Carnival Breeze or RC Oasis of the Seas?

[HummerMan3]

Hi folks! Just booked my 4th ever cruise for November 2018 on Oasis of the Seas. The fare is fully refundable at this point, so I'm researching between that ship and the Carnival Breeze. Any considerations to sway me one way or another? My wife and I will be 33, our son, 4 at the time of sailing. We are extreme spend thrifts, so although overall price of the cruise isn't too great of a consideration for us, the VALUE is our number one priority. Our dates are flexible, but we prefer to travel out of Port Canaveral unless there is an exceptional value to be had at Port Everglades or Miami. A 6-8 day itinerary and ocean-view balcony are also a must for us. In my research between the two ships so far, I've compiles a list of pros for both.

 

Carnival Breeze pros: Better ports, $250 cheaper, better alternative dining options, sauna included in the cruise fare.

 

Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas pros: Awesome ship activities (zip line, Flow Rider, ice skating, etc), better food options in the MDR, slightly better reviews overall.

 

Anything else you might add that I should consider? One final note, our son has special needs and would benefit from a kids' club staff that is knowledgeable in autism.

 

Thanks again, and BTW, this is my first post! :D

[Kricktor]

I was on oasis in February for this first time and LOVeD it. Went ahead and booked another sailing on her for February 2018. Overall awesome experience. I'm loyal to royal but do cruise carnival for certain price points for group cruises. Royals food is better IMO, oasis had amazing shows and great activities. Enjoyed our quiet down time on the ship as well.

 

 

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[TheTravelista]

I've sailed both.

 

The question of Carnival Dream class ships vs RCIs Oasis class ships comes up a lot and I never know how to answer because the ships aren't comparable.

 

It really all depends on what matters to you as far as cost, activities, itinerary, entertainment, etc. CCL will win with cost and itinerary. RCI entertainment and activities.

[dmdiver]

Oasis is beautiful, but you will need reservations for the shows. We didn't & missed a lot. Activity-wise, I prefer Breeze. I'm more likely to use the water slides & ropes course on Breeze than surfing & ice skating. Never even got to see the ice rink on Oasis. The shows were always booked & everytime we wanted to try ice skating it was closed for rehearsal. I've ziplined through the forest, so the Oasis zipline doesn't interest me. Rock wall climbing was fun on Enchantment & Oasis walls are taller, but that was just one of those been there done that things for me. The Central Park area on Oasis is a great place to sit & have a refreshing beverage in the evening. Very relaxing. It's easy to forget you are on a ship when on Oasis - the promenade, central park, boardwalk is down the center of the ship so you don't see the water until you get to the back of the boardwalk where the diving show is. Pools were nice on Oasis & I especially liked the adult Solarium area at the back. Really wish Carnival did that on their ships. Can't speak for the kid clubs, as we didn't need it on Oasis or Breeze.

[Rogueperson]

I would say Oasis has better alternative dining, but there is no comparison to Guys Burgers.

 

Overall, the Oasis class is a better venue as it has more to offer. Biggest class of ships, neighborhoods, etc.

 

The downside, which is why i haven't booked Oasis class, is their ports will ALWAYS be generic as only a select number of ports can berth an Oasis class ship. If Value is your key priority, then go with Carnival Breeze.

 

Oasis class is still demanding a premium. I'm doing my shopping on Royal Caribbean. I found a 9 night on Navigator starting at 585/person but the cheapest Oasis class is floating about 720/person for 7 nights both for interiors in 2018. I think, given the sheer amount of activities on the Oasis Class, is that I will wait when its ready for refit, and take a transatlantic on her.

[MandyMooToo]

Royal Caribbean has been certified as "Autism Friendly." You can Google Royal Caribbean and autism and get more details but they provide extra services to families with children with autism that are included in the fare. Some ships also have special staff available that can cruise with you at an extra cost. This may be something that would be helpful for you and your wife and make the cruise more pleasurable for your son too.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&snav=2&faqId=5947&faqSubjectId=348&faqSubjectName=Luggage&faqType=faq

 

This is a small blurb from the FAQ's but there is more info out there if you Google it. Good luck and happy cruising!

[HummerMan3]

Thanks all! I am leaning toward the Oasis at the moment. We seem to have gotten a pretty decent deal with our booking ($820pp, ocean-view balcony, not including gratuity). I think that if a deal comes along to put the Breeze at $400 less than what I've booked the Oasis for, that would tip the scales in favor of the Breeze.

Regarding the crowds - we're not a huge fan of them, but I have heard crowds plague all big ships, so we'll do some advanced planning to minimize our exposure.

It'll be my wife & kid's first cruise, so I'm hoping they like cruising enough to give it another go on the ship that we didn't try the first time!

[HummerMan3]

Royal Caribbean has been certified as "Autism Friendly." You can Google Royal Caribbean and autism and get more details but they provide extra services to families with children with autism that are included in the fare. Some ships also have special staff available that can cruise with you at an extra cost. This may be something that would be helpful for you and your wife and make the cruise more pleasurable for your son too.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&pnav=5&snav=2&faqId=5947&faqSubjectId=348&faqSubjectName=Luggage&faqType=faq

 

This is a small blurb from the FAQ's but there is more info out there if you Google it. Good luck and happy cruising!

 

Thanks! I actually just read about this this past weekend. I posted this same query in the Carnival sub-thread, so I'm interested to hear if Carnival has any similar program. My son's delays are a bit different than autism (more motor & speech issues, fewer social issues), so lack of autism-friendliness isn't necessary a deal-breaker, but it would probably go a long way toward helping him have a good time.

[JAMST3RZ]

Although Oasis has more activities most of these your child can't do so there is no point in spending the extra $$. As a side note the sauna on the Breeze is not complimentary, and if your child is still in diapers/ pullups they will not be allowed into the kid programs on Oasis but will on Breezes as they will change them. One thing to remember is that kids aren't allowed in ANY pools/ slides/ hottubs on the Breeze whereas on oasis there is a diaper friends splash park. My overall choice would be Carnival but my signature may indicate why...

 

 

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[djny1077]

I'm probably not the most qualified person to respond to this, as I've only just booked my 3rd cruise and have never cruised on Carnival or Royal, however, we just had to make a similar decision - Oasis or Magic. We've always wanted to try an Oasis class ship and I was really surprised to see that the pricing was comparable, and IMO Oasis had the better itinerary. We were pretty set on booking Oasis but, I am a researcher and as I was looking at photos of Oasis, I realized how everything was so enclosed. For us, one of our favorites parts of cruising is the experience of being out on the water. I absolutely must have an ocean view balcony, but I actually use it. I'll sit outside for hours at night, heck I would sleep out there if I could! I love sitting out on a promenade deck with a drink, or going as far forward as I can to watch the ship plow through the water. It seemed that Oasis had no areas like this. So I did some CC research and it pretty much seemed that people describe the Oasis as a "fancy resort", as opposed to a cruise ship, and there is a detachment or disconnect from the water. In the end, that was the deal breaker for me and we decided on the Magic. I do not get to cruise often and I wasn't sure if that connection to the water was something I wanted to give up.

 

I guess the point of all this is that you'll have to choose what is more important to you. We are not "sit at the pool" kind of people, so the Oasis having 4 pools meant nothing to us. The Serenity area, as beautiful as it is, is also enclosed. Even the running track was enclosed. The Magic has the Lanai, which I believe wraps around the whole ship. We like lazy sea days. However, if its the entertainment you are looking for, than Oasis might be the better pick for you, as it seems there is more to do and more entertainment/show options. The ice show and water show (is it a dive show?) look super cool, and the neighborhoods are beautiful, especially the park! It does seem there is a lot for children, although its not something I've really researched.

Again, I know I'm not the most qualified to answer, but though I'd share how we made our decision. I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter which ship you choose! Happy Cruising!

[HummerMan3]

Although Oasis has more activities most of these your child can't do so there is no point in spending the extra $$. As a side note the sauna on the Breeze is not complimentary, and if your child is still in diapers/ pullups they will not be allowed into the kid programs on Oasis but will on Breezes as they will change them. One thing to remember is that kids aren't allowed in ANY pools/ slides/ hottubs on the Breeze whereas on oasis there is a diaper friends splash park. My overall choice would be Carnival but my signature may indicate why...

 

 

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I had read that over the past 2 years, RC has an "Autism-friendly" approach, allowing exceptions to the diaper rule for kids with special needs plus extra training on autism for the staff. I didn't know that Carnival allowed kids in diapers to participate in the kids programs, that is good to know going forward. Hopefully a non-issue as the kid has just started potty training this past week!

[lisagro]

Putting in my two cents worth--I have sailed on both Carnival and RCCL, and I like the food much better on Carnival. They have the wonderful Guy's Burgers, 24 hour pizza and soft serve ice cream, plus their famous warm chocolate melting cake.Plus the new Alchemy bar and Guy's Pig and Anchor BBQ. And my daughter always loved the kids' programs. I also like the fact that Carnival has more activities to do during the day that RCCL (games, trivia, etc.), including port days We also like that Carnival is very casual. (We are booked on the Breeze later this year.).Royal had nothing to do if you were on the ship when it was in port. If you really want to climb a wall or ice skate, than go for the Oasis. But otherwise, I think you would get a better deal with Carnival.

[sonicbuffalo]

I'm probably not the most qualified person to respond to this, as I've only just booked my 3rd cruise and have never cruised on Carnival or Royal, however, we just had to make a similar decision - Oasis or Magic. We've always wanted to try an Oasis class ship and I was really surprised to see that the pricing was comparable, and IMO Oasis had the better itinerary. We were pretty set on booking Oasis but, I am a researcher and as I was looking at photos of Oasis, I realized how everything was so enclosed. For us, one of our favorites parts of cruising is the experience of being out on the water. I absolutely must have an ocean view balcony, but I actually use it. I'll sit outside for hours at night, heck I would sleep out there if I could! I love sitting out on a promenade deck with a drink, or going as far forward as I can to watch the ship plow through the water. It seemed that Oasis had no areas like this. So I did some CC research and it pretty much seemed that people describe the Oasis as a "fancy resort", as opposed to a cruise ship, and there is a detachment or disconnect from the water. In the end, that was the deal breaker for me and we decided on the Magic. I do not get to cruise often and I wasn't sure if that connection to the water was something I wanted to give up.

 

I guess the point of all this is that you'll have to choose what is more important to you. We are not "sit at the pool" kind of people, so the Oasis having 4 pools meant nothing to us. The Serenity area, as beautiful as it is, is also enclosed. Even the running track was enclosed. The Magic has the Lanai, which I believe wraps around the whole ship. We like lazy sea days. However, if its the entertainment you are looking for, than Oasis might be the better pick for you, as it seems there is more to do and more entertainment/show options. The ice show and water show (is it a dive show?) look super cool, and the neighborhoods are beautiful, especially the park! It does seem there is a lot for children, although its not something I've really researched.

Again, I know I'm not the most qualified to answer, but though I'd share how we made our decision. I'm sure you'll have a great time no matter which ship you choose! Happy Cruising!

We bought an outside balcony so we saw plenty of water on the Allure.