Just back from the Oasis of the Seas.... comparitive review....

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Thanks for the comparison! I actually think 20% can disappear really quickly when you consider that you can stock your own DCL room (well, at least we did with wine, rum and margaritas, and that definitely cuts down on extra expenses) and if the cruise includes Castaway (don't know if it did or not) my husband and I thought that was like a $100 excursion value because it included unlimited buffet (am I the only one that hit it some at 11 and some before it closed at 2? Good thing I swam a lot and played volleyball that day!) and we snorkeled with our own gear included, along with the sports, the entertainment such as the crab races and island dancing, the ice cream and softdrinks, the Pelicans plunge slide, the hammocks and lounge chairs...(we we to Coki beach in Feb and had to pay $5 for every chair, $10 for an umbrella, all our food, drinks, taxi, everything just to go to a beach...) so we decided that per person, this was a very great value indeed.

Then you add the fact that our shows were probably $40-50 shows easy, that was another great value. And when you pay for cokes on RCI or CCL, the way my husband does, that adds up substantially too...

So rambling aside, we felt like our $540 pp for 3 night with a full veranda and Castaway ended up being a great value, even though we have paid the same for a 7 night that was mediocre at best...

 

[garcia2000]

Thanks for a great trip report. Our friends have told us how much they love rccl but they don't travel with kids so its nice to have another point of view.

 

[Canuck123]

THANK YOU for confirming what we thought would be true if we tried RCCL... We just got off our DCL Fantasy cruise... and it will now go down as THE BEST VACATION EVER!

Our neighbors didn't like DCL and tried to get us to switch to RCCL this year... but it just didn't feel right because our kids are still young and loving Disney (age 6 & 8). They went on RCCL and loved it, we went on DCL and loved it.

I loved every minute of the Fantasy!

This was our fourth cruise on DCL and we've never cruised anyone else. But let me tell ya, I stepped off the ship in every port and noticed them power washing the boat and painting... We even got off the Fantasy in St Thomas, notice the 'our' rusty anchor, and came back to a freshly painted yellow anchor... I am proud to be a part of something so special. You just don't see this level of attention on other boats (as I noticed how rusty and faded everything looks on other ships young & old). Even the Old Disney ships are kept well. I so appreciate the crew that make all this happen... and pray and hope that they are as genuinely happy as they appear.

I may cruise RCCL someday, but I think it's a different kind of trip, one that we'll take without the kids. For us though, WE like Disney just as much as the kids (if not more), so I doubt we'll look elsewhere anytime soon.

And I'll never forget our Cruise Director, Clayton, who made us all dance 'The Carlton' from Fresh Prince of Bell Air... Hilarious! And who started every show with this question "WHO's ON VACATION?" and we would all yell at the top of our lungs "WE'RE ON VACATION!"

On Disney there is magic at every corner, and I found myself saying... "Just when you think Disney can't get any better... they do!"

 

[tfc3rid]

The only areas where my wife and I felt the Oasis was better than Disney (we've only sailed the Magic and Wonder) were with the selections available at the buffet as well as the pools...

the nickel and dining was there, especially for a 'good' dinner in the main dining room... No creativity to dishes, etc... We were turned off in general...

 

[Uomeasmile]

I sailed Oasis in January 2011 and Fantasy in June 2012. I can concur with the very thorough reviews. I went Oasis with DH and Fantasy with DD and her friend (both 14).

I'm not a gambler and it's why I love Disney ships, so I consider all that space wasted on Oasis. I have to whole heartedly agree that the MDR service is SLOW and food actually comes to you cold. After night one, DH and I just sucked up the "up charges" and made reservations at the optional restaurants (our favorite was the Churascarria - which was often empty, it might not even be there anymore).

I did enjoy the night time "club" venues more on Oasis - and they definitely stay open longer. On Fantasy though, my 14 year olds had an amazing time and somehow it felt much safer letting them roam the ship with WAVE phones than I could have imagined on Oasis.

We had an "inside" balcony on Oasis, which overlooked the Boardwalk - we could see the dive show from our balcony. So that's one uniqueness on Oasis. I also love the Central Park atmosphere on Oasis.

In the end though, what sells Fantasy over Oasis for me is the RainForest pass and heated tile beds along with the AquaDuck. There's nothing like a water slide in the middle of the ocean!

 

[CSHaydt]

Love the review; thank you very much; and an interesting thread. We seriously considered the Oasis and we made the decision to head back to DCL. We are booked on the Fantasy in April 2014. (did the dream 2012)

I felt in my own analysis that the nickel and dime aspect really lead me back to DCL; i am married to a CPA and besides enjoying a few adult drinks while on the ship we tend to enjoy what we have already paid for. We don't even do the specialty restaurants. We feel that the quality is worth every penny on DCL.

The other reason is that my DS8 loved the kids club on the Dream; he didn't spend a ton of time in the club but enjoyed the activities that he was interested in and spent the rest of the time hanging with us; enjoying shows and family activities. We enjoyed the kid friendly movies playing while at the pool, games and entertainment that i never had to worry wasn't appropriate for his age.

The big draw for the Oasis is the pool deck area as i know it is much more expansive then the Fantasy that is the one draw back on DCL; we would love to see a much bigger pool area; we do feel like the kids are on top of each other. We have adapted though; my DS, DH and I are all very fair so we tend to swim early in the morning or late in the afternoon/evening, when things are less crowded.

Maybe we will reconsider the Oasis once our son is older but for now we are sticking with the tried and true DCL...

Just thought i'd throw my two cents in...

 

[Castillo Mom]

Very interesting review, thanks so much for taking the time to post your observations.

Over that last few weeks my extended family was seriously considering RCCL. My SIL who had initially proposed this trip changed her mind and decided to go with DCL. I'm so glad she did. I greatly appreciate your comments on the kids clubs on the Oasis. My sister and her family are now joining us as well and I know my little niece and nephew will have a much better time on the Fantasy and so will the adults.

 

[Rizzo1]

Thanks for a great and detailed review. Our son is getting older and we were wondering if we should look into other ships. This definitely convinced me that DCL is where we want to be. There are a lot of minuses that just don't add up to us switching.
I guess we are just spoiled by DCL. Of course there are things missing from the line that would enhance it. We have not had a bad experience on all of our cruises. (We have sailed on all the ships but the Fantasy).Thanks DCL for being, in my opinion, the top of the line for me and my family!

We will be sailing again next year on the Dream... counting down... :woohoo:

 

[Disney922]

I cannot emphasize how great the pool deck is on the Oasis. It really is fabulous. If you like to swim, you will love it. One salt water zero entry pool, a "sports" pool, a "main" pool, and a circular wave pool with clear sides and an aqua splash zone. Then, two flow riders and a basketball court and a ping pong area. If your son is tall and adventurous, he will be in hog heaven.

My 11 year old son did like the kids club... they had structured activities but he enjoyed them. At 10 p.m. every night they started a "gaga ball" tournament that is basically dodge ball from the knees down. they played that for an hour. He really enjoyed playing gaga ball. Not sure what else there was to do if you didn't want to play gaga ball. They gave out prizes and the last night of the cruise he was so proud to have won a silver medal.

Agreed. I know everyone has a difference of opinion. We have done both the Allure and Oasis and the Fantasy. While is is tough to compare anything to Disney.....especially for their Customer Servce. There really is no comparision to the pools and the entertainment during the day on the Oasis/Allure vs the Fantasy. I was HIGHLY disappointed that Disney would only have 2 pools on the Fantasy/Dream and ONE that is pretty much a SEWER by day 2.... I could not believe that there were 2 pools on a "child" oriented cruise line. Also the adult only area, was not really adult only.....the elevators that anyone could take passed right through the adult only area and there was never room in the adult "pool" .

Also, my DD who was 6 and 8 on the Allure/Oasis and 7 of the Fantasy much prefered the kids club on RC it was much more structed. While my DS who was 3 on the Fantasy much prefered the Disney kids club then the Allure when he was 4.

I have another Disney cruise booked. The food on the Disney trip was much better and the soda and water machines are wonderful on the Fantasy. Also, the movies at night and the show were AMAZING.

My main problem is the pool.....but again that is just my opinion.

I am a TA PT strictly booking Disney. People ask me all the time why such a big price difference between Disney and the other lines. IMO, if you are not Disney lovers RC is they way to go. I am a Disney lover so I will pay any amount even though the pools area irrates me, but eveything else is well worth it.

Missy