You keep banging on about the additional cost of small ships. As I have said before, I get what I pay for and am grateful I can afford it. Each to their own.
No, I meant those at the cocktail parties, I.e. Caribbean and above. They had to have 4 of them to fit everyone in! Pretty normal for Aurora though as she is a favourite with regular and long standing cruisers.
Can honestly say food and service on Aurora was the best I have experienced post pandemic (and have done 12 cruises since resumption). Only ate in MDR so cannot speak for the buffet though.
Although a suite passenger can be a first timer, whereas Ligurians tend to be regular cruisers. Over 1000 top tier pax on my recent cruise. No lounge any more either, just separate seating area.
No pre booking on smaller ships. Just off Aurora. No queues, no problem. On Arcadia in two weeks and expect it to be the same. Only the new ships have these problems.
Obviously there has to be some sort of boarding protocol, particularly on the big ships, otherwise it would be chaos and overcrowding. Just turn up at your allotted time. Luckily I am Ligurian and don't use the big ships, so no problem!
Simple answer. If you want spontaneity and not to be constantly organizing yourself, stick to the smaller ships. Lovely on Aurora at present. No queues, no pre booking, no stress!