Matt, my favorite ship is no longer in service - Majesty of the Seas. She was the first cruise experience for myself and my future wife. As such she will always be special. It was a perfect 4 night itinerary departing Miami - Nassau, CocoCay, Key West. Though I had some prior experience with overnight cruise/ferries in the Baltic, "Maj" was like nothing that I had EVER experienced before! We sailed her twice with the second sailing being our engagement cruise.
This is a lovely story. My parents also hold Majesty in a special place of their hearts as they too got engaged onboard in Christmas ‘95. It was their first cruise experience
Majesty was our first too--we were awed by her at the time and we love the memories we created on our honeymoon. Many have come after, but she is very fondly remembered.
So good to see all the ships and have many of their differences reviewed. A huge amount of information in less than 18 minutes and a great video to re-watch when making a "which ship" choice. Thank you, Matt.
I don't think they will ever go back to smaller ships, sadly. I was on Enchantment and Anthem. Much preferred the layout, feel, and size of Enchantment.
We LOVE the older ships. Why? They are small, not so many people. We are Diamond Plus, just recently retired and eager to cruise more on the future. We just cannot imagine having cruises with 5000+ guests on board.
I don't blame you. We were on the Quantum of the Seas and felt it was too large and impersonal for our taste. We are in the older category of people. We are diamond members and don't need all the frills. We like to relax and love and go on longer cruises. Grandeur and Serenade are our favorite.
My two of my favorites are the Grandeur and the Radiance. Being older I appreciate the smaller ships. I feel that you can watch the sea go by from inside in a lot more areas. Also less people. Still working my way through some of the bigger ship and their different ports. They all have great things to offer.
We have cruised on the Vision of the Seas 4 times because it is such a beautiful and comfortable ship. We are doing 4 back-to-back cruises on the Rhapsody of the Seas in October and November and a month on the Grandeur of the Seas starting the first week of January. But we also enjoy the Voyager and Oasis Class ships from time to time. Surprisingly, our least favorite is the Quantum Class ships simply because we don't care for the layout or decor of those ships. We have 16 Royal Caribbean cruises booked for the next 16 months , so we obviously love Royal Caribbean cruise ships and experiences!
Oh don't say that..We are going on our first cruise next April on Adventure. What was wrong with it? We booked due to itinerary and it's also an 8 day. Now I'm afraid we won't like it. Please😮
The one ship I do miss is Majesty of the Seas. What she lacked in size it was made up by the incredible staff that were on it. As of now I think our favorite is Adventure of the Seas. Not to big and everything we like on a ship. Thanks Matt for the break down of them. I do kinda wish balcony rooms were a little less pricey on the smaller ships. I realize there are less on those smaller ships so it is what it is.
I truly agree as well. Majesty was classy looking, intimate, and fun. I prefer the personal and relaxing atmosphere of Majesty over these new floating resort hotels with their water parks and such. If I wanted that… I’d go to Disney. LOL
In my opinion the Voyager class ships are the best by RCL, they have mostly everything you want, they don’t feel to overcrowded, and there steady unlike the small ones. Just went on Explorer for 2 weeks and it was a great time.
The degree to which these ships have evolved really is remarkable, but I have SUCH a genuine soft spot for the older ships. I sailed on Rhapsody out of Israel earlier this year, and genuinely had a much better cruise experience than I did on Symphony from Barcelona 3 weeks prior. It'll be interesting to see if Royal come away from building the huuuuuuuge megaships and try to replace some of the older ships with more bespoke designs...
They always made megaships. Just the definition of mega has become more mega so yesterday's mega is now "smaller." RCI is going to make more Icon class but at some point, they won't be able to get any bigger. Not sure how small they'll go.
Finally planning another cruise again and I can't wait! Perk of older ships is that they are a little cheaper for some of the same amenities. I can get the same exact cruise (basically) on the Symphony as I can Wonder but it's a little cheaper.
We have sailed the Oasis class ships and we just got back from the Grandeur. And though the Grandeur doesn’t have all the bells and whistles we do like her because we can get to know people better on the smaller ships. But that doesn’t mean we will not cruise on the bigger ships
The older ships are fantastic. It is often worth trading the newest amenities for having a smaller, less crowded ship. My last 2 cruises were on Radiance and Voyager. Tomorrow, I will be leaving on Liberty, going to Bermuda. I wouldn't go any bigger. My family loved Oasis, but a ship that big just isn't for me.
My family just went on the Wonder and while a great ship, we decided that we would be cruising on one of the smaller vessels from now on. It was too big!
We love RC we sailed on the adventure of seas back in 2016 stayed in the Royal Suite it was amazing. We have Nov 5th on oasis of seas to W caribbean then Feb 4th on Wonder of seas to E caribbean then April 19th Navigator of seas to Mexican Rivera then August 25th odyssey of seas 9 days Greek isles then oct 24th back on Oasis of seas for 14 days transatlantic to Spain. So yes we love RC. I think all the ships are awesome but we like the bigger newer ones.
My husband and I sailed our first time on the Mariner and loved her. The second time we sailed on Harmony of the seas and had a great time but found it was a little too big for us since we are in our late 50s and prefer the quieter life. We leave in about 18 days or so for our third cruise which will be on Independence of the seas. I’m looking forward to getting to know her. Thank you for your hard work.
I've been on Enchantment, Explorer and Harmony. There is something to love about each of them. Was worried about taking Harmony and crowds, but that really wasn't a problem because you are so spread out on the ship with so much to do. My favorite had been Explorer.
My very 1st cruise was on Rhapsody. I absolutely fell in love with cruising. I'm not a fan of the larger ships. But that won't stop me. Lol going on Harmony for Thanksgiving
The first cruise I took was in 2000 when I got married and it was the Voyager of The Seas! Next year if all goes well we'll be on Icon of the Seas! Lots of Health and Success for everyone on the Channel!
I wish you would have done the order from oldest to newest so that it gets newer and more exciting as it goes as opposed to older and less exciting. Didn’t finish.
Thanks for the rundown. Is there now, or will there soon be, a Quantum class option sailing out of Port Canaveral? We've never been on a Quantum class ship and would really love to go - and Port Canaveral (or Tampa) would be the best home port for us to reach.
You will love her. We just took Harmony out of Miami in the Eastern Caribbean in August. She's beautiful and huge. The service was great and it never felt more crowded than the other smaller ships. I hope you have a great time!
First time hearing of Jewel of the Seas. I would love a cruise to Norway and the Arctic Ocean. Understand why it is less popular and not featured on TV ads in the United States market.
We have only cruised on Mariner of the Seas with RC and live it as its not too big. Not really interested in the huge ships but woyld like to try another smaller ship so this information is great. Thank you.
We took the Brilliance in April 2023 from FLL to LAX through the Panama Canal. It was a nice and comfortable sail. Loved it! Also we love sailing from Baltimore… no need to fly for us!
Back in April of 1996 my wife and I took the bridge tour while traveling on the old Sovereign of the Seas. The captain said the old girl would be replaced on the 7 day western and eastern Caribbean cruises by the Grandeur of the Seas, Vision class. The old Sovereign wasn’t even the oldest ship in the fleet. She was only eight years old but seemed a bit outdated. Today the ship that replaced her is now the oldest ship in the fleet. Even the Adventure of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas which we’ve travelled on seems dated compared to the Oasis class ships. Despite that you couldn’t replicate the charm of the old Sovereign.
Everything gets "dated." The newest ships will be "dated" when the next class comes out so that should almost be a nonissue. If something is nice, it stays that way even if the tech isn't the most up to date (provided it is maintained and frayed and worn areas are renovated). I wish they'd stop making so many new ships because it gives the impression that you're missing out if you're not on the newest and that's not necessarily the case.
My cousin & I are on Serenade of the Seas from LA to Miami for a 2 week Panama Canal cruise, this is the cruise before the 274 World Cruise that we wish we could be on, but at least we get her for a 2nd time before the longest cruise.😊
I think Enchantments of the Seas is the only Royal ship with a support pole in the middle of some cabins; located at the foot of the bed!! Did you know that?
Grandeur and Serenade are our favorite ships. We're going on Radiance in April of 2024 through the Panama Canal . Can't wait. We love the smaller ship because of the fantastic service and the fact we love the longer cruises. We have made so many great friendships.
We are 76 and have sailed RCL since 1999. Next cruise Serinade LA to Miami 11/21/23 we like the older ships, less walking . Just reached gold. Appreciate Matt
My daughter is currently employed on Rhapsody and v last year employed on Mariner. She loves them both! I have yet to cruise. I'd like to try it. I'm leaning towards smaller ships bc I don't care about water slides etc but would love to visit more out of the way destinations.
Have taken Mariner of the Seas. Took my daughter and son-in-law and It was our first RCL cruise. I'm a frequent cruiser with being Elite on Princess and having sailed multiple HAL and multiple NCL cruises. Mariner had many unique places. It's a good choice for beginning cruisers but seasoned passengers will either love it or hate the RCL way of doing things. I won't say we hated Mariner, the ship was fine service was excellent but we won't be sailing on any RCL ship in the foreseeable future. It was just not our cup of tea.
@@janicealexander5683 RCL seemed to nickel and dime you to death. There was always pressure to buy this this or that service and the food venues charged for items like Pizza or burgers all of which are included on say HAL or Princess. It just felt as if we were paying for something all the time.
bigguy1403, the financial fundamentals explain the wisdom of building mega-ships: e.g., much lower cost of financing the past two decades; upgrading to cost-saving technologies throughout the operations; switching to greener and cleaner energy, which also costs less; reducing pollution and emissions, thereby boosting public image and meeting S.D.G. and corporate responsibility targets; greatly expanding the range of products, services, cuisines, and experiences on a single ship; ultimately, much lower operating cost per cabin than on older technologies/ships, and hence improved profitability overall. One mega-ship can replace 2 to 4 mid-size to large ships.....
@@bigguy1403 You can also review each cruise-line's audited financial statements to see revenues, profits, debts, and net equity or accumulated deficits. The very fact of surviving more than a year of total global shutdown during the pandemic also is testament to the strength and resilience of each major cruise-line.
You are such a wealth of information, thank you!! so I used to be able to keep up with all of the classes and all of the ships and then it got to be so much. I sincerely appreciate you breaking it down and taking me down memory lane! My first cruise was at the age of 18 and then, when I came back to cruising to celebrate my daughter’s high school graduation, it was on the Monarch of the seas which was also fabulous, and had come along way since the refurbished battle ships. LOL. But an older ship by today’s standards, and with terrific ports in 2001.
I definitely prefer the older ships with the wrap around promenade deck without lifeboats blocking the view. Older ships also have the classic metal railing which is much better the the tall glass on new ships which often obscures seaviws and blocks the pleasant sea breeze.
LOVED this video!! My first cruise was in '98 aboard Sovereign of The Seas. The older ships have their charm. Do not shy away from them. Grandure will show her age but a great experience all in all.!
What about The Monarch of the Seas? That is the only Royal Caribbean ship I've been on, once in 2008 and again in 2012. I think it's in the same class as Mariner of the Seas. I'm Finalally going on another cruise this November and can't wait for Utopia.
Bigger definitely means more things to do and the fact that it’s scaled up dramatically means that it feels no more crowded than any of the smaller ships. There is more guests but a lot more space. The fact there is so many things to do on bigger ships guests are dispersed all over the ship that all the different areas are actually much less crowded than the smaller ships, that have the majority of guests in one particular area depending on the time of day because there isn’t a huge variety of things to do. While smaller ships are better only for the fact that they can get to more places, bigger ships are much better in terms of enjoying the ship itself. Also people who are prone to seasickness but enjoy the cruising experience, bigger ships are your best bet because you don’t feel the rocking nearly as much even in rough weather and sea conditions. The bigger ships have lifeboats that can each hold over 450 people, soo there is enough space and then some on the lifeboats for every single person plus the life rafts, so there is no need to worry about that. With that being said bigger ships definitely check off the majority of the list for being better, the only thing is they can’t fit in all the ports and can’t go to certain locations. But that really has nothing to do with the ship itself being better or worse. So when it comes down to it, bigger ships are definitely better
And btw Icon holds over 7,000 passengers and 2,500 crew soo close to 10,000. But you would never think there is that many because there is tons of space and different things to do on the ship. If you don’t like big ships or can’t afford it, the smaller ships are still there to go on. There is no need to be disappointed. And I don’t blame them from a business standpoint for what they are doing. Right now this is what is popular and why not have double the guest and make double the money per trip? Tell me you wouldn’t do that if it was your business. These new ships are also literally “Icons” state of the art technology and bigger than we ever imagined, it’s really cool and awe inspiring to look at in person. Why would they not do it for the few people that don’t like it. That’s why they have all the different classes of ships, to choose what you prefer. Nobody is forcing you to go on the big ones
My family and I just went on Explorer of the Seas over in the Mediterranean a couple of weeks ago! It was my first time ever in Europe and she was wonderful!
My first and only RCI cruise was with Ovation. It's probably my first or second best ship I've been on. I've usually done Carnival and a couple of P&O Australia cruise onboard Pacific Explorer.
Ceo come and go! In all industries, I believe it’s a HUGE MISTAKE to use these Oasis class ships for 3/4 night cruises The crews hate them, to flip these ships once a week BUT twice a week is brutal! They will not attract Disney type cruisers and families. They will be booze cruises, bachelor parties and carnival type. My prediction is this experience will last no more than 2 years
Anthem of the seas is repositioning to Sydney to replace the ovation of the seas from late 2025 into 2026 and the voyager of the seas is replacing the quantum of the seas out of brisbane from late 2025 into 2026
I think you meant to say Allure moves to FL in fall 2023 for short cruises. Makes sense that it's being used essentially as a test bed for short Oasis class sailings before Utopia launches.
Romance isn't being designed into ships enough IMO anymore. There's a big emphasis on activities and indulgence and stateroom size. The activities are fine but the indulgence, all of the many restaurants and IMO too much emphasis on food/dining and maybe a lot of emphasis on getting a bigger stateroom is emphasized. I like the romance of the cruise and if some of that is unobstructed deck space, that's going away. If some of that is meeting and mingling in lounge spaces and dancing, that's kind of de-emphasized. I understand that RCI is a family cruise but looking at the Icon, maybe they're now going for novelty over dedicated spaces for different types of cruisers and their families or group cruisers.
Idk if that strategy of putting their NEWEST ships on a shorter line will work. I mean if the shorter trips mean I’m getting on a newer cruise at a discount then sure, count me and everyone else in. But if you’re still paying the premium to be on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship but only going to 1 port of call and only on board for 3 nights…that’s just highway robber and not worth it. You’d do better to book 6 nights at a resort at your port of call for that price.
Keep the big giants like the Oasis and the Icon. I’ll continue to sail on the Grandeur and the vision class ships, they are more intimate and can visit smaller ports.
I prefer smaller ships I don't like being on a ship with over 5,000 people Royal Caribbean has me now leaning towards other cruise lines that have smaller ships.
I prefer smaller ships I don't like being on a ship with over 5,000 people Royal Caribbean has me now leaning towards other cruise lines that have smaller ships.
Location Location Location, its better to drive to a cruise port then fly in my opinion. My fiancee's first cruise was on Anthem and we are going on her again this January. I can't was to get Odyssey and do an 11 night cruise on her but its so close to our wedding/honeymoon we cant. So I just booked a 7 night stay on her in April.
I had a cruise on Brilliance Of The Seas while she is in Australia and had a lovely time on my first Royal Caribbean cruise and I will definitely get back on again to or sure everything I liked onboard and will definitely onboard more RC cruises
I just proposed to my girlfriend on the oldest one, the Grandeur of the Seas. It was a wonderful cruise and is only my second cruise ship after my first cruise on an Oasis class ship. Highly recommend. Oh, and she said yes :)
Just got done with a trip on Wonder of the Seas. But I took Voyager in summer 2000 for senior trip. It's an awesome boat. I loved that you could go sit out on the front of the ship and see over the edge. Can't do that on modern ones
Bigger is definately not better for me and all my friends. To impersonal and far to much going on. RC please please bring back an older smaller ship sailing from Britain.
They may '''BE OLDIES ,BUT THEY ARE GOODIES ''' .....
Yes, to true!
Fr tho
Matt, my favorite ship is no longer in service - Majesty of the Seas. She was the first cruise experience for myself and my future wife. As such she will always be special. It was a perfect 4 night itinerary departing Miami - Nassau, CocoCay, Key West. Though I had some prior experience with overnight cruise/ferries in the Baltic, "Maj" was like nothing that I had EVER experienced before! We sailed her twice with the second sailing being our engagement cruise.
This is a lovely story. My parents also hold Majesty in a special place of their hearts as they too got engaged onboard in Christmas ‘95. It was their first cruise experience
Majesty was our first too--we were awed by her at the time and we love the memories we created on our honeymoon. Many have come after, but she is very fondly remembered.
We loved Majesty! So sad she's not in service anymore.😢
I agree as well with all the comments here. Majesty was truly a wonderful experience
That sounds amazing!
So good to see all the ships and have many of their differences reviewed. A huge amount of information in less than 18 minutes and a great video to re-watch when making a "which ship" choice. Thank you, Matt.
I love the smaller class ships . Do you think Royal will ever build a small ship again ? Or is it going to this mega ship experience?
I feel the same way.
Good question!
I don't think they will ever go back to smaller ships, sadly. I was on Enchantment and Anthem. Much preferred the layout, feel, and size of Enchantment.
I dont personally see them making smaller ships again, the big ships with lots to do draws in the families and $$$
Why do so many cruises go to Nassau? We thought that was the worst port we've been to so far
it's like comparing the difference of iphone 6 to iphone 15 😂😂
We LOVE the older ships.
Why? They are small, not so many people.
We are Diamond Plus, just recently retired and eager to cruise more on the future.
We just cannot imagine having cruises with 5000+ guests on board.
I don't blame you. We were on the Quantum of the Seas and felt it was too large and impersonal for our taste. We are in the older category of people. We are diamond members and don't need all the frills. We like to relax and love and go on longer cruises. Grandeur and Serenade are our favorite.
I'm a kid and I totally aggre with you. I con of the seas is soo crowded I prob wouldn't even have fun tbh
My two of my favorites are the Grandeur and the Radiance. Being older I appreciate the smaller ships. I feel that you can watch the sea go by from inside in a lot more areas. Also less people. Still working my way through some of the bigger ship and their different ports. They all have great things to offer.
We love the Grandeur, too! ❤️
My two fav ships also.
Me too!!! Love these two boats
My girlfriend and I are in our late 20s and we much prefer the older ships. They just have a more relaxed and more sophisticated feel to them.
You're right, they're smaller. But there was a time when a 70,000 ton ship was called a megaship. Ships just have become a lot bigger over the years.
We have cruised on the Vision of the Seas 4 times because it is such a beautiful and comfortable ship. We are doing 4 back-to-back cruises on the Rhapsody of the Seas in October and November and a month on the Grandeur of the Seas starting the first week of January. But we also enjoy the Voyager and Oasis Class ships from time to time. Surprisingly, our least favorite is the Quantum Class ships simply because we don't care for the layout or decor of those ships. We have 16 Royal Caribbean cruises booked for the next 16 months , so we obviously love Royal Caribbean cruise ships and experiences!
steveericson6209, how are you affording so many so soon? Did you sell your house? Working remotely aboard the ships?
I went on Adventure I did not like Adventure
Oh don't say that..We are going on our first cruise next April on Adventure. What was wrong with it? We booked due to itinerary and it's also an 8 day. Now I'm afraid we won't like it. Please😮
My favorite RC ship is the one I’m on
Heck yea
Let me on your list now.We're going twenty twenty four@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog
444444 is the only one who can do I do it for you
The one ship I do miss is Majesty of the Seas. What she lacked in size it was made up by the incredible staff that were on it. As of now I think our favorite is Adventure of the Seas. Not to big and everything we like on a ship. Thanks Matt for the break down of them. I do kinda wish balcony rooms were a little less pricey on the smaller ships. I realize there are less on those smaller ships so it is what it is.
Less supply for something and good demand = high price.
1st ship we sailed on and preferred many times! Sure do miss it!
I agree, the Majesty was magical, fun and I miss her!
I truly agree as well. Majesty was classy looking, intimate, and fun. I prefer the personal and relaxing atmosphere of Majesty over these new floating resort hotels with their water parks and such. If I wanted that… I’d go to Disney. LOL
In my opinion the Voyager class ships are the best by RCL, they have mostly everything you want, they don’t feel to overcrowded, and there steady unlike the small ones. Just went on Explorer for 2 weeks and it was a great time.
Explorer is my favorite. Took more cruises on her than any other ship. Great ship.
I totally agree! I love Adventure of the Sea!
The degree to which these ships have evolved really is remarkable, but I have SUCH a genuine soft spot for the older ships. I sailed on Rhapsody out of Israel earlier this year, and genuinely had a much better cruise experience than I did on Symphony from Barcelona 3 weeks prior.
It'll be interesting to see if Royal come away from building the huuuuuuuge megaships and try to replace some of the older ships with more bespoke designs...
They always made megaships. Just the definition of mega has become more mega so yesterday's mega is now "smaller." RCI is going to make more Icon class but at some point, they won't be able to get any bigger. Not sure how small they'll go.
I'm curious as to what happened to Legend or Majesty of the seas? Did these get decommissioned like the Nordic Empress?
Finally planning another cruise again and I can't wait! Perk of older ships is that they are a little cheaper for some of the same amenities. I can get the same exact cruise (basically) on the Symphony as I can Wonder but it's a little cheaper.
My wife and I have been on 61 cruises, 39 with Royal Carribean. Freedom class still our favorite with Voyager class next.
Mariner of the Seas is the last cruse we went on we have been on her twice. We have been on Brilliance of the seas twice also.
Am going on mariner of the seas next week!!!
We have sailed the Oasis class ships and we just got back from the Grandeur. And though the Grandeur doesn’t have all the bells and whistles we do like her because we can get to know people better on the smaller ships.
But that doesn’t mean we will not cruise on the bigger ships
I think our favorite is Freedom of the Seas when it sails out of Port Canaveral.
The older ships are fantastic. It is often worth trading the newest amenities for having a smaller, less crowded ship. My last 2 cruises were on Radiance and Voyager. Tomorrow, I will be leaving on Liberty, going to Bermuda. I wouldn't go any bigger. My family loved Oasis, but a ship that big just isn't for me.
My family just went on the Wonder and while a great ship, we decided that we would be cruising on one of the smaller vessels from now on. It was too big!
We love RC we sailed on the adventure of seas back in 2016 stayed in the Royal Suite it was amazing. We have Nov 5th on oasis of seas to W caribbean then Feb 4th on Wonder of seas to E caribbean then April 19th Navigator of seas to Mexican Rivera then August 25th odyssey of seas 9 days Greek isles then oct 24th back on Oasis of seas for 14 days transatlantic to Spain. So yes we love RC. I think all the ships are awesome but we like the bigger newer ones.
I watch every video now. First RC cruise on navigator of the seas Super Bowl weekend 2024. RC needs to put a new 7 night itinerary ship in LA.
My husband and I sailed our first time on the Mariner and loved her. The second time we sailed on Harmony of the seas and had a great time but found it was a little too big for us since we are in our late 50s and prefer the quieter life. We leave in about 18 days or so for our third cruise which will be on Independence of the seas. I’m looking forward to getting to know her. Thank you for your hard work.
I've been on Enchantment, Explorer and Harmony. There is something to love about each of them. Was worried about taking Harmony and crowds, but that really wasn't a problem because you are so spread out on the ship with so much to do. My favorite had been Explorer.
My very 1st cruise was on Rhapsody. I absolutely fell in love with cruising. I'm not a fan of the larger ships. But that won't stop me. Lol going on Harmony for Thanksgiving
My very first cruise was also on this ship! Very good memories and I fell in love with cruising that week!
The first cruise I took was in 2000 when I got married and it was the Voyager of The Seas!
Next year if all goes well we'll be on Icon of the Seas! Lots of Health and Success for everyone on the Channel!
I went on the Independence of the seas I loved it I also went on the Oasis of the seas I really loved it I went on the Oasis first.
Radiance class is my favorite bc they seem to spread out the crowds the best. I will be sad when they are gone.
I wish you would have done the order from oldest to newest so that it gets newer and more exciting as it goes as opposed to older and less exciting. Didn’t finish.
Les go I’ve been looking for something like this thank you!!!
Thanks for the rundown. Is there now, or will there soon be, a Quantum class option sailing out of Port Canaveral? We've never been on a Quantum class ship and would really love to go - and Port Canaveral (or Tampa) would be the best home port for us to reach.
Been on adventure and utopia and both where amazing
We prefer Oasis class hands down - while we enjoyed the older ships like Navigator, there is just no comparison to the Oasis class.
Can’t wait for November 2024, HARMONY BABY!!!!!!!!
You will love her. We just took Harmony out of Miami in the Eastern Caribbean in August. She's beautiful and huge. The service was great and it never felt more crowded than the other smaller ships. I hope you have a great time!
Please do history of royal caribbean and cancelled ships
I have been on all of these except obviously, Icon and Utopia. My favourite so far is the Harmony in the Oasis class
First time hearing of Jewel of the Seas. I would love a cruise to Norway and the Arctic Ocean. Understand why it is less popular and not featured on TV ads in the United States market.
Norway 🤩Fjords!!!!🤩
Vision also goes to NE & Canada ❤
We have only cruised on Mariner of the Seas with RC and live it as its not too big. Not really interested in the huge ships but woyld like to try another smaller ship so this information is great. Thank you.
Sailing in Granduer prefer smaller ships since we are seniors. Perfect for us!
We took the Brilliance in April 2023 from FLL to LAX through the Panama Canal. It was a nice and comfortable sail. Loved it! Also we love sailing from Baltimore… no need to fly for us!
Back in April of 1996 my wife and I took the bridge tour while traveling on the old Sovereign of the Seas. The captain said the old girl would be replaced on the 7 day western and eastern Caribbean cruises by the Grandeur of the Seas, Vision class. The old Sovereign wasn’t even the oldest ship in the fleet. She was only eight years old but seemed a bit outdated. Today the ship that replaced her is now the oldest ship in the fleet. Even the Adventure of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas which we’ve travelled on seems dated compared to the Oasis class ships. Despite that you couldn’t replicate the charm of the old Sovereign.
Everything gets "dated." The newest ships will be "dated" when the next class comes out so that should almost be a nonissue. If something is nice, it stays that way even if the tech isn't the most up to date (provided it is maintained and frayed and worn areas are renovated). I wish they'd stop making so many new ships because it gives the impression that you're missing out if you're not on the newest and that's not necessarily the case.
Utopia and Icon Class ships are wayyyy too big. The Oasis class altogether.
I look to cruising on the older ships.
I will be on Ovation to Alaska.
My cousin & I are on Serenade of the Seas from LA to Miami for a 2 week Panama Canal cruise, this is the cruise before the 274 World Cruise that we wish we could be on, but at least we get her for a 2nd time before the longest cruise.😊
I think Enchantments of the Seas is the only Royal ship with a support pole in the middle of some cabins; located at the foot of the bed!! Did you know that?
Grandeur and Serenade are our favorite ships. We're going on Radiance in April of 2024 through the Panama Canal . Can't wait. We love the smaller ship because of the fantastic service and the fact we love the longer cruises. We have made so many great friendships.
How was your Radiance experience? Going on her Jan 2025 and is the smallest cruise I will have gone on so I am interested in what people think
I have sailed Enchantment and Linerty multiple times. Going on Harmony in November. Cannot wait to check out the larger ships!
RIP MONARCH OF THE SEAS! 😭😭😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔 LOUSY WAY TO GO, RAZORBLADES!!
I remember the good ole Viking Serenade… I’ll take a Voyager Class any day over an Oasis Class “circus”!!!
We are 76 and have sailed RCL since 1999. Next cruise Serinade LA to Miami 11/21/23 we like the older ships, less walking . Just reached gold. Appreciate Matt
My wife and I are on the same cruise! It will be our 62nd cruise. I hope they let us through the canal!
Favorite ship is “The one I am Currently on at the time” ❤ 😂 🎉
My daughter is currently employed on Rhapsody and v last year employed on Mariner. She loves them both! I have yet to cruise. I'd like to try it. I'm leaning towards smaller ships bc I don't care about water slides etc but would love to visit more out of the way destinations.
Have taken Mariner of the Seas. Took my daughter and son-in-law and It was our first RCL cruise. I'm a frequent cruiser with being Elite on Princess and having sailed multiple HAL and multiple NCL cruises. Mariner had many unique places. It's a good choice for beginning cruisers but seasoned passengers will either love it or hate the RCL way of doing things. I won't say we hated Mariner, the ship was fine service was excellent but we won't be sailing on any RCL ship in the foreseeable future. It was just not our cup of tea.
Just curious - what was it that you didn't like about RCL compared to the other cruise lines?
@@janicealexander5683
RCL seemed to nickel and dime you to death. There was always pressure to buy this this or that service and the food venues charged for items like Pizza or burgers all of which are included on say HAL or Princess. It just felt as if we were paying for something all the time.
They keep adding all these ships and they'll be the first ones to go BK!
Hope NOT ...
bigguy1403, the financial fundamentals explain the wisdom of building mega-ships: e.g., much lower cost of financing the past two decades; upgrading to cost-saving technologies throughout the operations; switching to greener and cleaner energy, which also costs less; reducing pollution and emissions, thereby boosting public image and meeting S.D.G. and corporate responsibility targets; greatly expanding the range of products, services, cuisines, and experiences on a single ship; ultimately, much lower operating cost per cabin than on older technologies/ships, and hence improved profitability overall. One mega-ship can replace 2 to 4 mid-size to large ships.....
@brentshuffler1234 hope your right.
@@bigguy1403 You can also review each cruise-line's audited financial statements to see revenues, profits, debts, and net equity or accumulated deficits. The very fact of surviving more than a year of total global shutdown during the pandemic also is testament to the strength and resilience of each major cruise-line.
You are such a wealth of information, thank you!! so I used to be able to keep up with all of the classes and all of the ships and then it got to be so much. I sincerely appreciate you breaking it down and taking me down memory lane! My first cruise was at the age of 18 and then, when I came back to cruising to celebrate my daughter’s high school graduation, it was on the Monarch of the seas which was also fabulous, and had come along way since the refurbished battle ships. LOL. But an older ship by today’s standards, and with terrific ports in 2001.
I definitely prefer the older ships with the wrap around promenade deck without lifeboats blocking the view. Older ships also have the classic metal railing which is much better the the tall glass on new ships which often obscures seaviws and blocks the pleasant sea breeze.
Serenade was my first cruise ever. Our whole family enjoyed the more laid-back vibe of a smaller ship. That said, our next cruise is on Ovation.
LOVED this video!! My first cruise was in '98 aboard Sovereign of The Seas. The older ships have their charm. Do not shy away from them. Grandure will show her age but a great experience all in all.!
The first cruise I went on was in 1989 on Sovereign of the Seas, don’t remember much since I was pretty young. Sailed on Oasis in 2010, so much fun.
What cruise ship was on 0:35
Ill be sailing on odyssey of the seas in late December! im super excited. its going to the bahamas.
What about The Monarch of the Seas? That is the only Royal Caribbean ship I've been on, once in 2008 and again in 2012. I think it's in the same class as Mariner of the Seas. I'm Finalally going on another cruise this November and can't wait for Utopia.
Absolutely adore Radiance of the Seas
Mariner of the seas 2006 and Majesty 2008.oldies but goodies.
Enchantment of the Seas took me on my first transatlantic cruise this past spring.
LOVED every minute of it.
GREAT ship.
Wonder of the seas???
Bigger is definitely not better...... disappointed by what's happening with the size of these beasts. 6,000 people really??? No thanks.
Bigger definitely means more things to do and the fact that it’s scaled up dramatically means that it feels no more crowded than any of the smaller ships. There is more guests but a lot more space. The fact there is so many things to do on bigger ships guests are dispersed all over the ship that all the different areas are actually much less crowded than the smaller ships, that have the majority of guests in one particular area depending on the time of day because there isn’t a huge variety of things to do. While smaller ships are better only for the fact that they can get to more places, bigger ships are much better in terms of enjoying the ship itself. Also people who are prone to seasickness but enjoy the cruising experience, bigger ships are your best bet because you don’t feel the rocking nearly as much even in rough weather and sea conditions. The bigger ships have lifeboats that can each hold over 450 people, soo there is enough space and then some on the lifeboats for every single person plus the life rafts, so there is no need to worry about that. With that being said bigger ships definitely check off the majority of the list for being better, the only thing is they can’t fit in all the ports and can’t go to certain locations. But that really has nothing to do with the ship itself being better or worse. So when it comes down to it, bigger ships are definitely better
And btw Icon holds over 7,000 passengers and 2,500 crew soo close to 10,000. But you would never think there is that many because there is tons of space and different things to do on the ship. If you don’t like big ships or can’t afford it, the smaller ships are still there to go on. There is no need to be disappointed. And I don’t blame them from a business standpoint for what they are doing. Right now this is what is popular and why not have double the guest and make double the money per trip? Tell me you wouldn’t do that if it was your business. These new ships are also literally “Icons” state of the art technology and bigger than we ever imagined, it’s really cool and awe inspiring to look at in person. Why would they not do it for the few people that don’t like it. That’s why they have all the different classes of ships, to choose what you prefer. Nobody is forcing you to go on the big ones
My family and I just went on Explorer of the Seas over in the Mediterranean a couple of weeks ago! It was my first time ever in Europe and she was wonderful!
Good video totally ruined by wrong, repeating b roll.
Enchantment is my favorite ship 🚢
We took Explorer in March as soon as it got back from dry dock. It was our first cruise. We loved it. We are taking Voyager in Feb.
My first and only RCI cruise was with Ovation. It's probably my first or second best ship I've been on. I've usually done Carnival and a couple of P&O Australia cruise onboard Pacific Explorer.
I've been on Liberty, Grandeur & then Anthem of the seas & I loved them all!
Forgot emperess of the seas?
Well done team - a great history lesson!
Is it old or is it new
My wife and I have sailed Freedom 3 times and love her very much. We have sailed on Mariner 2 times. Those are our favorites ships so far
Ceo come and go! In all industries, I believe it’s a HUGE MISTAKE to use these Oasis class ships for 3/4 night cruises
The crews hate them, to flip these ships once a week BUT twice a week is brutal! They will not attract Disney type cruisers and families. They will be booze cruises, bachelor parties and carnival type. My prediction is this experience will last no more than 2 years
Anthem of the seas is repositioning to Sydney to replace the ovation of the seas from late 2025 into 2026 and the voyager of the seas is replacing the quantum of the seas out of brisbane from late 2025 into 2026
I think you meant to say Allure moves to FL in fall 2023 for short cruises. Makes sense that it's being used essentially as a test bed for short Oasis class sailings before Utopia launches.
I really miss the class, aesthetics
& romance of the older ships.
Something in the newest ones
seems even off, not to mention
the huge crowds!
Romance isn't being designed into ships enough IMO anymore. There's a big emphasis on activities and indulgence and stateroom size. The activities are fine but the indulgence, all of the many restaurants and IMO too much emphasis on food/dining and maybe a lot of emphasis on getting a bigger stateroom is emphasized. I like the romance of the cruise and if some of that is unobstructed deck space, that's going away. If some of that is meeting and mingling in lounge spaces and dancing, that's kind of de-emphasized. I understand that RCI is a family cruise but looking at the Icon, maybe they're now going for novelty over dedicated spaces for different types of cruisers and their families or group cruisers.
Grandeur is the smallest of the fleet but ranks with ships like QE2 and the Norway in terms of gross tonnage
Idk if that strategy of putting their NEWEST ships on a shorter line will work. I mean if the shorter trips mean I’m getting on a newer cruise at a discount then sure, count me and everyone else in. But if you’re still paying the premium to be on Royal Caribbean’s newest ship but only going to 1 port of call and only on board for 3 nights…that’s just highway robber and not worth it. You’d do better to book 6 nights at a resort at your port of call for that price.
I'm on a 9 night cruise on the Liberty tomorrow. New England/Canada. I doubt if I'll sleep tonight.
Keep the big giants like the Oasis and the Icon. I’ll continue to sail on the Grandeur and the vision class ships, they are more intimate and can visit smaller ports.
New cruise market with icon 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 I almost laughed my ass off.. more like the Hollywood cruise market
Quantum class is my favorite!
I prefer smaller ships I don't like being on a ship with over 5,000 people Royal Caribbean has me now leaning towards other cruise lines that have smaller ships.
I prefer smaller ships I don't like being on a ship with over 5,000 people Royal Caribbean has me now leaning towards other cruise lines that have smaller ships.
Location Location Location, its better to drive to a cruise port then fly in my opinion. My fiancee's first cruise was on Anthem and we are going on her again this January. I can't was to get Odyssey and do an 11 night cruise on her but its so close to our wedding/honeymoon we cant. So I just booked a 7 night stay on her in April.
I had a cruise on Brilliance Of The Seas while she is in Australia and had a lovely time on my first Royal Caribbean cruise and I will definitely get back on again to or sure everything I liked onboard and will definitely onboard more RC cruises
I just proposed to my girlfriend on the oldest one, the Grandeur of the Seas. It was a wonderful cruise and is only my second cruise ship after my first cruise on an Oasis class ship. Highly recommend. Oh, and she said yes :)
Is the Color Lines Oslo-Kiel ferries Fantasy and Magic based on the Voyager design?
Just got done with a trip on Wonder of the Seas. But I took Voyager in summer 2000 for senior trip. It's an awesome boat. I loved that you could go sit out on the front of the ship and see over the edge. Can't do that on modern ones
Every ship should have 2 flow-riders and a waterpark. Hard to believe Allure is without waterslides.
I'm missing Brilliance of the seas
Oasis class ships are the best...my first was on the Allure...and from thrn on it was..."go big or ho home"
Bigger is definately not better for me and all my friends. To impersonal and far to much going on. RC please please bring back an older smaller ship sailing from Britain.
I love the Oasis class because of Central Park and the Boardwalk.