Planning your dream cruise but can’t decide between Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas? You’re not alone. The dilemma of choosing between these two magnificent ships is common among cruisers. Both vessels, part of Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class, promise unforgettable experiences, luxurious amenities, travel to exotic destinations, and world-class entertainment. But how do you pick the perfect ship for your relaxing voyage?
Don’t worry—as a seasoned cruiser, I understand your dilemma. While I haven’t personally sailed on these floating resorts, I’ve thoroughly researched each for my next cruise. At first glance, Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas seem identical. Still, after reading countless blogs, forums, and cruiser comments, I’ve discovered vital differences that might influence your decision.
In this article, I’ll compare Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas side by side—everything from ship specifications to dining options, entertainment, itineraries, and more. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of what each ship offers, helping you decide which is the perfect fit for your dream cruise.
Are you ready to embark on this virtual tour and determine which ship wins the ultimate cruise showdown? Let’s set sail.
Introducing Allure of the Seas
Allure of the Seas, launched in 2010, accommodates 5,484 passengers with 2,742 staterooms, including suites, balconies, and interiors. This ship boasts 16 passenger decks and seven distinct neighborhoods. It’s filled with diverse dining options, Broadway shows, an ice skating rink, a Boardwalk area, a carousel, and AquaTheater, making it a floating paradise.
Introducing Oasis of the Seas
The Oasis of the Seas set sail in 2009 and hosts 5,606 passengers across 2,706 staterooms, including luxurious suites and various room types. With 16 decks, this ship offers unique neighborhoods like Central Park and the Royal Promenade, top-notch entertainment, water slides, and diverse dining experiences for an unforgettable cruise adventure. It also features the AquaTheater, Bionic Bar, and the largest dry slide on cruise ships.
Ship Specifications
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships are some of the largest cruise ships in the world. The Allure of the Seas and the sister ship, Oasis of the Seas, were the first of their kind. Common to all ships are distinct neighborhoods, promenades, boardwalks, and Central Park. These areas contain tropical gardens, shops, restaurants, and a working carousel.
Both ships feature Mediterranean, European, and Caribbean cruises.
Here is a comparison of the specifications of each ship.
Allure of the Seas
- Class and type: Oasis-class ship
- Gross tonnage: 225,282 GT
- Length: 1,187 feet (361.8 m)
- Decks: 16 passenger decks
- Passenger Capacity: 5,484 at double occupancy; 6,780 maximum
- Staterooms: 2,745
- Speed: 22.6 knots
- Crew Members: 2,200
Oasis of the Seas
- Class and type: Oasis-class ship
- Gross tonnage: 225,282 GT
- Length: 1,187 feet (361.8 m)
- Decks: 16 passenger decks
- Passenger Capacity: 5,400 at double occupancy; 6,296 maximum
- Staterooms: 2,744
- Speed: 22.6 knots
- Crew Members: 2,100
Oasis of the Seas Amplification
The main difference between the two cruise ships is Royal Caribbean’s amplification program. The Oasis of the Seas underwent a complete upgrade in 2019. This added a Caribbean-style pool deck, a ten-story water slide, the Perfect Storm trio of water slides, and new restaurants and bars.
Allure of the Seas to Get a $100 Million Upgrade in April 2025
Exciting news for those considering Allure of the Seas! In April 2025, the ship is set to undergo a $100 million upgrade as part of Royal Caribbean’s Royal Amplified program. Once the renovation is complete, the ship will offer over 35 spots for dining, drinks, and water activities, along with a revamped pool deck and the exciting Ultimate Abyss slide.
The newly enhanced Allure of the Seas will debut in the Western Mediterranean for summer 2025 with seven-night cruises to Spain, Italy, and France, before returning to the Caribbean later in the year. This transformation promises to elevate the cruising experience, making Allure of the Seas even more spectacular for future travelers.
Accommodations
Choosing the right stateroom or suite type can significantly improve your cruise experience. Both mega-ships offer a wide range of accommodations designed to offer options for different tastes and budgets.
There seems to be little difference between the two ships’ accommodation options. However, Oasis of the Seas has the edge with virtual balconies in some staterooms.
Allure of the Seas
Allure of the Seas offers various accommodations to suit every traveler’s needs, featuring 2,744 staterooms across several categories.
Suites offer luxurious living areas with expansive balconies, including the Royal, Owner’s, and Grand Suites. Balcony staterooms provide sea views and private outdoor spaces. Ocean View staterooms feature large windows for natural light and ocean views. Interior staterooms are budget-friendly and have modern amenities, comfortable bedding, and ample storage.
Oasis of the Seas
Oasis of the Seas offers luxurious suites with spacious balconies, cozy ocean-view staterooms with large windows, and budget-friendly interior staterooms with modern amenities and comfortable bedding. Unique options include Central Park and Boardwalk View Balcony staterooms, providing serene garden settings or lively scenes.
Some indoor staterooms have ceiling-to-floor virtual balconies—an LED screen with real-time views of the sea.
Comparison
Most forum discussions highlight that there’s little to choose between the two. Some cruisers prefer Allure’s decor and quieter staterooms without water slides blocking some ocean views. However, others say the rooms feel a bit outdated. In this respect, Oasis of the Seas has the better choice of staterooms, mainly thanks to the interior rooms with virtual balconies.
Itineraries
Regarding itineraries, I found little to differentiate between the two modern cruise ships. Both include Eastern and Western Caribbean ports of call and repositioning cruises to and from the Mediterranean. Oasis of the Seas includes more Southern Caribbean destinations, whereas Allure of the Seas stops more in the Bahamas.
Dining Options
Royal Caribbean ships are known for providing excellent dining experiences for all passengers. They include several buffet-style and formal dining options included in the price. These range from standard cruise fare to Mexican, BBQ, bistros, cafes, and bars. They also have specialty dining options like Chef’s Table, Giovanni’s Table, Johnny Rockets, and Starbucks.
How do the dining options stack up on a cruise? How do experienced cruisers rate the restaurants, bars, and safes on both ships? Here’s what I discovered.
Allure of the Seas
Allure of the Seas offers diverse dining options, typical of all Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships, like the renowned Windjammer Cafe. You can enjoy fine dining at 150 Central Park, Italian cuisine at Giovanni’s Table, fresh sushi at Izumi, and classic American fare at Chops Grille. Unique to Allure are dining venues like Sabor, Samba, and Vintages Wine Bar.
Oasis of the Seas
Most cruise passengers agree that the Oasis of the Seas’ amplification somewhat improved the culinary experience. Firm favorites are dining options like El Loco Fresh, Portside BBQ, Sugar Beach, and 150 Central Park. One of the most unique experiences is the Bionic Bar, where robots expertly create tropical cocktails.
Bars unique to Oasis of the Seas include Spotlight Karaoke, The Lime & Coconut, Playmakers, Dazzles, and the Music Hall.
Comparison
Analyzing the online comments about the ships’ dining options, it seems Oasis of the Seas comes out slightly ahead of Allure of the Seas. Its newer specialty restaurants, like Portside BBQ, Chops Grille, and Johnny Rocket, are especially praised. The Bionic Bar is also a hit with cruisers for its novelty aspect.
Entertainment and Activities
The choice of onboard entertainment is among the most critical considerations for many cruise passengers. From studying Royal Caribbean’s website and entertainment options, it’s clear they pull out all the stops for fun evening extravaganzas.
What can you expect onboard two of the largest cruise ships in the world? Here’s what I’ve found.
Allure of the Seas
Allure of the Seas offers spectacular Broadway-style productions such as “Mamma Mia!” in the main Amber theater. Other entertainment highlights are ice-skating shows in Studio B, spectacular diving shows at AquaTheater, and a night of fun and laughs at the Comedy Live club.
Unique to Oasis-class ships is the Rising Tide Bar—an elevator bar that moves between decks. The ship also features the lively Music Hall, offering live music and dancing.
Oasis of the Seas
Oasis of the Seas provides equally impressive entertainment, featuring the Broadway musical “Cats” and thrilling performances at the Aqua Theater. Like the Allure, guests can enjoy dazzling ice-skating shows, Jazz on 4, the Rising Tide Bar, and live music in the Music Hall.
Unique entertainment venues on board Oasis of the Seas are the Escape Room Challenge, the Bionic Bar, and the Ultimate Abyss—one of the longest dry slides at sea.
Comparison
The consensus from forums like Cruise Critic, and Reddit is that Oasis of the Seas has the edge due to its newer facilities. However, little differentiates the two ships in terms of entertainment.
Outdoor and Recreational Activities
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class cruise ships offer many ways to keep guests occupied on a cruise. Zip lines, the FlowRider surf simulator, a rock climbing wall, pools, and hot tubs are common recreational activities on both ships. Indoor Central Park provides a tranquil area for chilling out.
Both have outdoor movie theaters, DJ music for the latest vibes, evening pool parties, theme nights, dance classes, and classic game shows.
Here’s what I discovered from extensive research on the Allure and Oasis cruise ships.
Allure of the Seas
Allure of the Seas provides an array of outdoor activities catering to adventure seekers and relaxation enthusiasts. However, I didn’t find noticeable differences when comparing it with other Oasis-class ships. Highlights are the stunning Solarium—an indoor relaxation oasis for adults with panoramic views. One difference is that there are no waterslides on Allure of the Seas.
Oasis of the Seas
Oasis of the Seas boasts similar outdoor adventures to all Royal Caribbean Oasis-class ships but with unique twists. Like Allure, it has four pools and one adults-only pool. Also, rock climbing walls, mini golf, and a surf simulator keep guests of all ages occupied.
However, after amplification, the new pool areas feature a trio of adrenaline-pumping water slides—the Perfect Storm—and the Ultimate Abyss dry slide. Also, the Lime & Coconut bar adds a popular twist for guests in the pool area.
Comparison
Most guests on cruise forums highlight the water slides and the 10-story dry slide on Oasis of the Seas as the most notable differences. Some cruisers prefer Allure because the water slides don’t block some balcony views. However, families rate Oasis of the Seas better because the aqua park with its slides keeps kids entertained throughout the day.
Family and Kids’ Activities
Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas are perfect for families. Royal Caribbean cruise ships offer several activities for children of all ages. Activities range from splash parks to basketball courts, carousels, and science labs. The Adventure Ocean Aquanauts is especially popular with younger children.
Let’s look at what each cruise ship has to offer in detail.
Allure of the Seas
All Royal Caribbean cruise ships have programs catered to kids—from two-year-olds to teens. On the Allure of the Seas, children can have fun on carousels, the H2O Zone water park, archery, and learning in the science lab. Older children and teens can enjoy the climbing wall, Teen Lounge, and ziplining.
However, parents also get some alone time in the adults-only Solarium. The pool, hot tubs, and lounge area are positioned at the ship’s front under a crystal clear canopy. Relaxing on loungers at the front, you get the same ocean view as the captain.
Oasis of the Seas
The Oasis of the Seas has all the same features for families and kids as the Allure of the Seas, with a few extras after its amplification. For example, the Royal Babies & Tots Nursery is for the tiniest cruisers on board. Tweens and teens can also find plenty of age-appropriate, supervised entertainment. Teens can spend time in the Living Room lounge or Fuel Nightclub.
The only difference between Oasis and Allure regarding kids’ facilities is the improved options. Also, Oasis has a Splashaway Bay water park that parents rate as one of the best on any cruise ship.
Unique Features
What’s unique about Oasis-class ships in the cruise industry? Common to all ships in the Oasis class are the neighborhoods, five-story high Central Park, Boardwalk outdoor area, and the Entertainment Place. Most cruisers say that the entertainment options on the Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas are some of the best they’ve experienced.
Here is a summary of the unique features of Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas:
- Rising Tide Bar
- H2O Water Park
- Rock climbing walls
- Broadway-style shows
- FlowRider surf simulators
- The Ultimate Abyss, 216 ft. (66 m) long dry slide on Oasis of the Seas
- Splashaway Bay (Oasis of the Seas)
- Bionic Bar (Oasis of the Seas)
- Central Park garden with lush greenery and boutique shops
What Cruisers Say About the Allure of the Seas
Cruisers on the Allure of the Seas generally rave about its vibrant entertainment options, including Broadway shows and AquaTheater performances. It has a variety of dining venues, and the Sabor and Windjammer options are well received. I’ve also read that many families feel the activities for children and teens are ideal.
The most negative comments about Allure of the Seas are that it feels slightly dated compared to its sister ship, the Oasis of the Seas. Additionally, the vessel can feel crowded at peak times, with a lot of activity around the pool and longer lines at the buffet. However, the ship’s dated feel isn’t a problem if you are planning your first cruise.
What Cruisers Say About the Oasis of the Seas
Compared to Allure of the Seas, Oasis of the Seas gets high marks for its impressive entertainment, water park, slides, and Splashaway Bay. The ship’s amplifications and new attractions like the Bionic Bar and Ultimate Abyss are standout features. Also, cruisers say that its entertainment, like the Aqua 80 shows and Broadway productions, is fantastic.
On the negative side, the ship’s size can be an issue during peak times. However, most people cruising on the biggest cruise ships in the world expect them to be busy.
Conclusion
When comparing Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, it’s clear that both ships offer many options. They have similar fun-filled experiences appealing to a wide range of travelers. I’ve learned that the main difference between the two ships is the slides, like the Ultimate Abyss and the Perfect Storm. Also, Oasis’s amplification gives it the edge with more state-of-the-art amenities. However, whichever ship you choose for your cruise, you’ll love the entertainment and specialty dining options.
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