Royal Caribbean's new Oasis of the Seas, measures some 225,000 gross tons and
carrying 5,400 passengers, will be the largest cruise ship in the world when
it debuts next year - by a long shot.
Some two thirds bigger than the biggest ever (its fleet mates Freedom of the
Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Independence of the Seas), Oasis will also be
the world's most unusual. Already the cruise line is trickling out details
about the mammoth vessel (which is currently being built in a shipyard in
Turku, Finland).
Its got a series of seven neighbourhoods that evoke shades of New York's
Central Park, complete with real flora and fauna, and Brighton's Boardwalk,
with its merry-go-round. Other features include an Aqua Theater, an
elaborate sun deck by day and amphitheater-like event space by night.
The encroaching arrival of Oasis of the Seas has already begun to resurrect
the "how big is too big" debate that surfaced some years back,
when Cunard's Queen Mary 2 was on the horizon. These days, the 140,000-ton,
2,620-passenger Queen Mary 2 barely makes it into the top five.
In a "Members Speak Out" poll on Cruisecritic.co.uk,
more than 3,200 voters responded to questions about Oasis' sizeable impact
on the cruise experience: 75 per cent thought the ship's immense size was a
bad idea and 24 per cent were in favour.
But even those who weren't yet convinced of Oasis' bigger-is-better philosophy
are interested in trying out the ship - at least 10 percent so voted - even
amidst concerns about declining quality levels of food and service, and a
feeling that the ship's itinerary would largely be irrelevant as most people
would cruise for the ship alone.
What's ultimately important isn't that Oasis of the Seas will break cruising's
record for largess. The real news is that cruise lines, under pressure to
provide the similar varieties of features, amenities and activities that
will appeal to a broader base of travellers than is traditional, have to
build ships with enough room to house them.
There isn't a line I can think of that's saying "hey, we're building a
smaller ship this year". It's not happening. Every ship that's new (and
even some that aren't - Fred Olsen, for instance, has taken the existing
Balmoral and Braemar, cut them in half, and stretched them with new
midsections) is larger than those it follows. Even luxury lines, whose ships
are much smaller to begin with, are adding capacity and girth to newbuilds.
There's nothing boring about today's newest cruise behemoths. P&O's new
Ventura features circus workshops, complete with top-deck trampolines and a
restaurant by Marco Pierre White. Holland America's new Eurodam boosts
fleet-first features like a Microsoft series of workshops, an Asian
restaurant, private poolside cabanas and the Silk Den, a bar that channels
Miami's hip South Beach culture.
Norwegian Cruise Line, whose still-under-construction F3 series of ships -
debuting in 2010 - has unveiled plans to incorporate a series of exclusive
nightclubs onboard. Celebrity Solstice, to launch late this year, will
feature The Lawn Club (cruising's first ever grassy expanse), with putting
green and bocce court.
In a few years, I predict, these avant garde innovations will be considered ho
hum in the face of even more bizarre additions. Ultimately, the question
isn't so much about whether cruise ships are too big. The question should
be: How much bigger can they get? And here we're betting that ships may not
top out at Oasis' level, but still won't stretch the concept too much
further.
There are too many challenges, at least for the immediate future, for ships
that are bigger than that. Among them? Fewer ports that can actually handle
both ships of such size - and disgorging uber thousands of passengers and
fewer shipyards that can either build them - or fix and refurbish in
dry-dock.
Ultimately, I've found that there's no right or wrong when it comes to ship
size. It depends on what you like - and more to the point what type of
vacation you want. On a recent weekend minibreak cruise with colleagues
aboard NCL's Norwegian Jade - a mid-sized ship perfectly designed for a
party mindset - we had a blast, with choices of bars and restaurants and a
spa. For a two-day trip we didn't need much more.
Travelling with kids, the seriously big ships, like Royal Caribbean's Freedom
of the Seas and Princess Cruises' Emerald Princess are really perfect
because there's enough diversion onboard to split up for the day (and both
have excellent kids' programs) but come back together at night for dinner.
For romance, though, bigger is not necessarily better; you need an absence
of chaos and activity. My favorite cruise ever with my husband was on the
110-passenger, yacht-like SeaDream I, where there were no rules such as
dress code or dinner table demands.
Fortunately, the range of cruise styles available today is vast. You've got
Fred Olsen trips for more sedate, traditional travelers. There's Carnival
for the young (and, er, young at heart). Seabourn is ultra luxury.
easyCruise is ultra cheap. And there's a whole range of choices in between.
Carolyn Spencer Brown is Editor in Chief of CruiseCritic.co.uk.
Send your cruising questions to Carolyn at yoursay@timesonline.co.uk
Having completed a few cruises on the Independence of the Seas, I suggest that RCI have got it right. Boarding at Southanpton was actually faster than during the days of the Legend at Southampton. At Ports of Call, embarkation was very smooth as they simply put more gangways on and off.
Julian Bray, London, UK,
If you sail on one of these megaships, don't bother getting off at any stops. All you'll be able to see is the backs of thousands of fellow passengers-- nothing of the scenery or culture or people of the place, however beautiful.
Tina Rhea, Greenbelt Maryland, US
Most major cruise lines, even Cunard, are owned by Carnival, an American company, and the onboard 'ambience' is terribly American. Think up-market Butlins!
Bergman Coffey, Belfast,
5000 passengers? Probably too big if it should sink but useful as a troop carrier in a time of war....
kevin, Lincoln, UK