Carnival Lover Tries Oasis - A Review and Comparison

[bucks724]

Ship Overall – Both ships are beautiful. Both have cool features. Both have something for everyone, and there’s never a dull moment. With that said, Oasis takes the cake with all of the “innovations”. They both have beautiful decorations, but Oasis seemed a little more refined and unique to me, which made it more memorable!

 

Other Passengers. They are what they are. I’ve heard some say that Carnival is for partiers and Royal has a bunch of stuffy people. I find both to be untrue. I have seen drunk people on both ships. But not very many, and not all the time. I have also seen snobby people on both cruise lines, but they are the exception, not the rule.

 

On both cruises, I saw people being rude with the elevators. Just like on both cruises, there were children running around unattended leaving dirty plates in the stairwells. I didn’t notice this any more or less on one cruise over the other.

 

I will say, though, that with our cabin crawl, we went in some really NICE suites. Like suites I could only dream of staying in when I hit the Powerball. And they were occupied by some of the nicest, kindest people I’ve met on a cruise. No stuffiness at all, which I loved! They were just people on vacation like the rest of us – they just happened to have KILLER rooms!

 

Crew. This is where I noticed a difference. The crew on the Breeze as a whole seemed a lot more anxious and willing to help you out. Royal’s crew seemed a little more aloof than Carnival’s, which is fine – they weren’t rude, they just weren’t overly friendly either. Our cabin steward was very nice but not very interested in going above and beyond (we asked for our ice bucket to stay filled, but he only filled it once a day – at night – not a huge deal, but not what I asked for). We asked for extra (6) washcloths per day, and sometimes we would have extras from a prior visit, which we would place on the vanity shelf, which he would take!

 

Cabin. Even though the size may be roughly the same, the layout is better on the Breeze in the cabin and on the balcony. I will say, though, that Royal’s actually shower door won me over! Like I said before, it’s the little things! Both cabins, however, were sufficient for a family of 3 for week-long cruise.

 

With all of this said, if you are on the fence about trying one cruise or cruise line over the other, hopefully this gives you enough of a push to get out there and try something new! I loved both cruises on both ships. Even though the Breeze isn’t necessarily “unique”, it’s still a great ship, and to be totally honest, you really can’t go wrong with either ship.

 

Now, let’s go plan our next cruise! Happy sailing everybody! Thanks for reading!

[jpolm]

How long has it been since you ate at Chops. The reason I ask is we always loved Chops especially the red velvet cake - sometimes we would go just for appetizers and the red velvet cake. But they recently changed the menu and no longer get the red velvet cake from the supplier in Miami but make their own box cake now. In my opinion the food and deserts are not very good and we no longer eat there even with the buy one get one free.

 

Karter it's been 2 years so that could be why

Edited January 5, 2015 by jpolm

[bucks724]

Lol I think that's a good idea rebook so u can retry.

 

Sounds like a plan. Would you like to PayPal me the money, or should I wait for a check? Haha.

 

I am looking. Typing this review with a space heater on me for the past two days is giving me the fever again. It won't be long before I start justifying it in my mind and then to my husband!

 

I keep coming back to your thread and every time I do, I am impressed with your continued review with pictures.

 

Thank you

 

Safe travels.

 

Thanks!

[bucks724]

Love this!

 

Thanks! No large cats in the water with me, but it'll do! So cool to have you read my review! :)

[Sea Legs]

Thank you for you great review. The Breeze is my absolute favorite ship but that may change in April when we sail on the Oasis. We have sailed Carnival 14 times, Princess twice and once on RCCL. So you can see which say I lean. My question for you is about the shore tour you took in Cozumel. Last October, my DH and I took an ATV tour while on Grand Turk and really enjoyed it. I was very leery of driving one and at the last moment they asked if anyone want a "two seater". I jumped on that and hung on tight to my DH. Did they have any two seaters in Cozumel? We would love to try this again, but I still don't feel comfortable driving one. By the way, have you ever tried to "Behind the Fun" tour on Carnival? We did it on the Breeze and it was fascinating!

[bucks724]

Thank you for you great review. The Breeze is my absolute favorite ship but that may change in April when we sail on the Oasis. We have sailed Carnival 14 times, Princess twice and once on RCCL. So you can see which say I lean. My question for you is about the shore tour you took in Cozumel. Last October, my DH and I took an ATV tour while on Grand Turk and really enjoyed it. I was very leery of driving one and at the last moment they asked if anyone want a "two seater". I jumped on that and hung on tight to my DH. Did they have any two seaters in Cozumel? We would love to try this again, but I still don't feel comfortable driving one. By the way, have you ever tried to "Behind the Fun" tour on Carnival? We did it on the Breeze and it was fascinating!

 

I haven't done the behind the fun tour - I wanted to, but when you have to pay for everything x3, you limit these fun little things! LOL. It sounds like a really fun time on the Breeze to do it though.

 

As for ATVs, the excursion we did was through Royal and I can't recall the name of the operator off hand, but they were all singles. There were 3 groups, beginner, intermediate and advanced. Beginners went slower and most of us did not shift gears. If it makes you feel any better, you can just ask to be at the end of the line so you can go slower, but trust me when I tell you, I was afraid for Chaya to flip or something with her concussion and I worried for nothing.

 

You do go through some deep-ish water and over rocks and such, but as long as you don't try to take your turns too quickly, nothing will happen! Have fun!

[Cat8bird]

:)Loved reading your review...Hope you're feeling better..We have done 10 cruises on Carnival;1 on Royal;1 NCL;1 Holland. Didn't have a great experience our first cruise on Royal; but I kept bugging DH to do the BIG SHIP:D So, we are giving Royal another chance:)

 

Can you tell me if there were any specials in the spa, during the Labadee stop? Also, in regards to Izumu, we have premade our reservations for dining & shows, but wasn't given an option of the sushi or the table. We would want the table.

 

I'm so ready for this cruise!!!!2014 was a crazy year in more ways than one..

 

Again, Thanks so much for the AWESOME review...:)

[bucks724]

:)Loved reading your review...Hope you're feeling better..We have done 10 cruises on Carnival;1 on Royal;1 NCL;1 Holland. Didn't have a great experience our first cruise on Royal; but I kept bugging DH to do the BIG SHIP:D So, we are giving Royal another chance:)

 

Can you tell me if there were any specials in the spa, during the Labadee stop? Also, in regards to Izumu, we have premade our reservations for dining & shows, but wasn't given an option of the sushi or the table. We would want the table.

 

I'm so ready for this cruise!!!!2014 was a crazy year in more ways than one..

 

Again, Thanks so much for the AWESOME review...:)

 

I can dig out the Cruise Compasses when I get home if someone else doesn't chime in, but I don't recall spa specials - only because I don't do spa things. I'm sure someone might know though. Our roll call was pretty active and a lot of them still post, so hopefully someone can answer you quickly on that one.

 

As for Izumi, I would assume that your reservation is for the tables, and I only say that because the sushi side seemed to not require reservations. In addition, that side is a la carte and the tables are a cover charge. I could totally be wrong, so someone more "educated" in RCCL ways may be able to help.

 

Sorry your first one wasn't that great, but I'm glad you're giving it another try. The BIG SHIP is amazing. You'll love it. Promise!

[ryano]

Wow I can't imagine a restaurant better than chops on a cruise. Shocked that u found the other better. Chops was one of the best steakhouses I've been too we thought it was soo good,we went twice great steak ,sides, and red velvet cake and I'm a foodie that lives in Los Angeles that's been to many top restaurants to compare to.

 

Chops quality of beef seems to be going down the drain unless you pay for the Prime steaks above the 35.00 pp cover charge.

 

Carnival steakhouses serve aged Prime cuts INCLUDED in the 35.00pp. My guess is that is why the OP found that Carnival had the better steakhouse. There are LOTS of complaints about Chops these days and most people that sail both Royal and Carnival agree that Carnival is hands down the better steakhouse.

Edited January 5, 2015 by ryano

[racerxspeedy]

Fantastic job on the review! Loved the pictures showing the new areas after renovation. We are all looking forward to seeing what oasis 3 and 4 will offer next year. I was surprised that you paid a similar amount to sail the breeze. We sailed breeze for about half the cost of oasis. They offered breeze rooms for as low as $239 pp one year ago 6 day (inside). We loved the room size, food, ports and fun atmosphere, BUT we're not wowed by the congested pools, lower level shows, and overall ship design/decor. Oasis IMO is on another scale in those areas. Carnival provides a great value/itinerary. We will return for that reason. I am growing tired of RC " half off sale" events where they raise prices in order to fool new customers. Carnival pricing is cut and dry.

 

Thanks for sharing your trip with us!!!!

[BillOh]

The back story on the car:

 

My dad’s first car was a Mustang. !).

 

If you see a blue 2009 Pony with white stripes in Columbus, wave hi! Glad to hear you came over to RC from the Dark Side. Now to read these rest of your review ;) O.H. ! Ready to go Duck Hunting!

[CleverEuphemism]

Great review, thank you so much for sharing!

 

We are going to be on Oasis in about a month and you supplied lots of great info and pics, I am more excited than before, which I didn't think was possible.

[LuCruise]

Loving your review. We'll be on the Allure, so experience should be similar.

[UNV-IT!!!]

If I remember correctly, the only reason we didn't do Breeze over Oasis (since the price difference was so large) is that it was the exact same cruise as the last one we took - I loved the ports, but I thought back to back identical cruises would be silly when there are so many other ports and ships out there!

 

 

 

You're right, I am sick and my mind is jumbled. Chicago is on Epic, which is another "dream ship" I look at often. Hairspray is definitely what was on there that I wanted to see! Thanks for catching my flub! :)

 

Chicago is on allure. Not epic. Also find it hard for you to give another ship the nod on specialty restaurants when you didn't eat at all of them. Especially the top one 150cp.

[jpolm]

Chops quality of beef seems to be going down the drain unless you pay for the Prime steaks above the 35.00 pp cover charge.

 

Carnival steakhouses serve aged Prime cuts INCLUDED in the 35.00pp. My guess is that is why the OP found that Carnival had the better steakhouse. There are LOTS of complaints about Chops these days and most people that sail both Royal and Carnival agree that Carnival is hands down the better steakhouse.

 

Thanks yes I went in 2013 and someone else recently pointed that out about the changes. I'm bummed to hear this as we are planning a return in 2016, loved it and the red velvet cake that is gone. By then maybe there will be another change.

I'd like to try breeze on a southern itinerary after our next issue trip. I'm sure it will be a good comparison but do fear I might be just a little disappointed this review has helped assure me they are quite comparable with food, rooms, entertainment, and passengers.

[moesyk4]

Thanks for the review! We are about evenly split...we have sailed 3 times on RCCL and 4 times on Carnival. I would say the only ship of Carnivals that comes close to RCCL's newer ships (Freedom class and above) would be the Breeze, and even then, I still think the RCCL ships are more beautiful and have more to do. That being said, I am not loyal to either..I find the service, food, and rooms (at least the ones we sail in) to be comparable on each and for the price difference, we can do two Carnivals for every 1 RCCL generally. We did the 6 day Breeze in a cove balcony (my new obsession) for under $400 PP including taxes.

 

The only thing I didn't like at Carnival was the entertainment, which is too bad because we did a b2b on the Carnival Triumph and the Freedom of the Seas in 2007 and the Triumph one for entertainment back then hands down. Their costumes and sets were amazing then. Now, blech. But, we haven't sailed RCCL since then so I can't really compare to our 2014 Breeze cruise.

 

We loved, however, the cove balcony, the free specialty food places like Guy's and Blue Iguana, and the BBQ place, as well as the dining room.

[big al]

Funny - I wondered if I was wrong about Blaze, but I remember my kid going there once and there being some kind of "misunderstanding" where they were moved back upstairs. Thanks for clarifying. She said it was the teen club - but I guess that's because she only knew that to be true based on her experience!

 

As for the steakhouse, I've been to my fair share of restaurants - we travel quite a bit. I found it to be flavorless and not worth $35, but of course, different days, different ships, different experiences. Glad it was better for you when you visited - I simply found Fahrenheit 555 to be superior in my own experience! Maybe I should book another trip and try it again just to be sure! :)

 

Love your review- I'm a cruise agent and have done 6 CCL, & 13 RCI, most recently the Oasis in October...next time in Chops, try the NY Strip...it was simply perfect! I've had the filet, and it's OK, BUT the NY Strip pretty much put me in a coma...also the crab cakes ( or similar now)...all 8 of us walked out on Chicago..I'm a rock n' roll guy from the 60's-70's era, so this kind of show bored all of us...Hairspray, on the other hand, along with the Disney Dream shows, was the best musical I've ever seen on my 30 cruises..I hope to see Mama Mia soon- I've seen the original & loved it...Central Park AT NIGHT is my favorite, with the classical trio playing and the stars out on a clear night, birds chirping..simply magical for me..also love the British Pub & singer, and the Royal Promenade,- I find that is a huge difference in the 2 ships..love the RP!

 

Big Al

Edited January 6, 2015 by big al

[joandian]

Thanks for the great comparison. We have never cruised Carnival but have been tempted. Can you give me any indication of the smoking situation/rules on Breeze or other Carnival ships?

 

J

[04mach1]

Great review !! From one mustang lover to the other. A picture of my Shelby.

 

 

[angelofsin]

I have been thinking about trying Carnival for a while now but I have been a little on the fence about it. I am thinking of doing a cruise with them in 2016; either with my family or by myself.. hell i might do both(depending on my funds of course)!

 

I didn't know that Carnival made up the difference in price drops with OBC. that is actually an excellent policy and might endear me to Carnival as I think that is a fair way to do business.

 

Thank you for review as it has given what I think is a balance comparison of both lines.

[mammadi2]

Following your review! We leave on the Oasis on April 18th and it can't come soon enough. The cold in Michigan is already too much!

 

 

I am also booked on the April 18th sailing...can't come soon enough :)

 

Loving the review:D

[jjtimes2]

Thank you for posting such a great review! We just booked Oasis for this summer, and it will be our second time - cannot wait!

 

I have to agree with your assessment of Chops. We've sailed HAL a few times and had wonderful dinners at Pinnacle Grill. I expected at least something comparable at Chops. This was in 2012, and I hoped they had improved, but I guess not. DH ate all of his steak, but my steak was inedible. I like it medium-well and it was tasteless and had no juices. Even our local steakhouse can serve me a juicy medium-well steak. The potatoes tasted starchy and glutenous, like they'd been sitting in water too long, and after one bite neither of us ate them. The veggies had no seasoning. The service was not good at all. They never refilled our water glasses. On top of a bad meal and poor service, they tried to sell us their cookbook at the end! It was a real disappointment.

 

On the plus side, every meal we had in the MDR was wonderful! The food was very good, tasted very fresh, and our servers were excellent. Curious to see what dynamic dining will be like.

[bucks724]

Thanks for the great comparison. We have never cruised Carnival but have been tempted. Can you give me any indication of the smoking situation/rules on Breeze or other Carnival ships?

 

J

 

Smoking situation is virtually the same. No balcony smoking, select areas on ship (casino, etc.) and starboard side of deck 11 - at least that's what it was when I sailed. My parents are on Breeze now, I can get clarification on Sunday if someone else doesn't chime in.

 

Great review !! From one mustang lover to the other. A picture of my Shelby.

 

 

 

::DROOL::

[bucks724]

I have been thinking about trying Carnival for a while now but I have been a little on the fence about it. I am thinking of doing a cruise with them in 2016; either with my family or by myself.. hell i might do both(depending on my funds of course)!

 

I didn't know that Carnival made up the difference in price drops with OBC. that is actually an excellent policy and might endear me to Carnival as I think that is a fair way to do business.

 

Thank you for review as it has given what I think is a balance comparison of both lines.

 

The first time I sailed, I changed from a balcony to an interior before final payment - the difference was $600, as was my balance, so my cruise was paid off. The price dropped after that and I had OBC of about $200, plus whatever the TA gave us.

 

My parents are sailing with about $500 and their friends have $700. Which kinda tells me that the cruise was overpriced this time to begin with - like I said, they plan about 18 months in advance for these trips - but even after final payment, they just kept tacking on OBC (my parents and their friends paid their cruises off before final payment date, so they got OBC rather than the option to pay a reduced rate).

 

Give it a try - you never know. When the price dropped for ours and I DIDN'T get OBC, I was perturbed at RCCL for changing their policy to not offer OBC.

[bucks724]

Chicago is on allure. Not epic. Also find it hard for you to give another ship the nod on specialty restaurants when you didn't eat at all of them. Especially the top one 150cp.

 

Yep, got it wrong again. I'll get it right one of these days. :)

 

However, I didn't eat at 150 because it's not the type of food I like - I didn't compare things I didn't try, so I thought it was a fair assessment of the things I did try. If you notice, I also didn't mention Chef's Table on Breeze - because I didn't eat there. 150 MAY be excellent, but comparing steakhouse to steakhouse, Breeze, in my opinion, wins. YMMV, of course.