New Ships vs Old Ships...your thoughts

[sjn911]

I agree...I just can't wait...saw Norway on an overnight Ferry during midnight sun...any ship almost will do but would love Norway and Alaska in a Premium line..just to be spoiled in a perhaps more quiet crowd and look at the scenery...just awesome...keep the tea coming on the deck chair...heaven.

 

HAL goes places in Alaska (on the land part anyway) that no other mainline cruise line go to. Spectacular comes to mind when an Alaska cruise is mentioned.

Thank you..dad worked there when first out of school as geologist and counting that, 3 visits total...last 2 were his only cruises. I am going to spoil me...good to know...his fist cruise was N. Amsterdam...the old one..lol.

 

I know I will just LOVE it ...and even though snowing tonight...sigh...since being back to winterville..still ready for it..it is still so different..mountains plus the marine air and glaciers... excited.

[sjn911]

Such fond memories. I hope to reflect on my pass cruises when sailing on Carnival Bliss... (not a real name of a ship..just saying)!!

 

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Thanks so much...therapy to remember..fun thread. Suddenly you are saying 20 when it was 30 years ago...lol..young but 56 here..lol.

[sjn911]

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YES!! My best cruise out of 20+ was on the old Westerdam

 

That is neat Hobbsey....mine was short but very cool because I got to fly to Vancouver with a dear friend and go all the way to town I was living in at time..Portland, Oregon....across the Columbia Bar up the Columbia and then the Willamette into Portland...just FABULOUS to see lots of new things so close..I could live in Vancouver BC too...sigh. Remember sitting on top on deck chairs and perfect shirt sleeve weather!!

Edited March 23, 2016 by sjn911

[Micahs Grandad]

Seems cruise ships are packing the people on for the love of money.

 

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More economical to cruise with more people than less so cant blame them.

[Micahs Grandad]

I agree...I just can't wait...saw Norway on an overnight Ferry during midnight sun...any ship almost will do but would love Norway and Alaska in a Premium line..just to be spoiled in a perhaps more quiet crowd and look at the scenery...just awesome...keep the tea coming on the deck chair...heaven.

 

HAL goes places in Alaska (on the land part anyway) that no other mainline cruise line go to. Spectacular comes to mind when an Alaska cruise is mentioned.

 

Have not been to Alaska yet but when we do we understand the smaller the ship the better.

[MCFTJCH2V]

I enjoy the dialogue and reviews here on CC. I feel that it is my duty to contribute to the thread daily! :D So I want to know if you prefer the older ships vs the new ones and why.

 

I myself am drawn to the newer ships as I like the bells and whistles (even though I do not utilize most of it). I guess I am nervous that there is not a lot to do on an older ship. However, the older ships do have some amazing port they call on!!

 

You can keep your bells and whistles. For me it was always about personal space.

Even when I started cruising, the standard staterooms alone were so much bigger than the competing lines.

But as the Carnival ships started getting bigger, they just started cramming more and more people into those ships disproportionately. When they got to the Destiny, it was outright rediculous. They seemed to autocorrect when they came out with the Spirit, but for some reason stopped at 4, and proceeded with the Conquest class.

 

I went a couple of years simply thinking bigger was simply more crowded, until I finally tried Royal Caribbeans Voyager class. Boy was I wrong. Bigger ship with disproportionately LESS people. A love affair begun......

[KatieCharlotte]

For a cruise with my children, I prefer the bells and whistles. A sports deck, ropes course, better waterworks, and more lunch options. An older ship is fine for a short, cheap cruise, but we prefer the newer ships.

 

For a cruise with girlfriends, I prefer an inexpensive older, smaller ship with the Serenity Deck at the back, no long walks to get anywhere, and as much live music as possible.

 

For a cruise with DH, I would be interested primarily in the ports.

[deliver42]

Definitely the newer ones. Went on the Fantasy once and hated the ship and cruise. Have been on the Triumph and the Dream since, and loved them both. Now I'm booked on the Magic, and can't wait.

[Hobbsey]

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YES!! My best cruise out of 20+ was on the old Westerdam

 

That is neat Hobbsey....mine was short but very cool because I got to fly to Vancouver with a dear friend and go all the way to town I was living in at time..Portland, Oregon....across the Columbia Bar up the Columbia and then the Willamette into Portland...just FABULOUS to see lots of new things so close..I could live in Vancouver BC too...sigh. Remember sitting on top on deck chairs and perfect shirt sleeve weather!!

 

I remember seeing g her for the first when I was in Fort Lauderdale for business. I watched her sail away from the sea wall. It was in 2000, and she was old, boxy and chopped up - looking used and old parading with the newer tonnage. But everything I had read about her on CC screamed that she conferred an exceptional experience in warm and caring service. So we booked her.

 

It wound up being a Broadway themed cruise so the entertAinment was special. We were assigned to an officers table so the wine poured freely on formal nights. I won a chef's sponsored contest for a special sea day lunch and private galley tour. Lots of memories. But the best thing was the crew and service levels. We never had to tell our waiters and bar servers our names but once. They remembered preferences. They became family. A few made us hand made momentous that we still have.

 

Keep in mind we were not HAL regulars and we were booked in a standard Ocean view cabin. This was cruising in a different era. I miss it.

[cruzin Phillis]

HAL goes places in Alaska (on the land part anyway) that no other mainline cruise line go to. Spectacular comes to mind when an Alaska cruise is mentioned.

 

Have not been to Alaska yet but when we do we understand the smaller the ship the better.

That is why I want to do a cruisetour package with HAL. I know RC has them but the itineraries look better on HAL

[cruzin Phillis]

Definitely the newer ones. Went on the Fantasy once and hated the ship and cruise. Have been on the Triumph and the Dream since, and loved them both. Now I'm booked on the Magic, and can't wait.

The DH and I enjoyed the magic. We enjoyed lounging around the chairs that are in the shade and over looks the pool area. We are not big pool people so that gave us a chance to roam around the ship.

[cruzin Phillis]

For a cruise with my children, I prefer the bells and whistles. A sports deck, ropes course, better waterworks, and more lunch options. An older ship is fine for a short, cheap cruise, but we prefer the newer ships.

 

For a cruise with girlfriends, I prefer an inexpensive older, smaller ship with the Serenity Deck at the back, no long walks to get anywhere, and as much live music as possible.

 

For a cruise with DH, I would be interested primarily in the ports.

I like your breakdown. I have not had the opportunity to cruise with the ladies (mines cant afford to do to much) but I am cruising with my DS and this is something that is a concern to me. I am taking him on his first cruise on the Breeze, then next year a debate b/w AOTS and Vista. As far as DH. as long as he has a drink in his hand, he is good to go.

[cruzin Phillis]

You can keep your bells and whistles. For me it was always about personal space.

Even when I started cruising, the standard staterooms alone were so much bigger than the competing lines.

But as the Carnival ships started getting bigger, they just started cramming more and more people into those ships disproportionately. When they got to the Destiny, it was outright rediculous. They seemed to autocorrect when they came out with the Spirit, but for some reason stopped at 4, and proceeded with the Conquest class.

 

I went a couple of years simply thinking bigger was simply more crowded, until I finally tried Royal Caribbeans Voyager class. Boy was I wrong. Bigger ship with disproportionately LESS people. A love affair begun......

I never got the opportunity to cruise on RC Voyager class ships. But when I went on the Oasis, it never felt crowded to me.

[JaniceB]

Went on the Paradise with a group of adults. We could always find each other on the ship and had a great time. I think smaller ships are great for that kind of trip.

The larger ships offer more for families with kids. Since my DH is a big kid a larger ship with lots to do is what I plan when we cruise together. Our kids are grown but I did take the grandkids on the Disney Fantasy and loved it. The adult only areas were great too.

[Je Souhaite]

Went on the Paradise with a group of adults. We could always find each other on the ship and had a great time. I think smaller ships are great for that kind of trip.

The larger ships offer more for families with kids. Since my DH is a big kid a larger ship with lots to do is what I plan when we cruise together. Our kids are grown but I did take the grandkids on the Disney Fantasy and loved it. The adult only areas were great too.

 

I remember moving up to the Fantasy class because I wanted to experience a LARGE ship.

[jimbo5544]

I remember moving up to the Fantasy class because I wanted to experience a LARGE ship.

 

Same here, went from the Celebration to the Imagination.

[beachbum53]

The Conquest class of ship with the 2.0 upgrades is my favorite. Just the right size and layout with most of the current amenities.

 

I have been on the Fantasy class ships and I still enjoy cruising on them. They are nicely maintained and still good for the shorter cruises. I may be booking a

7 day cruise on Fascination (a Fantasy class ship) out of San Juan for 2017. In this case the date and itinerary works for me and it is a great price even with the travel to San Juan. :cool:

 

This pretty much reflects how I feel. When we select a cruise, itinerary (and sail dates) comes first, then the ship. As long as the ship is in good condition, and we're happy with the onboard amenities offered, then we'll book it. It doesn't have to be the largest, latest and greatest ship in the fleet. We do have a cruise booked on the Vista for next year, but that's more out of curiosity to see the ship than to sail on the biggest ship in the fleet. If Carnival were ever to build a Conquest class ship with the Waterworks like what's on the Breeze, I'd be perfectly content with that.:)

[Butterbean1000]

I am not a big fan of the fantasy class ships, though I've been on the Fantasy twice, it was more for convenience. It is definitely not my first choice. I like the conquest class of ships. I would like to try the breeze or dream and I'm sure I will eventually.

 

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[Hobbsey]

Have not been to Alaska yet but when we do we understand the smaller the ship the better.

That is why I want to do a cruisetour package with HAL. I know RC has them but the itineraries look better on HAL

 

HAL and Princess were the pioneer cruise lines in Alaska and hold the longest and strongest vendor contracts up there.

[srlafleur]

I don't really care, old vs. new. I've enjoyed myself on every cruise we've taken. I don't sail for the ship so much as for the ports. I don't partake in anything but the most basic stuff that every ship has, old or new, anyway. Sure, seeing some of the new stuff is neat, and it's great that the newer ships have more balconies than some of the older ones, since that's our stateroom of choice, but as for the new mega-ships that are limited in the ports they can visit due to size, and that house more people than the small city I grew up in?

Nope. Not interested.

[meanjean80]

I am definitely partial to the Spirit class on Carnival, which is pretty much mid-sized. I just love the layout, they never feel too crowded, but at the same time are big enough.

Edited March 23, 2016 by meanjean80

[JaniceB]

I am definitely partial to the Spirit class on Carnival, which is pretty much mid-sized. I just love the layout, they never feel too crowded, but at the same time are big enough.

 

I do love them too. I was on the spirit before it went to Australia and the Pride is close by.

[CrossBluePerchance]

The older ships are smaller and more quiet. I like that

 

+1*.....(*The plus one, on its own, was apparently considered 'too short', but I don't feel like pontificating, so I'm simply adding pointless drivel to adhere to 'requirements'.)

[kellbellscruise]

Usually a bigger casino...

A larger pool,deck.

Sensation was my 1st cruise and it just ruined me.. In a good way of course. Had such a blast and was so pampered. Crew was awesome. Just fabulous.

Then I went on the Dream... I loved deck 5.. And the cove balcony. And that there was plenty of shaded seating around the pools. Of course huge casino with great selection. Loved the big hot tubs on deck 5. Again.. Pampered.

Then the Sunshine. The adult pool was so small... Too small. But the sound of the waterfall made up for it.. And plenty of shaded spots to enjoy the waterfall sounds. Also enjoyed a dive in movie with the stadium seating... One of my fav cruise memories.

All have been wonderful cruises... And I think I cruise more for the ship than the ports.

[TheTravelista]

I've been to pretty much everywhere Carnival sails at this point so its all about the ship for me. I will only sail Dream class and above.