Why do you love or hate megaships

[Schplinky]

Hi there,

 

A lot has been posted on this board lately about why folks like Celebrity over other lines. One of the points of conversation has been megaships. Folks here seem to hate them and I was wondering why. With that in mind, I'd like to post a poll to see which aspects of megaships folks dislike. Feel free to post, also, on whether your distaste of these ships is from experience or what you think they would be like.

 

To be scientific, I guess I need to define what I see as a megaship. Let's agree that it's any ship with more than 2,500 people. That would catch the Voyager Class on RCCL, the Conquest class on Carnival, the Grand Class on Princess, and the really big ships on other lines. Eventually, this will also capture the Challenger class on X, although there hasn't been enough information put out to speculate on that one. I'm going to presume a dislike because I couldn't figure out a poll that allowed both and the reasons.

[halos]

So far I've done small and meduim ships...haven't wanted to try a mega ship yet, NOT that I won't one day. I'm just directionally impaired and usually it takes me a full week to get my bearings on an 80,000 ton ship!! On a mega ship I might get lost :D

I will say that I did prefer the 80,000 ton over the 45,000 ton.

[caviargal]

I do not like megaships, and some are worse than others. Conquest class on CCL was the most crowded experience of any of my cruises.

 

Voyager class was much more spacious and did not feel nearly as packed, but I do not like the following: too many kids, Grande Promenade feels like a hotel lobby instead of a ship, casual atmosphere, too impersonal, dining rooms are huge and noisy, entire experience is quite un-cruise like, at least in the features that mean most to me.

[Schplinky]

My only megaship experience is Voyager class on RCCL. We liked that there always a number of things to do at any given time. Some of the things that attracted us to the cruise, we wound up not using but it was nice to have a choice of activity. We were pleased with all the little nooks and crannies for private conversation. We were on the top tier of the dining room and liked the gradeur of it but I will agree that the main floor of the room looked like it might be noisy.

 

We're looking forward to trying Constellation next. Although not a megaship, she seems offer a lot of options for each day.

[Danno]

I dislike them most for what they do to islands...small quiet islands are tranformed to to crowded, noisey urban areas, that seem more like Toronto than a Caribbean island.

 

As with our change from Zenith to Century, the scale of every public area increased and the coziness was somewhat lost.

 

The larger ships move less with the motion of the sea...I like to feel like I'm on a ship, not in a large hotel...I like the motion.

 

Several staff have pointed out to me that they prefer the smaller ships as they do far less walking in a given day. As a result the more experienced staff bid onto smaller ships...I expect this may effect service...I'll have to ask Lois.

 

 

(I'm sure my opinions make me a bad person as, the OP will point out shortly...)

[Schplinky]

(I'm sure my opinions make me a bad person as, the OP will point out shortly...)

 

I don't actually know you or what type of person you are but I appreciate your contribution to the poll. I do agree with you on the larger ships' abilities to transform an island from tranquil to aggravating. We were in St. Thomas last April and there were only three ships in port but they were a megaship each from Carnival, RCCL and Princess. Even though that's only three ships, the passengers they carry would fill 5 Constellations. There are, apparently, days where 7 and 8 ships pull into that port and I would not enjoy that. It took a long time as it was for our tour to get out of downtown and into the countryside.

[CaptData]

I have found that the newer, bigger ships are better for me. I am disabled, use scooters and wheelchairs. It took a longer time for me to get around the Maasdam then the Navigator of the Seas. This is due to the mega ships were biult with disabilities in mind, not convert to help.

 

On the Maasdam some of the converted rooms still have sills which is a no go for some of us. There were not many doors that were automatic so I needed more help. The elevators were few and crowded, hard to get on.

 

The Navigator due to it's size allowed me to go to 3 sets of elevators. Most doors were automatic and allowed me to get almost anywhere without asking for help or waiting for some kind sole. All handi-capped rooms were that from the start and not converted so I do not need to figure out if it was a converted room or not.

 

I usually go when kids are in school or the kids factor is not that great. When I did go on Navigator is was in Aug. We did have Nicky, nicky nine doors played on us. On the Maasdam, we had one child running through the Dining Room during second seating. The parents had enough by the third day and changed seating or went somewhere else.

 

I did not get the same service on the Maasdam that I got on RCCL. On the Maasdam, I think they thought I was with someone near me and waited for them to order for me, whereas, on the Navigator I was asked individually.

 

This is just my thoughts on it.

[Druke I]

I don't care for the mega-ships for several reasons, perhaps the most important being that their size precludes them from docking at many of the smaller ports/cruise terminals, instead docking at some commercial container-port out from the cities visited.

 

My wife and I like to take the "exotics", but don't want to dock out in the boondocks.

[gkm]

I sailed on the Mariner (a voyager class) last year and it wasn't my best cruise, though there were things I did enjoy. I felt like I was in a shopping mall rather than a ship when on the Promenade. The ship had an impersonal feel about it, and we never saw the same people twice except our tablemates. I never did find my ship's photos because of the huge volume on the boards. The ticket line for the ice show was ridiculous, but must admit I enjoyed the ice show. I much prefer the Radiance/Millie class and from now on, those will be the largest ships we'll sail (unless an unbelievable deal comes up that can't be passed up).;)

 

Garry

[Happy ks]

Your poll wasn't complete. It needs to have the choice "all of the above".

 

It also didn't have reasons why some people may like them. I haven't sailed a mega ship and really don't care to. We don't care for crowds. Anywhere. I'd actaully like to sail the Caribbean in a small, chartered yacht, with the prople I would choose to sail with. That way, we could avoid the crowded ports altogether and go to quiet places.

[greeneg]

My only megaship experience is Voyager class on RCCL. We liked that there always a number of things to do at any given time. Some of the things that attracted us to the cruise, we wound up not using but it was nice to have a choice of activity. We were pleased with all the little nooks and crannies for private conversation. We were on the top tier of the dining room and liked the gradeur of it but I will agree that the main floor of the room looked like it might be noisy.

 

We're looking forward to trying Constellation next. Although not a megaship, she seems offer a lot of options for each day.

 

Sounds like you are in a similar situation as ours.

 

We have done one RCCL cruise on Splendor of the Seas awhile back and while it was a nice trip, we found the ship to be full of people, a lot of whom were pushy and unpleasant--not like Celebrity's usual customers at all.

 

Our Celebrity experience so far has been limited to Galaxy, Mercury, and Zenith, all of which we have enjoyed. We also will be trying Constellation this Winter as our first experience on the M Class ships; that will kind of determine where we go from this point. Right now, Zenith is still our favorite ship in the fleet, mostly because of her crew's attitude and professionalism. But, because we do not like the new, shorter itineraries for the ship, we have to try something different.

 

Hopefully, you and we will enjoy Constellation......

[Schplinky]

Your poll wasn't complete. It needs to have the choice "all of the above"..

 

sorry, I thought it would be apparent that you could chose as many as you like.

[Cruise Arizona]

I've always cruised on the smaller more intimate ships, but with ships getting bigger and bigger, the smaller ships get bigger too. The old Rotterdam seemed huge to me, and the Mercury seemed enormous. The Infinity may even be overwelming, but I'm giving it a try because I like Celebrity and liked the itenerary.

 

I think the reason I like the smaller ships is because we so much enjoy getting to know our fellow passengers. On a smaller ship you will bump into the same people.

 

I even miss the days when there was one central lounge. Late diners gathered there for music, appetizers, drinks and dancing before dinner, and early diners afterwards. The shows were also in this lounge. It just made for a more intimate experience with fellow passengers.

 

I think I would feel lost on a big mega ship, and although I live in a small town now, I came here from Dallas, a huge town. The mega ships have lots of activities, but even in Tucson (near where I live), I can do most of those activities. There is ice skating, rock climbing, and mini golf on a mega ship, but also even in the mid size city of Tucson. I'll probably go on a mega ship some day, but my first choice would probably be the smaller ships.

 

I have heard the shows are bigger and better on the mega ships, MIL loved the Ice Show on one of the RCCL Voyager Class ships, but the Ice Shows come to Tucson too.

 

Just a comparison, not mean in anyway as slam to the mega ships, but just expressing why I prefer a smaller ship. I hope I will always have an affordable choice.

 

 

PS, I didn't take the poll because my reasons were not listed as a choice.

[Schplinky]

 

PS, I didn't take the poll because my reasons were not listed as a choice.

 

Thanks for posting. It's hard to predict what all the answers will be until after the poll.

 

We're in an odd position of planning a Constellation Cruise after having been on Navigator. I doubt there are many X pax worried that the Constellation will be too small! LOL :)

[joelmarj]

I'm a middle-of-the road person. I don't need to partake in the mega-ship experience. I live in NY and don't really feel the need to have access to an entire city on water. To me, a cruise is for that isolate experience. I don't feel the need to transform the ship into a city. I love the intimate spaces such as the martini bars and champagne bar. I even enjoy the smaller shops as opposed to the "malls" of the large ones. Believe me, living in NY we have more than our fill of malls!

 

On the other side however, I am not very sea-worthy. On the rocker nights, sitting aft in the diningroom, I definitely feel the motion and need to take Bonine. I'm worried that on the smaller ships that sensation would be more severe to me. I fine the size of the M class on Celebrity to be perfect. It has the right atmosphere and size. I am willing, however to try the smaller classes but probably would never go much smaller than 50,000. I don't think I'd fair well, even if it is on a luxury line such as Oceania.

 

Overall, the cruise experience to me is about relaxing and low-key with great service, food and ambiance. I'm not looking for the non-stop action of the mega-ships. And don't get me wrong, I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, its just not what I want. That's what choices are all about!

[dmarch@islc.net]

Your poll wasn't complete. It needs to have the choice "all of the above".

It let me vote for three of the six answers. Usually it only lets you vote for one. Must be of those "upgrades" they were going to do on the boards. I like it!

[Ericknow32]

I like the choices on the Mega ships. There is one main thing I don't like though. I don't like that everything is drawn inwards. I like to see the sea. If they made a Mega ship with more glass similar to the Radiance class ships it would be perfect. I am going on the queen of all Mega ships next summer. I am expecting to have a great time.

[SS Cruise Lady]

I think space per passenger, as well as crew/passenger ratio, is more important than the actual size of a ship. The largest ship we were ever on was only 102,000 tons, but it had 3,400 passengers during our sailing, as well as a very unfavorable passenger/crew ratio. Consequently, I felt as if we were constantly fighting Times Square crowds and waiting on line, while receiving very poor service. However, if that same ship had less people and more crew members, it would have probably been a completely different experience.

[superjerryw]

Sorry, but I prefer the megaships. I find the facilities are better and there is just more to do. The theaters are large and I think the production shows are more extravagant. The ice shows on the Voyager class ships are spectacular. I like to work out and the best equipped gyms are on the larger ships. I've sailed on Voyager class ships 4 times and I have never felt crowded despite the number of passengers. I think that if you are an active person that likes to be occupied a larger ship is the way to go. If you just want peace and quiet a smaller ship might be a better choice.

[newmexicoNita]

I voted for too many people, but in reality most of the choices fit my feelings. I think since mega ships have been a reality the quality of food has gone way down and the service has not gone up; that's for sure. Some of this may be due to the pricing as well as size. We all know cruising used to be something only the upper middle class could partake of, or if you didn't fit into that catagory you saved for years and years. It has become a very popular family vacation and affordable to many more. This has affected the overall quality of the ships. Do not get me wrong, I love cruising, I just think the concept has changed in the past 20 years. NMnita