Are the Oasis Class ships worth the hype?

[05TLD]

My wife and I have only ever cruised with Carnival. We would like to try the other companies out there.

 

My questions is, are the Oasis Class ships a way to go or are they more of a hassle than they are worth? Do you feel that you get a better experience on the smaller ships?

[jletsgo]

This is clearly just my opinion. I have been on all class rcl ships. Although the oasis was very nice and has lots of eating places and "neighborhoods", I missed the intimacy of other ships in the fleet. I really like the freedom class. Most of the same amenities but a more intimate feel. Again Just my opinion

 

 

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[Friend100]

I haven't done Oasis/Allure yet.

 

Based on most of the people who had done it, YES (of course like many things in the world there are always some exception). Am I convinced yet to try it? NOT YET, unless I can afford and justify a Loft Suite :)

 

The word "better" is subjective. I know what's "better" to me sometimes can be the complete opposite to my DW's.

[leaveitallbehind]

Each ship with each cruise line has an appeal to people for different reasons. We have only sailed with RCI so I can only offer my thoughts based on that. We have sailed on at least one ship in every operating class in the RCI fleet and can describe differences between each class of ships. We also like each ship class for different reasons, but have to say that the Oasis class ships - and we've sailed on Oasis twice - are one of our favorites.

 

While large and with an equally large passenger load, the many venues and restaurants and ship layout allows for a very well balanced distribution with the passenger load. We have felt less crowded overall on Oasis than other smaller ship classes as a result. All I can suggest to you is to read different reviews and threads about Oasis and spend a lot of time on the website familiarizing yourself with the deck plans and different venues to match up what appeals to you.

 

I will say that the ship is so unique in what it has to offer that IMO you should try it once to see for yourself. As I said before, we've been on 10 different ships across every RCI ship class and Oasis remains one of our favorites.

[Dolby1000]

We have done 5 different RC cruises on 4 classes of ships (Grandeur, Brilliance, Radiance, Adventure and Allure). We finished the Allure cruise on April 28.

 

So, having been on smaller ships, larger ships and the largest ship, I would say:

 

Yes! Frankly, can't wait to sail the Oasis or Allure again. It was a magnificent week and we had a wonderful time. :D

 

 

OWD

[Desert Cruizers]

We each enjoy a particular clss of ship and size, we have not sailed on the mega ships yet, but have done the Radiance Class and 1 Freedom Class. Our personal preferance is the Radiance Class. My suggestion would be to start with a Radiance or Voyaer Class and work up, so you have some comparison. A Freedom Class is a stretch version of the Voyager. We enjoy the Radiance class for the openess and views of the ocean. The Voyage and Freedom Class have a Royal promenade and except for your open decks give us more of a closed in feeling. This is only our opinion. In all our RCL cruises we have had wonderful trips and excellant service.

 

Look for the itinerary you want and price. Whichever class you choose, I am sure you will enjoy Royal Carobbean.

[setsail]

Oh yes, the O class is wonderful as is all of rci's 22 ships. There are no other ships at sea like them, try it, you won't go back

 

If you have children, they won't want to get off at the end of the 7 days

[PSCruiser]

All depends on individual preference, you will get many different opinions.

To me Oasis class is a great experience, but on the smaller ships you feel a bit more that you are "on a ship", which I prefer. Kind of like a Las Vegas megaresort - so big that it doesn't feel like a hotel.

Actually, to get a better idea of how you like RC compared to Carnival, I think I'd try Radiance, Voyager or Freedom class.

[johneeo]

So, having been on smaller ships, larger ships and the largest ship, I would say:

 

Yes! Frankly, can't wait to sail the Oasis or Allure again. It was a magnificent week and we had a wonderful time. :D

 

 

Without question, the Oasis was maybe the best time we ever had, at sea or on land.

 

With that being said, Allure is scheduled for summer 2014.

[ellie1145]

We sailed on Enchantment of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas in May and enjoyed both ships very much. We had been on Enchantment 3 times before, though many years ago, and prior to her being stretched. She was beautiful, and being able to see the sea from so many wonderful lounges and the centrum made her very special. We have also sailed on Allure, and twice now on Oasis, and can honestly say we love these mega ships. They are simply stunning, and even after our second time we still have things to do and places to go. Next time I would love to do a B2B on her.

 

I cannot tell you if you will love the Oasis class ships, nobody can. But the chances are that you will. There is so much to do and see and the entertainment is superb. However, you could be one of the minority who hate them. All you can do is try them. It IS a very different experience from other RCI ships, and cannot be compared to anything else, but we wouldn't hesitate to book another cruise on either Oasis or Aliure..... In fact I am already looking and planning! ;)

[05TLD]

Thank you for all the opinions and suggestions! My wife and I are currently booked of the Carnival Freedom in September. The Carnival Freedom is in the Conquest Class which I believe is Carnival's 3rd largest class. This will be the largest ship we have been on so far.

 

I personally am intrigued with the size of the Oasis Class. I think it is something worth looking into after reading some of the replies.

[Aurora2143]

100% worth it!!! We loved sailing on her and can't wait until we do again. 7 day's just was not enough time to do everything possible.

[sleepless]

We have sailed the Oasis. We liked it so much, that we have a B2B scheduled for July 2014 on the Allure. To DH and I, it is worth it. For added info, we travel alone, without children/grandchildren, and are in our 60's. We have also been on the Jewel and the Explorer. Each ship has it's own charm.

 

We wanted to do a B2B, so decided on the Allure. The Oasis Class has so much to see and do, that we did not get to experience everything when we were on the Oasis. We thought we would be able to get the full Allure experience, while still find time to relax.

[negc]

It will be ultimately up to you as to whether or not a cruise on an Oasis class ship is "worth it" but we have sailed on both Oasis and Allure and, while prior to our cruises we had heard all of the negatives- "too big, too many passengers etc", we were WOW'd from the time we boarded (actually even before we boarded when we experienced one of the smoothest check-in processes we have ever experienced) until we disembarked. There is so much to do and see and experience on these ships that it is difficult to do it all in just one 7 night cruise. Radiance class ships are still our favorites, but in my experience, each class of RCI ship has something unique to offer and Oasis and Allure are no exception.

The entertainment options, alone, are so much more varied than what any other ship or line offers, that they, by themselves, might be more than enough to justify the expense of sailing on these ships. We have sailed on them both as a couple and as members of a multi-generational family and had excellent experiences that made those cruises especially memorable.

[CruisenLexie]

I have been on the Oasis, Freedom, Voyager, and Radiance class ships with Royal as well as various ships on HAL, Princess and Celebrity. We did Oasis last October and are going on Allure this November. The ship does not seem as large as you might expect. Embarcation was a breeze. Disembarcation went smooth as well. We never felt crowded on the ship. I didn't think breakfast in the dining room was as good food wise or service wise. Dinner was fine. Our dining experience was not as good as we had on Celebrity Eclipse this past Feb but they had 1/2 the number of people on the ship. Didn't have a problem getting a chair by the pool which shocked me. We enjoyed going to different venues for nightly entertainment and hanging out in diffferent areas during the day. I was quite pleased with our experience and while I was on board I thought...Ok, we have done this now. It was nice but I don't need to do it again...Once I got home and was thinking about it I thought I wouldn't mind going on Allure. Now we are booked in November.

 

I would definately venture out from Carnival and I would say that whether you had only sailed on Princess, Royal, Celebrity or anyone else. Get a good price or some good perks and test the waters. If you only like small intimate ships then don't bother but I think it's worth a try. I expected a zoo and that is not what I experienced. Just don't judge the entire line on one cruise on one ship.

 

Good luck with your choice and happy cruising :)

[dreamer976]

100% worth it!!! We loved sailing on her and can't wait until we do again. 7 day's just was not enough time to do everything possible.

 

I'll second that! I have sailed all classes of RCI ships (except Sovereign). Wasn't really that interested in an Oasis class cruise, but my family was, so we booked it. I was blown away by the Oasis and would go again in a heartbeat! Many too many options to possibly do and enjoy all of them in one 7 day cruise, you will never be bored, that's for sure.

 

Many people feel that you don't get that "on a ship" feel and I can certainly understand that, so I believe an Oceanview Balcony is the way to go here.

 

Entertainment is also certainly top notch on this class. When they said I'd be "WOWED", they were right.

[MomtoCCC]

We sailed Oasis and Freedom this year. If you have kids, Oasis is the way to go. Our 9yo dd absolutely loved it. However, DH and I decided we prefer the Freedom class better. And even with our dd, we would probably go back the Freedom class before doing Oasis/Allure again. I will say that the shows on Oasis were outstanding.

[Kelley17]

The ships are huge but never feels crowded. My husband and I just returned from the Allure last month. This was our 3rd time on the Allure we never seem to get tired of going on the same ship. I'm getting ready to book the Oasis for next May.

[gizfish]

I am a fan of Carnival. We have done 5 Carnival cruises. Two cruises ago, we went on Allure. We just got back from our most recent Carnival cruise, on Splendor. I spent the whole time saying...this is nice, but it sure is not the Allure. Our next cruise is on Oasis, and we cannot wait. Yes, the Oasis class is certainly worthy of the hype!

[mm1251]

My questions is, are the Oasis Class ships a way to go . . .

 

YES-YES-YES! Oasis class is amazing. So is Freedom! If you are unsure, do Freedom first. BUT - I can't imagine not loving Oasis.

 

For us, Caribbean cruises have become less about the ports and more about the ships.

[Granny DI]

Oasis class is wonderful for families...our kids and grandkids loved it. My DH and I prefer the Voyager class ships when sailing without family.

[frazzledrazzle16]

In a word-- YES

 

If you look at my signature, you'll see that I have sailed almost exclusively (minus one Princess cruise) with Carnival since my first back in 2004. We got off of the Allure last month, which was our first experience with Royal Caribbean. It was probably the best cruise we have ever taken! After 13 Carnival cruises, they all started blending together. This experience was so unique and there was SO MUCH to do! We are looking to book the Oasis for February to try and get in everything we didn't have time for.

[peteukmcr]

100% worth it!!! We loved sailing on her and can't wait until we do again. 7 day's just was not enough time to do everything possible.

Best answer IMHO. Just back off Allure, and would go back in a heartbeat (if it wasn't so darn far from the UK). Photos from a fantastic trip below and my review http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=221210

[abridalmaven]

OMG yes. Those ships are amazing.

 

 

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[Midwestgal]

The problem with the oasis class as you tend to forget your on a ship, more like Mall of America and that's not for me. I want to know I'm on the ocean not in a mall.