Mega Cruise ships....how big is too big?

[KeithJenner]

[quote name='time2cruise1']Yes for the most part. None of the ports in winter are tender. I believe the Epic has tendered in one port in the Med.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk - Jim[/QUOTE]

The Med port it tendered at was Cannes, which was a change to the schedule last year. It was originally going to be Nice (I believe, can't remember for sure) but for some reason it was changed just before the season started. This year it is going to Palma instead.

The tendering port wasn't planned.

[Canadianweaselette]

Our first cruise was on the Disney Dream with 4000 passengers. I found that is felt crowded in all the public spaces.

I am looking forward to only 2400 passengers on the NCL Gem next year. Once I've tried the big and small I'll be able to weigh in with a more educated opinion.

Sent from my SAMSUNG using Tapatalk 2

[roe2ship]

On the two smaller ships with the least amount of passengers we have cruised was RCI Radiance of the Seas and Celebrity Summit. The Radiance overall felt the most crowded....especially the pool deck area. On the Summit, we experienced the S-L-O-W-E-S-T bar service of any cruise.

On the Oasis.....never witnessed that amount of empty loungers around the pool deck areas. From the moment we boarded till we disembarked, we could not believe there were 6200 pax on board. Simply incredible!

[raylene5]

[quote name='chengkp75']As what would be considered a "cheerleader" for US flag ships, I am all for US flag ships and crews, but unfortunately, your ideas are not quite correct.

The only large (more than 1000 passenger) US cruise ship was really built in Germany, and required a special act of Congress to allow it to trade in the PVSA trade in Hawaii. If you could find a yard in the US to build a cruise ship (most would run away screaming, as they would lose their shirt on the first couple they built), it would triple the cost, which would affect your ticket prices from before the first cruise.

The NCL Hawaiian cruises are nearly the same price for a 7 day cruise as the foreign flag ships charge for a 14 day cruise from the West Coast. Plus, the West Coast cruises have over 3 times the fuel consumption, so the crew cost differential is much more than twice.

To have a US crew, even on a US East Coast itinerary would triple the ticket cost, at a minimum, perhaps more, especially for a smaller ship that cannot maintain the efficiency of size.

While I don't disagree that the ships are perhaps getting too large, I don't see the trend changing.[/QUOTE]


I was under the impression that service was pretty terrible with an all-American crew as well. Is that right?

[raylene5]

As far as big vs. small....I MUCH prefer the bigger ships. I do miss the wrap around promenade and connection to the sea (seems like Breakaway is addressing these issues?) but the quantity and quality of entertainment and activities has me sold on the big ships.

I never once felt like the Epic was crowded and I think I was on a full sailing. Never waited in lines, never waited to eat and we went during normal meal times...I loved the size!!!

Doesn't mean I wont do a small ship...for us it's all about the cost and the itinerary :)

[Cubechick]

I have to say although the Epic did tender in Cannes, it was an uber efficient process. At one point they had eight lifeboats going. I've waited longer for a tender on smaller ships.

I've also felt more crowded on the Jewel class ships than I ever have on the Epic.

[ClaireAndMike]

I suppose it's all a matter of personal preference.

As someone who is very new to cruising and thus has a limited frame of reference, my best experience ship-wise was on the Epic, namely for the entertainment. I cruise with my younger sister (husband stays at home with my daughter, er, dog) and we are very energetic and go-go-go so will we feel the same way when we're little old ladies and have slowed down a bit? Hard to say.

Our next cruise is on the Jewel (with our parents who will be 60 by then which will be their first cruise) so I'm very interested in seeing what our experience is in comparison to the Epic. It will be a different kind of trip though (spending quality time with our parents which I so rarely am able to do) so the entertainment maybe won't be such a focal point.

[sdmike]

While everyone is entitled to their opinion, and fear, might I humbly suggest that folks reserve judgement on "mega" ships until they sail on one. My trip on the Carnival Paradise seemed much more crowded than the Epic. I have zero issues with large ships

[mtsnd1900]

DW and I have loved the big ship experience, hitting many of the largest ships in the inaugural seasons (RCI Adventure, Freedom, Allure / CCL Dream / Grand Princess). We have always loved the feel of the bigger ships, which also tend to be more stable. The crowdedness of the ships has varied, but overall, one of the most amazing things we both noted was that the Allure, the largest ship in the world, also seemed like the least crowded of all.

There was a lot of planning involved with that ship - pre-planning dinners and shows, but it really helped to maximize what we got to do and see. We did not have to, and could have done it off the cuff (did that a few times too), but to each their own.

Bottom line - the same ship could be to big one sailing, and feel undercrowded the next. Give it a shot, see if you like it. Our next is the Breakaway...

[NH Cruisers]

[quote name='chengkp75']Yes, the hull was built in Miss. I'm not saying that US yards cannot build commercial ships, but they don't want to. A commercial ship requires a much tighter timeline than a navy ship, and overruns and delays are on the yards nickle instead of the governments. That's the same reason that repair yards do not want commercial ship repair. We no longer have the expertise to estimate a job on the fly and get it going during the next day, as opposed to just getting the estimator to visit the ship to scope out the job the next day at the earliest.

Further, most of the cabins are fabricated off site, and there is no infrastructure to do this, which could be built, but would require a huge initial investment, and the companies that tooled up for it would not necessarily get a return on their investment unless many ships were built.

No shipyard in the US can build ships at "competitive rates" to even the northern European yards. Our wage structure, and workplace regulations drive the price well above foreign yards. Unfortunately, this has been true for decades. The great heyday of US shipbuilding was based on government subsidies to the amount of the difference between a foreign yard and a US yard. These subsidies went away years ago.[/quote]
Maybe some day the U.S. can have a birth to being a shipbuilding power. As you said it is unlikely. With the "Jones Act" as it is we will not get to have the U.S. atlantic seaboard cruises that are possible with mid-size cruise ships. To have to cruise to Canada, Bermuda or the Bahamas to satisfy the law really limits the ports in the U.S. you could visit in a 7 day cruise.

Along the same lines, I would love to see a specially built Great Lakes cruise ship. It would be long and narrow like an oar carrier i'd imagin.

I can dream.

Jon

[shelly11]

[quote name='thescot123']Totally agree with you. i like the intimate feel of a ship that is 2,000 and below. I travel solo on some cruises and would feel lost on a huge boat with 4,000 plus people. Have been on Sun,Sky,Spirit and Star and they are big enough for me.[/QUOTE]

That's what I like too. Those ships are big enough. Bigger isn't always better.

[terrydtx]

[quote name='NH Cruisers']Maybe some day the U.S. can have a birth to being a shipbuilding power. As you said it is unlikely. With the "Jones Act" as it is we will not get to have the U.S. atlantic seaboard cruises that are possible with mid-size cruise ships. To have to cruise to Canada, Bermuda or the Bahamas to satisfy the law really limits the ports in the U.S. you could visit in a 7 day cruise.

Along the same lines, I would love to see a specially built Great Lakes cruise ship. It would be long and narrow like an oar carrier i'd imagin.

I can dream.

Jon[/QUOTE]

The Jones act has out lived its purpose and needs to be repealed. Would open up the East and West Coast to competitive coastal cruises like in Europe and Asia. The Great Lakes cruise ship is an interesting thought but with 7 to 8 months of cold weather could be the limiting factor, what to do with them the during the cold season.

[Irishwhiskey]

The mega ships are turning into shopping malls.It wouldn't surprise me to see Macy's open up a store on one.Everything on the ships now come with an extra fee as well.Every meal on the ship doesn't have to become an eating experience.We just want a nice meal.The bigger ships may be more cost effective for the cruiselines but not for my taste.

[put me on a ship]

[quote name='raylene5']I was under the impression that service was pretty terrible with an all-American crew as well. Is that right?[/QUOTE]

My brother-in-law sailed on an all-American crew in Hawaii, and said it was the worst service he ever had on a cruise ship. I assume it was POA (he didn't say what ship, but I think that's the only all-American crew in Hawaii), and I also take what he says with a grain of salt! What he, or anyone else, thinks is "bad" service, I might find perfectly acceptable.

[terrydtx]

[quote name='Irishwhiskey']The mega ships are turning into shopping malls.It wouldn't surprise me to see Macy's open up a store on one.Everything on the ships now come with an extra fee as well.Every meal on the ship doesn't have to become an eating experience.We just want a nice meal.The bigger ships may be more cost effective for the cruiselines but not for my taste.[/QUOTE]

A Macy's would have been nice on the Nieuw Amsterdam. My wife and I forgot to pack our bathing suits on our last cruise and the NA had the most pitiful shopping of any cruise ship we have been on. They had no women's bathing suits and only one color and style of men's bathing suit/shorts. I bought a suit for me on the ship but my poor DW had to wait for our second port San Juan to find one for her.:eek: Our first stop was HAL's private Island and no shopping so we had a beach port with no bathing suit for the DW.

[rajones007]

[quote name='NH Cruisers']

Along the same lines, I would love to see a specially built Great Lakes cruise ship. It would be long and narrow like an oar carrier i'd imagin.

I can dream.

Jon[/QUOTE]
There is.

[url]http://www.greatlakescruising.com[/url]

(That's just one I picked up using google. I know there are more.)

100 passengers and their entertainment is, and I quote, "there is a piano onboard!" LOL

But it is BYOB, so that's a good thing I suppose.

I have an elderly aunt and uncle who took one. I think they went from Toronto to Chicago or something like that. 12 day cruise, I believe. They liked it, but they said it was very dull if you weren't into playing cards or board games. They were glad they did it, but said they'd never do it again or recommend it to anybody they liked. ;)

Other than that, there is/was a German company with ships that hold approx. 1000 passengers. They were full-blown cruise ships like we'd expect here at CC. They used to come down the St. Lawrence and work their way to Chicago/Thunder Bay/Duluth and such. And then back out again. It was a one-time-per-year thing, and I don't think they came every year.

I cannot remember the name of the company, sorry. I'm sure they're still out there though. I seen one ship last summer (maybe it was the summer before?) when I was in Toronto and she was in port for the day. I remember coming home and looking up info on her.

[NLH Arizona]

[quote name='Jolimont']This may be unfair but I'll be blunt: I think mega ships are a problem for older people (or people of any age who have a problem getting around) because they make it necessary to walk more. But for healthy people the mega ships are a lot of fun.[/quote]
So, are there very few older people on the mega ships?

[NLH Arizona]

[quote name='sdmike']While everyone is entitled to their opinion, and fear, might I humbly suggest that folks reserve judgement on "mega" ships until they sail on one. My trip on the Carnival Paradise seemed much more crowded than the Epic. I have zero issues with large ships[/quote]
I don't think anyone said they have a fear of mega ships, just that they prefer the smaller ships. Just like some like going to concerts in stadiums, while other like going to concerts in more intimate venues. Its all about personal choice and that is what makes the world go around. Just think if we all only preferred the same things.

[Barb Nahoumi]

Ncl could have the East Coast ship call at Bermuda or the Bahamas for its foreign port, therefore eliminating the need for American Flagging. Of course, it will be a longer cruise , covering ports from Baltimore through Charleston, Savannah Ga., and N.O, but well worth it.

Build it and people will come.

[jaja]

[quote name='Barb Nahoumi']Ncl could have the East Coast ship call at Bermuda or the Bahamas for its foreign port, therefore eliminating the need for American Flagging. Of course, it will be a longer cruise , covering ports from Baltimore through Charleston, Savannah Ga., and N.O, but well worth it.

Build it and people will come.[/quote]

I,for one, would LOVE something like this...Sign me up :D

[DevCruise]

[quote name='put me on a ship']My brother-in-law sailed on an all-American crew in Hawaii, and said it was the worst service he ever had on a cruise ship. I assume it was POA (he didn't say what ship, but I think that's the only all-American crew in Hawaii), and I also take what he says with a grain of salt! What he, or anyone else, thinks is "bad" service, I might find perfectly acceptable.[/quote]

Interesting. I was on the POA in January 2012. Sailed in a balcony cabin and thought our service was better on the POA than when we had a Penthouse on the Sky this past January.

[beachmonkey]

We enjoyed the Epic and are booked on the Breakaway. I did like the Epic more than I expected since it did not seem that big once aboard.

My issue with the larger ships is the commercial atmosphere. If you look at RC cruises, they have Starbucks and Johnny Rockets. These are okay for land based services, but I don't want to sail and see the same thing on the ship. I also don't want to feel like I am in a shopping mall.

[Dolphins]

Considering we are currently in a recession with high unemployment, I found it amazing that they are able to fill these mega ships every week? How do they do it?

[Macadian]

[quote name='Dolphins']Considering we are currently in a recession with high unemployment, I found it amazing that they are able to fill these mega ships every week? How do they do it?[/quote]

Those that have money....are by and large quite comfortably off.
Those that don't....well they don't....:eek:

[terrydtx]

Along the lines of the discussion of this thread, I thought I would post this picture from CC's Face Book page. It is the Oasis of the Seas docked next to the 2000 pax X Constellation and the Constellation almost looks like a life boat in comparison.

[URL="https://www.facebook.com/terry.doane.9?ref=profile#!/photo.php?fbid=10151294004926767&set=a.118044936766.111323.47806071766&type=1&theater"][B][COLOR="Blue"]Oasis Picture[/COLOR][/B][/URL]