What is your favorite ship class and why?

[Wanderlust2003]

Hello Cruisers...

 

I am putting together a group cruise for my family and friends for June/July 2021 (I know it's early to plan but that's my "thing").  Our group is approximately 40 people.  I haven't cruised on a mega ship and to be honest I'm not sure that a mega ship is what we are looking for.  I haven't cruised with Royal for about 7 years so I'm getting caught up on all the changes that have taken place.  What I'm hoping to learn is if a Mega-Ship with all the bells and whistles is something we need to consider.  Our group is diverse in ages and while the mega ships have so much to offer I wonder if it may be too much.  Our travel agent has suggested Liberty of the Seas as a nice compromise.  Am I missing the boat on trying the larger ships?  Will the group be more satisfied with more activity/dining options.  I hate to spend other peoples money and deliver a less than stellar experience and I'm always trying to maximize my vacation dollars.

Your insight is appreciated and I thank you for any advice you can provide.

 

[cruiseguy1016]

My favorite is Voyager class. Not too big or too small and they have plenty of activities and venues to satisfy everything I need on a cruise.

[davekathy]

Freedom class, Voyager class and Radiance class. We like the ships in each of those classes. 

[Cruisegirl6]

Definitely our favorite is the Oasis class!

Love walking around Central Park in the am and at night

I don't eat hot dogs but I find myself sometimes once a day grabbing a hot dog from the Boardwalk dog house, real good

Love Park Cafe for snacks, you can eat breakfast and lunch here too

Solarium Bistro serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily

Johnny Rockets for ice cream, fries, etc.

Wipeout Cafe is another place to get breakfast, lunch and snacks

If your into pools or lying in the sun there are many pools on this class of ship to choose from

 

Sorry, for us, there is no comparison, Oasis class our favorite and you have more options on types of cabins/location to choose from.

 

Liberty of the Seas last dry dock was February 2016, I believe the next one will be sometime in 2021 but no actually date has been made yet.  If your going before the dry dock, I personally would avoid it, but if your going after the dry dock, it will be all fresh up for you, but I still would choose the

[Cruisegirl6]

Which would you like to be on?

[Thorben-Hendrik]

1 minute ago, Cruisegirl6 said:

Which would you like to be on?

The small one! 👍

[Wanderlust2003]

Which ships are these two?  I see the benefits in both but crowds are also something I try to avoid.  Besides the obvious benefits of the larger ships are the crowds completely obnoxious?

I appreciate all your viewpoints...it definitely helps!

Thank you!

 

[cruisekap]

I like all ships.  I have been on large and small and when my kids were in school I would cruise during Spring Break etc.  Even during those cruises it did not fell overcrowded other than the Windjammer(buffet) during peak breakfast/lunch.  You can always find a spot but it can be crowed.  I avoid the busiest times there.

 

I don't actually find that the Oasis class feels as big as it is.  The way that the neighbourhoods are spread out seems to break up the crowds. 

 

The first cruise I took with my kids was Navigator.  At the time it was the largest ship on the water. 🚢 Their next cruise was on Liberty which was the largest ship on the water 🚢 and they also went on Allure when it was the largest ship on the water. 🚢 I guess I was going for size/new at the time.  I do remember both of my teenagers at the time found that Allure felt smaller than Liberty.  This is likely due to the different neighbourhoods.

 

With a large group I would definitely book Voyager class and up. There will be plenty to do for everyone.

[voyager70]

Freedom, Voyager, & Quantum class for me.

 

[Cruisegirl6]

The only time I feel the crowds on the Oasis class ships are waiting in line for the dining room to open, on embarkation day until the ship takes off, the two hour sale during the cruise on the promenade when the shops put out their items for sale.  There aren't any lines waiting to get into the shows, if you preplan your shows and such.  

 

There are more people on the Oasis class but there are much more public open deck space to compensate for that, in fact, I find the Oasis class ship to feel less crowded, probably because of the different neighborhoods.

[Pratique]

1 hour ago, Wanderlust2003 said:

Our group is approximately 40 people.

Oasis class will have something for everyone in a group of that size.

[Wanderlust2003]

Thank you all for your input...I truly appreciate the details provided.  Actually really glad to hear the Oasis "doesn't feel as large as it is" and with all the extras the Oasis class has it may be a perfect ship for a group.  Again, your insight is invaluable!

 

[barb in ga]

We are also big fans of Oasis class; we've been on Oasis 3x, Allure 3X, Harmony 1X and Symphony 1X. We're booked again on Harmony for the fall. We love this class for all the options: food, entertainment, places to just relax and chill.

 

We did a family group of 6 on Navigator from Galveston in 2015 with daughter and her DH and 2 teens. We chose it for its' departure location(they live near Dallas). It was a great size, with enough to do so everyone had a good time. We also like Freedom class. I agree that Oasis class does a great job of crowd handling. Only a few times did it feel like we were in a crowd.

 

We did not like Anthem nearly as well as the aforementioned classes, it felt the most crowded to me. You'll have fun whichever ship you choose!

Barb

[sjpsoccer14]

My favorite class is Radiance because of all of the glass / natural light as well as the outdoor seating in the Windjammer.

[molsonschooner]

I like Oasis class first followed by Freedom class. So many options on both these classes.

 

[LuCruise]

My favorite ship so far is Symphony, followed by Allure...so Oasis class for me.  They have a ton of amenities, the shows are first class, many food options (both included and specialty) , love the different neighborhoods such as Central Park and the Boardwalk.  There are also many pools to spread people around.  Symphony as well is just beautiful and fun to explore (cool art work and little details all around).

 

Having said that my next favorite is Independence.  Still a great ship, a bit smaller if you don't like the mega ships, and has waterslides and laser tag so great family ship.  It also has Broadway show and Once Upon a Time Royal show.  Mariner is going eat ship too (DH's favorite).

 

[sellwingri]

10 hours ago, sjpsoccer14 said:

My favorite class is Radiance because of all of the glass / natural light as well as the outdoor seating in the Windjammer.

My favorite as well.  I want to feel like I’m on a cruise and I feel like I’m on a cruise on a Radiance class ship.

[grapau27]

22 hours ago, Wanderlust2003 said:

Hello Cruisers...

 

I am putting together a group cruise for my family and friends for June/July 2021 (I know it's early to plan but that's my "thing").  Our group is approximately 40 people.  I haven't cruised on a mega ship and to be honest I'm not sure that a mega ship is what we are looking for.  I haven't cruised with Royal for about 7 years so I'm getting caught up on all the changes that have taken place.  What I'm hoping to learn is if a Mega-Ship with all the bells and whistles is something we need to consider.  Our group is diverse in ages and while the mega ships have so much to offer I wonder if it may be too much.  Our travel agent has suggested Liberty of the Seas as a nice compromise.  Am I missing the boat on trying the larger ships?  Will the group be more satisfied with more activity/dining options.  I hate to spend other peoples money and deliver a less than stellar experience and I'm always trying to maximize my vacation dollars.

Your insight is appreciated and I thank you for any advice you can provide.

 

We have been on all class of RC ship except Quantum.

We prefer the Royal Promenade on Voyager class and above.

Our favourite is Oasis class because of the wonderful Central Park and to a lesser extent Boardwalk plus Royal Promenade,aqua shows etc.

[livylotte]

Radiance Class.  It's all about the aft.

 

[sealeggs]

Freedom class and also Voyager class for us. We are currently booked on Harmony for July 14th this year. This is our second time on an Oasis Class ship. We had a good time on the Oasis but felt you didn't quite get the personal touches you get accustomed to on the Freedom Class and smaller ships. That is our own opinion though. But lets face it, if you are cruising, how bad can it be. We just enjoy getting out there and watching the sea go by.

Edited May 13, 2019 by sealeggs

[ShillyShally]

Freedom class.  Also like Voyager and Oasis but I always come back to the Freedom class.  I wouldn't turn down any ship class though, I've loved all the ones I've been on!  I likely though wouldn't choose Oasis class unless I was going with a group that felt that was the best option!

[CapeCoralCruiser]

Mine is Radiance Class, love all the glass and views, especially the open aft Windjammer area.  Also, nice location of DL & CL. Wife's is Freedom class, she likes the Promenade.  Neither of us care for Oasis class.  The neighborhoods do break up the vast size of the ship, but it just feels like a floating family resort (trying to please all ages), not a cruise ship.  Have cruised on all classes except Quantum.

[Heatherco]

Have not had the opportunity yet to sail anything larger than Freedom class but have loved all our cruises.  We tend to go for longer itineraries so have not been on Oasis class yet.  And have just started looking into Quantum class for a possible future cruise or a back to back on Oasis class.

 

Just curious what most people on here love the most.  Have a favorite?

[mjldvlks]

Favorite class :

 

The one I'm on.

 

Why:

 

Because I'm on it.

[palmettostatecruiser]

Freedom class -have been on Empress, Sovereign, Radiance, Freedom & Oasis classes. Freedom class is the perfect size, like Goldilocks - not too little and not too big. Our next favorite is Radiance. We don't really like Oasis class, just too many people for me!