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Freedom class vs Oasis class


LToman

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Hi all, 

Help! I have not sailed RCCL in 18 years, our most recent cruises have been DCL. We have decided to take an RCCL cruise this summer for my oldest sons graduation from high school. 

It will be myself, husband and two sons 16 & 18. I have been doing research and watching videos etc but still cannot decide which size ship. They both seem huge! We are thinking Liberty out of Galveston, Freedom out of San Juan (I do like both of their itineraries, one goes to Grand Cayman and the other is Southern Caribbean with some ports my husband and I love (we cruised a lot b4 kids) or an Oasis class ship out of Florida ( most convenient to leave from) 

We are planning on doing a suite if that makes a difference in opinions. Really like the lay out and size of owners suite on Liberty. My boys don’t want to sleep together which seems to be a possible issue on some cabin choices even if they sleep four, not sure of configurations when beds are down and if roll aways  are an option.

 

So basically looking to relax with family b4 son goes to college, he has stated he doesn’t want the trip to be port heavy, wants to relax and enjoy ship. My hubby and I are in our young fifties, we like good food, good wine, sun & people watching, I particularly like to be pampered lol, we enjoy live music, laughing, late nights in hot tub, late night snacks & are really up for most anything. I need to pick a ship, a cabin category and quick b4 it’s too late, not a fan of waiting for things or being in large crowds. Will these ships be too big & crowded.... that’s my fear! Second fear is actually being able to locate all these great activities I’m hearing about!

 

any advice, suggestions for first timer will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance?

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My first RC cruise was on Oasis, it was (and is) huge.  But it has enough stuff to do for everyone.  I LOVE the Freedom, my favorite.  Wish the didn't move it to Ft Lauderdale. Its big also with some of the same stuff the Oasis has.  Freedom is a little smaller which is why I like it.  Been on Oasis and Allure a few times, I stay lost all week.  Don't know why, I'm sure its just me but I always seem to turn in the wrong direction.  In short, you won't be disappointed by either.  You sons might like the Oasis due to its size and it will most likely have more girls their age on it (yeah, I remember those days).  It has more places outside to hang out.  My only suggestion is, all things being equal, which offers the better itinerary, cabin location and price.    Make sure you enroll them in the Crown and Anchor.

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1 hour ago, LToman said:

son... has stated he doesn’t want the trip to be port heavy, wants to relax and enjoy ship. My hubby and I are in our young fifties, we like good food, good wine, sun & people watching, I particularly like to be pampered lol, we enjoy live music, laughing, late nights in hot tub, late night snacks & are really up for most anything.

I would say that if a port-light trip is a priority, go with Oasis. It has a much larger variety of specialty dining options that will let you and your husband indulge in the good dining (especially if you book a suite, as you’ll also gain access to the much-raved-about Coastal Kitchen), and you’ll definitely have lots of places to do people watching (particularly Central Park area at night). Your sons should also find lots to enjoy on the activities front, as @arebee noted.

1 hour ago, LToman said:

My boys don’t want to sleep together which seems to be a possible issue on some cabin choices even if they sleep four, not sure of configurations when beds are down and if roll aways  are an option.

Not sure how much luck you’ll have with this, even in a suite. The best I think you can hope for is a 2-bedroom suite, and then one of your boys takes the second bedroom while the other uses the sleeper sofa. Those rooms tend to be very expensive on Oasis class ships, and are also in very limited supply. A 2BR Aqua Theater Suite is probably your best bet there, but you may find some other options that can work.

Hope this helps!

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Tough decision, I have cruised on the Voyager/Freedom classes quite a bit and generally have only good things to say about  them ... only one Oasis class experience so far and wasn't impressed. To me Oasis is just supersize Freedom that you pay extra for.

With that said the newer Harmony/Symphony seem to have added more features to the Oasis class that the original pair did not (to me Allure didn't really have anything that Freedom didn't, just had more flowriders, rock climbing walls, etc.). Now you have water slides, escape rooms, ultimate abyss, laser tag, bionic bars, etc. some of which appeal to me and some of which don't but they are more "exclusive" to the class of ship.

 

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My wife and I are in your same age range.

We are at the other end of the spectrum. We have sailed on all classes of RCL ships...except Oasis class. That will change in 25 days when we get on the Allure.

You can not go wrong with the Voyager class and Freedom class. Lots of space and has all the things you are looking to do. We have heard from friends the same thing that others have said...Oasis class is beautiful as other ships...just bigger.

Have a look at the $$. That has kept us on the Voyager/Freedom class the past few years.

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For 16/18 year olds....Oasis class.  No other ship can compete.  And lots for adults too.  One of our favourite things to do on Oasis class is to start and end our days in Central Park. 

As far as rooming options, I get it.  I have two girls who refuse to share a bed.  One of my daughters, even if someone was willing, I would not wish bed sharing with her on anyone lol.  Anyway,  there are a few rooms on Oasis class that are JS that have an additional pullman bed.  I believe they are on deck 7 and 8.  Or you can book 2 connecting balconies.  That is likely your most economical option and it gives you the separation and two bathrooms.  

If you want a true suite, your best bet is the Royal family suite, soon to be called 2 BDR Grand Suite.  That gives you a full suite experience plus enough actual beds for all.  There are only about 4 per ship so they go fast and are pricey.  It has the exact same layout as the OS except there is a dividing wall for the extra bedroom.  Or as @JLMoran mentioned, there are the 2BDR Aqua theatre suites.  Those not only fast, but they are Star class, so very pricey.  

The other option is to take a chance and book an suite that sleeps 4 and ask for a roll away bed once you get on board.  I have called Royal in the past about this and they won't guarantee it.  They will tell you to ask your room attendant so you are taking a risk there with that.

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If you are thinking of the 2 BT ATS on an O class, both boys would be able to share the second bedroom as those beds separate and become 2 twin beds.  If they didn't even want to share a room, you could always put one of them out on the sofa in the family area but that's really not necessary unless they truly object to being in the same room.  They will also have their own bathroom.

While both ship classes are wonderful, I would have to give the O class ships the edge based on the boys' ages.  As Joe said, I think they will find so much more to keep them entertained on the O class ships.  Would they be bored on one of the smaller class ships ?  No, but I think they would really enjoy the big ship and if you're in one of the full suites I think the adults will find those amenities to be far superior on the O class as well.  The Suites Lounge/Coastal Kitchen is a wonderful space.  The views are awesome and the atmosphere is serene and upscale.  There is always something to eat and drink there and the boys would be welcome as well.  I don't know if the boys are interested in doing the flow rider or the zip line but if you go with a Star Class suite, they will have priority for those activities at certain times of the day.

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I have been on both, recently, Liberty last June and Allure in October, this year I have Liberty in July and then Freedom in October. I agree with everything everyone has said above, I love both Ship sizes equally, but my heart goes with the Oasis class, I have been on all of them except Symphony (Good Reason why), but as you can read I go on Liberty a lot, this is because Galveston is an easy drive and I save on airfare. Another person that post on here a lot "DocLC" always pointed out to pick if you are taking a cruise for the ship or the itinerary, time of year etc., sometime you can get all of them.

I picked Liberty and the date because of the Itinerary, I picked Freedom out of San Juan because of the Itinerary alone, I was locked in to the date because of my Wife's work responsibilities (School), believe me, pick a priority and decide on a cruise Itinerary or ship and book it, otherwise you will drive yourself crazy. In January of 2019 I picked Allure just due to the ship and the cabin level, I was able to get a Star Class Suite, I wanted it because of the amenities of the room (A butler!!!).

On the sleeping arrangements, as people have pointed out, the big suites are best, but they sell out fast (Usually over a year out) and are expensive, you might look at a Grand suite with a smaller connecting cabin that has 2 beds, they can be connected by a connecting door, our RCCL will open up the balcony. One other thing to consider is bathroom space with 4 adult sized people, 2 rooms might work out better for this.

You might consider using a Travel Agent, they can work all of this out for you, one of the sponsors for this site is MEI Travel, they have done a very good job for me on my cruises.

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I think everyone should experience Oasis class at least once.

I personally love Oasis class but also love Freedom class.  I've sailed all in both classes except Liberty which is ~ 3 weeks away for me.  Symphony is booked too.

If water slides are a big thing for your group, pick ships within each class carefully, not all ships in either class have them.  

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If your son doesn't want the cruise to be port heavy, I'd eliminate Freedom. 

We loved Liberty and have been on it twice and my kids loved it...my older 2 are almost 18 and 15.  If you travel while school is typically out there will be plenty of teens to meet (at least for the 16 yo in the teen club) on any ship.  We are trying our first Oasis class this March on Harmony, however, my husband is very skeptical of it. We are celebrating a high school graduation too and I'm mostly worried about the soon to be graduate who turns 18 a few weeks before cruise...bad timing as she's no longer in the teen club and she is really worried she may have to hang out with us!  I'm sure we'll have a great time but due to cost alone, our next 2 cruises are back on Freedom class....those 2 cruises (1 in 2 JS and the other with 3 staterooms) cost less than our Harmony cruise!  

Look at what is offered and see what you'd realistically do (flowrider, slides, etc). My teens never go to the shows...my DH would love to skip them too but he does it for me. Both classes will have a ton of activities and you won't be able to make it to everything. I don't think you can go wrong with either class of ship. Our opinion was to start with the smaller ships and work our way up then the kids would never know what they are missing...and honestly I found that most teens don't do anything on the ship except hang out with their newly formed friends at Windjammer, the pool, the sports court or the flowrider (which are on both classes).  

I have 4 kids but if you aren't interested in the 2 bedroom suite on Oasis, I really think you should look at 2 connecting or adjoining staterooms.  Having 2 full bathrooms is a must for me with my teens. 

Also, you probably should work with a TA to see even what is available on those ships.  Since you are potentially only 6 months out, suites and/or staterooms with desired configuration can be tough to find which may limit your choices. 

 

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9 hours ago, LToman said:

Will these ships be too big & crowded.... that’s my fear! Second fear is actually being able to locate all these great activities I’m hearing about!

Nope! Despite their size, RC ships are incredibly easy to navigate and fantastic at managing crowds.  Dare I say, the Oasis class ships are the best at dispersing crowds when it comes to that concern.

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9 hours ago, LToman said:

Will these ships be too big & crowded.... that’s my fear! Second fear is actually being able to locate all these great activities I’m hearing about!

Watch videos and make a mental list of things you want to see on the Oasis class, and try and do all of that on the first day, get it out of the way. If you stress to much about trying to see and do everything it can affect how you view the cruise afterwards, take time to relax and enjoy the ship/cruise.

As I've stated above I have been on all of the Oasis class ships except Symphony, I have been on Allure twice now and after my second trip I feel like I have seen and been to most places on the ship, Harmony was a Mediterranean port intensive cruise and we were so worn out (Daily) that we got to see very little of the actual ship, we are still planning to get back on her soon, we may not even leave the ship this time so we can experience everything.

I agree with what Matt said about managing crowds, the Oasis class ships have it figured out, the only time you have to worry about crowds is on the first and last days and if you go to see a show in the theater (Hint, even if you are sitting on deck 4 for the show, go up to deck 5 to exit, much smaller crowd getting out of the theater). You can be walking down Central Park during peak dinner time and only run in to a hand full of people.

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