Which RCL Ship

[JMsquared74]

Very excited to join this forum. Been reading through the forum and the amount of just fantastic information is amazing!!! Though right now I am feeling a little bit of information overload.

 

So here is what I would love some advice and feedback on.

 

Taking a cruise week of Jan 11. Have narrowed it down to the Freedom, Independence or Oasis.

 

I am going to be going with my Girlfriend. She is 29 and I am 40. She has never been on a cruise or to the caribbean. I haven't been since college 20 years ago. We are both active and enjoying having fun. Great Spa, Amazing Snorkling, wonderful beaches, and delicious food is what we are looking for. It will be freezing cold when we leave home in Philly so we are really looking to take advantage of the beautiful caribbean weather.

 

So I have narrowed it down to

 

Independence Jan 12 Outside G Deck 3 Mid for $$1300

6 Nights Grand Cay, Falmouth, Labadee

 

 

Freedom Jan 12 Inside N Aft Deck 6 for $1300

Nassau, St Thomas, St Maarten

 

Oasis Jan 11th Inside GTY $1800

Nassau St Thomas St Maarten

 

I have a deposit on Independence.

 

I would love to get some feedback on the ships, inside and the ports. Is it worth $500 more for Oasis? Is the 3 hr of travel each way to get to Pt Canaveral? What are the best ports for us a new cruisers As this is my first post please be understanding. Please let me know any other info that can help this forum members help me make the right decision for a wonderful great vacation

 

 

Thanks

 

Jeff:)

[Tapi]

Yikes, any 7 night itinerary with Nassau would automatically disqualify it in my opinion. Nassau is OK on short, cheapie cruises, but not on a more expensive, 7 night itinerary where there are so many other ports that can be reached.

 

Ship wise, I'd pick Oasis, but not on their Eastern Caribbean itinerary. Have you considered the Allure that same week? It should be sailing to the Western Caribbean. Labadee is pure heaven on earth. Allure is amazing. Feel free to click on the link in my signature for our review.

 

Seems like the Allure on January 12th is currently offering neighborhood balconies for only $30pp more than inside cabins! ($799 vs $829) I would jump on it in a heartbeat!!

[Clarea]

... Is the 3 hr of travel each way to get to Pt Canaveral? ...:)

It'a about 45 minutes from the Orlando airport to Port Canaveral. An easy drive if you choose to do a one-way rental car, which is not expensive.

[Tapi]

Just noticed that the Freedom itinerary out of Port Canaveral on January 12th visits Coco Cay, not Nassau. That would make a big difference in my decision making.

 

Are you asking about driving time to Port Canaveral from Philadelphia, or are you asking about time from the Orlando airport to Port Canaveral? The lower price for the cruise, plus Coco Cay instead of Nassau, plus the shorter drive (if driving from Philadelphia), would sway my decision in favor of the Freedom, even if she's not as spectacular as the Oasis/Allure.

 

BTW, if you're asking about driving distance from the Orlando Airport to Port Canaveral, it's 41 miles (45-60 minutes).

[JMsquared74]

I looked at Allure but it doesn't do Grand Cayman but Cozumel which I've been to and was not impressed. But thank you for the info regarding Nassau.

 

Jeff

[JMsquared74]

Actually flying in and out of Palm Beach. Stay with family before and different family after. Otherwise if we didn't have family obligations after the cruise would fly out of Orlando home.

[Clarea]

Actually flying in and out of Palm Beach. Stay with family before and different family after. Otherwise if we didn't have family obligations after the cruise would fly out of Orlando home.

In that case, yes, it's a long drive to Port Canaveral. If money is a signficant issue, I'd stick with Indy. Otherwise, there's no ship out there like Oasis/Allure.

[Tapi]

Actually flying in and out of Palm Beach. Stay with family before and different family after. Otherwise if we didn't have family obligations after the cruise would fly out of Orlando home.

 

The drive from Palm Beach to Port Canaveral is longer than the drive from Palm Beach to Ft. Lauderdale, but in my opinion, it's an easier, more leisurely drive because you are not dealing with the heavy traffic (and construction) found going southbound. Going northbound, it's open expressway all the way. It's about 1 hour going to Ft. Lauderdale, and about 2.5 hours going to Port Canaveral.

 

We do prefer Grand Cayman over Cozumel, but you're sacrificing one day of cruising to go to Grand Cayman (and believe me, you'll miss it when you're getting off the ship on the last day thinking that you could've been on vacation one more day).

[JMsquared74]

Tapi

 

Thanks for the info! I also read your review on the Allure. it was very helpful. Thanks

[JMsquared74]

I would do the freedom if I gad the choice. The staff onboard are great, and for me while the oasis is a nice ship, it's just too big. Not sure what part of the states you are from, but the water does get a little cold in coca cay in Jan, but we sound still do it.

 

All will be fun.

Coming from the North East in January I'll take anything above 70 degrees!!!

[piercetc4]

the ships you are choosing from are great! so i would turn my attention to the ports- St Thomas and St Maarten are our favorites among the ones listed- ships going to St Maarten the week we can cruise are the ones we choose from....lol!

 

try a day sail in st thomas- awesome snorkeling/ lunch/ beach/ sailing/ all beverages for $125 - 140 pp depending on which charter you choose

 

for us, orient beach in st maarten is fantastic! we love to enjoy some drinks during the day while enjoying our lounge chairs and playing in the crystal clear ocean- playing in the waves practically all day! this is the one place we have considered coming back for a land vaca because we love playing in the ocean here so much! jet skiis, banana boat rides, para sailing, and etc....also offered here!

 

cant say enough about st thomas and st maarten- you cant go wrong on any of the ships you are choosing from- they are all great!!!!

[help04me]

as far as the ships go the independence is basically the freedom so those are basically the same . labadee is my favorite beach day on any of the cruises I have taken (7) . the problem you may have is the same one I have once you do the oasis you may never want to settle for a less active ship everything is done in a grander scale and if you plan to get her on future cruises then the freedom or the independence might be a better (starter) ship . but regardless you cannt go wrong on anyone you choose hope you have a great time

[piercetc4]

ps- we have only been on freedom out of the ships you mentioned- freedom and indy are sister ships so are about the same- we have not done oasis/ allure yet because we have been very content with voyager class and freedom - less people and ocean view balcony cabin pricing is better on voyager / freedom versus oasis/allure the times we have checked that we could go......

[JMsquared74]

as far as the ships go the independence is basically the freedom so those are basically the same . labadee is my favorite beach day on any of the cruises I have taken (7) . the problem you may have is the same one I have once you do the oasis you may never want to settle for a less active ship everything is done in a grander scale and if you plan to get her on future cruises then the freedom or the independence might be a better (starter) ship . but regardless you cannt go wrong on anyone you choose hope you have a great time

Everyone seems to love Labadee. That really helps. And I agree with you on your comment about Indy being a good starter ship and then next cruise Oasis / Allure or who knows maybe even Quantum!!!

[DonnaK]

The reason this is such a difficult decision, and you are receiving so many opinions, is that you cannot go wrong with any of these choices. Narrowing it down to just one is almost like nit-picking! lol

 

Indy and Freedom are pretty equal. So it's 7 days in an inside cabin and a longer pre-cruise drive, versus 6 days in an outside cabin with a more convenience port of embarkation.

 

To answer your last question, are Oasis/Allure worth the extra $$, the answer is definitely YES! Especially if you like to be entertained on a cruise! It is not too big, and doesn't feel crowded at all.

 

Of all the choices presented, I would pick Allure in the neighborhood balcony guarantee (best value for the money). I love Labadee, and even though you didn't care for Cozumel, you can find a nice beach or a nice excursion that's different from what you did last time you were there, and it will be a totally different experience. Research the port of call board for ideas.

[help04me]

Everyone seems to love Labadee. That really helps. And I agree with you on your comment about Indy being a good starter ship and then next cruise Oasis / Allure or who knows maybe even Quantum!!!

I am going to be a lot different from other responders I like inside cabin I am very active and the pitch dark helps me sleep I also like the 6th floor because I am seconds from the promenade deck where so much happens

[dsvd79]

How about the 10 night on Grandeur out of Baltimore. It goes to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Labadee. You wouldn't need to buy airfare too.

[Merion_Mom]

How about the 10 night on Grandeur out of Baltimore. It goes to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Labadee. You wouldn't need to buy airfare too.

 

I like this idea, and the Baltimore port is SO easy to get to from Philadelphia.

[Tapi]

One other thing you may want to consider about selecting an itinerary that goes to Grand Cayman:

 

Grand Cayman is a tender port, and unfortunately, it's also one that is missed often if weather conditions are not ideal. We almost missed Grand Cayman on a beautiful, clear skies day because it was windy (we ended up anchoring on the south side of the island and tendered ashore at Spot's Bay). But we were lucky that we made it. A lot of people don't.

 

The reason why I'm bringing this up is so that you place less emphasis on the ports of call, and more emphasis on the other variables (ship, cabin, price, drive). It would be very disappointing if your deciding factor is a port of call that ends up being cancelled due to weather.

[Tapi]

How about the 10 night on Grandeur out of Baltimore. It goes to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Labadee. You wouldn't need to buy airfare too.

 

I like this idea, and the Baltimore port is SO easy to get to from Philadelphia.

 

 

The OP will already be in Palm Beach, FL for family business.

[Cruzin-K]

 

Of all the choices presented, I would pick Allure in the neighborhood balcony guarantee (best value for the money). I love Labadee, and even though you didn't care for Cozumel, you can find a nice beach or a nice excursion that's different from what you did last time you were there, and it will be a totally different experience. Research the port of call board for ideas.

 

^ this

 

I agree about Cozumel, just hanging out in town isn't really all that great, but there are some nice beaches to go to. Look up Nachi Cocom.

[JMsquared74]

^ this

 

I agree about Cozumel, just hanging out in town isn't really all that great, but there are some nice beaches to go to. Look up Nachi Cocom.

The price difference is about $400 between Indy and Allure for a balcony on Allure. I put in a deposit on both and have a month to cancel one. Would love to get some can't miss things to do on either ship:)

 

Thanks for everyone's feedback

 

Jeff

[Cruising89143]

Oasis class for me. I love the eastern over western.

[Cruising89143]

The price difference is about $400 between Indy and Allure for a balcony on Allure. I put in a deposit on both and have a month to cancel one. Would love to get some can't miss things to do on either ship:)

 

Thanks for everyone's feedback

 

Jeff

 

I have photos of the Allure in my link below. A great ship.

[C Cruise Dude]

Very excited to join this forum. Been reading through the forum and the amount of just fantastic information is amazing!!! Though right now I am feeling a little bit of information overload.

 

So here is what I would love some advice and feedback on.

 

Taking a cruise week of Jan 11. Have narrowed it down to the Freedom, Independence or Oasis.

 

I am going to be going with my Girlfriend. She is 29 and I am 40. She has never been on a cruise or to the caribbean. I haven't been since college 20 years ago. We are both active and enjoying having fun. Great Spa, Amazing Snorkling, wonderful beaches, and delicious food is what we are looking for. It will be freezing cold when we leave home in Philly so we are really looking to take advantage of the beautiful caribbean weather.

 

So I have narrowed it down to

 

Independence Jan 12 Outside G Deck 3 Mid for $$1300

6 Nights Grand Cay, Falmouth, Labadee

 

 

Freedom Jan 12 Inside N Aft Deck 6 for $1300

Nassau, St Thomas, St Maarten

 

Oasis Jan 11th Inside GTY $1800

Nassau St Thomas St Maarten

 

I have a deposit on Independence.

 

I would love to get some feedback on the ships, inside and the ports. Is it worth $500 more for Oasis? Is the 3 hr of travel each way to get to Pt Canaveral? What are the best ports for us a new cruisers As this is my first post please be understanding. Please let me know any other info that can help this forum members help me make the right decision for a wonderful great vacation

 

 

Thanks

 

Jeff:)

 

Jeff, I would go with Freedom for 7 days (Love St. Thomas and St. Maarten) but would keep an eye on Oasis as the price might drop and you could be in a balcony for that price or less. Hotels in the MCO area have shuttles that will take you to Canaveral and back for a extra fee. Indy is Freedom class so you get the same thing. Enjoy!