Carnival Breeze vs Allure of the Seas

[LoveVakays]

Hello all, so we're booked on the Allure but now are reconsidering whether the Breeze is a better option for us. We're a family of 4 with two small boys, ages 2.5 and 4 at the time of sailing. As a family we've only done CCL and my 3yo loves Camp Carnival (other son has been too young to partake). In the past we've been on an older RCL ship (Majesty) and a few NCL ships. We're no-frills, not demanding, just want a nice relaxing trip for this family. But we do love to be wowed.

 

Allure - interior family promenade is $2355 for 7 nights to Labadee, Falmouth and Cozumel

 

Breeze - basic interior is $1736 and oceanview deluxe is $2036 for 6 nights to Grand Cayman, Ochos Rios and Cozumel (prob will go with basic Interior if on CCL)

 

Pros for Allure - brand new spanking ship with all the bells and whistles, kid's sail free promo makes it doable for us; Cons - we're prob going to spend more money onboard, no free kid's club for the 2.5yo but will have to do paid nursery and boys won't be in the same "nursery/club".

 

Pros for Breeze - new CCL ship with updated features, boys will be in the same kids club, familiarity with CCL, prob. will spend less $, love Grand Cayman; Cons - smaller cabin category, not as many bells and whistles, there might not be another kids' sail free promo in the near future that would make the Allure doable for us.

 

Btw, based on past experience, the 4yo will be in the kid's club for 2 or so hours during the day and 2 or so hours in the evenings depending on the club's activities and where we're dining. :p While I prefer both boys to be in same club, it's not a must bc the younger one is currently away from his older brother at daycare so he'll adjust.

 

Any thoughts - thanks!

[rogers417]

H ...we have done both of these ships with our daughters. Both ships are great but I think you will find Allure a step up. Pools are bigger and plentiful, not to mention the flowrider, rock wall, ice rink. Breeze does have the ropes course and water slides. Shows were put together better on Allure but the hasbro game show is fun on the Breeze. It's a win win situation.......but if I had to do them again ......I would go with the RCI. Have fun!

 

 

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[Eng23]

If you compare ship to ship Allure wins hands down. Honestly you cannot compare the two together. Breeze is a nice ship and I am sailing the Breeze this year but Allure is bigger, has more bells and whistles, lots of kid friendly events and activities, and is laid out very well to accommodate the number of passengers on board.

 

The biggest plus for the Breeze is the price. You without a doubt pay a premium for sailing on the Allure. Only you can decide what is the best for your wants and needs.

[SNJCruisers]

There is nothing currently afloat that can compare to the two behemoths and many of the loyal Royals that have sailed on either of them will attest to that. With that being said, I would go on the Allure while you can take advantage of the 3rd/4th sails free promotion. I would also pick a basic inside cabin instead of the Promenade version since you'll be spending more money on board because of the nursery and whatever else. Also, the Allure is 7 days which is a plus and the ports will not break the bank either. Labadee is a beach day for free, you can stay on board the ship while in Falmouth since there is not much to do that is close to the port for a family with 2 small kids and Cozumel has some great beaches like Mr Sanchos to visit. Whatever you decide, good luck.

[Dave85]

With that being said, I would go on the Allure while you can take advantage of the 3rd/4th sails free promotion. Whatever you decide, good luck.

 

 

Agreed. I've sailed both Breeze and Oasis and there's no comparison. The kids promotion seems like the perfect opportunity to sail Allure. Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

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[DarthGrady]

I have cruised Allure, and toured the Dream (Breeze's sister ship). As others have said, the two really don't compare. With Allure you're getting going for the amazing ship and its features. With Breeze you're going for the lower price and the few things that Breeze has over Allure (ropes course, water slides.....Guy's Burgers;))

 

That all being said, I have heard and read many good things about the Breeze with regards to her interiors and new features. I'd like to cruise on her one day, but it would have to be an excellent price for me to forgo Royal's vastly superior past guest program.

[beckyjohns]

We are loyal Carnival cruisers (platinum) and our young kids love Carnival. That said, we've always wanted to try either the Allure or Oasis, but could never justify the price difference. We were able to book the Allure WAY far out (16 months) and got a very decent price on the Allure so we're giving it a shot. I would say you should take advantage of the opportunity to sail RCCL at a discounted rate (3rd/4th free) while you can. You may not see that kind of deal again and it's a good chance to check Allure out. From what I've seen, Carnival prices seem to stay pretty consistent, so I'm sure you could go on the Breeze at a later date for a similar price.

[racerxspeedy]

I sailed both and agree with the other comments. The breeze feels crowded in some areas. We sailed on Breeze for half the cost of Allure. There will be future deals on both, but if you need to pick one - there is no comparison. The added width gives the Allure so much more space. The finishes and decoration in the public spaces is so much nicer on Allure - if that matters to you.

[tinkerbell1984]

I've sailed the Breeze with two kids who were 4 and 7. The Breeze is a nice ship, food area has a wierd layout and can seem over crowded. We have always cruised Carnival. The Ocean View Deluxe is a wonderful spacey room with a bath tub which is easier for kids. Nice window you can sit up in.

 

However...

 

We are cruising the Allure for the first time in May. We took advantage of the 3/4 free deal. Otherwise, we'd never be able to do it. I can't justify paying the amount it usually cost otherwise. We are paying $2200 for an interier, which to me is expensive, even with two free, but hey, it is a deal that is getting us a chance on the largest cruise ship in the world...Who like you, wouldn't be able to do it any other time. To me, I considered it an once in a lifetime opportunity! The Breeze will be afforable to you another time, this may not be.

 

Your kids will be to young for the rope course and the big slides on the Breeze. They'll also be too young for the rock climbing on the Allure. But the Allure has the H20 Zone where they can run around and play, and pools just for the kids, character meet and greets, ice skating, merry go round, small play ground structure, balloons, face painting, etc...I didn't know all they had for kids at first until I did my research. Their kids program also looks better then Carnivals, but I won't know for sure until I sail it. Yes, you'll pay a lil more for the Allure, but if you can pull it off, to me, it's a opportunity you can't pass up!

[MLW070]

We had the Dream booked for our family but have changed it to take advantage of the sale on Allure with our kids. The price is within range with the sale and may not be at another time. So I recommend doing Allure while it's a good rate and sailing the Breeze later. :)

 

Have fun.

 

Misty

[A2Mich]

One other thing to consider is that on Carnival you will all be in a 185 sq ft cabin. Not sure about the RCI inside, but likely smaller still. The Family Promenade is 323 sq ft and has a bathtub, which may make things easier given the kid's ages. The other cabin options will only have a shower.

 

We are a family of 5 and have booked a Family Promenade on Freedom next year for those few reasons.

 

 

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[JinxyB]

I know you mentioned the kids club ages- that was a deal-breaker for me when my son was 2 and not fully potty trained yet. Carnival is the only line that will accept 2 year-olds for free in the kids club. I know the Allure has the nursery you have to pay for kids under 3. I sail on the Allure in 9 days and know I will be so spoiled after my experience. Having said that, the Breeze is a great ship and good for kids ( sailed on Breeze last year) - I'm planning on taking my 3 y/o later this year. If you can get a deal on the Allure I would book that, plus I would always choose a 7-day over a 6-day cruise!

[AandBmom]

We did the Breeze last year when our kids were 2,3, 7 and 8. Our two little ones loved Camp Carnival on the Breeze. They have so many age appropriate toys whereas I found they don't really on RCI (at least not on the Freedom). Further I really enjoyed the lunch time options on the Breeze (Guys, Pizza on the pool deck, hot dog stand, Indian Food, Blue Iguana). I'm not sure about the Allure, but I found lunch boring on the Freedom.

 

Also, the slides on the Breeze are fun if your little ones are tall enough to do them. The other activities don't matter as much b/c your children will be too small for rock climbing, flow rider, ropes courses, etc. They might really love the 5D movie theatre though. They let our family share 2 passes on the Breeze for the whole week.

 

I have never done the Allure though so I can't give a fair comparison.

[ekatiel]

We've sailed on both Oasis (just DH and I) and Carnival Magic (us and the kids). We're booked on the Allure over Thanksgiving (for the whole family) with the KSF deal. The Magic is a sister ship to the Breeze, and while it's a great ship, NOTHING compares to Oasis/Allure. The KSF prices are amazing for the Allure right now. I have priced the Oasis class out for our family of four many times, and we NEVER came below $3K, even for off season. Now, we're just over $2K for a holiday week (Thanksgiving)! My suggestion would be to downgrade to a regular 4 person interior, if possible, and use the savings to pay for the nursery on Allure. The cabin will be tight, but your kids are small. We have 7 and 9 year old boys, and we still cruise in an interior. Our interior on Magic actually seemed like the smallest interior we'd ever been in :eek:, but we were fine and had a great cruise. Happy cruising, no matter what you choose :).

[RCI Cruisers 004]

This would be like asking......I'm going on a thousand mile journey, which would be better, a 3 speed bike, or a stretch limo. Without question....the Allure ! You will love her !

[bobbiejean]

Just off the Allure last week. Boardwalk has a lot for kids. A carousel with brightly painted horses, face painting most every day. Would definitely pick Allure. I have been on 5 Carnival cruises and Royal ships just seem to be a big step up. Have fun.

[m2dd's]

We are very lucky they we are able to do both these cruise ships this year:D

My kids have been on 12 cruises and several with RCCL and Carnival and they have been begging to do the Allure for years(not to mention its my dream ship;))

I have been pricing out the Allure for several years and we have never been able to afford the Allure and still take a few other cruises in the same year. This is the first time I have EVER seen the kids sail free for the Allure and if I were you I would take full advantage of the price the Allure is offering in 2014. Carnival prices will never get as high and seen to be consistence throughout the years.

With your kids ages they will LOVE all the characters on the Allure something you won't find on the Breeze.

Hope this helps :)

P.S we get back from the Allure before you leave so I'll let you know how the 2 compare if you would like.

 

Also our Allure trip was $300 cheaper in an inside stateroom then our breeze inside room

Edited March 28, 2014 by m2dd's

[emdia43]

Why not skip the Promenade room and book an inside, save even more money. You're not going to spend much time in it... you're really not

comparing prices of the same grade cabin..

[pinkroses]

We were on the Allure last week, for the first time without kids, family or friends. We were amazed at all the activities for kids. The Dreamworks characters have meet and greets and photo ops all over. Fiona is the godmother of the ship. In the boardwalk area, there is everything from hula hoop contests to a merry-go-round. This is also where the Aqua Theater is located. There are special water shows just for the kids. We saw people on stilts, popcorn and cotton candy stands. Hot dog stand. It is truly amazing! Kid movies are shown in the theater and in the theater within the Adventure Club. There are also some shown on the big screens beside the Aqua Theater. On our last day, Frozen was on! Many people had strollers, too. There is a certain pool area which we did not see, although the kid pool water splash area is cool, where babies who are not toilet trained can dip. Swimmies can be found there, too! I guess what really made us feel this ship is very kid friendly is this. On formal night we noticed the back of two under five year olds. The little girl had on a very pretty, sparkly white dress and the little boy khakis and a polo shirt. We were commenting how nice they looked. They turned around and their faces were painted like tigers!!! It was so sweet!!! I can still picture them.