Well, it’s time to start thinking about how you are going to get away from it all after you burn out from the stress of the holidays. And, a cruise sounds like the way to go. So, should you book a cabin on a big monster ship or should you find a ship that is smaller?
Now that Royal Caribbean has launched Allure of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship in the world by two inches, it may be a good time to ask yourself if bigger is always better or if good things come in small packages.
Paul Motter shares some thoughts about this in his article “When Picking a Cruise Ship: Is Bigger Better?” at FoxBusiness.com. And, while I agree with many of Motter’s points, it is unlikely that he and I will ever end up seated together at dinner, because he likes the big razzle-dazzle blinking-and-flashing ships, while I like the quiet, zen-like sound of the waves hitting the side of smaller vessels, where I can pretend I'm living in the 1800s and exploring the ocean blue.
Pros of Big Ships for Kids
Big ships are great if you have kids. They have so many things to do, you will seldom notice you are at sea. Or, as Carolyn Spencer Brown phrases it in “What’s Your Ship Size?” at CruiseCritic.com, “They’re like a big resort hotel, with lots of variety (and) activities aplenty, from hairy chest contests to computer classes.” You can find, on the new Allure of the Seas,
- An ice-skating rink and skating shows
- An AquaTheater for water acrobatic shows. (Oh, I knew my life was missing something.)
- A miniature golf course
- A rock-climbing wall
- Fake surfing
- A carousel
- First-run 3-D movies like Megamind
- Costumed cartoon characters like Shrek and Fiona
- Parades
- Central Park. Okay, it’s not really Central Park. It’s an open-air area where you can’t see the water. And, this Central Park doesn’t have groups of strange guys playing congas.
This ship is big enough that you can pretend you have no kids. And, that in itself may be the “allure of the seas”.
Pros of Big Ships for Adults
Big ships can be great if your husband is cheap or you don’t have a pile of money right now. While the price for cabins can change all the time, depending upon availability, large ships are usually cheaper. Some of the nice things for adults on Monstro (the nickname some people have given to Allure of the Seas) are:
- Full-format Broadway stage shows, like Chicago
- Casinos
- Dance clubs
- Comedy clubs for comedians who are still working their way up to The Tonight Show (at the age of 55)
- A piano bar and, because you have to pay extra for booze, a champagne bar, a martini bar, and a “British pub” with several ales on tap
- 25 different places to eat dinner
- Spas, boutiques, and other places where you can spend money.
I can say one more truly good thing about Monstro-style ships. You want to be on the biggest boat you can find when going around Cape Horn or any tempestuous section of water. Once, during an impulsive moment, I signed up to sail around South America on a smaller ship. I highly recommend not trying this.
The Pros and Cons of Small Ships
The bad things about smaller ships are that they can be spendy (a higher ratio of crew to passengers) and you can really feel the swells. However, smaller ships offer ever-changing itineraries (because they can get to ports unavailable to large ships) and they usually have passengers who are interesting and well traveled. And, along with the lovely feeling of being at sea, other good reasons to book on a small ship are that they have:
- No skating rinks
- No carousels. If the swells aren’t big enough to make you nauseous, you’ll have to twirl around on your own to get that lovely feeling.
- Cruises with no formal nights (Oceania, Azamara, Windstar, Sea Dream, and others, though not all.)
- A relaxing vibe
- Better food
- Wine stewards from Italy
- Well-behaved children … if there are any at all
- Well-behaved, helpful stewards; crew members who don’t appear to be sleep-deprived
- No Bingo
Large Ship or Small Ship?
If you have children who like to do cannonballs near middle-aged women, I definitely recommend Allure of the Seas, because I won’t be there. If you have taste and money, I definitely recommend a smaller ship. If you have taste and a moderate amount of money, I recommend trying to find a good deal on Oceania if you can, or on Princess, or another cruise in the middle price range. Check daily. The best deals are gone within hours.
And, if you still can’t decide, here is the ultimate test: If you like Epcot Center, try a large ship; if you prefer Europe, try a small ship.
Well, I go back and forth on cruise vacations. Sometimes, I like to travel on land, but right now...I could really use a good relaxing cruise where no one can find me. So, I would like to be at sea as soon as possible and I don't care what ship I'm on. I need some sun! I'm taking the first good deal I find.
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Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
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