NCL Escape, Allure or Oasis

[FLUFFLULA]

Trying to decide whether to cruise on Oasis or Allure, vs. NCL Escape. DH and I have cruised both Oasis and Allure and they are my favorite ships. We have never sailed on NCL and DH thinks it has some interesting amenities. All three are sailing during the May time we are available to cruise.

 

What would you choose and why?

 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and recommendations!

[Clarea]

Trying to decide whether to cruise on Oasis or Allure, vs. NCL Escape. DH and I have cruised both Oasis and Allure and they are my favorite ships. We have never sailed on NCL and DH thinks it has some interesting amenities. All three are sailing during the May time we are available to cruise.

 

What would you choose and why?

 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and recommendations!

I would post this on these forums:

 

Royal: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=83

 

NCL: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=107

 

I think you will get many more responses in those cruise line forums.

[Keith1010]

At some point it's nice to try another cruise line/ship.

 

You might enjoy it or you might not but you'll never know unless you take the plunge.

 

Keith

[Clarea]

Trying to decide whether to cruise on Oasis or Allure, vs. NCL Escape. DH and I have cruised both Oasis and Allure and they are my favorite ships. We have never sailed on NCL and DH thinks it has some interesting amenities. All three are sailing during the May time we are available to cruise.

 

What would you choose and why?

 

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and recommendations!

I would choose the NCL ship, just to see what it is like. You might like what NCL has to offer.:)

[SuiteTraveler]

Prices will be less for NCL Getaway, than Escape so you might want to compare. I have been on both of these ships and I'm not loyal to any one cruise line. For me, Oasis and Allure remind me of being at a very nice theme park with the different neighborhoods on the ships. NCL's mega ships (Epic, Getaway, Breakaway and Escape) remind me of being at a new Las Vegas Casino Resort the water park. By way of decor, Aria comes to mind with these ships with the casino located at the heart of the ship and the restaurants and shops and bars scattered around peripherally. Whereas RCCL shows are more grand spectacle, NCL shows are more personal and up close. The specialty restaurants on NCL are awesome. Le Bistro and Cagneys are among our favorites, but all of them are good.

 

If you can afford a true suite, penthouse or above on NCL, then it's a whole other ballgame as the NCL suite experience beats that on RCCL hands down for quality of accommodations and service and perks. The suites on NCL are far more elegant with gorgeous bathrooms - particularly in 1 bedroom suites and up and a huge list of perks:

 

VIP check in at the pier

VIP lounge prior to boarding

Escorted embarkation

The Haven Restaurant and Lounge

Welcome aboard flowers

Welcome aboard bottled water and sparkling wine

In room coffee/tea/cappucino maker

Butler service

Concierge service

upgraded toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, lotion, body wash)

complimentary room service, even from specialty restaurants if desired

The Haven pool, hot tubs, dry sauna and steam room

Pillow menu (from butler)

DVD player

DVD library (from butler)

Afternoon hors d'ourves (or you can order anything you want from your butler as a standing order.)

Priority restaurant and show reservations

Priority show seating

Early disembarkation - we've made flights home at 10:30am by doing this.

 

The Haven Spa Suites comes with all of the above perks plus the additional perk of use of the Thermal suite in the Spa, which is huge and consists of:

aromatherapy steam room

sanarium

dry sauna

salt room

snow room (Escape only)

water circuit and thalisotherapy pool

hot tub

heated tile loungers

padded loungers

fruit water

rain showers

 

In addition, The Haven Spa Suite also has a jetted tub in the room and separate shower with body jets and a double sink in the bathroom.

 

The RCCL spa doesn't really have many of these areas - just the sauna, steam room and a couple of heated tile loungers. It is tiny in comparison to the NCL thermal suite which runs across the entire front of the ship with amazing ocean views.

 

Anyway, hope this information is helpful to you in deciding. I would say if you go on NCL, be sure to be in a spa cabin or at least buy spa passes as it is just wonderful and really was our hang out place throughout our cruises on these NCL ships.

[KKB]

try NCL--but I am finding anymore it isn't always.

 

Personally the Allure was our FAVORITE cruise EVER (not an RCL thing--AOS was our LEASE fav). And my parents put NCL as a distant 4th on their line preference (they have only sailed 4 lines). Not that they WOULDN'T sail NCL, but all things being equal (or close to equal) they wouldn't even consider NCL.