Which ships are the "good ships?"

[Fjobe]

One of the reasons I stop looking anytime I have considered a RC cruise is there are so many ships. I have only been on a Disney Cruise and I know you can't go wrong with any if the ships there. Which RC ships are the good ones?

 

[OKW Lover]

I'm sure the answer to this question depends on the individual's preferences. We recently sailed on the Oasis and I'd say we are fans of slightly smaller ships. Not that we didn't enjoy many of the features on that ship though.

Also note that I didn't say small ships. We will be sailing on the Radiance in April and think that's probably the right size for us. Time will tell.

 

[tmoret]

We love the bigger ships. But as said before it really depends on your style of cruising. I would need to know more about what your Family likes to do on cruise.

 

[woody73]

. . . Which RC ships are the good ones?

It depends on what you're looking for.

Woody

 

[KerryMihalik]

I have sailed on the Voyager Class, Freedom Class and Oasis Class ships. My personal favorite is the Freedom Class. I think this class of ships are a great size and they have plenty to offer for everyone.

 

[Chelley00]

I have sailed on the Voyager Class, Freedom Class and Oasis Class ships. My personal favorite is the Freedom Class. I think this class of ships are a great size and they have plenty to offer for everyone.

The Freedom class is our favorite too. Just big enough to have lots of activities but still small enough that you aren't fighting 5,000 people at dinner time

 

[Fjobe]

It depends on what you're looking for. Woody

I am really looking for a beautiful ship that is well kept and in excellent condition.

 

[woody73]

I am really looking for a beautiful ship that is well kept and in excellent condition.

I've sailed on RCI's Radiance Class, Voyager Class, and Freedom Class ships. Those ships easily fit your description.

Woody

 

[Alsobrook]

Because of the wide variety of ship classes, it is well worth it to research RCI in a variety of ways. I do the following:

1. Make three lists: First, a list of cruise essentials, things that the ship must offer or it's a deal breaker. Second, a wish list of things that you think would enhance your cruise experience. Third, make a list of things that you know you don't care about or frankly would prefer not to have at all.

2. Get the RCI guide that lists all ships and cruises OR explore the website. I like the paper guide because I can flip back and forth easily.

3. Read about class features and try to narrow your selection down to no more than two classes. Then, stick with those classes.

4. Read cruise reviews of ships within those classes. Pay special attention to comments about long/short lines, extra charges, and pre-planning for activities.

My bottom line, for our household, is that you can't drag me on a mega-ship. It's overload for us and unnecessary. We cruise better on smaller ships, and so narrowing the classes on RCI became a fairly easy exercise. We haven't had an unpleasant experience on RCI yet. All of the ships have been great.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

Our only non-Disney cruise was on Allure for Thanksgiving week. It was fun but it sure felt like the ship depends heavily on their highly-touted outdoor offerings (zip line, flow riders, rock walls, and outdoor theater). During inclement weather the outdoor shows don't show, they don't show movies in other theaters, and the other outdoor activities/venues that already have somewhat limited hours shut down. Then you have all those thousands of guests wandering the promenade for something to do. Our cruise had a good bit of inclement weather so we definitely felt this grind several times. Just food for thought....

 

[Alsobrook]

Tangent: I've been looking for an article that rates how different cruise lines handle inclement weather, hurricanes, etc. Anyone ever found one?

 

[ilovetexas]

Tangent: I've been looking for an article that rates how different cruise lines handle inclement weather, hurricanes, etc. Anyone ever found one?

All cruise lines handle weather the same way. In the case of "normal" bad weather you can entertain yourself with indoor activities, some additional ones might be planned but bring a good book. In the case of major storms, they do whatever they need to do in order to ensure safety of the guests and ship with guest comfort being a secondary, but important, consideration. Some of them they can sail through, some they sail around. Often, port stops are cancelled. All of this is dependent on the size and movement of the storm and the ability of the ship to withstand the waves and wind.