Smaller ships have passenger/space ratio similar to mega ships. Crowds?

[dcsam]

Are there many lines and crowds on Oceania’s small ships?  Their passenger/space ratio is similar to the mega ships, which I find crowded.  
Thank you. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 hours ago, dcsam said:

Are there many lines and crowds on Oceania’s small ships?  Their passenger/space ratio is similar to the mega ships, which I find crowded.  
Thank you. 

Sorry but ROTFL. You may want to do some research about what exactly that ratio represents AND how it is calculated. 

[ToxM]

No crowds or lines

[LHT28]

some lines  when  disembarking in ports  & disembarkation day

Oh & when the free drinks are available  at the Captains party 🥤

[JDincalif]

8 hours ago, dcsam said:

Are there many lines and crowds on Oceania’s small ships?  Their passenger/space ratio is similar to the mega ships, which I find crowded.  
Thank you. 

Elsewhere on the Oceania board, njhorseman provided an excellent discussion of the passenger/space ratio and the perception of 'crowding':

The ratios used in the cruisemapper website's calculation are not  true measures of how spacious a ship will seem to its passengers. Gross Tonnage is calculated from the volume of all enclosed spaces of a ship so it includes a substantial amount of space not accessible to or used by passengers such as engine rooms,  crew living quarters, galleys and storerooms. Two ships of equal passenger capacity and equal Gross Tonnage can have differences in the amount of space occupied by facilities not used by passengers. As an example I know that when Marina and Riviera were built there was mention of how large the galleys were relative to the passenger capacity of the ships, so that raises the question of whether actual accessible passenger space per passenger on the "O" ships is in reality more than that on the "R" ships .

[JDincalif]

Here's some more great information from njhorseman that helps to explain how the passenger/space ratio isn't sufficient to predict the feeling of being crowded:

 

Also two ships of identical GT, and let's say even identical non-passenger interior space and carrying an identical number of passengers could have substantially different amount of public space simply by varying the size of the cabins. A ship with larger cabins will have less public space for dining rooms, entertainment venues, etc. than an otherwise identical GT ship carrying the same number of passengers but in smaller cabins .

[JDincalif]

9 hours ago, dcsam said:

Are there many lines and crowds on Oceania’s small ships?  Their passenger/space ratio is similar to the mega ships, which I find crowded.  
Thank you. 

Responding more directly to your question: Apart from the occasional dinner/tender/shore excursion queue, we haven't experienced crowds and lines on Oceania ships, even when the ships were at full capacity. Our only voyage on a 'larger' ship (not a mega) was on one with a maximum passenger capacity around 3000 with a passenger/space ratio close to the Oceania O and R class ships; definitely felt more crowded.

[MEFIowa]

9 hours ago, dcsam said:

Are there many lines and crowds on Oceania’s small ships?  Their passenger/space ratio is similar to the mega ships, which I find crowded.

Having spent 10 nights on the smaller Sirena (11/22) and 10 nights on the larger Riviera (12/21), I didn't find "crowding" an issue. BUT had only 719 passengers on Riviera and about 630 on Sirena.

 

The only "exception" was the Terrace Cafe in Sirena narrows in the middle by the grilling station. One evening 3 people with walkers blocked the area, holding their plates and pushing their walkers.

 

Was funny watching herd of people bolt out of the Riviera lounge one early evening after they watched the comic from 5:30-6:30 PM, a rare time for the show, as they charged to get to the restaurants. Just stepped out of the herd's way!

 

The pool on Sirena is tiny, more for walking around than swimming. But never seemed like there were more than 3 people in it at a time. Seemed like people could get the loungers and recliners they wanted by both pools. Neither lounge seemed too full for the evening shows. Easy to get into and out of.

[dcsam]

 Yes, it is the Cruisemapper page I’m looking at.  https://www.cruisemapper.com/amp/wiki/761-cruise-ship-passenger-capacity-ratings
   Thank you for the njhorseman explanation.  Very helpful.  👍🏼

[NeedToChill]

Yes, for many reasons especially those mentioned, a ratio of tonnage to passengers is a fairly useless measure. The industry should stop using it.

 

I remember trying to work out a better method, with my mother in the '80s when we were assessing various ships for possible cruises. We considered counting the number of public lounges and rooms as part of a calculation, and other things that I forget. It was an interesting exercise and the main takeaway was that ships are unique and it's really hard to come up with a one-size-fits-all method of comparing the amount of space on one to the amount of space on another.

 

--Julian

[PhD-iva]

2 hours ago, LHT28 said:

some lines  when  disembarking in ports  & disembarkation day

Oh & when the free drinks are available  at the Captains party 🥤

Agree, however I am very pleased at my ability to score drinks easily during Captain’s welcome/open bar compared to Celebrity. Another reason I don’t cruise on X anymore.

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, PhD-iva said:

Agree, however I am very pleased at my ability to score drinks easily during Captain’s welcome/open bar compared to Celebrity. Another reason I don’t cruise on X anymore.

Well if your goal is score drinks easily  Oceania's free party is  a good place to be  LOL

 

[Hlitner]

Interesting how many "O" fans choose to discount space ratios, which have long been an accepted measure throughout the entire industry.  Yes, it is only one measure, but does make a big difference on just about any ship.  One might consider that on luxury lines with real space ratios in the 70:1 range will generally mean no queues, no problem getting a deck chair, lots of space between loungers, etc.  I think some "O" fans are very defensive when it comes to the "R" ships and their space issues

 

 

 

 

[1985rz1]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Interesting how many "O" fans choose to discount space ratios, which have long been an accepted measure throughout the entire industry.  Yes, it is only one measure, but does make a big difference on just about any ship.  One might consider that on luxury lines with real space ratios in the 70:1 range will generally mean no queues, no problem getting a deck chair, lots of space between loungers, etc.  I think some "O" fans are very defensive when it comes to the "R" ships and their space issues

 

 

 

 

We've never felt crowded in either the O or R ships, except in Martini's...but then again we don't sit out by the pool or go for deck chairs 🥸

Edited January 15, 2023 by 1985rz1

[Hlitner]

16 minutes ago, 1985rz1 said:

We've never felt crowded in either the O or R ships, except in Martini's...but then again we don't sit out by the pool or go for deck chairs 🥸

But how about those "spacious" showers 🙂  On one Seabourn cruise we had lunch with a rather "large" fellow and the topic turned to other cruise lines.  Somebody mentioned the "R" ships (he was referring to Azamara but they have the same size cabins/bathrooms as on O) and the large guy quipped that he could not even fit the showers on those ships :).  

 

Hank

[1985rz1]

6 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

But how about those "spacious" showers 🙂  On one Seabourn cruise we had lunch with a rather "large" fellow and the topic turned to other cruise lines.  Somebody mentioned the "R" ships (he was referring to Azamara but they have the same size cabins/bathrooms as on O) and the large guy quipped that he could not even fit the showers on those ships :).  

 

Hank

Depends on what you chose as a cabin.  We prefer PHs and find the shower size good.  But we're also not large people.

[mauibabes]

Crowds, let’s define them first. Is it up to a hundred, hundreds or thousands or ? Even at total capacity I can only recall being in a crowd on an O ship at Disembarkation because people do not pay any attention to the Color Queues and congregate on or about the Deck 5 Gangway exit. 
A Queue is a bunch of people waiting in line for the GDR to open.

A Gaggle is like in the Oceania Lounge awaiting Excursions to commence at a major port of call.
A Cluster, and there could be another word attached here, is when there is a mass exodus prepping for private tour departures from an upper deck gangway and the local authorities are SLOW to give the release approval. 
IMHO, Crowds are for the OTHER lines, NOT Oceania. 
🤪👍🛳️🍹 Mauibabes 

[mauibabes]

Hank,

Never had a problem with a Crowd getting in our shower either 😇

Mauibabes

[Flatbush Flyer]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Interesting how many "O" fans choose to discount space ratios, which have long been an accepted measure throughout the entire industry.  Yes, it is only one measure, but does make a big difference on just about any ship.  One might consider that on luxury lines with real space ratios in the 70:1 range will generally mean no queues, no problem getting a deck chair, lots of space between loungers, etc.  I think some "O" fans are very defensive when it comes to the "R" ships and their space issues

 

 

 

 

Say whatever you want but it is a useless measure when it comes to human cargo, which moves around. Has zip to do with being an O regular. 

 

[1985rz1]

Does the space to living flesh ratio change with the size of the person? 🤔

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

But how about those "spacious" showers 🙂  On one Seabourn cruise we had lunch with a rather "large" fellow and the topic turned to other cruise lines.  Somebody mentioned the "R" ships (he was referring to Azamara but they have the same size cabins/bathrooms as on O) and the large guy quipped that he could not even fit the showers on those ships :).  

 

Hank

What does the shower size have to do with the crowdness of the ship?

 

[ak1004]

1 hour ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Say whatever you want but it is a useless measure when it comes to human cargo, which moves around. Has zip to do with being an O regular. 

 

Maybe O fans should not try and convince the sceptics how good O is? Otherwise it might indeed to become too crowded..

[MEFIowa]

1 hour ago, 1985rz1 said:

Does the space to living flesh ratio change with the size of the person? 🤔

I found it could in the Terrace Cafe by the grilling station in the middle of everything when 3 people had their walkers and another person has a motorized scooter and the starboard sliding door to the outside eating area was out-of-order for days.

 

And yes, while I prefer the larger O-class ships, I enjoyed a B2 on Sirena 11/22 immensely. Even at 6'2" I had no real problem learning to use the shower efficiently and effectively. Just had to work the two swinging doors properly. (My wife loved the tub on Riviera's A4 12/21.)

[MEFIowa]

1 hour ago, mauibabes said:

... A Cluster, and there could be another word attached here, is when there is a....

This former USAF officer always had "Cluster-foxtrot" in his vocabulary. My current USN NCO son uses a different "f-word". My deceased USMC father said the first when around his grandson and the latter around his son. 

[MEFIowa]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

... I think some "O" fans are very defensive when it comes to the "R" ships and their space issues.

I prefer the larger O-class to the smaller R-class, but since we only had about 630 passengers on Sirena in November 2022, she never felt "crowded" in the lounges, bars, restaurants, pool area, library, spa, etc. If I did the "math" comparing the length and width of say just the outside pool deck area of the larger O-class, which can carry upwards of 1250 passenger, to the smaller R-class at HALF the capacity, I think all things are...relative and subjective in this area. Both were a joy to sail on. (Yes, Riviera was a joy 12/21 when we had just 719 passengers and about 780 crew.)

 

Keeping in mind the huge passenger increase for the O-class, just for overall dimensions...

Riviera: 785 feet long with a beam of 106 feet

Sirena:  593 feet long with a beam of 83' 6"