Will I be Disappointed going Smaller and Older?

[coaster]

All of this is a personal preference. Started sailing on NCL ships that were a third of the size of Vision class. All were good. Loved Empress when she was still around and I kind of cringe when I see comments that Vision and Radiance class ships are small. My love for the smaller ships will never wither. I do appreciate a variety of ships and have strayed to the Allure for 3 sailings this year.  The smaller ones are my favorite, but it is good to mix it up some.

Edited September 18, 2022 by coaster

[ccletzgo]

Radiance class is still my favorite.  I would also love to be on Vision again

[coaster]

Just now, ccletzgo said:

Radiance class is still my favorite.  I would also love to be on Vision again

Agree that Radiance is the best! Love all the glass in the public areas. Vision class is a close second. Indoor mall vibe on newer ships just feels isolating to those of us who want to feel that we are on a ship.

[barb in ga]

The opinions here are varied, but one thing remains constant for most of us on Cruise Critic: we love cruising for many reasons, but mostly because it fulfills our personal requirements for valued time "away" from daily life. For some that is met by the smaller, quieter ships, and for some by the  larger ships that offer a wider range of activities, dining experiences, and entertainment. 

 

DH and I have enjoyed 24 cruises on RCI; 20 of those have been on Voyager Class or larger. That reflects our personal preference for the variety of experiences, but all of our Royal cruises have been enjoyable. Everyone wins in choosing a great cruise experience!

Barb

[OCSC Mike]

9 hours ago, barb in ga said:

The opinions here are varied, but one thing remains constant for most of us on Cruise Critic: we love cruising for many reasons, but mostly because it fulfills our personal requirements for valued time "away" from daily life. For some that is met by the smaller, quieter ships, and for some by the  larger ships that offer a wider range of activities, dining experiences, and entertainment. 

 

DH and I have enjoyed 24 cruises on RCI; 20 of those have been on Voyager Class or larger. That reflects our personal preference for the variety of experiences, but all of our Royal cruises have been enjoyable. Everyone wins in choosing a great cruise experience!

Barb

 

Well said. My go to cliche about cruising is that "there's something for everyone." That "something" will differ from one person to another and that's why certain classes of ships will appeal more or less to different cruisers.

[Biker19]

20 hours ago, RobInMN said:

Now, I don't have any total square footage facts for any other ship, but I can't image that this is any less, and is likely more.

The standard measure on cruise ships seems to be a very rough "Passenger space ratio" - it is listed in the wiki sections some web sites, like cruisemapper or cruisedeckplans. For RCI it varies from a low of 30 on Enchantment to a high of 36 for O class ships.

[Viajera7]

On 9/17/2022 at 7:13 PM, wreckem2013 said:

 

 

That said I am contemplating back to back on Rhapsody for a total of 14 in summer 2023 because of the Ports. 

My lasts cruises in Europe were for the ports and was a 12 night Baltic and a 14 night Mediterranean. This would be Israel/Egypt and Greece/Turkey.

 

 

I sailed on 3 different small ships in Europe this year: Brilliance OTS, NCL Dawn and NCL Jade. Since I was doing it for the ports and these were port intensive itineraries, I didn’t care about the size. That’s why I also have Rhapsody OTS too next year doing Egypt/ Israel. That said, I prefer the big ships with many activities, shows, comedy clubs to keep me entertained when I am repeating ports, Caribbean, Alaska, etc. I loved Ovation OTS this summer for Alaska with lots of activities to do. 

[TheBandit]

The past few years we've been on Oasis and Vision class ships. Rhapsody, Allure, Harmony. And the Wonder in two weeks.

 

So really both sides of the ships sizes. And I really couldn't tell which one I like more.

 

I really love the entertainment on the Oasis Class. Great musicals, good live music at Boleros. Rock climbing, FlowRider, Zipline, the Abyss, Aqua Theater, Ice Skating shows. And lots of specialty restaurants. And then two of my favourite spots: Central Park and the Solarium. It never gets boring. You never end up hungry.

 

But sometimes it gets crowded (not last time though...running at just 25% capacity). Places like the Solarium fill up quickly. And if you're not fast enough, some specialty restaurants will sell out.

 

The Vision class is a lot smaller. But I had fun just the same. The Solarium is small, but cosy. A small version of the Park Cafe serves some decent snacks there.

Enjoyed the Schooner Bar on the Vision class a lot more than on the Oasis Class. Felt more intimate...the whole ship does. You keep seeing the same visitors, the same staff. And when everything stops you will keep meeting the same folks grabbing one last slice of pizza before calling it a night. I really liked that.

And there is a charm to the Centrum. Old-School cruising charm with for example the 70s show happening there. Or just to hang out for a late night drink - or pre-dinner drink. Nice dancing nights at the Viking Lounge with great views - missing that on the Oasis Class.

And - at least the Rhapsody - still has our two favourite specialty restaurants: Izumi and Chops.

 

Really really enjoy both of them. And I would say equally. The cabins are quite bigger and more comfy on the Oasis Class though.

[budmeister]

I think Voyager class and above are all equally satisfying. Smaller, and the entertainment opportunities and variety of restaurants drop. By entertainment, I mean shows and live music. We don't do anything else, we just relax. 

[Rogueperson]

On 9/18/2022 at 8:22 AM, Biker19 said:

The standard measure on cruise ships seems to be a very rough "Passenger space ratio" - it is listed in the wiki sections some web sites, like cruisemapper or cruisedeckplans. For RCI it varies from a low of 30 on Enchantment to a high of 36 for O class ships.

@Biker19 This is fascinating.  Though I think there must be an error for the last two Seaborn.  They are listed both near the top 5 and totally on the bottom.  Doesn't quite add up right for a luxury cruise line.

[Biker19]

15 minutes ago, Rogueperson said:

@Biker19 This is fascinating.  Though I think there must be an error for the last two Seaborn.  They are listed both near the top 5 and totally on the bottom.  Doesn't quite add up right for a luxury cruise line.

That measure may not work so well for smaller ships because their GT measure may not properly indicate the passenger space.