allure vs. independence

[K L B]

We just finished a cruise on the Epic and now I'm shopping for our next adventure. I enjoyed our Epic cruise very much (we were in the Haven which is awesome), but I didn't like it quite as much as our cruise last year on Freedom of the Seas. That was my favourite cruise to date. Love that ship.

 

Next up: I'm considering a 7 day on the Allure vs. an 8 day on Independence of the Seas. I have a slight preference to the Independence 8 day itinerary, and I can get a grand suite for $1000 less than the Allure.

 

Thoughts? I know the Independence should be very similar to Freedom, but the Allure is a destination all on it's own.

 

What would you do???

[bravostar]

We just finished a cruise on the Epic and now I'm shopping for our next adventure. I enjoyed our Epic cruise very much (we were in the Haven which is awesome), but I didn't like it quite as much as our cruise last year on Freedom of the Seas. That was my favourite cruise to date. Love that ship.

 

Next up: I'm considering a 7 day on the Allure vs. an 8 day on Independence of the Seas. I have a slight preference to the Independence 8 day itinerary, and I can get a grand suite for $1000 less than the Allure.

 

Thoughts? I know the Independence should be very similar to Freedom, but the Allure is a destination all on it's own.

 

What would you do???

This is tough. I have been on a B2B on the Independence and are planning another . However that be said our first cruise on the Allure was so awesome we booked a second just to do the things we did not get to do the first time. It is an awesome ship.

I guess I am not to helpful but I think I would try the Allure just for the experience.

Either way you will have a great cruise.

[pinkrosesdeb]

We just did Oasis and will be doing Indy next Dec. We booked Indy because of the itinerary, the extra day AND the cheaper price. Oasis is really nice, but it was really crowded quite a bit of the time. We never really relax on an Oasis class ship because there are so many things to do. So, for an ADD person like myself, a smaller ship is more relaxing and the extra day is really a plus. Would rather have 8 days on a smaller ship than 7 on a big ship. But, we will definitely do Oasis class again, unless we fall totally in love with the Sunshine class which is sounding intriguing to us.

[K L B]

This is tough. I have been on a B2B on the Independence and are planning another . However that be said our first cruise on the Allure was so awesome we booked a second just to do the things we did not get to do the first time. It is an awesome ship.

I guess I am not to helpful but I think I would try the Allure just for the experience.

Either way you will have a great cruise.

 

Totally agree. Either way, I can't go wrong, which is why it is so hard to decide! I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed IOS and I understand she is getting a little makeover in April as well.

[Ocean Boy]

I really like both ships. Indy will be very much like Freedom. Allure is a completely different ship with awesome entertainment and many choices in dining venues. However, Indy has a much better itinerary than Allure. Some of the answer to your question depends on how important entertainment and dining venues are to you. The Aqua Theater is very unique and has amazing water shows. In this particular situation I would probably save the $1000.00 and take the extra day itinerary. Allure and Oasis will be around for a long time with the opportunity to sail for a better price.

[RCCL Fan]

I'll say it... DO ALLURE!!!!!!!

 

Here's why...

 

Allure is a destination onto itself and most importantly a completely brand new experience for you. It's the best of new ship mixed with the better cruise line.

 

You're becoming a cruising regular.... you have plenty of time to see new and explore new islands.

 

You've already been on Indy... because you've been on Freedom. They're the same ship, just different art, and a different crew. (indy has a little less actually, because hasn't been upgraded)

 

I say take the new experience, and enjoy Allure.... before you know it, there will be a third Oasis ship, and Sunshine ships, so there will be more to experience.

 

the suites and islands will be there for the next one, whatever it may be

[K L B]

Well this didn't help at all LOL!! I wish all of my decisions in life were like this. :D

[39august]

I have done both ships in the past 5 months. I would go for 8 nights on Indy in a heartbeat and take the GS for less!! Indy is virtually a non-smoking ship inside, only smoking is in the casino. The crew is great, the food in Windjammer at dinner was very, very good, embarking and debarking was quick and painless. If you are looking at next season after her TA back to the states, I would book a date that is a few weeks after the TA. There were some adjustments to a US sailing after coming from England this season according to several reports back in Nov. and Dec. Allure's prices most likely will come down after the third Oasis class ship arrives in the fleet. That class is simply not worth the money for me to repeat the experience.

[DiDi Kavanaugh]

Was going to post but am in complete agreement with my fellow Cruiser RCCl Cruiser. He expressed it all perfectly and I agree you should try Allure just for the experience and then you will know for certain which YOU like best. It is as he said a destination in itself. Freedom and Independence are same Sister Ships. Happy Sails!!!

[micmacmissy]

We just got off Indy the other day as people from Oasis were debarking. Spent a lot of time in the airport chatting with people from that ship. I was curious to hear what people had to say (because I really wanted to go on Oasis but tried Indy first). Most of the people I talked to said they wouldn't choose Oasis again!

 

Over and over, people said it was too big, too crowded. One couple said it was too hard to see the ocean and they didn't like how focused the design was on the interior. Everyone seemed to agree the entertainment was good, and they enjoyed it...but no one wanted to go back!

[K L B]

Really, really interesting food for thought here. Thank you everyone!

[kellygirl719]

Thanks for posting this thread - we were wondering what to decide too (after sailing the Oasis B2B years).. The Indy is looking tempting for the same reasons (8 days vs 7 and 1K less for a Grand Suite!) I wouldn't mind going back to a "smaller" ship but then was wondering if we should look at the Allure for the different shows...

[WillWorkForCruise121]

My wife and I have done both classes of ship. And while oasis class was a Cool experience there were some things we preferred about the freedom class. I would choose an extra day better itinerary and save $1000. Both ships have a lot to offer with an advantage of course going to the allure. But the other advantages I listed all favor choosing Indy. To me Indy wins

[DiDi Kavanaugh]

Addendum, We like the Freedom Class the very best of all. Much nicer and has all the frills we need!!!