How big is too big?

[big4buck]

We took a cruise on RC's Enchantment of the seas last month.The ship was the largest i have ever been on.With around 2000 passengers on board you had to make sure you weren't at the end of any of the lines,either food or tours.We were told that RC was coming out with a ship 3 times this size in 2 years.My question is how will these ports handle the crowd?Now they have a problem getting tenders to handle all the people.We took a snorkle tour in Belize and had to wait from the mandatory 7am meeting in the theater until after 9am when our tour was called because our tender had to wait in line for the other tours to clear out.In Key West you have to go through customs to get off the ship.We had from noon to 5:30 to sightsee.By the time we got off the ship it was 1pm because of the line from hell.I don't see where they think these ports can handle more and more people on one ship.Every port has at least 3 ships there allready.The towns are jam packed now as it is.There are only so many services at these ports.Unless they change the amout of time you spend in port,you might as well stay on the ship.It's not worth the hassle anymore.

[ehfl]

When you can board the ship in Miami, walk to the other end, and get off the ship in Nassau, without the ship ever having moved, then it will be too big.

[pmfan]

When you can board the ship in Miami, walk to the other end, and get off the ship in Nassau, without the ship ever having moved, then it will be too big.

 

HAHAHAHA

[pmfan]

When you can board the ship in Miami, walk to the other end, and get off the ship in Nassau, without the ship ever having moved, then it will be too big.

 

 

Will they then remove the fuel supplement? After all they will not be needing any fuel. :rolleyes:

[cb at sea]

Haven't you noticed? The times in port ARE getting shorter!

[Rancher Dave]

When you can board the ship in Miami, walk to the other end, and get off the ship in Nassau, without the ship ever having moved, then it will be too big.

 

 

Lets see, that ship would save fuel by never having to move...and boy think of the calories one would burn off on the walk to Nassau...:D

 

Personally Voyager is big enough for me, but I hope to try Freedom someday mainly for the Flowrider. Sure would be nice to retrofit that onto Voyager class. Genesis well...maybe to try it out, or as a winner of the Name the Gennesis class ships.

 

Voyager is quite a bit bigger than 2000 pax.

[crusinmama06]

Freedom was my favorite cruise ever, so I am one of the first in line for Genesis. :D

 

It all depends on what you like to get out of cruising. If you like the ship being part of the destination, like a floating resort, then you'll like bigger ships.

 

If the ship is merely a nice place to stay until you pull into port, then stay with the smaller ships. :)

 

That's why variety is the spice of life.

[negc]

At some point we'll find out just how big is "too big", but they don't seem to have reached it yet. Genesis might be the one, but then again, if they design it properly, they may be able to handle 5000 passengers as easily as they can usually handle 2,000 or 3,600. Only time will tell. We have been on their largest ships and encountered no unusual delays in tendering, eating in the Windjammer or attending the shows. We have also been on much smaller ships, so poorly designed, that it was extremely difficult just getting from one point on the ship to another.

Of course, the question of what is "too big" is also a matter of personal opinion and taste and even on the best designed ships, there will be some people who are overwhelmed by the massive size and will find that it detracts from their overall enjoyment of the cruise. Offsetting those people are those who feel confined when they are on smaller ships which offer fewer features. What someone calls "intimate" another may consider "cramped and confining" and what some feel is "monstrous" or "gargantuan" and intimidating, another will praise as being spacious. We are people of various tastes and opinions. At the present time we are fortunate to have a wide variety of ships of all sizes to choose from. Lets hope that that range of choices continues for the foreseeable future.:)

[cruisnpat]

I can't wait to give the Genesis mega ship a try. I know that it is very large but having trouble waiting to see what she looks like and to sail on her.

[iheartbda]

It all depends on what you like to get out of cruising. If you like the ship being part of the destination, like a floating resort, then you'll like bigger ships.

 

If the ship is merely a nice place to stay until you pull into port, then stay with the smaller ships. :)

 

That's why variety is the spice of life.

 

At the present time we are fortunate to have a wide variety of ships of all sizes to choose from. Lets hope that that range of choices continues for the foreseeable future.:)

 

Yes, half yes, yes and yes.:)

However, there is a choice that IS being phased out, ships the size of the Empress. There is a certain feel and things that some people like about the small ships and they don't consider them to be just a nice place to stay.

 

Small size is all relative to the biggest being built and since the Empress size is completely gone, those people who prefer that size don't have that choice anymore.

 

Cruise lines are building according to what the public wants and what's profitable for them. They'd be fools not to, it makes good business sense.

 

Being in the minority, all we can do is suck it up and deal with it.:D

[DEIx15x8]

They won't be too big till you can go a day without seeing the ocean.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

The attraction of the largest ships is that they offer many amenities not available on the smallest ships. I'm blown away by the fabulous gyms, the Flow Rider, ice skating shows, full court basketball, and the many restaurant choices.

 

I want to sail on Genesis, but I may wait a month or so in hopes that they will iron out tendering issues and disembarkation lines, etc.

[Alexis]

When you can board the ship in Miami, walk to the other end, and get off the ship in Nassau, without the ship ever having moved, then it will be too big.

 

Tonights Blue Ribbon award Goes to ehfl. Nobody is going to top that one. :D

[Alexis]

Freedom was my favorite cruise ever, so I am one of the first in line for Genesis. :D

 

It all depends on what you like to get out of cruising. If you like the ship being part of the destination, like a floating resort, then you'll like bigger ships.

 

If the ship is merely a nice place to stay until you pull into port, then stay with the smaller ships. :)

 

That's why variety is the spice of life.

 

What a perfect way to express that. I may just have to quote you and steal it sometime. ;)

That is my husband and I. We are strictly port people.

Now I know why we liked the Empress the best and our first ship at 17,000 tons. :D

Thanks for telling me in those words. :o

Although I do love the Voyager class Promenade. That is as big as I can get my husband on so far.

[SheilaSailAway]

After reading the title of this thread I had to pop in and see what you all were talking about! It's SHIP size...phew!!! hehehehe:o

I think too big is when your trip is over and you still haven't made your way around the whole ship...oh wait, that gives me an excuse to go back on it again!!! :D

Happy Cruising all!!!!:)

[Merion_Mom]

Tonights Blue Ribbon award Goes to ehfl. Nobody is going to top that one. :D

 

Oh, phooey. ;) I've been saying that (though I say "Key West") since the Genesis project was first announced!

[sandmor1]

Last Sept we took our first ever cruise. 16nts on the Rhapsody through the PC. My DH didn't want to ever go on cruise.. because...he said....he would be crammed into a small space, with hords of people he didn't care for and nowhere to get away from them....But he caved in under pressure...and of course I'm sure you know what the result was!!! He loved it.

Now I know the Rhapsody is not the biggest ship in the world. And I am no mathematition... but 2000 people on 78000 ton ship surely can't be any less than 3500 on a 158000 ton. And we were both amazed at how uncrowded everything felt.

Yes there were quite a lot around the pool area, but no more so than many hotels in the world. And there were plenty of other places to sit on a lounger in the sun.

Breakfast in the Windjammer could be busy, but we never had a problem getting a table.

Tendering and disembarking at ports went off really well and our only complaint really was at the end of the cruise at San Diego.

All non US citizens had to be in the dining room by 3 30am to have our passports checked etc... 3 30am ..can you imagine it? Hundreds lined up from the dining room, out past the elevators and along corridors. And then the computors crashed.... So we had to wait until they came on line again before immigration officers could continue....But hey...we had a terrific holiday (vacation) and with only one little glitch in 16 days. Now thats what I call a result

We are going on another cruise this Sept. B2B on the Freedom and I am not anticipating any problems then either...

ROLL ON SEPTEMBER

Sandra

[robtulipe]

When you can board the ship in Miami, walk to the other end, and get off the ship in Nassau, without the ship ever having moved, then it will be too big.

Boy, that would some heck of a walk to get from one end to the other on that size of ship.

We and many others really like the Radiance class size which was the most favorite class of ships in a recent poll on this board if my memory is correct. Search function on CC still not working so I couldn't confirm this.

[Dr_DNA]

Don't worry. You won't have to walk from Miami to the Bahamas; they'll have an express train on the top deck! :D Segways will be used to go from the pool to the bar too!

[OHCruisin]

I'd be surprised if they land anywhere they would need to tender with Genesis. Logistics of that could be nightmarish. They're actually building a pier at Labadee and you know it's so they can bring Genesis in there without having to tender.

[lady_cruiser]

If I am not mistaken the Voyager holds 3,000 px. We were on it this past January. As long as I can find a quiet place to read a book while having a sea day, no ship can ever big too big for me.

[crusinmama06]

I'd be surprised if they land anywhere they would need to tender with Genesis. Logistics of that could be nightmarish. They're actually building a pier at Labadee and you know it's so they can bring Genesis in there without having to tender.

 

Yep it seems like Labadee, Falmouth Jamaica and St.Martin are all building bigger facilities to allow the Genesis to dock. I am wondering what will happen everywhere else though. I guess we'll see. :)

[negc]

I'd be surprised if they land anywhere they would need to tender with Genesis. Logistics of that could be nightmarish. They're actually building a pier at Labadee and you know it's so they can bring Genesis in there without having to tender.

 

Some ports, as already mentioned, are making changes in their docking facilities in order to be able to host the largest ships, including Genesis. If ports really value the business that cruise ships bring them, expect to see even more of them making the necessary improvements to accept these ships. As far as the tendering process is concerned, many ports have large tenders capable of transferring large numbers of passengers from the ship to the port at one time. The tendering problem was raised as an objection when Voyager and Freedom ships were first announced, but, for the most part, the problems have not seriously affected passengers on those ships. With proper planning, Genesis project vessels should be able to tender successfully. While Genesis may have provided an incentive to RCI to build a dock at Labadee, it might also be said that by doing so they will significantly decrease the number of days that weather prevents them from tendering to the beach from any of their ships, regardless of its size.