amdawn Posted June 17, 2023 Report Share Posted June 17, 2023 (edited) A happy hello to Matt, team, and fellow cruisers. I'm a big fan of this site, use it frequently for videos, and this is my first post. I'm planning our next cruise with our family. It is a fairly large group with kids. Approximately 7 cabins and 16 people. I'm trying to narrow down favorite ships per category. We'll be cruising stateside. Preferably warm destinations. I'd love extra feedback on favorites and why. I've put this together from my actual cruises and mostly Matt's awesome videos. My opinion so far: Radiance class: Radiance of the sea. Upgrades food samba grill, boardwalk hot dog *corrected and small slide and splash area on pool for kids. Voyager class: Navigator. best amplified in class, added el loco fresh, hooked, bamboo bar, and Izumi is in the signature crown and anchor lounge. I think it also has lime and coconut. Splash area and slides. Freedom class? Thoughts Quantum class: Odyssey as quantum plus. Older Oasis class: Symphony vs. Harmony. I think Symphony again the upgraded food choices. Thanks for your help. Sending smiles and light! Dawn Edited July 2, 2023 by amdawn corrected radiance hot dog stand :) KristiZ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traveling Mike Posted June 17, 2023 Report Share Posted June 17, 2023 When I am by myself, I like to do the smaller Freedom class ships and do Trans-Atlantic or Trans-Pacific cruises with lots of sea days. I am 62 and do not use all the toys and enjoy the smaller ship that are more interment. When I am on a port intensive cruise, I like the Quantum class ships because they have nice places to eat and bigger shows. When I am with my son and friends, I like the Oasis class ships. My favorite so far is the Symphony. The ship is a small city with everything to do. All members of the family have something to do. WAAAYTOOO, amdawn and letscruise 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted June 17, 2023 Report Share Posted June 17, 2023 3 hours ago, amdawn said: Freedom class? Thoughts Sailed 11-nights on Indy last year but Freedom is very similar from everything I know. Indy has Fish N Ships, Freedom has El Loco Fresh. NOT Liberty (no Playmakers, neither of the above, needs refurbishment). amdawn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted June 17, 2023 Report Share Posted June 17, 2023 Hello @amdawn and welcome to your very first post! For family and large groups, I like Oasis class. I have only sailed Allure and Oasis and would love to try our Symphony and Harmony! Freedom class is probably my next favorite. I’ve sailed Brilliance of the Seas and do not care for that class…same with Voyager class. Guess I prefer larger ships. So I have my family (7 balcony rooms…17 people) getting ready for our cruise on Oasis in just 41 more days. Five of our rooms are side by side so we can open the balcony dividers…the other 2 rooms (extended family members (4) that decided to join us after I already booked) are just a few rooms down from ours. I think this ship class is best because of the variety of activities for all. We are sailing from Bayonne, NJ which allows for several sea days…which is also nice. Whatever you decide on…I hope your family has an awesome time! I’m sure they will! WAAAYTOOO, amdawn, letscruise and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper44 Posted June 17, 2023 Report Share Posted June 17, 2023 25 minutes ago, OCSC Mike said: Sailed 11-nights on Indy last year but Freedom is very similar from everything I know. Indy has Fish N Ships, Freedom has El Loco Fresh. NOT Liberty (no Playmakers, neither of the above, needs refurbishment). I just got back from 9 nights on Liberty, which was a fantastic cruise in almost every single way, except… …yes, Liberty needs interior refurbishment pretty badly. Carpet everywhere was stained and worn out; the stateroom passageways looked awful. Elevator interiors were worn out. Furniture looked dated and worn (except in the theatre where the seats seemed to be pretty new). I'd hate for a new cruiser to get a bad first impression from this stuff. Like I said, we had a fantastic cruise on Liberty but if those little things had been freshened up, it would have been perfect. PPPJJ-GCVAB and amdawn 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thumper44 Posted June 17, 2023 Report Share Posted June 17, 2023 4 hours ago, amdawn said: Voyager class: Navigator. best amplified in class, Can confirm. We've been on Navigator twice since its amplification and it is very much like a new ship. I can't imagine that an amplification could have been done better. I hope future amplifications (I'm looking at you Liberty and Allure) go as well as Navigator's did. foxrunner, PPPJJ-GCVAB and amdawn 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxrunner Posted June 17, 2023 Report Share Posted June 17, 2023 6 hours ago, amdawn said: It is a fairly large group with kids. Approximately 7 cabins and 16 people. Are the children of all ages, or mostly youngsters or teens? The reason I ask is because ship class matters with age ranges. Does your group like adventure or are they more chill folks? Do you like theater and or live music. As you have never cruised the itineraries are all new but maybe you have been on land vacations in Mexico, and that is a factor. Do you plan to do specialty dinning or eat in the MDR? We have been on three different classes as seen below. Answering these questions will help to better guide our response. No matter what it will be awesome! PPPJJ-GCVAB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda R Posted June 18, 2023 Report Share Posted June 18, 2023 On 6/17/2023 at 8:46 AM, amdawn said: A happy hello to Matt, team, and fellow cruisers. I'm a big fan of this site, use it frequently for videos, and this is my first post. I'm planning our next cruise with our family. It is a fairly large group with kids. Approximately 7 cabins and 16 people. I'm trying to narrow down favorite ships per category. We'll be cruising stateside. Preferably warm destinations. I'd love extra feedback on favorites and why. I've put this together from my actual cruises and mostly Matt's awesome videos. My opinion so far: Radiance class: Radiance of the sea. Upgrades food el loco fresh and small slide and splash area on pool for kids. Voyager class: Navigator. best amplified in class, added el loco fresh, hooked, bamboo bar, and Izumi is in the signature crown and anchor lounge. I think it also has lime and coconut. Splash area and slides. Freedom class? Thoughts Quantum class: Odyssey as quantum plus. Older Oasis class: Symphony vs. Harmony. I think Symphony again the upgraded food choices. Thanks for your help. Sending smiles and light! Dawn I have been on every ship RC has. My favorite ships are anything Oasis class. Just got off Harmony last week, and was on Symphony in Feb. Both are great but probably would pick Symphony over Harmony. Both have good shows. Oasis class ships have the most restaurants and I love Central Park area to relax. The ship has something for everyone. While I am older and do not participate in activities as I used to, I still enjoy watching some of them. 150 Central Park is probably my favorite restaurant on a ship, and only on Oasis class. I have sailed on smaller ships recently but that is because they were Europe cruises and I choose by itinerary. Plus we were in ports almost everyday. For transatlantic I choose Oasis or Quantum class. You will have a great trip whatever you choose and have fun! PPPJJ-GCVAB, amdawn, FloatyBoaty and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted June 18, 2023 Report Share Posted June 18, 2023 Navigator and Mariner have been my favorites. I haven't been on Freedom post-amp but that's coming up in 2025 Kathleen, SemperMom, amdawn and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nemrac917 Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 On 6/17/2023 at 2:13 PM, Thumper44 said: Can confirm. We've been on Navigator twice since its amplification and it is very much like a new ship. I can't imagine that an amplification could have been done better. I hope future amplifications (I'm looking at you Liberty and Allure) go as well as Navigator's did. This makes me happy! We're sailing on Navigator in Feb 2025 and I'm really looking forward to comparing it to the un-amplified Adventure that we were on this past January. Thumper44 and amdawn 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChessE4 Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 The ship I'm on is always the best. There are tradeoffs on everything else. I do believe crew performance and itinerary make the most difference. Neesa, FloatyBoaty, Cakemeister and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 Oasis class - I'd happily sail any of them but it's now Wonder. It has every included food venue I'd want, bigger WJ, plus I loved the Mason Jar brunch. Some of the shows weren't for me but I have yet to go to a single Broadway show on a ship either so that's a wash. Loved the ice show and enjoyed Effectors 2. Also walked through the large enclosed Solarium and will spend lots of time there on my future sailings when wife and I are alone and not with extended family. If you sail suites, it has an even larger advantage with the suite neighborhood layout. PPPJJ-GCVAB, Neesa and amdawn 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottD Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said: Oasis class - I'd happily sail any of them but it's now Wonder. It has every included food venue I'd want, bigger WJ, plus I loved the Mason Jar brunch. Some of the shows weren't for me but I have yet to go to a single Broadway show on a ship either so that's a wash. Loved the ice show and enjoyed Effectors 2. Also walked through the large enclosed Solarium and will spend lots of time there on my future sailings when wife and I are alone and not with extended family. If you sail suites, it has an even larger advantage with the suite neighborhood layout. I'm glad you said this. I've spoken to people who have done a few Oasis class ships and for some reason don't like Wonder- something about it being too much- like they tried to add a lot more stuff in the same amount of space. I haven't been yet, so I have no opinion...hoping to sail her next year, actually. amdawn and PPPJJ-GCVAB 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 In most cases when it comes down to favorites, it really depends on what you like to do. My favorite things don't include slides, pools, activities, or even the shows. I really only care about dining, space for relaxation, and the casino. I have sailed on a good number, probably close to half, of Royals fleet and I have to say Oasis class is the best with Freedom class being a close runner up........almost tied. I know a lot of people love the newly amped Nav but I happen to prefer Freedom over Navigator, possibly because I am a casino girl and the casino on Nav is horrible imho. Freedom class feels sort of perfectly sized in there are a decent number of specialty restaurants, the staterooms seem to have good storage/not be outdated, and the itineraries aren't too bad. The amped Voyager class is okay, I feel like you feel the crowds more and most of the shows/activities are a bit meh; I say this having sailed both Nav and Mariner more than once. Of the smaller classes I have only done Grandeur which I believe is Vison class and don't recommend. I am not at all a fan of Quantum class but it has more to do with the ship layout than anything. Having sailed Odyssey, the rooms were great but the lack of Central park, aqua shows, etc. on top of the crappy Esplanade makes it very low on the sail again list. Ultimately, imho, it comes down to two things: cost, which is the most important, and then the overall, which would mean which ship/class would make the most amount of people in your party happy. PPPJJ-GCVAB, amdawn, Kathleen and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCSC Mike Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 29 minutes ago, ScottD said: I'm glad you said this. I've spoken to people who have done a few Oasis class ships and for some reason don't like Wonder- something about it being too much- like they tried to add a lot more stuff in the same amount of space. I haven't been yet, so I have no opinion...hoping to sail her next year, actually. Racking my brain but not sure how much more they added that’s new. The pool deck is spread out to 3 pools & has interesting seating but we never sit by the main pool so not sure how people feel about it. Mason Jar is new but don’t see how that crowded anything. It’s right by WJ (which is larger b/c many felt it was too small on other Oasis class ships). Central Park, Boardwalk, Promenade, all very similar to the others. The suite neighborhood is new but that’s a huge plus IMO (not that I’ll be in a suite again anytime soon). Solarium is large & enclosed. I’ve read complaints of it being too hot but didn’t spend time there. It looked very nice with some topiary type animals & lots of seating. Maybe I missed something or just different opinions. The one part we found overcrowded was them using Spotlight Karaoke (the old On-Air) for trivia. Not enough seating compared to say the Schooner Bar. Sat on the stage/floor a couple times. But that’s obviously at the bottom of my list of concerns, lol. Can’t wait to go back on her twice next year. ScottD and Kathleen 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 14 hours ago, Linda R said: I have been on every ship RC has. My favorite ships are anything Oasis class. Just got off Harmony last week, and was on Symphony in Feb. Both are great but probably would pick Symphony over Harmony. Both have good shows. Oasis class ships have the most restaurants and I love Central Park area to relax. The ship has something for everyone. While I am older and do not participate in activities as I used to, I still enjoy watching some of them. 150 Central Park is probably my favorite restaurant on a ship, and only on Oasis class. I have sailed on smaller ships recently but that is because they were Europe cruises and I choose by itinerary. Plus we were in ports almost everyday. For transatlantic I choose Oasis or Quantum class. You will have a great trip whatever you choose and have fun! @Linda R what did you prefer on Symphony over Harmony? Any advice is appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ampurp85 Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 Hey @KathleenNot @Linda R but until Wonder came out Symphony was the newest ship. Symphony is more updated and has many of the things the Amped Oasis ships get. While I won't sail her until Jan 2025, she seems better than Harmony, which is currently my favorite Oasis class ship. Symphony has Hairspray, which is miles better than Grease. I have heard Hiro is the best Aqua show and Symphony has more specialty restaurants. Linda R 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jolly Ogre Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 If you go with an Oasis class you will be spoiled and no other will do after that. 14Terry, amdawn and jbrinkm 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda R Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 No cruise ship is perfect., or the best. Everyone is different. My favorite Aqua show happens to be Aqua 80. I have favorite ice shows, or production shows, etc. etc. Overall though I like Oasis class for more options. But I will switch around ships for the variety in shows. Am going on Wonder in 3 months for the first time. Then Icon next year. I will see what those ships bring. No matter what I will enjoy them as I do all cruises. Just enjoy the ships. amdawn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyeonhevn Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 On 6/17/2023 at 9:46 AM, amdawn said: My opinion so far: Radiance class: Radiance of the sea. Upgrades food el loco fresh and small slide and splash area on pool for kids. I didn't realize that Radiance has El Loco? It Doghouse according to deck plans but where is El Loco located? We just got off the Brilliance (sister ship) and they didn't have Doghouse nor El Loco. We are booked on Radiance on an upcoming cruise and I'm gathering all the details that don't seem to be located on their deck plans! Thanks! We love Park Cafe on the Symphony but was disappointed in the Park Cafe on Brilliance. Was hardly open and had a much smaller menu - we couldn't seem to find it open! amdawn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda R Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 6 hours ago, Kathleen said: @Linda R what did you prefer on Symphony over Harmony? Any advice is appreciated. Symphony is a newer ship. Symphony has Playmakers and Hooked restaurants that I like. And both production plays are good. Flight and Hairspray. Harmony has good productions plays also Grease and Columbus (a comedy). Harmony has 2 different shows in the Aqua theatre. The second one is Hideaway Heist, a comedy. Both are good shows. I am not as fond of the ice skating show on Harmony, kinda blah. In Oasis class ships I like being able to use my drink vouchers (or drink package if you have that) at Vitality Cafe. They have healthy smoothies and drinks you can get, and pick your own ingredients. I usually get a fruit based drink. On both ships, and all Oasis ships I think, there is no longer a jazz club, and I miss it. They put a non-smoking casino in it's place, which was much needed. You will not go wrong in what ship you pick. Have a good time! amdawn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Posted June 19, 2023 Report Share Posted June 19, 2023 My picks: Any Oasis ship is great. Odyssey Freedom Navigator amdawn 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amdawn Posted July 2, 2023 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2023 @Austin perfect thanks! Everyone, what great feedback thank you so much. @Eyeonhevn I'm sorry I had it wrong on El Loco, but it does have Samba, you should try that for lunch or dinner. @PPPJJ-GCVAB I have a collection of ages from 5 - 75, they lovingly call me cruise director Julie, lol. I will be on Nav for my birthday 6 Nov, just hubby and I. Everyone here has confirmed to me that I should do Oasis next, it has been a bit since I have been on the Oasis class, and I do miss the boardwalk, for sure! WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14Terry Posted July 3, 2023 Report Share Posted July 3, 2023 Oasis class! We had a GS on the Allure and a JS on the Harmony, (loved them both). Aqua theater, Coastal Kitchen, Samba Grill (on the Allure). A lot of nice venues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Va4fam Posted July 4, 2023 Report Share Posted July 4, 2023 Oydssey is our favorite ship right now (Quantum class). Symphony (oasis class)....but like Aqua 80s and Portside BBQ on Oasis Freedom of the Seas and Navigator are both great ships. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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