Celebrity or RCL - help??? LOVE entertainment but scared of a huge ship!

[lovinthewarmth]

Good Morning this is my first post. I am trying to decide between an Equinox sailing and a RCL Oasis sailing. I have been on 9 Carnival Cruises all different sizes and 1 NCL Sun cruise with my husband - he loved the smaller size. I thought it was small :/ and the entertainment was ok. We were all set to go on the Equinox until I read several posts about there not being a lot of activities during the day and not great entertainment at night. However, the reviews for Celebrity can't be beat! Can't find anyone to say a bad thing really! But that got us looking at the Oasis and folks saying you need to do a big ship once. Thoughts? Feedback from folks that have done both? We are worried about feeling like cattle on Oasis? Thank you for any and all feedback.

[tompeter]

I have not done both (no interest in Oasis), but loved the Equinox, and was pleased with both day and evening offerings FWIW...

[hubofhockey]

If you have never done an Oasis Class ship, go for it. It's a different type of experience. We have been on the Allure and never felt crowded or like "cattle" as you put it. That's because you schedule your own nightly entertainment with a reservation system that works really well. We prefer Celebrity entertainment to Carnival's though. Carnival's problem for us in that area was an over reliance on the cruise director and your fellow passengers for entertainment. I would say that Celebrity is more relaxing, but not boring. To be honest, we have a 15-day cruise on an Azamara 650 passenger ship and my ONLY concern is entertainment. It's in Southeast Asia and there are several overnights in ports, but I imagine there will be a few nights where we just don't do much.

[CruiseLifeIsTheBest]

Have done both Allure and Equinox. Really depends on what you want. For us, Allure was too big which seemed to impact quality and service in our opinion. We are very laid back and don't need a ton of entertainment options to enjoy a vacation. Celebrity has always been is A+ with service, food and value for us. RCCL wins for entertainment but again not at the top of our needs list. Our first cruise was on Celebrity when we were in our 30s and we loved it. Moved between RCCL and Celebrity for awhile. Back to Celebrity as our first choice and on Equinox in a few months for the 3rd time.

 

Enjoy whatever you choose! Nothing like cruising :)

[WEGL81]

Also have been on Equinox and Allure. Never felt crowded on Allure except when getting out of a show in the main theater. The reservation system really cuts down on crowds, but you have to reserve as soon as it becomes available online, especially the comedy show (venue only holds 150 people or so). They are different experiences. Allure had a lot more kids, but they also have the adults only solarium area that was very nice. It wasn't as relaxing as Equinox, though. A lot more "free" food choices on Oasis class ships. So it does depend on what you're looking for. When we went on Allure, we did B2B with a 5 day Liberty of the Seas. We called it our "vacation from our vacation". Entertainment was hands down better on Allure than Equinox.

[oneputt18]

We have sailed the Allure and Oasis multiple times, also sailed the Equinox 5 times.

Entertainment and night life is much better on the Royal shops.

Equinox shows are hit and miss depending on who the guest entertainers are.

We always find things to do on sea days on the Equinox.

Service, crew and food is much better on the Equinox.

Do one of the mega ships at least once, but don't be afraid of being like cattle, the ships are divided into many neighborhoods.

 

 

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[39august]

Another thought: you don't have to do the Oasis class ships for outstanding entertainment. Maybe try Freedom, Indy or Liberty. These all have the ice shows, production shows, and guest entertainers. I can tell you that the acrobatic show "In the Air', ice show and Saturday Night Fever are all outstanding on Liberty. And you do NOT have to make prior reservations on this class ships. These also have the adult only solariums. And each has a cute mini-golf course.

[chemmo]

We have sailed the Allure and Oasis multiple times, also sailed the Equinox 5 times.

Entertainment and night life is much better on the Royal shops.

Equinox shows are hit and miss depending on who the guest entertainers are.

We always find things to do on sea days on the Equinox.

Service, crew and food is much better on the Equinox.

Do one of the mega ships at least once, but don't be afraid of being like cattle, the ships are divided into many neighborhoods.

 

 

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Just what I was going to write! We have cruised both Oasis and Equinox.

 

We generally now cruise mainly with Celebrity as our priority is ‘rest and relaxation’ rather than the ‘activity and entertainment’ which RC is good at....

 

It really depends what you want from your cruise...

[Anita Latte]

I haven't sailed Equinox...but I sailed Allure when she did the TA several summers ago.

 

Oasis class is huge...there is no feeling like cattle on board simply because there is so much room, as a PP said the ship is well divided into different neighborhoods so it truly breaks the ship up into different distinct areas. So it can be entertaining just to experience all those different areas on the ship...which we had plenty of time to do on our TA sailing. You aren't ever in the midst of the feeling of being on a huge ship...until you are trying to track down the people you are sailing with if you don't have prior plans and you realize they could be ANYWHERE...;)

 

That said...I'm not a fan of the promenade oriented ships. I much prefer to be in places that have more ocean views...and surprisingly enough...Oasis class was difficult to find indoor areas with ocean views. You can absolutely forget that you are on a ship on Oasis class. If you enjoy ship organized or performed entertainment, then this ship has a tremendous variety and you may even find yourself at odds because there are too many things that you want to do and the conflicts make you make choices. However, you will need to preplan many aspects of entertainment...making reservations, which can take the spontaneity out of the enjoyment of having so many choices.

 

I will go on Oasis class again, mainly because DH and DS didn't go on that cruise with me...and see what they think, but I wasn't so enamored that I would seek out another cruise specifically on that ship.

[4774Papa]

We have done 10 cruises on Celebrity and our last on X was Eclipse , which was great. Since we are elite on X, we transferred to Diamond on Royal Caribbean and booked Explorer of the Seas, TransPacific, Sydney to Seattle. It was our first Royal cruise.

 

We found more similarities between the cruise lines than differences.

 

To our surprise, we found the MDR food on Explorer to be about the same level as Celebrity. Some of the Royal desserts like creme bruile were not so great, but as a while, it was about the same level for dining or service. The Buffet on Explorer was not up to par with Celebrity. Their salad bar was pathetic, but I will say that Royal offered a nice salad bar in the MDR at lunch (we just don't do the MDR for lunch).

 

The buffet on Explorer tended to have a lot of heavy foods like steak, beef stew, etc. that we try to avoid at lunch, since we don't wish to gain weight. Also, the eggs benedict bar on Explorer offered poached eggs that always seemed to be hard boiled.

 

Entertainment on Explorer was about the same in the theatre, except for the wonderful ice shows (we saw 2). We heard from other Royal cruisers how good the entertainment is on the huge mega ship, but we are not fond of having to reserve shows.

Explorer of the Seas is about an 18 year old ship and not as modern as the Solstice ships. It even has the old enclosed balconies that are ok but obsolete for modern ships.

 

We still love the Solstice class ships the most and still like the smaller M class as well.

 

However, we loved how flexible the diamond lounge happy hour was on Explorer. We could order three drinks outside the lounge, even in the MDR or specialty dining. Happy hour is from 4:30-8 rather than 5-7 on Celebrity. Also, we were allowed to take our glasses of wine out of the lounge on our way to the dining room. In fact, for our 23 day cruise on Explorer, we spend nothing on alcohol. The happy hour took care of us well.

 

All in all, we still give the slight edge to Celebrity, but because Celebrity bundles its prices with drink packages, etc. Royal is more affordable. Of course, we have a repositioning cruise on Eclipse booked for next March, since X doesn't bundle on repos or transatlantic.

 

Bottom line, we will look at both cruise lines as well as NCL (every once in a while NCL has great price deals).

[villauk]

Just what I was going to write! We have cruised both Oasis and Equinox.

 

We generally now cruise mainly with Celebrity as our priority is ‘rest and relaxation’ rather than the ‘activity and entertainment’ which RC is good at....

 

It really depends what you want from your cruise...

 

 

Agree, we’ve sailed on both ships and if you’re looking for entertainment, then Oasis is definitely the way to go. The shows are outstanding on the big gals, so it really depends on what you want to experience on your cruise ;).

[cinderellen]

We have cruised on the equinox and loved it. Haven't sailed on the allure but on the anthem. We were apprehensive due to the size and number of people but we absolutely enjoyed every minute. Loved 270, the music hall and solarium.

[bigbeergut]

Several have mentioned the Solarium on Oasis class ships as a place to escape kids. The Oasis Allure have a very small pool in the solarium that isn't suitable for swimming. Harmony doesn't have a pool in the solarium and the Symphony has a small elevated pool-like structure. The Solarium on Oasis-class ships is a nice area to relax but they really don't have much of a pool.

 

The only time I really notice the crowds is after muster drill and the promenade is a very nice area. Entertainment scheduling is a challenge on the ships. They don't have shows scheduled so you can attend a show at the same time after or before dinner. The water shows are interesting but the production shows don't really appeal to me.

 

For my money, If it's my DW and I then I'll go for the S-class ships. If my DD is going, we'll go on the Oasis class ships for the Flowrider and open deck activities.

[BettyLou260]

I've been on Oasis, Allure, and several Celebrity cruises, including on one Equinox. Equinox would be my first choice for a vacation with my husband and friends; RCCL has been our choice when the kids (college age) come with us. It really does just depend on where you want your money to go. I thought the cruises on Oasis and Allure were pretty pricey, but it does cover all the entertainment. If you spend the same amount on a Celebrity cruise, you will get a few perks (drink package, onboard credit, or prepaid gratuities) thrown in for a similar cost. I did really enjoy the shows we saw on Oasis; the next year I was not so enamoured with the shows on Allure. We did enjoy the comedy club, Jazz club, and diving shows on the Oasis class ships and it didn't feel super crowded unless you were on the pool deck during mid-day.

 

We did cruises with the kids on RCLL in 2015 and 2016, then on Equinox with my husband and a group of friends 2017. We didn't miss the lack of elaborate shows on Equinox at all. The entertainment was a little more low key but it was enjoyable; we could always find live music to enjoy somewhere. (My husband did miss the roast beef sandwiches from RCCL's Central Park Cafe, man are they good!)

[hcat]

Have cruised on EQ several times. It is .one of our favorites. We generally prefer Celeb but have been happy on Navigator, & Radiance Class ships over the years, Equinox is beautiful, well maintained...with many nice places to relax or enjoy some cocktails. Personal interaction from staff and Officers, and nice passenger mix,

 

Tried Oasis...It was totally not our style,... did not feel like cattle but felt fairly invisible...no one really cared! Felt overcrowded almost everywhere....MDR and Specialty dining could not compare to X. We had to pre book events and even then wait on lines..Just never felt like a ship...It was more like a few diff malls...one with dining, one for shopping, etc, The shows were OK...not that much better than on X. More music variety on Oasis but not that outstanding. Plenty of bars on both if you enjoy that...

 

On Oasis, we did enjoy the Adult only outdoor Solarium area. A karge hot tub tyoe area...no pool..By the afternoon, it was over run each day, Also had a very nice evening event for Diamond level...Both ships have a nice Diamond/Elite lite breakfast,, Oasis seemed best for families with children,,.water park, carousel, character events...also good for active folks who like zip, lines rock walls , floe riders..

 

Never went on NCL or Carnival....not planning to...Celeb EQ, Silhouette are our favs. You might look at Reflection which is the largest S class...we found it had a party vibe. And we are looking forward to EDGE..

[The77thrunner]

I’ve been on exactly two cruises and it just happened that oasis and equinox were the ships. My husbands and I went on Equinox for our honeymoon, then took all seven of our kids on the Oasis about a year later. Those choices were very deliberate and I do feel the Oasis was the better choice for entertainment. However, I would disagree with those who never felt like they were on a ship with thousands of people. We definitely felt like there were thousands of people and many times it felt crowed. I do agree there we’re places to escape that - like Central Park. But the MDR felt crowded and we had some not great experiences because of that. Also not the best for my husband who has PTSD, but of course that is not a problem most people are dealing with.

 

We never felt bored on the Equinox, though either. We are looking at Celebrity again for our next “just us” cruise.

Edited May 26, 2018 by The77thrunner
typos

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We've sailed on Oasis, Allure, Harmony and are booked on Symphony in November, so, yes, we really enjoy the big ships mainly for the entertainment. There is so much going on both day and night. It really is quite an experience. However, the itinerary choices are quite limited in those ships compared to Celebrity. Also the buffets on Solstice class ships are far superior to those on Oasis class ships. But Oasis class ships do have an interesting variety of other restaurants. If you choose room service on Allure, there is a new hefty $7.00 service charge day or night. I really was surprised at that on Harmony.

 

We have sailed on Equinox six times and enjoyed every cruise. There is a totally different vibe than on the Oasis class ships...much more laid back, quiet and relaxed. There is less of a family emphasis compared to Oasis class ships.

 

We have a great time on both kinds of ships depending on what we are looking for, usually longer cruises on Celebrity. I don't know what your preference would be be. Actually I think you can have a very nice time either way.

[Duanerice1]

I'd love to try one the the big ships, but probably just once. I am not a planner so that would be a big turnoff. Having to reserve shows and dining months ahead of time is just not that exciting. Disney Parks basically did the same thing and you have to reserve Fast passes way out. Heck I don't know what I want to do on a particular day months in the future. Takes a lot of fun out of it for us.

 

RC also charges for room service. Since we use it twice, three times a day this is a put off too.

 

I might overcome these objections to just try it but I hate to waste a cruise and not really like it. I don't cruise that often.

 

So, that's why our last 6 cruises have been on Celebrity. And yea, it can get a bit boring at night if you don't drink or gamble but we don't need to be entertained so it works for us.

enjoy

[gerelmx]

We cruise RCCL Rhapsody, Enchatment, Splendour (sold), now they have converted the cruise in a amusement park at high seas with more than 6,000 pax on board, some places crowded and if you don't make reservations for the theater, maybe you will not see the shows. and many more cons and some pros. at Celebrity you will not have a Ice skate ring, horse carousel, surfing wave simulator, etc. it's real a cruise, better food, more relaxed, etc.

[musik07]

I have sailed Allure, Oasis (and some freedom and explorer class ships) and the Equinox. I am 29 and my vacation week for me is all about getting away and not being responsible for other people for once. I really liked the relaxation on the Equinox last summer. But I loved the Oasis class too. This summer we were between Oasis and the Equinox and while I did like most of the shows on Oasis ( Cats is an exception) we went with Equinox. I never felt bored during our week! We did wine tasting, volleyball vs. the officers, lots of pool time, game shows in the entertainment court, and to be honest skipped out on lots of other things because relaxing is just the best!

 

 

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[phoenix_dream]

The biggest ship I have ever been on is the Freedom of the Seas. Nice ship, but I VASTLY prefer the Celebrity sized ships instead. Just hate the large crowds, all the kids (love kids; prefer not to sail with a lot), and the more party-like atmosphere. Everyone has different preferences so it is hard to say what you will like best.