Never done a big ship - Oasis - overwhelming? help?

Good Morning this is my first post. I am trying to decide between a Celebrity Equinox sailing and a RCL Oasis sailing. I have been on 9 Carnival Cruises all different sizes and 1 NCL Sun cruise with my husband - he loved the smaller size. I thought it was small :/ and the entertainment was ok. We were all set to go on the Equinox until I read several posts about there not being a lot of activities during the day and not great entertainment at night. That got us looking at the Oasis and folks saying you need to do a big ship once. Thoughts? Feedback from folks that have done both? We are worried about feeling like cattle on Oasis? Thank you for any and all feedback.

We love Oasis class. IMO you don’t feel like cattle as there is so much to do and Royal does a great job of spreading you out.

It does get a bit crowded after a show lets out but that is no different than any other ship and people disperse quickly.

The different entertainment and lots of it as well as all the dining options are a couple of reasons that we love the Oasis class.

We were in your shoes last Fall. After 20 plus cruises we finally booked Oasis, our first on a ship of that size. what we found is a ship with excellent passenger flow and so many options of places to be that it never felt crowded. Heading back on Oasis in July and cannot wait!

I haven’t been on Celebrity, but I can speak to the Oasis class ships. I can honestly say that I have never felt crowded with the exception of right after muster drill when everyone is trying to get up to the pool deck at sail away. Most other times there is so much going on in different parts of the ship, everyone is spread out. The Windjammer buffet can be crowded on sea days depending on what time you go, but there other dining options. Give her a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

We’ve cruised on both ships and liked both of them. Oasis is a big ship but it did not feel 6000 passengers.:D I was prepared to hate the size but was pleasantly surprised. Even getting off the ship in a port was easy. My only negative for Oasis is having to make reservations for shows although Oasis has some unique entertainment, ice show, diving, Cats, etc. I also like the specialty restaurants on Oasis better than the ones on Equinox.

Equinox is a beautiful ship, I loved the solarium but then, I also love the one on Oasis. Equinox has a much nicer buffet restaurant than Oasis as far as layout & seating and I really like the outside pool grill. Entertainment is typical ship shows, jugglers, magicians, production shows, etc. Love the smoke free casino!

Sherri:)

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :) You will find a wealth of information here and many members happy to help with questions.

I am not that fond of the large Oasis class ships, which are really too big for us, but with Oasis (and next year Harmony) being the "flavor of the month" for we locals here in Port Canaveral to go on seven night cruises with RCI.....that is what I have been booking on. Dearly miss the Freedom.

Still mixing in the smaller ships, but driving to Tampa (and flying to SJ) to get on favorites Radiance and Vision class.

I've never felt particularly crowded on Oasis class ships. There are times when I actually wonder where all the people are. These ships are well designed to accommodate the number of people that they carry. And the entertainment on them is in a class way above that of the smaller ships. It is worth the trade off of making advanced reservations.

You will love O class. Very active ship and great shows. Did you get flooded out with all the rain?

You will love O class. Very active ship and great shows. Did you get flooded out with all the rain?

We are floating down here also. Glub...glug...Alligators using rafts to get around our back yard here in "the swamp". :eek::p

I'm not a fan of Oasis class ships. When I'm on a cruise, I want to feel like I'm on a cruise. On Oasis, you can go all day and not see water. Even the windows in the dining room don't allow you to look out because they are frosted.

I like to decide my activities for the evening at dinner but if you didn't make reservations early, you may be out of luck. I also felt very crowded on the ship and often had to wait for several elevators.

The ship is beautiful but it's too big for me. It's just my opinion.

We are floating down here also. Glub...glug...Alligators using rafts to get around our back yard here in "the swamp". :eek::p

Yikes, those hides make light weight luggage;p

I was on equinox last year and oasis the year before and I much prefer the equinox. Oasis was just too big for me and I felt like I was in a herd of cattle most of the time. But from reading the comments here I see that I am in the minority. Also keep in mind that the equinox is by no means a small ship.

Yikes, those hides make light weight luggage;p

And nice boots too!! :D:cool:

Count me as one who doesn't like Oasis class. If you want to participate in any activities/trivia/games you have to get there 30 mins early or you won't have a seat. Oasis class doesn't have a space/bar large enough to accommodate those that want to join in.

Anything happening in the promenad is a madhouse!

As others have said.....no views of the ocean in any of the public spaces. Plus I don't care for making reservations for the main shows.

Of course this is my opinion and I'm glad most love Oasis class as it keeps them off the smaller ships.

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Count me as one who doesn't like Oasis class. If you want to participate in any activities/trivia/games you have to get there 30 mins early or you won't have a seat. Oasis class doesn't have a space/bar large enough to accommodate those that want to join in.

 

Anything happening in the promenad is a madhouse!

 

As others have said.....no views of the ocean in any of the public spaces. Plus I don't care for making reservations for the main shows.

 

Of course this is my opinion and I'm glad most love Oasis class as it keeps them off the smaller ships.

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Would sure love to have a Vision or Radiance class here in PC. :hearteyes:

In a perfect world, doing longer 9-12 night cruises.

I’m not a fan of oasis and the others of that size. That said, it was a beautiful, clean and well laid out ship. You should really try it sometime, you may end up loving it!

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Would sure love to have a Vision or Radiance class here in PC. :hearteyes:

 

In a perfect world, doing longer 9-12 night cruises.

I'd love a Voyager class out of PC doing Southern Carib cruises like Explorer did a few years ago.

I'd love a Voyager class out of PC doing Southern Carib cruises like Explorer did a few years ago.

Me too. Very disappointing when RCI only did the 9 night on EX for one season. And they sold out for each sailing too, not like it was unpopular.

Really enjoyed it and am still hoping for a third RCI ship at the new terminal doing the longer cruises. Would have been nice to see sister Mariner doing the longer cruises, and have a Vision class back again for the 3/4. Wish we could keep EN here. Sigh...:(

Oasis isn't my first choice either. Can't see the ocean, service wasn't as good as other RCI ships. Having said that, I'm glad we tried it. It's a beautiful ship with plenty to do and a lot of specialty dining options. Maybe if you don't want to be overwhelmed, plan a different day to visit each neighborhood. We never felt crowded other than getting on the elevators.

I have been concerned about doing the Oasis due to it's size. When I first began cruising, I remember an experienced cruiser telling me, "You have to try the Oasis just once". I put it off for a long time but, come this fall I will give it a try. We have sailed the Indy and FOS which never really seemed big/crowded to me (baby steps). Am hoping I will enjoy the Oasis. Hope you do too.

Love Oasis class....you have to try it !

We are OLD and cruise about 3 times a year.

We did the Oasis when it first sailed because I just wanted to see what the biggest cruise ship afloat was like. I figured it would be more for the young......LOVED it. It is built for the masses with the latest technology.

We have since been on the Harmony and Allure. We now do one of these ships every year.

With a glut of mega ships now in the Caribbean, you can snag mega deals if you just watch the internet everyday. These will probably not be advertised.

We booked the Allure about 2 months ago for this September off an Internet agency. The prices on all their suites were amazing. We booked an owner's suite for just over $1800. AND got gratuities paid & $100. OBC. Never had an owner's suite before :O)

Seems most people want the new Harmony. That is actually what I was checking for but too high so we took the "old" ship.

If you get a GS or above... YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT SHOW RESERVATIONS... just show your room key...except the comedy club. That is in a small venue so you need a reservation for that.

You will also not have to wait for the main dining room. There is a podium for suite guests and they seat you immediately.

Also the suite lounge with a private restaurant if you prefer & cocktail lounge.

You cannot compare these ships to others. It is really all about the ship, the absolute incredible shows, the biggest casinos at sea,etc.

Every time we sail one of these I take the Landscape tour. The central Park Is actually that big. Absolutely fascinating about how it was created. The hundreds of plants and the unique way they are planted so as not to have to much weight.

Fascinating facts, like there are little tiny geckos in there to eat the bugs !

I feel everyone should try it once for a totally different experience and of course... if you are young, there is rock climbing, surf pools, ice skating, etc.

I'd love a Voyager class out of PC doing Southern Carib cruises like Explorer did a few years ago.

That is what I want in Port Everglades.

We did Oasis last fall. There was ONE place where I felt the crush of all the people and that was self debarkation. It took FOREVER. We were in line at 6:45 and didn't get to the car until 9am. That is too long! However, the only other time I had ever had a miserable debarkation was from Enchantment, and that was also PC. So... perhaps it isn't actually the ship, but the port.

That is what I want in Port Everglades.

I thought either Voyager or Explorer was slated to take over Navigator's itineraries. I think that would be out of Miami though, which is not attractive to me.

The celebrity solstice class is much more elegant and upscale than rccl oasis class. Oasis is good if you like crowds, gimmicks, cigarette smoke in the casino, and subpar food. Stick with celebrity.

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