Small Ship? Big Ship? Biggest Ship? What suits you

[wildweston]

Have to agree with you there Chez....still room in november cruise on rhapsody

 

UNC xxxx

 

mmmm November my favourite month to cruise, Rhapsody one of my favourite ships

[silverwillow]

I just want to try them all. :D

 

We go for bigger feature packed cruise ships at the moment due to taking children along with us. I also think the bigger the ship the less movement we will feel. Perhaps as we get older and our daughter leaves home, although she claims she never will, we will try the smaller ships without the kids clubs ect as these seem to do amazing itineraries.

 

Speaking of all the extra attractions and facilities on ships I think the Quantum of the seas is going to be quite cool, it has bumper cars and a skydiving simulator!

 

http://youtu.be/dNpuiD3NIdk

 

I think all the facilities help a ship to separate people out into areas of the ship so it seems less crowded. It can already be a struggle on some ships to get a deck chair. :p

[Sutho]

On Voyager I did not use:

 

The rock climbing wall

The Ice skating rink

The Mini Golf course

The Golf Driving thingy

The In line Skate track

The full sized Basketball court

The Grand Promenade except as a walk deck to get from A - B with ease!

Johnny Rockets 50,s Burger joint.

The Chapel in the sky.

 

All the above are what makes the Voyager so Big:)

 

Den

 

I am all for all the activities. I am young, fit and active. I prefer to "do" rather than to "watch" I tried rock climbing on Radiance of the Seas and could do it for hours if I was allowed.

 

It is these activities where Royal Caribbean make their money by attracting passengers who are interested in being active. Carnival claims to have the "fun ships" but there is only so much fun you can have on a waterslide. Royal Caribbean is a mass market line and appeals to people looking for a resort at sea. If Royal Caribbean did not have all those facilities on their ships then they would not have generated the loyal following they have today and we would not be seeing their ships out here today. All those extras found their way on Royal Caribbean ships after years of market research and assessing what their passengers love and what keeps them coming back.

[fishtaco]

I am all for all the activities. I am young, fit and active. I prefer to "do" rather than to "watch" I tried rock climbing on Radiance of the Seas and could do it for hours if I was allowed.

 

It is these activities where Royal Caribbean make their money by attracting passengers who are interested in being active. Carnival claims to have the "fun ships" but there is only so much fun you can have on a waterslide. Royal Caribbean is a mass market line and appeals to people looking for a resort at sea. If Royal Caribbean did not have all those facilities on their ships then they would not have generated the loyal following they have today and we would not be seeing their ships out here today. All those extras found their way on Royal Caribbean ships after years of market research and assessing what their passengers love and what keeps them coming back.

 

I am not very old and pretty fit too But my last cruise on VOS we had the premium drinks package instead of the activities:D:D:D

[The_Big_M]

I think all the facilities help a ship to separate people out into areas of the ship so it seems less crowded.

 

I definitely agree with this. It's weird that you can go away for a couple of weeks and some people you won't even see, yet others you'll regularly bump into. I think it's a case of similar interests hanging out in similar areas, and other areas who knows what's going on?!

[Bowie MeMe]

On Voyager I did not use:

 

The rock climbing wall

The Ice skating rink

The Mini Golf course

The Golf Driving thingy

The In line Skate track

The full sized Basketball court

The Grand Promenade except as a walk deck to get from A - B with ease!

Johnny Rockets 50,s Burger joint.

The Chapel in the sky.

 

All the above are what makes the Voyager so Big:)

 

Den

 

I also don't use all of the bars or maybe even the casino. I find that some of the very large ships just wear me out. I used to love rear cabins but now I am definitely midship lady! Probably my favorite ships are the old R ships -- 670 passengers. Grand class is good. Love small ship sailings with expedition style itineraries but basically if it is a ship and it is on the water going someplace I'll be happy to be there.:D

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Interesting to read some of the feedback on the new Royal Princess.

Some are commenting that it is too far to walk to get anywhere

and that there is no central stairway

so you have to rely on the lifts (sorry elevators)

and when they do arrive they are full.

 

Big ship , small ship, I really dont care ...

as long as it is comfortable, easy to get around , and is not crowded.

I dont want to spend my cruise fighting to get a space in the lift....

after I have spent a lot of time waiting for one to arrive.:D

 

[Bowie MeMe]

Interesting to read some of the feedback on the new Royal Princess.

Some are commenting that it is too far to walk to get anywhere

and that there is no central stairway

so you have to rely on the lifts (sorry elevators)

and when they do arrive they are full.

 

Big ship , small ship, I really dont care ...

as long as it is comfortable, easy to get around , and is not crowded.

I dont want to spend my cruise fighting to get a space in the lift....

after I have spent a lot of time waiting for one to arrive.:D

 

 

No staircase in the center is a big problem. My favorite rooms of all are on the 8th deck between the lifeboats at the middle stair. I am still very able to run up and down one set of stairs and I can get to the Big Deck on 7 almost instantly if I should want to. I can go on 2 cruises in OBV for what one higher up balcony costs. Glad most folks don't feel that way and therefore some are available.

[cruisermsoon]

The short answer is that both have their good/bad features.

Celebrity Solstice is a good example of a really beautiful, well designed example of the big ship, providing all the amenities that a small to medium ship cannot.

I was surprised to find how well the traffic flowed on the 3500 pax Carnival Breeze, due to good design, and generous dining room space [better in this respect than the Solstice, however Solstice had a much better designed theatre].

The experience on a small ship like Ocean/Pacific Princess is completely different, much more personalised, however don't expect the same features and amenities as on the super ships.

Perhaps a mid-sized ship like most of the HAL designs, or even the Grand Class Princess ships, are a good compromise for many cruisers.

[gubby]

Like others here have said, being on a ship going somewhere with fresh ocean breezes blowing at your back, not having to do anything or everything, good variety of meals with no cleanup, someone else making your bed and cleaning your room every day, drinks served poolside,etc.,etc.,etc., is the ultimate vacation. While I have travelled on large, medium and small ships ( but not a gigantic one yet), we tend to choose a cruise based on itinerary and price. There are pros and cons to all sizes just as there are to each cruise line. My personal preference if all else is equal, would be a medium size ship like HAL.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

You make a very good point.

Good design is the key, whether its a small or a big ship.

I was a bit apprehensive about cruising on Diamond Princess because of its size and numbers, but was very pleasantly surprised to find that everything flowed freely. It actually felt less crowded than Dawn Princess that seems to have "crush" points.

 

 

[Sandielle]

I like a ship that looks and feels like a ship, with open decks to walk around and plenty of movement on the ocean. If I wanted a holiday resort, I would stay on land. I just can't imagine liking those ships with a 'shopping mall' through the middle and balconies opening on to them instead of the ocean. Must have my mariner ancestors' genes. :D :D :D

[The_Big_M]

I like a ship that looks and feels like a ship, with open decks to walk around and plenty of movement on the ocean. If I wanted a holiday resort, I would stay on land. I just can't imagine liking those ships with a 'shopping mall' through the middle and balconies opening on to them instead of the ocean. Must have my mariner ancestors' genes. :D :D :D

 

Don't knock it til you try it :-)

 

Bit like those who say they don't like cruising before doing it, and then try it and enjoy it. Not to say everyone does of course, but sometimes preconceptions overwhem the reality.

[Sandielle]

Don't knock it til you try it :-)

 

Bit like those who say they don't like cruising before doing it, and then try it and enjoy it. Not to say everyone does of course, but sometimes preconceptions overwhem the reality.

 

I wouldn't ordinarily, but in this case I know what I like and what I don't, and I do not like holiday resorts. :)

[Bella cruiser]

I like a ship that looks and feels like a ship, with open decks to walk around and plenty of movement on the ocean. If I wanted a holiday resort, I would stay on land. I just can't imagine liking those ships with a 'shopping mall' through the middle and balconies opening on to them instead of the ocean. Must have my mariner ancestors' genes. :D :D :D

 

I am with you Sandy, it must be our pureist beginnings on traditional ships with actual promenade decks and masses of open decks.

 

I have absolutely no interest in sailing on one of those behemoths that look like two apartment blocks morphed with a shopping mall and welded onto a barge, as amazing as their amenities may be, they, in my opinion would not deliver a real cruise ship experience. They have more than 6,000 passengers :eek: and are the length of almost 4 football fields and their size seriously limits the ports of call they can visit.

 

As I probably only have a set number of cruises left in my lifetime I prefer small to meduim ships. Having said that I might look for a couple on larger ships given a sufficiently interesting itinerary and a good price ..... but to each his own.:)