Is size important? Part 3….

Here part three of the “is size important” postings, Mid size ships.

These ships have a great advantage over the ‘giant’ ships in that many more ports become accessible due to size and maneuverability, therefore no queueing for Tenders. Mid size ships also tend to do longer voyages to more exotic locations rather that just going around the Med or the Caribbean to the run of the mill ports continuously.

Advantages of a mid size ship are that they are neither overwhelmingly large nor too small, so they strike a good balance. It is relatively easy to find your way around and get your bearings, and queues are not so much of a problem. These ships also have a more traditional feel to them, and don’t feel as stereotyped as the big ships, or for that fact, look like blocks of flats from the outside!

The disadvantages of a mid size ship are most obviously that they do not have the number of public rooms and facilities as the bigger ships – no rock climbing walls, flow riders or ice skating rinks on these! Also due to limited space they don’t have the huge show lounges to stage large scale productions so entertainment will tend to be restricted to the cabaret variety.

On the whole I think that if you are a first time cruiser I would recommend that mid size ships would be a good starting place to gauge the cruising experience – middle of the road on all fronts really, and then you will have a good idea whether you want to upsize or scale down for the next time!