Honeymoon Cruise Help- Oasis vs NCL Getaway

[RollTideGuy]

Hello All,

 

My fiance and I are getting married on Friday evening, May 2nd, 2014.

 

We are trying to decide between the Oasis of the Seas and the new Norwegian Getaway for our honeymoon, leaving on Saturday, May 3rd.

 

Both are 7 night cruises to the Eastern Caribbean out of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Neither of us have cruised before.

We want the ship to be fun and active but also have some romantic aspects as well.

We plan on a balcony state room on either ship.

 

What are your thoughts and opinions?

[DuoYuy12]

I'm a big fan of Royal Caribbean ships so I think Oasis would be perfect. There is always so much to do on their ships that you won't have any issues being active (activities, ice rink, bars/clubs, etc). Central park and the many specialty restaurants will give you plenty of opportunities for the romance aspect you're looking for too. Breakaway is a newer smaller ship but Oasis seems to have more going on. I think either one would make for a lovely honeymoon. I would decide based on which ports you'd like to visit most (if they're different).

[dolita22]

You really can't go wrong with either ship. Although I've only cruised with them twice, I am a big fan of NCL, simply because of the Freestyle aspect - that being, eating dinner (generally in the MDR) at a table for two, when we want in a fairly casual environment. From a romantic standpoint, you can also dine in specialty restaurants for an additional cover. We got engaged on the Epic and there always something going on, yet we were able to get away from it all and hang on our balcony with a glass of wine each evening (more romance). If the Breakaway is anything like the Epic, there is a good balance of activity and being alone with just the two of you.

 

That said, I've sailed with RCCL once and we will be sailing with them for our honeymoon in a couple weeks! Seems like there is just as much to see and do/not do on RCCL ships, and there are lots and lots of good reviews of the Oasis. Based on what I remember from RCCL and what I've read here, though, we suspect we will end up back with NCL, mainly for the Freestyle concept. However, we loved the Indy's itinerary and the fact that it was 8 nights, so are excited to try it out! We will have a great time.

 

Again, you really can't go wrong with either cruise. You could choose the cruise with the destinations you'd most like to see or the least expensive option, if you're on a budget. You will have a fantastic time either way!

 

One word of caution: If you're getting married on Friday and departing on a cruise on Saturday, ensure you have a very, very early morning (direct, if possible) flight or you are within driving distance of the port. Many people on this board recommend flying in the day before a cruise in case of any flight delays. You do need to be on board approximately 90 minutes before the sailing time and do not want to cut that close. My husband and I were EXHAUSTED after our wedding in November and could have slept for a few more hours the morning after, but had to be up for a brunch we hosted. I would have feared missing a flight and the cruise if we had sailed the day after the wedding. Perhaps considering sailing that departs on Sunday instead if you are concerned. Or do what we did and wait a couple months after the wedding. :-) We were on such a high after the wedding and were able to enjoy that. And now we're on a high waiting for our honeymoon cruise in a couple weeks.

 

Congratulations and happy cruise planning!

[RollTideGuy]

Thanks so much for the info and opinions DuoYuy12 and dolita22.

 

We love that NCL has freestyle cruising, especially for our honeymoon, but I have been advised that we could select My Time dining on Oasis and have a similar experience.

 

Both the Oasis and the new Getaway seem like wonderful ships. I will say, though, that I am somewhat bothered by the negative reviews the Getaway's sister ship, Breakaway, has received. The Oasis has stellar reviews overall. We are pretty easy going, though, so I think we will have fun either way.

 

Dolita22, you pin pointed one of my biggest concerns when you mentioned flying in a day early. Our wedding is on Friday, May 2nd, in the evening so we will have to fly to either Miami or Fort Lauderdale Saturday morning....early.

We are going to be sailing on May 3rd so hopefully we wont have any weather concerns with our flight, but I know other things can still cause delays or cancellations in flights.

 

We may roll the dice and still fly in that morning.....either port we can land by 8:45am so hopefully we will be okay.

 

Our plan "B" cruise, if we choose a Sunday sailing, is RCCL Freedom of the Seas.

DuoYuy12- I notice you have sailed on Freedom. What did you think?

 

Thanks again for the input. :)

[dolita22]

I just read some of those negative reviews of the Breakaway last night...yikes! As much as I like NCL, it's probably a good call to avoid the Getaway, especially with it being so new - there will likely be some kinks to iron out.

 

Ohh, yep, you can do MTD on Royal and it's I've heard similar to NCL's Freestyle. My apologies for not mentioning that.

 

I know you didn't ask me, but I am frequently reading the RCCL boards with our upcoming Indy cruise and there have been many great reviews of the Freedom lately. Here's a link to the RCCL board in case you haven't seen it: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83. Seems like many people enjoy the Freedom! Lots of reviews and pictures.

 

Good idea on the early flight. I'm sure either Oasis or Freedom will be excellent choices for your honeymoon!

Edited January 7, 2014 by dolita22

[RollTideGuy]

Thanks so much, dolitta22!

 

I will check out the Freedom reviews.

I hope y'all have a wonderful honeymoon as well!!!

[dolita22]

Thanks so much, dolitta22!

 

I will check out the Freedom reviews.

I hope y'all have a wonderful honeymoon as well!!!

 

You are welcome! Happy honeymooning and congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

[Babyrocko1908]

Thanks so much for the info and opinions DuoYuy12 and dolita22.

 

We love that NCL has freestyle cruising, especially for our honeymoon, but I have been advised that we could select My Time dining on Oasis and have a similar experience.

 

Both the Oasis and the new Getaway seem like wonderful ships. I will say, though, that I am somewhat bothered by the negative reviews the Getaway's sister ship, Breakaway, has received. The Oasis has stellar reviews overall. We are pretty easy going, though, so I think we will have fun either way.

 

Dolita22, you pin pointed one of my biggest concerns when you mentioned flying in a day early. Our wedding is on Friday, May 2nd, in the evening so we will have to fly to either Miami or Fort Lauderdale Saturday morning....early.

We are going to be sailing on May 3rd so hopefully we wont have any weather concerns with our flight, but I know other things can still cause delays or cancellations in flights.

 

We may roll the dice and still fly in that morning.....either port we can land by 8:45am so hopefully we will be okay.

 

Our plan "B" cruise, if we choose a Sunday sailing, is RCCL Freedom of the Seas.

DuoYuy12- I notice you have sailed on Freedom. What did you think?

 

Thanks again for the input. :)

 

Oasis's sister Allure does a Sunday itinerary.

[Twagner111]

We just got off the oasis last Saturday. We have been long time ncl cruisers but when our getaway cruise sailing out of Miami was cancelled we decided to try rcc. We booked a grand suite which was the best part of the cruise. Private lounge with free drinks and the other perks that went with the suites. That part was great, but the rest of the ship was way too crowded. Central Park, elevators, gift shops, and even the port shopping talk had Huge lines. People soon learned if they held the door close button the elevator would pass you up. So, the ship, crew, and food were all great....but the crowds were bad enough that we will go back to smaller ships.

[RollTideGuy]

Thanks so much for the reply, Twagner111!

 

We did end up deciding on the Getaway since it is our Honeymoon.

 

Oasis looks like a wonderful ship, and we plan to try it in the future, but the Getaway just seemed to fit our needs better for this trip.

 

I'm glad you had a great trip! (Except for the crowds) :)

[Webgoblue]

I am booked on the getaway march 22 so I will post afterwards and give you my feedback. I was on the allure of the seas in July 013 and oasis in November 2013. Hands down the entertainment onboard is spectacular - there is something every night and no added $$ for it. The cruise was booked solid in July but it never really felt crowded unless you were at the dining room after 8 in the evening - then there were long waits with my time dining. We preferred the allure based on the entertainment options - also the service and cruise director n staff were a lot better. I have never cruised on Ncl but feel like I've exhausted all the ships on rccl and need a change. I did notice a distinct difference in the crowd on the July sailing vs nov. nov was a lot older, not as much fun. May will probably be the same kind of older more subdued crowd.

[RollTideGuy]

Thanks for your reply, Webgoblue!

 

We are excited about our Getaway cruise for the honeymoon.

We will more then likely sail the Allure/ Oasis for our anniversary....unless we end up trying the new Quantum next year.

 

Enjoy your cruise! :)