Questions about classes of ships?

[98Charlie]

A bit loud...nicely put! LOL

 

Decor is honestly not something I'm bothered about one way or another. The most beautiful place will turn me off if it's dirty. The gaudiest will be fine if it's clean.

 

We're actually sailing on the Legend in January with a couple we met on the Legend in Jan. 07. The live about 50 miles from our house. Wll four of us agree that the Legend is among our favorite ships. They have sailed the Miracle as well and they also like the Miracle. All times the four of us have saled on the two ships we've always had great service and a friendly crew.

 

Dianne

[momofzeke]

It's simply the layout of the Spirit Class ships compared to the others.

If you are a true nightlife person, college age or twenties, and you've compared the experience to Conquest or Fantasy Class - it's very apparent.

 

 

Sadly, Spirit Class is simply not your best bet when choosing a cruise for night owls.;)

 

I see this opinion posted here a lot, but in our experience it hasn't always been the case.

 

We've done 2 Spirit class (Pride and Miracle) and 1 Conquest (Valor). Out of the 3, our early 20's sons had the best nightlife on the Pride. They had a great time.

 

The Miracle was, indeed, quiet in terms of nightlife for them. They were wishing for more people their age.....lots of teens, but not many 20-ish peeps.

 

The Valor was somewhere in between.

 

I really think it has a lot more to do with the crowd that is on the ship with you, rather than the ship itself.

 

Fawn ~ my favorite cruise so far has been the Miracle. That had a lot to do with the CC Roll Call friends that we hung out with all week, but we absolutely LOVED the ship too. Either Miracle or Legend will be a great cruise for your family. :)

[Fawn]

Well, based on ship info, it looks like Legend and Miracle fit our needs and timing. Any differences??

 

Wow...brain drain! Those are the Spirit ones. I'm thinking Valor or Freedom are the ones we will do. Sorry!

[98Charlie]

Wow...brain drain! Those are the Spirit ones. I'm thinking Valor or Freedom are the ones we will do. Sorry!

 

No problem. I still get some of the classes confused as well.

 

Have not sailed the Freedom. Loved the Valor. Sailed her twice. Decor is nice. Eagles everywhere and there's a huge, I mean huge, two-deck tall, tile mural depicting Rosie the Riveter in the buffet area. Makes you proud to be a female everytime you walk through the buffet.:D

 

Dianne

[Fawn]

No problem. I still get some of the classes confused as well.

 

Have not sailed the Freedom. Loved the Valor. Sailed her twice. Decor is nice. Eagles everywhere and there's a huge, I mean huge, two-deck tall, tile mural depicting Rosie the Riveter in the buffet area. Makes you proud to be a female everytime you walk through the buffet.:D

 

Dianne

 

 

Wow...we're all Females, and we're in the Philly area which means Eagles fans! LOL Sounds like the ship for us!

[98Charlie]

Wow...we're all Females, and we're in the Philly area which means Eagles fans! LOL Sounds like the ship for us!

 

Then there should be plenty of photo ops of you ``girls'' standing amongst the eagles. Heck, there's even the Eagles Lounge for you.

 

We spent much of our evening time in the Lindy Hop Piano Bar (next door to Eagles Lounge).

 

Valor does a western itinerary including your fun Cozumel port as well as Roatan and Belize where you've yet to see as well as Grand Cayman.

 

Dianne

[spencercoop]

Have sailed the Valor 2x, Legend and Miracle each 1x (booked on the Legend again for January) and the Triumph 2x. The Triumph class is laid out much like the Conquest class. The ships are just shorter in length, hold fewer pax and don't have a fish & chips restaurant.

 

Have to say I like the layout of the Spirit class ships the best due to the aft adult pool area. It's a great place to just hang out for an afternoon without the noise of the main pool area.

 

Although the Conquest and Triumph class ships have piano bar, karoake and disco areas all in one area on the same deck, that area does get pretty congested at night. Spirit class ships have these entertainment venues spread out between a couple of decks. But it is easy traveling from one entertainment area to another as they are at the same end of the ship.

 

I think the Spirit class ships offer a more intimate evening dining venue since the MDR's are smaller (due to fewer pax on board). On the other hand, I've always felt the buffet areas of the Conquest and Triumph class ships seem less crowded.

 

Dianne

 

 

Yes when I was on a Conquest class ship compared to a Spirit class ship, the buffet areas seem less crowded.

[momofzeke]

Yes when I was on a Conquest class ship compared to a Spirit class ship, the buffet areas seem less crowded.

 

That's interesting......I thought the buffet on the Valor (Conquest class) seemed much more crowded than either of my 2 Spirit class ships.

[98Charlie]

Sencercoop and Momofzeke: I'm wondering if it has to do with the time of year and the itinenary regarding the crowding in the buffet areas on the ships. :confused:

 

We cruised Valor in late Nov and then again in late April on 7 day western itineraries. Our two Spirit class cruises on Legend & Miracle were both 8-day on Eastern Caribbean itineraries.

 

 

There were fewer young families with children on our 8-day, January cruises. Many more families with children on western Caribbean.

 

Have also found crowded buffets on the Mex. Riviera when we cruise any line.

 

Dianne

[glrounds]

It's simply the layout of the Spirit Class ships compared to the others.

If you are a true nightlife person, college age or twenties, and you've compared the experience to Conquest or Fantasy Class - it's very apparent.

 

You also can't judge it if you are basing it on a Cruise Critic or group cruise. Those are separate experiences, because then there are big groups/events going no matter what ship you are on - you are your own nightlife.

 

I don't ever take Cruise Critic group cruises.

 

It's a very different story if you are on a regular cruise.

And I'm not the only one who has experienced this, other people agree with me in their reviews and comments.

 

Here is the problem in a nutshell...

On Fantasy Class Ships all of the music clubs, karaoke, bars, nightclubs, live music, etc. are all within one area.

People club hop, and the energy gathers between all the areas throughout the night. They are all in the same focal area, and it just gathers naturally.

 

Most Fantasy Class Ships do 3,4, and 5 day cruises, which I think is a more significant factor in the ages and nightlife FACTOR. I think longer cruises tend to draw an older demographic.

 

On a Conquest Class ship, it's the same thing - just in a larger layout.

 

Maybe for nightlife, I guess. My major arguement against Conquest Class Ships is the entire Lido deck being SURROUNDED by steel and glass. I prefer Lido decks OPEN to the SEA.

 

On Spirit Class ships, all of the clubs, music, lounges, are all spread out over the ship. The dance club is in the bowels of the dungeons far away from anything.

It's really difficult to have people gathering steam. It's rarely works out like that on Spirit Class.

People are wandering decks apart from each other, and eventually lose steam and give up.

That's the deal. Plenty of people have this same experience.

 

"Gathering steam" doesn't compute for me, but I would agree, all the entertainment venues are CROWDED together in one place, with competing sounds all the time. Makes no sense to me, whereas there are different bars and clubs interspersed throughout the ship which I think is very desirable.

 

A lot of times the casino is full. Maybe the piano bar. Not much else.

Not the most fun for a lot of 19 and 20 year olds.

 

It's a design/layout thing.

Like I said before, it's great during the day. They're beautiful ships.

In comparison to the rest of the Carnival Fleet, they have the lamest nightlife.

That's the reason I don't recommend it to anyone who could be a night owl.

 

A disco doesn't work, when people can't find it, or they can't fill the dance floor.

Sadly, Spirit Class is simply not your best bet when choosing a cruise for night owls.;)

 

I appreciate your comments, Curt. I love all kinds of music and particularly like the 2 story disco of the Spirit Class and the karaoke under the main showroom with a huge stage (miles away from the disco :rolleyes:). I can't agree with your conclusions, but at almost 70, maybe that's my problem. :D

[momofzeke]

Sencercoop and Momofzeke: I'm wondering if it has to do with the time of year and the itinenary regarding the crowding in the buffet areas on the ships. :confused:

 

Could be. Our 3 cruises were all at the same time, though....end of March, which is our Spring Break here in Oregon.

 

Mexican Riviera ~ spirit class

Western Caribbean ~ spirit class

Eastern Caribbean ~ conquest class

 

The Valor just felt more crowded to me, both in the buffet area and the pool area.

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Wow...we're all Females, and we're in the Philly area which means Eagles fans! LOL Sounds like the ship for us!

Yes! Valor all the way for you three!

You will love it!:D

 

Could be. Our 3 cruises were all at the same time, though....end of March, which is our Spring Break here in Oregon.

Yes! It's been a great timing fluke for your sons that they've been on at that time when there are the most other's their age.

Your timing is the reason why they have had a different experience with the nightlife than 90% of the other Spirit Class cruisers...

 

[Curt Jerome Wild]

Caveat:

I'm saying everything below with a big smile, a sense of humor, and a huge amount of respect for Gary.:D

I don't ever take Cruise Critic group cruises.

No problem. I was just trying to think of situations like Cruise Critic Groups, or Spring Break where you had been closing down the disco until the wee hours with the 19 and 20 year olds.

Most Fantasy Class Ships do 3,4, and 5 day cruises, which I think is a more significant factor in the ages and nightlife FACTOR. I think longer cruises tend to draw an older demographic.

I definitely agree that longer cruises tend to draw an older demographic.

But, I took plenty of Fantasy Class cruises when they were 7 day, and it was still better nightlife than Spirit Class.

So, it's definitely the ship layout as a major factor as well.

And don't forget, I'm saying that Conquest has better nightlife also, and we're still talking a longer cruise.

Maybe for nightlife, I guess. My major arguement against Conquest Class Ships is the entire Lido deck being SURROUNDED by steel and glass. I prefer Lido decks OPEN to the SEA.

Yes. I know that you (as well as lots of people) love their Spirit Class. But you don't love it for the fantastic 19 and 20 year old nightlife.

You love it for completely different reasons.

And you don't favor Conquest Class for another reason that has absolutely nothing to do with nightlife whatsoever.

You're talking about a daytime view.

"Gathering steam" doesn't compute for me, but I would agree, all the entertainment venues are CROWDED together in one place, with competing sounds all the time. Makes no sense to me, whereas there are different bars and clubs interspersed throughout the ship which I think is very desirable.

Well you see...

A part of my job is being an expert in party and event planning. I need to find locations where the event will indeed gather steam.

And each and every venue leads to a certain energy and vibe, based on the amount of people and need of the event.

Design and layouts are key to this.

You want to gather steam, get a crowd going, build the energy.

Nothing worse to kill an evening than not enough people in a venue that makes it look empty. For any great event, you want a venue that "just barely" holds the amount of people.

Leads to interaction, meeting people, talking, dancing, and general fun.

Spreading people and the clubs out as far apart from each other as you can get leads to all of that losing steam.

So it all computes for me in real world experience.:cool:

I appreciate your comments, Curt. I love all kinds of music and particularly like the 2 story disco of the Spirit Class and the karaoke under the main showroom with a huge stage (miles away from the disco :rolleyes:). I can't agree with your conclusions, but at almost 70, maybe that's my problem. :D

I always appreciate your comments and posts Gary!

But even the splitting of the disco into two stories in the bowels of the ship, splits the people and the energy even more.

I can't tell you how many times I've watched people walk in that top floor, look down on the few people dancing on the bottom (where from that angle it looks even emptier and worse) and walk out.

Over and over.

If all those people walked in, and were together on the same level, and same dance floor - it would happen far less, as it would look much more full and lively.

 

Once again, for you and momofzeke (and all the other Spirit Class lovers) don't get me wrong here.

They are beautiful ships. Don't take my posts here personally that I'm dissing them at all. I'm only talking about nightlife capacity alone, compared to other ship classes. That's it.

It's only a vital factor to make people aware, when they are three young hip fun girls like the OP and the daughters who enjoy a great nightlife.

That's it. I know that my conclusions are accurate for this aspect.

 

But that's okay Gary, you Rawk anyway.

Just in a 70 year old, enjoying the ocean breeze on the Spirit open deck way of rockin'.;)

 

Meanwhile, I'll be dancing the night away in the disco, karaoke, and live music clubs on Fantasies and Conquests.:D