Can you help me choose which ship?

[Lisa1]

Hi, we are first time cruisers and I've managed to really confuse myself.    Our family is me (52f), my husband (55m) and two teens, ages 17 and 15.   We've always done all-inclusives for spring break but thought maybe to try a cruise.   My kids are typical kids that like lots of stuff to do and don't mind crowds or lines.   My husband and I are quiet people and don't really like crowds, hence why we've always avoided cruising.   I think our teens would really like to try out a ship though.   I'd like to do a southern Caribbean at the end of February 2023.  I've looked at some other destinations but I'm afraid they will be cold unless we go to the southern part of the Caribbean.    We can't afford a suite level but I think I can add the "key" to get priority embarkation and disembarkation, plus at the ports, to avoid some of the lines.   I didn't even realize a balcony doesn't have to be "ocean-view"!   Who knew that there were balconies on the inside of the ship?!   I've read we can also go to some of the smaller food places and avoid the lines at the buffet.   I've looked at Oasis, Odyssey and Harmony.    People on this forum talk about "oasis" class ships being "dark" in the promenade, which I don't think I would like.   It probably would make me feel closed in.    I like openness, air and light.    Can anyone offer an opinion on which ship would be best?   Some of you may say I should not cruise at all, and I would respect that opinion too.   Please be nice; I probably sound like a first time cruise idiot.    Thank you, Lisa

[Vancity Cruiser]

I've never heard the promenade described as 'dark'. The promenade on Oasis class is much larger than on Odyssey and are actually the only class to have natural light on the promenade. I don't think you could go wrong with any of those 3 ships but personally would go with an Oasis class. 

I think you might be surprised that there aren't that many lines after Day 1 as people are generally dispersed well

[JC Pats]

Welcome to the boards Lisa!

We were all cruise newbies once so don't hesitate to ask questions!

The Caribbean is warm year-round - summer is HOT, winter is 70s/80s so you should be fine, unless you live in a warm (southern US/West coast).

Oasis class ships (Oasis/Harmony from the ships you mentioned) have what are called Boardwalk Balconies and Central Park balconies which are open air and look out into the specific neighborhoods - Boardwalk has more activity, Central Park is quieter & chill. Oddesey of the Seas does not have these types of cabins as it's a different class of ship.

As for the Promenade being "Dark" - I've never heard of it being considered "Dark" It is inside and can get quite crowded at peak times, but it's also the hub of an Oasis/Quantum class ship. 

I agree with Vancity above - crowds, outside of Day 1 and shows letting out, are usually a non-factor.

I hope you find a great cruise for your family! Cruising is a vacation that becomes addicting.

[Ryan79]

I’ve never once heard of the promenade on an Oasis class as being “dark”.  It’s open air so not sure how that would be possible except for at night obviously 

[Lisa1]

I've been reading a ton of blogs and the "dark promenade" was mentioned on this site but it could have been for a different ship.    I've still fairly unfamiliar with "Oasis" ships vs. Quantum vs. Freedom, etc.  Several people voiced the same opinion.   I've tried looking for it to see what the actual ship was but can't find it now.    Thank you for all of your input!   

[OCSC Mike]

Watch YouTube ship tours of the different ships rather than going by vague comments.

Some are so extensive they can be over an hour long. You’ll get a much better idea of the differences between one class & another.

[AshleyDillo]

30 minutes ago, Lisa1 said:

I've been reading a ton of blogs and the "dark promenade" was mentioned on this site but it could have been for a different ship.    I've still fairly unfamiliar with "Oasis" ships vs. Quantum vs. Freedom, etc.  Several people voiced the same opinion.   I've tried looking for it to see what the actual ship was but can't find it now.    Thank you for all of your input!   

The Oasis class ships have the Rising Tide bar which goes up 2 floors to Central Park, so that allows natural light in.

Oasis and Harmony are very similar. Odyssey is the different one of the three you mentioned.  Unique to Odyssey are bumper cars and an indoor skydiving simulator and the Northstar.  Unique to Oasis and Harmony are waterslides, ice skating, laser tag and a zipline.  Oasis and Harmony have way more different room types to choose from and are the largest ships at sea.

The Southern Caribbean is going to have the warmer temperatures. I spent a week in Aruba last year in February and it was perfectly enjoyable while I found my March visit to the Bahamas a bit chilly in the water, but not unbearable and it's definitely more enjoyable to me than the humid summer months.

[Neesa]

Yay! You will love this family experience. The Harmony (Oasis class) has an eight night southern in February 2023 that leaves from Port Everglades. I just ghost booked 2 connecting ocean views they R in the front deck 8 for 5,000. This way you have two bathrooms, teens ? Yes, my suggestion 2 cabins! Of course you can do connecting in other categories also but this is the route I would go for comfort, 2 cabins for sure.

The Harmony has so much to do and not do, you vacation your way. She is a great ship, she was my first too! I love that southern itinerary as well. Welcome and ask away, we love helping you enjoy your sailing. Put one adult and one teen in each cabin and link the reservations and off you go. Using a travel agent will really help you as well, most of us here use MEI travel. 

Happy Sailing!

[steverk]

As mentioned before, the Caribbean is warm year round. That includes southern,  eastern or western.  So no worries there.

In my experience,  Miami and ft. Lauderdale are also warm, but I haven't spent much time there , so take that with a grain of salt. 

If you can, I'd suggest going on an itinerary with coco cay included.  It's an amazing private island the the kids will love. You might check out cruisemapper.com.  they list the schedule for every port, including coco cay. If you can. Pick a day when you're the only ship in port.

Have fun and welcome to the addictive world of cruising!

[twangster]

I think you may be overthinking this or trying to take every possible aspect of cruising and cram it all into one, first cruise.  

I get it, we have all been there.  We all have done our first cruise and it can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be.  

First of all don't assume you need The Key.  Before it was offered in 2019(ish) tens of thousands of new to Royal cruise guests did their first cruise on a Royal ship and we all survived without The Key.  Having sailed some other cruise line that has a similar program it was important to buy into their similar program.  On Royal?  Not so much.  Royal would love you to buy it and think you need it but maybe consider going without it on your first cruise.  

The same can be said for many of the extras that are dangled in front of you that may seem like they are essential but for many of us they are not.  This includes drink and dining packages.  You can sail and have a wonderful cruise without spending more for packages.

Consider working with a travel agent.  That may seem weird at first if you are used to booking hotels and planes by yourself but the questions you are asking are exactly what a cruise focused travel agent can help you with - at no cost to you.  You are overwhelmed because there is a lot to this new-to-you form of vacation but there are travel professionals that exist for exactly this purpose.  They cost you nothing so why wouldn't you engage a travel professional compared to random internet strangers like me?  One trusted travel agency is MEI Travel who is also a sponsor of this site.  

The ships you have mentioned are all great ships.  They will all provide a fantastic first cruise experience.  There may be a few more that can also fulfill that goal.  

You have found a great site to help you on this journey.  Start with the link at the top "Getting Started'.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/getting-started

 Whatever you end up choosing, welcome aboard!

[TessOR]

Hi Lisa- You did not mention where you wanted to sail from, but based on the ships you mentioned - it looks like you are planning on embarking from Florida.

The ships vary in size which also make a small difference in amenities.  The disparity of these used to be a lot more - but with all the upgrades of recent years - there is plenty to do on all of the Royal ships.

I always suggest people figure out where they want to visit first - the ship will take care of itself.  As others have said - the Caribbean will be warm in February.  That is my favorite time of year to go.  Once you get to April, it starts getting warmer and by May, it's a bit too warm for me. 

The way embarkation is handled now, you will sign up for a time slot and these are limited by the cruise line.  This makes lines not a huge issue.  Plus, keep in mind these ships are completely turned over in passengers every 7 days.  They know how to move people along quickly.  Nothing like waiting in line for a Disney ride

 

 

[AlohaLivin]

The short story is that all of these ships are fine, I can’t imagine being disappointed in any of them. Choose the date and the itinerary that you prefer and go with that.

[Ray]

14 minutes ago, AlohaLivin said:

Choose the date and the itinerary that you prefer and go with that.

Thats definitely where i would start.

1 . Dates you can travel, no point looking at 100s of cruises you cant go on. 

2 . I would then look where cruises head to from ports i can cruise from and get a list of the ones i would like, you could have 2 ports with just 3 potential cruises each. Again this reduces the amount of cruises you are searching through.

3 . You are then left with maybe only 2,3 or 4 potential ships you have to choose from. Thats when you look at costs, size, things for kids to do etc. 

 

 

 

[smokeybandit]

If those are your finalists, then ship shouldn't matter. Pick based on itinerary and cost

[Lisa1]

Thank you everyone for your input!   I'm going to contact MEI travel for final booking arrangements but I think I've got a good grasp of how to make a final decision.   I'm used to booking my own travel with Expedia and didn't realize a travel agent is probably the way to go.    Neesa mentioned "ghost booking".   What is that?   I'm going to get two rooms too. 

Ashley mentioned the Bahamas being cold in March.   That was my experience as well, which is why I'd like to go to the Southern Caribbean.   That narrows it down to two ships and 2 itineraries.   I can use the travel agent to pick one. 

As Twangster pointed out, it's overwhelming to think of everything, ships, itineraries, drink packages, etc.  Thank you for pointing out that I don't need any of those.   I didn't really know how to budget for them and I'm not sure we could put them into our budget to begin with.    Thank you TessOr for pointing out the embarkation process.   I was envisioning Disney-esqe lines, which is anxiety-inducing!   I have trouble standing for long periods of time and didn't know how I would manage standing in a line for 2 hours waiting for embarkation/disembarkation.  

Again, thank you for responding!  I've tried used Tripadvisor in the past and some of those people are downright mean. 

 

 

 

 

[Neesa]

@Lisa1 for my part "ghost booking"

I go into the Royal website and find the ship, date and itinerary I'm interested in. Then I go in and start booking it putting in my applicable promotions, State of residence for me the senior box is checked and then I go in and locate the cabin category I want and finally choose my cabin(s). 

At this point you know all availability and cost of what you like and at this point they ask for specifics. I make notes and then back out to first page of booking thus not taking the cabins out of inventory, then contact my MEI TA usually with a quick email and she goes in and actually books the trip. 

Or I find something didn't work for me, cabin or price and just step away for another day.  Happy sailing!

[Vancity Cruiser]

4 hours ago, Lisa1 said:

Ashley mentioned the Bahamas being cold in March.   That was my experience as well, which is why I'd like to go to the Southern Caribbean.   That narrows it down to two ships and 2 itineraries.   I can use the travel agent to pick one. 

‘Cold’ is a relative term. I live in Vancouver Canada. I would not describe the Bahamas as ‘cold’ at any point in the year

[Lisa1]

Vancity - I don't go in the ocean unless it's at least 84 degrees in the water but I will lay out on the beach in 60 degree sunny weather! 

[steverk]

According to weatherspark.com, average high in March is 79 degrees f low is 68.

Beachwatertemperature.net says the average beach water temp for Bahamas March is 78.

I'll let the readers decide if that's cold hot or just right

[asquared17]

@Lisa1 so many great suggestions here; you've come to the right place!!

@twangster raised some great points -- there is a definite "add-on" mentality that they try to get you with, even from before you board to enticing you while sailing. and this isn't always a bad thing -- just something to be aware of so that you are not caught off guard, if and when you encounter it.

we have been fortunate to sail a lot and throughout various stages of our life/family. the first time we sailed on harmony (oasis or "beast" class, as we fondly refer to it), we had a central park balcony. if you love open air and light, more of a chill environment, as @AshleyDillo + @JC Pats suggested, this will be a great spot for you. it is also a place you can traverse to get from one end of the ship to another when on deck 8, and will cut down on the "crowds" or "peopling" since you are outdoors. often times i will choose this route rather than the climate-controlled environment of the promenade.

once on board, you will better understand certain times of when there might be more people in the halls and common areas than others -- meal times, any time before departing/sailaway, photo opportunities, and before the evening shows/entertainment start -- just to name a few. similar to any sort of traveling or environment with large amounts of people, giving yourself enough time and grace ahead of time can do a lot for your peace of mind.

give yourself pockets of time too where you have NOTHING planned. be on vacation! relax. soak up the sun and enjoy every second of it!

[billnye97]

As far as the Key keep an eye on the price once you are booked for the cruise. I ended up getting the Key for us at $17.99 per day. That was only $2 more then getting the Vroom and Stream internet package which I was going to get anyways. I think with the ships filling up more and more it might be more worth it. 

[tonyfsu21]

On 10/8/2022 at 5:56 PM, Lisa1 said:

Hi, we are first time cruisers and I've managed to really confuse myself.    Our family is me (52f), my husband (55m) and two teens, ages 17 and 15.   We've always done all-inclusives for spring break but thought maybe to try a cruise.   My kids are typical kids that like lots of stuff to do and don't mind crowds or lines.   My husband and I are quiet people and don't really like crowds, hence why we've always avoided cruising.   I think our teens would really like to try out a ship though.   I'd like to do a southern Caribbean at the end of February 2023.  I've looked at some other destinations but I'm afraid they will be cold unless we go to the southern part of the Caribbean.    We can't afford a suite level but I think I can add the "key" to get priority embarkation and disembarkation, plus at the ports, to avoid some of the lines.   I didn't even realize a balcony doesn't have to be "ocean-view"!   Who knew that there were balconies on the inside of the ship?!   I've read we can also go to some of the smaller food places and avoid the lines at the buffet.   I've looked at Oasis, Odyssey and Harmony.    People on this forum talk about "oasis" class ships being "dark" in the promenade, which I don't think I would like.   It probably would make me feel closed in.    I like openness, air and light.    Can anyone offer an opinion on which ship would be best?   Some of you may say I should not cruise at all, and I would respect that opinion too.   Please be nice; I probably sound like a first time cruise idiot.    Thank you, Lisa

You cannot go wrong with any of the three you mentioned above. Oasis class would be the best choice in my opinion for your kids and the massive volume of open outdoor space on this class of ships. Watch some of Matt’s ship walk through videos and you will be able to make the correct decision after seeing all aspects of the different neighborhoods. 

[FireFishII]

Get your kids involved. Have them watch the videos on your 2 finalists and let them pick the ship.  There maybe one activity that they may want to do over another.

I agree with @steverk.  Go to CocoCay.  Your kids will love the Thrill Waterpark and you can hang out at Chill Island.  You can meet in the middle for lunch. 

Enjoy your first cruise.  

[Censored]

6 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said:

You cannot go wrong with any of the three you mentioned above. Oasis class would be the best choice in my opinion for your kids and the massive volume of open outdoor space on this class of ships. Watch some of Matt’s ship walk through videos and you will be able to make the correct decision after seeing all aspects of the different neighborhoods. 

Oasis class ships would be the best for you IMO. Bigger is simply better.  More stuff, more things to do. Promenade dark?... no. I have never sensed a feeling of darkness on the promenade. They are bright and cheery and festive.  Watch videos on Youtube. Save your money and dont book the key. (no real good reviews)   and put that money towards excursions or extras at Coco Cay.    Get the biggest balcony room you can afford. Suites are not necessary for a first time experience . Reserve Main dining room at your desired time and avoid "my time"  you may experience long line ups that way.  

[tonyfsu21]

59 minutes ago, Censored said:

Oasis class ships would be the best for you IMO. Bigger is simply better.  More stuff, more things to do. Promenade dark?... no. I have never sensed a feeling of darkness on the promenade. They are bright and cheery and festive.  Watch videos on Youtube. Save your money and dont book the key. (no real good reviews)   and put that money towards excursions or extras at Coco Cay.    Get the biggest balcony room you can afford. Suites are not necessary for a first time experience . Reserve Main dining room at your desired time and avoid "my time"  you may experience long line ups that way.  

Agree re: promenade. I have never once thought this area was dark even on the freedom class ships. If anything (especially on Oasis class) this area is the most vibrant and well lit areas on the ship. 

[LJay0301]

Hi Lisa! 

I too just booked my first cruise, so I understand your stress. As a newbie myself I would 100% recommend using a travel agent - as someone who also self books I wish I had taken that advice (we booked on a whim). My in-laws just got back from their first RC Cruise (they are DCL cruisers so it was a new experience for them) they were on the Oasis with a Balcony room over the Central Park Neighborhood as opposed to the classic ocean view balcony, they liked having the space to have breakfast or check the weather quick before heading out. They did say the pools got busy,, which I am told is normal for a cruise, but they enjoyed the indoor adults Solarium.  I have been watching all of the tour videos on youtube that Matt posts, so if you are down to like 2 itineraries for the southern Caribbean (my dream vacation btw)  and you know which ships they are take a look at them on youtube and see which one works best for you, your husband and the girls. I know the entire cruise process is overwhelming but the boards here have been so helpful and insightful since I have booked, and as someone who is an over planner it has made me feel more peace of mind having access to all of the well rounded cruisers here.   

[foxrunner]

Welcome,

Our first cruise was with slightly older teens (17,20). We a sailed an Oasis class ship (Allure) and didn't purchase the Key. It was right before the pandemic and the ship was very full (New Years). We had a wonderful time, and you will too. We got off the ship and all said why haven't we done this sooner. We tend to camp and stay in National Parks on Vacation.  Now we mix in cruising and still love both. We still haven't used a TA and that is because I'm stubborn.  We continue to craft our own vacations, because we enjoy that part of the process. USE A TA for your 1st time and then see if you need one for the inevitable 2nd cruise.  This board is also different from most of the gross internet, very few judgey folks or trolls. Ask away we enjoy helping.  

 

[khynzelman]

Bon Voyage to first time cruisers!  You are in the right spot for info since the cruise actually starts way before embarkation day.  For me the message I've received from cruise friends is that the cruise is what you make it;  every cruise and everyone is different.  I had to let go of trying to pick the perfect ship, dates, itinerary, cabin etc.  I've learned even if you pick the ship that sounds best for your trip it can have a very different feel each sailing.  Doing back to backs (or several back to back in a row ) I find it fascinating how the feel of the cruise changes from one cruise to the next.  So I would say just commit to trying it out, going with the flow, meet some great people and have some fun with it!  Cheers!