Table Of Content
You can see the vast difference in ships sizes below comparing the smallest to largest! Here's a visual representation showing the Empress of the Seas to the Symphony of the Seas. That's every Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship currently active in their fleet. We've also included RCCL's future ships, the Icon and Utopia of the Seas. We're measuring Royal Caribbean ships by size according to the metric, "Gross Tonnage." This always causes a bit of confusion amongst our community members.
The 7 classes of Royal Caribbean cruise ships, explained - The Points Guy
The 7 classes of Royal Caribbean cruise ships, explained.
Posted: Mon, 22 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Enchantment of the Seas
In this guide, I’ll show you what to expect from each of Royal Caribbean’s ship classes. I’ve also made a handy chart so that you can compare the classes side-by-side. They also carry significantly fewer passengers than the Oasis Class ships. Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas carry about 3,900 passengers at double occupancy (closer to 4,600 with every berth filled).
Royal Caribbean Ship Classes By Size
It's the class of ships where Royal Caribbean made the most effort to appeal to solo travelers. For would-be Royal Caribbean cruisers, Freedom of the Seas serves as a sort of "test the line" ship. Its short sailings and low pricing mean you're not out a lot in time or money if you don't have the time of your life. It caters heavily to first-time cruisers as well as Florida locals who can book on short notice and drive into the port for a quick escape.
Symphony of the Seas
Royal Caribbean has ships of different sizes, as you can see on our chart. The smallest one that’s currently sailing can accommodate 2,988 people (including staff) and is 916 feet (279 meters) long. At 250,800 GT and with a length of 1,198 feet, this is the largest cruise ship in the world, accommodating up to 7,600 guests plus 2,350 crew. The biggest ships tend to be more expensive than the smaller, older ships. This means that in effect, you’re paying extra for the facilities that larger ships have.
Wonder of the Seas has taken the Oasis-class concept and refined it to its best. While the ship is overwhelmingly popular in reviews, there are a couple of negative comments that mention a lack of organisation – long waits for tables or bar service, and poor communication. These are in the minority, and for the most part, Royal seems to handle the staffing of this massive ship well. Symphony of the Seas is an Oasis-class ship and scores highly thanks to the amazing range of activities on offer, including some that are more musically themed in the spirit of the ship’s name.
Most people love the balance of size and features against the crowds, with any negative comments focussing on the ship needing an update in some places. One of three ships in the line's Freedom class that date to the mid-2000s, Freedom of the Seas is no longer the creme-de-la-creme of the Royal Caribbean fleet (though it was when it debuted). At around 156,000 tons, it's about 30% smaller than Royal Caribbean's newer Oasis-class ships and has fewer venues, from bars and restaurants to entertainment spaces. The title for "largest Royal Caribbean ship" is awarded to the future Icon of the Seas. The Icon will measure 250,800 gross tons and will span 1,196 feet (365 meters) in length.
It could be that one bad meal or something not being cooked to the guests liking leads them to mention the ‘poor’ food when they review the ship. Even with the review rankings above, there isn’t really a single ship that’s best for everyone. It depends on what you’re looking for from your cruise because different ships appeal to slightly different tastes.
Quantum of the Seas Size
You'll find everything from relatively low-cost, windowless inside cabins measuring just 149 square feet (perfect for the budget traveler) to massive, multiroom suites that are more than 10 times that size. Also, overlaid across most ships are high-end suites, eateries and services that are at a luxury level, and the line draws a good number of luxury-seeking travelers. Royal Caribbean executives like to say that if they carved out all the suites on their ships as a separate business, it would be the largest luxury cruise line in the world. The smaller ships also appeal to a subset of Royal Caribbean fans who like a little more intimacy in a cruise vessel and don't mind giving up some onboard amenities to get it. These ships are also often less expensive for travelers on a per-day basis.
Wonder of the Seas: Best ship for luxury lovers
These engineering wonders take home awards every year for their cutting-edge design, first-of-their-kind attractions, world class dining and accommodations, and unforgettable experiences. From the tallest slide at sea, to culinary concepts that take guests from Japan to Italy to Wonderland, the world’s largest cruise ships are full of adventures guaranteed to wow every kind of explorer. If you can't live without those sorts of features on a cruise ship, the Radiance class probably isn't for you. The Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas has a construction date of 1996 and a total size of 73,817 gross tons. The ship measures 916 feet (279 meters) in length and falls in line as number 28 among Royal Caribbean's 36 existing and former cruise ships. At full capacity, the Grandeur of the Seas holds 2,752 passengers.
If you plan to spend most of your time relaxing by the pool or exploring ashore, then there’s no point paying more for a ship with facilities that you won’t use. But it’s Icon of the Seas and her new class of ships that will remain the biggest – with two more Icon-class ships on order. Understanding the different classes of ships is a good starting point when choosing a Royal Caribbean cruise. If you love the idea of having fun activities around every corner, then you’ll love the Icon Class, Oasis Class, Quantum Class and Quantum Ultra Class ships. Cruises on Vision-class ships are often destination-focused, such as longer Caribbean cruises that explore some of the lesser-visited islands in the Southern Caribbean.
Some, such as the two-year-old Wonder of the Seas, have added features that appeal to luxury-loving travelers. Other Royal Caribbean ships operate on particularly low-cost itineraries that are best for budget travelers. Royal Caribbean is the world's biggest cruise line, and it has more ships than any other major line, including vessels in a wide range of sizes and with a wide range of amenities. While they all have a lot in common, they have some major differences, too, that make them more or less appealing to different types of travelers. The whole Virgin Voyages cruise ship felt like a sanctuary with tranquil pool decks, relaxing dining rooms, and more activities geared toward adults (more on that later).
The Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas total number of staterooms is 996. The Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas has a construction date of 1998 and a total size of 78,340 gross tons. The ship measures 915 feet (279 meters) in length and falls in line as number 27 among Royal Caribbean's 36 existing and former cruise ships. At full capacity, the Vision of the Seas holds 2,790 passengers. The Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas total number of staterooms is 997. The Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas has a construction date of 1997 and a total size of 78,491 gross tons.
A sixth ship in the Oasis Class series, Utopia of the Seas, is scheduled to debut in July. Construction of the vessel began in April 2022 at the Chantiers de l'Atlantique shipyard in St. Nazaire, France — the same shipyard that built Wonder of the Seas. A handful of restaurants also differ from ship to ship in the series. Only one ship in this series (Icon of the Seas) is currently operating, but the second vessel in the series (Star of the Seas) is already open for bookings. A good travel agent will quiz you about your particular interests, travel style and preferences and steer you to the perfect cruise line, ship, itinerary and cabin for you.
In terms of drinks and cocktails, you have a variety of choices. That means Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Barqs Root Beer, although the selection can vary by ship. Most Royal Caribbean ships also have Coke Freestyle machines where you can make 100 different flavor combinations. However, you should be very aware of the ship’s limitations, such as the fewer balcony cabins available and the small size of cabins, which may show signs of wear. This is Royal Caribbean’s oldest and smallest ship, so it’s no surprise that it’s at the bottom of the list. It was launched in 1998 and refurbished in 2013 with minor updates in 2017 and 2022.
The entertainment is a little less exciting than on the bigger ships, according to some guests, but the food gets better reviews on Enchantment of the Seas than it does on similarly-aged Royal ships. Despite Odyssey of the Seas being ranked eighth in this list, it’s surprising to see how the other Quantum-class ships have fared – we have to wait until position 17 to get to the next one, which is Ovation of the Seas. Freedom of the Seas was the lowest of the three Freedom Class ships last year, but this year she’s climbed a couple of places above her sisters.
No comments:
Post a Comment