Big ships VS small ships

I can understand the enjoying a ship with a smaller number of passengers however, As someone that has always cruised on large ships it always seemed like the better option..Larger ship = more stable ship, larger ship = more dining and entertainment options etc. Can someone please show me the other side of the coin?

Thanks...

Oceania's O class ships (Marina/Riviera) are as stable as you can get (or need to get).

If you need more than 4 specialty restaurants (all outstanding and included in the price) plus a MDR, Terrace Cafe (with unlimited lobster tails, etc) and optional 7 course gourmet dinner with wine pairing - then you may want to look at the Oasis :D

PS Do not choose Oceania for their entertainment as you might be disappointed with the choices.

Larger ship = more stable ship,

I would not exactly take that fact to the bank. Which of these ships would YOU rather ride through a storm on???

I would not exactly take that fact to the bank. Which of these ships would YOU rather ride through a storm on???

 

 

 

Well, I did say O class ships and not Nautica.

That aside, I have cruised on the O class ships many times, including several T/As and the ships barely moved.

I would much prefer to be on land for any storm at sea than on any size ship. :D. You'll know you are in a storm whatever size ship you are on.

What about the other ships in the fleet....I made the stability comment based on a recent Princess Cruise I was on......we had a pretty rough trip on the Crown going up the west Coast to Vancouver.....The O class are fairly large I was really more referring to the ships like the Regatta. it seems they would get tossed about quite a bit...But, have not been on one that size

Oceania's O class ships (Marina/Riviera) are as stable as you can get (or need to get).

If you need more than 4 specialty restaurants (all outstanding and included in the price) plus a MDR, Terrace Cafe (with unlimited lobster tails, etc) and optional 7 course gourmet dinner with wine pairing - then you may want to look at the Oasis :D

PS Do not choose Oceania for their entertainment as you might be disappointed with the choices.

The biggest difference based on size for us is the boarding and disembarking process as well as what ports you visit. Smaller ships have an advantage when it comes to visiting ports in our opinion.

The R Class Ships, Regatta, Insignia, Nautica and now Sirena ride in the water like ducks, and having a lower center of gravity, are naturally more seaworthy than some, ......er.......others.

All passenger ships are stabilized today, but without stabilizers some of those huge ships would never float on an even keel, EVER.

Perhaps the Poseidon Adventure looms too large in my consciousness, but obviously top heavy ships are not for me, and I'm not willing to trade ANY number of bells and whistles for that sense of well being.

Will the largest ships fit the new Panama... Only the DCL Wonder is able to fit today's Panama.

Some ports may have limited bridge clearances for the biggest ships to fit... Vancouver's Lions Gate are a challenge for some.

We have sailed the R ships in the Irish sea during a gale & the Caribbean sea during a storm that lasted about 36 hrs

The ships were fine a bit bumpy at times but I am sure the larger ships would have fared no better

We recently cruised on Regatta starting from SF and the outside passage was quite rough. I have also taken a TA and Baltic cruise on Princess( Emerald) and it was very rough going thru the North Sea.

I felt more stability on the larger ship and would only take a TA on a large ship vs smaller.

That being said, I love both O and R ships and the larger ships would only apply to certain itineraries ex: TA.

We were on Insignia for a Drake crossing and also a Magellan straights.

The Magellan Straights was rough with 50% of the crew sick. However I do not think a bigger ship would have made a difference.

Advantages of a small ship --

• You get to know your fellow passengers sometimes a benefit :)
  
• Fit in to small ports when other might have to tender or not go at all
  
• Embarkation is easier with few passengers
  
• Disembarkation is quicker - since their is a fixed number of customs/immigration agents.
  
• Service can be better - crew gets to know you especially on a longer cruise
  
• Tenders can be shorter to get 600 off versus 1200 versus 5000
  
• Less crowded around the pool. I personally found it harder to find a spot on an O Ship by the pool . I do not think area is 2X larger than the R ships.
  

Negatives:

• Less dining places on R ships. However they do try to serve some of the specialties of Red Ginger and Jacques in the GDR.
  
• Less entertainment choices -- but have found O and R are both equally poor.
  
• Staterooms are distinctly smaller on the R ships -- especially Verandas compared to most large ships.
  
• Less quiet spaces, fewer bars, -- subjective
  
• R ships can be slightly more expensive per night
  

We have sailed on all sizes and in the end we like what is now called mid sized, like the M class on X and the Jade class on NCL. They afford many dinning and entertainment options. Crystal has nice size ships and lots to do however their dinning options are a deal breaker for us.

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We recently cruised on Regatta starting from SF and the outside passage was quite rough. I have also taken a TA and Baltic cruise on Princess( Emerald) and it was very rough going thru the North Sea.

I felt more stability on the larger ship and would only take a TA on a large ship vs smaller.

That being said, I love both O and R ships and the larger ships would only apply to certain itineraries ex: TA.

I was on the Regatta shortly after you (I assume, my cruise started June 8) and it wasn't very stable on the light 1' to 2' seas on the Alaska outer passage runs. I have a suspicion that the stabilizers were not 100% operational until the last day of the cruise. I base my suspicions on the lack of stabilizer-generated wake up until that last day. (My room looked out over the wake.) On that last leg returning via the outer passage with the same 1' to 2' seas, the ship was so stable it felt as if we were in a cove, and wake of the ship for the first time had tell-tale mini wakes emerging to the sides of it. Perhaps some parts arrived and/or some repair work was completed at our last port.

I'm used to and prefer the smaller ships, but I don't think this was typical for the Regatta. I certainly hope not, anyway.

Will the largest ships fit the new Panama... Only the DCL Wonder is able to fit today's Panama.

 

Some ports may have limited bridge clearances for the biggest ships to fit... Vancouver's Lions Gate are a challenge for some.

Yes, expansion should be open next year

Largest ships: top heavy, limited ports and therefore limited itineraries. Cruises on them are a waste of money to me. I would rather save for the next extraordinary land trip and cruise combined.

Large ships: many entertainment options, varied itineraries. Have sailed on them.

Small ships: itineraries that no one else can do, easy dis/embarkation and tendering. Have sailed on them.

I have to take medication in even the slightest seas, so it doesn't matter how large the ship is when it comes to movement and stability. My selection criteria are itinerary, timing, food and price in that order. Overly formal ships are excluded from consideration, so are 'party boats'.

I first cruised on O's smaller ships, then went on Marina 2 years in a row. I like the small and larger ones about the same. I didn't feel there was much difference in how crowded the ships felt or how they performed on the water (although of course, that depends a lot on the seas, not the ship). Primarily, I like the smaller ships because there are fewer people and you get to meet a larger percentage of the people on the ship, but I like the larger ships because of the two extra dinner options. For a cruise more than 2 weeks or one with a good number of sea days, I'd probably choose the bigger ships for the extra dining venues and (maybe) more activities (Artist Loft is actually a cool place). For shorter cruises, I'll cruise on either one that offers me an itinerary I like. There are a few situations in which a particular port and ship size mean the difference between docking and tendering, or the difference between docking close to center city or far away. I remember going to Helsinki on Marina, getting downtown, and finding one of O's smaller ships docked right there in center city. Those folks didn't have to do more than walk down the gangplank to explore Helsinki - sigh!

I'd suggest choosing by itinerary first, and size second.

A small ship to me is one that is under 60,000 tons. I recently took a cruise on Regatta and she is 30,000 tons. Great cruise, great ship, much more enjoyable for me than Queen Mary 2 which is 150,000 tons. I wish Cunard would build a smaller ship, even their Vista's are large at 90,000 tons.

A small ship to me is one that is under 60,000 tons. I recently took a cruise on Regatta and she is 30,000 tons. Great cruise, great ship, much more enjoyable for me than Queen Mary 2 which is 150,000 tons. I wish Cunard would build a smaller ship, even their Vista's are large at 90,000 tons.

Historically, the most popular size for a high-end cruise ship would be either Cunards' 34000 ton Caronia of 1947

or the 40,000 ton Oceanic of 1965.

Of the two, Oceania Cruise Passengers would feel most at home on the Oceanic, with her center of the ship swimming pool, but her lack of private verandas (only her top 8 Suites had any at all), means that a modern version would come in at just over 60,000 tons.

Voila, 66,000 tons ;)

We recently cruised on Regatta starting from SF and the outside passage was quite rough. I have also taken a TA and Baltic cruise on Princess( Emerald) and it was very rough going thru the North Sea.

I felt more stability on the larger ship and would only take a TA on a large ship vs smaller.

That being said, I love both O and R ships and the larger ships would only apply to certain itineraries ex: TA.

I always find this statement interesting.

It's not how big a ship is that matters. I have learned that It depends upon how they are built and the centre of gravity IMO. Other than Cunard, the bigger ships are built to hold passengers, not sail the oceans IMO.

For example, the smallest ship in the HAL fleet, the Prinsendam is only 40,000 tons +/- and she will give you a smoother ride on a transatlantic than any of the larger ships. She was built to do ocean sailing (by another cruise line) and her hull literally cuts through the waves. My friend was on a "large" ship crossing the Ocean the same time as we were one year. They had a horrific ride. We did not :)

So we will happily try an Oceania ship for our TA this year.