Disney vs. RCCL

[mkmommy]

[QUOTE

TinksDH - Before I would cancel, I would call and demand to talk to a supervisor. I am going to sit back and see if the cruises I currently have booked get a refund on the fuel charges. It's not just "all cruises made after 11/10", it is ALSO for any 2009/2010 cruise, they are going to look at the fuel prices every quarter and refund them if the price per barrel of oil falls beneath a certain price ($65).

[/QUOTE]

Why would you suggest people not just cancel and rebook?

 

[Mjasp]

I am currently booked for a Wonder 5 day sailing in Summer 2010, we went on our first Disney Cruise this summer (Mexican Rivera) and it was everything we expected and more. After reading through this I checked out Oasis for the same time period and can do 7 days with a balcony for 800 dollars LESS... but i still have a few questions?

Does Royal have a private island? Is it in Haiti? How does it compare to CC?

Besides soda and alchol what is extra? Like Ben and Jerrys and Johnny Rockets, etc

Other than closing at 10:00 are the kids clubs run very similar? ( my son will be 8)

Thank You so much for your help it is such a hard decision...

I can't remember the surcharge for Johnny Rocketts, The kids went, we didn't go.
Kids club...Check into that, I don't think they close at 10 pm, I do think there is a charge after 10 pm...But again these things didn't concern me, so I didn't pay attn to them

 

[lat]

Thanks for this thread. I booked on Oasis for August 2010. It might be time for a change to check out other cruise lines. The 2010 prices are just too much for DCL. I will call on 11/10 to see if they will drop the fuel charges or I have to rebook.

 

[cruisinmama06]

I am currently booked for a Wonder 5 day sailing in Summer 2010, we went on our first Disney Cruise this summer (Mexican Rivera) and it was everything we expected and more. After reading through this I checked out Oasis for the same time period and can do 7 days with a balcony for 800 dollars LESS... but i still have a few questions?

Does Royal have a private island? Is it in Haiti? How does it compare to CC?

Besides soda and alchol what is extra? Like Ben and Jerrys and Johnny Rockets, etc

Other than closing at 10:00 are the kids clubs run very similar? ( my son will be 8)

Thank You so much for your help it is such a hard decision...

Labadee and CocoCay
Yes RCCL has 2 private beaches. The one that Oasis will go to is Labadee (Haiti). Labadee will only be ready after May 2010...when it starts to alternate Western and Eastern sailings. Oasis will not go to CocoCay (the RCCL private island in the Bahamas) because it will dock at every port, not tender. Labadee is building the dock...Cococay isn't (at this point)

Labadee is nice, but different. The surroundings are mountainous, lush. It has a zipline, water slides, water park (with icebergs and such) and the kids club is on Labadee (like Disney does with CC). It also has Dragon's breath point, a rock formation that looks (and sounds) like a dragon breathing.

They have the free buffet there too, just like CC.

Extra charges
Yes, besides for Johnny Rockets and Ben/Jerry's....you will pay for specialty coffees at the coffee bar, power juices at the juice bar and a soda card. If you are like me and don't drink alot of soda, then you can go the whole week drinking free iced tea, lemonade, fruit punch or milk.

What's free and included in the price of your cruise
--Mini golf, Zipline, Carousel, Flowrider, Rock Climbing, Ice Skating, Basketball, etc

Kids clubs
They do not close at 10pm. After 10pm they become the "Late Night Party Zone". They have just as many activities after 10pm as they do before. You are charged $5pp per hour for the late night party zone. Basically there is no difference...it's not like at 10pm, all activities cease.

You can see the different activities offered in the kid compasses that I have uploaded....
http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb196/cruisinmama06/Royal Caribean AO Compass

There are pirate parades, talent shows, theatre camp, circuses, dance parties...my kids love Adventure Ocean.

My daughter is 8 and when we were on Wonder last month, she was asked what her favorite ship is, she answered "Do I have to say Wonder?" And when the person said no...she said "Ok, then I say FREEDOM!"

She is more obsessed about Oasis than I am.

Why would you suggest people not just cancel and rebook?

That can get tricky. If you cancel and rebook, the cabin in the category you want may be gone. Someone *could* take your cabin as soon as its released. And for me, I spent a long time trying to figure out the perfect cabin, there is no way I am letting it go.

The other reason is that if you pay, let's say $1,000pp for your cabin...as the availabilty changes, the price changes. So if you release your cabin and then rebook again, you better be 100% certain that your cabin is the same price it was when you booked. Some categories have gone up $1,000pp since the bookings opened.

My cabin has gone up $150pp since I booked. So if I cancel and rebook, then I am at the mercy of the new prices.

 

[Mjasp]

Michele...What category cabin did you book? I am thinking hump for the bigger verandah, but it will only be 3 of us so I don't know if that matters.

You would think I am picking out a surgeon for open heart surgery with all the thought I am giving this.

IYHO...would you wait until the 10th or book now, I mean they will give you the $175 in OBC...and I'm not paying in full now, so geez what to do!

 

[TinksDH]

Kids clubs
They do not close at 10pm. After 10pm they become the "Late Night Party Zone". They have just as many activities after 10pm as they do before. You are charged $5pp per hour for the late night party zone. Basically there is no difference...it's not like at 10pm, all activities cease.

Michele - If I read the Compasses correctly, the Late Night Party Zone charges are only for kids up to Age 11, correct? I'll have two in the Teen categories (12-14 and 15-17?) when we sail again, and it appears that these age groups do not have additional charges.

 

[TinksDH]

IYHO...would you wait until the 10th or book now, I mean they will give you the $175 in OBC...and I'm not paying in full now, so geez what to do!

If I were you, I'd book now and lock in the rate, still paying the fuel surcharges. When 11/10 comes around, and if the going rate is the same (or less than $175 more), I'd just create a new reservation for another D1 and then cancel the one you have. This is assuming that you want ANY of the D1's that sleep 3, and have no preference on which deck or which side of the ship.

We are in a similar situation, but have more rooms to contend with. With have a D4 that sleeps 3, an L across the hall that sleeps 2, and a D8 next to us that 2 friends are staying in that are traveling with us. I will need to find that same configuration in order to book and cancel, OR cancel first and run the risk that somone else doesn't grab those freed up rooms before I do!! What to do, what to do...

 

[cruisinmama06]

Michele...What category cabin did you book? I am thinking hump for the bigger verandah, but it will only be 3 of us so I don't know if that matters.

IYHO...would you wait until the 10th or book now, I mean they will give you the $175 in OBC...and I'm not paying in full now, so geez what to do!

I got a D1, Deck 14, hump balcony cabin. I am in 14200. For me, it's awesome because the pools are one deck up. The kids club is just down the hall. My balcony will be bigger than any other D category. And I NEED to see the ocean. So I wasn't interested in the Boardwalk or Central Park balconies.

Usually, we get a Junior Suite or Grand Suite - but with the prices for Oasis being so high for suites, I had to settle for a D1.

It's hard to say what I would do....I would probably book now because you will have more cabins to choose from. And since the price is based on supply/demand...if more people wait till the 10th to book then more cabins will be gone which will raise the price up.

Michele - If I read the Compasses correctly, the Late Night Party Zone charges are only for kids up to Age 11, correct? I'll have two in the Teen categories (12-14 and 15-17?) when we sail again, and it appears that these age groups do not have additional charges.

Yep you're correct, no charge at all for those age groups. They can come and go as they please...so no charge.

 

[Mjasp]

Since I have an entire weekend to obsess I see the point and in all honesty if oil goes down they will refund it. If oil goes up, the prices will come down because it will be hitting people pretty tough financially.

Somethings gotta give.

 

[TinksDH]

I see the point and in all honesty if oil goes down they will refund it. If oil goes up, the prices will come down because it will be hitting people pretty tough financially.

Somethings gotta give.

Unfortunately, oil has to be down one quarter before you actually cruise. It can go up just as fast as it went down. I would prefer to know where I stand if possible further than 3 months from sailing. If I can get the surcharges removed in the next 3 weeks versus waiting a year, I will certainly try!

 

[cruisinmama06]

Since I have an entire weekend to obsess

Obsess the weekend? I have been obsessing about this ship since JANUARY.

That's when I started asking about it. But back then it was called Genesis. I STILL kind of like the name Genesis better.

Hey TinksDH, check out this review about Liberty (with teens) on CC. It was the funniest review I have read in a long time. And I thought you might like to see it from a parent of teens perspective.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=862476

 

[mkmommy]

That can get tricky. If you cancel and rebook, the cabin in the category you want may be gone. Someone *could* take your cabin as soon as its released. And for me, I spent a long time trying to figure out the perfect cabin, there is no way I am letting it go.

The other reason is that if you pay, let's say $1,000pp for your cabin...as the availabilty changes, the price changes. So if you release your cabin and then rebook again, you better be 100% certain that your cabin is the same price it was when you booked. Some categories have gone up $1,000pp since the bookings opened.

My cabin has gone up $150pp since I booked. So if I cancel and rebook, then I am at the mercy of the new prices.

I understand what you are saying, I thought there was something like with discounts they have for new bookings only, where they keep track if you cancel and rebook within a certain time frame you cannnot get the new discount.

 

[joksten2000]

We booked a 12 day cruise on Explorer of The Seas out of Cape Liberty for $799 PP Can't beat that. Get $100 OBC because they cancelled a port and $200 OBC for being a stock holder.

 

[cruisinmama06]

I understand what you are saying, I thought there was something like with discounts they have for new bookings only, where they keep track if you cancel and rebook within a certain time frame you cannnot get the new discount.

Yeah they do that too. Some sales are "new bookings only".

 

[Mjasp]

All this RCCL talk and I don't want to wait until 2010 to sail on RCCL

But I'm doing DCL in November and Oasis in February at premium price because of the break. Maybe I'll play it by ear and snag another cruise in 2009 but at last minute prices.

Just read someone just booked the NCL Pearl at $599 for a balcony Thanksgiving week. That is a sale worth waiting for. I love trying new lines. Heck I tried Costa and it wasn't bad except the entertainment was the just TERRIBLE!

 

[cruisinmama06]

Just read someone just booked the NCL Pearl at $599 for a balcony Thanksgiving week. That is a sale worth waiting for. I love trying new lines. Heck I tried Costa and it wasn't bad except the entertainment was the just TERRIBLE!

I've seen 12-15 day Transatlantics for $499 on RCCL. If I could pull the kids out of school for 12 days, I would be gone.

 

[TinksDH]

Hey TinksDH, check out this review about Liberty (with teens) on CC.

Thanks Cruisinmama06 - I actually came across it a couple of days ago - it really convinced me that my teens will LOVE RCI. They are going to have an AWESOME time!

 

[natesmom]

Thank you crisemama06, you answered all my questions...

What is this talk about a discount deposit on the 10th, does that apply to the 2010 oasis cruises?

 

[Mjasp]

No Discounted price, just that RCI is dropping the fuel surcharges on cruises in 2010 starting on cruises booked from November 10th on.

 

[cruisinmama06]

Thank you crisemama06, you answered all my questions...

What is this talk about a discount deposit on the 10th, does that apply to the 2010 oasis cruises?

No Discounted price, just that RCI is dropping the fuel surcharges on cruises in 2010 starting on cruises booked from November 10th on.

Yep that. Booking after 11/10 will allow you to book without fuel surcharges. I doubt they will start discounting Oasis this soon. There is just too much interest in it and its not even built yet.