MO AND BRIAN ASK: 'BIG' OR 'SMALL'?

Dear all at Cruising Squared:

Hi - we are the Brits; Mo (short for Maureen) and me (Brian) and we are new to cruising.

Now, I'll admit that until last year we have not thought of cruising, but we succumbed to the idea and took our first cruise around the Caribbean on the Queen Victoria.

We met lots of people - and struck up many friendships - especially our very good friends Pam and Gaz (just to embarrass you two good folks - when shall we meet again?).

We liked it so much that we went on another cruise, with Cunard in the late autumn (sorry for our US readers - the "fall") choosing a Princess Grill suite - and believe you me, it was well worth the extra cost.

This year we will not be cruising - we have so much to do at home - but we planning for the future.

We loved the food on
the Queen Victoria

The choice of cruise ships is vast - do you choose by Cruise line, by itinerary, by length of cruise, by price, by recommendation, or are you one the many who say "we are very happy with xxx ship or xxx cruise line, we always choose them for our next trip."

But we have a question - and we ask for everyone out there in "cruisingsquare land" to help us in our next choice - big or small? (ships that is).

Do we choose one of the very large ships (like the new Royal Caribbean 5,400 liner) or one of the many smaller ships e.g. those with well under 1,000 passengers?

Ok, we can look on the Internet, which tells us that the advantages of large ships include: - Lots of variety and activities - a good choice of affordable cabins, many with balconies - dining options, ranging from ultra-casual to date-night formal.

On the other hand the disadvantages can include: - Crowds at embarkation/disembarkation, to say nothing about lines at buffets - You are must choose an assigned dinner time and table - Service can be impersonal.

So let's turn to the smaller ships  - the "cons" include: - Personalised service - Enrichment programs feature world-famous experts - High levels of cuisine.

But there is always the "other side of the coin": - as the ships may be older, their rooms may not have balconies - Pools may be small - Limited programs and facilities for the younger generations.

The Queen Victoria cruising at full speed

So, we are taking this opportunity to ask all you in "cruisingsquare land" for your ideas - tell us about your experiences both in large or smaller liners - we would value your feedback and recommendations.

Her's another thought - why not use this opportunity to tell the cruise companies what you think - both positive and negative - what would you change, what would you build on? Looking forward to hearing all your feedback, ideas and recommendations.