Travel Tip--Big Ship vs. Small Ship Cruising

I have clients who only love big ship cruising and some who only enjoy small ship cruising. I am lucky to enjoy both…but for completely different reasons.

In a nutshell….I enjoy big ship cruising for the plethora of activities. There is always something to do. At any one time there may be several things you want to do and you have to decide which you want to do more. I tend not to do much reading or movie watching on a trip like this. I enjoy small ship cruising for the opposite reason. While there are lecturers and things to do on board, as you’ll see on this blog for my current small ship cruise, I spend a lot of time watching movies, reading, writing and watching the sea go by from my verandah. The lecturers on this voyage have been excellent so I have enjoyed them as well.

While both options have entertainment on board, the larger ships tend to have the big “Las Vegas” style production shows and the smaller ships tend to have fewer “high production” events. Last night on this ship, for example, they had a concert classic pianist. The larger ships have more dining options, large casinos, several pools, decks with nothing but activity. The smaller ships tend to have a small casino, a single pool and one or two decks on which a portion of the space is dedicated to activity.

Large ship cruising…think activity, lots of people, non-stop action. Small ship cruising…think quiet, relaxation and a slower pace.