What’s the best size cruise ship?
At Holiday + Cruise Centre we’ve had the privilege of helping regular cruisers Lorraine and Stuart book numerous cruise holidays since they started cruising back in 2011.
During this time, Lorraine and Stuart have cruised Europe, the USA and Canada with P&O, Holland America, Princess, Oceania, Silverseas and Seabourn. They have even experienced a river cruise with Avalon.
On these journey’s Lorraine and Stuart have experienced smaller, lower budget ships all the way up to the larger more luxurious ones.
To help you decide which size ship to choose, Lorraine and Stuart have put together some helpful notes.
Large ships generally provide:
• Bigger shows and bands • More glamorous cruising • Bigger restaurants with more choice • Larger masses of people to mingle with • Ballroom dancing (Princess Royal) • Cheaper fares due to the larger capacity of the ships.
Larger ships do have some challenges:
• Queues when entering the dining rooms • Queues when going ashore • Difficulty finding space beside the pool • Gratuities and specialised coffees or snacks, which can be on top of your fare.
Lorraine and Stuart feel that the mid-sized ships are fairly comparable to the larger ships. They are just on a smaller scale.
Small ships generally provide:
• A more personalised service i.e. staff are more likely to greet you personally • Fewer hidden costs.
The disadvantages of small ships can be:
• Fares can be higher • Ships may not be large enough to mingle.
From their cruising experiences, Stuart and Lorraine feel that their ideal ship size is 500-1200 passengers. They admit to preferring the mid-size to smaller ships, but are happy to pay for the higher quality, personalised service.
Lorraine and Stuart also recommend speaking with a travel advisor because with cruise experts you can find the right ship and fit for you.
Next up for Lorraine and Stuart is a cruise in South Asia.