). Disney is a little more expensive, but I feel that you will never forget the memories you make on the voyage & that is priceless to me.

 

On the other hand I think you & the kids would also have an amazing time on the Allure/Oasis (they have all the dreamworks characters on those ships) My husband & kids are into Disney so much & that's why I went with Disney. (My daughter is also a princess girl)

 

Good luck! :D

[Zesty Italian]

I have to strongly disagree with you Iceman. I listened to posters saying HAL would personalize the kid's program if there weren't so many kids onboard. We went in Oct. and there were about 20 kids that went to the kid's club. It was awful. The hours were practically nonexistant. It was open a few hours in the afternoon and evening at most. That turned out to be the least of the problems. There were no activities craft or otherwise except watching movies. My girls said the group begged the counselor to do something else as they were sick of movies and had seen it. She said they were watching a movie. One day they did go out on a "hunt". It involved groups of Unchaperoned kids running up and down the stairs and into restaurants to count things. We couldn't believe they were told to run around the ship without supervision.(It could be why older folks complain about the kids). A scheduled PJ party with pillow fight was cancelled as the counselor didn't feel like it. On Halloween, the adults had a huge costume party-the kids NOTHING! They did not have a party or stick of candy even tho we were told to bring costumes. We saw the counselor with the kids and she could not have been more disinterested. One day we couldn't stop at a port because of weather; there was NO Kid's club the whole day. I know that would never happen on Disney. The counselors go out of their way to make the kid's feel special. Our youngest, doesn't like high sensory activities and is shy; a counselor spent an hour playing with her and making her feel comfortable. On HAL, our girls refused to go back to the kid's club. They wanted to stay with us(which if fine except we didn't have much for them to do). On DCL, our waiter kept asking us where the girls were as they wouldn't leave the club. The HAL ship was beautiful and good for my DH and I, but NOT for kids.

[Rudi610]

 

The line for the aqua duck is going to be a bit long as well.

 

 

Do you suppose they will install Fastpass machines outside the entrance to the Aquaduck?:D For those of you familiar with WDW, I just could not resist this comment.