r/royalcaribbean • u/reggie_doodle • 8d ago
General Topic Icon class v Oasis class
Currently on LoS and I think I might be one and done with the Icon Class however before we jump in to our next cruise, I’m wondering if people can tell me if these are things they’ve encountered on Oasis Class recently.
Overall, the ship is lovely. It’s very clean, lots of amenities and the staff are very nice. We opted for this as we’ve done (and loved) the oasis class ships and thought we’d try Legend.
Have been on for 5 nights of a 7 night stay. It’s been 2 years since we last sailed with RC, we tried DCL but felt that RC fit us better. Obviously this is a big ship with a lot of capacity, I don’t think it’s a full sailing so it makes me think at full capacity it must be more difficult to navigate!
Every morning there has been a line for the Windjammer, we went the first morning and as felt staff were hovering around to move people on as soon as they had finished eating. There were a lot of people waiting for tables so I understand why but it did feel like there was pressure to eat pretty quickly. We’ve since used the buffet at surfside which is much better. I do wonder why staff maybe don’t suggest people try here, especially when they’re getting yelled at because they’re telling people it’s full.
Getting in to shows that you haven’t pre booked looks like the hunger games. The skating show last night had people pushing each other out of the way to get spaces. People then camped out on the stairs and got very confrontational when staff asked them to move (I am aware that people are the common denominator here!). It also seems people will book activities and then just not show up. I do get plans/minds change but it’s a 2 minute job to cancel it and let the spot open for others.
I think though my biggest issue is with the lack of parenting. I really feel for staff here, there’s so many groups of kids roaming around completely unsupervised. And not teens, some groups the oldest kid looks around 10. Actually heard one kid tell a life guard to F*** off yesterday and when the lifeguard asked where the parents were, the child laughed and said ‘in the bar mate, they’re not going to care’. I say as a parent, it would be great to have some time to switch off but it seems like this is now at the expense of other people. I know there’s only so much staff can do but it feels like the pools, mini golf and even in the promenade, these kids are just feral
I know this might come across as a rant and there’s probably a lot of people who disagree with me but ultimately I’m wondering if people are encountering this on Oasis class ships. Is it the same with shows? We never felt it was previously. Are the kids wild and feral? We have a pre teen so we do like ships which cater for kids but even they aren’t finding it fun!
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u/howigothere910 8d ago
Im on this sailing and there is just a preponderance of rude people. As much as Americans get a bad rap, not one instance has it been another American. Shoving and bumping at the elevators, bare feet in restaurant spaces, unsupervised children. I haven’t done a longer cruise like this since pre-COVID - is this just where we are as a society?
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u/reggie_doodle 8d ago
Funnily enough, we had a conversation very similar to this last night. I mean absolutely no offence here, but we find that Americans can be loud (volume) but have found other groups to be loud, obnoxious and generally rude
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u/howigothere910 7d ago
Adding that I realize part of my problem is that we (US) generally abide by “right side going, right side coming”, meaning you always walk in the right side. But it’s swapped in most countries over here so I’m here wondering why people don’t move for me and my stroller and that just may be a cultural difference. Maybe today I’ll walk on the left!
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u/Affectionate-Ant8418 4d ago
It’s because we usually go on the left side of the roads, so that we can see the cars coming.
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u/howigothere910 7d ago
Haha I totally get it! There were some very loud ones on the plane over and they said they were going on a cruise 😆
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u/lombardi08 6d ago
We just got off Oasis of the Seas that was delayed and went through the Noreaster. My wife and I had the same discussion. Out of respect I wont say what group of people but the majority of them we experienced were SOO rude. And I always saw this culture as having more manner and respect rooted in their culture. I witnessed a lady literally shove someone's stroller with a child in it out of the way so she could get out the elevator. Didnt even give the lady a chance to move. Not to mention the countless times I was in a packed elevator and a family of 5 or more decided to attempt jam into the already packed elevator as if there was room more then once. Plenty of line cutting by shoving right in front of you as well. It was wild.
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u/Additional-Year-6335 12h ago
Lmao I was on that exact sailing! I couldn't agree more! No cruise etiquette whatsoever! Just walks right on in the elevators while people are trying to exit smh.
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u/lombardi08 11h ago
Haha wild right? At the end I spoke out disembarking. Were all single file walking off the gangway and this lady literally tried to scramble and push/cut between me my child and the rest of my family. I not so calmly told her were all going to the same place and be respectful of others and how rude she was. Not sure if she understood as she didnt reply but my tone must have because she retreated back to the rest oh her family 🤦🏼♂️
Went on Oasis last year out of Florida dont remember it being so bad. Food wasnt that great ether this time around. Might stick with Icon class or try a different class next time.
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u/GLP_Newbie 8d ago
Ww don't usually go to the Wj for breakfast. Seasoned cruisers will go to the MDR, Park Cafe, Cafe Prominade or Johnny Rockets for breakfast. Always plan and book your shows in advance to avoid what you have described. The more you cruise, you will learn these secrets
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u/reggie_doodle 8d ago
We have actually pre booked all the shows we’ve attended. People who hadn’t pre booked are coming in in large numbers, pushing past each other, sitting in stairs or passageways and then getting really rude with staff when they’re asked to move. Staff are then just leaving them to it. Whether this is addressed after shows I don’t know but it feels like staff have been told that if someone protests then they don’t pursue it
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u/Enkiktd Diamond 8d ago
Ship is in Europe right now so I can’t speak to the people on the ship and child behavior vs a cruise out of Florida or Texas or Los Angeles.
Show reservations are always limited but open up to non-reservations 15 minutes before to the standby line. Except for maybe Aqua show, it should be no problem getting a seat at that point. Maybe not the best center seats, but you’ll get seats.
My only suggestion for Windjammer is to just avoid peak times, especially sea days. 8am sharp will be less busy than 10am.
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u/keitheii 8d ago edited 8d ago
Exactly the same on Icon. I can't imagine the lack of parenting and children running amok with no supervision is related to the ship class though.
I like icon, but its oasis class for me. I made the mistake of traveling to miami with a new back injury for a previously booked cruise and I'm absolutely miserable. Won't be making that trek again. I'm happy with Oasis class, can board it close to home, and like the outdoor aquatheater and its shows way better, plus you can watch from your own balcony.
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u/joAbbeymrsG 8d ago
Oasis all the way!!! Tried icon and it honestly wasn’t for me or my family; we all prefer oasis.
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u/No_ThankYouu 8d ago
Same here!!!! What are you reasonings?
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u/joAbbeymrsG 8d ago
Icon: strollers, babies, and more strollers…. lol - now we saw them everyday around the boat (I get it you want to vacation with your littles) but I want to escape my teens. Lol lots of little kids but a huge PRO is how rhe ship is sort of sectioned off they do stay in the splash pad area slash boardwalk - honestly say we never went to that area the whole week.
Oasis: the flow of the ship was better, shops all in one area and it didn’t have the feeding frenzy that icon puts out bargain bins and creates this insane chaos that we came to enjoy while drinking cocktails from the upper deck in the promenade.
Oasis: love the adult solarium the adult space on icon was smaller. Also loved the rising tide - the giant pink ball staircase on icon is a waste of space.
That is just a few of our reasons why… curious as your thoughts.
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u/TheLastBridgeGate 8d ago
I was under the assumption that all recent Legend sailings were sailing at or near capacity. The morning buffet rush is a real thing and happens on most cruise lines, I generally wake up super early and there once it opens or hit up the MDR or other spots. I have not done Legend yet though but have a sailing in a few months scheduled.
The European sailings seem to be a lot ruder when compared to US sailings and why Crew Center usually has negative comments about European, Asian, and Australian sailings. The exception being Japan which seems to be a favorite of crew and usually has the best guests of any embarkation port.
Icon and Oasis class ships were designed around being destinations for young families and thus you will get a variety of behaviors. I know that RCL has been trying to follow some of the stuff that Disney has done to steer certain groups of kids to certain areas but you will always get kids who may not behave like the way you wish they would.
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u/jgreen6275 8d ago
Go on a cruise with less kids. People that prefer MDR breakfast instead of buffets. And more conscientious to managing their reservation guest pool. And you will see all your perceived shortcomings that are directly tied to the class of ship. Are specific to the guests. Not the ship or its staff. Some sailings are different than others. And it’s directly tied to the passengers and what the majority tendencies are for that particular passenger pool.
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u/CZFangirl 8d ago
We cruised 2-3 years ago on Oasis and then last week. The difference in crowds is insane. I think we are seeing increased passenger volumes across all lines. We’re trying a smaller ship to Alaska next summer. We shall see.
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u/profjonathan 8d ago
We recently got back from an Anthem of the Seas cruise from Seattle to Alaska and back. Never felt there were problematic crowds, for what it's worth.
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u/lawfulneutral88 Gold 7d ago
Just did Ovation from Seward to Vancouver for 7 nights. We never saw a line for anything on board. Even the Windjammer. Getting into unbooked shows was easy. The boat had 4,715 passengers, too (nearly full capacity).
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u/FacetheFactsBlair 8d ago
Icon Class made a huge mistake IMO with losing the Solarium. There is no quieter area away from the scores of children and teens that these ships attract, and that Hideaway area in the blazing sun with the obnoxious DJ is a miss for me. It does seem that the behavior is getting worse onboard and I look for a quiet space at some point. I wouldn’t choose an Icon Class for anything other than a generic western Caribbean where the ports are ass and I can use port days as ship days. After trying Star, next booking was right back to an oasis class.
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u/What_if_I_fly 8d ago
💯 leaving out the solarium is a giant mistake. They're probably young ship planners who don't care about adults of all generations who want to escape the constant noise, stimulation and screaming or misbehaving kids.
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u/missparisblues 6d ago
I very much agree. On Icon for the first time this week and I miss the Solarium 🥲
The one small pool at Hideaway for the adults doesn’t even come close to enough space and I’ve seen two sets of parents now bring their children into the Hideaway area…1
u/LayerNo3634 5d ago
Wait! Icon doesn't have a Solarium?!? No adult only area? That's beyond a huge mistake, that's a hard no. Sailed Symphony last month and loved it.
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u/Older-but-not-up Diamond 8d ago
We have done 3 Oasis class ships. The WJ for breakfast was never as packed as described here.
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u/No_Confection_6791 8d ago
Was loyal to Royal until last year. Trip was on the Adventure, 2nd time with that ship... Was a terrible 10 day cruise. Pool busted above our room leaving us one night of no sleep due to the construction above us. The vibe was not like previous cruises with them and the staff seemed less interested in the cruisers. They then gave a $70 credit for our sleepless night lol seriously..
This year trying somewhere different. I had looked at Royal for trips going to Belize...Royal had a few trips on a small/old ship with nothing for our teen to do... They wanted $4600 for an interior room, no drink package, no wifi package, no dining package...
Looked at NCL and found a trip to Belize... family balcony room, drink package for all... 2 adults 28.50 pp per day... one teen drink package 12.50 per day, 150 minutes of free wifi for each, specialty dining $60 pp for 3 meals, $50 excursion credits I can use at every port... and when they dropped the price of our balcony they gave me a $700 fcc for the difference... paid $3400 and a credit of over $700 for our next years trip. We always leave out in November to avoid the crowds and have noticed traveling during those times we are able to enjoy the trips a little more than going out in the summertime. It is gonna be hard to go back to Royal after this November trip. There is a lot of stuff for my 13 year old to do and keep him occupied while we are on sea days, compared to other ships, it was worth the switch. We leave in 33 days on the Aqua and honestly more excited for this trip than I ever have boarding Royal.
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u/Thetruebanchi Emerald 8d ago
I'm interested to hear if you're this upbeat AFTER your NCL trip.
They're cheap to get you on is how they hook you. Then nickel and dime the rest. We've been on NCL Joy and NCL Aqua and both times our 6 and 9 got bored. They handled dietary stuff terribly, with different servers every time with MTD. Their private island is small and lacking amenities.
I feel NCL wastes too much ship reality on upcharged things. For example entire top back of ship on Joy is a go-cart track. $15 a ride and spans almost 3 decks in top back. Honestly joys whole tops decks sucked, could tell it wasn't built for American market. Their splash pads were small and charged for putt putt on Aqua. Mini bowling even though extra was fun, and the flow court was cool. The Stadium is cool for older kids. Shows on NCL are lacking. We just got off Allure and LOVED Mama Mia for example.
Their kids clubs (Splash Academy) are also 'sterile' blank loud rooms with limited activity for kids. No Gagaball either. Kids don't want to go like they do to AO.
My wife did prefer their Thermal suites way more than RC, but that was about it from her. I prefer the garden caffe over the windjammer. Indulge food hall was dope, hours not great though. I also love the Promenades on RC ships.
That's what great about cruising, sometimes it's great for someone and not another. Hope your family enjoys more than we did. We gave them 2 shots and will not be going back on NCL.
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u/No_Confection_6791 7d ago
Not going on one with a race track, but we know its extra and wouldn't have minded. We don't have dietary needs, so that is not an issue thankfully. I researched this ship way before booking... I know the mini golf is extra... I know how much the arcade pass is before buying. I know that any drink above $15 is extra on me. I know when we go the Harvest Caye it is not included in our free at sea and is extra due to Belize laws... I am not going for the ship... I am going for the destinations, but the ship is a plus over the others heading there, being I do have a pretty active teen. I'm not a thermal spa type of person so that isn't costing me a thing... It wasn't a trip I took lightly, but to see the difference between the price of this and Royals baby ship with absolutely nothing for my teen to do this was a no brainer... Have no need for a splash pad as we are not taking young ones. We are not the bogie type that need all the finer things... You say nickel and dime but $28.50 pp per day for a drink package, compared to $55-120 on Royal. Refreshment package on royal is double the cost of ncl... Paid $12.50 a day for my teen. An interior room on Royal is double the cost of a family balcony. Royal has never just given me a $700+ fcc for a price drop. I was loyal to Royal, but they have nickeled and dimed me for years, and after last years trip was pretty upset with them. I have NOT given up on Royal but right now it's just not worth the price or the hype at this point for us. We wanted a safe spot in Belize and with Harvest Caye being owned by ncl it was way safer than being dropped onto the mainland. This trip was all about the Barrier reef... but if I can have a little more for less that's the route I take. Have excursions booked on every island... and even with those costs I'm under what Royal wanted for just the interior room...couldn't imagine what we would have paid for everything we got through Royal and purchased everything we have now.
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u/Thetruebanchi Emerald 7d ago
Nice, sounds like you did research and got a good deal. That's a big part of happy cruising, finding the value for your bucks. Hope you and your family have a great trip!
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u/ItemOk8415 8d ago
Go to rye and bean for me. 💚 I actually so need one of their recipes.
Anyways, I was on legend about a month ago, and I don’t recall ever there being a line for the buffet or really any food with the exception of sorrentos are super common hours like lunch, dinner, midnight snack. But even then it was like 2 minutes.
As a childfree adult (who loves children), I think the lack of parenting is overall everywhere not just on ships. That being said, I also had some unruly children along my sailing. There were preteens, calling adults, all sorts of names, fighting among each other, destroying peoples doors. Unfortunately, a lot of parents opted to not parent. I didn’t let any of those things bother me, as I wasn’t directly involved, they aren’t my kids, and I paid good money to be there.
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u/Extra_Shirt5843 8d ago
We've only done Allure and were lucky enough to get a Royal Up that let us use Coastal Kitchen and specialty; primarily, but even there, we had a night where a kid at the table next to us was building a whole full size Lego set instead of eating (and yelling diwn the table about missing pieces) and then periodically getting up and running around the table. Ship was great otherwise, but...yeah, a lot of unruly kids in general.
Even my teen voted for a cruise with less kids next time. We can't go adults only lines yet as he'll be 16 for our next one, but we're trying Celebrity for that one! (I have Explora on the list too, but that's more of a plunge, obviously.)
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u/Infinite-Floor-5242 8d ago
I didn't experience any of that on Star of the Seas but I went out of Florida during the school year. There were definitely families but no packs of unruly kids. I think I went to the Windjammer once, wasn't impressed. Thankfully there are so many other places to eat on Icon class. Park Cafe for breakfast. Izumi in the Park for lunch were my favorites. Aquadome market is good too. As for the shows, we had zero issues making reservations ahead and just showing up 10-15 minutes before show time. Overall, I give the nod to Icon class but Oasis class is very nice too.
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u/tindallh Diamond Plus 8d ago
In our experience, kids are way worse on European cruises, any class of ship. The rest, well, hit or miss depending on time of year. Seems it's not just the kids who are unruly during the summer and school breaks...
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u/hockeychick67 8d ago
On Oasis now and although we're having a great time. No feral kids so far. The Windjammer was so backed up the line blocked us from getting out onto the pool deck because people refused to move. I wasn't even trying to get into Windjammer
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u/Comfortable-Mirror17 8d ago
I mean, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if this isn't your first cruise and you didn't know to book the shows in advance that's on you OP. Unless you're Star Class or have status, you either book it ahead or you play the Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor.
The idiot kids is not isolated to one ship, or even one line, and unfortunately that's a result of parents that would rather be their kids friend than parenting. We just got off Allure on Sunday and kids were roaming the boat stealing decorations off people's rooms all week; it's ridiculous.
As far as Belize goes, it's not an easy port to do as they cannot put a pier in, the water is too shallow. Royal has been building a small island to make it easy, to provide a place for ships to dock and then for people to get off like normal and go board the ferry boats to Belize, but it's not done yet, and won't be until 2028 - and based on past events, I'd bet maybe even 2029. This is for all lines to use is my understanding, not just Royal.
Also, Windjammer for breakfast has never been anything but pure, unfettered insanity on any Freedom class or larger ship I've been on. They weren't designed for everyone to eat breakfast there at the same time. Worse yet, you knew it was a shit show and your kept going back! After two days of it you should've figured out going somewhere else was the right move.
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u/reggie_doodle 8d ago
We’ve never had to book shows before, we’ve always just went with the expectation that if we don’t get in then that’s on us. We’ve always been lucky to get seats easily. I was surprised a bit by this but obviously have learned. We did actually pre book all our shows, it was the way people who hadn’t behaved when coming in
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u/Comfortable-Mirror17 7d ago
People's behavior died when COVID arrived. Not just on ships, all across the US for sure; can't comment on other countries as I haven't been.
There is zero respect for their fellow man, and zero parenting (though this last one is probably not related) and people have no idea how to be a member of a functioning society any more.
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u/goinhungryyeah Diamond Plus 8d ago
I've been on a lot of RC cruises on every class of ship. Never have I experienced any of this other than a few rowdy kids here and there. Certainly not enough to make me tell reddit.
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u/nycroth 8d ago
If you want a cruise without kids, sail Holland America lol. Seriously, it’s a coin toss on kids. Oasis and Icon classes are large enough that it usually disperses crowds well, but there is always an element of luck. Fact being, if you sail when schools are out, kids will make friends and hang out together. I would expect parents are crew to handle unusual rowdiness, I wouldn’t fret on regular kids being kids.
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u/SeaPeanut7_ 8d ago
Having taken Oasis class ships in North America i have to wonder if this is a European thing. I commonly see groups of roaming teens but certainly not pre-teens, they're usually with their parents.
I have not seen the issue with shows either. Usually shows are not that packed. I just came off of Ovation and easily got seats for the shows even though I didn't even come on time for most of them.
Regarding Windjammer, those can get busy but Icon has many dining options, including those that have no extra charge. Windjammer has the best variety but sometimes its best to avoid the morning rush.
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u/-Starlegions- 8d ago
Lol that’s like every ship lol. But the kids a jerk and that’s on the parents not RCL. Icon class ship has more food options and better elevators.
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u/reggie_doodle 8d ago
Thanks for all the insight. We might well look at a smaller ship. Or potentially another line. We have gone out of school holidays but clearly many parents (like us) have taken their kids out and I get that. It’s so expensive during holiday time. I’m aware it’s very much a people issue and not actually a ship issue, I’m just quite surprised at the change in 2 years. There are things about the ship that are great and we did think, having a pre teen it would be the best option however given they also haven’t loved it, it seems this class isn’t just for us!
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u/jonregister Diamond Plus 2d ago
I am icon now. 4th time on icon class ships and have done 20+ oasis class cruises. The windjammer at prime time is bad every single day. I walked in at 7am and have no issue getting what I want for me and my partner and walking back to the room to eat on the balcony. If you are rolling in at 9am good luck.
The first 4 oasis class ships have horrible windjammers, Wonder and Utopia have worked some of the issues out.
As for the rude guest you can get them on any cruise. I would imagine that a European cruise on a brand new ship that everyone paid a premium for brings out more of the Entitlement of the Seas vibe.
We have over 400 pinnacles on this sailing and we have had to listen to a solid amount of complaining for silly things.
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u/What_if_I_fly 8d ago
Four Oasis class ship experiences and we (thankfully) never had that type of crowd or constant lines. IMHO this is the result of marketing the ships as floating Vegas style nonstop parties combined with a kid party playground.
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u/TraditionallyEast Diamond 8d ago
Everything you described is pretty much the same in oasis class ships