Will Oasis be "too big" for me?

[aearly]

Hi All,

 

Sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseum. I haven't been on an RCCL ship in about 7 years. I've been on several Voyager-class ships in the past and loved them all.

 

I may be taking a Western Caribbean cruise in August of this year and am picking between the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral, or the Oasis of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale. Both trips are virtually identical in cost.

 

Is the Oasis of the Seas the clear winner here? Are my concerns of not feeling like I'm on a ship/cruise at all justified? Again, I loved the Voyager ships, will I be happy (or even prefer) the Oasis? Any comments are appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

[jletsgo]

This is just my opinion and I am sure you will get many....I have been on the Oasis and on the Freedom....I prefer the Freedom. The Oasis was grand and beautiful but I missed the feel of the ocean. To me, the Freedom has almost everything the Oasis does but a bit more intimate.

[Langley Cruisers]

...The Oasis was grand and beautiful but I missed the feel of the ocean. To me, the Freedom has almost everything the Oasis does but a bit more intimate.

 

^ This. Only for me, substitute Jewel for Freedom, even Mariner and Explorer, and that's me. Oasis was too large for me and I could not see the sea. Obviously, this is my opinion and how I felt; others will come along and tell me I'm crazy, that if I want to see the sea I should go up on deck. ;) Of course. But it's more than doing that, for me.

[Buckeye State Cruisers]

Wow a really tough question to answer. Our 1st cruise was on a Voyager class ship (Mariner) and we loved it. The Freedom is a step up (IMO) and we loved it. So much so we sailed 3 times on her. Then last year we went on the OOS. It is different from the Freedom. Larger, more to do, more places to eat. I really like the different eating venues on Oasis (Park Cafe is my favorite). On the FOS you are limited to breakfast and lunch in windjammer, main dining room or JR. On the Oasis we never ate in the windjammer all week, there are that many places to choose from. We will go back on the Freedom some day but for now we are going to try an Aquatheater Suite next year. Whatever you decide both ships are great and Happy Cruising.

[DonnaK]

I think everyone should experience Oasis/Allure once. It is incomparable to any ship out there.

 

Is it too large? Well, we did find it a bit overwhelming to get around. A cabin near the aft elevator lobby would make getting from place to place more efficient. Using the Promenade or Central Park as a passageway to get from the front to the aft (and visa versa) is better than walking through halls of endless cabin doors.

 

Did we feel disconnected to the ocean? A resounding NO! This is a common complaint on this ship, but we found many places to connect with the sea...our own balcony, the deck 4 promenade, the solarium, the pool decks. The ship does not have the glass of a Radiance class ship, but there are still plenty of places to see the sea if you seek them out.

 

The ship is more resort-like than others, but that's a good thing. The entertainment offered is amazing, and there is never a lack of things to do and see.

[Husney]

Loved the Oasis! I think you should give it a try. It did not feel crowded and I loved all the venues it had. My husband however does like a smaller ship with that more ocean view feel. We had a balcony cabin on the starboard side which helped as we could sit out and see the ocean any time we wanted and also we were dockside in all the ports. I say if they are equal in price try Oasis.

[Starry Eyes]

I think everyone should experience Oasis/Allure once. It is incomparable to any ship out there.

 

Is it too large? Well, we did find it a bit overwhelming to get around. A cabin near the aft elevator lobby would make getting from place to place more efficient. Using the Promenade or Central Park as a passageway to get from the front to the aft (and visa versa) is better than walking through halls of endless cabin doors.

 

Did we feel disconnected to the ocean? A resounding NO! This is a common complaint on this ship, but we found many places to connect with the sea...our own balcony, the deck 4 promenade, the solarium, the pool decks. The ship does not have the glass of a Radiance class ship, but there are still plenty of places to see the sea if you seek them out.

 

The ship is more resort-like than others, but that's a good thing. The entertainment offered is amazing, and there is never a lack of things to do and see.

 

I agree with Donna.

 

If there is no compelling difference in price, convenience or itinerary, I'd take Oasis class over Freedom class.

[cruzincurt]

Same price...Oasis a no brainer. Want to see the sea on Oasis? get an outside balcony, go to the top deck, go to the rear of the ship, walk on the outside promenade. There's sea all around.

 

If you want to sit inside the main lobby and see the sea, not going to happen.

 

If you want to see the sea while riding up and down in the elevator, isn't going to happen on the Freedom either.

[Merion_Mom]

I have cruised on every class of Royal Caribbean ship. Love them all. I have a cruise on the Oasis coming up in August - my 7th in this class.

 

That tells you how I feel about her!

[abridalmaven]

I have cruised all the classes and Oasis class is my favorite. No crowds, very well laid out. But do get a cabin near and elevator.

 

 

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[Big_G]

The difference between Oasis Class and any other class from any cruise line is the Oasis Class is more of the destination than the ports they visit. You may decided it's not your cup of tea but it's thoroughly worth the price just to experience it. We had a great time on both Oasis and Allure but we're still happy to cruise other ships and lines.

[cruzsnooze]

Hi All,

 

Sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseum. I haven't been on an RCCL ship in about 7 years. I've been on several Voyager-class ships in the past and loved them all.

 

I may be taking a Western Caribbean cruise in August of this year and am picking between the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral, or the Oasis of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale. Both trips are virtually identical in cost.

 

Is the Oasis of the Seas the clear winner here? Are my concerns of not feeling like I'm on a ship/cruise at all justified? Again, I loved the Voyager ships, will I be happy (or even prefer) the Oasis? Any comments are appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

I haven't sailed on anything that big and don't plan to. It's way too big for my taste but you have to decide for yourself.

[markeb]

Have to second the others. Oasis is pretty much a destination unto herself. She "wears" smaller than her size, due to the neighborhood concept. She offers more than Freedom, in general, and we thoroughly enjoyed her. We never felt disconnected from the sea. The only reason we're on Freedom next week is that Oasis and Allure didn't have the itinerary we wanted, and at the time we booked were more expensive. If price is the same, and you're happy with the itinerary, I'd go with Oasis.

[Granny DI]

We sailed the Voyager several years ago. The Adventure in Nov, Mariner for NYE and Oasis in May. Our children and grandchildren were with us on the Oasis. They loved the ship...we were more comfortable on the Voyager class ships.

[dolfansam]

Hi All,

 

Sorry if this has been discussed ad nauseum. I haven't been on an RCCL ship in about 7 years. I've been on several Voyager-class ships in the past and loved them all.

 

I may be taking a Western Caribbean cruise in August of this year and am picking between the Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral, or the Oasis of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale. Both trips are virtually identical in cost.

 

Is the Oasis of the Seas the clear winner here? Are my concerns of not feeling like I'm on a ship/cruise at all justified? Again, I loved the Voyager ships, will I be happy (or even prefer) the Oasis? Any comments are appreciated.

 

Thanks!!

 

I was in the same situation you are. I wanted to do a cruise for my 50th birthday. I really wanted to do Oasis, but the price was above what I wanted to spend, when hotel, airfare and rental car were added. I was going to go on Explorer out of NJ instead. I had been on her before and loved it, also was on the Navigator in Italy. I was not crazy about the itinerary from NJ, but it was not horrible. When I went to book the cruise Oasis had a $250 price drop and now was about $50 cheaper than Explorer so I booked it instead. I have spoken with friends who have been on Oasis and I was told it is an amazing ship and will love it. I am now eagerly anticipating the cruise I have been waiting for years to do.

[sail2sea]

Nobody's opnion will be as good as your own. Since they are at the same price, I think you owe it to yourself to at least try out Oasis and see for yourself if you like it. ;)