Freedom or Allure/Oasis of the Seas - help me decide!

[hbr777]

Hi!

 

I am wondering if Allure/Oasis is worth the extra money over what I would pay for the Freedom? The Freedom would run me around $500 less, or $700 if I let RCL choose my cabin.

I am a first time cruiser.

 

What do you all think?

Has anyone been in this "dilemma?"

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[floatel_lvr]

Hi!

 

I am wondering if Allure/Oasis is worth the extra money over what I would pay for the Freedom? The Freedom would run me around $500 less, or $700 if I let RCL choose my cabin.

I am a first time cruiser.

 

What do you all think?

Has anyone been in this "dilemma?"

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

 

As a first time cruiser either Freedom class or Oasis class will blow you away. Both are amazing ships. Just pick whichever itinerary looks better to you and enjoy!

[hbr777]

Is the Allure/Oasis really that much better? I have two people on this trip who are convinced that it is. One cruised once 25 years ago on Carnival, and the other has never cruised.

[FLACRUISER99]

Hi!

 

I am wondering if Allure/Oasis is worth the extra money over what I would pay for the Freedom? The Freedom would run me around $500 less, or $700 if I let RCL choose my cabin.

I am a first time cruiser.

 

What do you all think?

Has anyone been in this "dilemma?"

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

My advice, book Freedom & if you like it book your next cruise on an Oasis class onboard so you will pay a low deposit & get OBC!

[nicolen1101]

Go Freedom first, she's a great ship and with the money you save you can spend on shore excursions and on board spending.

[ryano]

Hi!

 

I am wondering if Allure/Oasis is worth the extra money over what I would pay for the Freedom?

 

Not for me. Price is the ONLY thing keeping me off of one the big girls.

 

Prices will come down one day. They have for every other new ship that has came along before. And thats when I will finally get to cruise on the Oasis class. You can buy lots of drinks and excursions with that extra 500 - 700 is the way I look at it. OR a really nice down payment on another cruise

 

As pointed out above, if you are a first time cruiser, you will be blown away by Freedom of the Seas.

 

If you have plenty of money and money is no object, sail on Oasis or Allure. That is far from being my case though

[crusinpeg]

Not for me. Price is the ONLY thing keeping me off of one the big girls.

 

Prices will come down one day. They have for every other new ship that has came along before. And thats when I will finally get to cruise on the Oasis class. You can buy lots of drinks and excursions with that extra 500 - 700 is the way I look at it. OR a really nice down payment on another cruise

 

As pointed out above, if you are a first time cruiser, you will be blown away by Freedom of the Seas.

 

If you have plenty of money and money is no object, sail on Oasis or Allure. That is far from being my case though

 

I figure on working my way up...did the Voyager a few years back..now booked on the Freedom.. and then if I really like the Freedom and it doesn't seem to big..then I'll try Oasis/Allure. Just my opinion.

[hbr777]

What you all say makes total sense. I thank you for your opinions!

[bethco]

Here's another vote for Freedom over Oasis for your first cruise. I loved the Oasis, but found it bit overwhelming at times, though it was my husband's favorite. The Freedom Class will have more than enough to keep you busy and entertained.

[geomoe]

The Oasis/Allure are definitely worth the extra money. For a first time cruiser though, I would suggest the freedom. If you go on the oasis/allure first, your never going to want to go on another ship again. If and when you do decide to go on Oasis/Allure, I recommend the western Caribbean trip. Hope you have a great time!;)

[CruiseLover15]

Is the Allure/Oasis really that much better? I have two people on this trip who are convinced that it is. One cruised once 25 years ago on Carnival, and the other has never cruised.

 

 

IMHO, YES. The Oasis/Allure is that much better. However, like others have said, since it is your first cruise you will love the Freedom.;)

[DJLDRUMS]

Alote of good threads here. I would suggest that you experience the Freedom Class ship first. Then if it's for you graduate to the Oasis class knowing you're sailing on a larger ship and the Oasis class will be even larger.

If you don't like the size of the Freedom class then you probably wont like to go bigger.

We've done all the classes and if anything experiencing the Oasis class is wonderful, even if it's only done once on each ship.

You should choose the itinerary followed by when you'd like to cruise, then the ship.

Enjoy the experience and have a lot of fun on your RCCL vacation !

 

Don

[cruise wizard]

As you look at total cost - check air fares to Orlando vs. Ft. Lauderdale. You will have to get from Orlando to the port - it takes longer and costs more. Be sure to have enough time to get your return flights back home. Transportation from Ft. Lauderdale to the port is a short and inexpensive taxi ride.

[LBumb]

freedom, no doubt for first time still awesome ship

[Daghis]

My advice, book Freedom & if you like it book your next cruise on an Oasis class onboard so you will pay a low deposit & get OBC!

This.

 

The Freedom of the Seas is a great way to get your feet wet with Royal Caribbean, and then the Oasis of the Seas would be a great second cruise later on to see even more.

[Kristi5000]

I just got off Oasis, and it was AMAZING...WORTH EVERY PENNY. But my husband and I joked that we peaked on our first RCCL cruise, and any other class of ship would be a disappointment after experiencing Oasis. If you book Oasis you will be thrilled you did...but know that future cruises may feel like a step backwards. I plan to try Freedom class because I loved RCCL; but I probably did it backwards. After Oasis, I'm not sure I can ever go back!!!

[Poorplaya]

The wife and i were in the same spot, trying to decide and what ship to cruise for our cruise in april of 2014. I know that is a long time out but i think we have decided that the Independence of the Seas is what we will be taking out of Florida in April of 2014. Itinerary looks great, and will save us quite a bit of money. Hope you can make your decision soon and have a wonderful trip.

[cb at sea]

As far as booking a specific cabin vs. a "guaranteed" booking....if you are particular about your cabin location, then it's best to choose your own cabin #. If you really don't care where on the ship you are, let RCI pick it for you.....you will get AT LEAST the catagory that the booking guarantees you....and you may get something better!

[SailingJewel]

I just asked this exact question a week ago. I'm on my phone so I can't pull it up for you, but based on the helpful answers I got, I chose Freedom! :) Definitely. I'm so excited. I know it's the right decision. The difference in Solarium areas swayed me. And the feel of the boat, according to folks here, sounds more up my alley. :) As everyone else said, you can't go wrong either way!

[kingsnake57]

Our first cruise was, at that time, the biggest in the world (Voyager). It's what really got us hooked on cruising. So, I would go with Oasis/Allure.

 

One comment I would like to add is that when we sailed on Freedom everyone in our family said afterward that the wherever you went seemed very crowded. Oasis never felt crowded anywhere. Even leaving the ship at ports. Never a long line to get off or back on. And, the embakation for Oasis was the quickest and smoothest we've ever experienced.

 

Also, check out some reviews like this one:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1530368

or this

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1388090

[hbr777]

My husband wants Allure/Oasis because (one main reason) is that he wants the ease of leaving from Fort Lauderdale. We used to live there, so it would be cool to go back to our old stomping grounds to check it out.

 

Still deciding! We need to decide NOW!

[HesterMofet]

We just got off our first cruise and it was on Freedom. We loved it. As far as crowding goes, we were on the week before Easter and there were 1400 kids onboard. I was freaking prior to going because I was afraid it would be overrun. It wasn't at all. The ship is so big I didn't hear the 1400 number until after we got back and was surprised.

 

We're in the same boat, er, sorta though. We don't know if after Freedom Oasis/Allure would be too big! We're going Eastern Caribbean this time, so either one will do, it'll depend on the deal our TA can get.

 

I can tell you as a first time cruiser that Freedom was amazing! You will not regret it.

[hbr777]

So we have chosen...Oasis of the Seas!

 

We haven't booked yet - we are waiting final confirmation that my husband has the vacation time - but Oasis actually worked out cheaper than FOS, and with a neighborhood balcony, Central Park, midship on deck 10. We have the cabin on hold.

 

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this thread! I still think I would have loved FOS for the itinerary, but the ease of travel to FLL and the price made Oasis the best bet (Oasis is $200 cheaper per couple than Allure).

[kingsnake57]

So we have chosen...Oasis of the Seas!

 

We haven't booked yet - we are waiting final confirmation that my husband has the vacation time - but Oasis actually worked out cheaper than FOS, and with a neighborhood balcony, Central Park, midship on deck 10. We have the cabin on hold.

 

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this thread! I still think I would have loved FOS for the itinerary, but the ease of travel to FLL and the price made Oasis the best bet (Oasis is $200 cheaper per couple than Allure).

 

You will not be disappointed. Don't forget to get on the roll call for your cruise, and sign up for the "meet and mingle" too. Have a great cruise.

 

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk 2

[KG1924]

So we have chosen...Oasis of the Seas!

 

We haven't booked yet - we are waiting final confirmation that my husband has the vacation time - but Oasis actually worked out cheaper than FOS, and with a neighborhood balcony, Central Park, midship on deck 10. We have the cabin on hold.

 

THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to this thread! I still think I would have loved FOS for the itinerary, but the ease of travel to FLL and the price made Oasis the best bet (Oasis is $200 cheaper per couple than Allure).

 

Good for you guys!!! For price alone, I would take the Oasis in a heartbeat!!! Plus, as others have said, FLL is very conveniant if you're flying and we liked the area a bit better then Port Canaveral (PC is great still....don't get me wrong, but we prefer FLL)

 

Also, don't worry about her being "too big" or going down to smaller ships after. We did the Freedom after the Oasis and still loved it! While the layout is similar (obviously the Freedom doesn't have the neighborhoods, but has the Promenade) both are spacious with plenty of options for people of all ages. Have a great cruise!!!