Oasis Eastern vs Southern on Adventure or Serenade

[bogs1009]

I am trying to decide between going on the Eastern Carribbean on the Oasis or going Southern Carribbean on the Adventure or Serenade.

 

I have been on 8 RCCL cruises and debating if its worth having the biggest ship to islands that we have already been on or trying out new islands on a smaller ship. Last two cruises were on Freedom and Liberty. I am in my late 20's and will be going with my gf who has also been on numerous RCCL cruises. We both like being active and enjoy the activities that are on the Freedom class (Flowrider, mini golf, etc.)

 

After being on the Freedom/Liberty will we be able to go on the smaller ship or should be go on the Oasis?

 

I welcome any recommendations between Oasis and Adventure/Serenade and between the Adventure and Serenade.

 

Thanks

[Sequim88]

Both Adventure and Serenade will be absent the flowrider. Adventure will seem more familiar with the promenade but Serenade is Radiance Class which has a more outward focus than other classes that focus on the ship. Serenade is a great ship for So. Carib. because of all the glass and views. The route is so port intensive you would not have time to miss any ship features. The islands down that way are all very beautiful and have many adventure options. We greatly enjoyed parasailing at St. Maarten and my brothers had a ball snorkeling in the bubbly hot spings water off of Dominica. Even pre-cruise Puerto Rico is great to explore.

[green eyed lady]

I've been on Oasis and Allure which were awesome but the itinerary gets tiresome. We've also been on several voyager class ships and loved them. Never been on Freedom class but that's about to change ;)

 

All that being said, our favorite cruise so far was Adventure of the Seas to the southern Caribbean out of San Juan. We loved the ports and had a blast. I personally love the voyager class ships, but if you are looking for a flowrider than that's out. :eek: I certainly don't think you'd be bored on a voyager class ship but I'd stay away from Serenade - that's just my opinion since I've never been on it. But I love the royal promenade so I know I would miss that on Serenade.

 

Good luck with your decision. :D

[debshomespun]

It depends on what type of cruise experience you are looking for. If you would like to explore the islands, beaches, and things like that, I would suggest the Southern route, then from there, look at the itineraries of each ship and price, and decide from there. If you are looking for a week of entertainment and shows, and a brand new cruise experience, I would go on the Oasis. I will be doing the Oasis then the Allure in a week and half. I do not plan to get off the ship, other than in Labadee. I plan to explore the ship to its fullest and enjoy all the entertainment the ships have to offer. Hard to do this if you are hopping off on the islands to spend time there.

 

Hope this helps you to decide.

[newlifeca]

We just sailed on AOS this April out of San Juan. We did the Barbados route (not the Aruba route) We loved the cruise, and the stops. As mentioned, it's very port intensive, there is only one sea day. We arrived in San Juan and couple days early to check it out.

[mysparky]

We've been on the ships that you've mentioned and we LOVE the Southern route. Oasis/Freedom/Liberty are all pretty much eastern or western and for us, it becomes same 'ole thing.

 

If there was more variety to the port stops, we'd probably sail exclusively on Freedom class. Freedom class ships are our favorite in terms of the ship itself. Feel like that class is right-sized and has a good number of activities on board to keep you busy.

 

Oasis definitely has the leg up in terms of entertainment and dining options, but that's about it for us. For us, Oasis was just too crowded in public areas such as the pools (you literally cannot move), ping-pong (unless you go after 1am, you will not get on a table), Windjammer (it's smaller than Freedom class), elevators (seriously, plan on the stairs after embarking from a port, after shows, around dinner time...you WILL wait 15 mins or more). Add those crowd issues to very limited port stops and Oasis will be just a one time ship for us.

 

While Adventure is the next size down from Freedom class, it is more similar than different. You'll miss the flowrider, there is no H20 zone (not sure that matters) and the royal promenade is smaller, but it still has a lot to offer. Besides mini-golf, shuffleboard, ping-pong, climbing walls, and ice-skating, there is also a rollerblading course on the sports deck. If you've never been on the Southern route, I'd recommend this ship as the next step down in terms of size.

 

In terms of Adventure and Serenade, Adventure is a bigger ship, has 2 pools, a bigger basketball court, the royal promenade and I think, more of a nightlife. I feel that there is simply more to do onboard and this is good because often (but not always) there is one more sea day on Adventure than on Serenade.

 

We love Serenade because it's port-intensive and we love the ports. We also feel that the ship itself provides us with a better "connection" to the ocean (i.e. there are views everywhere). Nightlife and activities during sea days are generally lower key than Adventure. Nightlife isn't such a big deal for us because we have kids and are very active during the day, but as 20-somethings, that could make a big difference to you. If we were cruising with our friends and wanted the Southern itinerary, we'd pick Adventure. As a family with very active days, Serenade works well.

 

Don't know if this opinion helped, or created more confusion, but I'd definitely recommend you change it up and take a southern cruise!

[bogs1009]

Thanks for the suggestions, right now it looks like we are leaning towards the Southern route. Now the question will be what ship. I like the intenary and days of travel on the Serenade better but probably will like the Adventure ship better.

[bibbysnow]

Thanks for the suggestions, right now it looks like we are leaning towards the Southern route. Now the question will be what ship. I like the intenary and days of travel on the Serenade better but probably will like the Adventure ship better.

 

I have been on all three ships. Since you have decided to go the southern route I would pick the Adventure over the Serenade. Personally Serenade is one of my least favorite ships. I love the Promenade on Adventure.

[dealhunter]

Glad someone asked this question. I love the Freedom class ships but we've grown tired of the Eastern and Western Caribbean and are ready to branch out a bit. I booked the Southern Caribbean on Serenade not only for itinerary, but the dates worked out best for me. I am a little concerned about going from a newer ships to the Serenade, but then I remember how much I loved the Majesty and Sovereign so hopefully my experience will be good. I've read so much about the views on the Serenade so I'm looking forward tomy trip.

[LookingForward2]

as others have said, the southern route is really great.

 

between adventure or serenade, it might depend upon which date you're looking at - they might not be available, check their schedules. this might determine which ship you choose.