Please help me decide…what would you do?

[Biz64]

ok I realize this has probably been asked before, but I will ask anyway. My wife and I are trying to decide between two cruises, both sailing same date in January between the Oasis and the Carnival Breeze. We are going with our three children, two boys ages 8 and 6, and a girl age 4.

 

A little background…My wife and I have sailed Princess about 10 years ago, we did a Mediterranean cruise on the Carnival Legend a year ago, and we just took the kids on a 4 night Disney Dream cruise this past May. We enjoyed all of them, however the Disney was our favorite and the kids loved it!

What is really important for this cruise is that our kids have plenty to do and have as much fun as they did on the Disney cruise.

 

The cruises…Breeze is ocean view cabin on 1st or 2nd deck that holds all 5 of us(they don't have balcony that sleeps five) for about $2680 for 8 nights.

Oasis is a balcony that sleeps five (not family balcony, which is bigger but sold out) for about $4770 with $100 on board credit. W prefer balcony, but the Breeze is $2000 cheaper…and thats why we are having a hard time deciding lol. We always wanted to try the Oasis, and I think thats a pretty good price for it, but don't know if it's $2000 better than the Breeze…especially for the kids :confused:

So if you have cruised both, especially with kids, I would love to hear from you. I will post this on the Carnival board also. Thanks!

[falkcor]

while i'd like to sail on oasis / allure some time - for $2000 less i would probably select the breeze this time around.

 

breeze is the largest / newest of the carnival ships, and has the water slides, ropes course, suess at sea program, etc. for the kids. i'm sure they'd have plenty of fun on the $2000 less cruise :)

[RuthlessBoss]

Where did you get a $2600 quote? Not sure of your date, but fareviewer isn't showing that amount:confused:

[mouche]

I also would loved to sail on the Oasis, in fact we almost did for our anniversary, but for the price of our cruise on the Oasis, we opted for the cheaper by $1,800 cruise on the Breeze, your kid are going to have fun in the water park.:)

Edited November 5, 2014 by mouche

[mouche]

Where did you get a $2600 quote? Not sure of your date, but fareviewer isn't showing that amount:confused:

 

I see it even cheaper, 8 days, 5 people for OV cabin $2,530.80, that's a really good deal to me for 5 people on and 8 day cruise.

[proud dad]

look into two connecting rooms on the breeze sometime i have found it is almost as cheap as 4 or 5 in one room. what date are you looking at

[jaxfl]

look into two connecting rooms on the breeze sometime i have found it is almost as cheap as 4 or 5 in one room. what date are you looking at

 

 

ages 8 and 6, and a girl age 4, not a good idea for 2 rooms.

[proud dad]

imagine two connecting balcony cabins for $1500 to $2000 less than oasis...it would feel like a grand suite

[proud dad]

why not jax fl.. leave the door open between rooms..i doubt they live in a one bedroom house..doors have locks and could be further child proofed.

[JinxyB]

I have done the Breeze and the Allure with a child, and for the price difference I would choose the Breeze. Oaisis/Allure are amazing, but I would not pay the extra $2000 for your family. Plus, the Breeze is an 8-day, which is a no-brainer for me! There will be plenty of stuff for your kids to do on the Breeze-waterpark, ropes course, mini-golf, thrill theater, etc. They also have a Dr Suess parade and brunch on the Breeze which was really fun.

[hirent]

ages 8 and 6, and a girl age 4, not a good idea for 2 rooms.

 

With children that young, maybe the connecting door can be kept open at all times. Keep their interior swivel lock engaged at all times to prevent outside entry, except when you want the steward to enter.

Having more space plus two bathrooms would be very useful.

Sometimes the cost for two rooms is not much more than one cabin.

Contact Carnival for the best options. Or a TA if you use one.

 

I have seen posts here where parents have booked a balcony for themselves and an interior for their children.

 

Some related posts:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2058312&highlight=connecting+cabin+for+kids

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2117909&highlight=connecting+cabin+for+kids

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2079491&highlight=connecting+cabin+for+kids

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2030544&highlight=connecting+cabin+for+kids

[Biz64]

look into two connecting rooms on the breeze sometime i have found it is almost as cheap as 4 or 5 in one room. what date are you looking at

 

Jan 31 2015. Thanks for all of the feedback everyone! I looked into two balconies and the price jumps to around $3700 or so on the Breeze. The oasis is an ocean view balcony room.

[hirent]

Jan 31 2015. Thanks for all of the feedback everyone! I looked into two balconies and the price jumps to around $3700 or so on the Breeze. The oasis is an ocean view balcony room.

 

Well, then; a direct comparison:

Oasis - One balcony cabin = $4770

Breeze - Two Balcony cabins = $3700

 

Clear and simple winner!

 

Though with kids that young, I don't know if it's a good idea to have them alone in a balcony cabin. Maybe one balcony and one interior might be better. Or two ocean-views/interiors.

Edited November 6, 2014 by hirent

[SMSACE6]

I have nothing against the other ship or line, but for 2000 or more in savings, I would go with the OV on Breeze. It is a new ship with lots of bells and whistles for a Carnival ship. I think that with the money you save, you could do some really interesting and fun shore excursions for that money. If you can handle OV, then that is what I would recommend. Save the money and splurge a bit on shore excursions.

[jaxfl]

why not jax fl.. leave the door open between rooms..i doubt they live in a one bedroom house..doors have locks and could be further child proofed.

 

If it was a OV room I would have said good idea, but a balcony, oh on.. Not even with a open door. There is no "child prof" that a child can't figure out.

 

Safety first.

[hirent]

I have nothing against the other ship or line, but for 2000 or more in savings, I would go with the OV on Breeze. It is a new ship with lots of bells and whistles for a Carnival ship. I think that with the money you save, you could do some really interesting and fun shore excursions for that money. If you can handle OV, then that is what I would recommend. Save the money and splurge a bit on shore excursions.

 

I agree with this.

$2000 is a lot of money, whether saved or spent on other experiences.

Heck, you could get two interiors for $2700, same as the one ocean view room. That might be better than all 5 of you crammed in a room with a small window.

[Tapi]

ages 8 and 6, and a girl age 4, not a good idea for 2 rooms.

 

 

We did 2 connecting rooms with a 4 and a 2 year old in the other room. Best cruise related decision we've made in a long time. Needless to say, the connecting door remained open all the time, and we barricaded doors at night, juuuust in case.

 

 

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[Tapi]

OP: We paid twice as much for our Allure of the Seas cruise than for our Carnival Dream cruise a few months later. While the Dream was an enjoyable cruise, the Allure was beyond phenomenal. There's absolutely NO comparison. We considered the price difference well worth it.

 

Just like people gladly pay a premium for a Disney cruise, people gladly pay a premium for an Oasis cruise. It's truly unique and like nothing else out there. You need to ask yourself what's most important to you

 

If the price difference is within what you're willing to pay, I'd say go for it! IMHO, Oasis should be experienced at least once. The Breeze, while nice, will probably be just another cruise. The Oasis will be a one of a kind experience.

 

 

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Edited November 6, 2014 by Tapi

[hirent]

OP: We paid twice as much for our Allure of the Seas cruise than for our Carnival Dream cruise a few months later. While the Dream was an enjoyable cruise, the Allure was beyond phenomenal. There's absolutely NO comparison. We considered the price difference well worth it

 

I agree. But the children (especially the younger two) would probably have more fun on the Breeze with the water park and slides.

 

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[Otowncruiser]

I agree with the others about comparing the price of 2 connecting cabins. We are bringing our 5 and 6 years olds on their first cruise on the Sunshine this Thanksgiving. We were at first booked all in the same room, but about a month ago I changed us to 2 connecting rooms in the same category for about $200 more. We booked 4J's on the Sunshine. I was nervous about having balconies with them. I would stick with the Breeze although I don't yet have experience cruising with kids.

[SNJCruisers]

I was just looking at the schematic and I could not find any connecting interior cabins whatsoever. With that being said, the Deluxe OV under the choose to cruise cheapest option is at 2650 with all five in the same cabin and 3100 (1360+1740) if you want connecting cabins. There were 3 sets of connecting cabins left, like 1232 and 1234.

[lazygal]

OP: We paid twice as much for our Allure of the Seas cruise than for our Carnival Dream cruise a few months later. While the Dream was an enjoyable cruise, the Allure was beyond phenomenal. There's absolutely NO comparison. We considered the price difference well worth it.

 

Just like people gladly pay a premium for a Disney cruise, people gladly pay a premium for an Oasis cruise. It's truly unique and like nothing else out there. You need to ask yourself what's most important to you

 

If the price difference is within what you're willing to pay, I'd say go for it! IMHO, Oasis should be experienced at least once. The Breeze, while nice, will probably be just another cruise. The Oasis will be a one of a kind experience.

 

 

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This is a very wise post. We have sailed both the Oasis and the Breeze. We bought two inside guarantees on the Oasis and were upgraded 12 floors to two boardwalk connecting balconies. Best upgrade ever but the two cabins came to $4000 (inside guarantees). It was truly a magnificent experience. I'm not sure children as young as yours would get the same experience though. A great cruise can be broken on itinerary, fellow clientele, a single bad cabin steward, waiter, etc. (can happen on any cruise line)

 

We also sailed the Breeze (excellent ship) and thought the food was much better (especially in the buffet). It's a newer ship with some exciting areas as well and had a better itinerary, plus the water slides are a hit with all ages. The Oasis class is limited to where it can dock. It does an excellent job of moving that many people with so many venues and the entertainment has to be the best at sea. The Boardwalk area with the carousel on the Oasis, the water shows, the parades are areas your children would enjoy, but many of the features, such as the wave runner and zip line are for older teens. Personally, my opinion only, I would consider the Breeze and save the Oasis class for when your children are older.

 

It's your decision and I only hope some of the feedback helps.

[nycny]

We have sailed on both the Oasis and the Breeze with kids. Prior to my Breeze cruise I had been on two older ships on Carnival and would not recommend Carnival over RCCL. BUT - the Breeze was a wonderful ship. The waterslides and other kids activities were fantastic. The Oasis is a beautiful ship with lots to do but I would not pay the price differential if choosing between the Breeze and the Oasis especially with kids.

[daniella1279]

I've never sailed either boats but based on price alone I would pick the Breeze.

 

Danielle

 

 

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