No interest in mega ships. Am I alone?

[jonbgd]

wasn't Destiny the first Mega ship???

Edited June 9, 2016 by jonbgd

[cruizinisthebest]

I understand the previous posters comment completely, my children will watch a movie with me on the couch and after the movie talking to them I realize they missed really major plot points on a movie they wanted to see and actually have no clue what the movie was even about. They were checking or texting on their phones so often that they actually missed a large portion of the movie. I love my phone too, but it has robbed a generation of the ability to pay attention. Later they will learn when the phone should be put away or turned off to enjoy a moment, but they are not at that point yet.

Well it is a generational thing. No doubt. As to your example, I can sit down and watch a movie with my husband then realize he missed the whole thing because he fell asleep. Lol. I do have to make myself put down the devices at home but I can make a mental transition easily once on vacation. The media packages are affordable. So I use them to download pics and keep in touch back home. And none of us are glued to devices while on vacation. I still see people talking to one another onboard. And if they aren't, it just doesn't bother me what other people are doing. I vacationed while in grad school before and had to go online and few times. I never know what people are doing or why. I also see alot of people at the hub spending plenty of time looking up cruises to book. I see the point. Just doesn't bother me.

 

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[loubetti]

I truly understand the appeal of the larger ships for some.

For myself, a cruise is more about the ambiance of the sailing, not the attractions offered.

These mega ships are fascinating to me, but aren't what I sail for.

Am I alone with this thought?:o

 

No, your're not. One of my favorite ships was under 20,000 tons. I had wonderful cruises on 50,000-70,000 ton ships.

 

No kids, so I don't need floating shopping malls / amusement parks / etc.

 

I don't get sea sick either.

 

Sure, I would like to try one, but that's about it. Otherwise, for me, QM2 at 150,000 tons also works for me, but she is in a totally different league of mega ships.

 

I want my Regal Empress back!!! :(

Edited June 9, 2016 by loubetti

[pr1vatepiles]

Only ever done one cruise (although second was booked couple days ago), so my opinion may not hold much. But i prefer smaller ships with more port stops in them. I always thought the mega ships were aimed at people who just want to stay on them for a week without worrying about getting off on a daily basis?

[Liljo22]

Extremely large ships don't hold a lot of appeal to me. I may cruise them only because they have some newer features (restaurants, activities, etc.) that look interesting. I did love the Dream back in 2011-2012 and would love to sail the Magic and even the Breeze. But the Vista? It's bordering on "too big".

 

The Oasis, Allure, etc. are out of my league for sure.

 

 

Difference between the Dream and the Vista is about 5000 GT. Is it that much of a difference?

 

I have only sailed on ships under 100,000 GT so I do not know what the Mega Ships are truly like. We are booked to sail on the Vista next year.

 

For the OP, if you don't sail on one how do you know if its not something you like?

[kelib]

The idea is that you are cruising on the sea. If you are so removed from smelling the sea air, feeling the waves beneath your feet, or feeling the wind in your hair then it is just like going to a big land based resort. I want to feel connected to the sea and I just cannot see that in the mega ships.

 

I also don't like to plan my day to day, I want to get up in the morning and then decide what I feel like doing. With all the different activities and specialty restaurants you need to reserve ahead of time, it just makes it less relaxing for me.

 

About the cell phones, I got smashed into about 5 times on the Fascination with people too busy on their phones and not watching where they were going. My phone stayed in the safe the entire time. If memory serves me,did we not go on vacation and have a great time without phones and internet?

[TerReuv]

I've yet to sail a mega ship but have nothing against trying it out for size. Lol. I'm happy to get on any ship if it meets my needs and goes to the places I want. I think the variety is awesome myself. Choose what you want. But that's me.

 

As far as the Internet package offerings, I don't see why that would bother anyone. We always get the Internet package now that they offer them. Yet doing so hasn't ever stopped me from talking and socializing on the ship with fellow cruisers. That's one of the best things about cruising for me. And being connected has never stopped me from doing it.

 

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Just to say - it is not like it actually "bothers" me as much as it just makes me very sad to see it happening. You must be old school too. I find if you are under 30 then then phone comes out no matter where you are. Our group from work went to lunch the other day and those under 30 all pulled their phones out and sat them on the table (and checked them frequently). Us "more seasoned" folks never pulled them out.

[jayscore]

Difference between the Dream and the Vista is about 5000 GT. Is it that much of a difference?

 

I have only sailed on ships under 100,000 GT so I do not know what the Mega Ships are truly like. We are booked to sail on the Vista next year.

 

For the OP, if you don't sail on one how do you know if its not something you like?

 

Fair question. But, my post was about why I cruise, not comparing ships.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the big ships, trust me!:)

[Warm Breezes]

I like ships of all sizes though I do find myself steering away from the smaller ships when narrowing down my choices mostly because of their age and not because of their size. DH didn't like NCL Epic because he said it was too big but then he loved CCL Dream. I think with the Epic it was more the layout he didn't like. He liked CCL Dream because the layout was still similar to many of the other CCL cruises we have been on only bigger. I liked them both. We will see what he thinks of the Escape when we sail her next year.

 

The biggest plus for me when choosing a cruise vacation over any other type of vacation is sailing on the ocean. It just relaxes me like no other vacation can. The other criteria when it comes to choosing a ship was a cruise vacation is decided can vary for each vacation based on what we want out of that vacation...but every ship I have been on has sailed on the ocean and that is my main reason for taking a cruise vacation :D:p;).

[simplelife]

I too find it stressful to have to decide where go for dinner, make reservations, and stand in line (I do this every day on vacation -I also do not enjoy the buffet for the same reason -they are fine for a quick snack, but do nth enjoy spending mealtimes there, locating a table, etc).I much prefer to simplicity of showing up at my assigned time and being seated at my table. So the lack of specialty restaurants on small ships does not bother me. I do a lot of relaxing on the ship, I find being close to the ocean relaxing and do not need all the amenities the mamas hips offer. The only disadvantage is that the smaller ships tend to be older and may have maintenance issues.

[TerReuv]

I enjoy exploring a ship and it would be almost impossible to see everything on one of those mega ships and still get off and enjoy all the ports. I have to agree with the poster who said the reason to cruise is to feel and see the sea. That is what I love best about cruising. I think that if they still had Cruises to Nowhere, I would do a 7 day in a heartbeat! Imagine, seven days of nothing but relaxation!

 

Also, I know that all those extra "attractions" have no value to me and also agree about not caring about so many extra pay food venues. If I wanted to do the attractions, I would go to Disney.

[cdamion]

The Spirit class was my favorite class of ship until I sailed on Breeze. The very wide promenade is what sold me on her. When I am on a ship, I want to feel like I am on the Ocean, not in a mall, so between the cove balcony just above the water and enjoying sea days on the excellent lanai, I do like that class of ship.

 

What I don't like as much (but still find fascinating) are the other ships like Allure and Freedom with all of their amenities. The problem is their focus is towards the inside of the ship rather than out towards the ocean.

 

Unless I get a ridiculously good deal, I will always try to be on Spirit or Dream class on Carnival or Radiance class on Royal.

[skridge]

I am going on the Vista September of 2017. All four of my previous cruises have been on Fantasy Class and two of the smallest Royal Caribbean ships. I have three kids. They loved the Fantasy, but I think they might like the Vista better. I am going to be interested to see if I like the bigger ship better.

[Warm Breezes]

Just to say - it is not like it actually "bothers" me as much as it just makes me very sad to see it happening. You must be old school too. I find if you are under 30 then then phone comes out no matter where you are. Our group from work went to lunch the other day and those under 30 all pulled their phones out and sat them on the table (and checked them frequently). Us "more seasoned" folks never pulled them out.

 

I don't think you can age qualify this. I have friends the same age as us (late 40's and early 50's) who have been attached to their phones for a few years now. When we get to together with them their phones are always being checked or typed on. My kids are 19 and 22. DD is just starting to be more active in this but still less than half the time our friends are on. DS is on his very rarely but still slightly more than us. DH and I are very old school. We still have Trac fones that are only in use 1 or 2 times per day if that. We just got rid of land line. I haven't touched phone my today. It's still in my purse where it was when I left the house this morning.

 

I do like the new internet options on ships only because it allows me to check in with the kids when we sail without them. It also came in handy 2x for DS who was able to apply and get an internship while we were on one cruise a couple years ago and it allowed him to watch the Div. II NCAA Women's College World Series and write his last sports article for his beat for his college newspaper on our last cruise. Something he wasn't expecting when I booked the cruise but he was happy he could pull it off with the internet offerings available. It's not always all about socializing with those not there and it can come in handy at times.

[SeaMeCruisin]

Having been on the "smaller" ships and a "mega-ship," I absolutely prefer the "smaller" ones. My last cruise was on Allure of the Seas, and there were just too many people on board. No matter what I did or went to, I always had to wait in a line, and sometimes didn't even get into whatever it was I was in line for, or get served before something closed. Thing is, even though the mega-ships are much larger, the event venues, bars, lounges, buffets, etc. are really no larger than on the more typical size ships, and that leads to overcrowding at those places on the ships. Also, on the mega-ships, you have to pre-register for a lot of the free events onboard, which takes away a lot of the appeal of cruising for me. I like to be able to come and go as I please on a cruise, not have to pre-plan every small detail because of crowd control or capacity issues. I could just vacation anywhere for that.

[TerReuv]

I don't think you can age qualify this. I have friends the same age as us (late 40's and early 50's) who have been attached to their phones for a few years now. When we get to together with them their phones are always being checked or typed on. My kids are 19 and 22. DD is just starting to be more active in this but still less than half the time our friends are on. DS is on his very rarely but still slightly more than us. DH and I are very old school. We still have Trac fones that are only in use 1 or 2 times per day if that. We just got rid of land line. I haven't touched phone my today. It's still in my purse where it was when I left the house this morning.

 

I do like the new internet options on ships only because it allows me to check in with the kids when we sail without them. It also came in handy 2x for DS who was able to apply and get an internship while we were on one cruise a couple years ago and it allowed him to watch the Div. II NCAA Women's College World Series and write his last sports article for his beat for his college newspaper on our last cruise. Something he wasn't expecting when I booked the cruise but he was happy he could pull it off with the internet offerings available. It's not always all about socializing with those not there and it can come in handy at times.

 

You are correct, it isn't always an age thing. It is just what my observations have been, especially at work. I applaud you for setting the example for your two kids. And I do love my smartphone, I just am not joined at the hip with it.

 

I agree that the internet options are good for those who need/want to check in with family while on a cruise. It just makes me sad that cruise lines feel the need to make it all more affordable to keep attracting customers. I believe it will be almost impossible to get some families to go on a cruise unless they can stay connected to the world. Everyone used to cruise just fine without being connected, but they could be reached in an emergency.

 

I mentioned in another post the new AT&T commercial about the internet going down and while it is supposed to be funny that the family has no idea what to do without the internet, to me it is more sad than funny and says a lot about our society now.

[Sabalon]

So far we've only been on Fantasy class ships (the closest ports have those). We are stepping up to the Glory next month. It's about a 1,000 person increase.

 

And honestly, while I'm looking forward to Guys (was disappointed our first cruise to find it wasn't on the Fantasy) and dive-in movies, I'm not so much looking forward to the larger amount of people. While I realize the facilities are larger (dining) and there are more pools, it just still seems like chaos to me.

 

Things pinging my anxiety such as just how long the lines at the water slide must be, finding a seat for the movie, getting into a show if we go to one of those (either comedy club or main stage). I know this doesn't mean 3000 people will be lining up outside the comedy club at once, but you have a greater chance of events (trivia, free booze tasting, etc) being overloaded.

 

So while I'm all for the bigger ships and would love to be on one of the ones with zip lines, ice skating, etc, I don't want to be one of 5,400 people.

 

We'll see how I do in this, but my mind keeps saying there are only so many people that can play the giant chess board at once (2) regardless of the size of the ship.

[SIENA6334]

I agree completely - bigger is not always better. Personally, I prefer the Spirit class but, sad to say, most of those are going outside of the US. I have sailed on Dream and Breeze and will sail Magic in 2018. I have also sailed Conquest class and I am ok with them also. Next Feb. we were able to book the Pride for its Repo cruise from Tampa to Baltimore. I am very excited to be back on a Spirit ship.

[caitmac1]

I liked the Miracle, but I really enjoyed the Liberty, honestly- our next cruise is going to be on another Conquest-class (Freedom). Haven't tried the Dream or Breeze yet, but wouldn't rule it out.

 

For me, it's not so much about size. I don't care about most of the bells and whistles. I want a nice big adults-only pool. Vista's limited access Havana pool is honestly really appealing, although Vista's out of our budget for now. And more food options is great, but if they're all pay, that's a big barrier to making that choice. I'd really like to see more pools and hot tubs on the decks instead of ever-increasing time-limited activities (ropes courses, rock walls, etc).

[MMLEsq]

To the OP, no, you're obviously not alone.

 

Personally, I enjoy smaller, in-between and the megaships. If I had to choose my absolute favorites, it would be the megaships. I hear people complain about crowds on them and that really surprises me. With so much to see and do and so much going on, the crowds don't seem any bigger to me in any one area than they would be on a smaller ship. Plus, I like having more choices of things to do, although -- yes, it can sometimes require some advance planning.

 

One benefit to the smaller ships that I don't think has been mentioned yet is that I feel like you get to know more people on the smaller ships because people start to look familiar....you might run into the same people at breakfast that you were on an excursion with the day before, etc. Which, if you like meeting and talking to people (we do in our family) is a good thing. The bigger NCL ships are probably the worst in that area because you don't even get consistent tablemates at dinner each night.

[cruizinisthebest]

Is the Magic and/or the Vista considered mega ships? I'm booked on those next. I would love to try one of those big Royal ships but I can tell you right now, I am a planner to the nth degree yet I know I won't like pre booking shows. Do they do that on NCL too? I may make it on the Breakaway first since it leaves from my home port.

 

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[CruiseReg]

I'm pretty easy going, so in many instances I don't really care if the ship is big or small. I don't discriminate based on size :) My signature says it all, I'm always looking forward to my next cruise, even if it's short on a small ship (like my next cruise in a few weeks!).

[SkyMaster]

i much prefer any ship in the spirit class size. A perfect compromise to mega malls and fantasy class ships.

 

ditto!

 

"sky"

[summersigh]

I truly understand the appeal of the larger ships for some.

For myself, a cruise is more about the ambiance of the sailing, not the attractions offered.

These mega ships are fascinating to me, but aren't what I sail for.

Am I alone with this thought?:o

 

We're with you :D

I think a lot of it depends on whether or not you'll make use of the amenities available on the mega-ships. They do cost more - for that reason.

 

We're retired and aren't too interested in rock climbing walls and wave riders or water parks etc so for us it's really a drawback since because of their size you have to walk farther to get to "stuff". The Sunshine or Legend are about as big as we care to go.

[Warm Breezes]

I liked the Miracle, but I really enjoyed the Liberty, honestly- our next cruise is going to be on another Conquest-class (Freedom). Haven't tried the Dream or Breeze yet, but wouldn't rule it out.

 

For me, it's not so much about size. I don't care about most of the bells and whistles. I want a nice big adults-only pool. Vista's limited access Havana pool is honestly really appealing, although Vista's out of our budget for now. And more food options is great, but if they're all pay, that's a big barrier to making that choice. I'd really like to see more pools and hot tubs on the decks instead of ever-increasing time-limited activities (ropes courses, rock walls, etc).

 

This was one of things I loved about the Dream. There were 4 hot tubs on the Promenade deck and many deck loungers that were available even during the sea days. I loved it. I don't think I spent anytime at all on the Lido deck except to get some food. It was great.