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Who still does the older Royal ships, and....

klfhngr

By klfhngr,
in Royal Caribbean International

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MandyMooToo Great Review Rare

MandyMooToo

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We have never been on a Vision Class ship but we have sailed on the now gone Empress and loved it.  Smaller ship made for more interaction with the crew and the people in our travel group.  We sometimes cruise for the ship and sometimes for the destination.  Just depends.

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smokeybandit

smokeybandit

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Why? Because I don't need to be on a ship that's an amusement park to enjoy a cruise.

 

I prefer Freedom/Voyager class. But have past and future cruises on Radiance and Vision class ships primarily due to itineraries that the larger ships can't/won't accommodate.

Edited by smokeybandit
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Ret MP

Ret MP

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I prefer to cruise only on Quantum and Oasis class ships for a various reasons.  The ship is about 98% of why I cruise, Ports of Call don't mean much to me.  Like @smokeybandit, I don't cruise for the amusement park on a ship unless I have the grandkids with us.  Being 71, I can't/shouldn't use them anyway, with a few exceptions.  But, I do like the variety of activities, entertainment, and food options that these two classes of ships offer.  

 

YMMV

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cruisebabe50

cruisebabe50

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The best deals are on the older ships AND they are always awesome!  We love the Explorer and Freedom class and the Radiance and Vision Class.  We have experienced the new Megaships and they were awesome too but we don't need most of the amenities there.  I would like if they put a little more money into these "old ladies"  because they are showing their age.  

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lovesthebeach2

lovesthebeach2

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We prefer the smaller Radiance class for these reasons:

 

They’re small enough to get close to interesting ports

They always have a ship in Tampa port which is close to us
I love the ocean and as long as I can see it I’m fine on any ship, so Radiance class fits perfectly 

I cruise to relax and unwind and the large ships have too many people for me

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klfhngr

klfhngr

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We prefer Voyager and above, especially if they're amp'd. We did Vision a few years back while it was enjoyable, I don't think we'd enjoy it now! We actually loved the Mariner. We've also done Oasis, Allure and Symphony, but man oh man, too much stuff! Never did Freedom class, which I think if we did, they'd probably be our favorite.

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imola

imola

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We prefer the smaller ships. Better to get to know the staff and service seems great.  We don't do all the "amusement park" stuff so that is a waste to us. I want small ship, great staff that get to know me and I them and my balcony to sit on and watch the world go by.  I look at it this way,  The food has always been fine but I look at it this way, I didn't have to plan, shop, cook, serve or clean up so how bad can it be. lol  I have never gone hungry on a cruise much to my doctors unhappiness.

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sowhat

sowhat

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Data from royal caribbean

Brilliance of the Seas 2,543
Enchantment of the Seas 2,730
Grandeur of the Seas 2,440
Jewel of the Seas 2,702
Radiance of the Seas 2,466
Rhapsody of the Seas 2,416
Serenade of the Seas 2,476
Vision of the Seas 2,514

In total 17773 guests at 100% capacity per week sail on older and smaller  ships in the royal caribbean fleet

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MiniChunks

MiniChunks

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It all depends on what you want out of a cruise. We vacation with people who constantly have to be on the move and entertained, so the larger and "amped" ships work best for them. I have 3 kids in their early teens who all play different travel sports, so all I want to do is float in a pool with a drink in my hand for a week or two when I go away without them. Longer itineraries on smaller ships work best because they are usually a much more laid back vibe, plus I love feeling like I'm on a boat looking at the water. I've spent quite a bit of time on Radiance Class ships and find them to be my sweet spot. I enjoy Freedom and Voyager Class, but wouldn't be sad if I never stepped on an Oasis Class again. Having said that, I'll be on Oasis next year with the kids. 

Edited by MiniChunks
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vjmatty

vjmatty

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Having sailed on everything from Oasis at one end of the spectrum to a 50-pax sailboat in the Aegean on the other, it depends on why we're sailing.  A transatlantic with lots of sea days, few ports and inclement weather, I don't mind being on a bigger ship with more indoor areas.  However if I see an itinerary that goes to less traveled, more exotic places we've never been requiring a smaller ship, then we sail a smaller ship.  There is no one-size fits-all answer.

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RandomUser123

RandomUser123

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If the cruise is port intensive like a Mediterranean cruise then for the most part I would not care what ship I am on since I will not spend much time on it except for dinner and evening shows. If it is more of a relaxing cruise with a few sea days like to the Bahamas then the ship will matter to me much more and then I will want a newer ship with the bells and whistles.

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shipgeeks

shipgeeks

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We sail for the onboard experience, and for that we choose the smaller ships such as 
Enchantment.  We have no interest in amenities such as flowrider, inside promenade, water slides, ice rink, etc., just a real ship with views of the sea and sky, places to eat and perhaps dance, and the chance to interact with fellow passengers and crew members.

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George C

George C

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3 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

Why? Because I don't need to be on a ship that's an amusement park to enjoy a cruise.

 

I prefer Freedom/Voyager class. But have past and future cruises on Radiance and Vision class ships primarily due to itineraries that the larger ships can't/won't accommodate.

Agree I need at least voyager class for the extra entertainment, only time I would go smaller is for Europe.

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