Ships; Big vs. Little

[drrich2]

Hi:

 

I've cruised on RCI's Adventure of the Seas & I'm down to cruise Celebrity's Contellation in February. So my wife & I have never cruised anything small. I realize that ships have gotten larger over the years, whereas smaller vessels are still used for special interest groups, ports with shallower habors, etc...

 

But on the forum I've notice some people prefer smaller ships. Even to the point of dreading what the upcoming Solstice may mean for a changing experience by ship (more passengers & activities) and demographic (catering more to 'families'). Talk about a more 'intimate' cruise on a smaller vessel.

 

I'm married with no kids (aiming to keep it that way) so I've no reason to want an environment aiming a lot of resources at children (I'm aware Celebrity is said to have an excellent youth program). On the other hand, a larger environment tends to be more diverse, offer more choice in activities, and there are always more new people you could meet should the need arise. And I'd think groups could form & hang-out, without the overall 'cliqueishness' that can emerge in smaller group settings (think of a college campus vs. a high school class & you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

I've been intrigued at the lamentation for the smaller ships of yore, and it has me wondering what big ship cruisers are missing out on. I thought people might enjoy discussing it. Care to share?

 

Richard.

[smdubowsky]

Hi. I've been on Voyager of the Seas and on the Constellation so I can give you a comparison. Constellation is not a small ship by any means. Last summer we were on the Azamara Journey. At around 30000 tons, that would today be considered a small ship.

 

In many ways we found the Constellation to be "bigger" than the Voyager. There are many public spaces on the Constellation. Although there are no skating rinks or soda fountains, we enjoyed the M class ships much more. Enjoy your cruise!

[drrich2]

Thanks. I didn't mean to imply the Constellation to be small; I believe it's about 2/3'rds the size of Adventure of the Seas. I was aiming more for a general discussion of whatever you guys consider 'small.'

 

Right now, my main concern about Constellation compared to Adventure of the Seas is whether they'll have chocolate soft-serve frozen yogurt (like TCBY made famous) available much of the day! The latter did, along with vanilla, & I could swirl them.

 

Love that swirl...

 

Richard.

[ccletzgo]

OK, This is my take on the subject. You can see in my signature the ships I have cruised on.

 

Non of them considered small by any means, but let me just say on the Galaxy and the Vision I felt a more intimate atmosphere. Also, as far as service goes, on both of the Vision cruises, and both Galaxy cruises the staff often greeted us by name. The crew honestly knew our names and would always ask us how we were doing. We felt we received more personal service.

 

Also both Galaxy cruises we were invited to the Captains table. Not a big deal, just a coincidence. But it did add to the enjoyment of our trip.

 

Now, jump to the Navigator. We were on a family reunion cruise and honestly never saw much family because we could never find them.:eek:

Non of the staff knew us by name, and quite frankly I can understand why. There were too darn many of us. But, bottom line, The Navigator did not have that ship feel to me. I cruise to feel the motion and have the true ship feeling. It was lost on the navigator. I never even felt the ship move:(

 

I was practically raised on the water. Boating has been my life. So its the real feel of an ocean liner that I love. Not a floating resort. :( If it were not for our balcony on the Navigator, I don't think I would have ever seen much of the ocean!

 

We loved our first Galaxy cruise so much that I couldn't wait to be on the Millennium. We sailed on her second week out. Brand new. I was so disappointed, but I realize now that the service was poor due to it being the first ship in a new class and the staff was learning the new class. I haven't been too interested in another sailing on the M class until the Itinerary of the Constellation caught my eye. I was originally booked on the Brilliance, but couldn't resist an aft FV on the Connie. (Partial Panama transit) I hear you can see the ocean from everywhere on the Brilliance and I cant wait to check it out. All the Glass.

 

I am always looking for smaller. Azamara sounds wonderfull, but I want to wait until the kinks are worked out. (been there, done that with Milli)

And, someday .....my dream is Raddison........:o

I know I wont spend money on a Voyager Class ship again, so I wont be looking at the Solstice. I dont want to loose the cruise'n feeling again..:D

[hybrn8]

which have wonderful sailing ships. The late, much-loved Song of Flower was the best of the little ships - 150 pax - for our tastes. The baby Rens with 110 pax were hugely popular. Seadream Yacht is said to be super but there's something about it which has yet to intrigue us to try one of their ships. The smallest I've been on was the Monet, a little (50 pax) ship which cruises the coast of Croatia - brillant. Why do I love the little ships so? No people, no lines, no organized fun (for the most part), no glitz and glitter, seldom-visited ports, the list goes on. Really should try one. We cruise HAL and Celebrity because the little ones are slowly but surely fading into the sunset and Windstar hasn't changed itineraries in years and we are bored spitless with the ones on offer these days. Also very worthwhile are the river cruises, especially Viking, as long as they have hotel beds (not those weird sofa thingies).

[ccletzgo]

Yes, and Wind-star! OH dear!

 

Also we are attracted to longer itinerary now that the children are grown and out of the house. :D

 

Smaller ships seem to do longer itinerary.

[Kathie44]

We also started on the Voyager class-see list below. Friends urged us to go with them on the Summit Alaska cruise/tour and we hoped we would like the smaller ship and Celebrity. We loved both! Now we stick to Royal C and X, depending on itinerary. We are eagerly awaiting our 8th cruise next month, again on Mercury. We've sailed two RCCL classes and two X classes and love them all.

 

1/02 Explorer E. Carib.

1/03 Explorer W. Carib.

8/03 Summit Alaska cruise/tour

2/04 Adventure S. Carib.

2/05 Galaxy Panama Canal

6/06 Jewel Brit. Isles/Nor. Fjords + 3 nights in London

1/07 Mercury Mexican Riviera

1/08 Mercury Aust/NZ

[glgolfer]

First two cruises were on the Song of Norway. 23,000 tons after being stretched and about 1000 or so PAX. Since then we've sailed on every RCI ship class including the Empress of the Seas (still Nordic Empress when we sailed her).

We also sailed on the Crystal Harmony, which had a small ship feel.

 

On the Song of Norway, the staff got to know you, the ship was more "elegant", the dress code was followed by everyone and you knew you were on a ship. Ports were less crowded as there were fewer PAX per ship. You could sit and talk to the Cruise Director and his wife in the Viking Crown Lounge while you were having an end of day drink.

We had a lot the same feeling on the Empress of the Seas.

 

Sailing on the Voyager or Freedom class, you feel like you're just part of a floating city. The Cruise Director and his/her staff are on such tight schedules, they don't have time to interact with the passengers like they did on the smaller ships. You might catch them unwinding at the late night disco, but that's about it.

 

Does that mean we don't enjoy the new, large ships. Nope, it's just a different experience and we have liked aspects of both.

My wife didn't think she would like the Navigator of the Seas the first time we sailed on her. She is now my wife's favorite ship and we've been on Voyager class 5 times.

[tom_uk]

There are plusses and minuses to both large & small. I've never been on humungous, though (e.g. Freedom of the Seas or QM2), so I'm not so sure about that.

 

I've cruised on Galaxy twice and that felt quite large. That said, we were able to make some contact with several of the staff - I remember a waitress in the Martini bar, and another one at Cova Cafe. And of course our waiters. We don't seem to see our cabin stewards much, for some reason - perhaps because we never actually ask for anything and we're generally away from the cabin for long periods.

 

We've also cruised on Fred Olsen's Braemar, which is a baby ship in comparison: just under 20,000 tons and about 750 to 800 passengers. And to be honest, we had a really good (short) cruise on her. Although lacking some 'extra' facilities the ship was very cute - all of the facilities you really need are there, just smaller.... And the big advantage was that you kept bumping into people you'd made some contact with.

 

I blogged from Galaxy here:

http://tomtotley.wordpress.com/category/galaxy-2007/

 

and from Braemar here:

http://tomtotley.wordpress.com/category/braemar/

 

For 2008 we've booked two P&O cruises: Oriana (69,000 tons - think Century size) in the spring for 4 nights, then Ventura in the autumn (116,000 tons - near-sister of Crown Princess i.e. Solstice size) for 12 nights, so those two will be big and bigger! But in 2009 we want to go to the fjords, and we might well choose Fred Olsen for that one. I quite fancy cruising on one of their older classic ships, Black Watch or Boudicca, two of the 1970's 'Royal Viking' trio - about 28,000 tons and about 1000 passengers each.

[Keith1010]

For us the advantage of a smaller ship is that if we meet people during the course of the cruise we will likely see them more often. This goes for passengers and for crew. Sometimes on the larger ships you can literally meet someone say on a shore excursion and never see them again during the cruise. The smaller ships are a little more personal if you know what I mean.

 

Of course the benefit of the larger ships is that there are many more venues available so there is more choice for each passenger in terms of activiites and areas of interest.

 

Keith

[Johanna7]

We have been on 27 cruises. Some on the smaller ships, some were budget cruises, others planned a year in advance, then we had last minute deals. We have been on ships with 400 passengers and the Sapphire with 2700 passengers.

 

A lot depends on how organized the ships are but we do like the smaller ones although the larger ones have more venues. It all depends where we go and how much we got it for. We did love the larger HAL ships we have been on, Zuiderdam & Oosterdam. They were much better laid out than the Sapphire which had bottle necks while navigating.

 

We usually book inside cabins unless we are upgraded or get a super deal on a window cabin. We have been on balconies (if on sale cheap) and also a suite once (upgrade).

 

The benefit to us of the inside cabins is that it forces us to go on deck more often and we get a full view of what is going on around us. A window only faces both ways.

 

Of course we did have a full huge corner suite (upgrade) on the Zuiderdam and it was wonderful but difficult getting my DH off the ship to tour. I would not pay the extra cost though. You can take several cruises on an inside cabin for that cost and you get the same meals and most other perks. Of course there are advantages for a suite too. If I had unlimited funds, I certainly would consider them. I am open to upgrades though.

 

You know, there are agencies who specialize in freighter cruises. Some of them sound really impressive and not at all spartan. If you had unlimited time and didn't mind delays, it could be a good option.

[terrydtx]

Having recently sailed on the HAL Volendam (1400 pax capacity and our first cruise on a ship with less than 1800 passengers) I was really impressed with the smaller ship compared to the megaships we have cruised with Carnival and RCI over 2800 passengers. We were in a party of 6 adults all over 45 and under 58 and never had a problem finding neat things to do on the 4 days at sea on our HAL 10 day cruise. The biggest difference I noticed was the lack of long lines anywhere anytime. . The morning breakfast buffet never had more than 5 or 6 people waiting in line, never any waiting in the bars and always could find good seats in the shows 5 minutes before they began. Longest wait for tenders to shore was 20 minutes and while docked we walked right off back on the Volendam with no waiting. We embarked at FLL in less than 30 minutes at 11:30 am and we disembarked at FLL at 8:30 am and were in the airport terminal at 9:05am for a 10:00 flight home. On our flight from Atlanta to home we talked with a couple that had gotten off one of Carnivals mega ships in Miami the day before and told us it took them almost 2 hours to disembark, get their luggage and go through customs. My wife and I will never again take a cruise on a ship with over 2000 Passengers after our latest great experience on a smaller ship. We hope ourcruise next year on the smaller 1800 passenger Century will be just as wonderful as our cruise this year on the Volendam.:D

[kitty9]

I laughed when I saw the comment about soft serve chocolate ice cream on a ship. I've never heard anyone think of that as something you look for when choosing a cruise ship. There are many more things than yogurt. LOL

 

For me, smaller ships provide so much more than the behemoths. Much better food and service, a chance to visit ports that aren't overcrowded with 3000 passenger ships, and a can do attitude of the staff. You don't need to be among 3000+ in order to meet people and establish friendships. I've made countless friends on my Crystal (under 1000 pax) and Seabourn (200 pax) cruises, and I can honestly say I haven't made any permanent friendships on the big ships. Like Keith said, you can see a couple once and never see them again on the big ships, but not so on the smaller ships. I don't need rock climbing walls, ice rinks, surfing pools and all that to make a cruise special and fun. But give me interesting itineraries, no long lines for anything, food not mass prepared hours in advance and a crew who have no idea what the word "NO" means. As with many things, for a lot of cruisers, bigger is almost never better.

[terrydtx]

I don't need rock climbing walls, ice rinks, surfing pools and all that to make a cruise special and fun. But give me interesting itineraries, no long lines for anything, food not mass prepared hours in advance and a crew who have no idea what the word "NO" means. As with many things, for a lot of cruisers, bigger is almost never better.

 

All the rock climbing walls, ice rinks & surfing pools do is attract too many kids,:eek::eek: :eek: and the only kids I like being around are my grandkids.:D

[caviargal]

 

For me, smaller ships provide so much more than the behemoths. Much better food and service, a chance to visit ports that aren't overcrowded with 3000 passenger ships, and a can do attitude of the staff. You don't need to be among 3000+ in order to meet people and establish friendships. ... Like Keith said, you can see a couple once and never see them again on the big ships, but not so on the smaller ships. I don't need rock climbing walls, ice rinks, surfing pools and all that to make a cruise special and fun. But give me interesting itineraries, no long lines for anything, food not mass prepared hours in advance and a crew who have no idea what the word "NO" means. As with many things, for a lot of cruisers, bigger is almost never better.

 

Ditto what Darcie said:).

[voyager70]

I laughed when I saw the comment about soft serve chocolate ice cream on a ship. I've never heard anyone think of that as something you look for when choosing a cruise ship. There are many more things than yogurt. LOL

 

For me, smaller ships provide so much more than the behemoths. Much better food and service, a chance to visit ports that aren't overcrowded with 3000 passenger ships, and a can do attitude of the staff. You don't need to be among 3000+ in order to meet people and establish friendships. I've made countless friends on my Crystal (under 1000 pax) and Seabourn (200 pax) cruises, and I can honestly say I haven't made any permanent friendships on the big ships. Like Keith said, you can see a couple once and never see them again on the big ships, but not so on the smaller ships. I don't need rock climbing walls, ice rinks, surfing pools and all that to make a cruise special and fun. But give me interesting itineraries, no long lines for anything, food not mass prepared hours in advance and a crew who have no idea what the word "NO" means. As with many things, for a lot of cruisers, bigger is almost never better.

 

I respect your opinion, but there are plenty of frequent cruisers (myself included) who happen to love the feel and excitement of the mega ships. No, we haven't been on a truly small ship such as Seabourn yet, but of the mainstream lines we've sailed (X, RCI, Princess) we love the big ships and will continue to sail them. As with practically every "this vs. that" thread on these boards, this is highly subjective and simply a matter of personal taste.

[ccletzgo]

I respect your opinion, but there are plenty of frequent cruisers (myself included) who happen to love the feel and excitement of the mega ships. No, we haven't been on a truly small ship such as Seabourn yet, but of the mainstream lines we've sailed (X, RCI, Princess) we love the big ships and will continue to sail them. As with practically every "this vs. that" thread on these boards, this is highly subjective and simply a matter of personal taste.

 

 

Umm,, I think everyone is responding to the OP's post. No intent on starting a "this vs. that" thread..;) Of course its a matter of personal taste.

[Bruin Steve]

Well, here goes my two cents:

 

First, I've been on a good many cruises...a lot of the earlier ones were on what would now be considered smaller ships...but, back then, they were considered big...But, things have changed an awful lot over the years...

 

And, I've never cruised on a really "small" ship...none of those luxury yachts that carry less than 100 passengers...

 

So, I'll keep my comments to what I know...my range...

 

In the past year and a half, I've cruised on everything from the 30,000 gross ton Oceania Nautica to the 160,000 gross ton RCCL Liberty of the Seas...

 

Frankly, there are good and bad in both the large and the small...

 

I, personally, prefer large ships, but there are things about the small ships I like as well...

 

The larger ships tend to have more and more varied amenities...And, due to the size and numbers, they tend to provide more to do for longer hours...The smaller ships seem to "close down" after dinner...with 600 or so passengers, a good number of them tend to go to bed and not many people are out roaming the ship late at night...On a big ship, the laws of averages give you sufficient numbers for some nightlife...

 

The larger ships have more room, so they can find the space to offer you more...A small ship will be filled up with a dining room, a small casino, a couple of bars and an undersized show room or lounge whereas the larger ships will have more rooms with different attractions...

 

The entertainment is better on the larger ships...The numbers on the smaller ships don't justify the large productions...and the limited stage facilities don't support it...

 

What DOES work nicely on the smaller ships is a more relaxed atmosphere, easy open seating dining (though I prefer the traditional seatings) and a more personal feel...

 

Also, on larger shipsm, it often seems like you're hiking miles to go from Dining Room to Showroom to Cabin to Dining room, etc. while with the smaller ships, everything is "right there"...

 

Of course, in a liot of ways, more important than size of the ship are the ratios: Space-per passenger and crew-per-passenger...The 91,000 gross ton Celebrity M-class ships actually have more space per passenger than the 30,000 gross ton Azamara and Oceania ships...

 

Give me the combination of roominess AND big ship amenities anytime...

[kitty9]

voyager, why the perceived admonishment? I was stating my opinion, and it didn't flame or attack anyone else's opinion on the subject. There are no right or wrong answers, and my post never said that anyone who prefers the mega ships are wrong. I just gave my opinion on why I prefer smaller ships. You prefer the big ships, and that's fine, but realize I never said anything negative with regards to what anyone here prefers regarding the size of ships.

[rebeccalouise]

I am 42 and this time last year I did a 10 night Caribbean cruise on Oceania (30,000 tons), followed by a six night on Radiance of the Seas (90,000 Tons) followed by Celebrity Millenium (90,000 tons) and finally QM2 in August (132,000 tons).

 

How did I rate my overall cruise experience?

 

 

Oceania

The small ships do more interesting itineraries and if you are busy off the ship all day- then the ship just becomes your hotel at night. Oceania meets this need and provides great food- loved, loved the afternoon tea.

 

Radiance and Millenium are the same size but Royal Caribbean packs on an extra 500 passengers. Also, I think the demographics are different- Royal is younger with lots of children. Celebrity is 40 and up with fewer kids. Ambiance is nicer on Celebrity IMO.

 

I personally don't think the large ships are great for group cruises though. We did the Norwegian Sky in 2000 (12 of us) and I didn't see my friend Eileen for two days! We never bumped into each other and with freestyle dining there was no set meal time either. So I would suggest a midsize cruise for a group trip.

 

So passenger number is important- not just size.

 

Case in point... Cunard was huge but easy to navigate. Most of the excitement was on Decks 2 an 3- which was the lower part of the ship where less movement is felt. The pools weren't outside the buffet like on many ships- the pools were on different decks- making the buffet nicer- not a cut through with kids in wet suits. On our TA in August there were very few kids. I never felt that the ship was overcrowded-even at dinner time when everyone was basically on Deck 2. I thought it was the nicest ship I have sailed period.

 

So, I don't think I am a fan of all big ships- some are big but laid out better and as a consequence they feel more intimate. QM2 has that feel.

 

I am doing Navigator of the Seas in Europe after a more sedate cruise on Holland of America's Zuiderdam. Kind of the best of both worlds. I want my son to have a good time and I suspect he will prefer Navigator. So we are doing both to compare the lines. I just look at it as an adventure.

 

So there is no simple answer- there are small (great for older people), medium size ships (intimate with lots of onboard activities) and the newer ships with all the bells and whistles- everything imaginable. Depending on the situation- I think all three are good options.

[carbonatedbanana]

OK, This is my take on the subject. You can see in my signature the ships I have cruised on.

 

Non of them considered small by any means, but let me just say on the Galaxy and the Vision I felt a more intimate atmosphere. Also, as far as service goes, on both of the Vision cruises, and both Galaxy cruises the staff often greeted us by name. The crew honestly knew our names and would always ask us how we were doing. We felt we received more personal service.

 

Also both Galaxy cruises we were invited to the Captains table. Not a big deal, just a coincidence. But it did add to the enjoyment of our trip.

 

Now, jump to the Navigator. We were on a family reunion cruise and honestly never saw much family because we could never find them.:eek:

Non of the staff knew us by name, and quite frankly I can understand why. There were too darn many of us. But, bottom line, The Navigator did not have that ship feel to me. I cruise to feel the motion and have the true ship feeling. It was lost on the navigator. I never even felt the ship move:(

 

I was practically raised on the water. Boating has been my life. So its the real feel of an ocean liner that I love. Not a floating resort. :( If it were not for our balcony on the Navigator, I don't think I would have ever seen much of the ocean!

 

We loved our first Galaxy cruise so much that I couldn't wait to be on the Millennium. We sailed on her second week out. Brand new. I was so disappointed, but I realize now that the service was poor due to it being the first ship in a new class and the staff was learning the new class. I haven't been too interested in another sailing on the M class until the Itinerary of the Constellation caught my eye. I was originally booked on the Brilliance, but couldn't resist an aft FV on the Connie. (Partial Panama transit) I hear you can see the ocean from everywhere on the Brilliance and I cant wait to check it out. All the Glass.

 

I am always looking for smaller. Azamara sounds wonderfull, but I want to wait until the kinks are worked out. (been there, done that with Milli)

And, someday .....my dream is Raddison........:o

I know I wont spend money on a Voyager Class ship again, so I wont be looking at the Solstice. I dont want to loose the cruise'n feeling again..:D

 

 

Hey, I was also on the 9/17/04 Galaxy sailing! That cruise had a lot of firsts for me - first on-board rescheduling of itinerary, first rescue operation (picking up the Cuban refugees), etc!

 

That sailing actually is a good example of how Celebrity makes you feel special. I won't go into a ton of detail, but I will offer one example. I shared a cabin with a friend I've known since I was 6 years old. We were on Deck 4, very much forward. The rest of our families were all living the high life on Decks 9 and 10. Well, our cabin just so happened to be directly across the hall from our cabin steward's station. Not only did he and his assistant know us by name by the first morning, but throughout the entire 10 day cruise, I do not believe there was a single instance where - as either or both of us were returning to our cabin - they would not see us coming from down the hall and stand ready to open our door for us! It was amazing. Ok, that's the end of my boring story. ;)

 

but yeah, it's funny how quickly a "big" ship can become "medium" or even "small" these days. I just got back from my first "mega-ship" cruise and I've been telling anyone who will listen that - in my opinion - for as big as EOS was, it really felt "small."

 

I thought everything was just so darn tight. If the casino tables were full, you were knocking knees with the person next to you. If you were in a lounge, chances are you had practically no room to push back your chair.

 

I have not yet had the opportunity to sail on a Millennium Class ship, but I am looking forward to doing so. For me, though, right now my opinion is to lean towards the "small-to-medium" sized vessels. You get the intimate feel of the ship, a friendly staff, and most importantly - more personal space in public areas!

[ccletzgo]

Hey, I was also on the 9/17/04 Galaxy sailing! That cruise had a lot of firsts for me - first on-board rescheduling of itinerary, first rescue operation (picking up the Cuban refugees), etc!

 

That sailing actually is a good example of how Celebrity makes you feel special. I won't go into a ton of detail, but I will offer one example. I shared a cabin with a friend I've known since I was 6 years old. We were on Deck 4, very much forward. The rest of our families were all living the high life on Decks 9 and 10. Well, our cabin just so happened to be directly across the hall from our cabin steward's station. Not only did he and his assistant know us by name by the first morning, but throughout the entire 10 day cruise, I do not believe there was a single instance where - as either or both of us were returning to our cabin - they would not see us coming from down the hall and stand ready to open our door for us! It was amazing. Ok, that's the end of my boring story. ;)

 

but yeah, it's funny how quickly a "big" ship can become "medium" or even "small" these days. I just got back from my first "mega-ship" cruise and I've been telling anyone who will listen that - in my opinion - for as big as EOS was, it really felt "small."

 

I thought everything was just so darn tight. If the casino tables were full, you were knocking knees with the person next to you. If you were in a lounge, chances are you had practically no room to push back your chair.

 

I have not yet had the opportunity to sail on a Millennium Class ship, but I am looking forward to doing so. For me, though, right now my opinion is to lean towards the "small-to-medium" sized vessels. You get the intimate feel of the ship, a friendly staff, and most importantly - more personal space in public areas!

 

 

Auh.......you too! understand my feelings. That personal service. The social hostess on that cruise was excellent. She was so much fun. We even spent a day on the beach with her and other staff while in Cozumel. Earlier I posted about feeling the ocean. Well did we ever on that Galaxy cruise.. Hurricane Jean? was it? :D A lot of guests disembarked in Charleston instead of making it back to Baltimore.

 

And the Rescue: I have pictures of the make shift raft they were on. It was hitting the side of the ship just below our balcony, until it slowly reached the back of the ship and disappeared out of sight. I cried after I took the pictures, because it really hit me how extreme the desperation these people must feel to risk there life's like that for the sake of freedom.

 

A half dozen wood pallets tied to steel drums with a little flag. And in the middle of a hurricane. :eek: We were in the dining room when the ship did the BIG U turn. Wow!!

[helenp2]

which have wonderful sailing ships. The late, much-loved Song of Flower was the best of the little ships - 150 pax - for our tastes. The baby Rens with 110 pax were hugely popular. Seadream Yacht is said to be super but there's something about it which has yet to intrigue us to try one of their ships. The smallest I've been on was the Monet, a little (50 pax) ship which cruises the coast of Croatia - brillant. Why do I love the little ships so? No people, no lines, no organized fun (for the most part), no glitz and glitter, seldom-visited ports, the list goes on. Really should try one. We cruise HAL and Celebrity because the little ones are slowly but surely fading into the sunset and Windstar hasn't changed itineraries in years and we are bored spitless with the ones on offer these days. Also very worthwhile are the river cruises, especially Viking, as long as they have hotel beds (not those weird sofa thingies).

 

 

I saw your post and had to respond. One of our most favorite cruises was on the "Song of Flower" owned by Anhauser Busch when we sailed on it. A great little ship with wonderful service, beautiful cabins and great food. I can't even imagine why anyone would want to sail with 4000 other people. And, now RCL has something called Genisis Class (2 ships) coming on line in 2009/2010 that will carry 5400 people. You couldn't give me a cruise on something that large. Anything over 2200/2300 is way too crowded for me.

[Casino Player]

Hi:

 

I've cruised on RCI's Adventure of the Seas & I'm down to cruise Celebrity's Contellation in February. So my wife & I have never cruised anything small. I realize that ships have gotten larger over the years, whereas smaller vessels are still used for special interest groups, ports with shallower habors, etc...

 

But on the forum I've notice some people prefer smaller ships. Even to the point of dreading what the upcoming Solstice may mean for a changing experience by ship (more passengers & activities) and demographic (catering more to 'families'). Talk about a more 'intimate' cruise on a smaller vessel.

 

I'm married with no kids (aiming to keep it that way) so I've no reason to want an environment aiming a lot of resources at children (I'm aware Celebrity is said to have an excellent youth program). On the other hand, a larger environment tends to be more diverse, offer more choice in activities, and there are always more new people you could meet should the need arise. And I'd think groups could form & hang-out, without the overall 'cliqueishness' that can emerge in smaller group settings (think of a college campus vs. a high school class & you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

I've been intrigued at the lamentation for the smaller ships of yore, and it has me wondering what big ship cruisers are missing out on. I thought people might enjoy discussing it. Care to share?

 

Richard.

 

I started out cruising on a large ship, the Triumph. However, the ships they are making now are too large. My wife and I went on The Voyager of the Seas, 3,000 passengers. We found the service to be not good. The only cruise the waiter didn't bring my drink before I finished dinner. Twice room service failed to bring my food in the time frame they promised.

However, Celebrity is the best cruise line I have been on for service. Carnival is good on service too, but Celebrity is the best. So there is something to be said for ships that are slightly smaller.

Ships that can carry 4,000 or more passengers? The only thing I can say is that one would probably be waiting on a line for almost everything. Forget it. I'll stick with midsize or slightly larger ships.

[Cruise Arizona]

The cruises I did in the 70's were all on what would be considered small ships today. They did not have anything fancy at all... but great, friendly service, and a fun intimate atmosphere. I kind of miss that on the larger ships. Just not as much to share friendships with fellow passengers.

 

I live in a small town here in AZ. The kind of place where the chamber of commerce puts on a Christmas party and as I'm running around town running errands I ask people if they are going to the party on Friday. The kind of town that when I'm in the big city and somebody says they know somebody from my town I usually know them too. The kind of place where you run into the same nice people over and over again through out the day and joke that your are following each-other. Now we are missing out on a lot here in my little town... no mall, not even a Walmart, well for that matter not even a gocery store.. you have to go 35 miles to get to one. We have a few nice places to eat, and the waiters and waitresses know you by name. Evening entertainment is limited to just a few places and special events... but it is a great place to live. The kids school is a k-8 with about 140 kids. Small enough that all the kids in all the grade know each-other.

 

So I would say that the difference it kind of like living in a small town or a big town... there are certainly advantages to both!! But I love my small town and don't plan to move any time soon. But I know lots of people who wouldn't last 6 months out here in the boonies.

 

So its just a matter of choice, I just wish I really had more of choice for small ships. Celebrity Mercury is big when compared to what we used to cruise in the 70's. But its seems to be the smallest ship in our price range. There are other ships we are anxious to try, but the price is just too expensive. So we looks for the smallest ship that we can afford.

 

My MIL says we'd love the Voyager class, and I have to say that the Ice Skating and other active activities sound fun, but heck I can drive 35 miles and go ice skating and rock climbing.... I dont' really need to do that on a cruise.