Carnival Lover Tries Oasis - A Review and Comparison

[bucks724]

Great Review and Go Buckeyes!

 

Thanks! Go Bucks!

[bucks724]

We had a day at sea again on Friday, which I used to chat with some friends we met and take more pictures. We visited Sabor again (surprise, surprise), packed and got ready to disembark the next day.

 

Here are a few random pictures I took around the ship:

 

Basketball Courts:

 

 

Random artwork:

 

 

Looking down onto the Boardwalk:

 

 

Chaya and one of her friends in the ice skating rink:

 

 

Which leads me to tell you about the second time I laughed at myself. As if walking into a glass wall weren’t enough for one trip… I told Chaya I would go ice skating with her. Something I had done 100 times before. Well, the ice wasn’t the slickest, smoothest ice you’ve ever been on, and the skates were certainly not like the personal pair I had as a teenager. They were dull. Dull skates + bumpy ice + rocking ship = Crystal falling FLAT on her face. Think – lurch forward and land on the ice face first. As if the lump on my head wasn’t enough!

 

Yes, I laughed. Yes, it hurt like he**. I think I said I would skip my annual mammogram this year since I gave it to myself on the ice.

 

In any event, we had FUN and had another memory to talk/laugh about for years to come!

[bucks724]

Final Observations:

 

Embarkation. Embarkation for both ships was quick, but for our Oasis cruise, it was less than 30 minutes from shuttle to ship. No zone boarding even assigned. There was a rep waiting to check us in when we walked up. On the Breeze, there was a short line, and while we were given Zone 8, we didn’t sit more than 10 minutes before our zone was called. I think both POM and PE do a great job filtering passengers through. At least on these two cruises. On prior cruises (one at POM and one at PE), it wasn’t quite as efficient. Being that we were on a holiday cruise, I was expecting the worst, and PE definitely surprised me!

 

Room Availability. I believe we were in our cabins 30 minutes sooner on Oasis. This wasn’t such a huge deal because we didn’t carry on a lot (we usually take on water, sodas, and a bag with swimsuits and stuff like that). This time, we carried on a small backpack for myself and Chaya, and Darren carried on his sleep machine, but only because there wasn’t room in his luggage to check it. 30 minutes to some is a HUGE deal. When I have a lot of stuff, every second I don’t have to carry around my carryon bags counts!

 

Baggage Handling. I was extremely impressed with how quickly we go our checked luggage on Oasis. We were promised delivery by 2, and the bags were there. On our prior Carnival cruises, the bags were outside of our door, but on Oasis, the bags were intermingled with other bags and some were down the hall a bit, but no more than 2-3 doors away. We are used to going to muster drill wondering when – even if – we’ll get our luggage, and by the time muster drill rolled around, we were already unpacked! I loved this!

[bucks724]

Food Quality. This is where my opinion may get muddy. But the reality is, you can find food everywhere. You may not think it’s the best you’ve ever had, but it’s good enough to make you full and satisfy your hunger. Both ships have decent buffet food, but I think Royal’s quality has a slight edge. As far as specialty restaurants go, it’s the same thing. Steakhouse on Breeze was better than Chops to me. Red Frog Pub on Breeze had decent bar food for a cheap price to get your grease fix. Johnny Rockets has decent burgers but Guy’s burgers – and fries – are the best at sea!

 

There is no clear winner in this battle as far as I’m concerned. I never had anything I made funny faces about on either cruise. But I also tend to choose safe choices at buffets.

 

The tie breaker for me (just for fun) is the Miami Vice. They are DEFINITELY better on the Breeze. They actually blend the alcohol in the drink. I saw several times when I got them on Oasis, they would blend the 2 mixes, pour them into the glass, and add a shot of rum to the top. I prefer it mixed in AND on top (just kidding).

 

But all jokes aside, in my eyes, there is no definitive winner as far as food quality goes across the board. It’s all a matter of personal taste, but take my word for it, there is plenty to choose from and you won’t always be disappointed.

 

Food Availability. We all remarked several times that it seemed like whatever we felt like eating on Oasis wasn’t open when we wanted it. This was mainly true about the Boardwalk Dog House, and mainly because Darren thinks that he should have 6 regular sized meals per day – but I found it to be true as well.

 

The only time I remember griping about something I wanted not being available on the Breeze was when I wanted a Guy’s Burger and it was closed for another hour. Royal has WAY more variety, but you have to watch the clock and pay attention to the hours of operation (or you’ll be sitting outside of the Park Café along with 20 of your closest friends waiting to grab an egg sandwich before getting off in port!). It is also possible that we ate with the family in the buffet more on the Breeze so we didn’t notice this.

[bucks724]

Ports. No secret here, Carnival has better ports. I admittedly made the “ship” my destination for this cruise but after a while, even as great as it was, the ship got boring. There was plenty to do, plenty to eat and plenty to see, but you could only do so much of each multiple times before they became boring. I chalk that up to being on the ship SO much (one extra day makes a difference, I guess), but I’m ready to go back now!

 

Cost. Pay close attention here. Many people have the opinion that Carnival is cheaper, the value cruise line. This isn’t necessarily the case. Before I go on, I will say – before the Oasis cruise, we never paid more than $2000 for the 3 of us in a balcony room. The Oasis cruise cost twice that in a cheaper (lower level) room. I booked in March and chose my room, and at the time, I believe there were only 3 cabins remaining.

 

The price dropped once during the 6 months before final payment, but it wasn’t significant enough for me to call (less than $100). But AFTER final payment, the price dropped – to around the cost of a Carnival cruise in a balcony cabin. I didn’t know the “rules” on Royal, so I called to collect my OBC, and was told basically that it was too late. I had two options, suck it up or move to a higher category room and pay the difference. The difference was significant - $1200. But it wasn’t enough to get me into a JS without paying more for the cruise. The oceanview cabin they offered at the same price (even though it was cheaper than what we paid as well) was directly under the pool (no thanks!). I left my reservation as it was.

 

We have always booked our cruises about 18 months in advance and with so many family members traveling together, you don’t have to watch for price drops like a hawk. As a matter of fact, my parents’ cruise on the Breeze right now dropped so low that they walked on the ship with over $500 in OBC, with a couple hundred of that coming after the final payment date. For this, I like Carnival, but I also understand Royal’s policy, and I do agree with the adage that if I wasn’t okay with the price when I booked, I shouldn’t have booked.

 

All in all, the cruise was worth every penny!

[S.S.Oceanlover]

LOVING this. We are considering Oasis this spring. I'm sure its worth the extra $1100, right?

 

We cruised the week after the OP and we also had a boardwalk balcony (12325).

 

Paid $727pp before taxes with $150 OBC. Like was already stated be vigilant and you can find a deal.

 

OP, love your review. I can't stop reading.:) Keep it coming.

 

Bill

[bucks724]

Ship Overall – Both ships are beautiful. Both have cool features. Both have something for everyone, and there’s never a dull moment. With that said, Oasis takes the cake with all of the “innovations”. They both have beautiful decorations, but Oasis seemed a little more refined and unique to me, which made it more memorable!

 

Other Passengers. They are what they are. I’ve heard some say that Carnival is for partiers and Royal has a bunch of stuffy people. I find both to be untrue. I have seen drunk people on both ships. But not very many, and not all the time. I have also seen snobby people on both cruise lines, but they are the exception, not the rule.

 

On both cruises, I saw people being rude with the elevators. Just like on both cruises, there were children running around unattended leaving dirty plates in the stairwells. I didn’t notice this any more or less on one cruise over the other.

 

I will say, though, that with our cabin crawl, we went in some really NICE suites. Like suites I could only dream of staying in when I hit the Powerball. And they were occupied by some of the nicest, kindest people I’ve met on a cruise. No stuffiness at all, which I loved! They were just people on vacation like the rest of us – they just happened to have KILLER rooms!

 

Crew. This is where I noticed a difference. The crew on the Breeze as a whole seemed a lot more anxious and willing to help you out. Royal’s crew seemed a little more aloof than Carnival’s, which is fine – they weren’t rude, they just weren’t overly friendly either. Our cabin steward was very nice but not very interested in going above and beyond (we asked for our ice bucket to stay filled, but he only filled it once a day – at night – not a huge deal, but not what I asked for). We asked for extra (6) washcloths per day, and sometimes we would have extras from a prior visit, which we would place on the vanity shelf, which he would take!

 

Cabin. Even though the size may be roughly the same, the layout is better on the Breeze in the cabin and on the balcony. I will say, though, that Royal’s actually shower door won me over! Like I said before, it’s the little things! Both cabins, however, were sufficient for a family of 3 for week-long cruise.

 

With all of this said, if you are on the fence about trying one cruise or cruise line over the other, hopefully this gives you enough of a push to get out there and try something new! I loved both cruises on both ships. Even though the Breeze isn’t necessarily “unique”, it’s still a great ship, and to be totally honest, you really can’t go wrong with either ship.

 

Now, let’s go plan our next cruise! Happy sailing everybody! Thanks for reading!

[bucks724]

We cruised the week after the OP and we also had a boardwalk balcony (12325).

 

Paid $727pp before taxes with $150 OBC. Like was already stated be vigilant and you can find a deal.

 

OP, love your review. I can't stop reading.:) Keep it coming.

 

Bill

 

Thanks! It's all over now though! :(

[S.S.Oceanlover]

Thanks! It's all over now though! :(

 

OOPS! Sorry I just finished and see that now. I must say it was an awesome review and you had great pics.

 

Thanks again

 

Bill

[k2excursion]

Great review! I really enjoyed reading about the comparisons & seeing the pics. Go Buckeyes!

[abcsteward]

Very Much Enjoyed... Thanks for sharing...

[petesweet]

Thanks for taking the time to write this review I always love to read about other peoples cruise experience! I also appreciate the comparison and agree that all ships have their good and bad points. We are cruising on the Breeze in June doing a B2B and can't wait. Our last cruise was a 15 day on the Miracle so we are going from one extreme to the other (small ship vs large ship) but anytime I'm on a cruise all is great .

Thanks again for the review looking forward to the rest

Jeff

Sounds like me, Jeff. Went from the Allure to our fifth cruise on Carnival Fantasy. Loved both. Cruising enjoyment depends on one's ATTITUDE!

 

Happy sails.

 

Kathy

[petesweet]

5. Central Park. If you were to ask me my favorite neighborhood on Oasis, I would have a hard time choosing between the Boardwalk and Central Park. I mean, take an already impressive ship, add in the sun shining down on your head on the EIGHTH deck (okay, a ship that has more than 8 decks) with a real, live park – with winding paths with bridges, birds chirping (fake, but still!), and all that gorgeous greenery! I have been on a ship and not felt like I was on a ship before, but this REALLY transports you to another place all together!

We upgraded from an inside cabin to a Central Park balcony, and it was lovely. In the evenings, there were beautiful classical serenades.

 

I agree that this is a special place!

 

Kathy

[lisajm]

Thanks! Maybe one day we'll make it to South Florida. Heck, at this point, I'd settle for the northern part. Anything but Ohio!

bucks724,

I know exactly what you mean! I hate winter so my dh and I moved from Indiana to Clearwater in July. Yesterday it was 85 degrees here. We are loving it!

[jimbo5544]

Nice review and comparison comments. Thanks for doing it!

[bucks724]

Great review! I really enjoyed reading about the comparisons & seeing the pics. Go Buckeyes!

 

Thanks! Go Bucks!

 

Very Much Enjoyed... Thanks for sharing...

 

Thanks for taking the time to read!

[bucks724]

Sounds like me, Jeff. Went from the Allure to our fifth cruise on Carnival Fantasy. Loved both. Cruising enjoyment depends on one's ATTITUDE!

 

Happy sails.

 

Kathy

 

Totally agree! If you go into it expecting a great vacation, chances are it will happen! :)

 

We upgraded from an inside cabin to a Central Park balcony, and it was lovely. In the evenings, there were beautiful classical serenades.

 

I agree that this is a special place!

 

Kathy

 

Magical, really! It is pretty cool! Although I didn't love the windtunnel effect it sometimes had, but once again, on the 8th deck of a ship, it was kinda cool to even have that be a thing!

[bucks724]

bucks724,

I know exactly what you mean! I hate winter so my dh and I moved from Indiana to Clearwater in July. Yesterday it was 85 degrees here. We are loving it!

 

J-E-A-L-O-U-S! Got an extra room or two?

 

Nice review and comparison comments. Thanks for doing it!

 

Thanks for reading!

[mackatty]

Fantastic review! You have convinced me that I have to sail on Oasis or Allure sooner rather than later. :)

[bucks724]

Fantastic review! You have convinced me that I have to sail on Oasis or Allure sooner rather than later. :)

 

We drove home from our Oasis cruise - I am going to take a wild guess and say you would have a lot shorter drive than we did. Go for it!

 

I loved it - even with the "negatives" I mentioned, it was still an awesome ship and a great vacation. Even though I wish the price had dropped before final payment, it was still worth every penny.

[loveysbydesign]

Thanks for your review. We cruised on the Breeze for the 1st time this past Nov. We looked at Allure and Oasis and it cost double what carnival was, and ever more then Disney so we opted for the Breeze and we loved it.

[euphscott]

Great review - having been a Carnival fan for a few years - we found the right fit with an Allure of the Seas sailing. We had some mixed feelings as well, but happy we took the adventure. We agree with most of your observations - although if you were gonna do the alternative dining thing - you did miss out on the best locations - Giovannis was fantastic and 150 Park Ave AMAZING!

 

We felt that main dining was by far Carnival's domain, but Royal had the better for fee options. The entertainment on Royal was great - but with having to book everything we felt it lacked spontaneity - and if nothing was booked - we felt kind of lost. Carnival always has comedy, game shows, movies on deck or similar to keep us busy (we don't go dancing or karaoke which seemed to be big on Royal).

 

For us the deal breaker was the Flowrider - SO much fun...

 

Glad you shared and enjoyed!

 

Go Bucks!

[baman]

Nice review thanks

 

Sent from my SM-G900P using Forums mobile app

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

Let me suggest the next time, do Giovanni's for lunch on embarkation day. You miss the madhouse that is around Park Cafe as well as Windjammer. Best way to start the cruise.

[tropicaledrink]

Main Dining Room:

 

I am a planner – I like to write things down and plan out my days, but on vacation, I like to leave room for change! In fact, my Erin Condren planner had all of our MTD and show reservations in it – written on removable stickers – and it came along on the cruise.

 

[/url]

 

 

Thanks for the review...

 

AND OMG ANOTHER ERIN CONDREN PLANNER! Haha, sorry for that freak out, but YES. they are the best planners ever!