Cruising Oasis-class in Europe?

[TotalF]

So we did a caribbean cruise on Harmony in late feb as of this year and fell hard in love with cruising. Now, since we are norwegians, we're thinking about trying out a mediterranean cruise in 2022 onboard an Oasis-class ship. 

I"m just looking for some insights on the matter. Can we expect, roughly, the same kind of experience? Great food, great service, great shows etc? 

What, if anything, would you say was different about cruising in Europe - or was it pretty much the same? 

[FionaMG]

The onboard experience is largely the same. Outdoor activities may be impacted by weather if you go in the early or late part of the season, e.g. not warm enough for the outdoor pool, more liklihood of the diving show being cancelled, etc. And there are more multi-lingual announcements. As far as shows are concerned, I found they are still mostly geared to English-speaking audiences, as opposed to the highly visual performances that are more the norm on MSC, for example.

European cruises tend to be more about the ports than the ship and Oasis class typically only have one sea day on a seven-day Med cruise as opposed to three on a Caribbean cruise. This means that you have to decide whether your priority is the ship or the ports. If you want to visit all the ports you will not have the time to take full advantage of everything the ship has to offer; and if the ship is more important to you, you will have to consider not getting off at some of the ports. This latter option is perhaps more practical for you, coming from Norway, as you can always hop on a low-cost flight and actually spend a few days in some of the port stops. Rome and Florence spring to mind, especially as there is so much to see there and they are so far away from the port cities.

Another option, if time and budget allow, would be to do a back-to-back cruise, as you can then plan to visit half the ports on the first week and the other half on the second week. When we sailed on Harmony in the Med in 2016 we met two couples who were doing exactly that and who said they were really pleased they had decided to do so. 

Hope this helps.

[TotalF]

Thank you very much, fionamg

When I researched prices I get the feeling that the european cruises are way more expensive, at least för the 7-8 night cruises I looked at. I'd say the prices where at least 2-400 dollars more per person than comparible cabins in the caribbean. 

[FionaMG]

Yes, indeed, that has been the trend in recent years. We like to do one cruise a year if we can and the last three years we actually saved money by flying across the Atlantic and doing Caribbean cruises rather than cruising here in Europe.

That said, if the ship itself is not your priority, there are usually much better prices to be found on the smaller older ships, which also have the advantage of offering more interesting itineraries. Rhapsody and Vision of the Seas are two that come to mind and it is worth noting that the smaller size can often mean better, more personal service on board. 

For bigger, newer ships you can usually get better prices with MSC, which also offer a more international ambience, although without the typically very attentive service you'll find on Royal's ships.

You can also often pick up great rates at about two months before each sailing date, with the caveat that the choice of cabins may be very limited at that point and you may find yourself paying more for flights.

Occasionally great rates pop up randomly for no apparent reason so if you're flexible on dates and attentive bargains can sometimes be had. For example, we are currently booked on Allure of the Seas for this coming September, which we booked on the spur of the moment because of an incredibly cheap rate that I found a few days before the whole Covid thing kicked off in Italy. Of course, if I had known what was about to happen I doubt we would have booked it and whether or not it will even go ahead now remains to be seen...