In the past three years, I’ve cruised on all six of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class cruise ships, and I’m ranking them from best to worst.
Oasis Class ships have turned heads ever since the first ship, Oasis of the Seas, launched in 2008. She was anything but a traditional cruise ship; for the first time ever, a Royal Caribbean ship was split into distinct neighborhoods.
Whether the family-friendly, open-air Boardwalk at the ship’s aft or two-story Royal Promenade, the Oasis Class truly redefined what a cruise ship could be.
Throughout the past sixteen years, five more Oasis Class ships have launched: Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Symphony of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, and Utopia of the Seas. After cruising on every Oasis Class ship, I’ve come to favor some more than others.
All six Oasis Class vessels are more alike than different, but each ship offers varied entertainment, restaurants, and onboard activities. Other touches, such as decor or differences in layout, change from ship to ship, too. Don’t get me wrong—all of my cruise experiences were excellent—but in the end, it was the subtle differences that made me favor one over the other.
Here’s my ranking of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis Class ships from best to worst.
Wonder of the Seas
At the top of my list of Oasis Class ships is Wonder of the Seas, which launched in early 2022. The ship’s layout, design features, and restaurants make Wonder my favorite in her class.
Wonder of the Seas was the first Oasis Class ship to have a slightly different layout from her sister ships. A Suite Neighborhood was added to the upper decks, the Windjammer buffet was expanded to decrease crowding, and the adults-only Solarium was fully enclosed so it could be climate-controlled.
Related: Wonder of the Seas vs other Oasis Class ships
Everything on Wonder of the Seas felt exceptionally modern and well-designed during my week onboard. I loved listening to live country music at The Mason Jar, grabbing a drink from the tropical Lime and Coconut bar on the pool deck, and relaxing in the Solarium without breaking a sweat.
Honestly, the ship is nearly identical to Royal Caribbean’s brand-new Utopia of the Seas, but what makes Wonder of the Seas higher on my list are her itineraries.
Currently, Wonder of the Seas sails 7-night itineraries compared to Utopia’s 3 and 4-night sailings. As someone who does not live within driving distance to a cruise port, I’m more drawn to a longer cruise in order to make the travel time worthwhile.
Of course, not everything on the ship is perfect. I wish Wonder of the Seas featured a Broadway musical, for instance, but in general, I found the cons minimal. If I were given the chance to sail on an Oasis Class ship today, a 7-night itinerary on Wonder of the Seas would be my first choice.
It's worth mentioning that the ship will offer only short cruises starting in August of 2025, but as she stands currently, Wonder of the Seas is my favorite Oasis Class ship.
Utopia of the Seas
Royal Caribbean’s newest Oasis Class ship, Utopia of the Seas, aims to provide the “Biggest Weekend” at sea. The ship, which only sails 3 and 4-night itineraries, markets toward cruisers in search of a quick getaway filled with themed parties and nonstop entertainment.
Related: Utopia of the Seas: Itinerary, features, and more
From the all-new Royal Kappa Chi college-themed party to the Toga Silent Disco, the three days I spent on Utopia of the Seas were anything but boring. And even though I wouldn’t say the party vibe was entirely my vibe, participating in the activities was not a requirement.
On the whole, the ship’s atmosphere did not feel drastically different to that of other Oasis Class ships. If you didn’t attend the evening parties, sailing on the ship mostly felt like cruising on any other ship in the class.
The layout and amenities were nearly identical to Wonder of the Seas, with a Suite Neighborhood and colorful pool deck. I appreciated the addition of a few venues not found on any other Oasis Class ship, including the Pesky Parrot tiki bar and the Royal Railway immersive dining experience.
Newer is usually better when it comes to cruise ships, but in this case, I still prefer the older Wonder of the Seas over Utopia of the Seas. The sticker price of the shiny new vessel is steep, and I can’t justify paying the same price for a 3-night cruise that I could pay for a 7-night cruise on a slightly older Oasis Class ship.
There’s no question that sailing on Utopia of the Seas is fun and that she provides the best-of-the-best Oasis Class features, but I’d still rather book a longer cruise itinerary.
Oasis of the Seas
Among my favorite Oasis Class ships is Oasis of the Seas. Of all of Royal Caribbean's ships, the first Oasis Class ship was perhaps the most influential. While we might now view a park on a cruise ship with normalcy, this certainly wasn’t the case in 2008!
Over the years, as expected, Oasis of the Seas began to show her age. In 2019, she underwent a $165 million amplification, which added waterslides, new restaurants, and a reimagined pool deck.
Related: Oasis of the Seas ship guide: Cabins, itineraries, what to expect
I sailed on Oasis of the Seas after her amplification, and I loved every minute of my experience onboard. I tried out the escape room, rode the Ultimate Abyss dry slide, and sipped on fruity cocktails on the Caribbean-inspired pool deck.
During my cruise, I particularly enjoyed the spacious outdoor sun deck in the Solarium along with Aqua80, the ship’s high-energy AquaTheater show. I also splurged on a pass to the spa’s thermal suite, which surely helped me enjoy my cruise even more.
In short, I didn’t find much at all to complain about on Oasis of the Seas. I prefer the more updated layout of Wonder and Utopia of the Seas, but the amplification of Oasis of the Seas helped the ship feel just as contemporary as the newer ships in the class.
Symphony of the Seas
Near the middle of my ranking is Symphony of the Seas, the fourth Oasis Class ship that launched in 2018. After spending a week onboard the ship last year, I found no major issues with the vessel, and my Western Caribbean vacation was just about perfect.
Related: Top 10 Symphony of the Seas hidden secrets
All things considered, Symphony of the Seas could easily be in my top three favorite Oasis Class ships. I found the ship impeccably clean, and I appreciated the design features throughout, especially the Solarium's Big Wonder art installation that lights up at night.
Additionally, my favorite Italian restaurant on Royal Caribbean—Jamie’s Italian—is found onboard, and I loved watching the ship’s Broadway production of Hairspray.
So why the lower ranking? Ultimately, I prefer the enhanced layout and offerings of Wonder and Utopia, along with the Caribbean pool vibe you can also find on Oasis of the Seas.
I wouldn’t purposely avoid Symphony of the Seas over the three aforementioned ships, but given the chance, it would probably be my fourth choice for an Oasis Class cruise vacation.
Harmony of the Seas
As if the Oasis Class ships couldn’t be game-changing enough, the launch of Harmony of the Seas in 2015 brought an even bigger wow factor to the Oasis Class.
Compared to the two Oasis Class ships built before her—Oasis and Allure—Harmony of the Seas debuted with upgraded activities. She had the first-ever waterslides on an Oasis Class ship along with the Ultimate Abyss dry slide and an escape room.
Related: Harmony of the Seas cruise ship review
In a way, Harmony paved the way for the next three Oasis Class ships, which all share these features, and also inspired the amenities added during Oasis of the Seas’ amplification.
Despite being a cutting-edge ship at the time, Harmony of the Seas ranks fifth on my list. Truthfully, though, she is so similar to Symphony of the Seas that I had to nitpick in order to rank her lower on the list.
Simply put, I prefer Hairspray over Harmony’s Broadway production of Grease, and I would prefer if the ship had a pool in the Solarium as opposed to just jacuzzis.
Obviously, none of these differences are deal breakers. I would never hesitate to sail on the ship again, but I would probably pick the other ships first.
Allure of the Seas
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Allure of the Seas is at the bottom of my list. After trying all six Oasis Class vessels, there’s no doubt that Allure of the Seas is the most in need of a refresh.
Launched in 2009, Allure has yet to receive her Royal Amplification, which will add new activities, dining venues, and bars onboard, as well as renovate existing cabins and public spaces. Due to this, the ship feels somewhat outdated within the fleet, especially when comparing her to her sister ships.
Related: Allure of the Seas cruise ship review
She lacks waterslides, a Splashaway Bay aqua park for kids, and updated Adventure Ocean kids programming. Notably, Allure of the Seas is missing the Ultimate Abyss slide, which travels from the Sports Deck to the Boardwalk neighborhood. Although this means that guests staying in Boardwalk balcony cabins can enjoy a less-obstructed view, it also means there is one less activity to try onboard.
As far as restaurants, Allure of the Seas lacks the cruise line’s newest concepts, including Playmakers Sports Bar and Arcade and Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen. Instead, you’ll find venues you won’t find on most other Royal Caribbean ships, such as Sabor Mexican restaurant and Samba Grill Brazilian steakhouse.
In addition, the cabins on Allure of the Seas feel more dated than cabins on other Oasis Class ships. There are not as many outlets available throughout the room, and the cabin’s decor and furnishings could use a refurbishment.
Related: 30 cruise cabin hacks that cruisers love
Nonetheless, Royal Caribbean’s classic Oasis Class features are still there, including a tranquil Central Park, dynamic Boardwalk, and bustling Royal Promenade. In addition, I had no complaints about the ship’s entertainment, which features a Broadway production of Mamma Mia along with ice-skating and AquaTheater shows.
Fortunately, Allure of the Seas is set to receive an amplification in the spring of 2025. Official changes and new venues are yet to be announced, but it can be assumed that she will receive the line’s newest renditions of restaurants and onboard activities. Following her amplification, she will likely be on an even playing field with her sister ships.
