Are Ships Getting Too Big?

Someone said ship size is a matter of perspective. I agree.

I'm a newbie to cruising, having been on only 1 cruise. I thought my ship, the HAL Veendam, was huge. It took me two or three days to get my bearings. And then when I returned and found this website I realized that the Veendam was considered to be a small to mid-sized ship (1300 passengers).

Now I'm booked on three ships, all of which have about 2,000 passengers, which I'm sure will seem super-sized. But they are considered mid-sized compared to the other ships out there.

I can't imagine what it's like to be on one of the 4,000 or 5,000 passenger ships.

My concern is that as they introduce the mega ships, the older, smaller ships are being sent to other cruiselines. Choices will be limited if this trend continues. We sail RC and enjoy the Radiance and Voyager class ships. They are plenty big enough for us and still have nice amenities.

I agree with the poster who said they like to feel they are at sea. Why cruise if you don't want to enjoy the water.

Someone said ship size is a matter of perspective. I agree.

 

I'm a newbie to cruising, having been on only 1 cruise. I thought my ship, the HAL Veendam, was huge. It took me two or three days to get my bearings. And then when I returned and found this website I realized that the Veendam was considered to be a small to mid-sized ship (1300 passengers).

 

Now I'm booked on three ships, all of which have about 2,000 passengers, which I'm sure will seem super-sized. But they are considered mid-sized compared to the other ships out there.

 

I can't imagine what it's like to be on one of the 4,000 or 5,000 passenger ships.

Sadly, 2,000 passengers is the new "small". "Mid-size" is 3,000 or so; with "large" meaning things like Anthem with 4,900 plus (unthinkable just a few years ago - and forever unthinkable to me).

The ships we once thought were HUGE are now only considered medium-large now. :rolleyes:

LuLu

We prefer smaller ships, fewer people and shorter lines. There are many ports these larger ships can't get into so they are forced to tender 6000 people. That must be a lot of fun. I also understand you have to reserve a seat for the shows. Another downside, I think, is that the best servers and other top of the line crew members are probably being transferred to these larger ships at the expense of the smaller ones. With a multitude of specialty restaurants, food in the mdr is now of questionable quality in an attempt to drive you into these expensive specialty restaurants. Friends who just disembarked the Oasis of the Seas said they had to wait in lines outside of restrooms and there were often crowds waiting for elevators. Very long distances to walk from one venue to the next doesn't appeal to us, even though we are into walking.

The mega ships like Oasis and Allure don't tender, they only travel to ports that have the ability to handle them. These are really the only ones I consider mega ships. Then there are the next size down like Freedom of the Seas. Still a very large ship. We have traveled on both the Oasis and Freedom and had a great time on both. They are truly magnificent engineering marvels. Though the problem is that the ports they go to are really not much of an interest to me any longer. We have been to them so many times, we are looking at other places. Their port options are very limited due to their size.

Ships like the Carnival Dream and Magic are more our preferred size. Not too big but not too small. Though we are also going on two Fantasy Class Carnival cruises this year. So we also like the smaller ships. Though at one time these would have been considered large ships, though that has been over a decade since that.

I don't think ships are getting too big. Absent of Allure and Oasis, the ships really are not that big in my opinion. They seem to be able to fill them and they have a target demographic. So if it works for the cruise lines it is good for everyone. There are lots of options out there still for those that prefer smaller ships.

When Princess first built the Caribbean Princess, I said I'd never want to sail on a ship that large. I ended up going on the Crown, Emerald, and Ruby several times and then finally tried the Caribbean Princess last year. It was OK. I still prefer the original Grand-class ships, but I won't hesitate to book one of these if the itinerary and price are right.

I'm being put to the test right now: we are planning a visit to family in England in October and will come back to New York by ship. Balcony cabins on Anthem of the Seas are about $1.100 and on Queen Mary 2 they run about $1,600.

 

We will probably decide in the coming week -- a tough choice!

Just bit the bullet today and booked Queen Mary 2 Nov. 5 from Southampton to New York - I could not bring myself to book that floating amusement park/mall even to save $1,000.

Just bit the bullet today and booked Queen Mary 2 Nov. 5 from Southampton to New York - I could not bring myself to book that floating amusement park/mall even to save $1,000.

Let us know how your cruise on the QM goes. Not a lot of great reviews. I know several people that have sailed on various Cunard ships and all said that they came away with the feeling that you were doing them a favor by sailing with their cruise line.

Let us know how your cruise on the QM goes. Not a lot of great reviews. I know several people that have sailed on various Cunard ships and all said that they came away with the feeling that you were doing them a favor by sailing with their cruise line.

We sailed QM2 four years ago -not so much a "cruise" - more transportation. Same itinerary: 7 days Southampton to New York. Excellent service, and food - a little more formal than my preference - which runs to HAL. Varied entertainment and really good presentations on all sorts of topics - from jazz, to history to astronomy. Having a planetarium on board struck me as unnecessary - but not as over the top as bowling alleys, skating rinks or bumper cars.

I think the service was on a par with that on HAL, a bit better than Celebrity and Princess, more so than Royal Caribbean and way beyond that on NCL.

It all depends on what one wants.

Yes, ships are getting too big, for my part.

Over the past 6 or so years, the majority of my cruises have been on small ships. (And by small, I mean 300 passengers, give or take. Not 1200, which is NOT small!) I occasionally will sail on a larger ship, but am not a big fan of the lines, the impersonal service, and did I mention the lines??

I can't imagine ever getting on one of those "supersized" ships though. Just not for me. I sail mainly for ports and itinerary, not to be entertained at sea.

Edited to add: Also, some of the smaller ships have better deals for solo passengers than some mass market ships do, making the cost differential not as painful.

My hubby and I seem to prefer ships of about 100,000 to 114,000 gt. To me, as long as there's traditional dining, trivia matches, good variety of food choices, self-service laundries (we've been aiming for two week cruises and between an allergy to laundry detergent, and high heat-adverse clothing, this is important), and live entertainment, I'm happy. Rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, etc. are not relevant to me.

And since I live in the land of the malls, I don't need to be walking down main street on a cruise.

Our next cruise will be on a ship for 645 passengers and the one after that will be on the newest Oasis class ship. Variety is great. I don't think I would want to be on an Oasis class ship in Europe, but those ships are great on their Caribbean itineraries, especially with all of the night time entertainment and food options. At the end of the day, they build ships that people want them to build based on marketing data and investment yield. That's where the mass market lines are. The smaller ship experience is more costly and you really have to be willing to pay for it on smaller lines or find a sweet spot on a nice older ship still owned by a mass market line.

For me they got to big long ago. I will cruise on any size ships but my favorite ships have always been on the smaller ships. For me I do not need all the extras and toys and many times the smaller ships get into ports the large ones do not go to and that makes it a little more interesting to me. Either way I just love being on a ship.

I've sailed everything from 29,000 GRT (Britannis) to Oasis class. My favorite is anywhere from 75,000 GRT to 110,000 GRT. Not to big, nor too small.

If I am cruising for party party party and fun in the sun (which, at 50+, I am not) then the size and amenities of the ship matter more.

But now I sail for destination, and the larger ships just can't fit into those smaller ports.

Plus I love the feel of a ship, a real ship, cruising like a hot knife through the butter, watching the waves break over the bow and feeling close to the ocean. There is an intimacy and camaraderie of the pax that makes you feel as if you are on a voyage together. I did not feel that on the Oasis, I felt as if I were in a shopping mall.

Bottom line people, talk with your wallet. If you don't want to go on a big boat, don't!

We did a back to back on the Allure in January and had a great time! Very personable staff, lots to do, lots to see, and fairly good ports.

Next year we're going on a "small boat" the Adventure of the Seas for a B2B again to hit some of the smaller islands. I will miss the Florider.

FWIW, I'm 33 and my wife is 32, so that may affect what we consider fun on our holiday.

Also, the newest class from RCI is much smaller than the Oasis class.

I like somewhere between Spirit class on Carnival, 88,500 GTs, and Royal's Adventure of the Seas, approx 140,000 GTs. Between 2000 and 3000 thousand passengers. I do want to try out the Oasis class, just for the experience. Seems like the recent builds of Royal, Princess, and NCL are between 140,000 and 160,000 GTs. I am glad not as big as Oasis class. Carnival seems to have the right idea too, keeping Vista just slightly larger than Breeze. But all in all I enjoy cruises on all sized ships. Largest I have cruised is NCL's Epic. In recent years the smallest is Carnival's Paradise. Enjoyed both.

As the ships get bigger, will they run out of ports that can accommodate them?

Oh yeah, very limited on the ports the ones are going to now. There is a market for these ships, but I don't feel many more ships/capacity makes sense.

Ships are too big ! First time cruisers are overwhelmed!, Small ports are overwhelmed. Cruise lines use them to save money and yet charge more for them! The nice ports of a few years ago are now jokes with thousands of people descending on them in a day. Excursions are not relaxing and traffic is a nightmare because of all the excursion vehicles.

There is plenty to do on a mid size ship to fit all age groups and there are other lines for young and old which do not purport to be a theme park.

Only way to open up cruising to the masses.

If ships were still being kept at the size they were years ago, only the well-heeled would still be cruising. People complained way back when Sovereign of The Seas debuted, saying it was a monstrosity, far too large and would be crowded. She is downright quaint now. There are plenty of ships to go around in all size ranges.

To me, we're talking about 2 completely different types of experiences:

1. Cruise ship IS the destination (Mega Ships)

2. Cruise is all about the PORTS

I think both types of cruises are terrific and I love that I can choose whichever kind of cruise I want. I also love BOTH traditional dining and the cruise ships with restaurants where we can eat where we want, when we want. I think both types of dining are great. Traditional dining is good for meeting new people and the other type of dining is great when my husband and I want to enjoy each others company only. I also like that some cruises have formal nights while others do not. There is a place for both types of cruises, in my opinion. I like that we can choose which type of cruise to go on and enjoy the cruise we want to experience.

Are cruise ships getting too big? I'd say that's nonsense and that there is a place in the market for smaller, more intimate ships, medium ships and mega ships. If you don't want to go on a mega ship, then don't. It's really that simple. There are plenty of people who DO want to go on these ships. And I dare say plenty of us who enjoy every type of cruising there is.

I am newer to cruising but I have been on allure of the seas a couple of times now and absolutely loved it. I think those ships are more geared for my generation with lots of activities and shows. I'm 30 yrs old. I prefer to go to theme parks for vacations while my husband prefers sitting next to a pool and on the beach. Allure was a nice compromise. I liked the openness and while there was 6000 guests on board, it didn't feel like it..I don't gamble, I don't drink a lot, and I don't play bingo or other games that requires extra money, so having the on board activities are what makes the cruise enjoyable. there is a nice area on the back of the ship under the aqua theater to sit and watch the ocwaveform hours if you like sort of thing. I have been on a smaller ship, and they offer nothing for a younger crowd.

There are as many ways to enjoy a cruise as there are people who book them. No one person's preferences are correct, or better than another's.

Enjoying mega-ships does not necessarily mean you require constant stimulation and are not able to enjoy peace and quiet which most definitely can be found even on the largest ships.

Enjoying smaller, more intimate vessels does not necessarily mean you are a snob who would never lower his/herself to mixing with the masses.

Generalizations are good at assisting in making snap judgments, but that's about it.

yes-yes-yes---ships are way too big. i ditto all the above replies---74 cruises under my belt---and i dislike it more every time--just finished 10 cruises in the last 13 months. it is hard for me to say dislike---cause i am addicted to cruising. but, i am giving myself a break here. still cruise the 2 to 3000 passenger ships---had to get on ccl dream a couple of years ago because of an emergency "buy" situation in st. martin and it was an absolute nightmare. problem was the public spaces was the exact same as smaller ship --they just added a zillion more cabins---it was horrible.---really miss the old days of cruising---just total relaxing and thoroughly enjoyable without all the hustle bustle and cruise directors NOT harassing the heck out of you on the system. sure miss the NORWAY--the truly last REAL ship---not neon, plastic and glass like these things today. but, glitz and glamour can be done with style and sophistication without all the hullabaloo---the msc DIVINA is a perfect example of it. been on that one 3 times in the last 13 months. love it. just wish the ccl's and ncl's would go aboard and take notes.