Magic or Oasis both in PC, which to choose?

[jimbo5544]

My take on this. When I'm on a ship, I want to feel like I am on a ship. Not in central park, not at an amusment park, or dining in 25 different restaurants. I can do those kind of things when I am at home or on a land based vacation. We cruise for the love of the sea, the feeling of freedom and disconnect from civilization. We cruise for the sake of cruising. So, we would choose Magic because it meets our needs.

 

Pat

 

 

Bingo. Good post right on.

[jimbo5544]

Did you even read my post? I didn't stand in line. I relaxed in a lounge until 10 min. before showtime and then walked to the almost empty stand-by line. Only once didn't I make a show the first attempt and even then was able to walk 20 ft. to the comedy club. I sat with my wife at every show. So it is not a FACT as you put it that you need to make reservations. It is an option. And I believe options are good.

 

 

 

As for Disney, I've been there. Never went hungry. Never made any reservations for anything. Never equated restaurants with attractions or shows. Two different entities. It has been a while since I cruised on Carnival but I'm pretty sure can't just walk up to the steakhouse and be sure of being seated.

 

 

Did you read mine? I made my reservations months in advance I saw people standing in line and did not get in, while it did not happen for you it did for me. Since you brought it up we had people traveling with is that at the comedy club had to sit on opposite ends from the stand by line (that sounds like a great vacation to do to me.

 

Who said anything about going hungry in Disney , wow, you sure do change things. You totally missed that point also. The point was that at a Disney vacation you had to plan in advance (not go hungry) just like we had to do on oasis. On Disney we planned in advance for our shows, our dinners, which days we did for which parks and my point was it detracts from our vacation. (We have spent many many days on property in Disney).

 

For our oasis cruise we pretty much had to do the same thing (this was a school

Vacation week). This included which who's wee wanted to see (never do that again but that's another story) which nights for chops portafino etc. that is the similarity I was referencing.

 

I will give another comment on our cruise that was not what I would call an optimal cruise moment and then will move on. The first morning we got up and went to windjammer for breakfast and guess what. It was closed due to occupancy. I asked what our options were and the reply was to find another restaurant that was not open. No kidding. A real wow moment

[Central Oregon Gal]

I have np doing either cruise line, but is the Oasis too much ship?

 

 

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we did the Allure for a girls cruise in Jan of 16 and I was thinking it would be too much ship - I was so wrong! it was amazing - each area is like it's own little world - never felt crowded - loved the ship and really just enjoyed the ship the whole time - would do it again in a heart beat!

[NOSaints1]

Did you do Eastern/Western and what stateroom and your thoughts

 

 

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[Tapi]

For the Oasis class do you book a cheaper room because there's so much to do on the ship and not as much time in your room

 

 

We booked a BV category (Boardwalk view / no balcony). It was still more expensive than our 8B balcony on the Carnival Dream a few months later (but totally worth it). We did miss the connection with the ocean, but it really didn't take much from the overall experience. There's so much to do so there's very little down time" in the cabin. In fact, we had to simplify our "must do" list halfway through the cruise because we quickly realized that we wouldn't have enough time to do it all.

[quickrate]

So you like a more of an intimate ship what size do you look for like the pride or grandeur size

 

 

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We have sailed all class of Carnival ships and enjoy them all. I guess my point was, when I'm on a cruise, I'm not looking for the things offered on the type of ship that allure and oasis are. Nothing worng with them, just not what we want to experience when cruising. Relaxing in Central Park, or eating in a Bistro on the boardwalk area is not "OUR" idea of cruising. We are looking for simple rest and relaxation and the motion of the ocean.

Pat

[Tapi]

We cruise for the love of the sea, the feeling of freedom and disconnect from civilization. We cruise for the sake of cruising. So, we would choose Magic because it meets our needs.

 

Pat

 

 

In my humble opinion, neither Oasis or Magic are ships that I would consider to sail on in order to connect with the ocean or to enjoy the basic pleasures of cruising. Yes, the Oasis is HUGE, but the Magic is also HUGE, with its own share of restaurants, amusement park activities, gimmicky attractions, indoor venues, and packed pool decks, all to be shared with thousands of your closest best friends for a week. When I think of a cruise where I can truly enjoy the sea, I think way smaller than any of these ships. Anything bigger than 70-80K and I already start feeling disconnected from the ocean and the focus of the cruise shifts to the actual ship.

 

We did Allure of the Seas and Carnival Dream within months of each other and actually found the Dream to be way more crowded and less "cruise ship feeling". Still, we had a very enjoyable cruise and we loved the Dream, but it was considerably more chaotic than the Allure.

Edited April 24, 2016 by Tapi

[NOSaints1]

When you book a cruise do you try and find one where the ports are ones you haven't been to

 

 

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[Tapi]

When you book a cruise do you try and find one where the ports are ones you haven't been to

 

 

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It's a balance between ports, ship, and price.

 

- If sailing on a new itinerary won't be exorbitantly more expensive, then I'll choose based on the itinerary.

 

- However, if the ship is considerably worse than other ships that I could sail on for about the same price, I may place more emphasis on the ship rather than ports.

 

- If the price is too good to pass up, I may have to put everything aside and just book based on price.

 

That's somewhat the mentality why we chose our upcoming cruise aboard the MSC Divina for our kids summer vacation. The price was literally half of any other Carnival itinerary for the same week. A Royal sailing would been triple the price, and a Disney cruise would've been almost SIX times more expensive!

 

So we'll be sailing on a cruise line that we haven't experienced before, aboard a ship that is relatively new and about the size of the Magic, BUT we are going to Nassau (shoot me), we'll only be in St. Maarten for half a day, and even though I love San Juan and we have a long stop there, I'm from there so we're basically going to hang out with the family that day. But the price was just too good to pass up!!

[Erik101]

How about dinners at Disney? How about fast pass vs walk ups for rides? Point is there is 6400 people and two off Broadway musicals you do the math.

 

My point is that a cruise on allure or oasis is more like these types of vacation, it's like an event vs a relaxing cruise. Since I am now a type a according to you tho and I have saved the therapist fees, we can move on.

 

The subject being discussed was attractions. Dinners are NOT attractions. Fast passes are a waste of time. Go to Disney, Universal Studios, etc during slow times of the year and you won't need a fast pass.

 

Oh, and I did do the math. Not all 6400 people on board want to see a broadway musical. A percentage of that 6400 are either stuffing their faces at the restaurants, gambling or at the bars getting wasted. Which explains how I was able to walk in to a show 15 min before it started.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Erik101

[quickrate]

In my humble opinion, neither Oasis or Magic are ships that I would consider to sail on in order to connect with the ocean or to enjoy the basic pleasures of cruising. Yes, the Oasis is HUGE, but the Magic is also HUGE, with its own share of restaurants, amusement park activities, gimmicky attractions, indoor venues, and packed pool decks, all to be shared with thousands of your closest best friends for a week. When I think of a cruise where I can truly enjoy the sea, I think way smaller than any of these ships. Anything bigger than 70-80K and I already start feeling disconnected from the ocean and the focus of the cruise shifts to the actual ship.

 

We did Allure of the Seas and Carnival Dream within months of each other and actually found the Dream to be way more crowded and less "cruise ship feeling". Still, we had a very enjoyable cruise and we loved the Dream, but it was considerably more chaotic than the Allure.

I guess i can't comment on the Magic having not been on her but have been on the Breeze 3 times and found her very user friendly. My favorite Carnival ship is the Spirit Class, but I know they won't build anymore of that class. Still love the Fantasy class. Any ship is a good ship!

Pat

[jimbo5544]

The subject being discussed was attractions. Dinners are NOT attractions. Fast passes are a waste of time. Go to Disney, Universal Studios, etc during slow times of the year and you won't need a fast pass.

 

Oh, and I did do the math. Not all 6400 people on board want to see a broadway musical. A percentage of that 6400 are either stuffing their faces at the restaurants, gambling or at the bars getting wasted. Which explains how I was able to walk in to a show 15 min before it started.

 

 

Actually the subject was advance planning that had to be done when someone travels to Disney and comparing it to an Oasis cruise. Lastly, many people can't go to Disney during those "slow times" you talk about, they need to go when it is busy and while I am not a huge Disney fan, fast passes work pretty well. Whether or not some of the cruisers are "stuffing their faces or getting wasted, and you were able to walk right in to your show (probably during an off season cruise if your logic holds true) my point was that was not the case when we sailed on Oasis. There were many people in the standby line and some did not get in....it's a fact, I was there, your experience may differ. As I said before, we can move on.

[JJ Sefton]

Actually the subject was advance planning that had to be done when someone travels to Disney and comparing it to an Oasis cruise. Lastly, many people can't go to Disney during those "slow times" you talk about, they need to go when it is busy and while I am not a huge Disney fan, fast passes work pretty well. Whether or not some of the cruisers are "stuffing their faces or getting wasted, and you were able to walk right in to your show (probably during an off season cruise if your logic holds true) my point was that was not the case when we sailed on Oasis. There were many people in the standby line and some did not get in....it's a fact, I was there, your experience may differ. As I said before, we can move on.

 

And there has never been anyone turned away due to completely fill theater on any other cruise ship, right? I doubt it. It happens everywhere. For that matter, if you have a reservation for a show on Oasis and show up late you might not get a seat.

 

Personally, my only issue is your insistence that reservations have to be made.As myself and a few others have shown that's not true. And it doesn't mean that you'll have to stand in a long line either.

 

And to address some other issue people have raised, there are plenty of places to connect with the sea on Oasis. You don't have to go to Central Park or the inside promenade. Also, you don't have to do any of the thing onboard if you don't want to. Nobody is twisting you arm. Want to just relax, then just relax.

[Maryscooking]

I think it depends on what you are looking for. My take:

 

Magic wins on:

- Cloud Nine Spa is far superior to Oasis/Allure, and price is better on top of that. My husband and I LOVE Cloud Nine, so big plus for us.

 

- Serenity beats out the Solarium any day.

 

- My kiddo likes Waterworks better than the Oasis kid's water area. She also prefers Carnival kids club to RCI's, but it is close. (she's been in the 6-9 age range on these cruises)

 

- Ports. I think ports are important unless you specifically only want the ship.

 

- Price, pretty much by far.

 

Oasis wins on:

- Entertainment options, especially at night.

 

- Dining options, although many of them are at an extra cost. Truthfully I ended up thinking I spent too much on food at the end of our cruise, considering what our base cost was. I found RCI's dining room and buffet food pretty comparable to Carnival's.

 

- "Adventure" type activities like rock wall, zipline, etc

 

I found service to be roughly the same.

Edited April 25, 2016 by Maryscooking

[NOSaints1]

Carnival we would have to book in US dollars so there's the added cost to that, Royal we can book and pay in CDN dollars so that's a bonus. Carnival one more cruise and I'm at Gold my Dw still has I believe 12 days to go, Royal we will have 9 points as of next year, but the benefits are the least of our decision.

 

 

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[Tapi]

And there has never been anyone turned away?

 

 

 

And to address some other issue people have raised, there are plenty of places to connect with the sea on Oasis.

 

 

To address the show reservation and disconnect with the sea issues on Oasis:

 

- Yes, making reservations takes away some of the spontaneity, but personally I thought it was a brilliant idea. Maybe it's because it was my first time, but it was fun to check the shows and dining options in advance and have something to look forward to. More importantly, it was nice to know that we had a CONFIRMED spot at each one of the shows that we reserved and that we didn't have to show up half an hour early to make sure that we had a good seat. All seats were good!

 

- About 6,000+ passengers trying to go to the show: remember that the shows are repeated several times during the week, sometimes mid afternoon which was awesome. We don't really care about going to shows after dinner, so these afternoon showtimes were a welcome option. More importantly, unlike on smaller ships that have one big production a day, Oasis has multiple productions simultaneously, one at the Aqua Theater, another ice show, and another at the main theater, so passengers are spread out all over the ship (which is why these ships feel considerably less crowded than ships that are a fraction of their size).

 

- About the disconnect with the ocean: It's real. Many venues are indoors with no windows. And if you have a non-oceanview stateroom (like we did) the disconnect is even more pronounced because you don't get to see the ocean from your room either. BUT, with that said, the ship also has some of the most fantastic spots from where to watch the ocean go by that I've ever seen on any shjp. And many are completely secluded. We were on deck 7 and just a few doors down from our stateroom we had a door leading out to a large deck with a wonderful view of the ocean and the wake of the ship. We made it our private balcony since most of the time we were there all by ourselves!

[LMaxwell]

BUT, with that said, the ship also has some of the most fantastic spots from where to watch the ocean go by that I've ever seen on any shjp. And many are completely secluded. We were on deck 7 and just a few doors down from our stateroom we had a door leading out to a large deck with a wonderful view of the ocean and the wake of the ship. We made it our private balcony since most of the time we were there all by ourselves!

 

Those public aft balconies were converted to Aqua Suites and have no public access anymore.

 

Also, the Viking Crown Lounge is for suites and is not public access anymore.

 

I still think they are phenomenal ships to experience at least once.

[goldenk]

I'd go with the Magic with those choices.

 

Port Canaveral is getting nice ships this year (I live close by and it's either there or Tampa for me). I priced out the Oasis, Epic & Magic for Thanksgiving week. I remember the Oasis being so much more than the other two. Was the same week and balconies. Epic & Magic were close. Epic was $50 more per person for the week. But, with their promo their running now, I'm getting free drinks and four specialty restaurants for free (do have to pay gratuities on these). But, that will save hundreds and chose NCL. My first one with them, also first non-CCL cruise in about twelve years. The Oasis & Epic do not come to PC until the Fall though. Magic is here now :)

 

I am excited about the upcoming Magic cruise. Seen many good reviews.

[Sitzmark]

Those public aft balconies were converted to Aqua Suites and have no public access anymore.

 

Also, the Viking Crown Lounge is for suites and is not public access anymore.

 

I still think they are phenomenal ships to experience at least once.

 

The aft balcony referred to here would not have been one that was converted. This would be at the base of the climbing wall on either side.

[wampuscat7]

We went on Oasis in December (Western itinerary). Prior to that, we had only been on Carnival Conquest-class ships (3 cruises).

 

The Oasis-class ships are definitely destinations in their own right. II was worried about lines and crowding, but in December, the only time we waited in line was twice (10 minutes) for the My Time dining room. We ate at the Italian restaurant and Sabor without reservations, no waiting. We loved the neighborhood concept and the variety of spaces to visit and relax in.

 

The entertainment was way better on Oasis at all levels - specialty shows, stage shows, live music, etc. Dining room food was on par with Carnival, but we had terrible service. On the other hand, the buffet was way better than Carnival. We missed Guy's and Carnival's pizza. Service was good on both lines, with individuals and certain areas shining on each.

 

If you have children, consider their ages. Oasis has a multitude of activities, including great things for the very young ones. We also found a lot of open space that was great for a kiddo who likes to have some room.

 

As others have mentioned, Oasis did not feel much like a ship in some areas. There were not as many views to the ocean. (This is much less bothersome if you have an ocean-facing balcony.)

 

All this said, Carnival still has a great product, and we're likely choosing Magic over Oasis (and Epic) out of PC for our next cruise, partially for the ports and partially for the cost savings. Oasis is great, but not at several hundred dollars more. Since our next cruise is expected to be with extended family, we feel value may be more important.

 

Things we are excited about the Waterworks area and trying out the Ocean Plaza/Lanai area with its ocean views.

Edited April 28, 2016 by wampuscat7

[wampuscat7]

The aft balcony referred to here would not have been one that was converted. This would be at the base of the climbing wall on either side.

 

We watched one show from this spot in December. It was nice. No other people at all.

[isadelia]

My take on this. When I'm on a ship, I want to feel like I am on a ship. Not in central park, not at an amusment park, or dining in 25 different restaurants. I can do those kind of things when I am at home or on a land based vacation. We cruise for the love of the sea, the feeling of freedom and disconnect from civilization. We cruise for the sake of cruising. So, we would choose Magic because it meets our needs.

Pat

 

This is what I've been thinking. I haven't been on an RCL ship, but I read a very detailed review of the Oasis the other week and the pictures look nothing like a cruise. In most of the areas you can't even see the ocean. We just went to Vegas last weekend and I would compare the Oasis more to a Vegas resort/shopping center than Carnival. Just not what I look for in a cruise.

[dacsmom]

We would chose the Magic. We are a couple in our mid 70's, we don't need a rock climbing wall, a wave rider, an ice skating rink or any of the other things geared to the young folks. Why should we pay for things we won't be using? We enjoy sailing on Carnival when the kids are in school and there is more mature guests. We aren't fuddy duddys by any means, just enjoy a nice relaxing vacation

 

A nice relaxing walk in Central Park is a wonderful way to end the day. The Oasis and Allure have so much to offer us older folks. Don't discount it because of the added features for the younger set, there is something for all ages.

[Janespup]

We just came off our first RC cruise and it was on the Oasis. It is a beautiful ship. If you want to go on her just to experience the ship, the Oasis is he one to choose. The Park Cafe is very convenient for coffee in the morning, if your cabin is nearby. Other than that, Central Park is a nice place to take a stroll but really just a lot of specialty restaurants. The Solarium s very nice because it has some shade and a very nice pool, where Magic just has the hot tubs on Serenity deck.

 

We are returning to Carnival, though, as our experience on the Oasis just didn't match that on Carnival. I guess it depends on what you are looking for. We felt that the employees on Carnival were much more friendly. (We like being called by name and that didn't happen on Oasis.). The average age of adults on The Oasis when we went was probably 60-65, whereas Carnival's adult population is younger. We love the lido deck, Guy's, (There is a Guy's smokehouse on The Magic in addition to his usual), the selection in the buffet, the giant movie screen at pool area.

[NOSaints1]

We were booked on Grandeur but cancelled it and are booking Carnival because you can't get cruise insurance through RC unless your a US citizen.

 

 

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