After sailing every class in Royal Caribbean’s fleet, this seasoned cruiser has a clear way of getting the most for your vacation money.
Royal Caribbean, and really all the major cruise lines, love to announce features on their newest (and usually biggest) ships. We all know that Icon of the Seas, the soon-to-be-world’s largest ship, has set sales records for the cruise line and Carnival Cruise Line. (CCL) – Get a free report has had similar experiences with its latest flagship, Celebration.
It’s easy to see why people want to sail the newest boats. They have the latest updates, the newest entertainment options, and generally offer a mix of innovation and the best things from previous ships.
DON’T MISS: Surprisingly, Royal Caribbean Launches Popular Onboard Activity
However, booking the newer boats comes at a premium price. And while it’s tempting to take a “my vacation should be the best it can be” attitude, it’s important to think about the balance between value and experience.
I have sailed on Wonder of the Seas, Royal Caribbean’s newest Oasis-class ship, and currently the largest ship in the world. I’ve also sailed on their second newest ship, the Odyssey of the Seas, and while both were lovely, they probably wouldn’t be my favorite if I were paying full price (as a player, I often earn free “complimentary” trips based on in my game in the previous navigation).
Image Source: Daniel Kline/TheStreet
These are the best Royal Caribbean deals
Wonder of the Seas was a truly amazing ship, but it differs only slightly from its predecessor, Symphony of the Seas. The one great addition was the new Mason Jar Southern restaurant, which offered an excellent brunch, a stocked bar with some of the best drinks in the fleet, and live country music. Other than that, most of the changes compared to even the older Oasis-class ships were relatively minor.
I have also sailed in the last 12 months on three other Oasis class ships Allure of the Seas (2010), Harmony of the Seas (2016) and Symphony of the Seas (2018). Rides on Allure and Harmony are generally much cheaper than Wonder, while rides on Symphony are cheaper, but not by as big a factor.
The differences between the ships are noticeable, but not really in a way that makes Wonder of the Seas worth paying for over its bigger sister ships. Both Harmony and Allure, for example, offer Sabor, an open-air boardwalk Mexican restaurant, while Wonder has the updated Playmakers sports bar at that location.
I prefer ships with Playmakers on board, especially if there’s a game I want to watch, but the change isn’t worth paying hundreds or even thousands more to book a cruise. Additionally, Wonder has smartly designed rooms with more USB ports and other amenities, but again, the changes are minor and generally not worth the price difference.
On Royal Caribbean’s shorter cruises, go smaller
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class and Quantum-class ships make sense when your cruise lasts at least six days. You can’t even fully experience those ships in a week, so on the rare occasions they offer shorter trips (usually before a repositioning) you have to go in knowing you won’t be able to do everything you want.
Still, when those short trips do come up, they can often be a good deal and offer a good way to sample some of what those classes have to offer. I’m sailing Oasis, for example, on a four-night cruise in April before I sail to New York. The prices were low, which makes it easier for friends to join me, and I’m looking forward to getting to know the boat a bit before a week of sailing in September where I’ll have friends and family with me.
However, on most shorter voyages, the Freedom and Voyager class ships have more than enough to do. I have sailed on Freedom of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas, ships of those two pretty similar classes, about 20 times in four years for 3 and 4 day voyages.
And, while those ships lack the open-air Central Park and Boardwalk areas that the Oasis-class ships have, they offer more than enough options for a shorter sail. In fact, these smaller ships (relative to the larger classes) might be better for a short sail because it’s easier to get to know the terrain faster.
Once you get to the smaller Radiance and Brilliance classes, you start to lose some of the more modern features and there are far fewer options when it comes to dining and entertainment. Those boats tend to be more mindful of where they stop than the boat itself, but if the deal is right, adults can still have a good time (but you might want to leave the kids at home).
