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Carnival Sunshine or Oasis of the Seas (with kids)

UDcc123

By UDcc123,
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UDcc123

UDcc123

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We have 9 & 7 year old girls and are looking to take a Thanksgiving week cruise out of Orlando (to save 3 hours of driving to Ft Laud). That leaves us with Carnival Sunshine, Oasis of the Seas, and Norwegian Epic. They all are in the same price range at $4200-5000 for a balcony.

 

Everything thing I read says Oasis of the Seas is "amazing"...but is it more fun (for our girls)? They'll be in the kids club probably half the time and with us the other half. They're not very adventurous, so I don't envision them taking advantage of the large waterslides. They'd appreciate a cool mini-golf course more:) Along the same lines, while Cats is probably an amazing production, I'm not sure they wouldn't prefer Hasbro game night.

 

At the end of the day, we're looking for a ship that will give us a relaxing and fun vacation, moreso than a wow vacation. Would the smaller Sunshine give us that, where I'm imagining lines for meals are smaller and you don't need to reserve a spot for each show in advance?... or is the Oasis that much better that I'm trying to talk us out of it for no reason?

 

Thanks

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UDcc123

UDcc123

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From what I've read, Oasis and Epic are similar in size, and reviews for Epic seem mixed. But if anyone thinks we should be considering that option, I'm open to it (free upgrade for drinks and dining, but since kids don't drink soda, not sure how great a deal that is for us).

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sleepless

sleepless

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I have been on the Oasis. It is a great ship. Your girls should enjoy it. The Boardwalk is geared to children - young and old. There is a free merry-go-round. Some days the have face painting, and some days there is someone on board who makes balloon animals.

 

The Oasis has an Aqua theater that features water shows, gymnastics, and high divers. They also have a comedic water show that is geared to children. Oasis also has an ice skating rink on board. There is a 45 minute show several nights, as well as an additional ice show with a children's theme one afternoon. There are also a parade that features the characters from Shreck.

 

There is not a water slide on the Oasis, but there are several pulls, as well as a children's water park. Oasis does have a flow rider and a zip line.

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bigsky

bigsky

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There were so many kids on the Oasis when we went. Lots of characters walking around. Lots for them to do. My vote would be for the Oasis.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

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taglovestocruise

taglovestocruise

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Just got off Oasis with our 10 year old granddaughter. All she said for weeks before the cruise was .. please don't make me go to the kids club.. once onboard we could not get her out of the kids club unless we were taking her to the flow rider or the rock climbing wall.. she opted on several nights to skip diner with us and instead have diner with the kids club group.. she would spend hours on the flowrider and then straight back to the kids club. the only thing to have concern over is that at age 10 they are allowed to check themselves out of the kids club, not sure about those that are younger. As far as ships go Oasis class ships are like no other.. If you decide to go with Oasis make sure you reserve all your shows well before your cruise. happy cruising

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taglovestocruise

taglovestocruise

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From what I've read, Oasis and Epic are similar in size, and reviews for Epic seem mixed. But if anyone thinks we should be considering that option, I'm open to it (free upgrade for drinks and dining, but since kids don't drink soda, not sure how great a deal that is for us).

 

Oasis is 50% larger with 25% more crew and passengers and about 100% more to do..happy cruising

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Winnigirl

Winnigirl

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We've been on the Oasis and the Epic. There is no comparison. Oasis wins hands down. It is in the top three of cruises we've taken. It was two years ago and I still think about how much I loved that ship. A perfect cruise for the whole family.

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SuiteTraveler

SuiteTraveler

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Hands down Oasis. It is one of the largest ships in the world yet you never feel crowded. I'm not sure how they figured out the crowd control, but it really is great - I've been on smaller ships that felt 10 times more crowded than Oasis! They have mini golf, rock wall climbing, ice skating, children's water park, merry go round, spectacular shows that are great for the whole family, lots of restaurants and so much to do for everyone you can't do it all in a week. Really, this is one of the greatest cruise ships in the world right now. The balcony cabins are a nice size and the bathrooms have round showers with glass doors that you pull closed around you - a very nice touch.

 

The issue with Epic for a family of 4 is that the balcony cabins are small and there is no bathroom per se - there is a toilet room with an obscure glass door off the foyer to the cabin and a shower with an obscure glass door that is directly off the foyer as well. There is a curtain you can pull across the foyer for privacy, but it's not too private, in truth. The sink is located in the cabin.

The cabins also have kind of a funnel shape. Either they squeeze down towards the balcony or are squeezed down near the entrance where the sofa is which makes it hard to make you way through the cabin if all 4 berths are out.

I enjoyed Epic, but I was in The Haven. I'm not so sure I'd enjoy it if I were in a balcony.

 

I've been on the Sunshine's sister ship, Magic, and honestly, there is no comparison between Sunshine and Oasis. Oasis is such a better ship in every possible way. No way would I pay the same for a cruise on Sunshine as on Oasis. If Sunshine were significantly cheaper, then I'd consider it, but if it is a similar price, no way.

Edited by SuiteTraveler
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  • 2 weeks later...
lokix2

lokix2

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Just off the Sunshine sailing 5 days out of Norfolk. Balcony very small, food very good to excellent in all the different venues, ship layout complicated to get around, dissapointed in the music and shows, staff personable but not engaging. Think you and the children would be very happy on the Oasis! Have agreat trip!

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CuplACruzrs

CuplACruzrs

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Just off the Sunshine in February of 2016. Would not cruise that ship again unless it was practically free! This ship absolutely is bottom class and should not be considered with Oasis or Epic.

 

Very poor layout! I have a built in compass and always know my way around the ship half way through the first day. On the last day of this cruise I was still having trouble finding my way around. Not sure why.

 

In addition, theater is poorly set up so they can remove the chairs and use it for other purposes. That means any main floor seating can be obstructed by the people in front of you.

 

The food was good. Crew was exceptional as always on Carnival. But the ship itself left much to be desired. Rust around our oceanview window on the inside, banged up walls in the bathroom, looked like very little attention is being paid to the structure of the ship. Sure the carpet was fine, the bed OUTSTANDING, (even bought one of their pillows when I got home!) but no thanks. Not again.

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CuplACruzrs

CuplACruzrs

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Just off the Sunshine in February of 2016. Would not cruise that ship again unless it was practically free! This ship absolutely is bottom class and should not be considered with Oasis or Epic.

 

Very poor layout! I have a built in compass and always know my way around the ship half way through the first day. On the last day of this cruise I was still having trouble finding my way around. Not sure why.

 

In addition, theater is poorly set up so they can remove the chairs and use it for other purposes. That means any main floor seating can be obstructed by the people in front of you.

 

The food was good. Crew was exceptional as always on Carnival. But the ship itself left much to be desired. Rust around our oceanview window on the inside, banged up walls in the bathroom, looked like very little attention is being paid to the structure of the ship. Sure the carpet was fine, the bed OUTSTANDING, (even bought one of their pillows when I got home!) but no thanks. Not again.

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cruiserking

cruiserking

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Oasis by a mile, you're kids will adore this ship. There is no comparison to the Carnival Sunshine a much older ship that was completely renovated to the tune of $155 million a few years ago.

 

Book the Oasis and don't look back, your family with be forever grateful to you.

 

Jonathan

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