Here's why I'll never do a large ship again!

[clo]

2 minutes ago, Sherri914 said:

Large and lovely MDR's.   We have really enjoyed the big ships.  We've cruised a much smaller vessel years ago (less than 800 pax), then moved to the Freedom class, and now we go between Freedom and Oasis classes.  There is plenty to do, plenty to see, and we rarely ever feel crowded.  To each his own I suppose.

I've learned and realized a lot since rejoining this board.  We are definitely destination/port intensive types.  And LOVE good food. So lines like Oceania work for us. Our cruise is 12 days with only one sea day and eight to ten hours in each port. We'll never visit the pool, unlikely to do any shows, probably won't ever - except the sea day - have lunch on the ship.  We've done two cruises in the last year and a half and one ship had approx. 400 pax and the other about 100.  Perfect for us.  And a living hell for some, I'm sure 🙂

[Sherri914]

1 minute ago, clo said:

I've learned and realized a lot since rejoining this board.  We are definitely destination/port intensive types.  And LOVE good food. So lines like Oceania work for us. Our cruise is 12 days with only one sea day and eight to ten hours in each port. We'll never visit the pool, unlikely to do any shows, probably won't ever - except the sea day - have lunch on the ship.  We've done two cruises in the last year and a half and one ship had approx. 400 pax and the other about 100.  Perfect for us.  And a living hell for some, I'm sure 🙂

Oh wow.  See, I'd be afraid I would be bored on a ship that size.  I suppose it's all in what you like though.  For me, planning is a huge part of my enjoyment.  With the big ships, there is so much to plan - shows, dining, activities, excursions, there is just so much to do!   I'm getting bored with the Caribbean ports of call now, so I like to stay on the ship in port while the ship is almost empty!  We so want to do a Mediterranean cruise, but since we both still work, that will have to wait until retirement in a few years.  The Med and Alaska are on our bucket list of cruising.  

 

Happy cruising to you! 

[lucyintheskywithdiamonds]

I sailed on 3 huge ships and loved every minute  of it!! I'm trying out the Majesty of the seas this summer , so I'll be able to compare... funny i remember saying as a kid,,,' wow, i'm gonna sail on that one day! ".. Majesty was all the rage back then!

[George C]

The other plus for big ships is in general that are much newer than the smaller ships, some smaller ships are 25 or more years old and show there age . 

[navybankerteacher]

While there are plusses and minuses of large and small ships which appeal to different tastes,  there is an indirect quality of each.  If you are inclined, for whatever reason, to prefer small ships and sail them   - you will find yourself among others with at least that common taste.  If you are inclined to like large ships, you will be among others who prefer large ships - whichever:     you are more likely  to have things in common with more of your fellow passengers .

[clo]

18 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

While there are plusses and minuses of large and small ships which appeal to different tastes,  there is an indirect quality of each.  If you are inclined, for whatever reason, to prefer small ships and sail them   - you will find yourself among others with at least that common taste.  If you are inclined to like large ships, you will be among others who prefer large ships - whichever:     you are more likely  to have things in common with more of your fellow passengers .

Superb point.

 

@George C, here's a photo of 100 pax ship that was built in 1964.  She is just stunning.

 

[crzndeb]

I love big, new ships. I walk 10k steps a day, and it just mean less laps forward to aft. LOL  As long as a ship gets me to my desired locations, I don’t care the size. I’m not a sun or pool person, so avoiding certain areas on sea days is very easy for me. I have 18 sea days on the upcoming Splendor to Singapore, but I’m sure with the age onboard, there will be plenty of room by the pool. Now the casino may be another story (I don’t gamble, so will avoid those crowds).

[navybankerteacher]

One aspect of smaller ships is best appreciated when you get off the ship.  Many ports lose their character when overrun with a mob.  Experiencing a small port with perhaps 600 or so other passengers is one thing:  coping with 5,000 others getting off at the same time with you is entirely different.

 

Then, of course, there is the fact that a number of smaller ports value what makes them special   —. enough to simply not welcome large ships at all.

[clo]

29 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

One aspect of smaller ships is best appreciated when you get off the ship.  Many ports lose their character when overrun with a mob.  Experiencing a small port with perhaps 600 or so other passengers is one thing:  coping with 5,000 others getting off at the same time with you is entirely different.

 

Then, of course, there is the fact that a number of smaller ports value what makes them special   —. enough to simply not welcome large ships at all.

Oh, bless your heart.  (And  I mean that in the nice non-Southern way!) That's exactly what we're looking forward to.  There's a current thread about Alaska cruises.  That's what did it for us for ten years now.  Too dang crowded ports.

[MBP&O2/O]

The larger on I was on used to take 45 mins to get off to go ashore ... the smaller on was 4 to 5 minutes! Also we we nearer the town .. not in the commercial area .... and free shuttles were provided. Many of the ports were where the big boys could only dream about.

In an afternoon, the lounges were generally empty of all but a dozen passengers ... no naff announcements telling you how to have fun etc .... peace and quiet.

Each to his own.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

On 6/23/2019 at 7:04 PM, clo said:

 

Mom guessing this is one of the newer Carnival ships.  I can tell by the red and yellow water slides in the background, the blue loungers, the edge of the red frog pub on the right and the edge of the umbrella near the pool on the left side of the photo

Edited June 29, 2019 by Luckiestmanonearth

[George C]

One way to avoid crowded areas on large new ship is book msc yacht club, private area for yacht club only includes pool and restaurant,  will try that out in November 

[clo]

1 hour ago, George C said:

One way to avoid crowded areas on large new ship is book msc yacht club, private area for yacht club only includes pool and restaurant,  will try that out in November 

That kind of class division sounds a little icky to me.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

3 hours ago, George C said:

One way to avoid crowded areas on large new ship is book msc yacht club, private area for yacht club only includes pool and restaurant,  will try that out in November 

 

So I’ve been looking at MSC cruises in the Carribean .  They seem very reasonably priced .

 

Why are they so inexpensive ?

[Cruzaholic41]

On 6/24/2019 at 5:56 AM, Joebucks said:

The beauty of the internet. Let's take extreme examples of things, and let everyone form their own opinions.

 

Nearly every ship as a "quiet" area if you so choose.

 

Exactly. Those pics, especially of the Allure, are extremes and not the norm. Truth is, RCI Oasis Class ships are very spacious and much less crowded feeling than some small ships.

 

In fact, I’m going to call that pic of the Allure fake news because it does not represent the ship at all. Posting a pic of a theme cruise makes no sense. 

[CPT Trips]

16 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

One aspect of smaller ships is best appreciated when you get off the ship.  Many ports lose their character when overrun with a mob.  Experiencing a small port with perhaps 600 or so other passengers is one thing:  coping with 5,000 others getting off at the same time with you is entirely different.

 

Then, of course, there is the fact that a number of smaller ports value what makes them special   —. enough to simply not welcome large ships at all.

 

We visited Dubrovnic on a 50 pax ship. Inside the wall was mobbed due to several other ships in port. Sure, we had a small bus that shuttled to and from the ship regularly but we still had to deal with tho mob scene at the bus drop off. 

Fortunately we stayed much later than the other ships and had the town mostly to ourselves that night.

On another cruise on a RCCL mega ship we were in port with two other equally large ships and a small 5-6 hundred pax ship. We all had to deal with the same crowded island.

[navybankerteacher]

3 hours ago, clo said:

That kind of class division sounds a little icky to me.

That is one thing I regret about recent trends in cruising. Until a few years ago the ships were all “one class” - I do not think there is anything basically wrong with the concept of paying more to get more, which is close to universal in the US, but it was in a way refreshing to have that one class environment.  Of course, on the generally smaller ships which were then in use, class divisions were not so easily achieved. 

 

Now, with cruising being “democratized”, I suppose there are many who prefer separation, so the lines had to accommodate them or lose them.  Like so many other things, a compromise between two elements seems to lose much of the value of each.

 

The “ship within a ship” does not match the feel of the older smaller ships —- and, for the budget-minded who are kept out of certain areas, there is the constant reminder that they are second class.

[broberts]

The only real difference between pool event pictures on a smaller ship and large ship is the size of the area. Very crowded conditions appear in both cases.

 

Posted pictures indicate that there are several other areas of the ship that are lightly populated. If one doesn't like crowds, don't join one.

[navybankerteacher]

45 minutes ago, CPT Trips said:

 

We visited Dubrovnic on a 50 pax ship. Inside the wall was mobbed due to several other ships in port. Sure, we had a small bus that shuttled to and from the ship regularly but we still had to deal with tho mob scene at the bus drop off. 

Fortunately we stayed much later than the other ships and had the town mostly to ourselves that night.

On another cruise on a RCCL mega ship we were in port with two other equally large ships and a small 5-6 hundred pax ship. We all had to deal with the same crowded island.

The fact is that smaller ships are frequently the ones that do stay in port later than the huge ones.  

 

Also, there are a number of ports where large ships do not call at all : St. Barth’s, Honfleur,  Chios, Tilbury and Tower Bridge in London, Bonifacio in Corsica, St. Tropez, Londonderry, St. George in Bermuda, Martha’s Vineyard, Montreal, Philadelphia - some because of low bridges, others because of local option — but all of which are worth seeing - and more enjoyable without 4,999 others swarming ashore at the same time as you.

[clo]

2 hours ago, CPT Trips said:

 

We visited Dubrovnic on a 50 pax ship. Inside the wall was mobbed due to several other ships in port. Sure, we had a small bus that shuttled to and from the ship regularly but we still had to deal with tho mob scene at the bus drop off. 

Fortunately we stayed much later than the other ships and had the town mostly to ourselves that night.

On another cruise on a RCCL mega ship we were in port with two other equally large ships and a small 5-6 hundred pax ship. We all had to deal with the same crowded island.

We were on an escorted tour of Albania, Montenegro, Croatia and Slovenia.  IIRC there was only one ship in port that day.  But it was mobbed.  I wouldn't go back there if you paid me.  And I likely mentioned upthread that UNESCO is threatening to revoke their heritage status because of the crowds.

[c-boy]

2 hours ago, broberts said:

The only real difference between pool event pictures on a smaller ship and large ship is the size of the area. Very crowded conditions appear in both cases.

 

Posted pictures indicate that there are several other areas of the ship that are lightly populated. If one doesn't like crowds, don't join one.

probably a ship where the air conditioning went on the fritz.

[Slugsta]

We usually  cruise on medium sized ships but OH had always wanted to try RCI so we spent 7 days on Ovation  several years ago (before she went to China).

 

Check-in was a dream, staff walking around the terminal with ipads, and we were onboard very quickly. We found a quieter spot to wait until cabins were ready. Yes, it was heaving with people after muster drill, but that is pretty usual.

 

There was a lot that we enjoyed - including entertainment. They were doing 'dynamic dining' so each 'MDR' had a different menu; food was as expected - decent but not spectacular. The only time we really noticed the crowds was in La Havre when the port were supposed to provide shuttles but one had broken down. One bus for all those people meant queues of more than 2 hours. We live on the south coast of England so, having done that particular port several times before, we turned round and spend a pleasant day on board the, almost empty, ship.

 

We would certainly do a mega-ship again, if itinerary and price were right.

[Aquahound]

On 6/23/2019 at 5:29 PM, perditax said:

This was the one that did it for me.

 

 

I've cruised Oasis Class 4 times and it NEVER looked anything close to this.  I agree with the others; this is not an accurate representation of the ship.  

 

On the other hand, the first pic in this thread showing a Carnival lido was pretty accurate in my experience.  But again, that's obviously an event.  Evan small ships look that way when pool games are going on.  

[LynnTTT]

We've been on several large ships. My comments:

Don't judge by the area directly by the pool. That area is always crowded even on a small ship.  If you want to sunbathe you can always find a chair by going up or down a deck or two. Sometimes there will be a nice quick deck up high.  and you don't have to hear that blaring music either.

Shows can be crowded.  Just get there 20 minutes or so early.

Remember, large ships usually mean more options-more restaurants, comedy clubs, music venues, more for kids etc.

We're often commented when cruising on a large ship that :it really doesn't seem possible that there are 5,000 people here!!"

 

[clo]

2 hours ago, LynnTTT said:

large ships usually mean more options-more restaurants, comedy clubs, music venues, more for kids etc.

And some of us don't care about any of those except the restaurants.  And Oceania's Marina if I'm counting correctly has seven...with no extra charges.