Princess Product Compared to Oasis of the Seas

[truckmaker]

We are long term Princess fans and were on the January 23 sailing of the (OMG it’s big!) Oasis of the Seas and thought we could offer some comparisons:

 

Embark / Debark: when you contemplate the size of the task both products perform an amazing job in a very short time well.

 

Food: We were unfavourably impressed with the buffet services on the Oasis due to the selections available, taste and presentation. The Oasis Windjammer buffet area attempted to accommodate too many people. It is a huge space but there were so many tables and chairs that once seated it is difficult to rise again. The Windjammer desserts were mostly jello-type concoctions and bread pudding daily.

 

Shows: We sat through the 1st part of Cats (what is it about anyway?) and heard a couple of nice songs but found it really difficult to understand. The diving show was different for us and we found it entertaining.

 

Stateroom: We generally choose a Mini Suite on Princess and had a Junior Suite on the Oasis. The space was larger than we were used to, had a huge walk-in closet, a curtain that could separate the sitting area from the bed, a single TV, and very abundant storage so we had a lot more empty drawers than usual. All the rooms we visited included electric coffee and tea pots and we enjoyed them, and we did miss sitting around the elegant Atrium area while enjoying a beverage and snack from the IC.

 

Overall: On the Oasis there was a significant amount of commercialization – a majority of the dining venues for lunch required additional money, Promenade entertainment events were sponsored by companies like rum makers. Many activities also required additional money so that tended to colour our opinions. Generally it was an enjoyable cruise to the Eastern Caribbean with friends new and old and we had a good time but we will clearly look at smaller RCL ships in the future.

[Colo Cruiser]

Thanks for the comments.

 

Too big for me. ;)

Edited January 31, 2016 by Colo Cruiser

[seacrystal]

Hi truckmaker,

 

I was very interested in your review because after many Princess cruises, we have decided to see what Allure of the Seas (sister of Oasis) is like this April. We love Princess but needed to compare with another line. We also like the minis and have booked a JS on the Allure.

 

Thank you and I appreciate your comparison.

[Highwaydude]

I went on the Oasis of the Seas about 5 years ago and it was probably one of my best cruises i've been on. The entertainment I thought was top notch. The broadway production of Hairspray was the best i've seen on a ship. The ice skating show was just as awesome. The nightly entertainment in the main mall like strip was a blast as well. We did a junior suite and it really put to shame the mini-suite on Princess as far as size goes. Also at no time did I feel the ship was over crowded as many suggest. I went on the Carnival Dream that same year and that was by far the most crowded ship i've ever encountered. The Oasis was also one of the most smoothest cruises i've had as well. That could be in relation to its size as well, but it was very smooth sailing. As for dining options, sure they have more up-charge options then Princess, but you can still eat for free as any other ship. But overall, the ship was just an amazing experience for me. Would go back on an Oasis Class ship in a heart beat. I just wish they would offer new itineraries for those ships.

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.....:):):)

 

Bob

[halfapair]

Hi Truckmaker - We have cruised on Princess to Alaska; Norwegian & R/C to the Caribbean.

We liked the food on Princess the best of the three lines. We thought the food in the main dining room was superior.

But we enjoyed our cruise on R/C to the Caribbean the most of all three cruises & lines.

[-Lew-]

 

Shows: We sat through the 1st part of Cats (what is it about anyway?) and heard a couple of nice songs but found it really difficult to understand. The diving show was different for us and we found it entertaining.

LOL...

 

Our thoughts exactly! We walked out after the first act too. How could Cats possibly be one of Broadway's longest running shows? We must be missing something.

 

We've sailed with our grandson on the Allure and Oasis and will sail with him on the Anthem in July. They're great ships for kids...our grandson has a fantastic time and we all have a wonderful time together!

 

[Pam in CA]

Our thoughts exactly! We walked out after the first act too. How could Cats possibly be one of Broadway's longest running shows? We must be missing something.

I saw the original "Cats" in London's West End in the early 80's and again on Broadway and in Boston. Absolutely love this show and the music. I could see it again and again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cats_%28musical%29

[whitshel]

We are long term Princess fans and were on the January 23 sailing of the (OMG it’s big!) Oasis of the Seas and thought we could offer some comparisons:

 

Embark / Debark: when you contemplate the size of the task both products perform an amazing job in a very short time well.

 

Food: We were unfavourably impressed with the buffet services on the Oasis due to the selections available, taste and presentation. The Oasis Windjammer buffet area attempted to accommodate too many people. It is a huge space but there were so many tables and chairs that once seated it is difficult to rise again. The Windjammer desserts were mostly jello-type concoctions and bread pudding daily.

 

Shows: We sat through the 1st part of Cats (what is it about anyway?) and heard a couple of nice songs but found it really difficult to understand. The diving show was different for us and we found it entertaining.

 

Stateroom: We generally choose a Mini Suite on Princess and had a Junior Suite on the Oasis. The space was larger than we were used to, had a huge walk-in closet, a curtain that could separate the sitting area from the bed, a single TV, and very abundant storage so we had a lot more empty drawers than usual. All the rooms we visited included electric coffee and tea pots and we enjoyed them, and we did miss sitting around the elegant Atrium area while enjoying a beverage and snack from the IC.

 

Overall: On the Oasis there was a significant amount of commercialization – a majority of the dining venues for lunch required additional money, Promenade entertainment events were sponsored by companies like rum makers. Many activities also required additional money so that tended to colour our opinions. Generally it was an enjoyable cruise to the Eastern Caribbean with friends new and old and we had a good time but we will clearly look at smaller RCL ships in the future.

 

Thanks for the comparison, have always looked at Princess due to availability on the west coast. We just got off the Oasis in January as well, so I have a couple questions that have me confused;

 

1. You said majority of lunch venues require an additional charge? Hmmmm, did you see 1. Park Cafe (Best Roast Beef on Wek anywhere) 2. Boardwalk dog house 3. Cafe Promenade 4. Sorentos Pizza 5. MDR 6. Windjammer 7. Solarium Cafe 8 Wipe-out Cafe 8 different places free of charge for lunch, does Princess have more? Please elaborate :confused:

 

2. Many activities require an additional charge? Again hmmmm, I don't know of any activities we did that required a charge except for Bingo, is Bingo free on Princess? Rock wall, flowrider, mini golf, zipline, 3d movies, ping pong, basket ball, ice skating, trivia, dancing, scavenger hunts, volley ball, fountain shows and probably more that I can't think of. Was there something else I missed?

 

Just wondering, it sounds like you had to pay for a lot but I didn't pay extra for anything. Well like I said for Bingo and one day at lunch at Sabor.

[Clarea]

Thanks for the comparison.

[iluvcruzin]

Thanks for the comparison, have always looked at Princess due to availability on the west coast. We just got off the Oasis in January as well, so I have a couple questions that have me confused;

 

1. You said majority of lunch venues require an additional charge? Hmmmm, did you see 1. Park Cafe (Best Roast Beef on Wek anywhere) 2. Boardwalk dog house 3. Cafe Promenade 4. Sorentos Pizza 5. MDR 6. Windjammer 7. Solarium Cafe 8 Wipe-out Cafe 8 different places free of charge for lunch, does Princess have more? Please elaborate :confused:

 

2. Many activities require an additional charge? Again hmmmm, I don't know of any activities we did that required a charge except for Bingo, is Bingo free on Princess? Rock wall, flowrider, mini golf, zipline, 3d movies, ping pong, basket ball, ice skating, trivia, dancing, scavenger hunts, volley ball, fountain shows and probably more that I can't think of. Was there something else I missed?

 

Just wondering, it sounds like you had to pay for a lot but I didn't pay extra for anything. Well like I said for Bingo and one day at lunch at Sabor.

 

Sorry.. this response almost seems like a defense post for the RCCL board.

 

I've been on the Oasis. I think the OP may be referring to the specialty restaurants available at lunch which does have a surcharge.

 

It's hard telling what activities the OP is talking about with the added cost. It could be the use of one of those golf simulators or bingo or casino event.

 

The poster didn't say they paid for anything.

 

But to be honest, it is a different on Princess. Princess doesn't have the people walking around with sample shots offering a special price on flavored rums. They don't have bar attendants walking around trying to sell the drink of the day. For someone not used to RCCL it is different.

 

So I went on the Indy back in October and then the Regal in November. It was like night and day. High activity based and crowded on the Indy, more laid back and quiet on the Regal. I like the best of both worlds so I cruise on both lines. :)

[Keith1010]

Always great to see what others think.

 

Keith

[BopRN]

As Loyal to Royal cruisers, we are trying our first Princess cruise next fall. We have been on Oasis and yes, it is big, but we thought they did a good job of handling 6,000 passengers. What we weren't crazy about, compared to other RCCL ships, was the lack of personal touches which they just can't do because of the size. For example, we missed not having a Welcome and Farewell show...it was all done by video. There were many conflicts of schedules....many shows & events were scheduled at the same time. For late dinner seating, our shows were at 10 pm and we were rushed to finish our meal to get there, giving up coffee & dessert. We thoroughly enjoyed the water-diving shows...it was a nice change and amazing that they could do that on a ship! I am not sure what the OP meant by lunch costing extra....there is a Johnny Rockets and yes, they charge for that, but otherwise, we didn't pay for meals and the prime rib sandwiches were to die for in the Central Park restaurant!!

 

We are looking forward to our fall Princess cruise. However, we have found there a huge difference in the size of the cabins! A normal "low-end" balcony cabin on RCCL always includes a couch and seating area...we have had to pay a lot more for a mini-suite so we have room to move. The Princess balcony cabins appear very cramped with only a straight chair? We could not survive with no place to relax. So we paid the extra $$ for a mini-suite.

[IDsailor]

We have done many Princess cruises as well as one on the Allure. Comparing the two is like apples to oranges. The Allure experience was all about the ship. We found the entertainment great, the food good, and the many activities great. With Princess, it is more about the itinerary for us. The ship experience is good while visiting some very interesting places. In retrospect, while on the Allure, we really didn't need to get off at the ports.

[pshaze]

We are Platinum on Princess. Will be on the Royal in a couple of weeks. We usually sail by the itineraries.

However, we cruised on both the Oasis and the Allure and loved them. All of the entertainment was awesome on both ships. The big productions were Broadway quality. We never experienced any conflicts with the shows and dinner. One really nice thing they have on these ships is the ability to schedule (reserve) all the shows before you board. There were plenty of times to work around your schedule. They even had afternoon shows on sea days to accommodate everyone.

I felt the food was about the same quality as Princess. I did like the varied free options on the Oasis/Allure. Loved the Park Cafe. Never felt the need to spend extra money on food. We are really looking forward to the new options on the Royal.

“Princess doesn't have the people walking around with sample shots offering a special price on flavored rums. They don't have bar attendants walking around trying to sell the drink of the day.”

Not once, on either ship, were we approached to sample or purchase a drink of the day. As a matter of fact my husband had trouble getting waited on at the only bar open by the pool. There was very little, if any, up selling that I can remember.

The differences in the Balcony rooms are:

 

Oasis/Allure you sacrifice space in the room (smaller closet and shelves) for a lovely large balcony.

On Princess you sacrifice balcony space for a larger closet and you don’t get a couch. (Even on the Royal/Regal Deluxe Balcony rooms you lose drawers and shelf space to get the couch)

I only had a couple of things we didn’t like on the Oasis/Allure and these are really minor. There isn’t any drink stations, anywhere on the ship, that you could get ice and water yourself. I really dislike getting ice from a bucket or from behind the bar. Love that on Princess I can get it anytime. The option for food at night is very limited. (Not that I really needed it!) And unless you are in a show or club there wasn’t much going on between 9pm-11pm. Sometimes you just want to party!

[iluvcruzin]

“Princess doesn't have the people walking around with sample shots offering a special price on flavored rums. They don't have bar attendants walking around trying to sell the drink of the day.”

Not once, on either ship, were we approached to sample or purchase a drink of the day. As a matter of fact my husband had trouble getting waited on at the only bar open by the pool. There was very little, if any, up selling that I can remember.

 

That may have been your experience on your particular sailings. I've been cruising on both lines 30+ years. We have seen a lot of this behavior on the RCCL ships. It still doesn't keep me from booking with them. Love the perks.

[pshaze]

That may have been your experience on your particular sailings. I've been cruising on both lines 30+ years. We have seen a lot of this behavior on the RCCL ships. It still doesn't keep me from booking with them. Love the perks.

 

 

My response was for the Oasis/Allure only, not RCCL in general or any other cruise line.

 

The original post, and thread, was a comparison of the Oasis vs Princess.

 

We felt there was a much different atmosphere on those ships, seemed more family oriented, hence the lack of pushing Alcohol. Just our observation.

[whitshel]

Sorry.. this response almost seems like a defense post for the RCCL board.

 

I've been on the Oasis. I think the OP may be referring to the specialty restaurants available at lunch which does have a surcharge.

 

It's hard telling what activities the OP is talking about with the added cost. It could be the use of one of those golf simulators or bingo or casino event.

 

The poster didn't say they paid for anything.

 

But to be honest, it is a different on Princess. Princess doesn't have the people walking around with sample shots offering a special price on flavored rums. They don't have bar attendants walking around trying to sell the drink of the day. For someone not used to RCCL it is different.

 

So I went on the Indy back in October and then the Regal in November. It was like night and day. High activity based and crowded on the Indy, more laid back and quiet on the Regal. I like the best of both worlds so I cruise on both lines. :)

 

I get the defense aspect but I wanted to clarify these points because it sounds like you have to spend more money to eat or do activities on Oasis. OP specifically said " a majority of the dining venues for lunch required additional money" Actually there are only a few that charge, Izumi, Sabor, Giovannis, and JR that I can think of. 4 that charge, 8 that don't or there abouts, but that's 12 different choices for lunch. And all the activities that you mentioned I would guess are an extra charge on princess as well. This was a comparison which these were made out to be different. Opinions are one thing, food was good, food was bad, entertainment was awesome, entertainment sucked but this was made out to be show aspects were different and less attractive on Oasis. And what's I didn't understand.

 

Maybe the op didn't realize there were 12 different options for lunch which most are not for charge :D

 

Was this in defense? ya somewhat, but when someone reads that and says I have to pay for lunch on Oasis? No, you don't.

 

Crowded, yes I can see that. There are a lot of peeps on those ships. Like you we have Celebrity when we want that laid back atmosphere. :cool:

[jpcello]

My sister and I are taking our first Princess cruise this summer. We have been on several RCL ships, including Oasis and Allure. We really liked both of them - entertainment was great (we saw Hairspray on Oasis and Chicago on Allure). Loved the Viking Crown Lounge - it's the lounge on the top deck. During the day it's not really used so that was our go-to place for reading. You have an amazing view, it's quiet and comfy. The pool areas are quite expansive and the staff is great at taking care of chair hogs.

 

Enjoyed just wandering the ship -- Boardwalk and Central Park are great spaces. Even though the ships are enormous, you never really feel the size because it is so well organized. We never ate in any of the specialty restaurants (we broke and had dinner at Johnny Rocket's one night) so we stuck with the MDR - food was always great as was the service. Agreed that the Windjammer is a bit overwhelming. My sister uses a scooter and we were always well taken care of -- staff was awesome.

[Turtle05]

Hi truckmaker,

 

I was very interested in your review because after many Princess cruises, we have decided to see what Allure of the Seas (sister of Oasis) is like this April. We love Princess but needed to compare with another line. We also like the minis and have booked a JS on the Allure.

 

Thank you and I appreciate your comparison.

 

I've only ever sailed RC and NCL (I'm stalking the Princess board while I ponder my 2017 Alaskan cruise), and I loved the Allure! DH and I had so much fun on that ship! I saw the diving show, the cirque-like show in the theater, and Chicago. All amazing. Oh, I'm sure you already know you can book all that online beforehand... I recommend doing that. Well, I really wouldn't know what it was like for folks that didn't because my neurotic brain was like "yay I can book early online =)" ok sorry for the slight hijack. I hope you enjoy the Allure!

[Skai]

But to be honest, it is a different on Princess. Princess doesn't have the people walking around with sample shots offering a special price on flavored rums. They don't have bar attendants walking around trying to sell the drink of the day.

 

This is news to me.

 

I recall a few times being offered Limoncello on Italian Night in the MDR(as well as other types of shots on other occasions) on Princess ships.

 

My memory might be fuzzy, but I'm also fairly sure that during sail away, there are bar attendants walking around with trays of already made drinks for sale as well.

[soccergang]

We usually cruise on Princess, but wanted to try the Oasis during spring break in 2015. Things that we really enjoy on Princess, like afternoon tea, and sharing tables with people during our anytime dining, were not available on the Oasis. The library was minuscule, and there wasn't any stores to buy books or magazines. We loved "Cats", the diving show, and the ice skating performance. They did have better wi-fi service than Princess currently offers. All in all, we had fun, but probably wouldn't do another cruise with them.

[rjg41]

We greatly enjoyed our sailings on Princess but----the OP did not note all the unique things on OASIS that you will not see on a Princess ship and no charge for any of it on RCCL:

 

1) Rock climbing wall

2) Zip line

3) 2 Flow Riders (surfing machines)

4) Ice Skating Rink

5) Ice show

6) Diving shows

7) Carousel

8) An expansive promenade with live plants and flowers

9) A full Broadway show production, not just a few songs.

10) Full acrobatic show with fabulous special effects.

 

Yes Oasis is big but it needs to be to have all the above. My opinion is that Oasis class and Quantum class ships are the best for families where the kids are 6-7 and over, i.e. beyond the Disney thing. Younger, Disney might be best. My opinion.

[Coveguy4]

I saw the original "Cats" in London's West End in the early 80's and again on Broadway and in Boston. Absolutely love this show and the music. I could see it again and again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cats_%28musical%29

 

Me too! I have seen it 3 times (London,New York and Los Angeles) and enjoyed it every time!

[vclst]

Do Princess in Alaska...IMO they are the best at it.