Are smaller ships nice?

There is a different feel to the smaller ships. I like them, but opinions vary

The biggest difference between the small and mega ships are several more decks of passenger cabins.

I'll stay on the small ships

The biggest difference between the small and mega ships are several more decks of passenger cabins.

I'll stay on the small ships

And the fact that one is a ship, while the other is a floating mall/amusement park. ;)

I also love the smaller ships, and prefer them over the latest group of mega-ships. Less people, less fluff. Less activities = more time to enjoy being on the ship!

Ditto. I like the mega ships for the itineraries, but other than that I actually prefer the smaller Fantasy Class ships.

Personally we prefer smaller ships.

Yet will there be enough for your kids?

Which cruise ships offer best value for money?

Ever since I first cruised on the Destiny back in 2001 when she was the largest ship afloat, I have had a difficult time cruising on something smaller. Out of my 21 cruises since then, only 4 have been on ships under 100 K tons. Been on the NCL Escape three times which is 167 K tons and it was a great ship. Have not gone on any of the behemoths of the seas from RCI yet.

The ship is the destination for me at this time and a new port is a bonus, that's why I'll be on three of the ones debuting in 2018 with the Horizon, Bliss and Edge.

My closest ports are Mobile, AL and New Orleans, LA. We have taken 5 cruises, all out of those 2 ports and all on "smaller" ships. We just got back from the Dream yesterday. Based on our current situation and ages of our children, we prefer the Fantasy.

All have Camp Ocean, which my kids love. The Dream however didn't have a kids water splash pad. Instead they had 2 smaller waterslides for the little ones, but my kids didn't like those. They absolutely loved the splash pad on the Fantasy though as it was interactive and had spouts and buckets that dump. The only water spouts on the Dream were at the top of the slides, and you had to then go down the slides. Staff was watching and directing traffic so there wasn't a jam up there.

We've sailed the Conquest, Splendor, and Dream classes. Much prefer the Dream class, especially if we were going to sail with children.

Ever since I first cruised on the Destiny back in 2001 when she was the largest ship afloat, I have had a difficult time cruising on something smaller. Out of my 21 cruises since then, only 4 have been on ships under 100 K tons. Been on the NCL Escape three times which is 167 K tons and it was a great ship. Have not gone on any of the behemoths of the seas from RCI yet.

The ship is the destination for me at this time and a new port is a bonus, that's why I'll be on three of the ones debuting in 2018 with the Horizon, Bliss and Edge.

Surprised you didn't book Symphony for 2018. If you liked Escape, you'll be in heaven on a ship like Symphony.

Surprised you didn't book Symphony for 2018. If you liked Escape, you'll be in heaven on a ship like Symphony.

Some people always book a balcony once they try one. I'm the same with the drink packages. Because of this, I do lean towards NCL and Celebrity because they can be included as a perk. I'll pay for Cheers because I do enjoy the Alchemy Bar. RCI never includes their drink package and although we had enjoyable cruises on the Independence and Explorer, RCI and their Anthem and Oasis class ships are on the back burner. Carnivals LNG ships, NCL's Leonardo project, MSC's world class ships and possibly even Virgins kid free ship will all be on our list before RCI. Also ahead of Royal will be our first time to Alaska, which will be on Princess, since they supposedly do Alaska the best.

I've gotten the rci drink package much cheaper than cheers. It's cool I guess, whatever works for you. Just seems odd to me that you seem to prioritize big new ships and don't bother with the best ones.

Having sailed both the larger and smaller ships, I now prefer the smaller ships. The fantasy class ships offer so much less crowding. Not much of a line anywhere and that makes my week much better. If you decide on a fantasy class with the 2.0 upgrades, like the Elation and the Paradise, I suggest the middle or rear of the ship and not deck 14. When they added that floor they only had the one set of forward elevators as an option to service them, and only two of those go to floor 14. The buttons still call all 4 though, so those elevators are always full and a long wait. I love the 2.0 upgrades on those ships, I just plan on staying away from that choke point on future cruises.

I've gotten the rci drink package much cheaper than cheers. It's cool I guess, whatever works for you. Just seems odd to me that you seem to prioritize big new ships and don't bother with the best ones.

I've been lucky enough to sail several times on Fantasy and Spirit class ships. Have done Conquest and Dream class too. All classes have pros and cons. All depends on what you're looking for. We live near port Tampa so the smaller ships are more convenient for us. Loved the Breeze and look forward to experiencing the Vista class in the future.

I had the drink package on the Independence and the bars there were just OK, nothing that really thrilled me. I'm sure that sometime in the future I'll sail on one of the behemoths of the seas, but Royal is on the back burner for me. Part of it is also the smugness of the people that are on the Royal boards and how they love to trash Carnival. There's a lot of competition out there for my hard earned vacation dollar and all of the ducks need to be properly aligned before I pull the trigger on my decision as to which ship to sail on. Just because I'm not sailing on Royal nowadays doesn't mean that I never will again.

You don't sail Royal because you don't like smug people on the Cruise Critic forum? :confused:

I can't make sense of it but you are entitled to do whatever you want with your money.

You don't sail Royal because you don't like smug people on the Cruise Critic forum? :confused:

 

I can't make sense of it but you are entitled to do whatever you want with your money.

but the holier than thou attitude that permeates the RCI board does influence my decision as to which line to cruise.

You shouldnt let .0001% or less of all Royal cruisers rent that much space in your head :) I love both lines equally and would sail on either tomorrow if I could

You shouldnt let .0001% or less of all Royal cruisers rent that much space in your head :) I love both lines equally and would sail on either tomorrow if I could

There isn't a lick of difference between the demographics on all 3 of the major mass market lines. It's kind of fascinating how people create these things in their heads.

With all the activities available for children they won't know the difference, large or small. They will make new friends and have fun doing all the great things planned for them by the staff. Our kids always had fun and from what we see now while sailing this is still the case.

We love the Spirit class ships. Easy to find everything and large enough for fun, small enough for us.

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I too am one of those that very much enjoy the smaller ships. We are sailing on the Elation in 9 days and she recently went through an extensive dry dock getting a bunch of the 2.0 upgrades. Disappointed that she did not get an Alchemy Bar, but pleased with the rest of the additions. Looking at the pictures it looks like even the rooms all got new decor, etc. Really looking forward to checking her out.

The Sunshine and Dream class ships always feel more crowded and 'rushed' to me. The comments about standing in line, the bars, etc. I totally agree with. My memories of my cruises on Fantasy class ships (and other smaller ships) feel as if they had better service and more relaxation time and less stress trying to find a seat, get to the bar, get the attention of a bartender, find other people, etc. I always walk off the smaller ships feeling like I really got to enjoy just being on the ship. The Sunshine is actually my least favorite layout and size wise to me. I love all of those features she has, but in her case feel they really should have been placed on a larger ship.