Scootch

You must be able to carry/roll your own luggage. If you can't go down the escalator w/ your luggage, there is an elevator. Have customs form completed and in hand w/ passport. Be organized, beat long lines and do self disembark. We always catch early flights home....in fact our flight home next month is a 10:40AM from FLL. We leave our cabin about 5:45AM, get in line to proceed off. We are thru customs, in a cab and at FLL by 7:00.

We have sailed CCL several times and have no complaints, but since we have tried RCCL, we have not gone back.

We LOVE both the Freedom and the Oasis Class on RCCL....specifically the Oasis class. The ship is massive, yet not crowded, except in areas such as the promenade during events. We have tried one specialty restaurant, but are just as happy in the main dinning...and why pay more if the specialty thing isn't important to you. Windjammer can get crowded, but staff are quick to clean tables and help you find seating. We are informal kinda folks....don't do the formal night. You will see everything from fancy dresses, to sun dresses, to slacks and capris on ladies in the dinning room. And sports jackets to polo shirts for the guys. The dinning room staff is just happy to serve and entertain you. Your DH will prob like the hot tub in the adult solarium....very peaceful!! Ive never tried the hot tubs near the pool so I can't speak to those. As for the teens, I see them gathering back in the sports zone during the day and I have read about teen events during the eve. As for the shows....our absolute fav is the aqua show. Days at sea are our fav. You will absolutely feel as if you are on a floating city. Embarkment is very simple and organized. The moment you walk on the ship you will be in awwww! We are sailing on her again next month and we will still be in awwww when we get on. If you can swing it, don't cheat yourself of the Allure experience.

I agree w/ the others, but was on deck 14 below a public area last year. We occasionally heard a chair at night sliding across the floor, but it wasn't painful for us. Our room was further back in the ship and we found there was a loud humming noise coming from the back of the ship that was much more annoying than a slight vibration of a sliding chair up above.

Happy sailing.

Soon Oasis will be sailing from Port Canaveral while Allure stays in Port Everglades.

Good to know for next year. Thank you for the info!

I'm sad to learn of all of this, Labadee is one of our fav ports and we are scheduled to be there in March on AOS. I have my own opinion on this turmoil......there is prob 2 parties at fault; a large, powerful corporation and a greedy, corrupt govt. DH was deployed to Haiti after the earthquake (2010?) There was volumes of donations that came in to support the Haitian community, but their Haitian govt took control of the donations and instead of it being given out to feed and aid those dear people, the govt. SOLD them. These people had their already indigent worlds ripped apart and their own govt added insult to injury and wronged them all the more. That all being said, if there is hope for extending the building of the ports, I'm thinking the Haitian govt has proposed a hefty price on their land, or if a prior agreement, they are trying to re-negotiate the terms of the agreement and RCCL is standing their ground. Again folks, just my own opinion.

We are hoping that there is peace, not for RCCL and not for the Haitian govt, but for the dear people of Haiti who need the opportunities that any further development can bring.

I took our price x4 and it did equal around the price you were quoted. Price/person, tax, gratuities, insurance, possibly airfare....it adds up. We look at our cruise as 3-4 vacations in one...depending on how many ports. If you take a hotel at the beach, add in meals/snacks, transportation, entertainment, etc... for a family, it could end up being more money.... and less fun!

We usually book 4 months in advance and sometimes we have had limited choice for location of our ocean view balcony.

Best of luck to you!

Though not as petite as you, I am 5'1" so I have a general understanding of how you feel w/ everyone else towering over us. I immediately thought that for the most part all the areas are very open and spacious, but wanted to offer some thoughts for areas which are inside.

The area that I most feel emotionally crowded is on the promenade during one of the shows or parades, but we position ourselves past the elevators on an upper floor or if we plan ahead and get to either the photo area or at the one bar across from the rising tide bar (did I get the name correct) you can sit comfortably there. If elevators don't freak you out, the ones on Oasis are glass so it may not feel as enclosed, even when full. As for the theater, the flow of patter moves decently fast after the show so possibly the mass exodus won't overwhelm you. Yes, Wind Jammer gets crowded but the space is an open design. As for embarkment, check in is a large area, the area that you will be sitting as you wait to board is very large. When they start boarding, folks move fast on the walkway up to the ship and as you enter the ship there is not a lot of people and the door that you walk thru goes into a large space.

I hope I have provided some comfort to you. The Oasis class of ships are very roomy and for this reason my DH and I continue to re-book Oasis and Allure. Deep breath....you are going to do fine. Enjoy your trip and let us know how you like it.

Happy sailing!

Captain Johnny is the best captain we've ever had.

I concur! He interacted w/ crew and cruise guests much more than I had ever seen a Capt. do. He rocks!

We love the Oasis class, but I always review Freedom's itinerary and sailing dates because I love Grand Cayman. We were completely happy with our sailing on FOS.

My husband and I have discussed several times and we love the size of the Oasis class. The ship has 6,000 people on it so at times, such as disco night, it is extremely crowded, but we have always found folks to be playful, happy and nice. We spend about 5-6 hrs on deck near the pools and prefer Oasis class for this. We weren't fond of the walkers/jogger going around us on the track as we laying out or us having to walk around chairs on the upper deck as we were on the walking track. However, we did find it peaceful at the back of the ship on Freedom....back near the wave runner. Nice breeze back there and beautiful view off the back of the ship.

Yes, Oasis class offers way more than we would ever use. We don't do specialty restaurants either. We love the aqua theater and the boardwalk. It's truly a WOW experience each time for us. Freedom class is in no way 2nd fiddle. She is beautiful and has much to offer to both you and your daughter.

Enjoy and happy sailing!

When making reservation, they review all options to give us the best rate. i.e. state residence, returning guest, Military. When we do get a Military rate, my husband has to show his ID card at check in time. Very simple!!!

Allure is about " longer!!!

Other than restaurants w/ different names, and a few pieces of art work and decorations, the ships are in my eyes, sister ships. My husband was sad when we were on Oasis and they didn't have a hotdog shop on the Boardwalk, but our 2nd cruise on Oasis, they had it!!

Honestly, you can't go wrong w/ either or!!!

We have sailed both Eastern and Western repeatedly. Love beach at St. Maartin. Love RCCL private islands. Love Grand Cayman. Other than that, we stay on the ship. The ship is the biggest factor in choosing our cruise. We love the Oasis class, and Freedom class 2nd. Sailed smaller a few years back and it isn't for us.

Thank you for your review. We sail this amazing ship again in March. The Oasis class if definitely our favorite.

So my wife and I are set to leave this Friday for a 2 day to Nassau. She has never cruised before and I am hoping for perfection..

 

The boat departs at 8pm.. We are scheduled for the Mama Mia show at 9pm. The big question is when do they do the lifeboat drill? I don't want to be late for the show if they do it once the boat leaves.. Hoping this is done much earlier..

We had to report to the theater and not outside, for our muster drill so this may even be more convenient.

We do self disembark because we too take the earlier flights home.

To be successful you must be prepared, .ready to begin the process @ about

5:45 - 6:00AM. We have done the past few years and are thru customs, and catching a cab by 6:45AM.

To assist in expediting the process, have documents ready and in hand and must be able to handle your own luggage down the escalator.

Enjoy your cruise. The ship is amazing!!!

Happy, safe sailing~

We have coffee and fruit delivered to the room by 8:00'ish. We really enjoy quiet wake up time on the balcony.

Happy, safe sailing~

I have used Express disembarkation a number of times, with very different results. The process on Oasis and Allure is definitely slower than on the smaller ships. On Oasis, we were among the first to line up to leave at the earliest possible opportunity (6:30ish) because we had very early flights. We managed to disembark within half an hour. On our most recent trip on Allure, we waited until the latter end of the Express walk off window and there was absolutely nothing 'express' about it! We waited in long lines for over an hour as there are so few customs agents available to process people. If you have only one piece of luggage and therefore have one completely free hand, you can speed up the process a bit as they will allow you to use the escalator to descend to the customs hall instead of waiting for an elevator. Once you are through customs, proceed out the doors to the taxi and shuttle stands.

Very similar experience.

We prefer self disembark because we like early flights home. 2 yrs ago on Allure we waited a while before heading out of our cabin for the disembark process and experienced longer lines. The entire process took a lil over an hour. Last year we headed down as soon as the ship got her all clear, we were escorted into a lounge to sit for about 10-15 min, then the process down the steps and into customs began.

The key to successful disembark is being prepared and being organized; having documents in hand, and being able to handle your own luggage.

Happy, safe sailing~

Is any floor bad when you are on a cruise ship???

We always do an Oceanview balcony. We spend a lot of time up on deck and we like to be on a higher deck so we are back on deck 14 this year. Last year I was worried because we ended up somewhere under the sports deck, but it wasn't bad.....very low noise level. If anything we heard/felt noise/vibration from the ship. After the first night or two, it was like white noise.

I would love to try a boardwalk balcony some time. I'd like one farther back so I would have a view of the water behind the ship.

Happy sailing~

Went on Allure for NYE last year on western route. Looking to book this Feb. On that week the Allure is on the eastern route and Oasis is on western route. So my question is do I change ship or routes? I have done both itineraries before but haven't been on eastern in a while.

Are all the shows going to be the same on the Allure as last year? Does anyone know the shows on the Oasis? I know the ships are similar but I don't know if I can see the same productions again if nothing has changed. Thanks

Have sailed Oasis twice and headed back to Allure for 2nd go round....

We all have our fav ships and Allure is ours. Not sure if Capt. Johnny is still there, but he rocks. Looking forward to seeing Mama Mia. We love the Oasis class because we never feel crowded. We do prefer the Western itinerary, but in reality, is any itinerary bad? :)

Major backups getting off Oasis today (4/4) due to very low staffing of Customs back at Fort Lauderdale. I did express departure and there were only 3 customs lanes open and a massive backup of well over 1,000 people departing for express. The people I was cruising with did normal departure since they've got 2 kids with them and said the lines are beyond imagination and 3 of 6 customs agents did not show up for work today and just an hour ago they said they are finally calling in extra staff. Lines are completely insane taking people over an hour just to get off the ship and then long, long backup for customs.

 

Is this just an anomaly for today or is this a somewhat common occurrence for these ships?

I wonder if folks complain or voice concerns, if RCCL as well as other cruise lines would put heat on customs to increase staffing on days of disembarkment.

We sailed Oasis 2 yrs ago, Allure last yr and will be on Oasis again in 42 days. We like to do self disembarkment and begin the process about 6:00 AM. The last 2 yrs we have been off the ship and thru customs within 30-45 min. I sure hope your unfortunate experience was isolated.

Happy sailing~

I am a loyal carnival cruise In My late 20's. I like to be on the go, shows, comedy, bars, club, food are the most important to me. I'm cruising in September either on navigator of the seas with royal or carnival freedom and they both are the same price and go to the same ports: cozumel, jamaica, Cayman Islands- which I've already been to so the ship is very important. What do you recommend? I hear royal is catered to the Older generation and could be more laid back, relaxing and boring which I want no part of. Please help!!

My family started w/ CCL and have no complaints. In fact the rates were much more attractive w/ Military rate, but we wanted to try something different so we crossed over to RCCL.....and I'm not going back.

I don't think the food is any better, and I'd say service is equal. What we do like so much better is the ships. Since trying Oasis or Allure, I don't know if anything will ever be good enough.....thought the Freedom class is very nice too. I went on a RCCL 3 day cruise this past summer, trying a smaller ship, and I was miserable. My husband and I love the size of the Oasis class because we never feel cramped and we can stay busy. We love that there is so much to do. Bars are plentiful, activities are numerous. Just sitting and watching the flow riders is a good time. There is a bar close by, you are in the sun, people converse as they watch cruisers attempt their surfing skills.

You'll never know till you give it a try. I honestly feel you will be happy w/ RCCL.

Happy sailing and be safe.

So I have a question for the seasoned cruisers. We live in northern Florida (about 8 hours away from Fort Lauderdale), and just found out about a very important event we need to be back for the same day we return. We are sailing on Oasis in May. If we self embark meaning we carry our own bags off, should we be able to get off of the ship pretty. Can anyone tell me the earliest time you have been able to get off? Everything I've read shows that the ship comes in very early and I've seen where people have been off by about 6-6:30. Does anyone here have any experience in this matter? Thanks!

Disembark off of Oasis 2 yrs ago - we were thru customs and in the cab by 6:40AM. Disembar last year off of Allure - we didn't hear the self disembark announcement so were delayed in our process. They hadn't started letting folks off the ship yet, but the lonngggggggggggg line was forming. We still made it to FLL airport by 7:30AM.

Be prepared and ready and you should have no issues!

Happy sailing and be safe.

Not sure why people say your probably not get to the 5-6 drink daily to break even with port days.

 

Usually back on board in time to enjoy a couple of drinks before dinner, especially Martini's, then a couple with dinner, then at least a couple or more if you go to the shows.

 

Even port days I will have bailey's with my coffee at breakfast.

 

That's about $60-$65 without much effort or over indulging.

 

8 drinks in a 14 hour day IMHO is very doable.

I concur!

My DH only drinks beer and I like everything from beer, to DOD, to wine so the drink pkgs have worked very well for us.

We hit the pool about 9:30 AM and hang till 2:30-3:00PM. During that time we enjoy a few cocktails...and lots of water. A glass or two of wine w/ dinner then maybe a cocktail or two in the casino at night.......so yes, 8 drinks in a

14 hr day is completely doable....especially because we usually don't get off the ship till disembarkment!!!

We work hard and save all year for this week so for us the drink pkg allows us to budget in the specific amount for alcohol and then I only have to fret over watching my online acct. for jewelry purchases!!!! ;)

Happy sailing and be safe.

Bear in mind that what you might consider an upgrade and what the cruiseline might consider an upgrade could be two different things.

Agreed! We always get an Oceanview balcony so IMO the only thing that would be better is an suite w/ an oceanview balcony. :p

Thanks all for the info. The key words help, "upgrade" / "upsell."

I have heard and read wonderful stories about people getting upgrades. Well, when looking at my online registration, I saw a tab re: upgrades, but unclear of the following:

-Is the upgrade out of my pocket or is it a courtesy of RCCL based on availability?

-When would it be offered; prior to cruise or the day of embarkment?

Thank you and happy sailing!