bigger, bigger, BIGGER SHIPS...

[Andy]

We may be in the minority, but there are still some of us who want to be on a cruise ship that looks and feels like a cruise ship, not an amusement park or shopping mall promenade.

 

If we had wanted the atmosphere of an amusement park or shopping mall promenade, that is where we would have gone.

 

Hi Fleckle !

 

I doubt you are in the minority. Everyone in Our Family agrees with you. I suspect most seasoned Cruisers feel the same way.

 

With that said, Im not against the Mega-Ships at all. The beauty of those ships, is they offer a completely different Cruise experience for those who seek it. Choice is always a good thing.

 

Now that Most Cruise lines seem to be thinking that ships like Oasis & Allure may be the Apex in size (for now anyway), it will be interesting to see if Cruise Lines head towards the 100,000-140,000 ton range once again. I'm all for it, though I wonder if the number crunchers will be in favor of this.

 

I'd love to see Celebrity's next Class, be a throwback towards the elegance of the M-Class - while offering new experiences, along with some of the S-Class favorites, such as the Hot Glass Show, Aqua Class/Blu, and Tuscan Grille. 100-125,000 tons would be ideal.

[Mr. Luckytoo]

I think that a lot of the business decisions behind the Mega-ships is based on expansion of the business model. Realizing that only 20% of US residents have been on ship RCI made a business decision to make a product that would appeal to that 80% - hence RCI CEO's statement that he wanted people on a ship to not feel like they were at sea.

 

Experienced cruisers who ENJOY looking at the ocean and LIKE feeling like they are at sea don't get it, namely because they aren't the target audience.

 

As someone who has sailed on the 153,000 ton Epic the ship gives on the impression of a floating casino. Gone is the grand atrium and open flowing areas. On the top deck gone is the walking/jogging track and the ability to spend quiet time reflecting on the ocean - replaced by huge slides, tiny pools and cramped quarters. However there are people out there who LOVE that.

 

I agree with Host Andy that the differences and choices available are good for everyone! Thanks to Cruise Critic for providing people with the right tools to make the decisions that are best for them :D

[margeecruiser]

We just got off the Oasis last week, and I would like to enter this discussion with my opinion. We did not feel there were too many people anywhere on ship. We did not wait in long lines to get on or off the ship, ever. The staff were all friendly and professional. I do not understand the comments made about long lines and over-worked staff. This was not my experience. I had a ocean-view balcony and spent time in the Viking Crown bar and Boardwalk areas, all of which have an ocean view. I did feel the ocean on occasion, but did not feel heavy movement, even when we were in 45 knot winds.

 

I will sail in smaller ships to go to more great ports, but if this size ship could go different ports, I would be tempted because of the great amenities this size ship has.

 

I have sailed on Voyager and the largest Princess ships, and Oasis was better than both. I have sailed Summit and loved it, both the ship and the ports of call in the Med. If the Oasis could go to the Med, I would go in a heart beat.

 

Margee

[BroncosFan2010]

How big is too big? Oasis and Allure. Big AND tacky.

 

Agreed!!

[BroncosFan2010]

My first cruise was on RCCL'S Adventure. I felt it was too big, but at the time did not know any better. After cruising in the Serenade, I enjoyed it so much more! I would never go any bigger than the Sereande. Because RCCL is marketing so much to families, it makes sense for them to have bigger ships with more for families to do. However, this caused us to switch over the Celebrity. I hate the crowds, seeing children running around unattended, and never use any of the "big ship" ammenities. Honestly, I could care less if I can ice skate or surf at sea. I live in Michigan where I can ice skate 9 months out of the year (outside), and if I want to surf, I will learn in the actual ocean.

 

Cruising is loosing the experience of cruising! I want to feel the ship rock occasionally, I want to know I am in the ocean, and I want to visit exotic places. I don't want to spend more than 2 days a week at sea!

 

Hopefully, the future will allow DH and I to cruise the smaller, more luxury lines. Until we are better set financially, we will give Celebrity a try and stick with the smaller ships.

[Silverback969]

For the present, Mr. and Mrs. Silverback are avoiding the big boats like the plague. We did our first cruising on the SMALL ships of Regent and Commodore Cruise Lines, back in the mid '90s. I don't remember with any degree of certainty, but I believe all their ships accommodated fewer than 1,000 passengers--and I believe the number was actually significantly lower, maybe even in the 750 - 850 passenger range. Yes, we got bounced around a little when seas ran high, but these cruise ships LOOKED like cruise ships--sleek, stream-lined, and designed for ocean crossings. There was a GREAT crew-to-passenger ratio; you KNEW many of the staff, up close and personal, and it wasn't unusual to actually correspond with staff or entertainers after your cruise.

 

We have our first =X= cruise planned for next month, and we're looking forward to our experience. I've been following the Celebrity boards for several months now, and even disallowing the most rabid pro's and con's (C2C last month and this week???), there are still so many positive and negative comments that I'm simply tempted to not read any more comments and just wait and see what I discover.Our first =X= experience will be on the Infinity, and I'm looking forward to whatever we discover.

[everbell]

Silverback -- I like your attitude. This past March was our first cruise with Celebrity (and our 3rd cruise). Let me give you a hint of how we enjoyed our experience -- we've booked the same itinerary, same ship, same stateroom for this coming January. We were VERY impressed with the Celebrity experience. Although, I'm pretty easy to please when I'm on vacation, since anywhere is better than work ;)

[mrshark]

We sailed on Solstice, loved it so much we're going back again next year. We sailed on Voyager of the Seas, hated it, too big for us even though it's not much bigger than Solstice. No way we're going on anything bigger than Solstice ever again. One of the nicest cruises we ever took was on the Zenith from NY to Bermuda, that was the perfect size ship for us.

 

We love X and are staying away from RCCL for now, as we are married but have no children so we like the quiet of the X ships.

 

Our last cruise Freedom of the Seas was docked next to us, ad that thing was ridiculously big. And Oasis is bigger than that? No thanks, not for us.

 

I worked on commercial and recreational fishing boats from when I was 15 to just a few years ago, paid for my college etc etc. I (and my wife) love the feeling of the ocean, the rougher the better. On those really big ships I bet I would feel like I was in the Mall by my house. No thanks.

[tom_uk]

No-one's mentioned the impact on the ports of call. I've never cruised in the Caribbean but I have cruised in Europe a number of times now. In some areas the newer, larger ships are in danger of overwhelming the destinations. Take, for instance, Santorini. It's possib;e to have 10,000 or more passengers arriving there in a day, and that number simply overwhelms the local infrastructure, i.e. the cablecar and/or the donkeys. The cablecar was built around 20 years ago when the number of arriving passengers was much less than it is today; hence today's stories about long queues at both ends of it, tips on 'how to avoid the lines', etc, etc. Given the problems that the numbers of passengers can cause, I wonder just how good a Santorini experience passengers are having. The same might be true of Capri and/or the Amalfi Coast drive; the Acropolis; Ephesus; and so on.

 

Smaller ships can also get into smaller ports, of course. We recently did a min-cruise on P&O's Arcadia, calling at Zeebrugge and Le Havre. Arcadia isn't a huge ship, but it's big enough to mean that le Havre is the only port in that area that can accomodate her. As a result, there were excursions from Le Havre to (among other places) Honfleur and Rouen. A few years we did a shirt cruise on Fred Olsen's Braemar, 20,000 tons at that time, and she actually berthed in Honfleur, on the river. Even more extraordinarily, we've noticed that another Fred Olsen ship, Black Watch (28,000 tons) can actually get up the river Seine all the way to Rouen. That's a very tempting thought.

[Rick-cruiser]

Good point, Tom.. The last thing I want is to step off a ship at some port, and suddenly be in the middle of 10,000 tourists all over the place.. Yes, if just three megaships of 3,000-5,000 people are in that port, you're talking about up to 15,000 people all arriving at the same time.. Think of the crowds, lines, chaos and craziness you will have to endure... I think I would come back from my vacation needing a vacation.. :)

 

- Rick

.

[BroncosFan2010]

The point about the large ships overwhelming the ports is a very good one! We have been lucky enough to cruise at times when our ship has been the only ship in port. However, when there was more than 2 ships of 2000+ people, the ports in the Caribbean got easily overwhelmed. On our upcoming cruise on the Connie, there will be 4 ships in port on St. Maarten, including a Disney ship and NCL's Epic. We are debating if we will even get off the ship or try to find a really off the beaten path beach. Of course, then we run the chance of getting caught in traffic on the way back, and missing the ship! Not a fun way to spend the day. I am still looking for future cruises that will go to the smaller and less frequented Caribbean islands. So far, the only lines that do are a bit out of our price range at the moment.

[harryfat1]

No-one's mentioned the impact on the ports of call. I've never cruised in the Caribbean but I have cruised in Europe a number of times now. In some areas the newer, larger ships are in danger of overwhelming the destinations. Take, for instance, Santorini. It's possib;e to have 10,000 or more passengers arriving there in a day, and that number simply overwhelms the local infrastructure, i.e. the cablecar and/or the donkeys. The cablecar was built around 20 years ago when the number of arriving passengers was much less than it is today; hence today's stories about long queues at both ends of it, tips on 'how to avoid the lines', etc, etc. Given the problems that the numbers of passengers can cause, I wonder just how good a Santorini experience passengers are having. The same might be true of Capri and/or the Amalfi Coast drive; the Acropolis; Ephesus; and so on.

 

Smaller ships can also get into smaller ports, of course. We recently did a min-cruise on P&O's Arcadia, calling at Zeebrugge and Le Havre. Arcadia isn't a huge ship, but it's big enough to mean that le Havre is the only port in that area that can accomodate her. As a result, there were excursions from Le Havre to (among other places) Honfleur and Rouen. A few years we did a shirt cruise on Fred Olsen's Braemar, 20,000 tons at that time, and she actually berthed in Honfleur, on the river. Even more extraordinarily, we've noticed that another Fred Olsen ship, Black Watch (28,000 tons) can actually get up the river Seine all the way to Rouen. That's a very tempting thought.

 

This is why RCI is involved in the redevelopment of the new port (along with other cruise lines) in Jamaica to accommodate their 2 mega ships going forward. Last I read, the project is behind schedule (no surprises there), but should be available sometime in 2011.

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=741

 

For the western Caribbean run, these maga ships are looking to dock at 3 ports. One of which is RCI’s private island and second is the Falmouth port and only the Cozumel stop will the cruisers mingle with the “outside world”. No surprises that these ports allow the mega ships to dock. I would hate to be in line for the tender on/off the ship with 5,400 of my new found friends.

 

As the cruise industry expands, there’s always the constant struggle of more ships hitting the popular ports during the weekdays when the ship is in town. In Skagway Alaska, the regular population is less than 1,000 people. So even an average size ship visiting will easily surpass the local population.

[phoenix_dream]

My favorite size is the M class - just big enough to have alot to do and not feel at all cramped, but small enough to remember you are on a ship. We loved Solstice, but felt that we preferred the size of the M class. I personally have little interest in floating resorts. If I want to go to an all-inclusive resort, that's where I'll go. The more these huge ships sail, the more crowded and uncomfortable the ports are. I personally just don't get it - I guess families with young kids and pre-teeners like ships with alot to do, but I myself don't see it. To each their own I guess, although the port issue is becoming a serious one in my opinion.

[phoenix_dream]

The point about the large ships overwhelming the ports is a very good one! We have been lucky enough to cruise at times when our ship has been the only ship in port. However, when there was more than 2 ships of 2000+ people, the ports in the Caribbean got easily overwhelmed. On our upcoming cruise on the Connie, there will be 4 ships in port on St. Maarten, including a Disney ship and NCL's Epic. We are debating if we will even get off the ship or try to find a really off the beaten path beach. Of course, then we run the chance of getting caught in traffic on the way back, and missing the ship! Not a fun way to spend the day. I am still looking for future cruises that will go to the smaller and less frequented Caribbean islands. So far, the only lines that do are a bit out of our price range at the moment.

 

You have a good point. Last time we were in St. Maarten there were none of these huge ships and traffic was nevertheless absolutely horrendous. We had rented a car to drive around the island and swore never to do it again. We spent most of our time stuck in traffic, and the beach was jammed. Ugh!