How are the smaller ships?

[Bowen]

We’ve only ever been on the larger ships, the smallest being Rhapsody 20 years ago. I don’t recall thinking it was small, but I’ve since been on the larger ships so I’m wondering if anyone can give me any insight into how big Jewel and Vision are. Do you have a lot to do still? Does it feel small? Do you feel the waves a lot more? Thanks!

[DoomSlayer]

The last Vision class I was on was Grandeur and I had a great time.  The ship is smaller, but so are the number of passengers, meaning it is often quieter and less hectic.  They didn't have any big attractions like slides or Flow Rider and the pool areas were simple -- which for me was good.  Just one theater, but the entertainment was fun each night.  They did have a casino, but they did not have a Promenade area, just a few small shops for duty free and souvenirs.  I would highly recommend the smaller ships if you are wanting something more adult oriented and are happy just relaxing and being waited on, but if you have a young family or are looking for lots of attractions, I would say go with a newer ship.  You do feel the waves a little more when its choppy, but I would not say you feel them a lot more than the bigger ships.

[Jamesszy94]

I haven't been on a smaller RCI ship per se, but I've been on a 55,000 GT, 219m ship from another cruise line, and honestly, I enjoyed it, like DoomSlayer said above, it's a lot less hectic than the bigger ships and less screaming, there's obviously less to do (re: waterslides, etc) but it's much more intimate and much easier to meet people because you're basically seeing the same people everyday. I had a lot more fun chatting and being intimate with my family - idk if that makes sense. But also, it was to a destination that a bigger ship wouldn't have been able to visit. 

[Bazza]

Just had B2B on Grandeur after doing 14 days on her last year and she is lovely. Like the aunt who has aged very well and still has some glamour but creaks a bit!

Can only compare to Ovation which was our first ever cruise and both have different pros and cons.

The room was a little tired but was still comfortable and clean. 

Smaller gives access to ports the larger ones cannot get to (at least I am told that as Ovation could not get into Brisbane so had to use the container port!) and it is quite nice to walk from one end of the ship to the other without feeling like you should be changing time zones!! 

Staff equally as good on both from our limited experience.

Explorer in September will give us an in-between experience I guess, and then Oasis next January should provide a clear picture whether size really matters! 

[Jamesszy94]

In my opinion, it just really depends, if you want a more intimate relaxed, less hectic, less kids experience, the smaller ships might offer this, but if you want to get the best bang for your buck per se, then the big ships will probably be the best since they have so much to do - waterslides, promenade, north star etc. I want to try one of the smaller RCI ships eventually - they replaced Enchantment with Brilliance here in Sydney.

[ChessE4]

Ditto other comments. On Vision in October we loved the staff, Centrum, music, shows, and getting from one venue to another quickly. Avoid MTD.

[SPS]

The smaller ships are a really good value. Just keep in mind that they don't have a lot of the frills that the bigger ships have. (Water slides, FlowRider, etc.)

There is plenty to do if you are looking for a bit of a more laid back, relaxing vacation.

We've been on Grandeur, Rhapsody, and Vision (essentially all the same) and had a very good vacation on all of them. Since they do have less extras, I considered the destinations more important on these ships.

As far as feeling the waves, it was only noticeable on Grandeur, but it was not a fault of the ship. We encountered very rough waters along the east coast sailing back to Baltimore. (I think ANY ship would have had this issue as bad as the waves were)

[Bowen]

Thanks so much, everyone! This was very helpful.

[Ampurp85]

I am on the opposite spectrum, when it comes to ships like Grandeur. She is a beautiful girl, but she has issues. If you primarily sail larger ships and have children, a ship like Grandeur might not really be for you. Less people but less activities, fewer bars, and everything is primarily held in the Centrum. There are smaller ships like Freedom and Independence that will give you a smaller ship feel, without feeling small. 

[She Sails Away]

I just got off Enchantment and it was fine… More of a classic cruising experience. The thing is with such a smaller ship, you rely more on spending time by the pool and participating in whatever activities they have planned day to day. (As does everyone else....everyone tends to be on the same schedule doing the same things each day.)

Morning trivia and name that tune and bingo and dance classes and things like that become a little more interesting when there is no rock climbing wall, waterslide, flow rider, Bustling areas and pockets of the ship or a promenade to hang out on. So if hanging out on the pool deck and participating in classical cruise activities are kind of your thing, a smaller ship would be just fine. If you'd like to be somewhere busy and have lots of room for people to spread out and have lots of choices of busy things, maybe not so much.

 

I felt the waves occasionally but no more so than any other size ship I've been on. 

[Jolly Ogre]

We were on Indy some years ago but on a short cruise to Cozumel and there were alot of 20's-30's that were just parting it up so much that we felt like we were on a Carnival ship.

Have been on only Oasis class since and have a cruise booked on Freedom but it is an 8 day to the southern Caribbean so we hope it will be a more mature crowd.

[Brittni Belgard]

So I have never been on one of the REALLY large ships. However I felt like going even as big as liberty the customer service went significantly down and i think that is because the worker to cruiser ratio is much higher. I also don't like the idea of having to plan every second of every day. With the bigger ships you have to schedule going to see a show/activity or there may be no room. I like to be able to go with the flow when I am on the ship. 

[Suzanne Elise]

We were just on Adventure and loved the size. There was plenty of deck space and loungers all the time. My  co- worker went on Wonder and felt like there was not enough public space and everything was crowded.

[boomor]

I personally LOVE the smaller ships.  True, there is less on them (obviously), but it is also more of an intimate feel.  Old time cruise feel.  We do not hesitate to take a smaller ship.  We look at the whole picture (ship, port, destinations, etc) and decide.  Yes, the big one have a lot to offer, but there are a lot more people as well.  I have been on Majesty (smallest) a few times and I am going on Wonder (the largest) in 64 days.   They are all great in their own way!

[eaglesfaninfl]

When we lived in the Tampa Bay area, we sailed Brilliance quite often (next size up from Vision and Grandeur, Enchantment started off as a Vision class then was cut in half and enlarged with a new middle; mostly additional staterooms so quite a few more passengers using the amenities). We've also sailed Navi and Adventure, both of which are larger still. Our personal favorite remains Radiance class, including Brilliance, Jewel and Serenade (on which we have also sailed). This class is larger than Vision class but still only holds apx. 2500 passengers but is not so large that it's a daytrip from on end to the other. The Schooner Bar on board this class is the best of any ship with a wall of windows looking out on the ocean. Plenty of space and windows from almost every location (even some elevators!) on the ship and still small enough to get into the smaller ports. Love the Radiance class!

[King of Wales]

We started cruising in the early 90’s and will always love the classic cruise experience. As we get older we need fewer of the thrills and sometimes the smaller ships lend themselves better to relaxing. They can also have some of the more unique itineraries… variety is the spice of life

[smokeybandit]

I don't care for all the bells and whistles on the bigger ships. Though I do like the promenade concept and Playmakers is the first specialty dining place I've ever liked.

But I wouldn't not book a smaller ship because they lack those things.

Though we'll see how things go next year on Rhapsody since it'll be my first Vision class cruise.