holula

Thank you so much for all of the replies. I have been on the voyager and freedom class ships before and am wondering whether the oasis class will just feel like a glorified freedom class. When i went on the freedom class for the first time it just felt like a voyager class with a few different additions EX: Flowrider and H20 Zone

 

Thanks

I've been on Freedom and Oasis and I don't think it feels like a glorified Freedom class. It's just breathtakingly huge!

Don't forget the fireworks are gone' date=' the A La Carte prices starting in January, which will raise prices quite a bit unless you only eat a very small appetizer and the DreamWorks characters are being cut on the ships that had them.

 

 

 

AKK[/quote']

 

 

DreamWorks is on Royal. Nickelodeon is being taking away from NCL.

These statements always amaze me because while I've found other lines to be somewhat less costly than DCL' date=' they were nowhere near half the cost. May is usually high season/high cost on DCL, although we've gotten one great deal on a May cruise.

 

 

 

Yes, I know that I shop for value on cruises, whether DCL or other lines. But I'm seeing more like a 25% cost difference over other lines....and more "extras" on the other lines (although DCL is doing a good job of catching up.)[/quote']

 

 

We are sailing Freedom of the Seas in January 2017. Less than $1600 for two for an eight night cruise. That's the same price as four nights on the Dream are. It's not quite half the cost of the Fantasy but it's a HUGE savings. I don't think there are many extras that DCL includes that other lines don't other than soda. Other lines have more options, some of which have charges.

It is very likely that Bliss will go to China. However, I wonder if NCL is willing to commit such a big ship to a place that they have never cruised from before. Maybe they will only commit for one season to see how things go or perhaps a summer in Europe.

 

 

 

I really don't see how NCL can based another away or away+ ship in the US. I don't think that the market is there unless they decide to do the Port Canaveral - Bermuda route during the summer.

As a Floridian, I would LOVE to see Bliss home port at PC and do Bermuda in the summer and Caribbean in the winter. It'd be great competition for Oasis and Disney. I just really want a Bermuda route from FL...

To note: it's still completely optional. The policy it still in place intact. All that changed was the procedure. As per anecdotes, the guest services desk was getting flooded with reduction requests and that's why they have "on-shored" the process.

 

Now, this coming October will be our first NCL cruise and we have already "braced" for a completely different experience than DCL. Knowing us, since we don't drink and like spend a lot of time with the kids while on a cruise, we will have a blast anyway, but, I will be sure to write down any big differences and post them when I return.

I liked NCL a lot. I sailed on the Epic last December and had tons of fun. Service was actually great and way better than on the Wonder the following week.

The difference between NCL and sailing on Disney gratuities wise is that on Disney they go to a specific person. On NCL they are split between the crew anyway because of Freestyle dining. If you had one poor waiter and reduce the tip to zero, everyone else also suffers even if they were great.

If Oasis is the cheapest book that. I really enjoyed NCL Epic in December, which is a large ship a few years older than Getaway/Escape. Oasis is also a great ship. All four ships are mostly about the ships and not the destinations. NCL had better nightlife, food, service and waterslides. Royal's ships are more beautiful and better designed, and have the Flowrider and better pool areas.

I don't think you can go wrong with either choice.

I'm excited because we've never been to St. Kitts!

I love St Kitts! We did a Southern last year that included it and it was beautiful. One of my favorites.

I think my choice would be easier if it was either Liberty or Independence and not Freedom for the eight night... Then I would at least get to experience a new ship. Right now I am leaning towards Freedom because I don't think the waterslides are worth $400.

My vote is for the extra day for less money! :) We have been looking at the Freedom Jan. 21, 2017 sailing. Your question has actually nudged me closer to booking it! Love the Freedom

That's the one I'm looking at too.

Looking to book a January or February 2017 cruise. The dates aren't super important and right now I'm weighing up between an eight day Freedom Eastern (Labadee, St Maarten, San Juan, St Kitts) vs a seven day Harmony (either Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel or Nassau, St Maarten, St Thomas). I've been to all of the ports other than St Maarten. I've sailed on Freedom and am currently on Oasis. Harmony is $400 more for one less day which is swaying me towards Freedom but I LOVE waterslides.

I'm looking to book before I get off Oasis to get the reduced deposit. This is definitely a first world problem. ;)

I think it is a little of both. When the Magic was doing Westerns from PC earlier this year it was a similar price to the Fantasy.

The Magic is a smaller older ship. However there is also more competition sailing from Miami. NCL has its two newest ships there. I think the Carnival Breeze sails from Miami also. Sailings from Miami have always been a little lower, probably to attract new guests and not to out price them selves.

We also had some Spanish movies the last time we cruised from Miami. America does not have an official language so why not cater to the clientele of that area?

Also I hate the port. But that is another issue. It's so small!

Well that didn't post to the right thread AT ALL.

For us? Not worth the cost difference, especially not double. However your child is at an age where they would LOVE Disney.

I think it is a little of both. When the Magic was doing Westerns from PC earlier this year it was a similar price to the Fantasy.

The Magic is a smaller older ship. However there is also more competition sailing from Miami. NCL has its two newest ships there. I think the Carnival Breeze sails from Miami also. Sailings from Miami have always been a little lower, probably to attract new guests and not to out price them selves.

Also I hate the port. But that is another issue. It's so small!

We were on the Wonder last year over Christmas and spend Christmas Day on CC. Nothing happened specific to Christmas on CC.

I think Disney sails from Terminal F and the parking garage is at Terminal G. It's not a fun walk in the heat with lots of bags so I agree dropping the bags off first is better.

We are looking at trying Disney as we have been on the other major lines now and are looking for something new. That being said, we have some concerns. While I have nothing against children (have a few myself,) we often cruise in the fall months when there are less children on board. Is this also the case with Disney...or are there always an abundance of children?

 

- There are always more children on Disney than other lines. There are quieter times to sail and any time when the kids have just gone back to school (so mid-late September and mid-late January) are generally good times to sail to avoid children. AVOID SPRING BREAK AT ALL COSTS. I can't say this enough.

 

As active, fun loving adults, we like to have few drinks and partake of the evening activities. Is there an active night life on Disney...or do things shut down early since many of the passengers are in their cabins with their children?

 

- Depends on the cruise. Generally people will stay up to see the adult entertainment in the evening and then go to bed. You really do have to find your own fun if you want more than that. In December last year I sailed NCL Epic and was out until the early hours and it was still busy. Even on Princess there was more nightlife than on Disney.

 

I've heard good things about the dining and food on Disney, but is it more geared towards children...or are there more sophisticated choices to be had?

 

- The food is good. Princess had better food and Royal and NCL had very similar food. I find the buffet on Disney (Cabanas/Beach Blanket Buffet) to be dismal and I would avoid that if you can.

 

Thanks for anyone that can help answer....

My responses above. If you don't LOVE Disney then I'm not sure you would enjoy sailing Disney. We LOVE Disney and got married on a Disney cruise and it does have a magic the other cruise lines cannot replicate. But if you don't love Disney then I'm not sure you would feel the same way and if you want to avoid kids then it's probably not the cruise line for you.

I like both lines for different reasons. I've sailed on Enchantment, Freedom and Oasis. The latter two have amazing pool areas that blow Disney away. Food is similar between the two lines. Remy is pretty equivalent to the Chef's Table on Royal and Palo is probably my favorite ship dining experience (though I love Cagney's on NCL also). In the last few years I feel like Disney has cut down on the amount of adult activities they offer which is why we have started to look elsewhere.

We have friends who are Diamond with Royal and gold with Disney. They sail in suites on Royal but won't pay for them on Disney because to them it's not worth the money. There are definitely not as many added perks on Disney.

Also, Disney's equivalent to C&A is nowhere near as good. I'm gold on Royal but probably save more money with my discounts than being platinum on Disney gets me.

I've been on Epic and I'm on Oasis right now. Oasis is a beautiful ship. I agree that sometimes it doesn't feel like you're on a ship - but then again neither did Epic (Escape has the waterfront though).

I don't think you can go wrong with either choice. NCL pros for me are better food, better service, more nightlife, water slides, Cagney's. Royal pros are the insanely beautiful ship, better pools, the solarium, the park cafe sandwiches, and I like the Royal Promenade also.

I can't compare cabins since I did a studio on Epic and am doing a Central Park balcony on Oasis.

I'm actually having a similar issue right now trying to decide between the Breakaway and Anthem.

That's what we were told, whatever that's worth. C&A looks at the final booking, and if it's not booked as a single, then no extra points. Doesn't make a lot of sense since they are still getting 200%, but that is the world of Royal.

I sailed with a no show in January and received double points.

I think there are some magical things about the ships but I don't think they have that "magical" feeling that the parks makes you get. I get the same thing in the parks, not so much on the cruise.

I love the Wonder, but in December the staterooms were definitely showing wear. She is slowly having all of her staterooms refurbished though and they should be done before May.

I've sailed 9 DCL, 1 Princess, 1 NCL and 2 RCCL. We love Disney. We are DVC owners. I've visited four different parks worldwide. We were married on Castaway Cay. Our house is covered in Disney. And yet, now that I've sailed on other lines I would hesitate to recommend Disney for just adults.

I started sailing DCL in 2012 and over the last 2.5 years the adult only events have been cut dramatically. When we sailed Alaska there were a lot of adult only things in the day. On our last cruise there was almost nothing to do until 2pm each day and then only a couple of things. I've felt that way about our last 3-4 Disney cruises, all in 2014. There are adult only areas on the ship and the nightclubs are adult only after 9pm but I've found this hasn't been policed well by the CMs recently and on the last two sailings there have been young kids allowed to stand outside the door and watch the adult entertainment at night with their parents. I like some of their shows in the evening but we have now seen them so many times and they don't change the shows out often. Their variety acts tend to be good, but not amazing (there are exceptions to this). Palo and Remy (if you are on a ship with Remy) and both great, especially Palo. The adult pool on the Dream and Fantasy is a joke. They are beautiful ships. The MDRs are great. We have also found that service has been lackluster recently, especially from guest services. And all of these things mean that we can't justify the DCL cost any more, especially when you see how other lines manager their public spaces so much better!

I like the larger ships on Royal and Norwegian. Freedom and Epic were both great ships that have a lot more adult activities, great service and much better prices.

I didn't like deck 2 on the Dream (sister ship). We were in 2033 and before every dinner seating there were people traipsing past our room to get to Enchanted Garden. Very noisy and annoying.

I loved both NCL Epic and Freedom of the Seas. Both have different things I liked on the ships. Wasn't such a big fan of one of Royal's smaller ships, Enchantment, though.

They are really more similar than they are different and both will be my lines of choice in the future.

I enjoy the ship movement too. I never sleep better!

We own our own business and normally check in via email every day, so this is a great advantage to sailing Royal in the future!