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i think as passenger you better bring a lot of pations and good standing legs on a big cruise ship.whats your experiance about it and anz ideas how to improve this ?
[ 08-13-2002: Message edited by: koch ]
quote:Originally posted by koch:whats your experiance about it and anz ideas how to improve this ?
I think that it depends on the ship and line. Some big ships are more spacious than smaller ships and can be very well organised. Some cruise terminals can be very efficient too!
'Brilliance' for example:
Embarkation at Harwich was very swift. I never had to visit the pursur's desk once. Excursions, room service and alternative dining can be booked via your interactive cabin TV, for example.
Breakfast: I choose room service so I do not need to line up at the start of my day.
Tendering: Choose a short/modestly priced excursion and you are given priority tendering!
Captain's Cocktail: Skip the line and photgraph, head straight for the free drink!
Disembarkation: Was ebnjoying a lesiurly breakfast in the dining room. As we finished our meal our number was called and we left the ship at our own convenience.
Actually I didn't find too many lines on Voyager... This was the biggest surprise about this ship.
The Windjammer Cafe/Island Grill (together they form the buffet areas, the Island Grill is incorporated into the Windjammer on the new ships) was very big, and no problems with waiting or lines at all. Unfortunately the food was disgusting.
We booked all our tours on the Internet so no tour desk for us.
We didn't feel the need to change dinner reservations as we got late seating and this is what we wanted.
Tendering at Labadee was uneventful enough that I don't remember it. Yes lots of lines, people, and crowding, but this is what I've found every time I've tendered regardless of the size of the ship.
The Captain's cocktail party was held on the "Royal Promenade" (shopping "street" down the center of the ship). The Captain made a little speech from a bridge along the Promenade. No line, no handshake, no picture, etc. The Promenade was very crowded, and since I now know what the party was like I wouldn't go again (normally on a ship I've already been on I don't go, I just like to see how the different lines do it). I inadvertently slept through the Crown & Anchor party (got pretty tired on this trip - lousy weather meant when I got on the ship I wanted a shower, clean clothes, and some rest before dinner).
In general the only elements of overcrowding were along the Royal Promenade (this is intentional, supposed to be like a busy city street, and it was, and no I didn't like it much but only the Voyager-class have them), the elevators (no worse than on much smaller ships I've been on) and the tenders (no worse than on much smaller ships I've been on).
So no, I don't hesitate to travel on so-called "mega" ships. You will find a very big difference between say a 20,000 GRT ship and a 100,000 GRT ship but a 70,000 GRT and 100,000 GRT ship feel quite similar... Even a 50,000 GRT ship.
So size is not a major factor - I'll take just about any size, I like big ships and small.
Happy Cruising,Cruiseny
People did tend to congregate in front of the dining room waiting for the doors to open but if you went at 8:05 instead of 8:00 there was no line to get into the dining room. I did wait on one line though. It was to pour champagne on the cascadng champagne glass fountain. Hint though: don't drink that champagne though by the time you get it , it's flat
For the line-averse, it's the only way to cruise.
My advice is get there early and just sit and relax. The ship is not going to leave without you. Calm down! You're on vacation!
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