Allure, Harmony, or Wonder of the Seas

[Jaybarch01]

Im planning on booking my first Oasis class ship at the end of March.  Im leaning toward Wonder out of Canaveral but not sure its worth the price over the other 2.  Allure is about $200 cheaper than Harmony but dealing with getting to and from Galveston may not be worth the savings.  Which airport and port is easiest to get to and from between Canaveral and Miami? Would you recommend one ship over another?

Edited January 6, 2023 by Jaybarch01

[jalves]

We've been on both the Harmony and Allure, but haven't yet sailed on the Wonder, which we have booked for September.  

 

While there are some differences between the Harmony and the Allure, to us there really isn't a significant reason to sail on one over the other.  For us being in the Orlando area, we go with whatever ship is sailing from Port Canaveral since it's only about a 75 minute drive.  

 

I'd agree that getting to the Allure from the Houston airport will probably eat up a bit of the savings.  Getting to Port Canaveral from MCO is slightly less than an hour.  

 

[firefly333]

Check airfare. My airfare to miami in march would be over $1400 during spring break. I'd pick Miami if airfare is reasonable. Hotels will be high in Miami, but check. I'm flying in for oasis.

 

Galveston hobby is closer, 45 minutes, sw flies there. IAH is farther and shuttle is more. Mama mia was fabulous.

 

I'd check airfare and hotels. I'm flying march 11 to miami. 

[Jaybarch01]

4 minutes ago, firefly333 said:

Check airfare. My airfare to miami in march would be over $1400 during spring break. I'd pick Miami if airfare is reasonable. Hotels will be high in Miami, but check. I'm flying in for oasis.

 

Galveston hobby is closer, 45 minutes, sw flies there. IAH is farther and shuttle is more. Mama mia was fabulous.

 

I'd check airfare and hotels. I'm flying march 11 to miami. 

Yes airfare and hotels in Miami are a lot so i think im gonna not go with that.  Leaning towards flying sw to Hobby and staying at harbor house pier 21 Galveston vs staying in port Canaveral and doing Wonder of the seas.  

 

[renza]

I have been on all oasis class multiple times. I only live 45 min from Ft. Lauderdale and an hour and 10 min to Miami, 2 hours to port canaveral. Even look into flying into Ft. Lauderdale and staying there. It’s not a far car transfer to Miami. Only about 35 min and usually cheaper. I would go with whatever is cheaper. They are all more similar than different. Can’t go wrong with any of them. 

Edited January 6, 2023 by renza

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, Jaybarch01 said:

Yes airfare and hotels in Miami are a lot so i think im gonna not go with that.  Leaning towards flying sw to Hobby and staying at harbor house pier 21 Galveston vs staying in port Canaveral and doing Wonder of the seas.  

 

Harbor house is next to old port. Galveston has a brand new terminal. 

 

I'd stay over on seawall at a hotel with a shuttle. Stay on the beach. Or lyft over there. 

[Jaybarch01]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Harbor house is next to old port. Galveston has a brand new terminal. 

 

I'd stay over on seawall at a hotel with a shuttle. Stay on the beach. Or lyft over there. 

Oh ok thanks good to know

[maggieq]

We preferred the allure for the longest time for the mama Mia show and sailing out of Fort Lauderdale.  We have been on the oasis a few times.  Most recent cruise was out of Bayonne last year where we experienced the music hall and the best aqua theatre show.   

[DaKahuna]

 

 We fly United predominately and when we have a cruise that sails out of Miami we still fly into Fort Lauderdale.  Usually it is cheaper and flying into Miami from Washington Dulles almost always requires a stop in Orlando and transfer to Spirit Airlines.   Spirit Airlines is at the top of my Will Not Fly list.  

 

Also, we've found it cheaper to fly into FLL and Uber/Car Service to Miami than to fly into Miami. 

 

[firefly333]

16 minutes ago, DaKahuna said:

 

 We fly United predominately and when we have a cruise that sails out of Miami we still fly into Fort Lauderdale.  Usually it is cheaper and flying into Miami from Washington Dulles almost always requires a stop in Orlando and transfer to Spirit Airlines.   Spirit Airlines is at the top of my Will Not Fly list.  

 

Also, we've found it cheaper to fly into FLL and Uber/Car Service to Miami than to fly into Miami. 

 

It was only $20 more to fly into miami for me on American. Idk maybe should have flown into fll but I'm flying into miami. Still over $500 and going up if I hadnt bought when I did. 

 

Yours is a good tip. 

[Rewind]

Miami - you have the choice of two airports, Miami or Fort Lauderdale.  We normally fly Southwest which has a much larger presence in FLL so we transfer often.  Only about 30 minutes between the two cities.

The drive from Orlando to Port Canaveral is a bit over an hour - but it is a VERY easy drive.  Just bring a roll of quarters for the tolls.

 

Houston to Galveston - again flying Southwest, they go into Houston Hobby airport.  Again a bit over an hour between HOU and Galveston BUT do the research on how you are getting there.  There is only Enterprise rental cars in Galveston and for a while they were not open on Sundays (then for a while they were when more ships were in, then they were closed on Sundays again... check the current status).  Also dropping off / picking up a car in Galveston is expensive.  There is a spot in Texas City, but then you need a Uber/Lyft to get to the port.
Also - traffic between Houston and Galveston can be a pain.  Expect possible delays.  (maybe it was an accident when we were there, but traffic was really backed up).

[Jaybarch01]

19 hours ago, firefly333 said:

Harbor house is next to old port. Galveston has a brand new terminal. 

 

I'd stay over on seawall at a hotel with a shuttle. Stay on the beach. Or lyft over there. 

i just looked and its still the closest ine and maybe a 20 min walk so its still a reasonable option.

 

5 hours ago, Rewind said:

Miami - you have the choice of two airports, Miami or Fort Lauderdale.  We normally fly Southwest which has a much larger presence in FLL so we transfer often.  Only about 30 minutes between the two cities.

The drive from Orlando to Port Canaveral is a bit over an hour - but it is a VERY easy drive.  Just bring a roll of quarters for the tolls.

 

Houston to Galveston - again flying Southwest, they go into Houston Hobby airport.  Again a bit over an hour between HOU and Galveston BUT do the research on how you are getting there.  There is only Enterprise rental cars in Galveston and for a while they were not open on Sundays (then for a while they were when more ships were in, then they were closed on Sundays again... check the current status).  Also dropping off / picking up a car in Galveston is expensive.  There is a spot in Texas City, but then you need a Uber/Lyft to get to the port.
Also - traffic between Houston and Galveston can be a pain.  Expect possible delays.  (maybe it was an accident when we were there, but traffic was really backed up).

 

I think ive decided on Allure and flying into Hou a day early.  Take galveston express to Harbor house.  Then walk or uber the next morning to the port.

[deliver42]

We drive from S.C. on actually prefer Miami. We stay over night in Fort Lauderdale and drive 30 minutes to Miami. The port has excellent paeking, though a little high, but it's also easy to leave.

[jbrinkm]

I made a similar decision recently - although it was Odyssey from FLL vs Oasis from (Miami I think) vs Allure from Galveston. We chose Allure from Galveston because the cruise was over $1000 less and airfare wasn't that different for Spring Break (around $600 to Houston vs around $500 to either Florida airport). I was SHOCKED at how high airfare to Florida was in April. Even though we'll probably spend more on transportation from Houston to the Galveston port, it won't be $1000. We love Allure and the Western Caribbean stops and got a 7-night cruise vs. a 6-night cruise. Another time we flew into Miami, rented a car, stayed overnight between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, and returned the car to the cruise port the next morning. Then we flew back out of FLL - it was the least expensive option for transportation, even with the car rental. 

 

You should figure out what is most important for you in your vacation - most cost savings? Best ports? More nights? Features of the ship? Then estimate the costs for each option to compare. Also check with a good TA (a real person, recommended, not just a website "TA") - you may be able to get a better deal on the cruise via group/bulk discounts they pre-purchase sometimes.

[Ret MP]

6 hours ago, firefly333 said:

It was only $20 more to fly into miami for me on American. Idk maybe should have flown into fll but I'm flying into miami. Still over $500 and going up if I hadnt bought when I did. 

 

Yours is a good tip. 

If your home airport is serviced by Southwest (disregarding current headlines) it is almost always much cheaper to fly into FLL.  Southwest doesn't even fly into Miami because it is too expensive for the airline and their pricing structure, at least that is what we were told when I worked at FLL.  

 

Side note that doesn't answer any of the OP's question(s):  Port Everglades is probably the closest and easiest Cruise Port to got to/from its associated airport (FLL).  Port Everglades and FLL actually border each other.  On the other hand, Canaveral is about ~50 miles from Orlando Airport. Having said that, I really like terminal 1 at Canaveral and I really really like terminal A in the Port of Miami.  But, when I cruise out of Miami, I stay in Dania Beach, FL.  I don't like Miami downtown area.

[PhillyFan33579]

On 1/6/2023 at 4:34 PM, Jaybarch01 said:

i just looked and its still the closest ine and maybe a 20 min walk so its still a reasonable option.

 

 

I think ive decided on Allure and flying into Hou a day early.  Take galveston express to Harbor house.  Then walk or uber the next morning to the port.

Allure is the one Oasis class ship I won’t cruise on because it hasn’t received the latest amplification. Harmony and especially Wonder have a lot of features, bars, restaurants, etc. that Allure lack.  However, you will find plenty of people who like the fact that Allure is missing a lot of the recent bells and whistles. 

Edited January 7, 2023 by PhillyFan33579

[katiel53]

Allure is my favorite Oasis class ship, but I have only sailed from FL on her.  I have not yet sailed on Wonder, but that is going to be the next one I book.

 

When sailing from Pt Canaveral, we stay in Orlando and take a shuttle to the port.  It is less expensive in Orlando and the shuttles we have used were excellent.

 

Harmony is my absolute least favorite ship of all time.  We always get the UDP and there is a big difference with that program on Harmony.   For example, at 150 Central Park, the lobster Thermidor is always at least one piece less than on Allure and Symphony.  The first time we went to 150, the serving size was 1/2 a lobster tail whereas on Allure it was 2 halves, and the same on Symphony.

 

The next time we were on Harmony, the lobster was 2 halves, but on Allure, it was 3 halves.  On Symphony and Allure if we wanted something from another restaurant in place of an app served, we could get it.  For example we would order the beet salad from 150 at Chops.  Harmony was a flat out no!

 

We were able to get the lobster served in the MDR on the 2nd formal night served in Chops on Allure and Symphony.  Not on Harmony.

 

 These are just a couple of examples and there are others such as giving wrong info for self service debarkation with someone with a scooter.  It seems, to me, the hotel manager or perhaps the food and beverage manager is more concerned with the bottom line for his department than any service to passengers.

 

I have not sailed on RC since July and I have been led to understand that serving food from anyplace other than the restaurant the passenger is in, is no longer available.  I am ok with it if it is  a company wide policy, but not just for one ship.

 

I know there are many who will think my thoughts are silly, but one of the main reasons we cruise is for the food in the specialty restaurants.

[Rewind]

On 1/6/2023 at 4:34 PM, Jaybarch01 said:

I think ive decided on Allure and flying into Hou a day early.  Take galveston express to Harbor house.  Then walk or uber the next morning to the port.

While in Houston, check out Goode Company BBQ and Pappas BBQ.  Goode Company had the best pecan pie, but in our opinion Pappas had the better meats.

[Ret MP]

On 1/7/2023 at 5:54 PM, katiel53 said:

but one of the main reasons we cruise is for the food in the specialty restaurants.

Look at that, we definitely don't disagree there!

[renza]

Harmony is my least favorite with no pool in solarium. We love Allure because it dosent have the big purple slide in the back. 

[George C]

Entertainment is a big factor, I am sure all will be good but I like that Harmony has the play Grease . We are happy harmony is out of Galveston this November and it has some specialty that we want to try like wonderland and Jamie’s , we book grand suites so breakfast and most lunch’s there then UDP for dinner . We will save lots of money on flight.

[JCDCA]

On 1/6/2023 at 10:23 AM, DaKahuna said:

 

 We fly United predominately and when we have a cruise that sails out of Miami we still fly into Fort Lauderdale.  Usually it is cheaper and flying into Miami from Washington Dulles almost always requires a stop in Orlando and transfer to Spirit Airlines.   Spirit Airlines is at the top of my Will Not Fly list.  

 

Also, we've found it cheaper to fly into FLL and Uber/Car Service to Miami than to fly into Miami. 

 

United looks to have one non-stop a day IAD-MIA.  AA from DCA has 10 non-stops a day to MIA.  Absolutely no reason to connect to Spirit to fly to Miami from the DMV.  That would be absurd.

[JCDCA]

On 1/5/2023 at 8:02 PM, Jaybarch01 said:

Im planning on booking my first Oasis class ship at the end of March.  Im leaning toward Wonder out of Canaveral but not sure its worth the price over the other 2.  Allure is about $200 cheaper than Harmony but dealing with getting to and from Galveston may not be worth the savings.  Which airport and port is easiest to get to and from between Canaveral and Miami? Would you recommend one ship over another?

If price wasn't a consideration, I'd easily choose Wonder.  Allure hasn't been amped.  And Wonder is the newest Oasis class ship and even has a number of new venues and restaurants not found on Harmony.  Wonder is fantastic.

[ATSEAMYLIFE]

Plenty of great suggestions, you didn't mention cabin category.  We just sailed Wonder during Thanksgiving week in an OS.  We have also done Allure, Oasis, and Allure also in OS.  We were no fans of the Suite sun deck on Wonder.  We spend a lot of time on the suite sun decks and love the other Oasis class suite sun decks.  The Wonder layout with the new "Suite Neighborhood" is great as all the suite only areas are just steps from your cabin.  However, the sun deck is facing the stern overlooking the sports deck and slides.  Not the best view and not very quite when compared to the side facing suite sun decks on the others.  

[SWACruising]

On 1/6/2023 at 5:09 PM, Ret MP said:

Southwest doesn't even fly into Miami because it is too expensive for the airline and their pricing structure, at least that is what we were told when I worked at FLL.

 

Southwest does fly to Miami, just many less flight options out of there compared to FLL