When it comes to cruising, unless you’re sailing an ultra-premium line then every ship you sail is going to be big.
But “big” in cruising is relative. These days, a ship that’s 900 feet long and carries 3,000 passengers is relatively small. The biggest ships can be 1,100 feet in length and carry about 7,000 guests at full capacity (don’t forget the roughly 3,000 crew members).
For some people, smaller ships are ideal. In fact, look on social media and you’ll find lots of people complaining that the largest ships are too big and they prefer the smaller and quieter ships that used to be the norm.
But online chatter aside, the largest ships are definitely very popular. After all, they continue to sail full and cruise lines continue to roll out bigger and bigger vessels. So what are the benefits of sailing these mega-ships? To be sure, there are some reasons that you — and millions of other passengers — would prefer them.
Bigger Equals Newer
If you’re sailing on the biggest cruise ships, then it’s almost assured that you’re going to be sailing on a vessel that’s pretty new. It’s true that ships have been being built larger and larger for decades. But the current mega-ships are a relatively new phenomenon.
The current trend can be traced back to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis class. The first of these ships (Oasis of the Seas) began sailing in late 2009. Today every line has followed that trend but it takes years to plan and build a ship. As a result, most of the biggest ships have been rolled out in the past decade or so.
Just like a car, the years can add up on a ship. With thousands of passengers coming and going each trip, years at sea in all sorts of weather, suitcases being dragged all around the ship, the time can take its toll. This seems to especially be the case in the cabins.
While ships are maintained well, there’s no substitute for sailing on a newer one. In addition, with newer ships, you’ll have a more modern design instead of dated decor.
More Activities/Amenities
Perhaps the absolute best benefit of sailing on the biggest ship can be summed up in a single word: More.
It’s the entire idea behind going larger and larger. With the biggest cruise ships there is simply more of everything. Like to eat on your cruise? There are more restaurants. There are more activities, with different ships offering everything from go-karts to ziplines to roller coasters. There are more pools. More shows. More things to do around the ship and more things to see and experience.
As an example, Icon of the Seas — the largest ship in the world — features a full-fledged waterpark onboard. It has seven pools. Multiple theaters. Forty different places to eat and drink.
You just can’t have that sort of variety on a smaller ship.
A Spot for Everyone
One thing about cruising that’s a bit unique is that everyone on their vacation is sharing the same space for the vast majority of the trip. Even with a land-based resort you have many people going to explore other areas during the day. That may happen when a ship is in port, but the rest of the time everyone shares the same ship.
With the biggest ships, however, cruise lines can offer up different spots around the ship to enjoy. Cruise ships today are actually built with different “neighborhoods” or areas that each have a distinct feel.
For instance, on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships, you can hang out on the pool deck, or visit the promenade, or visit the adults-only solarium or even go through Central Park, a spot offering a legit park with tree and foliage (and even bird sounds piped in).
With so much space onboard, there’s literally a spot for everyone no matter what sort of mood they are looking for. That’s not the case on smaller ships.
Large Ships Let You See Everything a Cruise Line Can Offer
When it comes to being a first-time cruiser, we always suggest taking a trip on the newest (which therefore usually also means the biggest) ship you can.
The reason for that is the experience between a bigger ship and smaller ship can be very different. When you sail the biggest ships, you’re getting the absolute best in what a cruise can be.
For instance, our first cruise was aboard a (then) mega-ship from Royal Caribbean. There was so much to do onboard that we never got bored. My second cruise was on a much smaller and older ship. While it was still a cruise, frankly after only a few days we were somewhat bored.
Having been on the biggest ships across lines, we can say confidently that they simply offer an experience that’s much grander than what you get on smaller ships. If you aren’t sure of what a cruise can be, go big.
The Best Entertainment Comes With the Largest/Newest Ships
One thing you might not consider is that the biggest ships also have the best entertainment. At first thought, that wouldn’t be easy to figure out. After all, what does the size of the ship have to do with the shows onboard?
When you have a large ship, however, you also tend to have a newer ship. And on the new big ships, cruise lines try to put on their biggest shows yet. As well, theaters are built bigger and with more technical pieces than on older ships.
For example, we’ve been in theaters that feature massive curved LCD walls that provide stunning backdrops and ceiling features that allow performers to fly through the area. And on Royal Caribbean the biggest ships feature the AquaTheater where performers high dive into a pool below. There’s literally nothing else like it at sea and you’d never find it on a smaller ship.
Seasick? Bigger Ships Mean More Stability
Are you someone that is worried about being seasick? Then the biggest ships may be just the remedy.
Truth be told, most days you won’t feel the ocean weather on a big ship or a smaller one. But on the days where you can feel the ocean, you’ll feel it less when you’re on a bigger ship. It has simply to do with physics. A 5-foot wave compared to a dinghy is a big deal. The same wave compared to a mega-ship is just no big deal.
That’s not to say that won’t feel the ocean at all (although on many days, you won’t) but the motion is definitely less on the biggest ships.
