Are Ships Getting Too Big?

Interesting conversation with a Royal Caribbean rep the other week- we were noting that their new ships are getting slightly smaller again- as he put it the most recent is - "more like if Celebrity Solstice and Oasis of the Seas had a child". It seems the focus may be changing again?

We have been sailing small, medium and large ships.

Lately mostly large ships. (Oasis and Allure of the Seas).

I have found the large ships less crowded than some smaller ships. There is so much to do and place to go that people are spreaded all over the ship compare to being jammed in the atrium of smaller ships. Public area are larger, we love the different environments and the variety of the shows.

These huge ships are in fact a destination by themself. They probably could circle around on the ocean for a week and still get fully booked.

We find these large ships ideal for family gatherings, where you have often at least 3 generations involved. You have something for everyone on these ships.

We always booked late sitting in MDR. The last 4-5 cruises we noticed a large proportion of empty tables every days. As the cruise ships offer more options (aka specialty restaurants), it empties more tables in the mdr and they want you to book a la carte restaurants.

Wanting a different experience, We are sailing on Azamara next week. We will see if the difference is worth it compare with the increasing nickeling and diming we have experienced on RCI in the last years.

When I cruise I prefer the smaller ships like the Pacific Princess or Ocean Princess or middle size such as the Island or Coral Princess. However, all lines are coming out with larger ships and many are phasing out the smaller ships because they don't bring in as much revenue. I just received an e-mail from RCL's president that they are bringing in a third Oasis class ship in 2016. I haven't been on the other two nor will I ever go on anything that size. The largest I was ever on was the Royal Princess and I didn't like that very much. I want to feel like I am on a ship, not a floating Disneyland. I don't do water rides or wall climbing or ice skating and I don't like having to stand in lines to make reservations to see a show. I am happy with a comfortable cabin, a great itinerary and good food and service.

IMHO, yes.

I'd like to see the mainstream lines build some smaller ships. Oh, I don't mean the kind that'll only carry a couple hundred passengers, but keeping it under a couple thousand would be nice.

As destinations unto themselves, the ginormous ships are fine, I suppose, but they've sized themselves out of so many great ports.

Oh how I agree that the ships are getting way too big! They take the cruising out of cruising. It's just that they hold way to many passengers. It's the logistics of getting 3000 passengers who all want off at the same time especially at the time of disembarkation on the final day. The pools are way to small to accommodate this many people and at breakfast and lunch times, the lines in the buffet are just too long.

I have been on 43 cruises, starting back in 1965 and cruising was great until the mid 80s early 90s with all of the bigger ships being built. But I am probably a minority in that I absolutely love a ship that has less than 1,500 passengers.

I also dislike all of the different restaurants. When I started to cruise there were 2 sittings and only once did I ever find that I really didn't like the people I was seated with and as a result I changed tables and was seated with a wonderful group. I still have friends that I have stayed in touch with and one that has resulted in a friendship that has spanned 47 years and new friendships with 3 people from a cruise in 2012, which will undoubtedly not span 47 years, as I won't be alive that long, but hopefully will span at least another 20 years and if lucky more. If we hadn't of had those designated dinner times, we probably would never have met and that would have been unfortunate.

Also with the number of passengers on a cruise ship being so high now the probably of airborne diseases increases.

I will try to cruise on ships that don't carry huge numbers of passengers so that the pool area can be accessed and buffet lines that don't take a great deal of time to get through.

I want a ship that has great entertainment that can involve the passengers. I'd also like to have cruise lines where they have agreements with various airlines to provide a "cheaper" air fare to get to the designated embarkation pier.

As a Canadian, it is very expensive when the Canadian dollar isn't worth as much as the US dollar. For the past 3 years or so, our dollar was on or near par with the US which made a cruise affordable. Cruise lines have to remember that all Canadians have to get to the Port in order to cruise. I realize that there are many Americans who also have to travel to get to the embarkation port, but the air fares in the United States are much lower than the Canadian ones and they are in US dollars.

We also have to pay for everything in US dollars, i.e., drinks, gratuities, tours, gift shop items, etc., which again just add a lot more to our final costs.

Cruising is a wonderful way to see the world. It allows one to visit places where you might want to go back to vacation at another time. But cruising also is for me, a place, where I can simply relax and enjoy being at sea. And with the bigger ships, it is becoming increasingly harder to find a comfortable and peaceful place to just chill out, as all of the spaces on a ship are being filled with rock climbing walls, water rides, sky diving chambers, etc.

To those who enjoy the bigger ships, enjoy, however, we will not meet as I will continue to sail on the smaller ones where I am most comfortable.:)

Yes, the big ships lose the camaraderie of meeting others and creating friendships - some for a week, some for life and other cruises. The "open" dining style is not conducive to making friends either. We enjoy meeting people at an 8 top for dinner and sharing life and cruise experiences, knowledge of ports and other shipboard info. Been cruising since I was 5, now 69 and have met many people who have become friends. Mother met people who were lifelong friends. We cruise with people we met on one cruise and stay in touch for the next. Can't do all this on Mega ships.

Yes, the big ships lose the camaraderie of meeting others and creating friendships - some for a week, some for life and other cruises. The "open" dining style is not conducive to making friends either. We enjoy meeting people at an 8 top for dinner and sharing life and cruise experiences, knowledge of ports and other shipboard info. Been cruising since I was 5, now 69 and have met many people who have become friends. Mother met people who were lifelong friends. We cruise with people we met on one cruise and stay in touch for the next. Can't do all this on Mega ships.

That maybe one of the reasons I don't mind larger ships. We don't cruise to make friends, we cruise to reconnect with each other or enjoy time with family and/or friends. Out of 12 cruises we have yet to meet anyone whom we've become life long friends with and I doubt we ever will since we don't go searching them out no matter what size ship we are on. We are not anti-social, we just don't cruise to make friends.

That maybe one of the reasons I don't mind larger ships. We don't cruise to make friends, we cruise to reconnect with each other or enjoy time with family and/or friends. Out of 12 cruises we have yet to meet anyone whom we've become life long friends with and I doubt we ever will since we don't go searching them out no matter what size ship we are on. We are not anti-social, we just don't cruise to make friends.

I do not think too many people cruise "...to make friends...", a lot of us cruise because it offers a mix of experiences different from day to day life: being on the sea; seeing new places; having someone else take care of the mechanics of life, like making you bed and preparing and serving your meals; enjoying the entertainment and activities offered, etc.. For some of us, the sharing of the above with others, whom we have never met before but who have similar interests/attitudes, is a significant element in the experience: and that is why we prefer smaller ships which are more conducive to such sharing --- and, in addition, many of us also prefer traditional dining, which also contributes.

I do not think too many people cruise "...to make friends...", a lot of us cruise because it offers a mix of experiences different from day to day life: being on the sea; seeing new places; having someone else take care of the mechanics of life, like making you bed and preparing and serving your meals; enjoying the entertainment and activities offered, etc.. For some of us, the sharing of the above with others, whom we have never met before but who have similar interests/attitudes, is a significant element in the experience: and that is why we prefer smaller ships which are more conducive to such sharing --- and, in addition, many of us also prefer traditional dining, which also contributes.

Hey I'm not knocking your reasons for cruising....just saying ours are not the same. We prefer to share that experience with just each other and not someone we never meet before. We prefer anytime dining because of this. Neither of us is wrong. We are doing what is right for us...this is why choices are good when it comes to ships.

Is it just me who thinks that things are getting out of hand? Every cruise magazine is full of the new ships arriving on the scene, each boasting 'the best of this, the biggest of that, the first anywhere in the entire Universe, etc, etc'

 

Am I in the minority of people who just want to get on a ship that has an itinerary I want without all the razzamatazz of bumper cars, waterslides and the rest. And yes, I do know there are still ships out there without all this stuff, the question I'm asking is just a general one.

 

I'm not knocking people who love this sort of thing and given the chance I'd be first in the queue to try these things (but not the waterslides as I'm frightened of water and can't swim :)) But has it got to a point of ridiculousness? Robot barmen !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Your thoughts please whilst I watch people soaring over the deck in pods, climbing up walls and ice skating. (Might try the last one though, it sounds like fun)

We moored alongside a Norwegian ship in October and nicknamed it 'the Norwegian Nightmare' There was so much water slide/climbing frame/gigantic TV screen on deck there was no room left for relaxation. One more reason we choose Celebrity!!!

There are plenty of smaller vessels sailing, just be prepared to pay for the privilege. The chances of the big players going back to ships carrying 2,000 or fewer passengers is somewhere around 0%.

Yes, the big ships lose the camaraderie of meeting others and creating friendships - some for a week, some for life and other cruises. The "open" dining style is not conducive to making friends either. We enjoy meeting people at an 8 top for dinner and sharing life and cruise experiences, knowledge of ports and other shipboard info. Been cruising since I was 5, now 69 and have met many people who have become friends. Mother met people who were lifelong friends. We cruise with people we met on one cruise and stay in touch for the next. Can't do all this on Mega ships.

For some of us, the sharing of the above with others, whom we have never met before but who have similar interests/attitudes, is a significant element in the experience: and that is why we prefer smaller ships which are more conducive to such sharing --- and, in addition, many of us also prefer traditional dining, which also contributes.

Have you guys been on the big ships? I keep hearing things like "open style dining" suggesting that the Allure and Oasis do not have traditional dining. This is very far from the truth.

I have been on 3 cruises, all in the last 12 months, and all on the Allure, so my experience is very limited: One thing I can confirm is that you have the option to have a designated traditional dining room experience. We did that for our first week, and met some great people, but also had a less than stellar experience with some of the wait staff (others were great).

Then on our recent B2B we chose to do open dining so that we wouldn't feel limited while in port, or while choosing evening activities. We enjoyed the ability on the first week of sitting with friends we had made on the cruise, with various groups. For the second week we had a great waiter, so we requested to be seated in his area every night, and we made friends with the tables next to us. One couple was having their 50th wedding anniversary on their first cruise, so we shared a few of our bottles of wine with them (that we had brought from home and had been saving for a special occasion).

There was a 10 month gap between our first cruise, and the first week of our B2B, yet several staff members not only remembered us, but gave us big hugs when they saw us! I said to my wife as we were leaving the ship at the end of the two weeks, that what I would miss the most are the people. The staff, the weeklong or longer friends we made, etc.

So either we have had a very abnormal experience, or some people posting in this thread are not 100% sure of their facts.

If you don't want to cruise on a ship with 5000+ people, don't! Last I checked we lived in a great society that allows us to make our own decisions. But check to make sure your facts are right before posting negatives that in my experience, are not true.

Having been on ships as large as, in descending order, QM2, then Celebrity Millennium, Celebrity Galaxy, QE2, Celebrity Zenith, and Costa Riviera (30,000 tons) I can only ask, where is my little 20,000 ton Regal Empress when I need her?!! Ah yes, killed off by SOLAS, along with many other classic ocean liners turned cruise ship.

I've had a great time on all these ships, but the old, small ones were really quite charming. Call it "classic" cruising if you wish.

Today, to expand the market, the cruise lines need to turn to mega ships to attract new passengers, who might otherwise feel bored on the older, smaller ships. Of course, they also increase economies of scale and thus $$$$ profit by doing so.;)

Simple really....if you want water slides,climbing walls etc..................GO TO BUTLINS

Have you guys been on the big ships?

 

But check to make sure your facts are right before posting negatives that in my experience, are not true.

Yes, I've been on "big" ships; of course "big" is a relative term- the biggest I've been on is RC Mariner (3,100+), then X Eclipse and Silhouette (both 2,850+) I have seen enough of the over 2,500 types to rationally judge that I would be even less impressed with anything larger - believing anything larger than HAL's Vistas and X's Millenium is of no interest because they are too big for my liking -- with the exception of Queen Mary 2 - her 2,600 is a lot, but because of Cunard's traditional approach - and, significantly, the passengers she draws because of that approach, there is the environment I prefer.

I think you are being overly defensive of your preferred type of ship in "...protesting negatives...that are not true". I have posted positives about ships which are in my mind conducive to the sort of experience I like. You may not like my opinions, but I do not think they represent untruths.

I am happy for you that there are the large ships which you like- and happy for myself to the extent that the ships I like are not filled with people who do not like them. Everybody wins - except of course to the extent that the lines' search for the most profitable operating systems results in the disappearance of the sort of ship I prefer.

I think you are being overly defensive of your preferred type of ship in "...protesting negatives...that are not true". I have posted positives about ships which are in my mind conducive to the sort of experience I like. You may not like my opinions, but I do not think they represent untruths.

The idea of a forum is for experienced people to discuss things, and hopefully help newer people (in whatever the forum is targetting) make informed decisions.

Opinions are great! They will help people make an informed decision!

But several people in this thread have said things that just don't line up with the truth on the largest ships. The most obvious example is thinking that the largest ships don't have traditional fixed dining.

Another person said that first time cruisers are overwhelmed. As far as I can tell, that poster hasn't been on the largest ships, and as a long time cruiser certainly was likely didn't have their first cruise on the massive ships of the last 10 years. I was on the biggest cruise ship for my first cruise, and I was in awe.

Are SOME first time cruisers overwhelmed with the largest ships? Most likely! But do some people find them amazing pieces of engineering? Yes!

The trouble with forums can be wording. Here's an example of two sentences written from the same point of view:

"The big ships have long wait lines for dining, and the boats are very crowded with that many people on board."

and

"I had to wait for 15 minutes at the buffet to get a table, I didn't try to main dining room so I'm not sure what the wait time was there."

As a person browsing forums, I hope that people can pick out the difference between someone with an opinion that is absolute, and may not be based on personal experience, or an opinion that attempts to describe a personal experience on board.

I don't care that somebody thinks they'll have a bad time on a large ship, I want to hear from people that have had experience with either, and what they liked and didn't like about their cruises.

I have been on the Royal Princess which is considered a big ship and have made some nice people that have become cruising friends. One couple I correspond with occasionally and one we met on the Emerald last year will be cruising with us in October. It's your choice if you choose to meet new people or not and make new friends.

Some of us just want to be on a ship and not have to put up with all the bells and whistles that you get with the new mega ships. As long as the cruise lines realize that and keep some of the smaller ships it will make everyone happy.

We haven't sailed on a big mega ship. My dh does not want to. I would try one just to experience.

I think it would overwhelm dh and he would not like it.

We are in our mid-50s. If our kids were still young and cruising with us, I would do a mega ship for sure. They would love that!

Now, dh and I love the ships that are a bit smaller. Not the really little ones. We do all of the activities, and we do find there is enough for us to keep us busy.

Is it hard to learn your way around those huge mega ships? That would be my problem. ha!

Is it hard to learn your way around those huge mega ships? That would be my problem. ha!

I remember just starting to feel like I knew my way around after the first week. I heard several people in the elevators say it took them half a week to get used to it.

There are touch screens at each elevator that will map out a route for you to any venue, so I wouldn't worry about getting lost. But sometimes I was walking aft when I meant to go forward lol

When it's time to book our trips.....I will present the options to my husband and his very first question is, "how many passengers"? It better well be 1,000 or less preferable! We both despise the mega ships with mega people and sorry to say....mega kids!!!!

Yeah for choices and options!:D

Yes yes yes, around 500-1000 is perfect, :D never been on anything over 3,000 don't want to. :(

If I want rock climbing, water slides, flow riders and ice skating I'll go to a theme park. :rolleyes:

Now you can say don't use them and that's OK but they are still taking up space that can be used for cruise related things like reading and watching the ocean and talking, you ever tried to sit and have a chat near the flowrider or the water slide. :eek:

We like large ships (about 2000), although we haven't been on a mega ship. Incidently, the most long-lasting friendships I've made have been through a Cruise Critic roll call. I notice the megas are doing a lot of seven day cruises. It would take me that long to get used to thevdhip - it always does. We like longer cruises.

We like large ships (about 2000), although we haven't been on a mega ship. Incidently, the most long-lasting friendships I've made have been through a Cruise Critic roll call. I notice the megas are doing a lot of seven day cruises. It would take me that long to get used to thevdhip - it always does. We like longer cruises.

I hope you realize that "about 2000" translates to small these days -- and certainly not large. There are very few with less than 2,000, and most new construction is focussed on 3,000 plus.

I have been on many ships from the Allure on down to a small 4 masted schooner. Oceania R class are my favorite although Regent Seven Seas would be my first choice if I could afford it. The cabins are all suites and the space and food and service are superior.

I originally posted that the trend to no Main Dining Rooms and Mega ships was a detriment to making friends. I was referring to ONBOARD friends with whom you had dinner with every night and had time to share experiences and even choose to join in on excursions ashore etc. etc. Yes, over the many years of cruising, there are people who have become friends even ashore or that one keeps in touch with and plan other cruises with, but mostly I was referring to onboard "friends". Everyone has their own agendas onboard as to what they want out of a cruise - some like to be alone others like to meet people. Some like no Main Dining and others love it. I will stick with ships which still have Main Dining as long as I can. Years ago you had the same table and waiters for every meal. Some things change, not always for the best for all.

We have met some really nice people in the MDR, and we have kept in touch.