Is the oasis of the seas really worth the price??

[Eng23]

If you each had 2 drinks at the pool, 2 wines each at dinner, then 2 to 3 drinks each in the evening that adds up to about 12 to 14 drinks total a day. Drinks run in the $7.00 range.

That totals out to about $84.00 to $98.00 per day for the two of you. If you times that by 7 days you spend about $600.00 to $700.00 for the week. Now if you have a wild drinking day or two, then it would be easy to get near The $700.00 level. You could also run the bill up if you use your tab to buy a few other people drinks. On a cruise it's easy to have that many drinks. There's no need for a designated driver. lol Of course many people drink about 4 drinks per day, then the package becomes cost prohibitive. The drink costs are the same throughout the whole fleet.

If your including air, cabin and spending money for $ 4000.00 and you have at least a balcony cabin then you have a good price. We sailed on the Allure last year and the Freedom the year before. The Allure is the same as the Oasis and they are a better ship then the Freedom without a doubt. We are sailing on the Oasis on Nov 2nd and we are thinking about getting the drink package, good luck

Just FYI. Under the rules of these drink packages you cannot "buy" drinks for others. If found that you are the package can be revoked with no refund.

[Snoopycollector]

IMO -- it's totally worth it ! We sailed on the Allure (not quite 2 yrs ago) and loved every minute of it !

 

I am a crazy pre-cruise planner... we sailed with some friends we'd met on our first cruise and we had all the show reservations determined in advance. I read the CC boards like an addict finding out every last detail and while some might call that "compulsive" (like DH) -- he wasn't disappointed in the roast beef sandwiches he inhaled at Park Cafe, or the nice MDR lunch they offer on sea days, etc. The fact that I knew more or less what to expect and where to find things only made the trip that much more enjoyable. (I would have been upset if I hadn't known, and missed the tutti salad bar in the MDR.)

 

We had purposely skipped the formal nights and attended Rita's Fiesta on one of those nights -- it was GREAT !! I laughed so hard at most of the "contests" and we ate so much, it was just a great time -- even carrying home my sombrero on the plane. And -- what a great deal -- $20 included all you could eat and 3 alcoholic drinks. $10 for 3 non-alcoholic drinks. (I know -- they don't have this on Oasis.)

 

I don't know exactly what we paid for our cruise + airfare and I am an excellent bargain hunter, but we had no regrets about what we paid. We had signed up for the RCCL Visa card on a previous cruise and I'd been using it to pay monthly expenses (and pay off the balance each month) in order to build up points.... we had a decent amount of OBC as a result.

 

I will admit that after sailing Allure -- I was a little afraid that I'd be disappointed to sail the Explorer last month... (but when you can get a PR room for $499 each -- how can you NOT go???) Happy to report that we were perfectly content to sail on the Explorer (ok, we got the flu 2 days before we got home, and the weather was a little cold coming and going, but there was no pressure to DO things.... we could relax, guilt free without having to worry about being somewhere. And those 3 days of sunny 70s was GREAT ! but I digress.)

 

Like a lot of others, I'd pass on the drink package -- you will end up feeling obligated to drink maybe more than you care to, in order to make up the expense you paid.

 

And Allure was so great -- we're going on Oasis this summer. My mom is taking the whole family (there are 9 of us) and she's never been on Oasis class before.... I will be providing the family's first Oasis briefing at Easter dinner. :D

 

Go - have a FABULOUS time !! Make sure you wring out every last dime's worth that you paid for it and enjoy everything that is offered !! (right down to having your photos taken with the Dreamworks characters !! Those photos are so much fun after the fact that you will be happy you did it.!)

 

Sandy

[cruisinrg]

GO GO GO! That's what I have to say. We have been on every class of Royal Caribbean ship and other lines as well. We are going on the Allure for the 2nd time this April. I tell everyone whether you have cruised many times before or have never cruised, when you walk onto this ship, you just go WOW! This will be our 29th cruise coming up and I'm looking forward to being back on the Allure. I would've done Oasis this time around, but our friends wanted Allure, and they had never been, so we said we'd go with them. Enjoy everything the ship has to offer, book your shows in advance and you will have a wonderful time :)

[sunseeker551]

We've cruised the Oasis & Allure and thought we'd try the Freedom Class so booked B2Bs on the Liberty for Feb 25th and Freedom for December 1st. We thought we'd prefer the "smaller" class ship and it might have been different had we sailed the Freedom Class first but we definitely preferred the Oasis class. We felt the food and service was better and really liked the dedicated running track, among other things. We also found the public areas (especially the Solarium) on the Liberty much more crowded....we never did get a seat in the solarium unless it was the end of the day or a port day. We absolutely love the two-story Solarium on the Oasis/Allure. It was always our favourite place on the ship...not so on Liberty.

 

While we were on the Liberty we actually switched our December 1st cruise to the Allure and it was the same price as we were going to pay on the Freedom (once we applied our C&A Savings certificate & OBC, it ended up being cheaper...yay) so it isn't always more to sail Oasis class.

 

I think you'd have to be a pretty heavy drinker to break even on that drinks package so my advice is scrap it and save your money. We ordered drinks, wine & beer whenever we felt like it and we didn't even come close to spending that kind of money. You're limited for wines too so it's not that great if you like decent wine from what I understand.

 

Good luck with your decision...it's your 10th Anniversary so I say go big and go all the way! Whatever you chose, have fun & Happy Anniversary (in advance)!

[lisa70]

Ok...I'm sort of having buyers remorse and want to see what others have to say. My husband and I just booked a cruise on the oasis for our 10 year anniversary. We figured go big or go home. Well now I'm counting the cost and we're right around $4000 for flight, balcony room, premium drink package (what's another $700 bucks?!) And spending money. It just seems like a LOT of money for 7 days. I'm really looking forward to just relaxing, seeing some great shows and trying some of the specialty restaurants. Are we going to save a lot of money by going on a different ship and will we have as good of a time? Any favorite ships? I don't want to go on a super outdated ship and we definitely want to go for 7 nights

 

I have buyer remorse as well we are booked on Oasis the end of March for 4 people Crown Loft $12,500.00 before anything else. My DH hates cruising and my DS has never been but my DD loves it with me. So i worry about DH who loves everything 1st class.

[born2travel]

I'd say you will get your money's worth and more! Allure was my 6th cruise, with my previous RCI experiences being on the Voyager class (the Mariner, twice and the Adventure of the Seas) and the Freedom class (Liberty of the Seas)

 

We pd approx $2600 for our OV Balcony cabin, and while we managed to reduce our airfare considerably with airmiles, we had to pay for 2 nights of hotel costs, so it was NOT a cheap vacation. I would have loved a beverage package, but as my husband does not drink alcohol at all, that wasn't an option. I enjoyed a modest number of drinks, at least a couple per day, and my bar bill was less than $200.

 

We felt it was worth every penny...the service, food, and facilities were that much better on the Allure. Never even made it to the MDR because the Windjammer was too darned good, and we we didn't really feel like spending nearly 2 hrs on dinner each night. I loved Central Park, just the novelty and beauty of it, not to mention the Park Cafe...YUM!!!! Any time we were returning from the opposite end of the ship, we made a point to go up/down to CP on Deck 8, enjoy the stroll through it, then take the stairs down to our cabin on Deck 7.

 

Loved the solarium, loved the Boardwalk, and the Dog House...and I don't even like hot dogs, but the sausages were delicious. The Aqua Show was great, likewise the comdey acts, ice shows, etc.

 

Relax, dream, plan, and read Gambee's review! I am determined to sail on the Oasis as soon as possible. I am sure it is as awesome as the Allure!

[BrianMD]

I wish my rate would be that low. I'm looking at Allure or Oasis for Eastern in July/August 2014 and the rate for 3 in a balcony is around $5,000 not including airfare. Gotta find another alternative. Personally I'd drop the drink package, from what I've heard you have to drink ALOT to make it worthwhile.

[Peeker28]

I haven't sailed yet (June) but I can say that cost was a factor for us. We booked an inside room to keep costs down and no alcohol package for us. I have tried to pre pay everything I possibly can. We are doing one speciality restaurant and very inexpensive excursions. For us we booked because the ship has so much to offer. Good luck in whatever decision you make:D

[Cruising89143]

You guys are giving me a lot to think about. I'm just so confused and feeling cheap all of a sudden. We're paying over $600 for our flight so that's a chunk of change right there. Our actual cabin is $2300 with taxes. I'm going back and forth about the drink package, we're not huge drinkers, but i also don't want to be shocked by our bill at the end of the week. In my head I'm thinking I would like a couple drinks by the pool, a glass or two of wine at dinner and then a couple of cocktails during shows. Will we be be close to the $700 mark drinking that much or significantly lower?

 

 

I would not purchase the drink package on RCI due to the fact that it does not include all beverages such as bottled water. It's a much better deal on Celebrity and it is worth the price on Celebrity. It's nice not getting a receipt after every drink.

 

Then Oasis class ships are some of the best and worth every penny IMHO. I have spent six weeks on board between the two twins. Something for everyone to do. Entertainment remains by far the best that I have seen on the seas.

[mkmom514]

I would agree with some of the other replies. Keep the cruise and drop the drink package. If you're probably just going to break even, why not drop the package and pay as you go? Also, remember you will be off the ship on port days so there won't be as many drinks on the ship. We thought about getting the soda package on the Oasis, but decided against it (we don't drink alcohol). We ended up buying 3 sodas the whole week. I know it's not the same as alcohol, but I bet you would save yourself some money. You will love the cruise anyway :)

[Sumisid]

We are from Switzerland. DH and I booked Oasis as part of a 3 weeks Florida-Trip. First week Harley-Tour, second week Oasis, third week diving in Key Largo. Guess which week was the best? :D

 

This was a really expensive holiday but worth every cent! We loved Oasis so much that we booked another cruise while on board. We will be on Oasis again in February 2014 and probably add one more week with Allure.

 

And to top it off: We booked the Transatlantic with Oasis in October 2014 from Rotterdam to FLL. And to make the long wait shorter: One week in the Western Med with Liberty :o:)...

[CruiseMore1]

We are from Switzerland. DH and I booked Oasis as part of a 3 weeks Florida-Trip. First week Harley-Tour, second week Oasis, third week diving in Key Largo. Guess which week was the best? :D

 

This was a really expensive holiday but worth every cent! We loved Oasis so much that we booked another cruise while on board. We will be on Oasis again in February 2014 and probably add one more week with Allure.

 

And to top it off: We booked the Transatlantic with Oasis in October 2014 from Rotterdam to FLL. And to make the long wait shorter: One week in the Western Med with Liberty :o:)...

 

Come join our roll call for the Oasis Westbound TA - It's a lively group! Hope to see you there!

[BekkaW]

My perspective - we flew from Australia to go on Oasis. Airfare is around $1200pp return to LA and then we had to transit through to Ft Lauderdale. Can't remember what that cost but it was a few hundred I think. We got a Tuesday sale rate on a JS for $1600pp. So the trip was around $5600 without other hotels etc

 

Was it worth it- absolutely! We both (DH and I) love this ship. I'm looking at Allure for this October and we have already booked the upcoming oasis TA. We never felt there was nothing to do, between shows, parades, trivia, casino tournaments etc there is something for everyone. We enjoyed both the MDR and some speciality restaurants. We found the ports beautiful but I recognize that for people who have spent a lot of time in the Caribbean they are less exciting.

 

I would probably cancel the drinks package if I were you, we didn't drink $700 between us (DH is a light drinker though). I can see that some people would easily meet the 6-7 drinks but I don't think I could do it every day for 7 days, especially with some port stops. Carry on some bottles of wine and have a few drinks of the day and you should be good :)

[CruzinSuz]

We just got off Allure...I've always loved the smaller ships like Radiance and Vision class, never would've thought I'd go for the big one's. We've been on Oasis 10 times already and Allure 3. They're just gorgeous ships, so many passenger's, yet you don't feel crowded because they're so many options for you. People are spread out doing what ever it is they want to do. Don't miss the beautiful solarium. Park Café for lunch on boarding day, so you don't get caught up in the mob at the Windjammer.

Depending on how much you drink, you might be better off just buying them outright. That said, we always used to do all-inclusive vacations, so it's nice not to worry about what every drink costs. Just go with the flow. Only you can be the judge of that part.

 

Enjoy, and have a wonderful anniversary.

[Sumisid]

Come join our roll call for the Oasis Westbound TA - It's a lively group! Hope to see you there!

 

I'm already there :D. Also on the website that was created by one of the cc-members (with pic).

[sixesandeights]

Kind of thinking that's what we're going to do as it would cut out a huge chunk of our budget...although we are from Wisconsin so we like our drinks :)

 

Don't let these people talk you out of the drink package. The price you said of $700 is for both of you to drink as much as you want. (I think your total would actually be $770 $55*7*2). This gets you two things. 1) You have no surprises at the end of the week. 2) You will try so many more things this way. Many times on previous cruises I have wanted to try a special drink, but decided to skip them because the idea of buying a $9-$11 specialty drink and not liking it is a bit off-putting. With the all you can drink you can try whatever you want, you can order when you want, and not have to keep checking on your tab.

 

You mentioned liking to drink. I drink a good deal on cruises (not much at all in regular life). On my last 7 day cruise by bar bill was over $700 FOR ME ALONE. If you are like me and like to keep a drink in hand while on vacation then package WILL pay for itself. A single beer is over $6 with the gratuity added. A Bourbon and Coke is around $8 with the gratuity. Specialty drink (Martini's, margaritas, etc) are pushing $10 with the gratuity. As you can see it doesn't take much to break even.

 

For me the biggest selling point is the piece of mind that it will give me. No longer will I have to ignore the voice in my head telling me to stop buying expensive drinks, and will be able to simply relax. Small price to pay for a more enjoyable vacation.

[makunc1]

How much is for the cruise? I wouldn't pay 4K for a cruise on RCI and drink package for 7 nights...no way. If your airfare is making half of that or almost I can see that.

 

I would pay that for a Disney Fantasy cruise...which I just did in December. My DH and I are taking a cheaper cruise for our 15th wedding anniversary in May. We picked a port we could drive to...Baltimore and then went from there. A cruise to the bahamas...7 nights...no airfare needed $1243.XX. We will be on the Grandeur which is older but recently refurbed. For us...the price was right and even if this cruise is akin to glorified camping we will just be happy to be away from the kids and soaking in the sun. We got the cheapest interior room as well.

 

We arent doing the drink package...will bring wine on board and get a wine package at dinner. I think for the most part you have to drink like 9 drinks a day per person to break even on that. Some days yes but not everyday!

 

I feel just the opposite (not about the drink package - we aren't drinkers). We went on the Fantasy with the kids in February after being on the Allure twice, and I can't wait to get back to RCI. Aside from a few things that Disney does better than anyone, there is no comparison, IMHO. I thought Disney for adults was BLAH in every way.

[Aurora2143]

We went on Oasis last June as our 1st ever cruise..Boy, was that a mistake!! Now we are going on Allure in May..lol We LOVED it!! There is soo much to do & hey..its a special trip..Your anniversary..Go for it..You will LOVE it!! We are taking our family of 4 so $ 4,000 sounds like a great deal to me..lol We are also doing the drink pkg. If you have any specific questions about Oasis, just let me know..Happy to help!! :)

 

I agree! We did the Oasis last year as our first cruise as well. We did the E. Carib, and wasn't sorry. We paid waaaayyyy more but stayed in a GS AND LOVED IT, and you're going to have so much fun. It's an awesome ship!

I agree with another poster as well, if you want to lower the overall price, I'd drop the drink packages. You have to drink quite a bit to make up for that price.

Enjoy your cruise!! :)

[Tommy Gibson]

Kind of thinking that's what we're going to do as it would cut out a huge chunk of our budget...although we are from Wisconsin so we like our drinks :)

 

Drinks are not cheap. I do like to drink, and purchased the drink package last year on the Celebrity Summit. I loved the fact that I didn't have to worry about a bill for alcohol at the end of the cruise. I want a worry free cruise, and not have to worry about pricing. I did buy the package for the Oasis as well because it was really nice not having to worry about how much the drink were gonna be. I will say, if you are a Bud Light drinker or like wine from a box, then maybe it's not worth it. I drink premium liquor and imported beer, so 5 - 6 drinks a day would pay for itself. It's a vacation, and time to relax, have fun and not worry about the price of a drink.

[jjtimes2]

We just got off the Oasis last Saturday. It was our 5th cruise and before that we'd always gone on small/medium ships, but this time DH wanted a "big ship" so I got him the biggest one out there. This was the most expensive cruise we've gone on, but honestly, it was the best decision we have ever made about a cruise! It was fantastic and we cannot wait to go again! There is so much to see, do, watch, eat, drink, listen to, learn about, and explore. IMHO, I wouldn't re-think your decision - you will love the Oasis.

 

Happy 10th Anniversary and enjoy your cruise!

[KG1924]

Don't let these people talk you out of the drink package. The price you said of $700 is for both of you to drink as much as you want. (I think your total would actually be $770 $55*7*2). This gets you two things. 1) You have no surprises at the end of the week. 2) You will try so many more things this way. Many times on previous cruises I have wanted to try a special drink, but decided to skip them because the idea of buying a $9-$11 specialty drink and not liking it is a bit off-putting. With the all you can drink you can try whatever you want, you can order when you want, and not have to keep checking on your tab.

 

You mentioned liking to drink. I drink a good deal on cruises (not much at all in regular life). On my last 7 day cruise by bar bill was over $700 FOR ME ALONE. If you are like me and like to keep a drink in hand while on vacation then package WILL pay for itself. A single beer is over $6 with the gratuity added. A Bourbon and Coke is around $8 with the gratuity. Specialty drink (Martini's, margaritas, etc) are pushing $10 with the gratuity. As you can see it doesn't take much to break even.

 

For me the biggest selling point is the piece of mind that it will give me. No longer will I have to ignore the voice in my head telling me to stop buying expensive drinks, and will be able to simply relax. Small price to pay for a more enjoyable vacation.

 

LOL!! I agree about the Drink package!!! Only you can really decide that....for my husband and I it's a no brainier as our tab for cruises is normally around $1200 w/ maybe one specialty restaurant in there and a ship ornament!! And especially that you can budget it ahead of time and not worry about the end bill!! As far as other beverages, pop is included-you just have to get it from the bar, not the pop machines. And for water you can always try to bring on some water, worst case scenario they take it at the port. There are also plenty of free non-alcoholic beverages on board, you don't have to have bottled water all the time! It does sound like the Celebrity option is better, but we're talking about Royal....it's just not an option at this point!

 

As far as the cruise being worth it....YES!! the Oasis was the best trip I've ever had and we can't wait to go back! Granted, we got married while on her, but it still was an amazing vacation as well. My sister-in-law and her husband celebrated their 10 year anniversary the day after we got married in St. Thomas-they had just had their first kid and money was a bit tight for them at the time so it was a stretch for them to join us. 3 years later she still talks about how it was the best thing they could have done and will always remember their anniversary being during the best trip ever! Start doing more research and get excited about it again-your anniversary should be special!!!

[KG1924]

And PS-my husband and I did the drink package on Carnival and managed to reach the 15 drink max each on a couple nights...we remember the entire trip perfectly well, thank you! well, Cozumel may have been a little fuzzy, but that has nothing to do with the drink package on the ship:p We do enjoy cocktails in our regular lives, but we also have real responsiblities in real life that we don't have while on cruises. If I want a margarita while sitting by the pool at 10 in the morning, I literally have no good reason not to while on a cruise! Now on land, my boss would not be all that happy with me....We obviously drink way more then normal on a cruise. Is it healthy? Gosh no...but we cruise maybe once a year and we are fairly healthy adults so I think our livers will forgive us!! Just because you get the drink package it does not make you a sloppy drunk.

[ravenraisin]

You guys are giving me a lot to think about. I'm just so confused and feeling cheap all of a sudden. We're paying over $600 for our flight so that's a chunk of change right there. Our actual cabin is $2300 with taxes. I'm going back and forth about the drink package, we're not huge drinkers, but i also don't want to be shocked by our bill at the end of the week. In my head I'm thinking I would like a couple drinks by the pool, a glass or two of wine at dinner and then a couple of cocktails during shows. Will we be be close to the $700 mark drinking that much or significantly lower?

Your bar bill wont be that bad unless your drinking all day long!

[big al]

As you can read, there are so many opinions here...we've done 28 cruises, 12 on RCI, 2 on Oasis class, 3 Freedom class, 5 Voyager class...much of the info here is wrong...fact: you CANNOT see the AMAZING Aqua Park diving show on any ship- only Oasis/Allure..fact: only Oasis/ Allure have 25+ dining options..yes, some are fee paying, but, hey- you're on a an anniversary cruise!! Fact: Central Park IS AMAZING, especially at night, on a clear starry night, with the classical trio playing, it's truly romantic and is my FAVORITE place on the entire ship- don't miss taking a stroll there at night...Fact: the drink package is a tough decision..my wife doesn't drink much, and I may have 4-5 drinks a day..for us, not worth it...as said here before, you should figure on 8-9 drinks PER PERSON PER DAY to make it worthwhile ( at least!)..what is killing you is airfare & drink package...the airfare is a must ( unless you find cheaper fares) , but the rest is individualized..we splurge on anniversary/ b'day cruises, but we live local to the ports...I am conservative with my $$ all year, but I am not cheap when it comes to our vacations- that's the way my parents taught me..that being said, I think the Oasis is worth EVERY penny..Hairspray was THEE best show we've ever seen at sea, the infinity canti-levered hot tubs in the Adult Solarium pool area are fabulous, the Royal Promenade so cool, and as mentioned before, the Aqua Park show is truly something special...go, and make your anniversary cruise special!!

 

Big Al

[Orange jeep]

We have been on 10 cruises and the oasis is an awesome ship! We loved the non stop entertainment options that smaller ships don't necessarily offer such a wide variety of venues. I will say I can't wait to go back on the Oasis or Allure. Yes it was expensive but totally worth every penny. We traveled in September and fares seemed less expensive than Spring/Summer rates. Once you go on a ship this size you will have a hard time going back to a smaller one (unless you don't like a big ship feeling). :)