Help! Allure, Oasis or Freedom

[zippybossrock]

Looking to book a cruise for my family of 4, dh, myself, and dd's who will be ages 12 and 8 at the time of sailing. Looking at December 2012 and trying to decide between Allure, Oasis or Freedom. Want to be able to take advantage of all the ships have to offer, but am having a tough time deciding. Itineraries for all are pretty similar so that really isn't a deciding factor. Opinions, suggestions, experiences?? Thanks! :D

[Macfans]

Freedom!!! While in Nassau, I talked to a couple on Oasis. Their biggest issue were the lines. They had lines on the pier to re board the ship which were unbelievable. 30 minutes in some cases. NO THANKS!! Freedom all day long!! :D

[firefly333]

How do the prices compare? I think Oasis is special, one of a kind, and not like other RCL ships in many ways. But if the price is way different with 4 people, Id pick the best deal.

 

I would want to do Oasis some day, so it was fun, but I wouldnt want to have paid a really huge amount to do it. Not meaning it wasnt worth it, but at some point prices are going to come down in the future and if not this year you can do it some time in the future.? I would definetely want to experience oasis though. Depends on the price difference is all I meant.

[joand452]

I think the lines to reboard the ship in port are all relative to what time you decide to return to the ship. I've been in long lines waiting to reboard (longer than 30 minutes, too) on smaller ships and no lines to reboard Allure.

 

We loved Allure and didn't find it to be any more crowded than any other ship during crowded times (after shows, parades, for example).

 

I'd like to try Freedom for the eastern itinerary. We've never been to CocoCay. Neither Oasis nor Allure go there. We'll be visiting Labadee for the third time in March.

 

You'll have a great cruise, no matter which ship you choose!

[mtsnd1900]

Just off the Allure today (review w/ pics to follow) and have done the Freedom. Both are incredible. The Allure is a better pic if you will enjoy all the shows and specialty restaurants / dining options. You have to plan your vacation to really enjoy it on the Allure, especially during busy seasons / school vacations as the STAND BY lines were long and got last seats in the theater / comedy shows. We did the my-time dining, though only ate in the dining room twice. The Boardwalk was fun in short spurts, Central park was nice to walk through at night and have a glass of wine. In my review I will also talk about the lines and crowds -( this past week, the ship seemed empty.) If you are not into the specialty restaurants and could care less about shows (Chicago was great, Aqua Theater was fun to watch) then the Freedom will be an excellent choice. Both have a great teens/kids club, so that is a wash. Allure was great to do once, and we had the perfect room (11-327, 2nd to last over the Aqua Theater w/ public balcony just feet from our door). We did not find it "to big" nor did we ever find long lines anywhere (on board, ports, etc were actually shorter for us then when we did the Freedom.) Full review to follow. I agree with others that the price will eventually come down on this class of ship.

[pcl_cruiser]

Definely Oasis or Allure. We were on Oasis last June and booked Allure for this Dec while onboard. You will not be disappointed at all. We never ran into long lines and we had a ship with over 6500 passengers. I can't wait to be on Allure in 76 days, she looks even more exciting than her sister! =)

[TheKevinShow]

I've been on all three...and without a doubt, we enjoyed Freedom the most. Oasis and Allure are just laid out wrong. The neighborhood concept is silly. For us... the Freedom was the perfect size. We received better service on the Freedom, better food, and nicer team members. That's my .02. :)