Big Ship vs Little Ship

[dual]

I have just broke my cruise virginity of Liberty of the Seas over Thanksgiving.

 

Im watching prices for 2010 but Id like to take in the smaller caribbean Islands, St Thomas, St Kitts, Barbados etc but I note (unless im missing something) that its the smaller ships that visit these ports.

 

Id like to take my hubby and younger Son next time and I know for a fact they would love Liberty/Freedom sized ships etc - the sheer size of these awesome ships are to be seen to be believed and im sure it would ensure they couldnt get bored as there is so much to do and see on Board, never mind the ports.

 

What major differences would I find on the smaller ships in terms of places to go, things to see, activities to take part in etc. Have I spoiled myself by going on the big ship first?

 

Any opinions would be most appreciated.

 

Many thanks

[cb at sea]

Not really--even RCI's "smaller" ships are NOT teeny! They are all pretty damned big! Until you're in the middle of the ocean, with no land in sight, then, even the largest ship feels a bit small! It's all perspective!

You'll have a great time!

[Islandbear]

There is something for everyone out there.

 

For me, I prefer smaller Islands that have more Caribbean culture and a less urban feel. So for me the "Smaller" ships are the best. My favorite is Star Clipper. My next priority is service and quality of food for the value paid. Every ship in a line is a little different and as you move up in size you gain some things but lose others.

 

Just relax and enjoy the search for the perfect cruise!

[printingchick]

I have just broke my cruise virginity of Liberty of the Seas over Thanksgiving.

 

Im watching prices for 2010 but Id like to take in the smaller caribbean Islands, St Thomas, St Kitts, Barbados etc but I note (unless im missing something) that its the smaller ships that visit these ports.

 

Id like to take my hubby and younger Son next time and I know for a fact they would love Liberty/Freedom sized ships etc - the sheer size of these awesome ships are to be seen to be believed and im sure it would ensure they couldnt get bored as there is so much to do and see on Board, never mind the ports.

 

What major differences would I find on the smaller ships in terms of places to go, things to see, activities to take part in etc. Have I spoiled myself by going on the big ship first?

 

Any opinions would be most appreciated.

 

Many thanks

 

You have a couple choices for these souther Caribbean ports.

 

You'll see very little difference between Freedom Class and Adventure of the Seas. No FlowRider on AOS, but they add an in-line skating track. The ship is a little smaller and a little less crowded. It still has the Royal Promenade, Ice Rink, etc. You won't wait quite so long for an elevator on the Voyager Class vs. Freedom Class.

 

Your other choice is Serenade. It is a smaller ship. I'm sailing her in three months, so what I'm telling you is from research, not personal experience (yet). Serenade does not have the large Royal Promenade. However, because of that fact, she has a LOT more glass. You can nearly always see the ocean. There is even a set of outside glass elevators, where you can look out at the ocean while riding between floors. Serenade does not have the ice rink either. I've read that the smaller size means more personal service, but I can't attest to that personally.

 

Good luck!!

[BroncosFan2010]

The "smaller" ships will not have the flowriders, not have an ice skating rink, have fewer dining options, not have the Royal Promenade, and there will be less families with children on board.

 

The smaller ships will still have a rock climbing wall, at least 1 speciality restaurant, a pool, and a kids program.

[chaswelf]

The "smaller" ships will not have the flowriders, not have an ice skating rink, have fewer dining options, not have the Royal Promenade, and there will be less families with children on board.

 

The smaller ships will still have a rock climbing wall, at least 1 speciality restaurant, a pool, and a kids program.

 

The smaller ships do not always have a specialty restaurant, I just got of the Rhapsody for example and no speciality restaurant on her.

[IandY]

Last year we were on the Radiance which is the sister ship to the Serenade, a ship that goes to the islands you're interested in. I'm not sure how young your son is but we had our 7 and 5 years old with us and I can assure you, they found the ship plenty big enough. At no time while we were in the Caribbean did our kids say they had a need to go ice skating (and we're Canadian!) or go for a stroll down the Promenade. The Radiance class ships are beautiful, not really that small and will offer a great experience for your family.

Good luck!

[Philly Steve]

I can honestly say I will miss the compact nature of the small ships we've cruised the past few years. It takes just a couple of days to become oriented to the deck layout. I've always loved the motion of a smaller ship at sea. You also tend to bump into friends more frequently. Bells and whistles sometimes equate to a higher end of the week bill, so I'm happy with fewer. ;)

[denamo]

There are some cool things on the larger ships such as onboard additional restaurants, flowrider, a promenade just to mention a few. We've not done the Liberty class, but have done the Voyager class. I think the overall is how many sea days are in the cruise. Also, not sure how active your family enjoys being on a cruise. If your family has never been on a cruise, then they would have no comparison, so that could work in your favor. ;)

 

We've really enjoyed the "smaller" ships. We like the fact that there is so much glass and seeing the seas. The best comparison I can give is the smaller ships seem more 'cruise-like" and the larger ships are more "resort hotel - like." This is not a negative; simply a way to put a comparison to it.

 

Our philosophy: cruise all! :D

[Ocean Boy]

You have a couple choices for these souther Caribbean ports.

 

You'll see very little difference between Freedom Class and Adventure of the Seas. No FlowRider on AOS, but they add an in-line skating track. The ship is a little smaller and a little less crowded. It still has the Royal Promenade, Ice Rink, etc. You won't wait quite so long for an elevator on the Voyager Class vs. Freedom Class.

 

Your other choice is Serenade. It is a smaller ship. I'm sailing her in three months, so what I'm telling you is from research, not personal experience (yet). Serenade does not have the large Royal Promenade. However, because of that fact, she has a LOT more glass. You can nearly always see the ocean. There is even a set of outside glass elevators, where you can look out at the ocean while riding between floors. Serenade does not have the ice rink either. I've read that the smaller size means more personal service, but I can't attest to that personally.

 

Good luck!!

 

I can tell you that I noticed no difference in the service between the Voyager and Radiance class ships. Though I certainly concede that The Radiance class may not be what you have in mind when you say smaller size ship.

[quiltsnh]

We have sailed all sizes and have gone from Freedom to Majesty in one year. I really enjoyed the small ship feel after the mega ship. Yes, they don't have all the bells and whistles but they are still ships at sea. We just did Liberty and loved it and are thinking about Oasis. They all have a dif. feel and experience. We look more at itinerary and land experiences when we plan.

[Ocean Boy]

I have just broke my cruise virginity of Liberty of the Seas over Thanksgiving.

 

Im watching prices for 2010 but Id like to take in the smaller caribbean Islands, St Thomas, St Kitts, Barbados etc but I note (unless im missing something) that its the smaller ships that visit these ports.

 

Id like to take my hubby and younger Son next time and I know for a fact they would love Liberty/Freedom sized ships etc - the sheer size of these awesome ships are to be seen to be believed and im sure it would ensure they couldnt get bored as there is so much to do and see on Board, never mind the ports.

 

What major differences would I find on the smaller ships in terms of places to go, things to see, activities to take part in etc. Have I spoiled myself by going on the big ship first?

 

Any opinions would be most appreciated.

 

Many thanks

There are itineraries where Voyager class ship call on all three of these islands that you mentioned. St. Kitts is harder to reach on one of these ships as I think it is only Explorer that calls there on one of her longer cruises out of NJ. St. Thomas has multilpe Voyager and Freedom class ships, as well as Oasis, calling there. And Barbados has Adventure.

 

For us, my family misses the Royal Promenade when we sail on the Radiance class ships. But they are still loaded with activities and I don't think one would have to worry about being board or not having enough to do. We don't really have any interest in sailing any of the ships smaller than the Radiance class though.

[jtwisconsin]

We have been on every class of ship (except Oasis) and had a great time on all of them. My personal favorite is still the Radiance class.

[negc]

I can tell you that I noticed no difference in the service between the Voyager and Radiance class ships. Though I certainly concede that The Radiance class may not be what you have in mind when you say smaller size ship.

I agree with you and would include the Vision class ships as well. Service throughout the fleet seems to be on very similar levels regardless of the class of ship you are sailing on. There are some physical and cosmetic differences among the various classes of RCI ships but the quality of the staff differs very little from ship to ship. :)

[Desert Cruizers]

The Serenade or Radiance Class isn't small in my opinion. It is 962 feet long and larger then the Vision Class. the beauty of the Radiance Class, ( BOS, ROS, SOS, & Jewel) is the openess that it offers you with all the glass. We have yet to sail a Voyager Class, but love the view the Radiance Class gives you. We feel the Radiance class is easy to get around on and doesn't feel large.

[mikepmcm]

The Serenade has a port intensive itinerary with only one sea day. Different atmosphere with a lot less families with kids.

 

here's a link to our Jan 09 Serenade sailing: http://travel.webshots.com/album/569962403JPamsS?vhost=travel

 

Outdoor eating area at the rear of the ship docked in St. Martin

 

Solarium covered adult only pool

 

Most indoor activities in Centrum

 

Main Dining room

 

Main pool area

 

Mike

[FLACRUISER99]

RCI does not have any small ships. Azamara, Oceania, and the small Princess ships are what I would call a small ship today.

[sea-cruise]

I enjoy the smaller ships because I travel for varied itineraries, and I'm older. I need to pack a lot of blister bandaids when I'm aboard larger ships. :p

Grandsons like the flowriders, etc.

[dual]

Many thanks to all of you for your input on my question - its very much appreciated.

 

I still think I will look at the freedom class for cruising with my hubby & younger son. I do think however if my hubby and I have a chance to cruise alone we will probably go for the slightly smaller in the RCCL fleet and experience some of the other classes.

 

Thanks again

[The Big Booper]

RCI does not have any small ships. Azamara, Oceania, and the small Princess ships are what I would call a small ship today.

 

The "R" ships, all eight of them.

[mikepmcm]

Sorry my pics of the Serenade didn't appear in the above post, I'l tryagain:

 

Outdoor windjammer eating area at rear of ship while docked in St. Martin

 

Centrum Party

 

Main Dining room

 

Solarium covered adults only pool

 

Main pool with hot tubs

 

Serenade docked in St. Thomas

 

Full album: http://travel.webshots.com/album/569962403JPamsS?vhost=travel&start=156

 

By the way look at the size of the NCL Majesty compared to both the Serenade and the Liberty in my signature below. You'll understand why the Serenade is not considered a small ship. The Serenade was made narrow to be able to navigate the Panama Canal (The Liberty won't fit).

 

Mike