Big ship, small ship

[imaboo]

I wonder, with all of the really big ships that are coming out, what do you all think about the "big ship vs. smaller ship" quandary? I have been on only two ships so far - the Elation and the Splendor. Both of them, I think, fall into the "smaller ship" category given what is being built these days. I fell in love with cruising on the Elation, and loved the roomy feel of the Splendor, but I'm thinking that there is a point where a ship is just "too big". I am hesitant to cruise on the newer and larger ships because I think they will just feel like a mega-mall-at-sea. My inquiring mind wants to know...

[shof515]

so far i like the conquest and sprint class ships. When i was on the glory, i noticed some areas where a bit crowded and the rooms where a bit smaller then the miracle. So right now, the miracle and other similar ships the best for me

[ltcal94]

Form my point of view the Spirit Class ships have by far the best layout. The ship can be completely full and they never seem crowded. I think it has to do the way they designed there social and entertainment ares into different zones. The only thing that you miss out on in the Theater under the Stars .

[scgamecock]

My favorite cruise ever was this past December on Fascination. Best service, food & entertainment I've enjoyed yet on a Carnival ship. And it did not seem crowded at all. Don't count out the little ships.

[Aplmac]

Anything between 100,000 and 115,000 tons suits me just fine.

 

 

Anything smaller is just plain OLD

and therefore won't have improved safety features that younger ships will have

(..either 'Old' or just too rocky-rolly for me).

 

 

Anything larger is simply Too Big and,

despite earlier fascinations with ships larger than 120,000 tons

I've had myself quite a rethink since Jan. 13th. :)

.

[Out to sea!]

To me, the bigger the better. No ship can be "too big" I prefer the stability and there are always more things to do on a big ship. I done 8 cruises, scheduled 2 more and with the exception of 3 early cruises, they have all been above 100,000 tons (Jubilee - 48,000, Veendam - 56,000, Fantasy - 75,000). I love my big ships, especially the Mariner of the Seas (138,000).

[laumicmah]

My first 3 CCL cruises were on Fantasy class ships and the 4th was Conquest class (Glory) and I thought I'd love the bigger ships with more stuff on them. I didn't. I like the smaller, less crowded ships that are very easy to navigate...Fascination being my fave ship thus far. I will be on a Spirit class ship (Pride) next month and will see if that's better than Fantasy class.

[Tapi]

I am hesitant to cruise on the newer and larger ships because I think they will just feel like a mega-mall-at-sea. My inquiring mind wants to know...

 

We sailed on Allure of the Seas last year (225,000 tons) and like you, I was concerned and reluctant about sailing on a ship that size with almost 6,000 passengers. However, from the moment I arrived at the cruise terminal, my worries were placed to rest, and I realized that my worries had been based on countless comments from people who had NEVER set foot on a ship like this one. It was one of the most wonderful vacations my family has ever taken! And we didn't have to wait long in line ONCE, literally!

 

The ship did NOT feel crowded. In fact, several areas feel quiet and peaceful. We found longer lines and overcrowding on ships like the Elation! The reason why the Allure didn't feel that way is because of its design. Instead of cramming public venues together, they divided them in different areas throughout the ship (neighborhoods, they call them). Think of it as several smaller ships tied together. For example, our cabin was located in the Boardwalk neighborhood, which had its own dining venues, shops, and the Aqua Theater. Although we enjoyed all of the facilities throughout the ship, we found ourselves spending quite a bit of time in this "neighborhood". In the morning, we'd venture over to the Central Park "neighborhood" for a quiet and relaxed breakfast at the Park Cafe.

 

We also sailed on Carnival's largest class of ship last year, (Carnival Dream - 130,000 tons), and we enjoyed this cruise as well (not nearly as much as Allure, but definitely more than most other Carnival cruises we've taken). And even though it was almost half the size of the Allure, it felt much more crammed. So smaller doesn't necessarily mean less crowded.

 

I've learned that people that "hate" on some of the newer, larger ships have NEVER tried them (I used to be one of them). Feel free to read my reviews of both Allure and Dream below. :)

[Aplmac]

We sailed on Allure of the Seas last year (225,000 tons) and like you, I was concerned and reluctant about sailing on a ship that size with almost 6,000 passengers. However, from the moment I arrived at the cruise terminal, my worries were placed to rest, and I realized that my worries had been based on countless comments from people who had NEVER set foot on a ship like this one. It was one of the most wonderful vacations my family has ever taken! And we didn't have to wait long in line ONCE, literally!

 

The ship did NOT feel crowded. In fact, several areas feel quiet and peaceful. We found longer lines and overcrowding on ships like the Elation!

The reason why the Allure didn't feel that way is because of its design.

Instead of cramming public venues together, they divided them in different areas throughout the ship (neighborhoods, they call them).

Think of it as several smaller ships tied together. For example, our cabin was located in the Boardwalk neighborhood, which had its own dining venues, shops, and the Aqua Theater.

Although we enjoyed all of the facilities throughout the ship, we found ourselves spending quite a bit of time in this "neighborhood".

In the morning, we'd venture over to the Central Park "neighborhood" for a quiet and relaxed breakfast at the Park Cafe.

That is good news. Thank you.

 

Design is so important, and now that OASIS and ALLURE are starting to mature as working ships

with all systems sorted out as intended by the designers

I'm sure recent experiences on board have improved over some early cruises where folks said things were/felt crowded.

.

[Tapi]

I'm sure recent experiences on board have improved over some early cruises where folks said things were/felt crowded.

.

 

Yes, I remember reading some reviews that complained about long lines. But whatever they did to fix the problem is working. From the moment you get to the cruise terminal, they start splitting people up based on their cabin location, so passenger are not even checking in or boarding in the same area. Same thing for debarkation. They have the silent debarkation concept and it works like a charm. It was so relaxed and crowd-less that it felt as if we were the only passengers getting off the ship. The only time we hit a bit of a line was waiting for the customs agent.

 

One thing that REALLY helps is the abundance of electronic touch screens throughout the ship (as well as the interactive system in the cabin) that tells you what restaurants may have a wait and which ones don't. They also provide directions on how to get anywhere on the ship quickly. Many times, we chose where to eat based on the interactive system, and once again, it worked like a charm. No lines EVER (not even at the buffet!).

[imaboo]

OP Here. Thanks for your feedback everyone. As you can tell, I am somewhat new to cruising. I really enjoyed the Splendor, it felt roomier to me compared to the smaller Elation, but I could definitely tell there were more people aboard. Splendor felt busy, but not overcrowded. The Conquest is only slightly bigger than the Splendor from what I can tell. Maybe the best approach is to cruise on progressively larger ships until (like Goldilocks), I find the size that is "just right" ;)

[mrpayroll]

Smallest has been Miracle. Largest has been Liberty of the Seas ( RCL ) Several in between. We decided Miracle would be as small as we would go. The smaller are older and don't provide all the extra's that the bigger, newer offer.

[golfadj]

We prefer the Conquest class over the Spirit class as more choices on Lido.

 

Will be doing the Dream later this year and wonder how we will feel about crowding?

[ItsAllAboutTheSass]

We prefer the Conquest class over the Spirit class as more choices on Lido.

 

Will be doing the Dream later this year and wonder how we will feel about crowding?

 

Stu - we did the Dream last year and didn't really feel the crowding. We ate at the Italian place on the level above Lido. It didn't get busy until around day 4. We spend a lot of our deck time on the Lanai on deck 5 and that was never crowded. Enjoy your cruise

[YubaSutter]

Bigger is better.

[Martini Mom]

I like ships on the bigger size, but I don't know if I want to cruise on a "mega ship." Of course, I will cruise on all sizes of ships depending on price, location, date, etc. :D

[Tapi]

Maybe the best approach is to cruise on progressively larger ships until (like Goldilocks), I find the size that is "just right" ;)

 

That's somewhat the approach we've taken. Our first cruise ever was aboard the 16,000 ton Cunard Princess. We were then "wowed" when we sailed on the 32,000 ton Tropicale. We were "wowed" again when we sailed on the 73,000 ton Monarch of the Seas, then the 100,000 ton Carnival Destiny, then the 110,000 ton Carnival Liberty, and then REALLY wowed when we sailed on the 225,000 ton Allure of the Seas. :D

 

Each step up has been a welcome change...