theSHAH Posted March 3, 2018 #51 Share Posted March 3, 2018 Not concerned about the conditions of their ships (although I find the elevators on older ships a bit creepy), but it is more about the lack of things to do on smaller ships. I am concerned that they would feel too small. I think he was posting in response to me. I think of some of these ships like the Empress that were launched nearly 30 years ago and I just picture spending a vacation inside a floating, dated econo-lodge. However it does reassure me a bit that people here seem to not only not mind, but prefer the older boats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tarwood3 Posted June 24, 2018 #52 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Smaller ships have much more interesting itineraries. They can get into a lot more ports that the large ones can not ....the mega ships have very boring itineraries that repeat over and over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare momofmab Posted June 24, 2018 #53 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Tried Oasis for the first time a few months ago. While it is an impressive ship with lots of things to do, I think I prefer a smaller ship. I just wish RCI would update the cabins and overall ship décor on the smaller ships (or at least change out old-looking carpeting, bedding & curtains in the cabins). If I'm traveling with kids though, the bigger ships win for having more for them to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FLACRUISER99 Posted June 24, 2018 #54 Share Posted June 24, 2018 I think he was posting in response to me. I think of some of these ships like the Empress that were launched nearly 30 years ago and I just picture spending a vacation inside a floating, dated econo-lodge. However it does reassure me a bit that people here seem to not only not mind, but prefer the older boats.Have you been on Empress? Except for the stateroom size she does not seem like an old ship to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank808 Posted June 24, 2018 #55 Share Posted June 24, 2018 We have sailed oasis class and the smallest ship was grandeur. Had a great time on all of them. Big ships and smaller ships have different pros and cons but we have never had a bad cruise. Sent from my SM-T217S using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blizzard54 Posted June 24, 2018 #56 Share Posted June 24, 2018 We still enjoy the smaller ships. We have been on every class except Quantum and will experience the Ovation next year. We hope to be able to continue to sail on the "smaller" ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jules815 Posted June 24, 2018 #57 Share Posted June 24, 2018 After Oasis, we enjoyed the smaller ships much more. We felt less crowded on the Radiance and Vision class ships. After sailing on Harmony, we prefer smaller ships. We still had a great time on that cruise, which was it's first transatlantic voyage, but for some reason, didn't love that ship. Still haven't been on a Vision class ship, but enjoyed Brilliance. I think our favorite class is Freedom, which isn't really small at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molsonschooner Posted June 24, 2018 #58 Share Posted June 24, 2018 I just read your signature, and very sorry to hear if you can't cruise now. I also see that you did Oasis in her first year and mostly sailed Radiance Class afterwards. How did that feel? I think I ought to try something smaller, but when I did Anthem it felt way too small. I suppose it doesn't help that Quantum Class ships are basically the child of Radiance Class and X Solstice Class and probably feel smaller than they are. I think Quamtun class ships are the second largest cruise ships currently sailing.Maybe it is because of the layout of Anthem that makes it seem small. I think the Royal Promenade makes a ship feel bigger, even if it isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisemom67 Posted June 24, 2018 #59 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Everyone has different things they enjoy about cruising. What is your favorite thing to do? What is most important about the ship you cruise on? We have been cruising for 25 years and gone through a variety of "needs" on a ship. On our honeymoon, we wanted lots of dancing and nightlife. 2 years later, we took a Southern Caribbean and visited islands every day. That was a small ship and we didn't care. 10 years later, we first took our kids. The kids club was very small, but that was good as all three of our daughters were in the same room. 5 years later, we wanted huge ships with tons of things for the kids to do. Now it doesn't matter what's on the ship, we cruise for The embarkation location and itinerary. Only you can decide what is important. I actually prefer smaller ships now as it is easy to find people I am cruising with! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
actuarian Posted June 24, 2018 #60 Share Posted June 24, 2018 My wife and I prefer the smaller ships. We have been on 39 Royal Caribbean cruises and 4 of them have been on Oasis class ships but we will not be sailing on ships that big again. When we want to visit a theme park, we take advantage of our annual passes to Walt Disney World but when we cruise we want to be somewhere less impersonal and less regimented. We do not want to have to make reservations for every show and we do not want the distances between venues to be so great that we need scooters (as we do at Disney). Therefore, our favorite ships are first Radiance Class, second Vision Class and third Voyager Class. We no longer sail on any ships larger than Voyager class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taglovestocruise Posted June 24, 2018 #61 Share Posted June 24, 2018 We did a transatlantic on Oasis followed by a TA on Allure followed by a Oasis cruise. Last year we did a 15 night TA on Independence and I felt the ship was to small. We just booked a 15 night Ovation transpacific and I think that ship is to small, but my wife will be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcc1025 Posted June 24, 2018 #62 Share Posted June 24, 2018 The choice is kind of personal, we have only sailed RCCL ships and have sailed on every class. Our first ship was Nordic Prince which does not exist anymore and was smaller that Majesty of the Seas. Remember when she came out we thought they just couldn't get any bigger. I was concerned when we first booked Oasis that it would be too big. But now after several cruises on her and Allure we are hooked. Given the different areas of the ship we actually think that it seems smaller than a class like Radiance. We love the different options and the ability to find away places like Central Park. We love the various dinning options, especially 150. This is now our favorite class. We have sailed Liberty a few times and have some other cruises planned on her because she is closer to the west coast where we live. Don't find a great deal of difference, not quite as wide but still a nice ship and a better deal for us coming from the west coast. So we think they all have pluses and minus and while we were worried about the big ships, we love them. With that said, we would not hesitate to go on a small ship to be able to go to Cuba or if there was a specific port we liked. We took two long cruises on Brilliance cruises to the Mediterranean and they were great. So sorry to not fall on once side or the other, would choose big over small, but would also choose cruise over about anything else. Enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted June 24, 2018 #63 Share Posted June 24, 2018 (edited) Haven't met a cruise ship I didn't like. :D Those that spoke up and said there is not as much to do on the smaller ships must have a narrow scope for entertainment. We find as many activities on the smaller ships as we did on Oasis and Allure. There's a reason Oasis ships have 2 extra pages for the Cruise Planner Aqua Theatre Ice Rink Parades FlowRider Outdoor Movies with an actual sight line 3D movies Slides 24 hour food Carousel Zip Line (We finally did it) It's a shame the Centrum ships don't do aerial shows anymore Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Edited June 24, 2018 by John&LaLa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reallyitsmema Posted June 24, 2018 #64 Share Posted June 24, 2018 Haven't met a cruise ship I didn't like. :D Those that spoke up and said there is not as much to do on the smaller ships must have a narrow scope for entertainment. We find as many activities on the smaller ships as we did on Oasis and Allure. No, I do not have a narrow scope for entertainment. Larger ships have multiple activities happening at the same time, smaller ships do not. As I suspected, the activities on our Radiance sailing were limited, the CD chose to highlight movies as a bulk of the entertainment and showed movie trailers as part of his morning show. There was one ping pong and one free throw tournament all week. No quest, just a family Quest on one evening. Many copies of Alaska compasses out there will prove it to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blizzard54 Posted June 25, 2018 #65 Share Posted June 25, 2018 No, I do not have a narrow scope for entertainment. Larger ships have multiple activities happening at the same time, smaller ships do not. As I suspected, the activities on our Radiance sailing were limited, the CD chose to highlight movies as a bulk of the entertainment and showed movie trailers as part of his morning show. There was one ping pong and one free throw tournament all week. No quest, just a family Quest on one evening. Many copies of Alaska compasses out there will prove it to you. It was the first time in many years that we were on a ship without Quest. Not that we really miss it. I agree that they were really pushing the movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blizzard54 Posted June 25, 2018 #66 Share Posted June 25, 2018 There's a reason Oasis ships have 2 extra pages for the Cruise Planner Aqua Theatre Ice Rink Parades FlowRider Outdoor Movies with an actual sight line 3D movies Slides 24 hour food Carousel Zip Line (We finally did it) It's a shame the Centrum ships don't do aerial shows anymore Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk It's about time you tried the Zip line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Cruizers Posted June 25, 2018 #67 Share Posted June 25, 2018 Daughter & I will be on our first Oasis Class in 2020 on the Allure and looking forward to seeing this very large ship, but Ill admit, since this class sails mostly the Caribbean, there is only so many times you can sail the same itinerary then wish something new. I really enjoy the Freedom Class and have been on the Radiance 4 times, Brilliance and Serenade once. There is more to do on a Freedom Class yet love the Radiance Class also. I have no plans to sail anything smaller then the Radiance Class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachammo Posted June 25, 2018 #68 Share Posted June 25, 2018 My wife and I prefer the smaller ships. We have been on 39 Royal Caribbean cruises and 4 of them have been on Oasis class ships but we will not be sailing on ships that big again. When we want to visit a theme park, we take advantage of our annual passes to Walt Disney World but when we cruise we want to be somewhere less impersonal and less regimented. We do not want to have to make reservations for every show and we do not want the distances between venues to be so great that we need scooters (as we do at Disney). Therefore, our favorite ships are first Radiance Class, second Vision Class and third Voyager Class. We no longer sail on any ships larger than Voyager class.We feel the same way and love being on smaller ships with way less passengers. We will miss the "Royal Experience" when they eventually sell off the smaller ships. Not ready to join the ancient crowd on Azamara, Silver Sea, Crystal, or even Celebrity. If we want the kind of stuff found on an Oasis class ships....we would be much better off going to Vegas. Vegas has much better shows and restaurants with a smaller cost. Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted June 25, 2018 #69 Share Posted June 25, 2018 It's about time you tried the Zip line.I botched the landing big time. Not graceful at all. About went backwards Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted June 25, 2018 #70 Share Posted June 25, 2018 We feel the same way and love being on smaller ships with way less passengers. We will miss the "Royal Experience" when they eventually sell off the smaller ships. Not ready to join the ancient crowd on Azamara, Silver Sea, Crystal, or even Celebrity. If we want the kind of stuff found on an Oasis class ships....we would be much better off going to Vegas. Vegas has much better shows and restaurants with a smaller cost. Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk Really? Maybe if you stay at Excalibur and eat at a burger joint. We dropped over 4 grand in 36 hours between airfare, Bellagio Penthouse, LOVE (not what I thought), Tom Coliccio Heritage Steak, Walbergers, and Cabowabo Cantina. And a little gambling.[emoji6] Fun, but crazy expensive. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachammo Posted June 26, 2018 #71 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Really? Maybe if you stay at Excalibur and eat at a burger joint. We dropped over 4 grand in 36 hours between airfare, Bellagio Penthouse, LOVE (not what I thought), Tom Coliccio Heritage Steak, Walbergers, and Cabowabo Cantina. And a little gambling.[emoji6] Fun, but crazy expensive. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk You must lose a lot gambling? We usually stay at Mirage or MGM for just about free ( a much nicer room than a balcony cabin on Oasis). We eat dinner at the best places in town for $100pp. We go to shows every other night for $100pp. Other meals are $50pp. There is airfare for us no matter ship or Vegas. We spend around $2500 for the week if you don't count my DW's shopping....lol. Of course you can spend much less than that if you stay at Excalibur/Luxor ( still a better room than an Oasis cabin and priced at $30 a night for people with no comp), eat at mid tier places on the strip ( better than the MDR on Oasis and some of the specialties) and just do a few shows. Easy under 2k...... I did stay at the 3 bedroom/5 1/2 bath fountain view Penthouse at Bellagio nine years ago for my daughter's 21st birthday for $550 a night. Private elevators, limo pickup, and lounge were nice but uneeded. Vegas wasn't doing very well back then. I believe that room is over 4k a night now. Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted June 26, 2018 #72 Share Posted June 26, 2018 (edited) You must lose a lot gambling? We usually stay at Mirage or MGM for just about free ( a much nicer room than a balcony cabin on Oasis). We eat dinner at the best places in town for $100pp. We go to shows every other night for $100pp. Other meals are $50pp. There is airfare for us no matter ship or Vegas. We spend around $2500 for the week if you don't count my DW's shopping....lol. Of course you can spend much less than that if you stay at Excalibur/Luxor ( still a better room than an Oasis cabin and priced at $30 a night for people with no comp), eat at mid tier places on the strip ( better than the MDR on Oasis and some of the specialties) and just do a few shows. Easy under 2k...... I did stay at the 3 bedroom/5 1/2 bath fountain view Penthouse at Bellagio nine years ago for my daughter's 21st birthday for $550 a night. Private elevators, limo pickup, and lounge were nice but uneeded. Vegas wasn't doing very well back then. I believe that room is over 4k a night now. Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk That's where we stayed. It was an upgrade. Look familiar [emoji16] We only had 2 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths. Did I not find one? This was dead center, top floor One night only. Dawn flight out, Red Eye home. Math doesn't add up though. Dinner and shows alone is $2,000 Add lunches and transport Not everyone gets a free room I really just wanted an excuse to post my fountain picture. [emoji6] I also forgot to say there were four of us. Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk Edited June 26, 2018 by John&LaLa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beachammo Posted June 26, 2018 #73 Share Posted June 26, 2018 That's where we stayed. It was an upgrade. Look familiar [emoji16] One night only. Dawn flight out, Red Eye home. Math doesn't add up though. Dinner and shows alone is $2,000 Add lunches and transport Not everyone gets a free room Just don't get it To each his own I guess Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk John Just saying that we don't like doing Oasis class and can do Vegas (Superior entertainment and restaurants) for around the same price if not less in my case. On ships I also have transport dollars and a night in a hotel before the cruise. Cash you don't need to spend living in Florida. Not everyone gets a free room.....but you got to admit that Vegas rooms are very inexpensive unless you stay in a suite. That suite has been redone since we stayed there. We were down the hall a little more as we could see Planet Hollywood and MGM in the background. I do remember that chandelier over the dining table. Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare John&LaLa Posted June 26, 2018 #74 Share Posted June 26, 2018 John Just saying that we don't like doing Oasis class and can do Vegas (Superior entertainment and restaurants) for around the same price if not less in my case. On ships I also have transport dollars and a night in a hotel before the cruise. Cash you don't need to spend living in Florida. Not everyone gets a free room.....but you got to admit that Vegas rooms are very inexpensive unless you stay in a suite. That suite has been redone since we stayed there. We were down the hall a little more as we could see Planet Hollywood and MGM in the background. I do remember that chandelier over the dining table. Sent from my VS995 using Tapatalk It was a fun trip. Not easily repeated. We need to compare notes on Serenade next year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piescruises Posted June 26, 2018 #75 Share Posted June 26, 2018 Anthem in the States, whilst we are in Scotland. If she was still in Southampton, maybe, but if we had to fly across the Atlantic, we would rather just do one of the 3 O sisters in the Caribbean. Oasis is going to be in Europe next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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