Thread: The importance of ship size

What size ship is your favorite? Does ship size factor into which cruise line you choose? How important is ship size to you?

I want to know what people think because I think ship size wll be a factor when I choose a cruise line for each itinerary.

I choose by itinerary and don't look ahead of time on the size. While I prefer a medium size ship if the cruise is right for me I will go on any size.

I Don't Care. I also choose by itinerary, as well as where it sails from, pricing and activities.

I would choose a large sized ship. I don't think I would like a small one because of lack of variety of facilities , ability to ride rough seas.
The only reason I would take a small one is for a very special itinerary such as being able to visit Troy for example (Kanakale) and smaller places in the ancient world.

Not sure what tonnage would go with each category, but we have found we prefer ships in the 90,000 to 115,000 gt range. I don't think we want to go bigger and my hubby has said he doesn't care for the ones under 90,000 (the Holiday, etc.).

Originally Posted by cruisin' chick

Not sure what tonnage would go with each category, but we have found we prefer ships in the 90,000 to 115,000 gt range. I don't think we want to go bigger and my hubby has said he doesn't care for the ones under 90,000 (the Holiday, etc.).

What is wrong with having a ship outside that range?

Andrea:

Another subject where folks will have a gazillion opinions!

I started with ships averaging 1,200-1,500 passengers. Graduated, mostly because of itineraries offered, to the 3,000-passenger vessels! I have been frankly quite amazed at how "uncrowded" the larger ships seem to be! Yes, I have experienced severely delayed boarding due to to the number of passengers! However, that one experience turned out not to be because of the number of guests, but because of a major glitch in procedures!

Quite honestly, I do not expect to ever sail on either of the two largest ships going, Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas. I cannot imagine coping with upwards of 6,000 fellow guests! And, this despite encouraging and enthusiastic words from several neighbors who have sailed on either or both of these monsters!

I'm off in a few weeks for a new experience, aboard a river cruise ship sailing the Danube River from Passau (Germany) to Budapest (Hungary). The ship's capacity is 148 guests! What a change from even the "very small" ocean-going cruise ships!

I'm so looking forward to it!

SWR

It's not really the size of the ship but the number of people on board that matters to me. Some of the mega ships just have too many people for me. The thought of the alarm sounding in the middle of the night and 6,000 passengers plus crew trying to get to their muster station fills me with dread.

Passenger count for us, as well. 2,000 paxs an under seems to be our favorite size.

We tried the Oasis, as a novelty... It works.. 5 thousand pax? No problem, royal C has done an great job.. But size still shows, overbooked lounges was my biggest complaint. My fav size has to be the Carnival Spirit class... I believe 90,000 tons?