Big Ship vs Smaller Ship

[ruecatt]

I have cruised a few times but never on one of the mega ships like the Oasis. I am really torn between the allure (no pun intended)of the mega ships and all their activities and the smaller ships that seem more personal.

 

I like the variety of things to do on the mega ships but am concern about the crowds.

 

If you have sailed on one of the mega ships, is there an issue with long lines and overcrowding?

 

Which do you perferr: regualr size ships or the giant ones?

[David4]

I have cruised a few times but never on one of the mega ships like the Oasis. I am really torn between the allure (no pun intended)of the mega ships and all their activities and the smaller ships that seem more personal.

 

I like the variety of things to do on the mega ships but am concern about the crowds.

 

If you have sailed on one of the mega ships, is there an issue with long lines and overcrowding?

 

Which do you perferr: regualr size ships or the giant ones?

 

We sailed on the Oasis in May. The first day was the only day that we felt the crowd. After that people spread out and found what they liked. The smallest Ship that I have been on was the Majesty of the seas.

[Alexis]

Our favorite RCCL ship was the Empress of the Seas. Their smallest ship that has now gone over to their Pullmantur lines.

So far, the largest ship with RCCL that my husband and I plan to sail is the Voyager class.

We like that size. ;)

[Trainman-2]

On the larger ships thereare so many places to go and things to do that people tend to spread out all over the ship.

 

The two times/places you can run into a crowd are:

 

- The Promenade before and during a parade

 

- The Windjammer on Port Days just before debarking begins when everyone wants to eat breakfast at the same time

[Ander026]

The largest cruise ships that I have been on is RCCL Monarch of the Seas and the HAL MS Ryndam

 

I will be sailing on the Freedom in one day

[cooncat]

You are going to love the Allure of the Seas. I sailed the Oasis in May. There is so much more to do on the larger ships than on the smallest ships. I found the crew to be very friendly as well. I didn't really find a difference in that between that and the smaller ships. I have to agree that there are only certain times you will see the crowds, otherwise you don't. I would say go for it and have a great time!!!!!!

[TOMCAT22]

I used to always choose the largest ship as there would be more activities but since trying the Splendour of the Seas I think small is the way to go.

 

On the Navigator it could get quite busy and crowded in the Promenade and to be honest the ship was so big that we never saw our dining companions except at the table each night.

 

On the Splendor you would bump into your fellow diners during the day and have a chat etc.

 

Small ship = more sociable.

 

Large ship= more activities and choice of restaurant.

 

Depends on what you prefer at the end of the day.:)

[denamo]

I have cruised a few times but never on one of the mega ships like the Oasis. I am really torn between the allure (no pun intended)of the mega ships and all their activities and the smaller ships that seem more personal.

 

I like the variety of things to do on the mega ships but am concern about the crowds.

 

If you have sailed on one of the mega ships, is there an issue with long lines and overcrowding?

 

Which do you perferr: regualr size ships or the giant ones?

 

One of our all time favorite ships is the Rhapsody, and we also like the Voyager class. Definintely much smaller than the Oasis which we cruised last summer. Both have great features. Of course the smaller ships may not have all of the venues the larger one does, but you don't have to walk so far to get to places on board.

 

I missed deck five as a walking area. There is a running track on the Oasis at deck five, but the view is obstructed due to the life boats. Glad they have those! :)

 

You do have to make a reservation for shows or take a chance that you are able to get in at the last miniute when they allow those without reservations to take the seats of no shows. We also felt compelled to arrive early at booked shows to get the seats we desired, although if we had arrived later, I think we still would have found a decent seat.

 

We never felt like we couldn't move on the Oasis due to the crowds. Of course as has been mentioned there will be times when there are crowds due to a special event such as a parade or when a show is finished. Same is true on smaller or larger ships.

 

On both small and large ships, we find the crew to be helpful and friendly. We're pretty self sufficient cruisers, so we aren't that dependent on the crew. Just an occasional question here and there.

 

I like having the time to relax and just chill. I think on the smaller ships that is a bit easier to do because of the size and what is being offered. However, I've come back from Rhapsody cruises feeling like I needed to have a vacation from my vacation. ;) On the Oasis, we absolutely tried to do it all and loved it.

 

I like all the various eating places on the Oasis better than on the Rhapsody. It was either the Windjammer, the Solarium, or the MDR for food. And room service as well. Not that I ever starved. :D So much more on the Oasis and Voyager class.

 

Were we unhappy on the Oasis due to some of the differences? Absolutely not! Would we book the Rhapsody or Voyager class again? Absolutely! Just trying to give a perspective of the differences. We began to look at booking the Allure almost on the day we arrived back home. We cannot wait until our embarkation day on the Allure in December!

 

For me, just being on a cruise ship, away from the cell phone, emails, and demands of my job compares to no other type of vacation. I like that I can be as active as I want or be as much of a slug as I want! :cool: That being said, I think it all depends on what the cruiser is looking for in a vacation. Have a great cruise whatever ship you are on!

[digital_curator]

I haven't sailed the Oasis (yet) but, having sailed the Radiance-, Voyager-, and Freedom-class ships I find myself torn between the largest and smallest class ships.

 

We sailed on the Serenade to Alaska. It was the perfect ship for this type of cruise: we loved the decor and all the floor to ceiling windows which allowed for excellent views of the landscape. The champagne bar and the safari club (with the novel pool tables) were are favourite spots to relax; however, I did find that I missed many of the activities/areas of the larger ships and found the entertainment to be a little lacking.

 

We also sailed on the Independence to Belize and Mexico during spring break. Despite our bad timing, we rarely felt that this ship was crowded (though one sea day it was extremely hard to find two seats together on the pool deck) and loved the variety of activities/entertainment options/lounges/dining options.

 

So far these are my favourite ships and I find that both have pros and cons; while you give up the beautiful views of the Radiance class, you gain more options.

 

Given my experience on the Indy, I can't wait to try the Oasis or Allure. I think I will love the different neighbourhoods and the HUGE variety of entertainment and dining options. We will probably do the Western itinerary since the ports don't thrill us, just so that we can stay onboard and enjoy the ship!

[BonTXNY]

Like Dename, our fave cruise ship is also the Rhapsody, but then it's the largest in the RCI fleet that we sailed. I would need to sail on a larger class to make the comparison. We loved being able to see the sea from almost any vantage point on the Rhapsody. We walked out of our cabin into the Champaign Bar and the sea was on either side of us. I loved running into people we met previously at dinner, in the nightclub and at other venues. It was a very, very friendly ship and we're sorry it doesn't sail out of Galveston anymore.

 

We'll be on the Voyager in January and hopefully, one day on the Allure or the Oasis. I've read nothing but praises and would love to experience it for myself.

 

Happy sails to you no matter what class you're on :)

[ruecatt]

I like the idea of making reservations for the shows, too bad they don't assign seats when you make the reservations, that way you wouldn't have to show up an hour or so early.

 

 

 

One of our all time favorite ships is the Rhapsody, and we also like the Voyager class. Definintely much smaller than the Oasis which we cruised last summer. Both have great features. Of course the smaller ships may not have all of the venues the larger one does, but you don't have to walk so far to get to places on board.

 

I missed deck five as a walking area. There is a running track on the Oasis at deck five, but the view is obstructed due to the life boats. Glad they have those! :)

 

You do have to make a reservation for shows or take a chance that you are able to get in at the last miniute when they allow those without reservations to take the seats of no shows. We also felt compelled to arrive early at booked shows to get the seats we desired, although if we had arrived later, I think we still would have found a decent seat.

 

We never felt like we couldn't move on the Oasis due to the crowds. Of course as has been mentioned there will be times when there are crowds due to a special event such as a parade or when a show is finished. Same is true on smaller or larger ships.

 

On both small and large ships, we find the crew to be helpful and friendly. We're pretty self sufficient cruisers, so we aren't that dependent on the crew. Just an occasional question here and there.

 

I like having the time to relax and just chill. I think on the smaller ships that is a bit easier to do because of the size and what is being offered. However, I've come back from Rhapsody cruises feeling like I needed to have a vacation from my vacation. ;) On the Oasis, we absolutely tried to do it all and loved it.

 

I like all the various eating places on the Oasis better than on the Rhapsody. It was either the Windjammer, the Solarium, or the MDR for food. And room service as well. Not that I ever starved. :D So much more on the Oasis and Voyager class.

 

Were we unhappy on the Oasis due to some of the differences? Absolutely not! Would we book the Rhapsody or Voyager class again? Absolutely! Just trying to give a perspective of the differences. We began to look at booking the Allure almost on the day we arrived back home. We cannot wait until our embarkation day on the Allure in December!

 

For me, just being on a cruise ship, away from the cell phone, emails, and demands of my job compares to no other type of vacation. I like that I can be as active as I want or be as much of a slug as I want! :cool: That being said, I think it all depends on what the cruiser is looking for in a vacation. Have a great cruise whatever ship you are on!

[LBumb]

smaller ships for short cruises, larger for seven days or longer.

[CruiseLover15]

I have only sailed on the larger ships, Voyager class and above. I loved the Oasis and hope to do the Allure one day. I have also only done 7 day cruises but want to do a shorter one soon. I am kind of worried about doing a smaller ship, I am afraid there won't be enough to do.

[mjldvlks]

We sailed Splendour on a 7 night 4 ports of call Eastern Med. We have also done a 13 night transatlantic on Independence. The TA had 9 sea days and only 3 intermediate ports of call. Each was about perfect for the type of cruise we were on.

[IWORK2CRUISE]

As another poster indicated one of our very favorite cruises was on Empress of the Seas.

We love the Radiance class and next, the Voyager class ships.

We have yet to try the Freedom class.

Our most recent cruise was on Rhapsody and we really loved it.

We find that the more we cruise, the longer we want to cruise.

The big problem with Oasis and the upcoming Allure is that there is so much ship and so little time! Only 7 days? Well, maybe one day we will try.

[Deborahlynn10]

I have sailed only Carnival until this Spring Break. I am sailing the Radiance.

I've sailed Carnival's small Ecstasy and larger ship Valor.

The Valor had much better activities, but the food was quantity, not quality. Unless you went to the specialty restaurant Scarletts. That was amazing!! But all the other food was mediocre on the Valor. The Ecstasy had phenominal food. Sailed that one quite a few times.

 

For those that have sailed both smaller and larger ships, is there a difference in food quality with RCCL?

I am a foodie.

[lovethatmouse63]

I have only sailed on Disney Magic (3 times) and I know that ship like the back of my hand..feels like going home :) That being said, we are going the the EOS this February and the ship looks GINORMOUS!!! Thank goodness its a 9 night cruise..I'll need all that time to "explore" it. I just hope it's not too big :(

[sellwingri]

Our favorite ships are the Radiance class. We sailed on Brilliance in the Mediterranean and Radiance in the Caribbean and absolutely love the layout of the ships. We're on Adventure in December and have sailed this class before but still like the smaller ships.

[The Big Booper]

I have only sailed on Disney Magic (3 times) and I know that ship like the back of my hand..feels like going home :) That being said, we are going the the EOS this February and the ship looks GINORMOUS!!! Thank goodness its a 9 night cruise..I'll need all that time to "explore" it. I just hope it's not too big :(

 

We have been on the EX three times, soon to be a fourth in two months. Like all the big RC ships, you will find the ship easy to get around as it is well laid out with all decks thru decks front to back, except for the two lowest passenger decks with the ice rink squatting in the middle.

 

There are 3-D clear ship models at every elevator landing showing you where you are and the carpeting is color coded and consistent at every elevator landing in terms of port side and starboard side.

[jorapp]

When Oasis was launched, DH and I discussed it and decided to wait sailing the mega ships until we were completely bored with "normal" ships and had visited every possible interesting port destination...to always have another possible cruise option. Will we stick to that? Who knows, but we have so far. lol

 

Deborah, the food is what the food is...which is to say opinions vary. I'm a foodie too, and quite frankly have never been served anything on a cruise ship that I could not make as well or better. We view cruise food as sustenance...about as gratifying as putting fuel in the car. JMHO.

[lovethatmouse63]

We have been on the EX three times, soon to be a fourth in two months. Like all the big RC ships, you will find the ship easy to get around as it is well laid out with all decks thru decks front to back, except for the two lowest passenger decks with the ice rink squatting in the middle.

 

There are 3-D clear ship models at every elevator landing showing you where you are and the carpeting is color coded and consistent at every elevator landing in terms of port side and starboard side.

 

Thanks! I like the fact they have the ship models. DCL has the coded carpeting too..came in VERY handy the first time we sailed.

[Deborahlynn10]

When Oasis was launched, DH and I discussed it and decided to wait sailing the mega ships until we were completely bored with "normal" ships and had visited every possible interesting port destination...to always have another possible cruise option. Will we stick to that? Who knows, but we have so far. lol

 

Deborah, the food is what the food is...which is to say opinions vary. I'm a foodie too, and quite frankly have never been served anything on a cruise ship that I could not make as well or better. We view cruise food as sustenance...about as gratifying as putting fuel in the car. JMHO.

 

 

Thanks for the info. I always look forward to better quality,but oh well.

[digital_curator]

I have sailed only Carnival until this Spring Break. I am sailing the Radiance.

I've sailed Carnival's small Ecstasy and larger ship Valor.

The Valor had much better activities, but the food was quantity, not quality. Unless you went to the specialty restaurant Scarletts. That was amazing!! But all the other food was mediocre on the Valor. The Ecstasy had phenominal food. Sailed that one quite a few times.

 

For those that have sailed both smaller and larger ships, is there a difference in food quality with RCCL?

I am a foodie.

 

Deborah, I haven't seen a difference in food quality between large/small ships but I do find that each ship seems to have its strengths and weaknesses, eg. appetizers better on one ship but desserts not as good, etc. I haven't sailed Carnival but one thing you might find is that food venues are limited on the smaller ships. I have always enjoyed the food on RCI and, considering the number of people served at one time, think it is very good (I compare it to high-end banquet food).

 

Cheers,

[The Flying Pirate]

We have been on the smaller ships and the Voyager and the Freedom Class. We have found Voyager Class ships were great. The Freedom Class ships it felt like all we did was wait in line. Although I am convinced that this was a result of poor crowd control management on behalf of the crew. Because of that experience on the Freedom we have been reluctant to cruise on Oasis.

[The Flying Pirate]

One other point about the Oasis vs the smaller ships. With the smaller ships they can visit many more ports than the big ships can. As a result the smaller ships provide a different experience than the larger ones. With Oasis they have a lot of days at sea to give the passengers a chance to experience all that the ship has to ofter. It seems that they are marketing Oasis and Allure as a destination themselves rather than comfortable transportation between ports, where the journey is part of the adventure.

 

The other added "bonus" of the smaller ships is you can do two smaller ship cruises for the price of one on the Oasis or Allure right now.