Liberty vs. Oasis

[MrsKC08]

No brainer for us. We would go Oasis all the way for many reasons, but mostly because of the ports. Roatan is not a place I would ever want to visit due to crime and safety. Besides, you can't go wrong with an Oasis class ship and all it has to offer.

[MrsKC08]

Also consider that flying to Orlando will likely cost us an additional $300ish total.

 

If it's really worth the extra cost and Galveston is that bad, then we may remove that from the list of Liberty pros.

 

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This far out, it is so hard to really know what the flights are going to cost you at that time. I have looked at flights to Galveston and Orlando and Orlando seems to always be cheaper.

[luvbrady]

I have been on both ships, but never out of PC. Everything alluded to about Galveston is correct. We saved $1500 on flights, but it was a longer trip to the port than we are accustomed to. Not fun when on the way back my son got motion sick (thank goodness for zip lock bags!).

 

I love Liberty. Really, really do. But I love Labadee. When we went on the Oasis I did not get the chance to do the Solarium, but do recall it being hot on walk throughs as I believe it is enclosed. Or more enclosed at least. Roatan- meh...

 

I do like to drink when heading out. That said, as discussed, my brand was not an option and I am pleased to report I did not die before branding opened up and was sipping away by dinner.

[EBFURR]

This has been a very helpful post for me. We are booked on the Liberty for August which will be our first time out of Galveston. We got a good rate on our cabin when we booked on board Majesty last summer but when I saw the air fares & schedules, hotel rates, and transportation costs it did not seem like such a good deal any more. I actually compared rates on Oasis and considered transferring since we can drive to Canaveral and the hotels are more reasonable. In the end we decided to stay with what we had on Liberty. Reading this (especially Mr. Howell) has helped me validate that decision. That said, we may look at Oasis next because we like port Canaveral and we have never been on the Oasis. Thanks to the OP and all the detailed responses.

[matj2000]

Thanks for being so helpful! If I could go on a cruise every year, I would! But unfortunately I cannot. And since it's going to be a couple years before we can cruise again, I want to make the best choice. And I asked for feedback specific to my needs, instead of a generic A vs. B. Isn't what these boards are for?

 

There is no best choice.

 

You will like both of them very much.

 

Do the Liberty 1st.

 

When you can go again, try the Oasis, Allure or one of the other two.

 

In a few years the prices will be lower for the Oasis ships...

[rkkunk]

We have been on Allure 3 times and have always made great connections with various crew members.

Also, if you didn't try the MDR or the Windjammer, where did you eat, all specially? Or were you in a suite and used the Coastal Kitchen? Just curious.[emoji846]

We have always used the WJ on every cruise at some point, and it has always had a good variety with good food.

 

 

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[cruzinlisa]

Galveston has no rental car agencies near the port that are open on Sunday and take one-way rentals. Port Canaveral has at least a half-dozen open on Sunday, that take one-way rentals, and have free shuttles to the cruise terminal. Some people report that the least expensive and most convenient way to use a rental car at Galveston is to rent it for the entire week and park it at the port.

 

 

This may have improved, but shuttles used to be way more expensive at Galveston. Port Canaveral shuttles are available for $20pp between the port and MCO.

 

The nicer Galveston Island hotels many times want a two day minimum stay on the weekend.

 

This. We haven't sailed out of Galveston yet, but our last one was out of Port Canaveral. We are coming from the Midwest and a family of 3, so I have priced out driving and flying. One of the factors that I looked at if we decided to fly was what it would cost to get from the airport to Galveston. Shuttles seemed expensive and the rental car options were limited. Port Canaveral was much easier for us. There were plenty of shuttle services and car options. The best option for us ended up being a rental car. There were tons of companies to choose from and prices were competitive. No one way drop fee either. And I believe they have a shuttle from their to the port, although we did not end up using that.

 

Hotel prices were also more reasonable. We wanted to stay in Cocoa beach and we found a hotel on one of those travel sites where they tell you the price, location and class, but not name until after you buy. I think we paid about $100 per tax and got the Hilton, which was an ocean front hotel. We are paying 1 1/2 times that in Galveston.

[Desert Cruizers]

We are sailing out of Galveston for the first time this July and regarding driving time vs Orlando, it is close. We do have our first cruise on the Oasis next April and plan to shuttle to our Hotel. As far as Galveston we are renting a car from IAH and returning back to airport.

[Clarea]

We are sailing out of Galveston for the first time this July and regarding driving time vs Orlando, it is close. We do have our first cruise on the Oasis next April and plan to shuttle to our Hotel. As far as Galveston we are renting a car from IAH and returning back to airport.

So will you park the rental car at the port and be renting it for the week?

[wolfganghowell]

Hi kunk, yes we were in a suite and ate at CK several times and all our breakfasts. We had a few lunches at Park Cafe, did tapas in Vintages one night, did Sabor once. LOVED CK.

 

I do feel for those of you that fly for Liberty. It's not great and I don't know why with all the cruises out of there a rental car agency hasn't opened on Sunday. It's a really stupid situation.

[KG1924]

Even though I think we slightly prefer the Freedom class over the Oasis class (both are great in their own right) I would choose the Oasis out of PC just out of ease. I really like Galveston...it just doesn't like us ;p We were fogged in our first time down there and just had a very chaotic arrival and departure last week. Galveston is such a cute town but like everyone else said, distance, transportation, limited and expensive hotels, etc. just make Florida easier if you're flying.

 

If you do Galveston, watch hotels like a hawk. We sailed during a pretty popular spring break time for the midwest so we knew we were going to be paying more for flights and hotels. We were booked at Gaido's Inn for an ungodly amount of money but less then 2 weeks before the trip, the Tremont House in downtown Galveston lifted it's 2 night minimum and we got it for $200. Nothing against Gaido's Inn-I'm sure it would've been fine but the Tremont is MUCH nicer and a much better value. So while the nicer ones do usually have a 2 night minimum they may relax that when time gets closer. Our flights fluctuated a ton as well and with Southwest we could rebook at the lower rate w/ no penalty. Canaveral will offer a ton more options at all price ranges and transportation to and from the port is overall just easier/cheaper.

 

Personally, the biggest differences for me as far as ships go is that I like the neighborhood layout and the running track on the Oasis more, but like outdoor promenade and Solarium on the Liberty more. Good luck on your decision, I don't think you can really go wrong either way.

[kingkopes]

I will try to give you my thoughts... Freedom x3, Liberty x1 (going again in May), Allure x1. GF and I earlier 20's.

 

You will love either. I have always enjoyed RCI. Service, entertainment, WOW factor, all of it.

- I like the setup of Freedom class pools MUCH better. All the entertainment is right there. Love the band and the sexiest man (have actually won a few times), belly flop, eating contests, etc. We love the excitement around the pool and favor the main pools over the solarium. Sorry I cannot review those areas.

- Labadee is an awesome port. No doubt about that. But we loved Roatan (snorkeling at West End). And always love Cozumel.

- Oasis class sure has that WOW factor, but it is so so big that it takes forever to get anywhere haha. I think that Liberty may have the perfect balance of WOW and ease of getting around. That being said, we might be going on Oasis class is 2018...

- Flowrider for me is a huge reason why I honestly do not want to try a different cruise line... both ships have that! The slides on Liberty were fun once, but were nothing special.

- Entertainment has always been well, entertaining. As said before, it changes though, so it is hard to give an accurate guess of how it will be when you go!

- MDR seemed to be all the same across the ships. I love the MDR (some seem to complain). I know it is not the absolute top notch food, but I love the entire experience and being able to order 4 apps, 3 entrees and 2 desserts if I want! haha

What is better connection to the sea??

Any other specific questions, let me know and I will answer if I know!

[kruzerci]

I have done both Liberty and Oasis multiple times. Most recently was the Liberty last May out of Galveston.

 

For me, before her most recent makeover, I would have chosen the Liberty. This is for a couple of reasons, the most important being that Liberty leaves from Galveston. We have sailed from Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, New Orleans, etc. Galveston was absolutely by far the worst experience I've ever had. Although Port Canaveral is approximately the same distance from the airport as Galveston is, transportation is substantially easier to Port Canaveral. The infrastructure in Galveston is not made to hold a ship as large as Liberty (the streets in front of the ship terminals in particular). Both embarkation and disembarkation took 3-4 times longer than the Florida ports and even New Orleans (which we thought was pretty bad before we experienced Galveston).

 

Another thing to consider with Galveston- you are sailing in March. It is not uncommon for a cold front to come through that area, that time of year, so you should plan on the potential of your first and last day at sea being cooler than you would expect on a Caribbean cruise.

 

Lastly, the addition of the new staterooms on Deck 12 during her last dry-dock not only makes the solarium feel a bit more closed in, the top deck looks super chopped up from cutting off and re-routing the walking track on Deck 12, the mismatched walls/carpet where the new section meets the old section, etc. The ship had a very different (not positive) feel to us the last time we sailed on her from Galveston.

 

Bottom line- I would spend $300 extra dollars without hesitation for Oasis from Port Canaveral. This is coming from somebody who thoroughly enjoys both classes of ship.

[kingkopes]

I have done both Liberty and Oasis multiple times. Most recently was the Liberty last May out of Galveston.

 

For me, before her most recent makeover, I would have chosen the Liberty. This is for a couple of reasons, the most important being that Liberty leaves from Galveston. We have sailed from Port Canaveral, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, New Orleans, etc. Galveston was absolutely by far the worst experience I've ever had. Although Port Canaveral is approximately the same distance from the airport as Galveston is, transportation is substantially easier to Port Canaveral. The infrastructure in Galveston is not made to hold a ship as large as Liberty (the streets in front of the ship terminals in particular). Both embarkation and disembarkation took 3-4 times longer than the Florida ports and even New Orleans (which we thought was pretty bad before we experienced Galveston).

 

Another thing to consider with Galveston- you are sailing in March. It is not uncommon for a cold front to come through that area, that time of year, so you should plan on the potential of your first and last day at sea being cooler than you would expect on a Caribbean cruise.

 

Lastly, the addition of the new staterooms on Deck 12 during her last dry-dock not only makes the solarium feel a bit more closed in, the top deck looks super chopped up from cutting off and re-routing the walking track on Deck 12, the mismatched walls/carpet where the new section meets the old section, etc. The ship had a very different (not positive) feel to us the last time we sailed on her from Galveston.

 

Bottom line- I would spend $300 extra dollars without hesitation for Oasis from Port Canaveral. This is coming from somebody who thoroughly enjoys both classes of ship.

 

 

What week did you go last May? We were on her 5/8-15th.

I really enjoyed Liberty after the dry dock. We actually stayed in one of the new rooms and it was super nice! I could really care less about miss matching old and new carpet. That's not what I take a vacation for! haha

Never experienced Liberty prior to the dry dock, so I cant compare.

 

For us, the cheaper cost getting to Galveston definitely leads us towards Liberty. Flights and the higher price of Oasis cabins add up and it just isn't worth it to us.

 

The embarkation and disembarkation was no problem at all when we went. We got on the ship super early the first Sunday (pretty sure I was just platinum?) and we got off the ship with just the normal lines. Nothing that killed it for us!

[Rewind]

I'll agree with the Canaveral over Galveston thoughts. I drove a rental car from MCO to Port Canaveral and it took almost exactly an hour (at 4pm). In Houston we had a shuttle from our hotel (near Hobby airport) to Galveston (Saturday at 11am) - the highway was a parking lot. Our driver took a side road and it took us more than two hours to get there. Getting back we did not have much of an issue.

 

The other thing (could have just been that day, but read similar comments around that time) is that customs in Galveston was painfully slow. It took us multiple hours to get through customs.

 

From my research, there is one car rental company in Galveston and I think they changed their hours so they are at least open on Sundays, but even if they allow one way rentals, one agency will not have enough cars for ships in port.

 

The only thing that would make me cruise Galveston again is if I wanted to visit Nasa in Houston (again).

[knittinggirl]

You may want to consider Disney Wonder.

 

We did Liberty of the Seas then Disney Wonder, and were pleasantly surprised about how much better Disney was.

[Ray3127]

Thanks to all for the feedback--it has been very helpful! It sounds like Galveston is not quite the slam dunk I thought it was, and while there are differing opinions on the Solarium we will probably have to try them to see which one we like better. Since the price of the cruises are virtually equal, we will go with the Oasis this time.

 

To the one who suggested Disney, our first cruise was on the Disney Dream, and we loved it. However, we can't leave our young kids at home and go on a Disney ship... would feel terrible about it.

 

HOWEVER...

 

Not to muddy the water, but since we are resigned to traveling all the way to Florida, I did notice the Harmony is sailing on the same dates. It goes out of Ft. Lauderdale and stops at St. Maarten, San Juan, and Labadee. It also comes with a $300 premium. In my limited looking at the Harmony we like (1) how all the pool/deck chairs are mesh instead of the plastic strappy ones, (2) that is has waterslides, and (3) the more modern decor in the staterooms. I understand the solarium doesn't have a pool, but the presence/size of a pool there isn't as important to us. The adults only spa-like quieter feel is what we're after there.

 

We are new to cruising and have only ever gotten off the ship at Castaway Cay, which was amazing (stayed on the ship at Nassau), so any of the ports we are looking at will be new to us. Since Labadee is the same, it's the difference between Falmouth/Cozumel or St. Maarten/San Juan, in addition to the 3 'pros' I listed above. Is that worth an extra $300 and a trip to Ft. Lauderdale instead of Canaveral?

[kruzerci]

Thanks to all for the feedback--it has been very helpful! It sounds like Galveston is not quite the slam dunk I thought it was, and while there are differing opinions on the Solarium we will probably have to try them to see which one we like better. Since the price of the cruises are virtually equal, we will go with the Oasis this time.

 

To the one who suggested Disney, our first cruise was on the Disney Dream, and we loved it. However, we can't leave our young kids at home and go on a Disney ship... would feel terrible about it.

 

HOWEVER...

 

Not to muddy the water, but since we are resigned to traveling all the way to Florida, I did notice the Harmony is sailing on the same dates. It goes out of Ft. Lauderdale and stops at St. Maarten, San Juan, and Labadee. It also comes with a $300 premium. In my limited looking at the Harmony we like (1) how all the pool/deck chairs are mesh instead of the plastic strappy ones, (2) that is has waterslides, and (3) the more modern decor in the staterooms. I understand the solarium doesn't have a pool, but the presence/size of a pool there isn't as important to us. The adults only spa-like quieter feel is what we're after there.

 

We are new to cruising and have only ever gotten off the ship at Castaway Cay, which was amazing (stayed on the ship at Nassau), so any of the ports we are looking at will be new to us. Since Labadee is the same, it's the difference between Falmouth/Cozumel or St. Maarten/San Juan, in addition to the 3 'pros' I listed above. Is that worth an extra $300 and a trip to Ft. Lauderdale instead of Canaveral?

 

In this case, I change my vote from Oasis to Harmony. We were on Harmony's first US voyage and absolutely loved it- it is everything we loved about Oasis with a new and modern feeling. I'd also pick the St. Maarten/San Juan route any day over the Cozumel and Falmouth route.

 

That being said, Oasis has had the deck chairs replaced over the past few weeks, now they are almost all the same as Harmony. By May they should all be replaced, so that shouldn't be a factor for you :)

[JessyCruises]

I think I change my vote too :) I have never been on harmony but have been on Oasis 3 times (#4 is at the end of this month). I was just on Anthem last month and Harmony seems to be my beloved Oasis class + the tech and décor upgrades from Anthem. Plus you get the slides!

[readytolose]

Yes, definitely pick Harmony! Fort Lauderdale is very convenient for getting to and from the port. On top of that Harmony is newer and has a few more bells and whistles! I like Cozumel but hate Jamaica. I'd take the St. Maarten/San Juan route in a heartbeat!

[Rewind]

In Fort Lauderdale, the airport to the cruise port is a 10 minute cab ride tops. When our plane pulled up to the gate, I swear I could have thrown a football to the cruise port.

 

And since I have been to all those stops, my vote would also be for St. Maarten and San Juan. We did a tour in St. Maarten where they take you to both sides of the island, tons to see, stop by a real French Bakery (Sarafina's) and Maho Beach where the planes fly right over your head. San Juan - you will dock steps away from Old San Juan. The forts are great to see and one admission gets you into both, check out Restaurant Raices on Man vs Food on YouTube, you can stop by the birthplace of the original Piña Colada at Barrachinas, or for your sweet tooth try Casa Cortes (they put chocolate in everything and it is amazing). Of all the food places I mentioned and if you only have time for one - Casa Cortes.

 

The Rain Forest is another option but it is just about an hour drive each way. If you do go that route, be prepared to hike.

 

Don't get me wrong, I'd go on either of those cruises as I'm sure I've missed doing something in each of those ports, but to me St. Maarten and San Juan get me more excited.

 

And not to make things more difficult for you - did you look at cruises out of San Juan? Adding San Juan as a starting point essentially gets you another port stop and at least for us in Ohio, flights there are just a tiny bit more expensive than Ft. Laud or Orlando. However, you do lose the Mega Huge Ship.

Edited April 14, 2017 by Rewind

[Bratface1005]

I have done the Liberty and Oasis. I love the freedom class ships which is why we did the liberty but I have to tell you I hate the layout of Liberty. In this case I prefer the Oasis. The layout on Liberty is chopping and doesn't flow right. Plus I love the aqua theater. I'm in my 30's if that helps at all.

[Doug S]

I am a regular Galveston cruiser and have been on every ship ported there since Rhapsody back in the dark ages. I love Liberty, the crew, and the atmosphere on the ship. We are jumping back on board in a few weeks. But what makes it our go to port is that we can easily drive in on the day of the cruise and avoid all the flying, and luggage weight restrictions, and shuttles, and crap. I can't speak to the difficulty of flying/shuttling in there since we don't have to.

 

That being said, if I had to fly anyway, and deal with all the 'baggage' that goes with it, I'd go with the Oasis. We varied things up and did Oasis last year and loved it. We went in a day early and taxied/shuttled around and it did not seem that inconvenient, but I can't compare it to Galveston since here we have our own car . But for Oasis do your research, get the cabin you want, and prebook shows and dining. It was not as much of a spontaneous week as our Liberty cruises, but we would gladly do Oasis over Liberty if all else was equal. Some won't agree, but to me I'd love it if Galveston would upgrade the port and eventually get an Oasis class ship...

[Hoopster95]

In Fort Lauderdale, the airport to the cruise port is a 10 minute cab ride tops. When our plane pulled up to the gate, I swear I could have thrown a football to the cruise port.

 

There's a picture of Harmony I took from the Delta terminal at FLL airport... yes super close and one of the most convenient airports any cruise port.

 

 

 

Thanks to all for the feedback--it has been very helpful! It sounds like Galveston is not quite the slam dunk I thought it was...Is that worth an extra $300 and a trip to Ft. Lauderdale instead of Canaveral?

 

There has been excellent info on this thread steering you towards harmony that I fully agree with.

One thing I have not seen mentioned yet that may be or not be important to you, but was for me somewhat, is that both my sailings from Galveston were geared towards the Southern/Texas crowd. There was lots of country music everywhere, including the pool deck on a couple of sea days. When I'm in the Caribbean I really enjoy the steel drum/raggae bands that are common place from Fort Lauderdale. Also, you'll see other things geared towards a country western crowd such as country line dance (vs. Caribbean or pop line dance), Country western band in the lounge vs. pop/top 40/Ballroom, etc.

 

Besides that, Harmony kicks a$$ over any Freedom Class ship imho. Save your money from having to transfer all the way from Houston or Orlando airports, spend that money saved on Harmony and fly into FLL.

 

BTW, do you remember exactly how much money you spent exactly 3 years, 5 months and 2 days ago? Do you know what you ate or where you where on that exact date? Good...likely hardly anyone does either!! You will not remember the extra $300 you spent to get on Harmony but you sure as hell will remember your incredible vacation. Life is short, go for Harmony and have an awesome cruise! :D

[Ray3127]

Thanks again to all the replies, there has been a ton of great info thrown around, I hope it will help others make informed decisions.

 

As for San Juan... I did consider sailing out of there briefly, but many of those cruises were more port intensive. Might try that in the future on a Celebrity ship. We will see how we like it for a day this time.

 

So... (drumroll).... I just got off the phone from booking the Harmony, and we are very excited about it! I know any of these cruises would be awesome for us, but the Harmony seemed like the best fit. However, being from Nebraska I wouldn't mind some country music options, even on a cruise ship 😉.

 

Also, it's kind of funny that neither ship in the title of this thread was actually chosen. I guess that's how it works sometimes!

 

Thanks again,

Ray

 

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