Dream or Oasis of the Seas???

[jeremyp969]

I asked a similar question over in the RCI forum, but people suggested I ask here as well, so here goes. I'm currently deciding between the Nov 2nd 2013 sailing of either Carnival Dream or RCI Oasis. They both have EXACT same itinary, except one leaves from Port Canaveral and one leaves from Ft Lauderdale. I'm traveling with my wife(we are both early 30's) and our two kids 6 and 4.

 

I was surprised at the difference in price of the two cruises...the Oasis is about $1800 more. It seems like you compare reviews and people say food and entertainment are better on RCI, but then some people say the food is the same, and with traveling with a 6 and 4 year old am I even going to get a chance to enjoy the entertainment? We made the mistake of telling the kids about the Dreamworks characters being on the Oasis(they're both obsesssed with the Madagascar movies right now). So they got really excited about that. It's tough to say for an extra 1800 is it really worth it?

 

 

My wife is leaning towards Oasis, she says since we're spending the money(airfare and all that) we should splurge, but it seems like any single cruise could be better than any other for any week depending on weather, fellow passengers and what steward etc. you get assigned.

 

For example we originally had booked the Freedom of the Seas for that same week...nice ship, cheap rate. Until we found out it was a biker reunion and 2000+ bikers were taking over the ship....read this if you want to feel bad for some cruisers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...00-cruise.html

 

 

We are the type of people where excessive crowds and/or rude people can ruin things for us, with the kids. Somehow in my head I have that RCI has perhaps less of that which is why I haven't discounted it completely based on price.

 

 

Unfortuantely it's still the variables of who else is on the ship....so we could have a killer time on Dream or a so-so time on Oasis and get home and wished we didn't spend the extra money.....ok done rambling :-)

 

Has anyone done both of those ships and can compare? Or anyone do those ships with young kids?

 

Thanks for the help!

[Cruizinman]

I would have to do the Oasis over the Dream.

[Ourfirstfamilycruise]

Have you looked into Disney since your kids are at such a great age? Sorry I can't answer your ?? though since I am about to go on the Dream in July, never been on Oasis. I would think the Oasis would be better than the Dream though, but not sure 1800 better.

[jeremyp969]

We looked at Disney briefly, but that seemed to be quite a bit more than RCI and we do Disney world pretty frequently, wanted to try to get away from the Disney characters for a bit.

[MrPete]

I'd buy up to $1800 worth of cruising experience. And less crowds.

[Meanee]

I posted very similar question in this forum. I took a cruise on both Oasis and Allure of the Seas, and considering Dream now.

 

The general response is that NOTHING can beat Oasis class. It's a magnificent ship, and maybe I got spoiled for having my very first cruise on Oasis. But now prices are much better on Dream, and we already did all ports that Oasis class can do, East and West Caribbean. So now we are looking to try something new.

 

Again, I cannot speak for Dream yet, since I didn't cruise on her yet. But me and my girlfriend (Early 30's, late 20's) very much enjoyed Oasis.

[crewsweeper]

I'd look at the kids activites offered, and size of cabin and location. Go with the one that has the best kids options for kids in your age range, not older teens. That might give you and your wife a little special time together.

 

Crowds will be crowds on either ship as they both sail full. However Nov 2nd might have less children than say the Turkey Day cruises, so might not be as crowded.

 

Food is subjective. You'll pay extra for the specialty restaurants, burgers and icecream on RCCl, in addition to the extra fare. Go with the one that has food options your kids would enjoy too. Not the foodies selective tastes that create the most grumbling on both forums.

[jeremyp969]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

 

Crowds will be crowds on either ship as they both sail full. However Nov 2nd might have less children than say the Turkey Day cruises, so might not be as crowded.

 

Food is subjective. You'll pay extra for the specialty restaurants, burgers and icecream on RCCl, in addition to the extra fare. Go with the one that has food options your kids would enjoy too. Not the foodies selective tastes that create the most grumbling on both forums.

 

Actually Nov. 2nd is "Jersey week". New Jersey kids have 2 days off school, so the ships are filled with NJers.

 

On RCCL you have to pay for ice cream? Or did I read you wrong. Sounds dumb, but one of the things my youngest is looking forward to is ice cream 3 times a day :-)

[arpie05]

For me - the extra $1800 is a whole 2nd week onboard. (It's more than i"m spending for a Week on the Dream for 2 in July) It is also a lot more expensive for me to fly to Miami or Ft Lauderdale than Orlando ($100+ pp)

 

I think the Oasis looks like a really nice ship.

 

You just have to weigh everything... You could spend the night in Orlando at a Universal hotel - My brother will do that in January with his family. they'll do 2 days at Disney and switch to Universal and stay in the Hard Rock or one of those hotels that allows early Universal entrance. His kids are younger than mine so they like the NickHotel in Orlando too. They've just stayed there for several days and not done park.

 

Your kids are young enough that there will be plenty of vacations.

 

Also, don't forget to factor in tips. Carnival is $11.50 pp per day. It looks like (unless I read wrong) RC is $11.70 pp per day - so not much difference but a little.

 

Also - compare sizes of rooms. We sailed NCL once and their Interiors are much smaller than CCL.

 

IF you are going for a suite - RC is better with their extras so I've read.

 

RC charges for Johnny Rockets and the Ben & Jerry's.

Dream does NOT have the Guy Burgers but does serve lunch on the Lanai, burgers & Hot dogs on the Lido and Pasta on deck 12 (aft). Soft Serve ice cream 24/7 (All these are Free!)

 

The Dream does have a nice Waterpark area of younger kids and they are known for treating younger guests very well in the dining room and kids club. (they have 18 hole mini golf)

[mbleackl]

I asked a similar question over in the RCI forum, but people suggested I ask here as well, so here goes. I'm currently deciding between the Nov 2nd 2013 sailing of either Carnival Dream or RCI Oasis. They both have EXACT same itinary, except one leaves from Port Canaveral and one leaves from Ft Lauderdale. I'm traveling with my wife(we are both early 30's) and our two kids 6 and 4.

 

I was surprised at the difference in price of the two cruises...the Oasis is about $1800 more. It seems like you compare reviews and people say food and entertainment are better on RCI, but then some people say the food is the same, and with traveling with a 6 and 4 year old am I even going to get a chance to enjoy the entertainment? We made the mistake of telling the kids about the Dreamworks characters being on the Oasis(they're both obsesssed with the Madagascar movies right now). So they got really excited about that. It's tough to say for an extra 1800 is it really worth it?

 

 

My wife is leaning towards Oasis, she says since we're spending the money(airfare and all that) we should splurge, but it seems like any single cruise could be better than any other for any week depending on weather, fellow passengers and what steward etc. you get assigned.

 

For example we originally had booked the Freedom of the Seas for that same week...nice ship, cheap rate. Until we found out it was a biker reunion and 2000+ bikers were taking over the ship....read this if you want to feel bad for some cruisers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...00-cruise.html

 

 

We are the type of people where excessive crowds and/or rude people can ruin things for us, with the kids. Somehow in my head I have that RCI has perhaps less of that which is why I haven't discounted it completely based on price.

 

 

Unfortuantely it's still the variables of who else is on the ship....so we could have a killer time on Dream or a so-so time on Oasis and get home and wished we didn't spend the extra money.....ok done rambling :-)

 

Has anyone done both of those ships and can compare? Or anyone do those ships with young kids?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

We are booked on the Dream next January so will be our first experience on her. We have sailed on the Conquest a couple of times. It's going to be a family cruise for 10 of us. We sailed on the Oasis this past January and enjoyed the experience. Considering the 6000 of us on board we didn't feel crowded at any time. The ship is so big and there are so many venues to experience. I have to say that we didn't get around to do everything there was so much to do.

 

Considering that, we decided to go on the Dream mainly because it had a better itinerary. It was also less expensive, and I think my mid to late 30's kids on their first cruise will have as good a time. I think it's a good "starter" cruise. My grandchildren will enjoy it too.

 

I think your kids will have a good time no matter which you choose. I wouldn't spend the extra $1800 just for the characters though. I only saw one parade of characters during the week and I think you have to book for any other character events.

[Meanee]

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone!

 

 

 

Actually Nov. 2nd is "Jersey week". New Jersey kids have 2 days off school, so the ships are filled with NJers.

 

On RCCL you have to pay for ice cream? Or did I read you wrong. Sounds dumb, but one of the things my youngest is looking forward to is ice cream 3 times a day :-)

 

They have ice cream machines on pool deck. No wait, and were offline only once during entire cruise.

 

They do have an ice cream shop on the boardwalk that does cost money. But that's "premium hand made" ice cream, as they describe it.

[Maxiecat3]

Where's Tapi:p. They are a poster on this site that did a review of their cruises on the Dream and the Allure (sister ship to Oasis). Maybe you could find those reviews to give you some insight. (They loved the Allure).

 

Gregg

[halos]

The general response is that NOTHING can beat Oasis class. .

 

That's the impression I get as well.

$1800 is not a small sum, but comfort and feeling less crowded is priceless (to me anyway)

[Mizzouaholic]

I'd do the Dream and save my $1800. You could take another cruise with they money.

[firefly333]

For $1800 I would do Dream now and do Oasis later. That a huge difference. There are deals on Oasis much less and I only paid $1300 for ocean view balconys on Oasis when I went.. total, including taxes.

 

Do Dream now and do Oasis another time.

 

There are so many good deals out there.. price Freedom OTS for instance. Its a nice ship..

 

I would never pay $1800 more for Oasis.. though of course its a really really nice ship. I loved it. Im doing Allure next year. but believe me not paying $1800.

 

I did do the character breakfast on Oasis one of the two times I did that ship. It was cute. They come in and show off .. and then go around to each table for individual picture taking so you could take all the pictures you want of the kids with the characters. There are actually three breakfasts, with different characters.. so only one with the characters your kids want. There is also a parade (very crowded so I skipped it) with the characters for more pictures.. and I saw them around for other things. So plenty of pictures ops with characters.

[Tapi]

We sailed on both the Carnival Dream and the Allure of the Seas (Oasis' sister) the same year. I have reviewed both cruises and you can click on the links below in my signature if you wish to read them. Hope they help you decide.

 

Our cruise on the Dream was nice. Our cruise on the Allure was an absolutely amazing, once in a lifetime type of cruise. Unless the extra $1800 would be over what you can afford, I would absolutely take the Oasis over the Dream.

 

About the kids program: Adventure Ocean and the Dreamworks Experience are light years ahead of Camp Carnival. There's just NO comparison. Your kids will be entertained thoroughly. Our son was younger than yours, yet he loved attending all the Dreamworks inspired shows (both at the Aqua Theater and the ice skating rink). They also have character breakfasts where the kids can meet and have their photos taken with the Dreamworks characters.

 

In addition to all the Dreamworks stuff, Adventure Ocean is a wonderful program. There are activities all day long, and the facilities truly rival the best day care facilities I've seen on land. Having such a wonderful program allowed us to leave our son for a few hours a day in good care, which in turn allowed us to enjoy more grown up entertainment, like the alternative restaurants, the great theatrical performances, or just a few hours of relaxation at the Solarium. In all fairness, my wife thought that the Camp Carnival facilities on the Dream were "very pretty" but the program was a bit lackluster.

 

Some people say that $1800 can be another cruise. Yes, that's true. But Oasis/Allure is something to be experienced at least once and it's worth every single extra penny. I'm VERY glad I had the chance to sail on this ship and would do it again in a heartbeat. I would much rather experience 1 amazing cruise, than 2 "just nice" cruises.

[jeremyp969]

Where's Tapi:p. They are a poster on this site that did a review of their cruises on the Dream and the Allure (sister ship to Oasis). Maybe you could find those reviews to give you some insight. (They loved the Allure).

 

Gregg

 

Thanks, I'll see if I can find it and if anyone has the link please let me know!

[Maxiecat3]

Thanks, I'll see if I can find it and if anyone has the link please let me know!

 

They just posted just above you:D.

 

Gregg

[Tapi]

For $1800 I would do Dream now and do Oasis later. That a huge difference. There are deals on Oasis...

 

....believe me not paying $1800.

 

Fire, remember that it's a family of 4, so it's roughly $450 more per person. When we did the Allure, we ended paying twice what we paid for the Dream and it was well worth it.

 

There's a drawback with 3rd and 4th passenger pricing on Royal Caribbean. They are normally not as generous as Carnival is. When we sailed on the Allure, the 3rd/4th passenger rate was almost TRIPLE what Carnival charged for a 3rd/4th passenger on the Dream. That's a huge reason why our Allure cruises ended up being considerably more expensive than our Dream cruise.

 

For our upcoming cruise to Alaska, I eliminated sailing on Royal for the same exact reasons. The 3rd and 4th rates were ridiculously high, which is a huge reason why we ended booking on Holland America since our kids will be sailing for almost just taxes. :D

[jeremyp969]

Thanks Tapi! Reading your reviews now....I'll see if I can get through them by November ;-)

[Tapi]

Where's Tapi:p.

 

I'm here, I'm here! Believe it or not, I have to work between posts here on Cruise Critic! :o

[PROCRUISE]

Oasis is the logical choice with or without children, if the cost is not a real factor.

[Glock19]

I asked a similar question over in the RCI forum, but people suggested I ask here as well, so here goes. I'm currently deciding between the Nov 2nd 2013 sailing of either Carnival Dream or RCI Oasis. They both have EXACT same itinary, except one leaves from Port Canaveral and one leaves from Ft Lauderdale. I'm traveling with my wife(we are both early 30's) and our two kids 6 and 4.

 

I was surprised at the difference in price of the two cruises...the Oasis is about $1800 more. It seems like you compare reviews and people say food and entertainment are better on RCI, but then some people say the food is the same, and with traveling with a 6 and 4 year old am I even going to get a chance to enjoy the entertainment? We made the mistake of telling the kids about the Dreamworks characters being on the Oasis(they're both obsesssed with the Madagascar movies right now). So they got really excited about that. It's tough to say for an extra 1800 is it really worth it?

 

 

My wife is leaning towards Oasis, she says since we're spending the money(airfare and all that) we should splurge, but it seems like any single cruise could be better than any other for any week depending on weather, fellow passengers and what steward etc. you get assigned.

 

For example we originally had booked the Freedom of the Seas for that same week...nice ship, cheap rate. Until we found out it was a biker reunion and 2000+ bikers were taking over the ship....read this if you want to feel bad for some cruisers:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...00-cruise.html

 

 

We are the type of people where excessive crowds and/or rude people can ruin things for us, with the kids. Somehow in my head I have that RCI has perhaps less of that which is why I haven't discounted it completely based on price.

 

 

Unfortuantely it's still the variables of who else is on the ship....so we could have a killer time on Dream or a so-so time on Oasis and get home and wished we didn't spend the extra money.....ok done rambling :-)

 

Has anyone done both of those ships and can compare? Or anyone do those ships with young kids?

 

Thanks for the help!

I been on the Dream. Last Febuary I went on the Allure. NOTHING can beat Oasis class. The service on that ship, the food, how clean they keep it. The shows were great. I've been on 27 cruises and I can say that cruise on the Allure was my best. Carnival for the price is good. I'm going on the Pride again in July, but the Oasis class ships are in a class all their own.

[firefly333]

Fire, remember that it's a family of 4, so it's roughly $450 more per person. When we did the Allure, we ended paying twice what we paid for the Dream and it was well worth it.

 

There's a drawback with 3rd and 4th passenger pricing on Royal Caribbean. They are normally not as generous as Carnival is. When we sailed on the Allure, the 3rd/4th passenger rate was almost TRIPLE what Carnival charged for a 3rd/4th passenger on the Dream. That's a huge reason why our Allure cruises ended up being considerably more expensive than our Dream cruise.

 

For our upcoming cruise to Alaska, I eliminated sailing on Royal for the same exact reasons. The 3rd and 4th rates were ridiculously high, which is a huge reason why we ended booking on Holland America since our kids will be sailing for almost just taxes. :D

 

Sometimes on RCL its cheaper to book a balcony and a inside or two cabins than one cabin and put all 4 people in it. Ive seen 3/4 rates higher than rates for 1/2 pax during the summer.

 

I always enjoy RCL and lately have felt bored on Carnival .. but its still a nice cruise on Carnival, just leaves me feeling a bit bored with the activities (or lack thereof).

 

Also, for the better cabins on RCL they beat Carnival all to heck with such larger and nicer cabins. Ive done JSs twice and love them on RCL. Walk in closets, door bell on one.. coffee service you can make in the cabin, just nice. On Carnival I dont bother. Suites are beyond what Im willing to pay, but they sure are nice. Ive done cabin crawls and seen them.

 

There is no doubt Oasis is in a class by itself with Allure. I had to push Allure from this year to next, dissapointed .. but hopefully it will get here.

[CrzGrl62569]

Oasis definitely! Just off Allure 3 weeks ago. Best. Cruise. Ever. (I'm Platinum on Carnival and Royal.)