Anyone else prefer mid sized or smaller ships to the larger ones.

[shred5]

All I see is RCI rushing to build larger and larger ships. Anyone else prefer the smaller or mid sized ships to the bigger ones. I think once they hit Freedom class it was large enough.. To me it just means less ports they can sail too and more crowded. You have to make reservations for the shows. Longer board and unload times. Harder to find your way around. I realise there can be more things to do. honestly I do not go on a cruise to shop on the ship. To me it feels like the larger ships are adding more cabins making things more crowded like the pools. it feels more personal on a smaller ship. I mean it is all just opinion.

 

I will take any cruise I get, I love cruising either way I just prefer the smaller or mid sized ships to bigger ones.

[bouhunter]

We agree with most of what you said. Did our first Oasis class in January (Allure). Glad we tried it but will be targeting Freedom, Voyager and Radiance class in the future.

[39august]

We've been on both HOTS and Allure in the past 3 months. I seriously doubt if we ever book Oasis class again. Just too many people which impacts every aspect of the cruise experience as the OP noted. Love the Voyager and Freedom class ships. Would only take another Radiance class if I couldn't resist the itinerary. I don't care for the very crowded Atrium and the tiny gym on those ships.

[zdad59]

We shall see. Our last two cruises were on Navigator OTS and Adventure OTS. We called them Goldilocks ships......just right. For next year, our group decided to try Harmony OTS. This will be an "all about the ship" cruise. I'm sure we'll like it but it will likely lock in our thoughts going forward on what we'll want to cruise on.

[perkli25]

I would also agree that I like the smaller ships better. I enjoyed Allure and Oasis but it didn't have them same feel of the smaller ships. I also don't like having to make reservations for everything.

 

I did enjoy the nursery and playroom plus the plethora of activities for my daughter that the Oasis class offers.

 

We are on Freedom next April and hope this is a good balance for our family.

 

 

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[emdia43]

Me too. So far Allure is the ship I liked least. I felt like I was walking all week....and it felt very crowded, the Promenade was packed and the Windjammer was way too small with poor traffic flow. It's a fantastic ship and the entertainment was second to none, but I will stick to smaller ships.

[wildcatt99]

We too like the more Mid-sized ship. We haven't tried any of the larger ships. Don't really like the idea of having to make reservations for everything. We loved Freedom, Liberty, and we are sailing on Navigator this November.

[mdrobtx]

Yep. You can have the large ships. The group we cruise with without a doubt prefer Freedom class and smaller.

[cb at sea]

Agreed....Voyager and Freedom class are "just right"...and I wouldn't mind the older, smaller ships from the distant past, if their cabins were a bit larger!

[shred5]

Wow I did not expect this many this fast to agree. I certainly understand the want to try out the new ships and it is awsum to see the size of them, it is a miracle of engineering.. I just wonder if after the newness wears off if they will have a hard time filling that many cabins. How big is too big? Have we hit that mark?

[grapau27]

All I see is RCI rushing to build larger and larger ships. Anyone else prefer the smaller or mid sized ships to the bigger ones. I think once they hit Freedom class it was large enough.. To me it just means less ports they can sail too and more crowded. You have to make reservations for the shows. Longer board and unload times. Harder to find your way around. I realise there can be more things to do. honestly I do not go on a cruise to shop on the ship. To me it feels like the larger ships are adding more cabins making things more crowded like the pools. it feels more personal on a smaller ship. I mean it is all just opinion.

 

I will take any cruise I get, I love cruising either way I just prefer the smaller or mid sized ships to bigger ones.

We loved central park on Harmony and Allure so we hardly walked through the central promenade except to do a bit shopping when usually the central promenade is our basic requirement.On the smaller ships you seem to bump into the same people which is often good but sometimes bad.For us Voyager and up with Harmony our favourite.

 

love sailing with RCCL

[floatel_lvr]

Radiance, Voyager and Freedom class are our favorites. On Oasis class you don't even feel like you are on a ship most of the time... and on Quantum class the promenade is REALLY packed most of the time. But we do love the activities on the bigger ships. We just find the overall experience nicer on the smaller ships. Have not been on anything smaller than Radiance for a while now. Wonder if a Grandeur or Empress cruise is in order.

[firefox247]

I just wonder if after the newness wears off if they will have a hard time filling that many cabins.

Oasis is nearly 10 years old and seems to be filling up just fine for RC. Judging by Symphony's announcement, it looks like Royal agrees. I'm sure they want to drive down the cost per pax and get more people to shop on the ship and Labadee rather than the ports. Royal is clearly trying to make the boat and their properties the destinations instead of the ports. While I understand the reasons for liking the smaller ships, I think it is fair to say that Royal is doing just fine with them, and they obviously want more of them. I'm guessing the days of the smaller ships being built are over.

[kernow]

I too love the 'smaller' ships. Radiance and Voyager class are my favourites but don't mind Freedom class too.

 

We tried Oasis and while I still enjoyed myself, I wouldn't rush back. It felt more like being at a theme park than on a ship, I didn't like having to pre book everything and I thought the service was very impersonal.

 

I wish they would build something a bit smaller but can't see it happening.

 

Julie

[JTBCruiser]

DW and I like the smaller ships, our favorite thus far is the Jewel. We aren't thrill junkies and don't need all the activities. We enjoy a more laid back cruise and prefer getting our excitement on excursions. In our experience, it feels we get better personalized service on the smaller ships and I think the food has been better which I realize is totally subjective. As they say, whatever floats your boat or in this case, your ship.

[grouchomarx]

I enjoy both but have developed a preference for the bigger gigantic mega ships because I like more dining and entertainment options.

[shred5]

I think the smaller ships are just more romantic also when it is just the two of you. Maybe because I am getting older.

 

 

I have cruised some ship smaller than the smallest ship Royal Caribbean even has now.

 

The larger ships feel more like theme parks sometimes which is also nice for families. Do not get me wrong we love kids. Sandy was a school teacher and we have 5 grandchildren and we think about taking them on a cruise too.. Probably pick a bigger ship for them..

[BNBR]

The smaller ships feel more crowded, even with less people. When you consider the size and space on Oasis class, it's less crowded than the smaller ships. Gross Tonnage / Passenger ratio.

 

Also consider that Oasis is only about 75 feet longer than Freedom. So the long front to back walks are about the same. In other words, to me, it didn't feel THAT big compared to any other cruise ship as far as walking around and getting places - but everything is just bigger and more comfortable in general. Plus the neighborhood concepts make it so much easier to find your way around vs the older smaller ships.

 

I'm sure people were saying the same when Sovereign came out as the largest cruise ship.... give it another decade and Oasis will be the new Sovereign... :)

[shred5]

The smaller ships feel more crowded, even with less people. When you consider the size and space on Oasis class, it's less crowded than the smaller ships. Gross Tonnage / Passenger ratio.

 

Also consider that Oasis is only about 75 feet longer than Freedom. So the long front to back walks are about the same. In other words, to me, it didn't feel THAT big compared to any other cruise ship as far as walking around and getting places - but everything is just bigger and more comfortable in general. Plus the neighborhood concepts make it so much easier to find your way around vs the older smaller ships.

 

I'm sure people were saying the same when Sovereign came out as the largest cruise ship.... give it another decade and Oasis will be the new Sovereign... :)

 

Freedom class probably should not have been put in there and should have been smaller than that, but that is where I drew the line for size. . I think most in this thread are talking about smaller than freedom too so that was probably a bad place to start.

 

 

Matter of fact I am going on the Independence of the seas next week and I am not looking forward to it as much as a smaller one.

 

 

 

 

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[bjtll]

I can not agree stronger with the op. The larger ships lose the romance of cruising. The DOWNTON ABBYish appeal.

Now the larger ships would be great for the longer cruises say trans Atlantic with no or very few ports.

We booked Anthem for a 12 day cruise for this reason. Unfortunately there was norovirus on the ship and all was shut down for most of the cruise and we had to come back 2 days early for bad weather.

 

Anyway I prefer no larger than Freedom.

[bilyclub]

I would say Freedom class does it for us. That being said have not been on a Quantam class due to there being only one departure port. Haven't been on a Voyager class since the upgrades and additional cabins. Will see how the Nav is soon.

[Bizzie07]

The largest we have been on is Freedom Class and I don't really fancy bigger ships. I go on cruises to relax and just do what I want when I want. I don't want to pre-book shows etc. I like just looking at the planner and deciding on the spur of the moment what to do. I remember speaking to a guide in Tortola and he said its an absolute nightmare when two or three ships are in port particularly if the bigger ships are there as everybody is going to see the same sights. The last couple of years we have been on the smaller ships around the Greek Islands and have thoroughly enjoyed them.

[cruzinlady1947]

I cruise to "see" the "sea" from almost anywhere on the ship and you can't do that on most of the bigger ships. I love to be able to sit in the Centrum and view the ocean from where I am sitting, or sit on the Promenade deck outside and watch the world go by.

 

That's just me, but that is what I like and that is what I do. You can have your bigger ships and when the smaller ships leave the fleet, then I'll decide what I want to do after that. For now, give me the smaller ships.....

 

 

Gwen :)

[3XX1XY]

We really like the old school experience so in our opinion, the smaller the better. We really like grandeur and are going to be on her again next Sat. I don't need a big broadway style show or strange activities that I need to wait in line for an hour for or reserve weeks in advance. We will probably never go on the quantum or even oasis class, even if it were the only option. It's just not what we are looking for.

[Bootman4U]

After waiting routinely for several HOURS for a meal to be over in the MDR I am more inclined to book something smaller. As to seeing the ocean, well that happens every time I book a balcony cabin.