Which ship should we try next? ( Second Cruise)

[d1k]

Hi,

 

We are trying to figure out which ship to try next. We picked Empress for Cuba ( but got canceled).  We decided to go with the 50% refund and assumed it would not be our thing.

 

WE LOVED IT.  Every single second on this ship was perfect. Our teen had a blast too.  We never waited in line, we could decide on a whim what to do based on the Compass.  The small size didn't bother us at all.

We are looking for a June 2021 sailing ( I know these are not out yet). We will book Empress again if it is available but want to start looking at you tube videos and stuff about other ships.

We do not want to make reservations for shows-- that is too stressful.  We will have a 15 year with us.

What ship would you recommend and why?

[BNBR]

Oasis because it'll ruin everything else for you.

 

And you are WAY overthinking "reservations" for shows being a bad thing.  It's awesome.  You don't HAVE to have reservations, you can go in standby all the same.  But it's nice to be able to just walk in earlier and grab the best seats, stress free.

[d1k]

3 minutes ago, BNBR said:

Oasis because it'll ruin everything else for you.

 

And you are WAY overthinking "reservations" for shows being a bad thing.  It's awesome.  You don't HAVE to have reservations, you can go in standby all the same.  But it's nice to be able to just walk in earlier and grab the best seats, stress free.

So what does the reservation do?  Just get you in early?  I saw on another thread people were upset about a new cast coming in and their reservations getting moved.  What was that about?

[BNBR]

23 minutes ago, d1k said:

So what does the reservation do?  Just get you in early?  I saw on another thread people were upset about a new cast coming in and their reservations getting moved.  What was that about?

 

No idea what that's about. Reservations get you in early. At 10 min out everyone is allowed in.  When you do your cruise planner, the shows and timing ends up being kind of obvious, as in, with overlapping shows, etc, you'll only have one show time you'd probably go to. So we just book all the obvious times. If you don't go, you don't go. If you decide to go to the show, you pleasantly walk in and grab a nice seat.  It's awesome. I dislike ships without reservations now. I view them like a fast pass at Disney. Skip the line and crowd. Wander in, grab a drink, find a nice seat, relax and watch the show. 

 

And sometimes if we are bored we may just wander in to a show at general entrance time and virtually always can get a seat somewhere anyways.  First come, first served approach to shows on ships is for animals. Try going to a comedy club on Carnival... Omg. 

Edited July 2, 2019 by BNBR

[Clarea]

20 minutes ago, d1k said:

So what does the reservation do?  Just get you in early?  I saw on another thread people were upset about a new cast coming in and their reservations getting moved.  What was that about?

 

Stick with your original thought and try another ship without reservations.  That way you are flexible and don't have to wait in a standby line if you decide to do something else other that what you planned months ago.

 

Majesty is another small ship, though bigger than Empress.  We like Vision, Radiance, and Voyager class ships.  There should be some options in those ships for you.

 

 

[BNBR]

It also depends on what you liked about your cruise, your style. One thing cool about all the lines is that they are all similar enough to be familiar, but also different enough to cater to different personality types. You may find you enjoy Carnival or Celebrity more. Or the mega ships. Which is why I'd suggest Oasis next to see the difference. Personally, I'd suggest expanding to different types of ships and different brands. 

[CruisingJoe09]

Empress to Oasis Class is way too huge of a jump.

 

I would maybe suggest the Voyager Class ships. Navigator and Mariner have been completely revamped recently and offer a variety of features. They do 3/4 night cruises.

[BNBR]

Just now, CruisingJoe09 said:

Empress to Oasis Class is way too huge of a jump.

 

I would maybe suggest the Voyager Class ships. Navigator and Mariner have been completely revamped recently and offer a variety of features. They do 3/4 night cruises.

 

Why is that a big jump? Why would that even matter? Lots do Oasis as their first cruise. It's not like some big difficult or challenging expedition that you need to work your way up to, it's a cruise ship, lol. 

[Getting out there]

I've only done Majesty and then Adventure. I think it's good to go from small to a little bigger. Everything seems so big, not sure how I could jump to an Oasis. I also don't like the idea of reservations. Just read a review on Allure that said if you didn't have a reservation you didn't get in; no stand-by line. Also, it seems if you're on the bigger ships you need to pay for some app, so you know what's going on. I don't want to pay for that and I don't have a smart phone.

 

[John&LaLa]

Odyssey 

[Ashland]

OP you should be concentrating on the itinerary not just the ship.

[BettyCruiser]

My vote is Radiance class, just a little bigger and a lot of glass for great views.

 

i love Radiance class!

[JasonMason]

I enjoy the smaller ships quite a bit - I have really enjoyed the cruises I've taken on Vision and Enchantment - love the small, intimate and "classic" style that they bring to the table. Having said that, our last trip was on Anthem and I LOVED it. It had great indoor spaces, a full indoor pool, as well as the best Solarium I have ever experienced (Empress does not have one, so if you are pool people you might be pleasantly surprised) Also there is a LOT for a 15 year old to do on that ship (iFly, bumper cars, the whole SeaPlex in general). I would definitely recommend Anthem *or* since you are looking at 2021, maybe treat yourselves to a cruise on Odyssey after it is finished! Quantum class are big ships, but they utilize the space very well - I was very impressed.

 

...Just my two cents ☺️

[CruisingJoe09]

1 hour ago, BNBR said:

 

Why is that a big jump? Why would that even matter? Lots do Oasis as their first cruise. It's not like some big difficult or challenging expedition that you need to work your way up to, it's a cruise ship, lol. 

If you've only done Empress, Oasis will feel overwhelming. I don't think it's a good idea to do Oasis as a first cruise either - too large and there is a large chance of being spoiled. Where do you go from there?

 

I couldn't even imagine stepping up to Oasis Class if I'd never been on a Freedom Class before. But maybe that's just my OCD.

Edited July 2, 2019 by CruisingJoe09

[BNBR]

6 minutes ago, CruisingJoe09 said:

If you've only done Empress, Oasis will feel overwhelming. I don't think it's a good idea to do Oasis as a first cruise either - too large and there is a large chance of being spoiled. Where do you go from there?

 

I couldn't even imagine stepping up to Oasis Class if I'd never been on a Freedom Class before. But maybe that's just my OCD.

 

What's wrong with it being so awesome that you get spoiled? It's a real thing. I know several people who have little interest in anything not Oasis. Why wouldn't I recommend something that is "that good"!? 

 

I think the size of the ship is overplayed. It's still a ship. It's not THAT big or intimidating.  It's like suggesting not to go to a Disney resort without first practicing at a Hampton Inn.

[BNBR]

1 hour ago, Getting out there said:

I've only done Majesty and then Adventure. I think it's good to go from small to a little bigger. Everything seems so big, not sure how I could jump to an Oasis. I also don't like the idea of reservations. Just read a review on Allure that said if you didn't have a reservation you didn't get in; no stand-by line. Also, it seems if you're on the bigger ships you need to pay for some app, so you know what's going on. I don't want to pay for that and I don't have a smart phone.

 

 

Absolutely none of that is true. None of it.  The only time you may not get in with standby is the comedy club. And that's Oasis and Allure. Plenty of seats on Harmony as the club is bigger. It's a nice, intimate club designed for comedy and awesome. Plus there is a comedy show the last night in the main theater, no reservations needed. And what app would you need to purchase to know what is going on? What exactly do you think is going on that you need more than the daily paper with activities? You have this ship on some sort of intimidation pedestal and sadly it's all in your head. 

[lovescats5]

Why is Oasis so bad for a first cruise.  It was our first 2 cruises after a layoff of about 5 years.  Unfortunately, or may fortunately, for us our 3rd cruise was on Anthem and I have no desire to go back to an Oasis class.  I think there are way more things to do on Anthem and we certainly take advantage of the bumper cars and iFly.  So I would vote for Anthem for your next cruise.

[Twipenne]

3 hours ago, BNBR said:

Oasis because it'll ruin everything else for you.

 

And you are WAY overthinking "reservations" for shows being a bad thing.  It's awesome.  You don't HAVE to have reservations, you can go in standby all the same.  But it's nice to be able to just walk in earlier and grab the best seats, stress free.

 

 

For me, half the fun of a vacation is the months of planning. It gives me something to look forward to at work.

[LeeW]

We've been on Navigator five times (it was our first Royal ship) but larger ships are not that bad.  Yup, we hate making the reservations but they tend to move them around on us anyway.  Big ships have some interesting features and really great entertainment.  Even got DW to try iFly and Northstar on Anthem.  Just note that the Oasis and Anthem class ships have limited ports they can go to.  There are HUGE numbers of people on these ships but they don't feel any more crowded than the smaller ones.  We have upcoming cruises booked on Allure, Adventure and two on Harmony.  

 

Pick where you want to go and book!

[Anita Latte]

I recommend Enchantment and specifically one of what they used to call panoramic ocean view staterooms on decks 7 and 8 midship. Idk what they are called now after that name was put to the new style ocean view on deck 12 on Indy? and navigator? These rooms are outstanding for a family of 3...which we are. The sofa bed conversion didn’t interfere with the layout of the room...and the “window seat” was perfect for having a sit to put on shoes, enjoy the view...even while the sofa was a bed. The rooms were added when Enchantment was stretched. They are similar in size to the combination of cabin and balcony combined to all cabin space.

 

midship location for such a room is also great.

 

I sailed Sovereign of the Seas for my first cruise back in 1990. Then Mariner, which I didn’t enjoy because it lacked the outward focus with the promenade. I need that ocean view! Enchantment brought back that feeling I remembered from my first cruise. I hear Radiance class is similar but I haven’t sailed any yet.

 

I have sailed Allure...so I understand the appeal of Oasis class...and since I sailed with my parents on a special only child and parents getaway while DH graciously stayed home with DS, I have finally booked Harmony for the first cruise DH and I take as a couple after DS heads off to Uni next year. Oasis class didn’t interest me for the 3 of us because I felt like we might get spread out too much and I admit that I like that DS likes to hang out with us. The smaller ship condenses what appeals to the family as a whole and keeps us together more. And hands down, that very particular class of room was the best my family of 3 has occupied for a cost benefit analysis. I’m saving taking DS on Oasis for when he’s older and we might need that extra space for a family vacation.

[bonsai3s]

Welcome to CAA...Cruise Addict Anonymous 😊.

Pick an itinerary, then let the itinerary decide your ship...sounds like no matter which ship you pick, you'll have a great time. Happy Sailing! 😄

[Tree_skier]

Go with Liberty. Your teen will love it. They have the best water slides. 

[KmomChicago]

This is the easiest question ever. Go on whatever cruise leaves from a port you can get to easily - whether that means flight or easy drive.  If it visits ports you find interesting or at least acceptable within whatever budget you set, you're golden. You can stick with Royal Caribbean and guess what? You'll very likely enjoy any of their ships. Oasis class is certainly awesome whether for a first cruise or a 50th cruise. 

 

You can try a different cruise line. Carnival is a little more casual and usually (not always) a bit cheaper.  Celebrity is a bit more elegant, quieter but still fine for families, and usually a little higher price point.  Sometimes quite a bit higher.  And those are just a couple of options.  If you have bags of money hidden under your bed, you can do Disney which is awesome but typically 2-3 times the price of RCI.

 

Use an online travel agency to compare options and prices for your timeframe.  This makes it easier to see a broad range of lines, ships and itineraries.

 

Once you think you find a deal you like, come back and look for reviews on that ship, just to see what people appreciate or find less to their liking about it.  If you enjoy the planning process you can spend a lot of time choosing, or if not, you can't go wrong by sticking with Royal and booking whatever ship has the dates and deal you want.

[Crazy planning mom]

I would try a different itinerary.  Freedom out of San Juan to the Southern Caribbean or go to Alaska.   RC has multiple ships going there.    

[rafinmd]

The smaller ships will not be around forever.  Enjoy them while you can.

 

Roy