Trying something new!!

I've never posted in the RCCL boards before. My GF and I are platinum guests on Carnival. We were all set to book the Breeze for our fall 2013 cruise and do the same old thing. Then it hit me. I am "Carnivaled Out"!! I want to try something new and different so I went ahead and booked the Allure for 10/2013. I hope we will like it.

A question for those that have sailed both lines. I know the Allure is a totally different experience than any other ship in the world (except Oasis), but aside from that are the 2 cruiselines that much different?? Will this feel like my first cruise all over again not knowing how things work with RCCL or is it pretty much business as usual? Thanks!!

BTW - I read Gambee's review in 1 day (it was the reason I booked Allure):D

Time to "break away" from Carnival. I think you will be pleasently surprised. The shows are the best at sea. Be sure to book them all. Honestly I have only been on one Carnival cruise, so I cant give you a real comparrison. We have never been loyal to one line and like them all. Cruises are so subjective depending what you like to do. The Oasis and Allure are destinations themselves. There is so much going on. We found the food to be very good in the MDR, but you do have many options. If you are not into formal night the specialty dining venues are an option as they do not require formal wear. We found the Wind Jammer (buffet) on the Oasis very crowded. I dont think it is big enough for all the pax. We only went there once for lunch. We are currently booked on the Allure for May and can not wait! :D

Will this feel like my first cruise all over again not knowing how things work with RCCL or is it pretty much business as usual? Thanks!!

:D

Even as a frequent RCI cruiser, Oasis Class felt like a first cruise to me! That's because the way it is run is even unlike the rest of RCI.

Enjoy the Allure. :)

Let me start off by saying, RCCL should be giving Gambee a kick back....I luv his review and pics the amount of time and effort the man put into it is amazing. I was booked before his review and now with only 49 days time doesnt seem to be moving at all..

Compare to the many ppl on this board I havent even begun to cruise (9x),1 Disney (Not my cup of tea...too many kids, go figure) and 1 Carnival( Liberty) I went because of the price being so much cheaper I had to try it.

Although it was only 1 time I found the food to abt the same but the RCCL shows and entertainment were superior. So back to RCCL we went. Last year we were on Freedom, and Now just waiting for Allure. Im thinking Freedom will be to the Allure as Liberty was to the Freedom. Thus, creating more of a cruising addition for me and my family...

Happy Cruising, where ever your ship sails.

We have never cruised the Allure--but, you can see from our signature that we have been on several Carnival cruises.

Carnival has a fun vibe. There are more places to dance at night and I love the Serenity section of the ship. DH likes the food a little better than Royal. But, that is beacuse it is more "American" traditional. That is just his taste. I like RCL food better.

Royal cruises seem more adult to me. Less of the hairy leg contest at the pool. The entertainment is very good. We were amazed by the ice show. [such a small rink and yet, very professional show] The adult comedian was very funny and a little dirty--on the most recent Carnival cruise it was mostly F-bombs. It was not that I was offended--it just wan't funny.

I feel the finishes in the public areas and the cabins on RCL are of a little higher quality. The balconies are a little bigger and ceilings a little higher on the ships we have been on. The ship will seem like you have moved up from the Hampton Inn [a good hotel for the price] to the Hilton [a more upscale choice]. We find Celebrity to be a more upscale cruise line from both of these.

After 16 Royal cruises decided to try something different and cruised on Breeze recently. I have not cruised Allure yet but did cruise Oasis.

Breeze and Oasis class are like night and day....

The shows and entertainment were not good at all on Breeze we were bored many evenings. There was no place to dance in the evening other then 2 deck parties and the sail away. There was a pretty good band on deck 5 but nobody dances. The music in the nightclub is hardcore Rap.

Breeze does have nice size cabins though.

On Oasis there is Dazzles, nightclub (that did not play rap) and boleros along with 70's night and deck parties.

I found the food on Breeze (mdr) to be good no complaints there. The eggs at the breakfast buffet were horrible.

The service on Breeze is also lacking....seems like many of the staff hate their jobs and it shows.

I'm trying NCL for the 1st time...sometimes it's good to mix it up alittle with different cruiselines. However I'm so done with Carnival.

Enjoy the Allure! It's good to try at least once if you don't like it and it's not for you then you don't go back.:)

Let me start off by saying, RCCL should be giving Gambee a kick back....I luv his review and pics the amount of time and effort the man put into it is amazing. I was booked before his review and now with only 49 days time doesnt seem to be moving at all..

 

Compare to the many ppl on this board I havent even begun to cruise (9x),1 Disney (Not my cup of tea...too many kids, go figure) and 1 Carnival( Liberty) I went because of the price being so much cheaper I had to try it.

 

Although it was only 1 time I found the food to abt the same but the RCCL shows and entertainment were superior. So back to RCCL we went. Last year we were on Freedom, and Now just waiting for Allure. Im thinking Freedom will be to the Allure as Liberty was to the Freedom. Thus, creating more of a cruising addition for me and my family...

 

Happy Cruising, where ever your ship sails.

Let me start off by saying, RCCL should be giving Gambee a kick back....I luv his review and pics the amount of time and effort the man put into it is amazing. I was booked before his review and now with only 49 days time doesnt seem to be moving at all..

:D I agree. Now watch for his NCL Breakaway review late spring. Should be amazing :D

I think you'll find the logistics the same, so you'll be comfortable checking in, boarding, getting used to the daily planner, dining, etc. I think on RCL, and especially Allure, you'll find yourself thinking "wow" a lot more. I think you'll also notice better traffic flow (be sure to use the electronic signs on board showing which restaurants have the shortest wait times, so you don't show up at the buffet at peak times).

Try to get as many of the show tickets as possible before you board (it's free, and you can do this online). The ice show, theater productions, and diving shows are not like anything you've probably seen on other ships.

We had only been on 3 cruises(2 Carnival-1 Princess) before our sailing on the Allure last month. We are in our mid 40's and huge Carnival fans. How I can honestly say that I don't know if I will go back to Carnival unless the circumstances were just right. We LOVED the Allure. While on the ship we booked the Independence for next year, but we all agree that if the Allure and Oasis would go different places besides EASTERN and WESTERN Caribbean we would do it again in a heart beat. The ship is beautiful and the entertainment is awesome. The LOVE and MARRIAGE and QUEST shows were absolutely the funniest things I have ever seen. You will not be disappointed.

 

BTW - I read Gambee's review in 1 day (it was the reason I booked Allure):D

Just wanted to thank you all for all the nice comments made on this thread about me :)

I would like to Quote mojitodiva. Been on both Carnival & RC. I'm staying with RC for now, but will try others.

:)

Just wanted to thank you all for all the nice comments made on this thread about me :)

Always enjoy your pictures Gambee....;)

I personally think it is "healthy" to mix it up with cruise lines. They all bring something different to the table.

To me, RCI brings together a perfect blend of "fun", "relaxation", and "refinement". They are not go go go fun all the time, nor perfect for relaxing, nor the most refined...but a great mix of the 3. IMO, of course.

After a few cruises with their ships, I like to take one with another line. It is fun to experience new "ships" that are "different" and the difference in menus and activities. After I've had that one cruise "break", I'm back to RCI for a few more so they are obviously my line of choice.

All that said, I have yet to sail on Allure or Oasis yet. I'm afraid I'll never want to sail on another ship again! I really am looking forward to booking one of these ships sometime soon.

Enjoy, I am sure you will have a blast!

We have also been on many Carnival cruises, but we have been on one RCCL. We found few differences as far as the passengers , but the RCCL ships are prettier and entertainment is better. I think the MDR experience is better on Carnival but we did dot go hungry on RCCL. There are so many other places to eat on RCCL ships. We have the Oasis booked for this April. The main difference is the price and Carnival goes out out Galveston all year long that booking a last minute cruise is easy and much less expensive for us.

Go on the ALlure and have a wonderful cruise.

Have sailed Carnival Freedom, but it is totally unfair to compare that ship to Allure or Oasis. The two Royal Caribbean mega-ships are an experience all by themselves...an experience I happen to love. Of those two ships, Allure is my favorite, but either one will do.

There are just two things that keep me from sailing Oasis and Allure exclusively. One is the itinerary limitations. The other is the premium price. Oh, yes, one othert thing. These ships are so popular that it can be a challenge to get the cabin you want or even the levl of cabin you want because some sailings are so popular.

I do agree with those who say the buffet on Oasis and Allure is too small for the number of passengers, but I think the designers believed that with so many other rstaurants aboard, people would prefer to try other venues. They seem to be in the buffet "habit" however, especially on the first day of the cruise. Just know that you don't have to eat in the buffet. Other free venues are open for lunch.

The OP is looking for a different experience and I believe he will definitely find a different experience on Oasis and Allure from everything including the ship's architecture, artwork, restaurant choices, entertainment choices, cabin styles (such as the loft suites and Central Park balcony cabins), sports deck options such as the zipline and the dual FlowRiders.

I am eagerly awaiting the third Oasis set to luanch in 2016. This is such an amazing class of ships, it shouldn't be missed by passengers looking for something different.

Thanks everyone for the replies. I am looking forward to trying something new and different and I know I will get that on the Allure:rolleyes:

Just wanted to thank you all for all the nice comments made on this thread about me :)

You're Welcome. It was a GREAT review!!!!

Even as a frequent RCI cruiser, Oasis Class felt like a first cruise to me! That's because the way it is run is even unlike the rest of RCI.

 

Enjoy the Allure. :)

This was my reaction, too. Even after many Royal Caribbean cruises, the Oasis was a whole new experience. And even after subsequent cruises in this class, I am still discovering new things to love about Oasis/Allure.