3 kids (2,5,12), first cruise Oasis vs fantasy HELP!!!!

[lyss77]

Hi all,

 

I am not sure where to start. Oasis seems much cheaper. Am I missing something. will I end up paying the same or more in the end? How kid friendly is oasis. On disney it would be no big deal if my 2 year cries...worried the "culture" may vary greatly on Oasis thus making it tougher to be out and about with the little ones..thoughts?

 

thank you so much for your help!

 

first time cruiser :)

[jaydog240011]

The D is always more .

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

Disney is always priced much higher. And Oasis is very family friendly!

[anaivali]

I traveled with my kids in both. Disney cruise is much bored, starting because the pools are very small. In the Oasis they lacked time for fun! Too many things to do, the kids area is fantastic. All you have good in Disney cruise are the characters. My kids are men, so the princesses are not of the interest of them.That is my opinion. Disney is not bad but I will not repeat.

Sorry for my bad english. :o

[mad-dog74]

My kids are 8 & 10 and LOVED Allure. I could not imagine a cruise that could be more family friendly. Even on sea days, we had no trouble around the pools.

 

I've always thought there'd be too many dirty diapers and strollers for me on Disney... IMO

[COCKYMARK]

Oasis....the most incredible ship on the planet!

[luv2cruzstl]

Never been on Disney but our son has never been bored on Royal!! Hardly ever see him!!

[rudikins]

Have been on both Oasis and Disney Dream (sister ship to the Fantasy.) You won't go wrong either way.

 

Overall, Disney will end up costing more most likely; however there are certain things that are included on Disney that are not included on RCI (unlimited soda, kids' club after 10pm, room service after midnight, can't remember what else.)

 

The kids' clubs/activities on a Disney are second to none IMHO. However, RCI also has a good kids' club.

 

The Oasis is an incredible ship with sooo much to do for all ages. I was blown away by the size, decor, etc. and really want to go back.

 

Either way, you will have a fabulous vacation.

[lyss77]

Thanks all. Any tips on when/where to book to get the best deal?

[LuCruise]

We went through the same question and with a $2000 difference at booking ($2700 difference today with the Canadian dollar), I did a thorough comparison. I wanted to make sure that Allure (Oasis sister ship) had enough for our 6.5 and 10.5 year olds vs the Fantasy. Well, we booked the Allure as there is tons to do for them and lots of DreamWorks stuff, parades, ice and aqua shows, mini golf arcade, and supposedly a great kids club. We can't wait.

 

You can't go wrong with either, but at such a price difference, we went with RCL.

[lyss77]

we too are from canada...where did you book from the best deal?

[BekkaW]

we too are from canada...where did you book from the best deal?

 

Unfortunately it's against the rules to name travel agents on Cruise Critic. Your options are basically to book direct with Royal (there are some deals at the moment with reduced deposit and I think I saw something about 3rd and 4th guest at a discount). Or you can use an agent, either online or local to you.

 

Many agents offer perks, such as on board credit or pre-paid gratuities. Some book group space so may offer a slight discount on price.

 

My advice would be to google some online agencies and then call around some local area ones to compare what they will give you.

 

I think your kids will love Oasis :)

[LuCruise]

we too are from canada...where did you book from the best deal?

 

First I did research myself online with what ship, itinerary and stateroom we wanted, and then (after putting the specific stateroom on hold), I called RCL directly to book. We booked back in Decenber which was 16 months out and got a good deal (prices are a bit higher now for our cruise).

 

A note about being Canadian, a big perk to us in choosing RCL over Disney is that you can book in Canadian dollars for RCL. That way, when it comes to final payment, we know exactly how much we owe and it doesn't matter on the dollar.

 

(There is another post for Canadians about how you can also purchase OBC for 1.1%)