Jump to content

Are Smaller ships a disappointment?


Recommended Posts

Our 2020 cruise on our beloved Oasis of the Seas got chartered so we are booted off our ship plans for 2020. We have cruised 3 times, always on larger ships. I love Central Park! I wonder if this cancellation is an opportunity to choose a smaller ship with more varied ports. Which ones are still beautiful and not dated that you could recommend? We are in our 60s with no kids. We don't need flow rider or slides or kids club etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m also 60ISH ?   Don’t need all the bells & whistles, but that said, we were still quite disappointed with Jewel. It’s a gorgeous ship with amazing views, etc. We absolutely loved the solarium. However, it’s very small. Has no promenade. The promenade is the heartbeat of any ship. I’m glad we went because I really wanted to do the itinerary, and experience the smaller ship, but I would be hard pressed to sail on anything smaller than Voyager Class from here on. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Michael Vitale said:

I’m also 60ISH ?   Don’t need all the bells & whistles, but that said, we were still quite disappointed with Jewel. It’s a gorgeous ship with amazing views, etc. We absolutely loved the solarium. However, it’s very small. Has no promenade. The promenade is the heartbeat of any ship. I’m glad we went because I really wanted to do the itinerary, and experience the smaller ship, but I would be hard pressed to sail on anything smaller than Voyager Class from here on. 

I was wondering about the Mariner of the Seas sizes or Adventure? Something kind of medium size. We love the Promenade type space. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is no right or wrong answer to your question.  It depends on the people involved and how you cruise.  

There are 'big ship' cruisers and there are 'small ship' cruisers.  Nothing wrong with either.

I recently sailed the smallest ship in the fleet and had a blast.  Before that Adventure and Explorer.  I've sailed 3 of the OA class and loved them all.

There are things I like about each ship.  I love that Royal has variety across the fleet.

Adventure, Indy and Mariner just came out of 2018 refreshments. 

Several ships are getting revitalized in 2019 and early 2020.  Navigator in early 2019, Voyager and Oasis later in the year.  Explorer, Freedom and Allure in 2020.

At the moment Mariner is just doing 3/4 night sailings but full 2020 schedules haven't been announced yet.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you do Marnier or Adventure you get the promenade and it has more of a big ship feel then then Radiance Class for sure. Nothing wrong with Radiance, but it feels more like an upgraded and fancier Vision class where as the Voyager/Freedom class defn feel like you have made the jump to a bigger ship.

 

I enjoy them all so far to be honest but..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am also a 60ish person. I love the Radiance class ships. I actually prefer a smaller ship due to crowd issues especially at ports of call, embarkation/disembarkation. Doing Australia B2B in 2020 and purposely chose Radiance of the Seas due to size but also it has a beautiful centrum area. Not a lot of bells and whistles. Didn't want a bigger ship due to concerns about overcrowded beaches at South Pacific/NZ stops. Done radiance class many times and have never regretted my choice.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Smaller ships may visit ports that the OA class ships cannot go to due to their size.  IMO, that's a good trade-off.  As for crowds, that is all relative and perception.  Smaller ships will have smaller public areas which will cause line-ups at certain times.  The types of amenities on a ship may dictate the demographic of the passengers though. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we have been concerned about the same type thing being on Enchantment of the Seas in November and it being our first time ever. We want the experience to be good and hope the age and size doesn't take away from that. we have wondered several times if we would have been better off waiting and going with a larger ship say like Harmony of the Seas 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

48 minutes ago, ZOKUEL said:

we have been concerned about the same type thing being on Enchantment of the Seas in November and it being our first time ever. We want the experience to be good and hope the age and size doesn't take away from that. we have wondered several times if we would have been better off waiting and going with a larger ship say like Harmony of the Seas 

With Royal, I’ve only sailed on Enchantment and Majesty. Enchantment for being a smaller ship had some spaces I really enjoyed, especially the Solarium. Majesty definitely would not be for you then. I did miss the Solarium when going on that and felt everything was definitely on a smaller scale.  Regardless, it’s what you make of it. I was pleasantly surprised by Enchantment overall, though. ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Love love love Radiance class ships. We’re a little past our 60’s and enjoy the intimacy of these ships. Im not a big fan of the promenades and love the dancing in the Centrum at night. We’re going on Jewel for 12 night Mediterranean in October and I cannot wait. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ZOKUEL said:

we have been concerned about the same type thing being on Enchantment of the Seas in November and it being our first time ever. We want the experience to be good and hope the age and size doesn't take away from that. we have wondered several times if we would have been better off waiting and going with a larger ship say like Harmony of the Seas 

My wife and I love the Enchantment - we really enjoy sailing three night weekend cruises when we want to get away for a weekend.  It doesn't feel really small and it has a very nice Chops restaurant, unlike the smaller Majesty.  We also love the big ships like the Oasis and Freedom.  If its your fist cruise, your doing it right, start with the smaller ships and then work your way up.  I saw people mention the Radiance class ships, also a nice size, my wife and I have done two week long cruises in Alaska on the Radiance and loved every minute.  I think the Radiance has one of the best windjammers in the fleet.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have sailed multiple ships and classes but prefer the Radiance and Voyager classes the most. Have not sailed above Freedom class so cannot speak to the mega-ships, but the two classes I mentioned seem to be the right combination of size and "fun" for us. We particularly enjoy the outdoor WJ seating and R-Bar/Centrum seating on Radiance class and the Promenade on Voyager. You cannot do wrong on any ship/class, you just have to try them all!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

 

Matt, always "talked up" cruising on a big ship for a first time cruiser and I would listen in bewilderment...WHHHYYYY!!!!!!!!

You always remember your first cruise regardless of the ship! Each cruise after can't hold a candle to that first one...UNTIL YOU STEP FOOT ON TO THE PROMANADE OR ESPLANADE ! IT'S LIKE CRUISE FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL OVER AGAIN....AAAAHHHHHH!  THAT AWESOME FEELING!!!

Marketing 101: First satisfy quantity. Then satisfy QUALITY...kinda

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/9/2018 at 7:16 AM, twangster said:

Voyager and Oasis later in the year.

@twangster , this comment you made was referencing cursing on different sizes of ships and the revitalization program, but I was wondering if you or @Matt , knew what they were going to be doing to Voyager during the dry dock in 2019, I did a quick Google search and didn't find anything, I have Voyager booked for the South Pacific in 2020, wife was wondering what they were going to refurbish?

Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, tiny260 said:

@twangster , this comment you made was referencing cursing on different sizes of ships and the revitalization program, but I was wondering if you or @Matt , knew what they were going to be doing to Voyager during the dry dock in 2019, I did a quick Google search and didn't find anything, I have Voyager booked for the South Pacific in 2020, wife was wondering what they were going to refurbish?

Thanks.

The attached fleet guide suggests Voyager will be "AMPED" in 2019.  I would expect "Mariner like" enhancements but to be fair, that's just my cloudy crystal ball talking.   We won't know until it's announced.  Depending what they plan to do with her looking beyond 2020 may influence the AMPING process to suit regional needs.

2018-2019-Fleet_Guide.pdf

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, that's what I was thinking.

On crusing TT web page, there is a definite hole in the schedule between July 19, 2019 through September 19, 2019, then it looks like she goes back to Asia until December and then to Sydney after that.

Voyager holds a special place for us, she was our first Royal cruise in 2000, right after she had been built, that was our 20 anniversary, I didn't plan it this way, but we will be celebrating our 40th on her during the South Pacific cruise in 2020.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Enchantment was our first cruise years ago before being stretched and refurbished over the years.  It was our first and only family cruise and all of us were in awe at her size.  We actually love that ship and have been fortunate to have sailed on all of the other classes of ships.   And I thought cruise ships were big till we started going to several Navy ship yards over the past 10 years to see our son.  Now those are some big ships.    You will not be disappointed at least we were not.  And you will have something to look forward to on future cruises.  

On 8/9/2018 at 9:31 AM, fonemanbob said:

We choose the itineraries not the ship. The beauty of the smaller ships is the ports that they will visit as to the larger ships that can`t  get into those ports. .  We are 60ish as well.  As long as we have a balcony the rest does not really matter.   

  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/9/2018 at 9:18 AM, DRLPP said:

I am also a 60ish person. I love the Radiance class ships. I actually prefer a smaller ship due to crowd issues especially at ports of call, embarkation/disembarkation. Doing Australia B2B in 2020 and purposely chose Radiance of the Seas due to size but also it has a beautiful centrum area. Not a lot of bells and whistles. Didn't want a bigger ship due to concerns about overcrowded beaches at South Pacific/NZ stops. Done radiance class many times and have never regretted my choice.

We are also looking into the 2020 back to back in Australia.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

IMO, smaller ships are disappointing but that is just based on my preferences and take it with a pinch of salt. It frustrates me as I've done Oasis Class enough times but there is nothing quite as interesting.

Having said that, judging by your post, a smaller ship might be a good fit for you. Slower pace, less bells and whistles, but still the cruising experience. Might be worth giving it a try. They do also go to better ports.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...