Large Resort Ships

What’s the difference between large resort ships and midsize/boutique ships? Are new cruise ships better than older cruise ships? What are theme cruises? By Berlitz Guides

1,200 - 4,000+ passengers

Choose a large resort ship if you enjoy being with lots of other people, in a big-city environment, you enjoy being sociable, and like to experience plenty of entertainment and dining (no, make that eating) options. These ships provide a well packaged standard or premium cruise vacation experience, usually in a seven-day cruise. It is the interaction between passengers and crew that determines the quality of the onboard experience.

Large resort ships have extensive facilities and programmes for families with children of all ages. But if you meet someone on the first day and want to meet them again, make sure you appoint a place and time, or you may not see them again (apart from the size of the ship, they may be at a different meal seating). These ships have a highly structured array of activities and passenger participation events each day, together with large entertainment venues, and the most lavish production shows at sea.

It is in the standard of service, entertainment, lecture programmes, level of communication, and finesse in dining services that really can move these ships into high rating categories, but they must be exceptional to do so. Choose higher-priced suite accommodation and the service improves.

Large resort ships are highly programmed. It is difficult, for example, to go swimming in the late evening, or after dinner (decks are cleaned and pools are often netted over by 6pm). Having champagne delivered to outdoor hot tubs late at night is virtually impossible. They have lost the flexibility for which cruise ships were once known, and have become victims of company ‘policy’ legislation and insurance regulations. There can be a feeling of ‘conveyor-belt’ cruising.

Advantages:

• Have the widest range of public rooms and facilities, often a wraparound promenade deck outdoors, and more space (but more passengers).
  
• Generally have more dining options.
  
• The newest ships have state-of-the-art electronic interactive entertainment facilities.
  
• Generally sail well in open seas in bad weather.
  
• There are more facilities and activities for people of all ages, particularly for families with children.

Disadvantages:

• Trying to find your way around the ship can prove frustrating.
  
• Lines to wait in: for embarkation, the information desk, elevators, informal buffet meals, fast food grills, shore tenders, shore excursions, security checkpoint (when returning to the ship), immigration, and disembarkation.
  
• They resemble floating hotels (but with constant announcements), and so many items cost extra. They are like retail parks surrounded by cabins.
  
• No matter how big your suite is, or how many public rooms the ship has, you can’t help feeling like just one of the crowd, and the individual attention or recognition is missing.
  
• The itineraries may be limited by ship size, and there are typically too many tender ports where you need to take a number, and sit in a lounge and wait, and wait.
  
• Signage is often confusing; there will be a lack of elevators/lifts at peak times.
  
• The larger the ship, the more impersonal the service (except for butler service in penthouse suites).
  
• Dining room staff is so trained to provide fast service, it is almost impossible to sit and dine in leisurely fashion.
  
• Food may well be bland (cooking for 4,000 is not quite the same as cooking for a dinner party of 8).
  
• Room service breakfast is not generally available on the day of disembarkation.
  
• In early evening, the deck chairs are taken away, or strapped up so they can’t be used.
  
• Some of the large resort ships have only two main passenger staircases. In an emergency, the evacuation of more than 4,000 passengers could be difficult.

Berlitz Guide © Apa Publications 2008