2026 experience on Oasis of the Seas, cruising with elementary aged kids
Boardwalk balcony - only time it was really loud was when there was an Aqua80 show going on. Music would blare pretty loudly. Multiple nights with 10:30 p.m. performances. Otherwise it was fairly quiet.
View: could see out the back of the ship to see the ocean, kind of weird to be looking across and seeing other people in their cabins, especially at night with lights on.
Parent considerations:
-Lots of food options, including a couple after 10 p.m. after kids club main hours
-After sailing on Carnival several times, I found myself frustrated with the kids club for three main reasons:
1- Rarely had structured activities. Both kids reported that mostly you could watch TV, play video games, or play in the “gym.” My son loved being allowed so much screen time, my daughter declared it “boring” and refused to go, thus rare breaks for me. :( (On Carnival you get a schedule of what activities are at what time, and screen time is limited to a couple 30 minute blocks per day.) I limit screen time at home and it ended up where he wanted to spend most of his time in the kids club just to play video games I typically don’t allow.
2- Standard hours of 9-12, 2-5, 7-10. This causes parents to rush to pick up at the last minute and long lines. I found it stressful to be constantly monitoring the clock to be there on time, but not too early when my son wanted as much screen time as possible. I’ve gotten used to and really appreciate that on Carnival Celebration they are open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and you can choose when to get your kid for meals. Usually just a short line and I could be more relaxed about timing that worked with whatever else we were doing/planning.
3 - After hours cost was $15/hour per kid, which is significantly higher than on Carnival.
Great ship with lots of choices. We enjoyed ice skating, rock climbing, swimming, and the merry go round.
A little disappointed that most of the family activities were scheduled in the 5-7 break, which wasn’t helpful when we had the 5 p.m. dinner assignment for the Main Dining.
Final verdict — for my elementary aged kids Carnival is a better fit (and cheaper!) Our next cruise will definitely be on a Carnival Excel Class ship (Celebration, Mardi Gras, Jubilee or Festivale).