50th Birthday Cruise RCL vs Disney Input

[We’reAllMadHere]

I’ve been on Oasis twice. It is the oldest of the Oasis class ships but is still in very good shape. The diving/water show on Oasis is my favorite show of any cruise I’ve taken, and we also enjoyed the ice skating show but Cats is not paced well for a ship production.

We absolutely adore the Oasis class ships. Central Park is delightful, especially in the evenings when they have live music next to the wine bar. I love that there are several pool areas, which is an advantage over Disney ships, in my opinion. The adults only area is also large and lovely at the front of the ship with excellent views.

I would budget for the dining package. The included dinners are fine but Chops and the French restaurant were highlights of our trip. Giovanni’s actually has the best steak. Service throughout has always been great for us but your wait staff don’t travel with you, so you might miss that.

Some people dislike being on a ship with that many people but we have never found it problematic. Royal does a great job spreading out activities and placing things to disperse crowds.

Also I’d choose the Oasis itinerary over the Disney one only because I’ve been to those places several times. I’ve not been to Aruba.

 

[tidefan]

If you are all 18+, have you considered Virgin Voyages? To us, it has the best food of any cruise line and the ships are very relaxed. Their show "Duel Reality" has been one of the favorites at sea that we've seen (it's very "Cirque du Soleil-ish").

Also, unlike Royal and some of the other lines, Virgin is very different. There is no MDR. Everything is a specialty restaurant and they are all included. Likewise, there is not a traditional buffet, but rather a "Galley" area that amounts to a good number of what I would call "Quick-Serve" places that are all very good. They have grab-and-go sushi bento boxes up there. All included. Also, gratuities are included on Virgin automatically, so you don't have to worry about the whole tipping thing. This even goes to drinks, you buy a $10 drink, it's $10 (not $11.80, which is the $10 + 18% tip).

 

[bobbiwoz]

I have been on 43 DCL cruises and around 35 RCCL cruises, and two of then have been on the Oasis. I will never go on the Oasis again. I thought the food was awful, except for what was available in the Park cafe, not sure of its name. The last RCCL cruise was on the Ovation to Alaska and that was excellent. I do not have anything against RCCL, and have one of theirs booked for this September.

However, we got off the Treasure on Saturday, and I wholeheartedly recommend the Treasure to you. Be sure you go on the onboard tour of the ship that’s offered!

 

[Retiredcruiser]

If you are all 18+, have you considered Virgin Voyages? To us, it has the best food of any cruise line and the ships are very relaxed. Their show "Duel Reality" has been one of the favorites at sea that we've seen (it's very "Cirque du Soleil-ish").

Also, unlike Royal and some of the other lines, Virgin is very different. There is no MDR. Everything is a specialty restaurant and they are all included. Likewise, there is not a traditional buffet, but rather a "Galley" area that amounts to a good number of what I would call "Quick-Serve" places that are all very good. They have grab-and-go sushi bento boxes up there. All included. Also, gratuities are included on Virgin automatically, so you don't have to worry about the whole tipping thing. This even goes to drinks, you buy a $10 drink, it's $10 (not $11.80, which is the $10 + 18% tip).

We just sailed Virgin Voyages for the first time last week and have to say what a disappointment the food was. Hearing all the reviews ahead of time set our expectations high and yes there are some OK spots to eat but in short it wasn't enough for us to book another cruise with them. We sailed as "Rockstars" and the room size, drinks, wifi, laundry service and their app are all winners but the food just wasn't that good. It was better than RCCL who I can confidently say we won't sail again so my vote is to stick with DCL and enjoy your trip!

 

[bedgraynexl]

I'm another vote for Virgin Voyages for a more adult experience. We absolutely love DCL but wanted to try something different. We had an amazing experience. Yes, some of the food was meh (Test Kitchen for me) but the included gratuities, different atmosphere, and other venues made it a great option. I also appreciated no lanyard. Just a wristband for everything. We did book a second cruise but am also excited to be on the Fantasy in March

We also did it for a 50th B-day but what ever you choose will be amazing!

 

[tidefan]

I'm another vote for Virgin Voyages for a more adult experience. We absolutely love DCL but wanted to try something different. We had an amazing experience. Yes, some of the food was meh (Test Kitchen for me) but the included gratuities, different atmosphere, and other venues made it a great option. I also appreciated no lanyard. Just a wristband for everything. We did book a second cruise but am also excited to be on the Fantasy in March

We also did it for a 50th B-day but what ever you choose will be amazing!

We've stopped going to Test Kitchen, found a great hack that you can eat at the bar in Pink Agave!

 

[Drfate102]

I celebrated my 50th last year by doing a cruise in the Mediterranean on the Disney Dream, followed by a few days in Paris and finished it off with a few days in Disneyland Paris. So on those, I would kind of lean into what you want to experience. I was not super excited with the Grand Cayman. However, I did just get off the Treasure and it is a lot better than the Wish.

Look at it this way. if we are lucky, we only turn 50 once. Go with what you will enjoy the most and make it a great memory and splurge.

 

[cedricandsophie]

If the ports are important to you, Curacao is beautiful! You can rent a car and drive around on your own.