Switching from Princess to Oasis of the Seas

[sherman931]

Have been a Princess fan for many years. Only problem is Princess moves the ships out of FL for the summer. Jonesing for a cruise so decided to give RCI a try. Heading out on Oasis in a few weeks. I know things will be "different". Not necessarily good different or bad different. I have been doing my homework on the boards. Looking forward to trying something new. Any comments on what may be the biggest difference?

[DonnaK]

Well, Oasis is a very unique ship and does not compare to anything else, so this is more than just a Princess versus RCI question.

 

We sailed Princess twice (when they were sailing out of Brooklyn NY during the summer) and felt that there were some things we preferred on RCI, and other things we liked better on Princess, which balanced out to a rather equivalent cruising experience.

 

I think you'll find that Oasis is more about the ship itself, and not so much about the sea and ports. There's so much going on entertainment-wise. A common "complaint" is that it feels more like a resort than a ship, but we found ways to avoid that feeling. There are many spaces to connect with the sea, such as the solarium and the deck 4 promenade, so seek those out if you are feeling too "inward-focused". Make sure that you see all of the shows - they are not to be missed!

 

We also resisted the urge to buy into all the upsells. We felt that we had already stretched the budget for the cruise, so we didn't need to spend more on specialty dining or much of anything else.

[Topo Gigio]

From all the 7 cruise lines I have cruised, Princess & Royal Caribbean are the ones that come closest to each other.

[FLACRUISER99]

From all the 7 cruise lines I have cruised, Princess & Royal Caribbean are the ones that come closest to each other.

Closest in what?

[Topo Gigio]

Closest in what?

 

In almost everything. More alike than any other 2 cruise lines.

[sherman931]

Thanks to all for taking the time to reply.

[Cruzman]

The biggest difference will likely be that there will be twice as many passengers on the Oasis. I do understand your frustration about most of the main stream cruise lines abandoning the Caribbean between April and November, as I share your view! I understand that Princess will be keeping a ship there in the summer of 2014.

[Worn out mailman]

The biggest difference will likely be that there will be twice as many passengers on the Oasis. I do understand your frustration about most of the main stream cruise lines abandoning the Caribbean between April and November, as I share your view! I understand that Princess will be keeping a ship there in the summer of 2014.

 

My take is that despite the extra passengers, you're less crowded on Oasis because most of the Grand class Princess ships added the Riviera deck of state rooms but the public areas remained the same size.

[mnh]

My take is that despite the extra passengers, you're less crowded on Oasis because most of the Grand class Princess ships added the Riviera deck of state rooms but the public areas remained the same size.

 

I have only been on 1 Princess cruise (Crown) and I loved it, but I have been on Oasis twice (loved it more)....never felt crowded.....just got off of Carnival Breeze, IMO I felt like a sardine.

 

You will love Oasis....don't miss any shows!

[janetz]

I really like Princess also. The biggest difference you will see, in my mind is the entertainment/ shows. The Allure and the Oasis have the best at sea. Be sure to see each one. :D