I would like to hear from those with experience, what makes a smaller, high-end cruise worth so much more than the larger ships. I would guess the food is surely better (although, perhaps less variety) and the accommodations nicer. But, what about the experience? On the surface, there seems to be so much more to do on the big ships -- things like piano bars, sports, karaoke bars, water parks, casinos, shows, etc.
It seems similar to staying in a hotel in a city. If you stay downtown, not only is the room fee a lot higher; you pay extra for parking, wifi and breakfast. If you stay in the suburbs, the room will be nice enough and parking, wifi and breakfast are free. You pay a lot more downtown, but do you really get more?
I live in a small town 90 miles from the nearest city, so many of the activities I listed are not readily available to me.
