Why I Should Choose....?

[FManke]

For those of you who that have cruised multiple classes of RC ships...

Tell us why we should consider an Oasis class and above, if we have only sailed smaller class ships?

Conversely,  If we have only sailed on Oasis class and above, why should we sail on a smaller ship?

[WannaCruise]

Oasis class for the entertainment and many food options (included and specialty).  It's also unique with the different neighborhoods such as Boardwalk and Central Park.  I'm someone too who loves to explore and go for walks, so Oasis class is great for that.  I have yet to have a bad cruise but Sypmphony is #1 for me and Allure is #2.  With Symphony in particular, they have done an amazing job with art work and fun stuff around the ship.

But large ships aren't for everyone.  My husband sweet spot is Voyager class and really likes Mariner, not too big and not too small. He feels less overwhelmed, better with crowds. 

We haven't sailed on smaller ships (although Brilliance is on our bucket list - for the great views alone), but am guessing the service is better due to less people, and more likely to run into people again.

 

[ChessE4]

5 minutes ago, FManke said:

For those of you who that have cruised multiple classes of RC ships...

Tell us why we should consider an Oasis class and above, if we have only sailed smaller class ships?

Conversely,  If we have only sailed on Oasis class and above, why should we sail on a smaller ship?

• Our experience is that on ships like the Grandeur or Radiance, we got to know more of the wait staff in various venues than on Oasis or Harmony.  On the larger ships we get to know our stateroom attendant and MDR staff, but that is it. 
• I like the shows better on the smaller ships than on Oasis Class.  Both classes have fine entertainers who execute well, but I just don't care for some of the plots in the fancier shows.  I like walking Deck 5 on the smaller ships, which is a jogging track on Oasis/Harmony. 
• I can usually find more solitude on smaller ships than on Oasis Class, but I have grown very fond of Central Park. 
• The music in the Centrum of smaller vessels finds its way to the higher decks, but the lack of a true promenade is a minus for me. 
• I love the small inside cinema on Radiance Class and dislike pool deck or aqua theater movies.  Theater movies aren't bad at all, though. 
• I like Solarium pools when they are truly adult-only, which doesn't always happen despite ship rules.  The Harmony lacks the traditional Solarium pool, but gives you the Bistro to make up for it.
• In summary, I try to enjoy what each vessel offers.  

[FManke]

8 minutes ago, ChessE4 said:

• I like walking Deck 5 on the smaller ships, which is a jogging track on Oasis/Harmony. 

That was one of our favorite things to do after dinner on Serenade.  The jogging track on deck 12 was also good. Not too many runners at night.

[JLMoran]

22 minutes ago, FManke said:

For those of you who that have cruised multiple classes of RC ships...

Tell us why we should consider an Oasis class and above, if we have only sailed smaller class ships?

Conversely,  If we have only sailed on Oasis class and above, why should we sail on a smaller ship?

I've only cruised two classes so far -- Freedom and Quantum, but my take (keeping in mind that I'm always itinerary first and ship second, so my POV may be a little slanted) is:

• Sail the smaller ships (Freedom or lower from what I've seen) to get access to more exotic / unique itineraries that are longer than 7 days and visit ports the big ships just can't go to
  • Really exotic itineraries that visit ports like Dubai, Croatia, Iceland, etc. will typically require sailing on a Vision or Radiance class ship, but...
  • Sometimes you'll find one like a CA/NE or northern Europe that is offered on a Voyager class, often as a repositioning cruise like the Snowbird Migration from Quebec to Florida.
• Smaller ships can also be good from a quality of service standpoint -- Lots of live blogs here noting the more personal and attentive service on Voyager class and smaller, with staff more likely to remember things like drink or food preferences, or what you and your family / other party members were up to.
• Sail Oasis class if you
  • must have a big variety of things to do on board,
  • don't mind sailings that are limited to 7 nights max (although Oasis will have 8-nighters from NJ next year), and/or
  • mostly sail the Caribbean and you've done the ports so many times that you don't see a reason to get off the ship every time
• Quantum class is good for sailing in the winter from northern ports, or doing shoulder season sailings when the weather can still be chilly the first and last day or two
  • But like Oasis, the itinerary options are kind of limited; as much by geography as the ship size

[FManke]

2 minutes ago, JLMoran said:

keeping in mind that I'm always itinerary first and ship second, so my POV may be a little slanted

Same thing for us so far. We have limited ourselves even more because we are not hot weather people. Although we have been to Mexico multiple times 20+ years ago, the hot weather is not really for us anymore. Still plenty of itineraries left to try on RC though.

[Stephanie]

There are pros and cons to both the smaller ships and the larger ships.  Many of which have already been touched on.  It's really a personal preference.  Our first few cruises were selected due to the itinerary.  It wasn't until 2 years ago that we specifically chose the cruise based on the ship.  My husband wanted to experience a larger ship that had more activities.  We chose Anthem and fell in love.  My only complaints about Anthem are that the elevators seem particularly slow compared to the other ships and there isn't 1 MDR (a minor detail, really).

My dream cruise for years & years had been the Western Mediterranean.  We lucked out that Symphony just so happened to be sailing that itinerary for one summer only, so we got the opportunity to sail on Symphony in her first season.  She is incredible!  We loved Symphony!  Our stateroom was on 8 - the same as Central Park, and we enjoyed walking through the park multiple times a day.  But, like others mentioned, you lose some of the personal connection on the big ships.  

The shows on Anthem and Symphony are great, and the promenades are fun for people watching & all the Cruise Director Staff activities.  That said, I think the "Royal Caribbean Singer & Dancer" shows are not as good as on the smaller ships.  We love the Centrium on the smaller ships because - silly as this may sound - we really enjoy watching other cruisers ballroom dance!  It's harder to find the dancers on the larger ships.  Sometimes they're in Boleros...  The smaller ships certainly have less in the way of daily entertainment, but you also have less crowds, which is nice.

Frankly, Anthem was "just right" for us.  Like @FManke, we're not hot weather people.  But, we love to cruise.  Our next cruise was ship-based again, not destination based.  Almost all of the European itineraries excite us, but for now, we're staying state-side.  So, Anthem it is!  We may not even get off the boat. 

[BigKarl]

I have been on every class ship Royal has to offer minus the Quantum Class and that will be resolved next year.  I have even had the Pleasure of sailing my first Cruise in 1983 on the "Song of Norway."  Just a baby ship but for my first cruise I was in Awe!

I really do enjoy cruising and each class has its Favorites for my wife and I.  We sailed our first cruise as a honeymoon cruise on Sept 3, 1983.  Today is our 36th Anniversary and we will be sailing Symphony to celebrate.  We were lucky to sail Empress to Cuba while it was allowed. We sailed Vision thru the Panama Canal. Radiance, Serenade, and Mariner to Alaska(can you guess my favorite Destination).  Brilliance on a Trans Atlantic. Freedom and Liberty to the Caribbean and Bahamas. Oasis thru the Mediterranean twice.  Rhapsody from Venice. Allure and Harmony thru most Caribbean Islands.

I give this list not to brag but to give a small glimpse of my ships experience.  If you like to cruise and enjoy new experiences then take each class ship at least once if you are able.  Small ships give that "You are on the High Seas" experience.  By that I mean you can feel the Ocean fall and rise and you are not so high that you cannot hear the waves crashing. You can hear the engines rumbling as the ships dock at each port.  The Service onboard has a much more relaxed pace and I believe that the Service staff are less stressed on smaller ships.

Mid class ships in my opinion are the sweet spot for cruising.  Small enough that you don't feel overwhelmed but large enough that you can take that evening stroll on the deck or promenade.  The small and midsize ships do not draw many Families as most of the entertainment on board are more subdued.  By that I mean, a Theatre, Rock climbing wall and not much more.  I tend to call these the old folks ships (No offense to anyone, I am almost 60 myself).  I take these ships for the destinations they take me to and not to Party onboard.  Don't get me wrong,  My wife and I have a great time on board and I usually get scolded at least once per cruise because of my behavior.

I call the Oasis class ships my "Floating City."  there is so much going on all of the time.  There are times when you cannot even feel that you are moving because of their massive size they are seldom affected by the ocean waves.  You can tire yourself out trying to do everything they offer in a day.  On the other hand,  You will need to learn patience and understanding when it comes to crowds. I think many people forget to pack their manners on these Huge ships.  We buy the Unlimited dining package for these cruises because there are 6 dining choices on most if not all of these ships. I find that families (with little ones) tend not to dine in the Specialty dining rooms. I do miss not sitting at a table for 8 with my wife and son getting to know my fellow cruisers and sharing stories.  This is where I receive most of my scoldings as I mentioned above. Oh the stories I could tell,  as an example I can absolutely tell you how many people can fit in the shower of the "Royal Suite"  on Mariner.  It is 11 !!   Don't ask me how I know this.

To make a long story short (Too late I know)  I have been on most of Royals Fleet and although they were all unique experiences I have yet to say that we did not enjoy our cruises.

I hope that your adventures are happy ones as well.

[Rose City Cruiser]

Biggest jump from the smaller ships to Oasis/Quantum ships are the suite options.  If you want to shoot for the stars.... those suites will change your cruise experience.