Would we regret Oasis or Allure instead of Fantasy?

[bfaber]

We are Disney people through and through! We've done the Wonder, Magic, and Dream and were anxious to complete our Disney crusing experience with the Fantasy. I have the end of May 2014 on hold, but can do the RC Oasis or Allure for over $2000 cheaper the same week!!! Would we regret it? What would we miss that we were used to on a Disney ship? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[EDH Family]

We cruised on the Oasis last Spring Break and loved it. However, it's not geared towards the kids as much as Disney, but it still good for families. Word of warning, due to the size of the ship you have to make reservations for everything including shows...

Due to the high pricing just released we will be sailing the Oasis Spring Break of 2014. Now worries Disney, you still have me for next week and Spring Break 2013...

 

[EPCOTatNight]

I haven't been on either, but I think that most people absolutely love it. I only know diehard Disney fans that have cruised on them and everyone that I've talked to loved their experiences. I am anxious to travel on one of those ships.

 

[disneybeachprincess]

I haven't sailed on those other 2 ships but saw them in ports & they are ginormous! Really ginormous! Personally, I'd never want to sail on a ship that big...I wasn't sure if I'd like the Disney Dream as much as the Magic & Wonder but I do & like you, want to sail on the Fantasy to complete the unofficial "grand slam".

You choose what is best for your family! Unfortunately the Fantasy's prices will only go up! So I made the decision to sail on the Fantasy in Spring 2014.

 

[bfaber]

I should have mentioned we have 3 girls 16, 14, and 12 and a boy, 8. We love swimming, the kid teen clubs, and the shows. And of course the eating! How will all that compare?

 

[MAJPLO]

There is a really good trip report from a DISer, nenner, who did a "Shrek vsMickey" TR that was very helpful for us in comparing the Fantasy/Dream and the Allure/Oasis. I think her family's final determination was to alternate years between the two cruise lines. But as pp, every family is different.

 

[mom2aredhead]

I am wrestling with the same thing. The price difference will essentially pay for our airfare and excursions.
I have a few friends that cruised RCCL and loved it, but they had never been on Disney so they can't compare the 2 for me.
One of the main reasons I am still leaning toward DCL is that we have been on the Fantasy on a sold out cruise before, so we kind of know how to handle it, we know the layout, schedule, etc. RCCL will be a whole different thing, which as gigantic as those ships are, I don't think I'd want to try for the first time during the crowded Easter break.

 

[disneybeachprincess]

There is a really good trip report from a DISer, nenner, who did a "Shrek vsMickey" TR that was very helpful for us in comparing the Fantasy/Dream and the Allure/Oasis. I think her family's final determination was to alternate years between the two cruise lines. But as pp, every family is different.

That is a good compromise & if the location of the port isn't an issue, then maybe a good choice for the OP. When we lived in Fla, ports were everywhere. From NC, I tend not to look at Ft Laud or Miami anymore due to travel time & cost. Happy cruising everyone!

 

[All Things Simba]

If you can swing it, now knowing you're kids' ages and how much fun there is on a Disney ship, I'd say sail on the Disney Fantasy.

But that is a huge price difference and quite the consideration! $2,000 on a 7 night cruise = and additional $286 per day.

You can always sail on Royal Caribbean now and sail with Disney later.
DCL will be there for you when you're ready. I'd have a really hard time with that price difference. You could spend time at WDW before or after the cruise with that amount of money.

My DH really wants to try the new RCCL ships.. they look awesome!

Do you have a "dummy" booking with Disney to transfer and therefore would save you 10%? Do you have family members who could give you Disney dollars for Christmas? What is the majority of your family saying?

Good luck and have fun sailing on either cruise line!

 

[Floridagram]

I too was going to suggest you find the Shrek VS Mickey post and read it. It is very detailed.

I have read several reviews of the RCCL ships and everyone seems to love them. I plan to give it a try when it fits in our vacation planning. We are doing DCl one more time while all the grand kids are of the age to go to the club but then we fully intend to try the Allure. I think with the ages of your kids they will love it! They have a zipline, flowrider and the water show, I suspect your teenagers will love it so much they never want to go back to DCL.

The biggest difference I see is that you have to plan ahead and get reservations for shows and dinner at specialty restaurants. That may drive me crazy but I plan to give it a whirl!

 

[Gatrcruzer]

Given the ages of your children, I think your family would really enjoy those ships. For the cost savings I'd definitely give one of them a try! RCI has great opportunities for kids, even if they aren't as child-centered as the Disney cruises. It is a good choice for families.

 

[Floridagram]

I am wrestling with the same thing. The price difference will essentially pay for our airfare and excursions.
I have a few friends that cruised RCCL and loved it, but they had never been on Disney so they can't compare the 2 for me.
One of the main reasons I am still leaning toward DCL is that we have been on the Fantasy on a sold out cruise before, so we kind of know how to handle it, we know the layout, schedule, etc. RCCL will be a whole different thing, which as gigantic as those ships are, I don't think I'd want to try for the first time during the crowded Easter break.

I suggest you also find the shrek vs Mickey trip report. Apparently these gigantic ships don't seem any more crowded. This report was the most detailed on I have ever read.

 

[Summerl30]

I'm hoping that's our next vacation after the Disney cruise. Now that we will be family vacationing every year, I still hope dh and I will still do our own.

We are looking at either one of these ships or one class down for either 2013 or 2014 for just the two of us.

 

[darkwing818]

We are Disney people through and through! We've done the Wonder, Magic, and Dream and were anxious to complete our Disney crusing experience with the Fantasy. I have the end of May 2014 on hold, but can do the RC Oasis or Allure for over $2000 cheaper the same week!!! Would we regret it? What would we miss that we were used to on a Disney ship? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Looks like the OP is getting both sides of the coin, which was probably to be expected. Clearly everyone has different circumstances & let's face it $2,000 is not exactly chump change. Bottom line the OP needs to make this decision & feel comfortable with it. RCCL is a wonderful cruise line & we have enjoyed our cruises with them, just as we have enjoyed (completed the Grand Slam) DCL. You need to be happy with your choice.

 

[borgthe]

I just went on the fantasy in august and am sailing the oasis in march. I am very much looking forward to the oasis for several reasons. First, they have more pools. The pools were really lacking on the fantasy. Second, the oasis seems to have more interesting ancillary things to do, such as ice skating, zip line, flow rider etc. The fantasy didn't seem to have that many activities. I would definitely save the 2 k and sail oasis

 

[mom2aredhead]

We are Disney people through and through! We've done the Wonder, Magic, and Dream and were anxious to complete our Disney crusing experience with the Fantasy. I have the end of May 2014 on hold, but can do the RC Oasis or Allure for over $2000 cheaper the same week!!! Would we regret it? What would we miss that we were used to on a Disney ship? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Also make sure you are comparing apples to apples stateroom-wise. I didn't realize it at first but I was comparing a 5A to one of RCCL's lower level balcony rooms.
We are booked in a 5A, deck 9 oceanview verandah. Western itinerary, week of 4/12 2A/1C is $5377. (Yikes!)
Allure 4/13 Eastern itinerary, "superior oceanview stateroom with balcony" $4577.93. Boardwalk and central park view rooms are cheaper, but I wanted to compare comparable staterooms. Soda card about $150 (since there is soda included on the fantasy only fair to add it in). My difference is $650, not taking into consideration the $250-ish onboard credits.
There are a lot more dining options on the Allure (free and fee-based) but I think a lot more kid things for my son on the Fantasy.
On a side note, I am both happy and grateful that this is my biggest problem at the moment lol!

 

[keishashadow]

We cruised on the Oasis last Spring Break and loved it. However, it's not geared towards the kids as much as Disney, but it still good for families. Word of warning, due to the size of the ship you have to make reservations for everything including shows...

Due to the high pricing just released we will be sailing the Oasis Spring Break of 2014. Now worries Disney, you still have me for next week and Spring Break 2013...

We're trying RCCL for the 1st time in a month

I had considered booking the two newest ships but had concerns as to size/passenger flow and fact that the itineraries didn't appeal to me.

OP why not consider one of the Freedom sized ships? They're comparable in size (slightly bigger?) to the DCL ships.

 

[manateesmom]

We are looking forward to our first DCL cruise, but have cruised Freedom of the Seas, and I agree with a prior poster's recommendation. New ship that's big enough with plenty to do, and still good itineraries. I think the ports are somewhat lacking with Oasis and Allure, Freedom has more options.

RCCL has stuff for kids without being totally kid-focused. Be aware, however, that staterooms on RCCL are pretty small. My comparison is to Carnival, but I bet it would be a bit of a shock compared to DCL. And the bathroom situation is different - you have to go to suite level rooms to get a bathtub, and no split bath. Honestly, availability of a tub and room size was the deciding factor for us with DS3. With older kids, maybe not as much of a concern for you.

One thing I'd consider if you did look at RCCL is the "royal promenade" rooms. They're inside, but have a window onto the interior multi-story atrium deal. We previously sailed in a balcony with in-laws across the hall in the royal promenade, they really liked it, seems like it could be a reasonable set-up for 2 rooms if your kids were old enough.

 

[uziel5000]

Having just gotten off the Fantasy and having sailed on RCI and other lines, I can tell you, you will have a lot of fun on the Oasis. They have great kids programs and the kids pool areas are actually bigger and more diverse on the Oasis (the ship is twice as big so that one is a given). The Dreamworks characters are there and frankly, the kids enjoy them just as much (provided they like the movies they star in).

In other words the potential to have a wonderful cruise is there on both lines.

However...

There is a certain "something" I found on the Fantasy. I don't want to use the word "magic" but whatever it is, it makes a difference. As many others have posted and argued on these boards, there is a certain something that makes people feel that the extra money you usually spend on DCL is worth it and I have to say I felt it too. Having finally taken the plunge, I have to say its "real".

But, what many people don't realize or understand (or want to understand) is that just because you are acknowledging you can have fun on other lines for less money, you are putting down DCL or implying they are not better (or, heaven forbid, that other lines are better ) I'm not talking about anyone in particular folks but you all know the kind of discussion I'm talking about.

The fact is that DCL is in fact more expensive. Like you just found out it can be a lot more expensive. For some of us, sometimes we have to pick between looking at other lines (which are very good as well) or having to wait to get the money needed for DCL (I booked two years in advance to slowly pay for it). Sometimes, we don't want to wait so much for a vacation. So sometimes we go for the less expensive option and have fun there too.

When I travel on another cruise line, I know its not gonna have that Disney "something" but the fact is I'm not expecting it to because I know its not Disney. I rate it for what it is and in the case of the Oasis, its a very fun cruise where you can have a great time. It's supposed to be different.

So all this writing just to tell you to take both. LOL Save the 2 grand and shop till you drop on your cruise, then take your time planning your DCL cruise and take it down the line. Variety is the spice of life! I assure you both will be a lot of fun.

 

[CSHaydt]

Just my two cents! I did a lot of talking to friends and reading discussion board about the Allure and Oasis. I think it's personal preference. Here are two things that discouraged me.

1. I heard that the area that is open air in the inside of the ship is very hot and really stuffy cause the air flow is not good in there. It gets very stuffy in that inside area.

2. From what i've read and did a comparison - even though DCL is more expensive - RC nickel and dimes you so much more on their cruises. More of the restaurants, special snack items, etc...

Just be aware! Not saying we won't check them out when my DS 7 is older but for now we just rebooked on the Fantasy. He loves it, we love it! Just our take on the whole thing.