Epic vs. Oasis/Allure

[lillotis]

We just got back from the Oasis with my 3 year old and it was simply amazing and perfect for him. He had the best time of his life! We are looking into another cruise for next year and were thinking of Oasis or Allure since we are now spoiled. Epic seems to be less money though. Any pros to trying out the Epic or should we stick with Oasis/Allure? Has another been on both with kids?

[Mack2]

We did both the Oasis and the Epic in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

 

We sailed aboard the Epic the 1st week after she had returned from a Trans-Atantic crossing, and half the crew was on their first week. The other half of the crew was better geared for the Mediterranean passengers.

 

 

So, beyond that... I can offer my opinion of the Epic as a ship.

 

She's okay. The Epic is a BIG cruise ship. It's different than the Oasis, which was a floating resort. Does that make sense? The Epic is a large scale cruise ship. Large lounges, large common areas... it's BIG.

 

The Oasis is huge, with the different neighborhoods and two towers. The Oasis almost doesn't seem like a ship.

 

The funniest thing about the staterooms on the Epic are the bathrooms.

 

Otherwise, I think the ship was okay. I didn't find that "WOW!" factor we had on the Oasis, but we had a great time. My one complaint was how the casino was situated. We were told it was the biggest casino on the ocean, and it was sandwiched between two activity decks. This would have been fine if it weren't for the fact that the open design of the interior allowed the tobacco smoke to waft through the interior.

 

Water slides are gun on the Epic... We were on it the first week of November, so the lines weren't too long.

 

The production shows on the the Epic are great. Cirque, Blue Man, Legends... all worthwhile.

Edited November 21, 2013 by Mack2

[crusinmama06]

Here is my review of the Epic. We were leaving for her on Thanksgiving last year so the kids are upset that we aren't going anywhere for this Thanksgiving. Real issues these kids have ;)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1743132

 

And with that being said - the other cruise line that we jump back and forth between is Royal. We want to do Allure - just waiting for them to work out the propulsion problems.

[#1TravelMom]

We just returned from back to back cruises on the Epic and Allure. We are mid 40's and traveled with our DD9. We have been on 35+ cruises, DD - 12 cruises. We have done everything from Carnival's small ships to RCCL Allure. The Allure is an impressive ship. It is incredible to walk to all the different areas and see everything on this massive ship. That being said, our DD9 did not enjoy it nearly as much as the Epic. On the Epic, she constantly had to make "tough" decisions choosing between things to do. On the Allure, she would ask what else she could do besides swim.

 

On the Allure, there are several pools with colorful squirting things. She rode the carousel several times. We had photos taken with some characters, but found this very inconvenient. The characters were mostly scheduled in the middle of the day, so if you are in the pool and need to go down 10 decks and are soaking wet - not convenient. Some appearances were scheduled later in the day. If your child is in kids club - take them out briefly - down 9 decks - then back to kids club - not convenient. Kids club closes for several hours over lunch and dinner. It would have been nice if the characters were available these times. We didn't care for the shows on the Allure.

 

On the Epic, we spent hours on the waterslides. We bowled several games. Our DD loved the spider climb with twisty slide. The bungee trampoline was really fun. She really liked all the shows especially Blue Man Group. Kids club is very large with lots of bright, open space. While she liked both kids' clubs - she liked Epic better.

 

Since you are traveling with a much younger child, your experience may differ. The Allure has everything very spread out. We really felt like we got a workout just getting from one thing to another. If your 3 year old is not fond of walking, this could be an issue.

 

Just as a side note: the security on the Epic is MUCH better than Allure. On the Epic, there are 2 waist-high doors that are supervised. You have to have the child's shipcard and your shipcard and know your family's secret password to even have the child's name called to come to the first door. Then, the child is let through the first door and a second staff member confirms everything and releases the child to you. On the Allure, I sent my sister to pick up my daughter - they never even asked who she was - out the door, no questions asked.

 

We really had a spectacular time on both ships. Given the cost difference, we would chose the Epic.

[lillotis]

What are the propulsion problems? We were on Allure 11/9 and I did not hear about this or have any clue what that is. Guess it did not effect us. Thanks for all the input. Sounds like Epic is worth checking out for sure. Just not sure if my son is old enough for water slides and such so maybe wait a few years. Its funny because w 3 year old he never asked what we could do next. They had a ton for that age and I felt like there was not enough time in day to do it all. In a few years, I am sure it will be different. Thanks for all of the input and great reviews.

[#1TravelMom]

Propulsion issues are only affecting the Eastern itinerary. They do not have the speed to follow the original itinerary - I think some port timers are cut short. We were not affected on the Western Itinerary.

 

I agree - a 3 yr old may find just as much or more to do on the Allure. I thinkl little ones would have a great time on either ship. From about age 5 and up - the EPIC is spectacular!

[lillotis]

Thanks- and I was actually on Oasis, not Allure. Oops- no wonder I had no idea what that was. I was on Western too.