Cruise Ships: Is bigger better
Cruise Ships: Is Bigger Better?
“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not.” -Yoda, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
Throughout the world, there are hundreds of thousands of vacation possibilities a person can go and experience. Tourism has become a big business, and in terms of size, cruise ships are a big fish in the ocean of tourism. However, within the cruise ship industry, there is still a great deal of choice a person needs to make, such as where to go, which cruise line to take, what cabin to select, and so on. One question that a person might ask themselves if faced with choosing which cruise line or even to pick for their destination might be, “Is a bigger cruise ship better?” If I found myself looking to take a cruise, I’d start by looking at the smallest cruise ships. Small cruise ships are often classified as cruises having fewer than 1000 passengers (Cruisecritic, 2013). Smaller cruise ships have several advantages that might lead the average person to choose them over the larger cruises. As an article in Marine Insight put it, “… on small luxury cruises, expect to find more personal crew attention…the lesser number of people on these cruises means that crew members can look after those people more efficiently, which means a better experience.”(2011) This personalized service and greater staff to passenger ratio is a great benefit, as there are fewer lines for food, less people and crowding, and overall the service is quicker. Another reason a person might choose to take a smaller ship might be because of the ability to visit a more exotic locale, like the Mayan Riviera, or river cruises, options that are simply not available to larger vessels due to logistics. The ability to see and go to extraordinary and unique places that are just beyond the eye of the public might make a smaller cruise more worthwhile. A third
“Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm? Hmm. And well you should not.” -Yoda, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
Throughout the world, there are hundreds of thousands of vacation possibilities a person can go and experience. Tourism has become a big business, and in terms of size, cruise ships are a big fish in the ocean of tourism. However, within the cruise ship industry, there is still a great deal of choice a person needs to make, such as where to go, which cruise line to take, what cabin to select, and so on. One question that a person might ask themselves if faced with choosing which cruise line or even to pick for their destination might be, “Is a bigger cruise ship better?” If I found myself looking to take a cruise, I’d start by looking at the smallest cruise ships. Small cruise ships are often classified as cruises having fewer than 1000 passengers (Cruisecritic, 2013). Smaller cruise ships have several advantages that might lead the average person to choose them over the larger cruises. As an article in Marine Insight put it, “… on small luxury cruises, expect to find more personal crew attention…the lesser number of people on these cruises means that crew members can look after those people more efficiently, which means a better experience.”(2011) This personalized service and greater staff to passenger ratio is a great benefit, as there are fewer lines for food, less people and crowding, and overall the service is quicker. Another reason a person might choose to take a smaller ship might be because of the ability to visit a more exotic locale, like the Mayan Riviera, or river cruises, options that are simply not available to larger vessels due to logistics. The ability to see and go to extraordinary and unique places that are just beyond the eye of the public might make a smaller cruise more worthwhile. A third
Cited: Smita Singla, 10 Advantages of Vacationing on Small Cruise Ships Over Big Cruise Ships, August 3, 2011 http://www.marineinsight.com/sports-luxury/cruise-industry/10-advantages-of-vacationing-on-small-cruise-ships-over-big-cruise-ships/ Carolyn Spencer Brown, What 's Your Ship Size? http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=360 Adult Activities, Disney Cruise Lines, http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/onboard-activities/adult-activities/ Katie Hammel, Is Bigger Better? The Pros and Cons of Small-Ship Cruising for Independent Travelers, February 14, 2011 http://www.bootsnall.com/articles/11-02/the-pros-and-cons-of-small-ship-cruising.html Kevin Griffin, The Market for Middle Size Ships – Background – A Survey of Mid-Size Cruise Ship Operators, May 30th, 2011 http://www.latecruisenews.com/2011/05/30/the-market-for-middle-size-ships-background-a-survey-of-mid-size-cruise-ship-operators/ Terry Ward, Bigger is Better for New Cruise Ships, March 17, 2009 http://www.nbcnews.com/id/29513322/#.UV5oSpO0chE Sky News, Cruise Ship Woes: Another Carnival Problem, March 15, 2013 http://news.sky.com/story/1065273/cruise-ship-woes-another-carnival-problem