I really appreciate how even though it's not Gary's cup of tea for a cruise, he still did it with the intent of documenting how those cruises are and I am very grateful for
Same. I'm glad Gary went on one of these types of ships and documented it so that I would know if I ever wanted to try one like that. Although a lot of what's on there looks quite interesting, I don't know if I'd try a ship like that--ever. So I'm glad that Gary did it for me (us).
You are, hands down, one of the best reviewers on RUclips. You are eloquent and direct and provide a no fuss approach that spells out the pros and cons of your voyages. Thank you for your service to the cruising community.
I appreciate your thoughtful, honest and balanced analysis Gary. I always enjoy how a cruise might not be your cup of tea, but you find ways to make it work for you.
Thank you, Gary. Very interesting to hear about your experience on Symphony of the Seas. It was good to have your insight on how well such a large ship can handle thousands of passengers. After your positive comments about the various restaurant and entertainment options on-board I might reconsider Royal Caribbean, in particular Symphony.
I like Gary's videos and have watched most of his videos posted in the past few years. I appreciate his honest and thorough reviews. For my resume, I have been on 19 cruises (Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Disney, Virgin, Celebrity and Norwegian). Royal Caribbean is not my favorite, but they do an incredible job for a big ship. Gary did state that this Royal Caribbean ship or similar large ships were not designed specifically for his demographic. I certainly don't expect Cunard, Oceania or Viking to cater specifically to young teens. As a married 66 year old, I would fully expect to be bored on some of the senior oriented cruise-lines. Some of the viewer comments seem unfair; "too many options"(since when are options bad?), "what a nightmare"(nightmare-really?), "it was too family oriented", (have you seen their TV advertisements and you expected what?), etc. It's like someone on a Disney cruise complaining about too many kids on board. Not everyone can afford to be spoiled traveling on high end cruise-lines. For a reasonably priced cruise, you get a lot for your money on Royal Caribbean. Trying to cater to only one demographic is far simpler than trying to specifically cater to all age groups.
My wife prefers smaller ships under 2000 passengers, while I myself like slightly bigger ones. Although we haven't done a cruise on one of the huge Royal Caribbean ships, we did a 3 day cruise out of Sydney on one with about 5000 passengers ( I can't remember the name of it, but it was Royal Caribbean). My wife described it as "a floating Westfield shopping centre at Christmas". I actually liked all the attractions and didn't feel I even got to explore the whole ship on those 3 days.
Well said, Gary! I went on the Anthem of the Seas before the pandemic broke out. They did a great job of keeping the crowds controlled with their "neighborhood" concept. Normally, there is enough to do and see that not all 5,000 passengers get in the way of each other. When planning goes wrong, like it did when we docked in San Juan for the day, most excursions started at 730AM but the only restaurant open at 7 was the buffet and you had 5000 people line up for food like crowds waiting for lifeboats on the Titanic. But all in all, the entertainment was great but the more liked attractions like Flo-rida were always crowded. Service was great when things went as planned and that one incident at San Juan was the only blemish on otherwise great trip. We had a balcony room on the ocean side which was quiet; there were some complaints from the balconies on the interior of the ship because of loud noises (but usually it would be noisy when people had awakened.)
Excellent balanced review. I don't recall a reference to the boarding & disembarcation process. Disembarcation, especially, could be a nightmare! Thanks for the video!
My daughter, my granddaughter, and I took our first ever cruise on Harmony of the Seas this summer, and enjoyed it very much. I am your basic introvert, and I thought for sure that I would only tolerate the crowds. However, I found that it wasn't particularly crowded most of the time. We had a Central Park balcony, which was great for people watching, but not as boisterous as a Boardwalk balcony would have been. Of course, we picked the ship and cruise line with my granddaughter in mind, but we adults enjoyed it too. The service was great--competent and friendly. The shows were well done and entertaining. We ate in the Windjammer a lot, which suited us well. The granddaughter got to eat her fill of watermelon and Caesar salad. We had several breakfasts in the main dining room but only one dinner, so I can't say much about it. Food-wise, the only thing we really disliked was the coffee. I'd definitely do another Oasis-class cruise if the granddaughter was along. She wants to do Icon of the Seas (sorry kid, too expensive). For just myself, I wouldn't book an Oasis-class ship. I have a New England and Canada cruise booked on the much smaller Vision of the Seas next September. I am not expecting it to be Cunard, but I am reasonably confident that I'll have a good time, get good service, and enjoy edible food. I expect it will be a much more adult experience than Harmony was.
Thank you for your wonderful reviews ... As we are getting older and our children are older, our style of cruising is also changing .. we appreciate all of your videos
I'm a little surprised you weren't more wow'd by the Central Park garden, Royal isn't usually my style but the garden was my favorite part to stroll thru with coffee in the morning and at night there's a pavilion bar in the gardens that's an absolute delight 😁
Thanks for another informative video. My husband and I have only cruised on small/medium-sized ships. But for a change of pace, we've booked a cruise on Royal's Wonder of the Seas for next year. We're in our early 60s, and I was concerned we might be a bit older than their typical family-friendly demographic. But I'm looking forward to the entertainment, food, and activities on board.
I was on this ship and same itinerary! Child care was amazing. Gave mom and dad a chance to go to shows! We loved it! Perfect for families. The ship was also 6000/6500 full and it felt empty at times. We loved our suite and suite amenities.
We just went on the Allure of the Sea. We got a guaranteed balcony for the price of an interior and LUCKED OUT! We had a balcony over Central Park and loved it!
Glad it worked out well for you Gary! Our last RCCL cruise was a disappointment unfortunately and put us off them a fair bit and we had previously loved them. Maybe they are getting things sorted out post covid or maybe the Symphony is just very well run and we were a bit unlucky on the Brilliance of the Seas last October (2022). This review gives us our hope back at least for the larger ships (Allure we found was fantastic back in 2015).
We sailed on Allure of the Seas this year. Some thoughts: -service was good -mar food was good, staff wonderful about strict dietary restrictions -buffet food was edible but not particularly good -did the galley tour, cleanest place I’ve ever set foot in (says son with 25 years restaurant experience) -why would anyone want an inside balcony? (But our outside balcony was wonderful) -Central Park was nice -aqua show was just amazing, a must-do -much too crowded and hectic in most areas -Mama Mia was done very well -shopping, meh -better than average gym, fun in the morning when aqua show guys are lifting (yes, I work out on cruises)
I have been on Harmony of the Seas twice and I loved it. There are a ton of activity options and it's up to you how much you get involved in that stuff. There is a lot of space on board so it is possible to get away from the crowds and noise if you want to. The food is very good in most cases and the service is pretty good. To contrast, I have actually cruised Holland America more than anyone else so far and I really like that experience too. Much quieter during the day but plenty to do during the evenings. Definitely more personal service because there are a lot less people onboard. It really depends what you are looking for. BOTTOM LINE, research what you want from a cruise line and what each one provides. There is night and day between Holland and Carnival for example even though they are owned by the same parent company.
Seems like the mega ships would be great for young people and families. At almost 70 years old I would cruise with a more sedate and less frentic environment. I always loved Royal Caribbean. Thank you for the really interesting look at the large ship. I wondered what they were like.
We loved wonder of the seas. The service was amazing and the ship was super impressive. Only a handful of times did it ever feel crowded. They did a great job on the oasis class ships.
Mr. Bembridge, I want to commend you for your fairness. You acknowledge your biases at the beginning of the video, yet you kept an open mind. You were honest about what you liked and didn't like.
We were on allure of the seas this year and it was amazing! Service was wonderful. The MDR couldn't have been better. There were so many things to do. Very important to know what you want in a cruise and do the research to find the right ship. Thanks for your videos!
Hi Gary Your reviews really cover all the angles, thank you! A bit surprising just how many thangs on a ship this size were really so good. But you summed this one up for me as well: “it’s not for me -but it’s not supposed to be”. Ken
I really enjoyed symphony of the seas because it has so many different options you can choose from. Yes it is an oasis class ship but my husband and I enjoy being in them. It can be a hike to get to the dining facilities- we need the walking so we don’t mind. Thank you Gary for the complete review!
I think I almost perfectly mirror Gary's comments. Lots of positives, but still not for an older, single traveller like me. I prefer the enrichment. However, those shows are very interesting.
Very thoughtful review. I went to Symphony of the Seas last September and loved it. Yes, it's packed with entertainment (which I loved) but at the same time, I managed to find quieter spots when I needed them.
I went on Oasis of the Seas several years ago. To the credit of RCCL, the ship was incredible, the crowds were handled well, the food and service were great, etc. If someone wants all that and needs the constant activities, RCCL know how to do the mega ship experience. That said, RCCL is not for me being age 62. Their mega ships are just too big and their smaller/medium ships are just too old. I prefer traditional cruising on Celebrity, Seabourn and Holland America.
Thank you, I’ve been ‘stuck’ with P&O because , (i). They have great transatlantic itineraries for the Caribbean and the America’s. (ii). Departing from Southampton is far easier than flying to another country to board a ship. I shall check out your preferences. Notwithstanding that, I do think that RCCL have a greater range of Entertainment! I was fascinated by their Ice Skating shows and would love to see their Aerial shows. Their Broadway Entertainment shows are FAR SUPERIOR than P&O! So perhaps Celebrity would be my next best bet. 👍🏾
Well said. We went on two older, smaller RCCL ships and . . well, yuck. The bigger ones, maybe similar to NCL are just too, too loud and boisterous I think.
Another great video, Gary! We haven't been on Royal Caribbean in years since we discovered Celebrity but we've been tossing around the idea of going back for another cruise. We really miss Sorrentos! We're a tad older than you are and the noise & the crowds aren't for me, either. Thank you for your honesty in your reviews - we love your videos and I'll be checking out the Live to see more of your suite... good for you! I hope to book one of them one of these days!!
I've been so looking forward to this video - I really enjoyed Royal, but was intrigued to hear your point of view. I completely agree with crowd control - the ship was full when I was onboard back in May, and I couldn't believe how quiet it felt in parts - I LOVED just sitting in Central Park and enjoying some peace and quiet, which felt mad on such a huge, busy ship! As much as I enjoyed it, I'm not sure I'll return solo - would be an amazing ship class with a group of friends, but not the best for me as a solo, I think... Great video!
We just did Harmony of the Seas. We are in our late 60s and we both enjoyed the cruise. We Did the unlimited dining package, so we never had to eat in the buffet or MDR. I enjoyed all the different neighborhoods and there were only a couple of times that it felt crowded. The entertainment was VERY good and the Fine Line Aqua show was fabulous. We usually sail on Medium size ships, and I agree there was not as much enrichment but we still had a good time and we would cruise on one of the BIG RC ships again.
Thank you for this video. I'm so glad it was SOS. My family (ages ranging from 12 to 70) and I are planning a cruise on this ship and it helps to see it from a different POV. It's nice for someone to still appreciate something even if it isn't their cup of tea and not just bad mouth it. SOS will have something for everyone for us. Our trip will be in the Caribbean, so the ports will be great too.
I think you would enjoy travelling with RoadScholar. They have a number of small ships now and certainly they emphasize enrichment and learning for an older crowd.
I love RC 😍 prefer the smaller ships such as independence or the navigator but still had a great time on Symphony of the seas 👌 one thing I miss about the smaller ships, everything flows. You can see all the night entertainment and have dinner and still get off the boat when docked and not miss anything. On Symphony, there was 2 or 3 things going on at the same time meaning you had to pick and choose. Still a great holiday though :)
One observation - it was such a breath of fresh air (all puns intended) to see video from a cruise in which the overwhelming majority of people (incl. crew) are again unmasked . . . and the buffet once again lavish & fully self-service. This is so refreshing to see. While my wife & I (as you may have seen in some of my previous comments/replies) are committed Regent sailors, the allure of experiencing one of these behemoths of the sea has some of the same compulsion for the unique & unknown as our trip to Antarctica or upcoming safari in Africa. This is especially so for this US Navy veteran of 3 shipboard deployments knowing that even our largest aircraft carriers had a complement of fewer than the total guest capacity plus crew borne by these ships - i.e., there's a curiosity for seeing the management of a mass of seaborne humanity that's as large as the modest-sized central Illinois community in which I was raised. Your review contained very helpful datapoints & counsel from which to make an informed decision!! PS - so good of you to mention that status earned on a line (or lines) in the RCL family "count" among that group (ie, Royal C, Celebrity, Silversea)! This is something I do not understand in cruising - why don't all the families of cruise lines honor status earned sailing on ships in that same "family"? . . . it certainly is true among airlines - even to the point of certain aspects of one's status being honored in affiliations of otherwise totally unrelated airlines. Would that NCL (ie, Norwegian, Oceania & Regent) would adopt a similar practice across its lines - certainly Platinum status on Regent should be considered in terms of some loyalty perks when sailing other NCL lines!
I'm in my 60's and I love RC. I love all the things to do. Our usual travel group is most over 60 with a couple of 30/40 somethings. We have the quiet introverts and bar hopping party people. These cruises meet all of our wants.
I would like a ship without casino and entertainment…just a very big swimming pool for laps swimming and good food ( Italian and French style) and nice places to visit.
I'm sure the whole "big ship' was great for most of the people on board. We almost always do two-week cruises, and like a quite small ship with great food. We will take Viking any day.
Thank you Gary for your honest review from a different perspective than other content creators on RUclips who are probably uniquely suited to this type of cruise. I've had reservations about this type of cruise as I too enjoy enrichment talks but I might try it someday if cruising at an unpopular time.
Have not been on the Oasis class Royal ships. Working my way up. Booked b2b on Anthem next spring for Norway. Booked on Rhapsody again this week. Have loved the smaller Royal ships. Royal knows what they are doing and do it well. Will follow Anthem with my first Princess cruise, but not their biggest ship. Glad that overall you enjoyed your cruise on Royal Gary! Great video!
Gary, thank you for another great video. I refer to the mega ships that RCCL has as floating amusement parks. That said the nice thing about cruising is there are ships for people and people for ships. We enjoy a smaller more relaxed ship much like yourself. Bill
This makes me look forward, even more, to our Saga cruise next year, while I do love a really good theatre experience, the thought of so many people crowded together, waiting in long cues is not for us, that's why these videos are so helpful in deciding which cruises our more suited.
Hubby and I have been on multiple RCCL Oasis class ships, most recently Wonder OTS in May and have always had stellar experiences. We do love to stay busy and we intend to take our 4yo triplets in the coming years on this type of ship. Glad to see you tried Symphony out!
Excellent video, as always Gary. Thank you for always giving thoughtful commentary about who would and would not enjoy this cruise experience. However, you didn't mention afternoon tea! I'm sure that you must have explored your afternoon tea options while on board. Do Royal Caribbean's finest ships deliver? Cheers
This is why I appreciate your vids and review. You are fair. You speak on the pros and cons for different cruise type personas and age groups. You tackled Windjammer? Must’ve been early. It can be horrendous at busy times. But Iike you , don’t care too much noise/hustle and bustle but that is expected on these vast ships. Have sailed the Oasis and Allure. Will try to sail the Symphony when it comes to the New Jersey port. We like the Solarium jacuzzis and breakfast buffets; Schooner bar, the shows great. Thanks for your fair review.
I wanted to try one of these mega ships but not crazy about the crowds and kids. So I'm sailing on the Harmony in mid January. Thanks for the honest review.
Only half way through the video and my anxiety level is at 8 out of 10. I would have spent the whole cruise in my cabin with Xanax. Love your channel now I know not to even think of an R.C cruise, not for me.
Looks like an absolute nightmare for me. It would feel like apending a week inside a theme park. I also dont really understand these ships that try so hard to make you look like you're on land.
Did the Oasis of the Seas 4 or 5 years ago. Very large ship that took what seemed a long time to walk along the Boardwalk. It was different from previous and subsequent cruises with the extremely large number of passengers and even at my advanced age would be something that I could do every so often just for a change of pace.
Hello Tony Great show as always! Have you been on the Caribbean Princess before? This is my first time on princess same date as you. I was told the food is very good.
Thanks Gary - agree that the Oasis class ship does move people around well. For us now this is a great family cruise but I want a different experience now and want smaller ships with more interesting itineraries. Next trips are a family all inclusive then trying Oceania. Our cruise on Symphony, the food was disappointing.
Coastal Kitchen is for suite guests only. It’s much better food than the dining room. We skip the dinning room on oasis class ships altogether it’s usually sub-par, especially in the last year or so.
I'd love to try RC at one point. For now, it's way out of my budget, but I'll be working on saving some money. First, I must complete my round on every MSC ships classes. Two done, three to go. And then, it will be time to look at the other cruise lines. Thanks a lot for this video Gary, it's always a pleasure hearing you speak about your passion.
I really enjoyed this overview gary. Like you I'm more of a Holland America cultural cuisine and you know the immersion type experiences. But the one time I was on an RCL ship I did enjoy the ice show and a little bit of the main promenade area but I can't take crowds or a lot of noise and I absolutely despise going ashore in a port were thousands of people are disembarking at once. So I would maybe do it again just for some of the novelty like the Central Park I think I would love. But yep I'm with you on the smaller to medium ships being much calmer for some of us quieter people.
Central Park is nice. We had a Central Park balcony on Harmony of the Seas. It was reasonably quiet. We could hear the music from the jazz band that played in the evenings, but I consider that a feature and not a bug. The park smelled nice, and I think the plants keep the temperature down a little. They even have fake bird song and cricket noises. I wouldn't go on and Oasis-class ship just for that, though. I'll be trying one of RCL's small ships next September.
I would echo many of your sentiments. We just got off Harmony of the Seas, and while there were a ton of people, it never felt like it was crowded. Definitely agree on the crew being incentivized…our MDR server wasn’t over the top about it, but definitely wanted to make sure we were living up to a “10”
Thank you so much for this, like yourself I'm older in my 70’s and like the smaller ships. One thing I noticed about most of the channels that cover cruising and I listened to many over the years yours included is you hardly ever mention the libraries. So could I ask you to also include a little bit of information about the different libraries when you go on ships. I also started learning how to play bridge in 2002 and love it and noticed years ago that one of the game rooms on a ship was closed off because of a bridge tournament. That got me curious about people who play bridge on ships so if this was something you could check out for all the people who love to play bridge on board a cruise, I think not only me but other people might appreciate that so maybe going into the game room and checking out information about this would be interesting. Thank you very much I enjoyed your podcast.
Will do. Though reason is mostly as hardly any have them. Though I will be talking about it in my upcoming Regent Explorer as they did and pretty big one
I’ve only cruises on RCCL smaller ships, and recently on HAL for the first time. I’m definitely more of the HAL personality, despite being 20+ years younger then what is often felt as the target. Those my age on the recent cruise were mainly looking for that slower pace, enrichment based cruise. My best friend on the other hand enjoys the party more. Perhaps this is how we can have a girls trip.
I was surprised how much we liked the big RC Ships. My wife and I went on one last year and loved Central Park (though the Library was poor- yes I frequently check out a ships library!). We went to most of the specialty restaurants and the food quality and variety were very good and the crew enthusiastic. Even though I was afraid it would be overcrowded, the ship is so well designed, and the crowds spread out it was not as bad as you would imagine. The suites are large. If you go on a ship for the destination ports, this may not be the ship for you. If you go for the ship experience, then RC is hard to beat with their new, humongous and exciting ships. We also went offseason, and there were fewer kids, so it was likely a little less hectic than your experience.
I agree with you. We travel on Celebrity and like the smaller guest capacity. We sailed on a 15 day RCI Anthem Transatlantic cruise recently and found it a bit overwhelming. I doubt that we wil ever do a larger ship again.
@@tipsfortravellers yep not my scene, hopefully the wife will get to go on one, they look great tbf... I've never heard anyone say a bad thing about them.
I would disagree in my experience. In just 4 days, we got food that was warm when it should have been cold, food that was frozen in the middle when it should have been hot, and meat in vegetarian dishes twice. I'm not veggie (I just fancied those dishes), but it grossed me out that their food standards/training was clearly an issue in multiple restaurants. In about 25 cruises (and every restaurant ever), I've never really complained about food and have NEVER sent anything back, but with RC I just had to send back one dish and leave some others because I just didn't think they were safe to eat. I would be terrified to take anyone with an allergy on one of their ships now.
Glad you had a good time, and I've heard Coastal Kitchen is a cut above the MDR on Royal. My recent experience on Freedom-class ships has been that the food and service was sub-par (and far fewer choices than on Oasis-class). I'll continue to cruise Royal on an annual music charter, but service- and food-wise, as well as price-wise, I prefer Carnival.
I don’t think I would ever go on something that large. I have been on 3 NCL ships at 2400 passengers and a Cunard at about the same. My next cruise is Atlas Ocean Voyages at 196 passengers. You did a fine job covering this massive ship and it was out of your comfort zone,
Those are interesting thoughts. The largest Royal Caribbean ship I've been on is Oasis of the Seas so I haven't been on the biggest mega ships. I think the crowds and the size might overwhelm me. My late father cruised into his 80s. He was never the most active and you might have described him as a stick-in-the-mud. However, he LOVED the big ships.
also note Excursions prices which museums palaces ancient ruins are included in ticket costs especially for timed reservations or extremely distant destinations like uffizi vatican cordoba sevilla milano rijksmuseum munch or norwegian national gallery, ny carlsberrg glyptotek, louvre versailles, tower london kensington palace
Having been on Oasis-class ships before, this is an incredibly accurate review, and honestly, having just gotten off the MSC Meraviglia, I believe that my next cruise will be either on the Symphony (Oasis class) or the Anthem (Quantum Class) out of New York (Bayonne).
I was just on Serenade of the Seas for a 5 night Boston to Canada cruise. It was an older ship, which I was fine with, not so many crowds. I was there to focus on writing a manuscript and it really worked for me. 52 pages accomplished. But I would be less inclined to do it for a family trip or romantic getaway
I really appreciate how even though it's not Gary's cup of tea for a cruise, he still did it with the intent of documenting how those cruises are and I am very grateful for
First world problems haha. Tough life ❤❤🎉🎉
Same. I'm glad Gary went on one of these types of ships and documented it so that I would know if I ever wanted to try one like that.
Although a lot of what's on there looks quite interesting, I don't know if I'd try a ship like that--ever.
So I'm glad that Gary did it for me (us).
You are, hands down, one of the best reviewers on RUclips. You are eloquent and direct and provide a no fuss approach that spells out the pros and cons of your voyages. Thank you for your service to the cruising community.
I appreciate your thoughtful, honest and balanced analysis Gary. I always enjoy how a cruise might not be your cup of tea, but you find ways to make it work for you.
Thank you, Gary.
Very interesting to hear about your experience on Symphony of the Seas.
It was good to have your insight on how well such a large ship can handle thousands of passengers.
After your positive comments about the various restaurant and entertainment options on-board I might reconsider Royal Caribbean, in particular Symphony.
I like Gary's videos and have watched most of his videos posted in the past few years. I appreciate his honest and thorough reviews. For my resume, I have been on 19 cruises (Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland America, Disney, Virgin, Celebrity and Norwegian). Royal Caribbean is not my favorite, but they do an incredible job for a big ship. Gary did state that this Royal Caribbean ship or similar large ships were not designed specifically for his demographic. I certainly don't expect Cunard, Oceania or Viking to cater specifically to young teens. As a married 66 year old, I would fully expect to be bored on some of the senior oriented cruise-lines. Some of the viewer comments seem unfair; "too many options"(since when are options bad?), "what a nightmare"(nightmare-really?), "it was too family oriented", (have you seen their TV advertisements and you expected what?), etc. It's like someone on a Disney cruise complaining about too many kids on board. Not everyone can afford to be spoiled traveling on high end cruise-lines. For a reasonably priced cruise, you get a lot for your money on Royal Caribbean. Trying to cater to only one demographic is far simpler than trying to specifically cater to all age groups.
You are completely correct in your assessment. Great reply.
Absolutely true. Royal Caribbean and the big ships are still my favourite even as a 65 year old.
Thank you, Gary, for this review. I appreciate your honesty and especially your grace in highlighting what is done well on this ship.
Gary I have been watching your videos for years. You have been of such help when figuring out what is b right for us.
My wife prefers smaller ships under 2000 passengers, while I myself like slightly bigger ones. Although we haven't done a cruise on one of the huge Royal Caribbean ships, we did a 3 day cruise out of Sydney on one with about 5000 passengers ( I can't remember the name of it, but it was Royal Caribbean). My wife described it as "a floating Westfield shopping centre at Christmas". I actually liked all the attractions and didn't feel I even got to explore the whole ship on those 3 days.
Well said, Gary! I went on the Anthem of the Seas before the pandemic broke out. They did a great job of keeping the crowds controlled with their "neighborhood" concept. Normally, there is enough to do and see that not all 5,000 passengers get in the way of each other. When planning goes wrong, like it did when we docked in San Juan for the day, most excursions started at 730AM but the only restaurant open at 7 was the buffet and you had 5000 people line up for food like crowds waiting for lifeboats on the Titanic. But all in all, the entertainment was great but the more liked attractions like Flo-rida were always crowded. Service was great when things went as planned and that one incident at San Juan was the only blemish on otherwise great trip. We had a balcony room on the ocean side which was quiet; there were some complaints from the balconies on the interior of the ship because of loud noises (but usually it would be noisy when people had awakened.)
Excellent balanced review.
I don't recall a reference to the boarding & disembarcation process. Disembarcation, especially, could be a nightmare!
Thanks for the video!
My daughter, my granddaughter, and I took our first ever cruise on Harmony of the Seas this summer, and enjoyed it very much. I am your basic introvert, and I thought for sure that I would only tolerate the crowds. However, I found that it wasn't particularly crowded most of the time. We had a Central Park balcony, which was great for people watching, but not as boisterous as a Boardwalk balcony would have been. Of course, we picked the ship and cruise line with my granddaughter in mind, but we adults enjoyed it too. The service was great--competent and friendly. The shows were well done and entertaining. We ate in the Windjammer a lot, which suited us well. The granddaughter got to eat her fill of watermelon and Caesar salad. We had several breakfasts in the main dining room but only one dinner, so I can't say much about it. Food-wise, the only thing we really disliked was the coffee. I'd definitely do another Oasis-class cruise if the granddaughter was along. She wants to do Icon of the Seas (sorry kid, too expensive).
For just myself, I wouldn't book an Oasis-class ship. I have a New England and Canada cruise booked on the much smaller Vision of the Seas next September. I am not expecting it to be Cunard, but I am reasonably confident that I'll have a good time, get good service, and enjoy edible food. I expect it will be a much more adult experience than Harmony was.
Thank you for your wonderful reviews ... As we are getting older and our children are older, our style of cruising is also changing .. we appreciate all of your videos
Are you kidding? Midnight? I go to bed at 8pm! I salute you for being ABLE to stay up till midnight!😳
I'm a little surprised you weren't more wow'd by the Central Park garden, Royal isn't usually my style but the garden was my favorite part to stroll thru with coffee in the morning and at night there's a pavilion bar in the gardens that's an absolute delight 😁
Thanks for another informative video. My husband and I have only cruised on small/medium-sized ships. But for a change of pace, we've booked a cruise on Royal's Wonder of the Seas for next year. We're in our early 60s, and I was concerned we might be a bit older than their typical family-friendly demographic. But I'm looking forward to the entertainment, food, and activities on board.
I was on this ship and same itinerary! Child care was amazing. Gave mom and dad a chance to go to shows! We loved it! Perfect for families. The ship was also 6000/6500 full and it felt empty at times. We loved our suite and suite amenities.
We just went on the Allure of the Sea. We got a guaranteed balcony for the price of an interior and LUCKED OUT! We had a balcony over Central Park and loved it!
Glad it worked out well for you Gary! Our last RCCL cruise was a disappointment unfortunately and put us off them a fair bit and we had previously loved them. Maybe they are getting things sorted out post covid or maybe the Symphony is just very well run and we were a bit unlucky on the Brilliance of the Seas last October (2022). This review gives us our hope back at least for the larger ships (Allure we found was fantastic back in 2015).
We sailed on Allure of the Seas this year. Some thoughts:
-service was good
-mar food was good, staff wonderful about strict dietary restrictions
-buffet food was edible but not particularly good
-did the galley tour, cleanest place I’ve ever set foot in (says son with 25 years restaurant experience)
-why would anyone want an inside balcony? (But our outside balcony was wonderful)
-Central Park was nice
-aqua show was just amazing, a must-do
-much too crowded and hectic in most areas
-Mama Mia was done very well
-shopping, meh
-better than average gym, fun in the morning when aqua show guys are lifting (yes, I work out on cruises)
I have been on Harmony of the Seas twice and I loved it. There are a ton of activity options and it's up to you how much you get involved in that stuff. There is a lot of space on board so it is possible to get away from the crowds and noise if you want to. The food is very good in most cases and the service is pretty good. To contrast, I have actually cruised Holland America more than anyone else so far and I really like that experience too. Much quieter during the day but plenty to do during the evenings. Definitely more personal service because there are a lot less people onboard. It really depends what you are looking for. BOTTOM LINE, research what you want from a cruise line and what each one provides. There is night and day between Holland and Carnival for example even though they are owned by the same parent company.
Good for you for going and giving us a detailed review....
Seems like the mega ships would be great for young people and families. At almost 70 years old I would cruise with a more sedate and less frentic environment. I always loved Royal Caribbean. Thank you for the really interesting look at the large ship. I wondered what they were like.
We loved wonder of the seas. The service was amazing and the ship was super impressive. Only a handful of times did it ever feel crowded. They did a great job on the oasis class ships.
Mr. Bembridge, I want to commend you for your fairness. You acknowledge your biases at the beginning of the video, yet you kept an open mind. You were honest about what you liked and didn't like.
Thank you, Gary! What a great overview! Good for you for trying some things you usually do not do--YOU are a good sport!
We were on allure of the seas this year and it was amazing! Service was wonderful. The MDR couldn't have been better. There were so many things to do.
Very important to know what you want in a cruise and do the research to find the right ship. Thanks for your videos!
Hi Gary Your reviews really cover all the angles, thank you! A bit surprising just how many thangs on a ship this size were really so good. But you summed this one up for me as well: “it’s not for me -but it’s not supposed to be”. Ken
Many thanks! Yes it was amazing how they have learnt to still do things well on scale like that.....
I really enjoyed symphony of the seas because it has so many different options you can choose from. Yes it is an oasis class ship but my husband and I enjoy being in them. It can be a hike to get to the dining facilities- we need the walking so we don’t mind.
Thank you Gary for the complete review!
I think I almost perfectly mirror Gary's comments. Lots of positives, but still not for an older, single traveller like me. I prefer the enrichment. However, those shows are very interesting.
Very thoughtful review. I went to Symphony of the Seas last September and loved it. Yes, it's packed with entertainment (which I loved) but at the same time, I managed to find quieter spots when I needed them.
I went on Oasis of the Seas several years ago. To the credit of RCCL, the ship was incredible, the crowds were handled well, the food and service were great, etc. If someone wants all that and needs the constant activities, RCCL know how to do the mega ship experience. That said, RCCL is not for me being age 62. Their mega ships are just too big and their smaller/medium ships are just too old. I prefer traditional cruising on Celebrity, Seabourn and Holland America.
I’m with you. I do like the smaller RCCL ships but overall I now find Princess hard to beat.
Thank you, I’ve been ‘stuck’ with P&O because , (i). They have great transatlantic itineraries for the Caribbean and the America’s. (ii). Departing from Southampton is far easier than flying to another country to board a ship.
I shall check out your preferences.
Notwithstanding that, I do think that RCCL have a greater range of Entertainment! I was fascinated by their Ice Skating shows and would love to see their Aerial shows. Their Broadway Entertainment shows are FAR SUPERIOR than P&O! So perhaps Celebrity would be my next best bet. 👍🏾
Well said.
We went on two older, smaller RCCL ships and . . well, yuck.
The bigger ones, maybe similar to NCL are just too, too loud and boisterous I think.
Another great video, Gary! We haven't been on Royal Caribbean in years since we discovered Celebrity but we've been tossing around the idea of going back for another cruise. We really miss Sorrentos! We're a tad older than you are and the noise & the crowds aren't for me, either. Thank you for your honesty in your reviews - we love your videos and I'll be checking out the Live to see more of your suite... good for you! I hope to book one of them one of these days!!
I've been so looking forward to this video - I really enjoyed Royal, but was intrigued to hear your point of view. I completely agree with crowd control - the ship was full when I was onboard back in May, and I couldn't believe how quiet it felt in parts - I LOVED just sitting in Central Park and enjoying some peace and quiet, which felt mad on such a huge, busy ship!
As much as I enjoyed it, I'm not sure I'll return solo - would be an amazing ship class with a group of friends, but not the best for me as a solo, I think...
Great video!
Thanks for watching! Yes, it’s definitely best with a group of friends !
We just did Harmony of the Seas. We are in our late 60s and we both enjoyed the cruise. We Did the unlimited dining package, so we never had to eat in the buffet or MDR. I enjoyed all the different neighborhoods and there were only a couple of times that it felt crowded. The entertainment was VERY good and the Fine Line Aqua show was fabulous. We usually sail on Medium size ships, and I agree there was not as much enrichment but we still had a good time and we would cruise on one of the BIG RC ships again.
Been looking forward to seeing your thoughts on this ship. We love Oasis class ships.
Thank you for this video. I'm so glad it was SOS. My family (ages ranging from 12 to 70) and I are planning a cruise on this ship and it helps to see it from a different POV. It's nice for someone to still appreciate something even if it isn't their cup of tea and not just bad mouth it. SOS will have something for everyone for us. Our trip will be in the Caribbean, so the ports will be great too.
So good to hear your words of praise for this ship.
Not going to lie, this looks like hell on earth to me. But, to each their own.
I always go to the Solarian area. I will take my noise cancelling gear to block out the noise. I like to read there. I need quiet when I read.
Very comprehensive fair review. We do love Royal especially for it's entertainment, service and Central Park is a favorite.
I think you would enjoy travelling with RoadScholar. They have a number of small ships now and certainly they emphasize enrichment and learning for an older crowd.
I love RC 😍 prefer the smaller ships such as independence or the navigator but still had a great time on Symphony of the seas 👌 one thing I miss about the smaller ships, everything flows. You can see all the night entertainment and have dinner and still get off the boat when docked and not miss anything. On Symphony, there was 2 or 3 things going on at the same time meaning you had to pick and choose. Still a great holiday though :)
One observation - it was such a breath of fresh air (all puns intended) to see video from a cruise in which the overwhelming majority of people (incl. crew) are again unmasked . . . and the buffet once again lavish & fully self-service. This is so refreshing to see.
While my wife & I (as you may have seen in some of my previous comments/replies) are committed Regent sailors, the allure of experiencing one of these behemoths of the sea has some of the same compulsion for the unique & unknown as our trip to Antarctica or upcoming safari in Africa. This is especially so for this US Navy veteran of 3 shipboard deployments knowing that even our largest aircraft carriers had a complement of fewer than the total guest capacity plus crew borne by these ships - i.e., there's a curiosity for seeing the management of a mass of seaborne humanity that's as large as the modest-sized central Illinois community in which I was raised. Your review contained very helpful datapoints & counsel from which to make an informed decision!!
PS - so good of you to mention that status earned on a line (or lines) in the RCL family "count" among that group (ie, Royal C, Celebrity, Silversea)! This is something I do not understand in cruising - why don't all the families of cruise lines honor status earned sailing on ships in that same "family"? . . . it certainly is true among airlines - even to the point of certain aspects of one's status being honored in affiliations of otherwise totally unrelated airlines. Would that NCL (ie, Norwegian, Oceania & Regent) would adopt a similar practice across its lines - certainly Platinum status on Regent should be considered in terms of some loyalty perks when sailing other NCL lines!
I'm in my 60's and I love RC. I love all the things to do. Our usual travel group is most over 60 with a couple of 30/40 somethings. We have the quiet introverts and bar hopping party people. These cruises meet all of our wants.
I wish Royal Caribbean , Oasis Class ships would do more Atlantic crossings .
I would like a ship without casino and entertainment…just a very big swimming pool for laps swimming and good food ( Italian and French style) and nice places to visit.
I know it’s impossible
I love Royal Caribbean. I love their ships, food, shows, activities and the service.
I'm sure the whole "big ship' was great for most of the people on board. We almost always do two-week cruises, and like a quite small ship with great food. We will take Viking any day.
Thank you for being so honest even though it wasn’t for you, very professional.
Thanks for watching. Good to hear you found it interesting 👍🏻
Thank you Gary for your honest review from a different perspective than other content creators on RUclips who are probably uniquely suited to this type of cruise. I've had reservations about this type of cruise as I too enjoy enrichment talks but I might try it someday if cruising at an unpopular time.
Thanks for your input. I would rather stay home. Lol. Give me a small, quiet ship anytime. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime. 😊
Have not been on the Oasis class Royal ships. Working my way up. Booked b2b on Anthem next spring for Norway. Booked on Rhapsody again this week. Have loved the smaller Royal ships. Royal knows what they are doing and do it well. Will follow Anthem with my first Princess cruise, but not their biggest ship. Glad that overall you enjoyed your cruise on Royal Gary! Great video!
Gary, thank you for another great video. I refer to the mega ships that RCCL has as floating amusement parks. That said the nice thing about cruising is there are ships for people and people for ships. We enjoy a smaller more relaxed ship much like yourself.
Bill
Gary thanks for an informative video, we will be Sailing on Symphony of the Seas next may.
I haven't been on Royal Caribbean as much since I found Celebrity. But I was on Wonder of the Seas and it was WONDER- ful
This makes me look forward, even more, to our Saga cruise next year, while I do love a really good theatre experience, the thought of so many people crowded together, waiting in long cues is not for us, that's why these videos are so helpful in deciding which cruises our more suited.
I’ve been on 1 RCL and I enjoyed myself so much I want to try another of their mega ships.
Hubby and I have been on multiple RCCL Oasis class ships, most recently Wonder OTS in May and have always had stellar experiences. We do love to stay busy and we intend to take our 4yo triplets in the coming years on this type of ship. Glad to see you tried Symphony out!
Thankyou Gary, this video was brilliant 👏 and so well worth watching for all the detail. 😊
Great video Gary! Thanks for what seems like a really balanced review.
These videos are really useful for us as I’d hate this type of cruise! Thank you 🙏 it’s one to avoid for us.
Thank you for making these. I should show them to my travel agent mother.
Excellent review. Really compliments the one you did after this one. I am much more knowledgeable on what to expect on this type of cruise.
Excellent video, as always Gary. Thank you for always giving thoughtful commentary about who would and would not enjoy this cruise experience. However, you didn't mention afternoon tea! I'm sure that you must have explored your afternoon tea options while on board. Do Royal Caribbean's finest ships deliver? Cheers
They don’t do it…!!
Very surprising that they don't do afternoon tea at all 😮. With such a big ship I would have thought they'd tuck it into at least one venue.
On some of the smaller Royal ships, the Windjammer offers afternoon tea and snacks with scones, but only self serve.
Love this! Incredibly balanced and interesting insight into your experience!
Thanks so much!
Really good review. Thank you Gary
This is why I appreciate your vids and review. You are fair. You speak on the pros and cons for different cruise type personas and age groups. You tackled Windjammer? Must’ve been early. It can be horrendous at busy times. But Iike you , don’t care too much noise/hustle and bustle but that is expected on these vast ships. Have sailed the Oasis and Allure. Will try to sail the Symphony when it comes to the New Jersey port. We like the Solarium jacuzzis and breakfast buffets; Schooner bar, the shows great. Thanks for your fair review.
I wanted to try one of these mega ships but not crazy about the crowds and kids. So I'm sailing on the Harmony in mid January. Thanks for the honest review.
Only half way through the video and my anxiety level is at 8 out of 10. I would have spent the whole cruise in my cabin with Xanax. Love your channel now I know not to even think of an R.C cruise, not for me.
Oh dear! It was rather full on for sure.....
A balcony room is an absolute must!
Great video. Thanks. Sounds like there is plenty of choice of activities which you can then pick from.
Thanks for watching!
Very informative video Gary.
Another great review Gary. I would totally hate being on a ship like that!
Thanks for watching though!!!
Looks like an absolute nightmare for me. It would feel like apending a week inside a theme park. I also dont really understand these ships that try so hard to make you look like you're on land.
They're floating Westfields. I prefer to connect with the sea on a cruise holiday, not a shopping centre.
Just try it. It’s amazing.
Did the Oasis of the Seas 4 or 5 years ago. Very large ship that took what seemed a long time to walk along the Boardwalk. It was different from previous and subsequent cruises with the extremely large number of passengers and even at my advanced age would be something that I could do every so often just for a change of pace.
Hello Tony Great show as always! Have you been on the Caribbean Princess before? This is my first time on princess same date as you. I was told the food is very good.
Thanks Gary - agree that the Oasis class ship does move people around well. For us now this is a great family cruise but I want a different experience now and want smaller ships with more interesting itineraries. Next trips are a family all inclusive then trying Oceania. Our cruise on Symphony, the food was disappointing.
Coastal Kitchen is for suite guests only. It’s much better food than the dining room. We skip the dinning room on oasis class ships altogether it’s usually sub-par, especially in the last year or so.
This cruise line looks perfect for me. Looking forward to my travel agent’s group Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean in April!
Which ship are you going on?
I'd love to try RC at one point. For now, it's way out of my budget, but I'll be working on saving some money. First, I must complete my round on every MSC ships classes. Two done, three to go. And then, it will be time to look at the other cruise lines.
Thanks a lot for this video Gary, it's always a pleasure hearing you speak about your passion.
I love the Oasis Class but I also love smaller ships too.
I loved Central Park. The wine bar there was the best and the staff were so happy to have a customer.
I did keep an eye on that after you mentioned that. It had a core crowd but never packed on my trip either !
I really enjoyed this overview gary. Like you I'm more of a Holland America cultural cuisine and you know the immersion type experiences. But the one time I was on an RCL ship I did enjoy the ice show and a little bit of the main promenade area but I can't take crowds or a lot of noise and I absolutely despise going ashore in a port were thousands of people are disembarking at once. So I would maybe do it again just for some of the novelty like the Central Park I think I would love. But yep I'm with you on the smaller to medium ships being much calmer for some of us quieter people.
Central Park is nice. We had a Central Park balcony on Harmony of the Seas. It was reasonably quiet. We could hear the music from the jazz band that played in the evenings, but I consider that a feature and not a bug. The park smelled nice, and I think the plants keep the temperature down a little. They even have fake bird song and cricket noises. I wouldn't go on and Oasis-class ship just for that, though. I'll be trying one of RCL's small ships next September.
I would echo many of your sentiments. We just got off Harmony of the Seas, and while there were a ton of people, it never felt like it was crowded. Definitely agree on the crew being incentivized…our MDR server wasn’t over the top about it, but definitely wanted to make sure we were living up to a “10”
Thank you so much for this, like yourself I'm older in my 70’s and like the smaller ships. One thing I noticed about most of the channels that cover cruising and I listened to many over the years yours included is you hardly ever mention the libraries. So could I ask you to also include a little bit of information about the different libraries when you go on ships.
I also started learning how to play bridge in 2002 and love it and noticed years ago that one of the game rooms on a ship was closed off because of a bridge tournament. That got me curious about people who play bridge on ships so if this was something you could check out for all the people who love to play bridge on board a cruise, I think not only me but other people might appreciate that so maybe going into the game room and checking out information about this would be interesting. Thank you very much I enjoyed your podcast.
Will do. Though reason is mostly as hardly any have them. Though I will be talking about it in my upcoming Regent Explorer as they did and pretty big one
I’ve only cruises on RCCL smaller ships, and recently on HAL for the first time. I’m definitely more of the HAL personality, despite being 20+ years younger then what is often felt as the target. Those my age on the recent cruise were mainly looking for that slower pace, enrichment based cruise. My best friend on the other hand enjoys the party more. Perhaps this is how we can have a girls trip.
I was surprised how much we liked the big RC Ships. My wife and I went on one last year and loved Central Park (though the Library was poor- yes I frequently check out a ships library!). We went to most of the specialty restaurants and the food quality and variety were very good and the crew enthusiastic. Even though I was afraid it would be overcrowded, the ship is so well designed, and the crowds spread out it was not as bad as you would imagine. The suites are large. If you go on a ship for the destination ports, this may not be the ship for you. If you go for the ship experience, then RC is hard to beat with their new, humongous and exciting ships. We also went offseason, and there were fewer kids, so it was likely a little less hectic than your experience.
Very well done, enjoyed this video.
Great hear! Thanks for watching
I agree with you. We travel on Celebrity and like the smaller guest capacity. We sailed on a 15 day RCI Anthem Transatlantic cruise recently and found it a bit overwhelming. I doubt that we wil ever do a larger ship again.
Great channel Gary...you dont gloss over the things that regular cruisers never mention...and I'm a non cruiser.
Thanks, and especially watching as a non-cruiser (yet I hope!)
@@tipsfortravellers yep not my scene, hopefully the wife will get to go on one, they look great tbf... I've never heard anyone say a bad thing about them.
And, for those who need, they are very careful about food allergies, etc.
I would disagree in my experience. In just 4 days, we got food that was warm when it should have been cold, food that was frozen in the middle when it should have been hot, and meat in vegetarian dishes twice. I'm not veggie (I just fancied those dishes), but it grossed me out that their food standards/training was clearly an issue in multiple restaurants. In about 25 cruises (and every restaurant ever), I've never really complained about food and have NEVER sent anything back, but with RC I just had to send back one dish and leave some others because I just didn't think they were safe to eat. I would be terrified to take anyone with an allergy on one of their ships now.
Glad you had a good time, and I've heard Coastal Kitchen is a cut above the MDR on Royal. My recent experience on Freedom-class ships has been that the food and service was sub-par (and far fewer choices than on Oasis-class). I'll continue to cruise Royal on an annual music charter, but service- and food-wise, as well as price-wise, I prefer Carnival.
I don’t think I would ever go on something that large. I have been on 3 NCL ships at 2400 passengers and a Cunard at about the same. My next cruise is Atlas Ocean Voyages at 196 passengers. You did a fine job covering this massive ship and it was out of your comfort zone,
7:11 That is Gary on the flow rider! 😂
Those are interesting thoughts. The largest Royal Caribbean ship I've been on is Oasis of the Seas so I haven't been on the biggest mega ships. I think the crowds and the size might overwhelm me. My late father cruised into his 80s. He was never the most active and you might have described him as a stick-in-the-mud. However, he LOVED the big ships.
Gary Bembridge is an absolute treasure
also note Excursions prices which museums palaces ancient ruins are included in ticket costs especially for timed reservations or extremely distant destinations like uffizi vatican cordoba sevilla milano rijksmuseum munch or norwegian national gallery, ny carlsberrg glyptotek, louvre versailles, tower london kensington palace
Having been on Oasis-class ships before, this is an incredibly accurate review, and honestly, having just gotten off the MSC Meraviglia, I believe that my next cruise will be either on the Symphony (Oasis class) or the Anthem (Quantum Class) out of New York (Bayonne).
Thank you for the video!
My pleasure!
I would be interested to see your comparative take on a Carnival cruise now...
I was just on Serenade of the Seas for a 5 night Boston to Canada cruise. It was an older ship, which I was fine with, not so many crowds. I was there to focus on writing a manuscript and it really worked for me. 52 pages accomplished. But I would be less inclined to do it for a family trip or romantic getaway