When does BIG become TOO BIG ?

[DanJ]

When we were on Indy last year......your show schedule was based on muster station number. Made it much nicer.

 

Not sure why Oasis/Allure don't use the same system??

 

Because what if I don't want to go to the show at 830, but would rather 1030? People seem to be missing out on the freedom of choice this current system gives you. 20 minutes of planning some time in the prior 3 months makes the cruise so much easier.

[Clarea]

Because what if I don't want to go to the show at 830, but would rather 1030? People seem to be missing out on the freedom of choice this current system gives you. 20 minutes of planning some time in the prior 3 months makes the cruise so much easier.

Until something comes up on board and you find you need to change your plans.

[John&LaLa]

I agree. I did not like the Oasis. To big, to much planning, pools were GROSS...I prefer to sit on deck near the pool, listen to steel drums and gaze out into the ocean.

 

Love beach pool, best in the fleet

[constable145]

I've cruised on different times in both the Oasis Class and Freedom Class. I've also done the Radiance of the Seas.

 

For me, I was lucky to be on a port intensive cruise on the Radiance( Alaska). I found the ship cramped and lacking amenities I had become accustom to on the bigger ships.

 

For me, I cruise more for the ship. I'll take the biggest, newest ship afloat. The older, smaller ships don't really appeal to me. I like the variety of dining and entertainment options. Having to make reservations doesn't bug me at all.

[time4u2go]

Until something comes up on board and you find you need to change your plans.

 

Exactly. I may not know if I want to see a show, or if I want to see the early or late version of a show until the day of the show, not 3 months out.

[Beachammo]

Exactly. I may not know if I want to see a show, or if I want to see the early or late version of a show until the day of the show, not 3 months out.

 

They have a stand by line if you want to see a show that is different than you muster station. We saw the ice show twice this way.

 

The ice shows are in the afternoon on sea days.

Edited January 31, 2016 by Beachammo

[constantcruiser]

After a few cruises on mega-ships, last year we booked a New Year's cruise on the Jewel...just because the dates and departure port worked best for the majority of the group we were traveling with. I expected to be disappointed by the "downgrade" from larger ships, but instead I re-discovered the reason I started cruising in the first place...to be at sea! There's a view of the ocean from nearly every venue on the Radiance Class ships--not just from your own balcony--and that's something you don't get on the bigger ships.

[DanJ]

Until something comes up on board and you find you need to change your plans.

 

Which is really no different whether you make reservations or not.

[critterchick]

I agree. I hate buffet so much that i do whatever it take to make it the last place to used.

 

We spent two weeks onboard and only went there to get some raisin bread, which is DH's favorite breakfast item. No reason to linger.:)

 

When we were on Indy last year......your show schedule was based on muster station number. Made it much nicer.

 

Not sure why Oasis/Allure don't use the same system??

 

What if you didn't want to go then?

[Beachammo]

We spent two weeks onboard and only went there to get some raisin bread, which is DH's favorite breakfast item. No reason to linger.:)

 

 

 

What if you didn't want to go then?

 

Then you go standby at the time you want.

[Hoopster95]

This is a great post. One of the reasons I've been turned off by the big ships is all the planning that seems to be involved. I still can't wrap my head around having to make reservations for "My Time Dining," but that's exactly what I did the other day for our upcoming Harmony cruise

 

In my experience from Legend of the Seas all the way up to Oasis, the very worst by a mile for MTD reservation were Vision and Radiance Class... much older clientele all wanting to eat between 6 to 7:30pm, those dinner time slots were fully booked and the Maitre'D told me to my face not to show up at any time during that time slot else we would wait over an hour. I never ever had this issue on Voyager, Freedom, Quantum nor Oasis classes... only Vision and Radiance classes, a huge negative for the smaller classes of ships unless you pre-book every MTD dinner on every night prior to your cruise for the smaller classes.

 

Do I agree?

No.

I am on the Anthem right now.

I do what I want, when I want to.

No worries, no hassles.

:)

 

The above is THE best post of this thread. The above also goes for every single class of ship in the fleet.

[cindivan]

Thank goodness we all like different things or what we all like would be so crazy expensive.

 

We love the big ships and all that they offer. I'm a planner so I'm the family secretary so to speak. I come up with options and the family votes and I book. And if we change our minds no problem.

 

I think the answer to the original question is totally subjective, which I think bears out in the responses.

[DanJ]

Then you go standby at the time you want.

 

OK, I'm really confused. So you think it's better that that cruise line schedules you at some arbitrary time for something? Isn't that the complaint about this thread to begin with, is being scheduled for something? I would much rather be able to just pull up the schedule of shows like I did for my Oasis cruise last week and go through and pick from that than have them say when I'm scheduled, especially based on muster number. If they are going to do arbitrary stuff like that, then just don't schedule anything and let people figure it out on board. Oh yeah, the "I'll wing it" people will love that lol