Just putting this out there: Bigger ships have the most amenities and new "cool stuff". But the bigger the ship, the bigger the crowds. That is my biggest complaint about some cruises. Crowds and line-ups. Everything from boarding and disembarking to lineups for things like rock-climbing wall or laser tag, and even lineups at the buffet can really put a damper on your vacation. That would be my reco: be careful of big ships if you don't like lineups
Yes, I understand what you are saying. It all depends on the ship's layout and organization. I thought I would feel crowded on the Allure, which is enormous, but that was never the case. There were so many spaces where I could chill and spend alone time. Lines, when there were any, went very quickly. I love the Solarium and Central Park - epic!
I hate lines lol I really hate them I have the patience of a two year old! I live in Baltimore so that port only sails the older smaller ships my husband and I when cruising alone book those ships. When I’m cruising with my children I have to book the bigger ships. There is absolutely nothing to do for kiddos on the smaller ships except for pool. I have a two year old that is not potty trained so there is absolutely nothing for her to do.
Radiance of the Seas was the worst ship we have sailed after 18 cruises. We sailed for an Alaskan cruise. When we first entered the cabin there were hairball/fuzz balls on the floor. I open the cupboard to set up the safe. There was a pile of American money (about $5 worth of bills and change). Okay, our cabin hadn't been cleaned. There was a broken umbrella on the closet floor. A 7 night cruise, with 6 days of NO hot water. One day without water at all. Four days without a bath mat. One evening, in a lounge before dinner, children were playing football (using a shoe for a ball). We complained to the bar staff and they just shrugged their shoulders. Children playing on the floor in the casino. They would be removed and came back minutes later. No ice in the Windjammer the entire week. No waitstaff in the Windjammer every evening. We repeatedly complained at the concierges desk but nothing was resolved on the ship issues. We saw our cabin attendant more off the ship than on the ship. We had laundry done. It was returned to us so wet we had it hanging all over the cabin to dry. We haven't cruised RC since then. Giving RC another chance the end of August, 2023.
My first Royal cruise was this past summer on the Jewel. Went to Iceland and Ireland for 12 days. From the photos and videos I was expecting to be disappointed, but ended up absolutely loving it. Ship was great and so was the food, and staff. Had a wonderful time and didn’t want it to end. This summer I just booked the Liberty of the Seas for a New York to Canada 9 day cruise. Can’t wait!
Hard to answer these questions simply. Best overall for my wife and I, a tie between the Navigator in 2006 and the Serenade in 2018. Those two set the standard for us in service plus amenities. The worst for service was Freedom in 2010. The worst for room was Anthem. That is in the Grand Suite. The room was awful in design. We also found the theater in the back, pretty worthless for us. Although we found ourselves always going to the music hall. That’s a great place to hang out. We have been on at least 20 RCL cruises, and always find something fun. We’ve never had a bad overall cruise on RCL. ...Claude C
My first two cruises were on Monarch and Majesty. At the time I thought they were okay. After going on one of the freedom class cruises I vowed to never go small again. Big difference.
This was a great video. I was watching it with a younger cruiser that was so excited to find out which ship was the worst, I told her they were all great in some way, for someone. So many people are like the 10 year old and you just set everyone straight. It is all about their own personal choices and there is no cookie cutter answer. Love your blog!
I just got off Jewel today from a 6 nighter and it was awesome. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Exceptional crew entertainment, game shows, and food. I would for sure sail jewel again.
I disagree. There are some ships that are considered bad, but last year a few of those were taken out of service. The older ships (not just Royal Caribbean ship) were severely outdated and needed to be removed.
Over the past 10 years my LOYAL TO ROYAL wife and I have been on the following Royal Caribbean cruise ships and every one of these ships and crew have been amazing, Enchantment of the Seas (Vision Class), Explorer of the Seas and Adventurer of the Seas (both Voyager Class), Radiance of the Seas (Radiance Class) and Anthem of the Seas (Quantum Class). Looking forward to sailing on the Allure of the Seas (Oasis Class) once cruises start again. We have met great new friends on these cruises, especially one couple that that we met at the pre-cruise muster drill aboard the Anthem of the Seas. We are now are 'Cruise Partners' and enjoy sailing together with them on all our cruises now. Best and most relaxing vacations EVER!!!
We have been on two cruises, both with Royal Caribbean. The first was on Explorer and the second on Ovation, both out of Sydney, Australia. I can't think of a single thing that we didn't like! Both cruises were awesome. Friendly and helpful staff, great activities, and the food - WOW! We are both looking forward to the pandemic ending so we can go cruising again.
The main reason that I like Royal Caribbean is that they have an adults only area (unless there is inclement weather.) I’ve only cruised on RCI and Norwegian. However, on Norwegian you had to pay in addition to the regular fare for access to an adults only area on ship. RC has great crews, decent food, and I’ve never heard of an entire family being tossed off the ship (Carnival). The passengers for the most part manage to have fun without creating chaos. The best time to cruise is now when the ships are still limiting passenger capacity.
If you can come up with a R/C that is bad, DON'T even think about Carnival. The crew replaced cups that fell on deck back to the clean rack for use. Too much not good stay with R/C they are a sure thing.
I have been on numerous Royal Caribbean ships. All of which I have truly enjoyed. My favorites though are Navigator of the Seas and the Independence of the Seas. I have been on over 50 cruises in my young life time, I'm 56. Most on Royal Caribbean. ⛴️⛴️
Interesting that not once are any Radiance class ships featured in your video. Our family has absolutely fallen in love with this class and book nothing else. 🤗
I love this video. Good job explaining that cruising is as unique to each person as taste in food. I know people who hate pizza, and I know people who hate sushi. I eat both, so I'm going to want Sorrento's and Izumi to be available on the ship. But I give no cares about water slides. However my neice and nephew think I'm the weirdest person they know... how could I NOT love water slides or the FlowRider? So I may be happy as a clam playing trivia, watching shows, and eating at every restaurant I can fit in, but other people might be all about the adrenaline rush, and insist on having rock climbing, surfing, ziplining, and sliding from deck 15 to deck 6 available for them to enjoy. The only thing I do not recommend is a very short cruise: 2 or 3 days on board a ship is too much rushing around. You have to fit in all the rigamarole of boarding, a safety drill, the inconvenience of waiting for your room to open up, your luggage to arrive, and with a port day to fit in too, there's just no way you're going to enjoy being on board a ship.
I always go for the Newest, Biggest ship. I don't give a darn about ports anymore. I have cruised enough to have experienced the commonplace. BTW, I LOVE Royal Caribbean's ships, their staff and cannot wait to get back on board. Thanks Matt.
We are LOYAL TO ROYAL and have been on many ships. Our favorite balcony stateroom was on the Anthem of the Seas. It was well designed and had great storage. Anthem also had a gluten free special kitchen/buffet in the back which was amazing for me as going to the regular windjamer buffet, while the staff is always helpful for me to get items, I would have to request for them to make me a uncontaminated meal and have to wait while the others in my party ate. We also have fond memories of the Empress of the seas (Nordic Empress) while small we have had many amazing journeys on her. Sorry to see her leave the fleet.
Isn’t that just the truth! So many plans to holidays this past year. From a Jan cruise to cancelled, cancelled, cancelled, and now cancelled again. I need to be on a ship and not just a boat in the Bay!
I went on Allure of the Seas a few years ago and did not like it. I mean the ship looked amazing and there was a lot to do during the day. The food was outstanding and so was the staff. That really hurt the experience for me was a poor climate control system in the cabin. Even with the balcony door closed and latched all day, and the curtains closed all day, the room was always very warm and stuffy. There was very little airflow coming out of the vent. Ship maintenance attempted to clean the filter but it did little to improve the situation. We noticed this problem in other parts of the ship as well. The bar where they have karaoke was really hot and stuffy as well. We went to the main indoor theater to watch some kind of dating show and the same problem existed there. It was so uncomfortable you had a hard time enjoying yourself. I heard others commenting about how hot it was in their staterooms. After the first stop in Haiti, a room opened up and staff offered a change. I went to check it out and it was clear why the people left the cruise at the first port. The room was so hot it was unbearable. I don't know if the problem has been corrected since, but it was a pretty big issue at the time. It may be a case where RC went overboard with energy saving measures and left the rooms unable to cool properly. I guess I will find out in December when I go on the Oasis.
This vid will come in handy as I plan my next cruise. Just went on my first one on Wonder in June this year-mid-ship, 8th deck ocean view balcony cabin.
I am Diamond with RCI. So I’ve been on many. The most disappointing was the Jewel. The food was horrible. No lettuce on the “salad bar?” The sound from the lower level lounges waifed up to the upper floors. You could hear the band( esp drums) until 2 am, which made for many sleepless nights on a transAtlantic Cruise. Outside the theatre, bathrooms were not functioning and there were many unannounced scheduling changes. The production shows on the Jewel don’t change, so if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Additional acts ie juggling were incredibly boring. Lost luggage on arrival, very disorganized embarkation- staff were actually yelling at the passengers. Disembarkation in Rome was the worst I have ever seen. So disorganized. I’ll never sail on this one again! It’s a cheap cruise and they treat you better at a Dollar Store.
I have been cruising on Royal Caribbean for over 50 years and also been on the other cruise ship lines - and last December 30 I sailed on the Harmony of the Seas and had the worst cruising experience of my life. Worst food -worst entertainment-and when I complained about it to customer service they just didn't care.
First cruise on RCI was on the Jewel & made a really good first impression. Decided to try the Odyssey but although a newer ship, found it too busy & overcrowded. Now, back to the Radiance for my next cruise. Good tips at the end, Matt. 🙂
I use to go to carnival cruise and princess cruise ships but we planned on quitting cruising until we heard about the Royal Caribbean, so far I have been to Odyssey of the seas and I am going to Navigator of the seas tommorow
Hi. I havent been on a cruise before. Im looking for something that works for me and my girlfriend. Im 50 years old, no kids, not interested in clubs, prefer broadway quality shows. Can you point me in the right direction
I think the best class to go on are the freedom class ships because their not huge like the oasis class but still have the same amenities you’d want on a cruise ship
There is not a bad one in the bunch - I’ve been in the Serenade, Explorer, Navigator, Radiance, Mariner, Freedom, Independence, Oasis, Symphony- have had awesome experiences every time. I will continue to be loyal to Royal and splash in some Norwegian and maybe one Carnival ship
I did Allure, Harmony and Anthem. All of them represented a very good experience to me and my family. The next one will be Serenade in 2022 in Alaska season. I think we will enjoy Serenade too.
We sailed on Radiance of the Seas from Vancouver on an Alaska cruise. Finished the land tour in Fairbanks. Most memorable vacation ever. However, if we were to do the experience again, we would do the land tour portion first, so we could relax on the ship on the way home afterwards. The land tour is vigorous, on and off the bus, with a different destination and hotel accommodations each day, but well worth every effort.
In MY OPNION Majesty of the Seas was the worst ship. I got a free cruise from Casino Royale for playing at the casino (play at the casino for free cruises) and I just picked any ship because I just got of of Harmony and thought all of their ships were the same. I was so wrong. As soon as I got to my room, I wanted to leave. I didn't cause my man wanted to go the casino, but it was the worst 5 days. Now all I do is research on cruises.
Grandeur of The Seas. The boat had a bad smell and looked unmaintained. The boat is pretty old now and that is to be expected, but it’s not in its best shape for a fun cruise experience. It has had its time to sail the seas.
Worse for me was Anthem of the Seas. Public rooms were too small. Food was terrible. It was a 3 night cruise. Some things were not open. I felt like they thought, it's only 3 nights why bother. Never again. Nordic Empress was my favorite.
One real disappointment on our last cruise, on Serenade of the Seas was the unavailability of child care. It is easy to think it will be available, but they limited us to 2 sessions. Not near enough to be able to enjoy evening music and entertainment. We are grandparents as parents. We did one session to do a spa treatment, and our child hated it. Nothing to do, and workers were pretty much ignoring her. She never went back.
Just a comment here. Cruise lines used to limit the number of kids to what their children's facilities could cater for. For instance some years ago before P&O was ruined by Carnival we had a party of 43 people wanted to sail in South Pacic. In the end only 23 went in total because AS P&O said they did not have the star or facilities for a great number of children and they did limit the number of kids. Not now since Carnival took over cram as many as you can on the ship does not matter that they cam only accommodate so many too bad many parents could not take the kids to the kids facilities.
First RCCL ship I was ever on was the Sun Viking. Last I heard, it's now a gambling ship around China. Still have fond memories. Have enjoyed all of them I've been on.
I have had 2 family cruises on the Enchantment, both were great. We had toddlers to teens, young active adults and even a Great Gran with us. Our TA helped with picking the date and we did not have a 60+ population. I really think with any cruise, some dates and times are more kid-friendly, some are more adult-friendly, and some are mostly a slower older adult group. TA's are wonderful help.
The entertainment is certainly lacking after COVID! Royal Caribbean used to have dance contest, belly flop contest, etc.. on the pool deck. Now it is so dry!! They may have a Caribbean band playing, but that’s it. I’m upset that they make you go through all of this testing and still are not ramping up the live activities. I’m not a fan of Carnival, but they definitely have more fun regardless. Ijs My favorite royal Caribbean was the explorer of the seas in the year of 2000! I had a ball!! I’ve been cruising for a while now, and haven’t had fun like that since.
We did Symphony in Sept 2019. We did not enjoy it nearly as much as when we did Allure when it was new and didn’t have all the added stuff. On Symphony, it was packed. The hours for the Windjammer and Loco Fresh were not very good. All the extra stuff had limited hours and it was hard to coordinate. Like, the dry slide was open for an hour, but we were still finishing dinner. Our room Stewart was a ghost and lacking. Kids were in the adult hot tub. Husband couldn’t wear his glasses on the water slide. The staff said they could break and leave glass in the water. They’re plastic. It was a very different experience than the Allure, which we did enjoy.
Your timing is great. We were watching different ship tours last night. Graded them based on decor, cabin, size, activities, restaurants, etc. Or whether or not the itinerary sailed was worth the features or lack of features such as, do you just want to relax between ports or do you want a lot to do? Does it fit personalities or who should stay home?
I just did that too... looking at booking for 2023 and I have decided I'll never sail the vision class ships... They don't have the shows and food that I prioritize.
Good reply Matt. I've been on about half the ships in the fleet and they all have positives and negatives. Your answer of do your research is the best advice.
Best things to do on Harmony? What needs to be booked immediately when connected to Wi-Fi and what can wait? We bought the three night dining and not thrilled that we have to wait to book restaurants when individual restaurants can be booked anytime before.
Good info but I see where many of my clients complain about ships based on comparison to other ships they have sailed. I try to explain to my clients that each ship, even within the same cruise line will be different in some way. Many of the ways explained in this video! A good agent will ask you qualifying questions in trying to see what you want specifically. I wouldn't book a guest on a cruise to Alaska when they are more considering warmer climate just because of the ships reviews. Reviews are another thing that throw especially first time cruisers off. And many negative reviews go back to the premise of my post...comparing past cruises. Talk to an agent. It's what we do!
@@RoyalCaribbeanBlog And again, that is the job of an agent. The guest can research the "want" after the agent provides info on that want in the ways you expressed in the video. There is many steps towards qualifying a guests needs and wants before even looking a any specific ship. When guests research ships prior to contacting an agent, the reviews can throw them off.
The age of a ship isn't necessarily a negative. What counts is the maintenance it receives. Also, when looking at rugs, furniture, ornamentation, etc., is it the style you don't like? Or is it truly rundown and threadbare? Also, is it really clean or did they just give it a lick and a promise? One thing you can do is bring small maintenance items to someone's attention. Perhaps Guest Services. Do it nicely; don't expect minor issues to be repaired during your cruise. However, crew can't fix things they don't know about. (On my last cruise the toilet paper holder was beginning to get loose. It needed to be tightened but not immediately. So I informed Guest Services so they could put it on the needed repair list. It didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the cruise. It did make me wonder if previous occupants had failed to notify anyone.) If you need to refrigerate medicine make sure cruise line is aware of it several weeks in advance. In this case, the refrigerator is a necessity, not a convience. Be open to a different temporary solution than a repair or replacement. Perhaps a bucket of ice replaced frequently will keep the medicine cold enough for a day or two. Also make sure that medicine actually needs to be refrigerated all the time. I take one that needs refrigeration but I can leave it out for 7 to 10 days without worry. (Information is in the fine print leaflet.)
We just completed a five-day cruise on Grandeur of the Seas, one of RC’s smaller and older ships (Galveston to Cozumel and Costa Maya). Maybe it’s my age, but I enjoyed this ship (not counting the cabin) slightly more than the brand new and huge Odyssey of the Seas we cruised on in May (the upgrade to a Jr Suite (Royal Up Program) on Odyssey really made that 10-day trip out of Rome to Greece and Ephesus extra fantastic - two bathrooms, with a shower and separate(!) tub in one bathroom, and a large balcony). The main benefit of the Grandeur is its relatively small size compared to the larger ships we’ve been on. We were on Deck 4, midship (key location) which made the main dining room, the main theater, and the casino (all Deck 5 entrances for us) and the Centrum and gangplank (on Deck 4) very accessible (from 30 yards (27 m) to maybe 85 yards (78 m) from our cabin). The Windjammer (main buffet) on Deck 9 was also relatively close, albeit via elevator. It probably helped that occupancy was at about 78% (1,900 passengers of 2,446 capacity, compared to Odyssey’s 4,284 capacity). Don’t get me wrong, the Odyssey’s amenities (pickle ball courts, roller skating, basketball and bumper cars in the indoor sports arena, as well as the IFly Skydiving Simulator, the FlowRider Surf Simulator, Laser Tag, North Star Observation Capsule and Rock Climbing Wall, plus other stuff) make the Odyssey an incredible experience, especially for passengers looking for more physical activities. For the 10-day cruise, the Odyssey was better than the Grandeur would have been (probably). It’s all very good!
They all have their advantages and disadvantages but the only one I go out of my way NOT to book again is Enchantment. My favorites so far are Indy and Mariner.
My wife and I were on the Enchantment during Hurricane Tomas in 2010. It was our first experience on a cruise ship. We had an amazing time on the Enchantment and booked our 2nd cruise while on-board the Enchantment during the hurricane. It was the 'Rockingest' ship ever!
@@SandyToes75 I have been seasick on every deep sea fishing trip I have ever taken, no matter how calm the seas are. There were 30 foot swells rocking the Enchantment during this cruise and I wasn't queasy in my stomach at all. I was totally impressed with the stability of the Enchantment, being a smaller class vessel, and even more so impressed with the Enchantment when we sailed on Royal Caribbean's larger class ships.
Thank You, I really appreciated this video. And I completely agree with everything you stated. Especially the part about there being "No worst cruise ship" So far my wife and I have sailed on Royal Caribbean's Radiance, Enchantment, Grandeur, and Allure of the Seas. Also Carnival Destiny and Sensation. And The Norwegian Majesty. And all of them were great in their own way. If I had to rate them I would easily put Radiance of the Seas at #1 and Norwegian Majesty at the end. And that's only because when we went on the Majesty, it had no Atrium. How can you have a cruise ship without an Atrium? But I think I read that it has been refurbished and they had to have added an Atrium. But I could go on and on about our adventures at sea. But when it's all said and done, ALL CRUISE SHIPS ARE SPECTACULAR, In their own way. And cruising is one vacation where you just can't go wrong.
Matt love your show watch it all the time. I've only cruised a couple of times and loved it. Can't wait for it to start up again. I had a cruise cancelled for this April. I never cruise according to what ship it is but the sailing itinerary is. But I do as you said and check out the ship and see what's offered on board, especially the shows and other entertainment because that's what is important to me.
i have sailed 6 times on the liberty for the only point that i can drive to where it is departing from and don't have to fly to some random place just to go on the cruise. (i live in texas)
I haven't been on a RC ship, yet, but I think this is great information that applies to most any cruise line. Absolutely, so much information is available, just do a tiny bit of research!!!
Mariner and Independence. Hard to see which was better. Mariner had Better crew, food, people. While Independence felt newer, better entertainment (Cruise director, captain).
Our first cruise was a few years ago on Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston, Texas. We enjoyed that and felt we were getting the general feel of cruising, and wanted to do it again, but bigger. So we booked a cruise for Ovation of the Seas out of Sydney, Australia, which was going to sail on November 8.... 2020. Thanks, Coronavirus. Not to worry, as we're going to try again to some other exotic destination later this year. Got my cruise credits, gonna get vaccinated, and wear extra thick armor for the murder hornets.
My least favorite is the Quantum class. I sailed pretty much almost every other class except Oasis and quantum just always seemed overcrowded. It also lacks oceanviews. Voyager class seems to be the "sweet spot". Big ship amenities without getting too big. That being said I have my favorite ships even in the same class. Mine are Empress (No longer in the fleet) Navigator, Granduer and Explorer. And I jump on Mariner again in a day. Never been on oasis class yet though despite me not being a fan of Anthem I suspect I'll like Oasis class as well. But even in the same class for example I liked Granduer better than Enchantment. I have sailed on 3 Voyager class ships and so far Navigator was the best.... So even in the same class you have your favorites...
I don't understand why some people actually consider a nursery in a cruise ship. People really consider leaving their baby with a stranger just because they part of the company?
Hi. I havent been on a cruise before. Im looking for something that works for me and my girlfriend. Im 50 years old, no kids, not interested in clubs, prefer broadway quality shows. Can you point me in the right direction
May seem like a little thing but the handrail on Adventure of the Seas was right at eye level when sitting in the chairs provided on the balcony. It was just annoying and I wouldn't book a balcony on this ship again just for that reason.
No! There was and is the worst ship in the fleet. That would be the Grandeur of the Seas. What a piece of crap. Lights didn't work, power sockets didn't work, toilet and shower backed up, bad springs in the bed killed my back, kids hated the kids club, food was meh. Amongst other issues. It was so bad, I'll never return to RCCL. Saw the topic and had to find out which you thought was the worst. But when you said none of them, I had to set the record straight!
The worst without a shadow of a doubt was Ovation of the Seas. We were on ut for its second cruise out of Sydney after in came here from China. Longlines for everything to get into restaurant even when restaurants were about empty. getting off the ship arguments fights people jumping ahead of others. The Filipino and Indonesian crew detested the Chines crew that were still onboard the ship after coming from China. Far too many people on the ship hard to get a drink in a bar. Could go on and on but I do not need this shop and its sister ship were voted two of the worst 12 cruise ships in the world. Its online can read about it. Bit of a beezee's also everything shut down.
Was just on mariner of the seas and at cococay we saw liberty of the seas parked and they have about the same stuff as mariner and I thought mariner was great just liberty doesent looks as organized
Explorer of the seas was worst cruise ever we went with friends and from the start we had trouble the fridge in the room wasn't working so we had to use our friends fridge till ours was fixed for my husbands medication 2days then went swimming in pool my skin peeled because of the water not fun the we went to watch a couple of shows only to find both times show cancelled and we weren't the only people on the ship with problems as we met 4 other couples who had major problems
The simple answer is any ship not built in this century The Empress and Majesty of the Seas were both threadbare and rough 1999 - Voyager of the Seas (Voyager-class) 1998 - Vision of the Seas (Vision-class) 1997 - Enchantment of the Seas (Vision-class) 1997 - Rhapsody of the Seas (Vision-class) 1996 - Grandeur of the Seas (Vision-class) 1992 - Majesty of the Seas (Sovereign-class) 1990 - Empress of the Seas (Empress-class)
That was another bad one. When we cruised on it others who had cruised previously pointed out the owners had removed aloof public spaces to insta;; even more cabins. Try getting into a bar if the weather was not too good outside, but then try to get into a bar if the weather was good outside. Overfilled with people never again.
7:03 "There is no worst cruise ship" --- All the rest is filler that can be summed up in another sentence "It all depends on what you want to experience." The rest is filler.
