Mega Cruise Ships ?

[Jimjam]

Thanks everyone for your comments..It's good reading and very inforamative.

 

Out of the 20 cruises we have taken on many different ships and cruise lines, the one that we considered the most enjoyable strickly from a ship size were the Holland America Zaandam and Princess Coral.. We will be on the Caribbean Princess next year and will write a review if I think it could be interesting and informative.

 

Thanks again everyone...

[hb1491]

The Diamond just about the largest I would go on and have been on, from now on will watch where those Mega ships are going do not even want to be around when they unload 5000 to 6000 people.

[paul929207]

We much prefer the small ships like the Pacific.Royal and Tahitian

[Philip217]

There is a very easy and practical answer to your question.

 

Due to the current escalating costs for operating a cruise ship, the smallest mass market ship that can turn a profit carries about 2,000 passengers.

 

That will probably change very soon, as fuel prices will inevitably climb.

 

In the near future the cruise lines will have some hard choices to make:

 

1. Continue operating small ships at a loss and allow the profits from the mega-ships to finance the losses.

 

2. Double (or triple) the ticket prices for small ships and try to make a profit on them.

 

3. Stop operating small ships, period.

 

We all know that most (not all) mass market cruisers love to talk about what they really want, but are rarely willing or able to pay for it. When the American Mass Market cruiser votes with his wallet, the mega ships win - because they are cheaper.

[mikeythemars]

Doesn't Disney claim it has some sort of special stabilizing "wings" to help stablize their ships when moving?

 

Yeah, as usual Disney tries to get credit for being a "big innovator" - although all they did was copy an idea the French Line had come up with when designing the S.S. France forty four years earlier:

 

[derf5585]

It looks like it will take 2 days to embark passengers........:rolleyes:

 

 

 

Here are my thoughts.

I think a lot of the passengers would be on a staggered itinerary getting on and off at any port. Or maybe residences or a retirement ship

I do not think the ship actually docs but uses helicopters and tenders for tenderizing

No dining problems ship would have many eateries.

Ship would be SLOW because of size. Unless they install a warp drive.

Ship would not be able to outrun hurricanes.

Chair hogs will still be a problem

[Carolyn R]

Maybe the megaships would be good for long weekend cruises to nowhere or to a private island. When I look at that round design (is that a real ship design of the future?), I wonder what happens in rough seas to the water in the pool and backwash from the ocean.

[bdjam]

The key here is "designed for ocean crossing." Both sized ships are designed for that. The newer Princess ships aren't designed for ocean crossing (they have very wide hulls and shallow draft) so that if you were to compare the QM2 with the Emerald, for instance, I'm sure you'd pick the QM2 even though it's larger.

It is interesting that in an documentary filmed about the building of QM2, the example of a ship NOT built for ocean crossing was Coral Princess. Since both ships were built at the same shipyard, I'm sure Coral was used because of the availability of film clips. But it does point to the design being the deciding factor. I would much rather choose the original Island or Pacific Princess with their very deep drafts over anything Princess now sails in heavy seas.

[cruisinbuddy]

I've been on 3, 3000 + pax ships and they've all been great. The only time it's "crowded" is on the lido deck on sea days.

[FOXTROT]

Have been on all the Voyager class of ships & the Freedom. Only time we felt crowded was at muster drill. They have soooo much to do. True the larger ships are limited to itineraries, kind of a trade off. We prefer ships in the 90,000 ton range. Will be sailing the Tahitian next month, will see about the smaller ships.

[chasetf]

Main problem with mega ships is that many ports cannot handle the number of passengers who want tours.

 

Even the 2600 passenger ships can overwhelm the facilities at some ports they go to.

It is not that great a problem if you are the only ship in port. We have sailed the Grand class ships in the Med, Greek Isles, British Isles, Australia, New Zealand and never felt we are overloading the port.

 

We have also sailed some of the same ships in the Caribbean and have felt overcrowded because of the number of other ships in port.

[ccrain]

In December of 04 we sailed the Star, our first foray into Grand classes after being on the Sun and the Coral class. It was extremely crowded and I swore off Grand class cruising until May of 07 when we tried the Star and then the Caribbean in B2Bs. It was so much fun we booked the Golden in Sept 07, now the Ruby and the Grand.

 

The key for us was Anytime Dining. On the first Star cruise we were traditional late. That put us in the heaviest traffic flow pattern of the evening. Since then we have switched to Anytime and are now eating early, getting to the shows early, seeing all the shows and having a much more enjoyable cruise.

 

Yes there are still crowds, but getting to shows early gives us our choice of seats and who cares how many are standing in the back?

 

The extra show venues are a big help in choices for the evening. We really like MUTS, the Club Fusion concept and the Explorer's lounge. We enjoyed Cafe Caribe on the CB and in fact only went to the dining room twice.

 

We don't like the smaller wheelhouse bar and the deck parties are pretty crammed into the back spaces, but all in all its not that bad.

 

But then again, the next time you find yourself getting upset at the line, the people walking side by side down the hallway slowly, the discussion group in the middle of the walkway or the crowded venue...take a deep breath...look around you...feel the ship under your feet...relax...no cell phone...no email...no phone calls...no dishes...no yard work...no paperwork...

 

You're on vacation and life could be a lot worse...

[A Sixth?]

In December of 04 we sailed the Star, our first foray into Grand classes after being on the Sun and the Coral class. It was extremely crowded and I swore off Grand class cruising until May of 07 when we tried the Star and then the Caribbean in B2Bs. It was so much fun we booked the Golden in Sept 07, now the Ruby and the Grand.

 

The key for us was Anytime Dining. On the first Star cruise we were traditional late. That put us in the heaviest traffic flow pattern of the evening. Since then we have switched to Anytime and are now eating early, getting to the shows early, seeing all the shows and having a much more enjoyable cruise.

 

Yes there are still crowds, but getting to shows early gives us our choice of seats and who cares how many are standing in the back?

 

The extra show venues are a big help in choices for the evening. We really like MUTS, the Club Fusion concept and the Explorer's lounge. We enjoyed Cafe Caribe on the CB and in fact only went to the dining room twice.

 

We don't like the smaller wheelhouse bar and the deck parties are pretty crammed into the back spaces, but all in all its not that bad.

 

But then again, the next time you find yourself getting upset at the line, the people walking side by side down the hallway slowly, the discussion group in the middle of the walkway or the crowded venue...take a deep breath...look around you...feel the ship under your feet...relax...no cell phone...no email...no phone calls...no dishes...no yard work...no paperwork...

 

You're on vacation and life could be a lot worse...

 

Wise words indeed! :)

 

Can you imagine your favorite restaurant having two seatings and trying to get in AND expect quality fresh cooked /prepared food? :eek:

[vowsatsea]

I absolutely love big ships. The bigger the better...but maybe that's because I've never been on a small ship...

[Pam in CA]

It is not that great a problem if you are the only ship in port. We have sailed the Grand class ships in the Med, Greek Isles, British Isles, Australia, New Zealand and never felt we are overloading the port.

I've been to several ports on Grand Class ships that were totally overwhelmed and the port facilities unable to handle that many people. For example, embarking in Buenos Aires is a nightmare. You can expect to stand on line outdoors for 2 - 3 hours. Until they build a new cruise terminal, the current facilities are woefully inadequate. In Puerto Montt, we were the only cruise ship in port yet it took about an hour and a half of standing in line for the tender back to the ship. Only one tender was allowed at the dock at a time. Same thing in Sardinia only when we were there, it was about 110+ degrees without any water or shade waiting in line for an hour and a half for the tender. Again, only one was allowed in at a time. In the Falklands, there will be more people on the ship than on the entire island. Only a relative few who book tours well in advance will be able to do or see anything there.

[marie61]

For me, getting on and off the ships is the biggest issue--I don't feel the crowds onboard. If you have to wait 1-2 hours to get off the ship at every port, then it's an issue.

 

People want choice--larger ships offer choice. For me, I'd rather have a smaller ship and fewer issues with boarding.

 

Ellen

[turbo46032]

Looks like only about a quarter of the cabins have ocean views. :( ;)

 

Depending on passenger demographics, the interior balconies (oxymoron?) facing the massive pool could be quite an experience :D

 

Ignore the above if you're a frequent HAL cruiser :eek: