POLL: Freedom vs Allure - Which should we choose and why?

[alaska_planner]

the allure is the favorite, but still, 20 people voted for freedom, so clearly it would be a good choice as well..

 

i wonder what other ships the 3 people who voted that category recommend... :rolleyes:

[MrsPete]

Make it 21 people voting for Freedom. Please double check to see if what I say is still true, but we chose Freedom because it had one extra island stop. Oasis skipped Grand Cayman on our dates, and I think this is typical. I read somewhere that the extra large ships cannot get close enough to the island.

 

We cruise for a combination of the ship and island stops, so this matters to us.

[feealicious]

I voted Allure. I haven't ever been on a cruise yet but I am a "go big or go home" kind of person when it comes to vacations or doing things that are special. I think I will be very very pleased with my choice. Hope you have fun wherever you end up!

[Gon2hwe]

that's a very interesting point!

the Disney Dream really is a stunning ship, no question about it!

I guess "wow" must be important to me!! :)

 

 

 

hmmmm.....i know DD loved the windjammer on the Radiance of the Seas (she did an alaska cruise last summer on the radiance), so i wonder if she'd be disappointed in the WJ on the Allure.

by the way, i don't know if i mentioned it, DD and her husband will be on this cruise with us. :)

 

,

He wont be disappointed in Allure simply because there are so many places to eat you wont get to all of them. We loved eating breakfast at johnny rockets every mornng and it's free.

[alaska_planner]

Make it 21 people voting for Freedom. Please double check to see if what I say is still true, but we chose Freedom because it had one extra island stop. Oasis skipped Grand Cayman on our dates, and I think this is typical. I read somewhere that the extra large ships cannot get close enough to the island.

 

We cruise for a combination of the ship and island stops, so this matters to us.

 

i think freedom stops at labadee, grand cayman and cozumel.

it's quite possible we'll end up on the Freedom.... the allure cruise prices have been steadily climbing, while freedom has stayed the same...

so i'm not sure there will even be rooms left by the time we book :rolleyes:

[alaska_planner]

I voted Allure. I haven't ever been on a cruise yet but I am a "go big or go home" kind of person when it comes to vacations or doing things that are special. I think I will be very very pleased with my choice. Hope you have fun wherever you end up!

 

i'm sure we'll have fun whatever we decide!!

 

i might be like you in that go big point of view..:)

[alaska_planner]

He wont be disappointed in Allure simply because there are so many places to eat you wont get to all of them. We loved eating breakfast at johnny rockets every mornng and it's free.

 

i'm actually looking forward to a johnny rockets milkshake (even thought it's not free!!) :)

[alaska_planner]

i sure wish i knew which ships the 4 people who voted for other ships were referring to!!

 

as for the 3 people who voted for disney world - i used to vote that way myself....i've gone over to the dark side only recently!! :eek:

[Familygoboston]

i sure wish i knew which ships the 4 people who voted for other ships were referring to!!

 

as for the 3 people who voted for disney world - i used to vote that way myself....i've gone over to the dark side only recently!! :eek:

 

Probably Radiance Class. It has it's fans, of which I am one, especially for port intensive or scenic cruising. I kind of felt you were looking for opinions on a couple of similar type itineraries- well trod not terribly scenic routes on active ships with lots of amenities. I voted Allure, fully knowing I have not sailed Freedom Class, but recognizing that Freedom class was built as a larger version of Voyager class, with more amenities ( like flow rider!).

 

But OA and AL were "designed" differently, so all the bottle necks and choke points I found on Voyager class and that some experience on Freedom, have been "worked around". I don't know how else to put it to explain that twice the people seems less crowded!

 

One example- on OA, the area where you board is a little "cut out" area on the promenade; after boarding that same space serves as a place for the photogs to set up, so they are not creating bottlenecks on the Promenade ( though let's face it, those phoney baloney sales and the parades cause gridlock on either ships promenade:rolleyes:) So my opinion is based less on experience with these exact ships and more on seeing the truly marvel worthy ways "flow" and comfort was designed on the Oasis class- I felt it was pretty ground breaking, and therefor worth trying if the money difference isn't too big!

 

Also, I prefer the Eastern itinerary of these choices.

[sippintime]

Been on both ships multiple times and both are great. Would vote Allure. Just more to do.

[1ParticularHbr]

We've cruised on Allure, Disney Dream and Freedom class (Liberty). While we're glad we did Allure, we're most happy on a Freedom class ship. With that said though, you should probably do Oasis class just once for the experience. The Aqua Theater is a unique at-sea experience and we did love the Central Park area. One thing we weren't very happy about on Allure was MDR service and food. It almost seemed as though they were intentionally mediocre to steer your toward specialty dining....just my opinion...

[debshomespun]

I voted for Allure, if price is not a factor. Since the prices are rising on Allure, and staying steady on Freedom, I would go with Freedom. There is still alot of things to do on Freedom. Also, with all the money you will save, you can do something special at one of the port stops. We have done Oasis/Allure. Also, twice on Liberty, once on Freedom and Independence. The Freedom has the Dreamworks characters. It was fun to watch them. I'm sure you will have a wonderful cruise on either ship. Expecially if your DD and hubby will be joining you. You can enjoy their company, and the ship will just be there for you to enjoy together.

[rednancy1]

Allure hands down. :)

[funfamilyof6]

For my first RCCL cruise I would definitely choose the Freedom.

 

One of my main reasons is that you get an extra port (Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel, Grand Cayman) if you compare it against the Allure (Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel).

 

This summer will make our 3rd cruise on the Freedom and I am busy planning my cruise for next year. I am thinking about giving the Allure a try, but we have enjoyed the Freedom so much it makes my decision very difficult. The only reason I want to give the Allure a try is to see different shows.

[alaska_planner]

Probably Radiance Class. It has it's fans, of which I am one, especially for port intensive or scenic cruising. I kind of felt you were looking for opinions on a couple of similar type itineraries- well trod not terribly scenic routes on active ships with lots of amenities. I voted Allure, fully knowing I have not sailed Freedom Class, but recognizing that Freedom class was built as a larger version of Voyager class, with more amenities ( like flow rider!).

 

But OA and AL were "designed" differently, so all the bottle necks and choke points I found on Voyager class and that some experience on Freedom, have been "worked around". I don't know how else to put it to explain that twice the people seems less crowded!

 

One example- on OA, the area where you board is a little "cut out" area on the promenade; after boarding that same space serves as a place for the photogs to set up, so they are not creating bottlenecks on the Promenade ( though let's face it, those phoney baloney sales and the parades cause gridlock on either ships promenade:rolleyes:) So my opinion is based less on experience with these exact ships and more on seeing the truly marvel worthy ways "flow" and comfort was designed on the Oasis class- I felt it was pretty ground breaking, and therefor worth trying if the money difference isn't too big!

 

Also, I prefer the Eastern itinerary of these choices.

 

my daughter adored the radiance - everything about it, the ship, the crew, the activities, the food (in the WJ)......in fact, her description of their cruise is what convinced me that RCCL might be a better fit for me than DCL.

The radiance class ships have far fewer passengers...similar to what i'm used to on the disney ships.....so i have to admit, both the freedom and the allure scare me just a tad when i look at those capacity numbers!! :eek:

[alaska_planner]

Been on both ships multiple times and both are great. Would vote Allure. Just more to do.

 

:)

 

We've cruised on Allure, Disney Dream and Freedom class (Liberty). While we're glad we did Allure, we're most happy on a Freedom class ship. With that said though, you should probably do Oasis class just once for the experience. The Aqua Theater is a unique at-sea experience and we did love the Central Park area. One thing we weren't very happy about on Allure was MDR service and food. It almost seemed as though they were intentionally mediocre to steer your toward specialty dining....just my opinion...

 

glad to hear you love the freedom class ship since we might end up on it the way things are going! :)

(my gamble might not have been the smartest thing i've ever done!!! :rolleyes:)

[alaska_planner]

Allure hands down. :)

 

thanks! :)

 

I voted for Allure, if price is not a factor. Since the prices are rising on Allure, and staying steady on Freedom, I would go with Freedom. There is still alot of things to do on Freedom. Also, with all the money you will save, you can do something special at one of the port stops. We have done Oasis/Allure. Also, twice on Liberty, once on Freedom and Independence. The Freedom has the Dreamworks characters. It was fun to watch them. I'm sure you will have a wonderful cruise on either ship. Expecially if your DD and hubby will be joining you. You can enjoy their company, and the ship will just be there for you to enjoy together.

 

considering i'm moving from the disney ships, where activities are few and far between, i'm guessing that even the freedom will have lots for us to do (we're very much into the little silly things - trivia, marriage game, etc. - as well as late night activities - something that's non-existent on disney ships)..

[alaska_planner]

For my first RCCL cruise I would definitely choose the Freedom.

 

One of my main reasons is that you get an extra port (Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel, Grand Cayman) if you compare it against the Allure (Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel).

 

This summer will make our 3rd cruise on the Freedom and I am busy planning my cruise for next year. I am thinking about giving the Allure a try, but we have enjoyed the Freedom so much it makes my decision very difficult. The only reason I want to give the Allure a try is to see different shows.

 

 

thanks for your input!! it makes me feel better, considering we might end up on the freedom by default. It's possible the allure will be fully booked by final payment.

So i'm happy to hear that at least some people prefer the freedom, or enjoy it just as much! :)

[funfamilyof6]

thanks! :)

considering i'm moving from the disney ships, where activities are few and far between, i'm guessing that even the freedom will have lots for us to do (we're very much into the little silly things - trivia, marriage game, etc. - as well as late night activities - something that's non-existent on disney ships)..

 

 

There's plenty of this on the Freedom!!! ;)

[alaska_planner]

There's plenty of this on the Freedom!!! ;)

good to know!! :)

 

a question about the Freedom - is there anything open 24 hours?

i know on the Allure, either the park cafe or the promenade cafe (i can't remember which) is open all night long...

that was one of the things my husband and i missed on the disney ships...

we like having somewhere to go for a snack late at night....a cup of coffee or whatever...

everyone always tells us to order from room service, but it's just not the same thing as having somewhere to go....

the disney ships basically roll up their decks at midnight and that's it....nowhere to go after that...nothing is open... :rolleyes:

 

,

[Tapi]

Although I prefer the Eastern, the Allure's itinerary includes Nassau (gag, ugh!). If it had Coco Cay, it would be a no brainer

[alaska_planner]

Although I prefer the Eastern, the Allure's itinerary includes Nassau (gag, ugh!). If it had Coco Cay, it would be a no brainer

 

 

i agree about Nassau!!! been there 3 times - got off the ship the first time (went to atlantis to swim), stayed on the ship the second time, the third time i was with my mom and sister, who wanted to get off the ship - though they realized the error of their ways the moment we stepped off!! :eek:

[alaska_planner]

to the 4 of you who voted for disney world - perhaps i should have added that we'll be at WDW for 4 days before the cruise and 2.5 days after....

a lot less than what we used to do when the kids were little (3 week visits every summer!! :eek: ), but better than nothing! :)

[funfamilyof6]

Although I prefer the Eastern, the Allure's itinerary includes Nassau (gag, ugh!). If it had Coco Cay, it would be a no brainer

 

i agree about Nassau!!! been there 3 times - got off the ship the first time (went to atlantis to swim), stayed on the ship the second time, the third time i was with my mom and sister, who wanted to get off the ship - though they realized the error of their ways the moment we stepped off!! :eek:

 

I ordinarily have the same opinion of Nassau, but on our last cruise that included Nassau we tried a place called "Blue Lagoon". You have to take a ferry from the ship area to get to it. It was absolutely beautiful, we had a great day AND got the kids off the ship without spending a fortune at Atlantis.

 

I think we booked it via RCCL. We did just the Beach Break excursion, but you can also do dolphin and sea lion excursions. The great part was that it was very easy to look at the dolphins and sea lions in the water without doing those particular excursions. Our Beach Break excursion also included lunch. IMO, it was similar to Cococay.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=cruiseDetails&packageCode=AL07E070&date=&selectedCurrencyCode=&ProductCode=NS97&DestinationCode=

 

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Blue Lagoon Island Deluxe Beach Break - NS97

Port/City: Nassau, Bahamas

Activity Type: Beach and/or Water-Related Activities

Approximate Duration: 4 hour(s)

Prices starting from:

*64.00 USD (Adult)

*48.00 USD (Child)

*0.00 USD (Infant)

[fletch1027]

I would pick Freedom (eastern) .. but voted for Allure since it was eastern. Always prefer eastern over western.

 

Port wise I would pick Allure for Eastern ( the difference being Nassau vs. Coco). Western I would pick Freedom, because of the extra stop at Grand Cayman! That was my favorite port on the Western FOS itinerary!