About this Video

• Video Title: The Best and Worst Royal Caribbean Cruise Ships, Ranked
• Channel: Royal Caribbean Blog
• Speakers: Matt
• Duration: 00:14:09

Introduction

This video ranks Royal Caribbean cruise ships, presenting the top and bottom five based on the speaker's personal opinion. The speaker acknowledges that individual preferences and cruise destinations can significantly influence rankings.

Key Takeaways

• Icon of the Seas (Best): The speaker's top choice, praised for its innovative design, crowd distribution, amenities (water park, dining), and overall experience. However, it's noted as expensive and only sails in the Caribbean.
• Wonder of the Seas (Best): Considered the best Oasis-class ship, highlighting lessons learned from previous iterations, improved pool decks, and venues like Playmakers and the Mason Jar bar. Lacks a true Broadway show compared to other Oasis-class ships.
• Odyssey of the Seas (Best): An "undersung" ship, praised for its improved Clex, refined pool deck, and combined dining room. Its location (primarily Europe) and lack of water slides are noted as drawbacks.
• Utopia of the Seas (Best): Very similar to Wonder, ranked lower due to its focus on shorter (3-4 night) cruises which might not suit all travelers. It is noted for its refined pool deck and popularity among first-time cruisers.
• Freedom of the Seas (Best): Offers great value, water slides, various dining options (including Giovannis Italian Kitchen and Playmakers), and a soon-to-be-expanded casino, but cabins may lack the ornate decor of other top-ranked ships.
• Explorer of the Seas (Worst): A Voyager-class ship lacking upgrades received by others in its class, resulting in a less modern experience. However, it offers some of the cheapest cruise fares.
• Liberty of the Seas (Worst): Similar to Explorer, lacking major upgrades, though it does have water slides. Also offers potentially cheaper fares.
• Jewel of the Seas (Worst): A Radiance-class ship, but considered a "stepchild" due to missing upgrades, particularly its outdated NASCAR-themed bar.
• Vision Class (Worst): The speaker deems the entire Vision class as lacking compared to the rest of the fleet, feeling outdated and not delivering on the advertised Royal Caribbean experience. This is balanced with a note that their smaller size and focus on specific destinations (like Greek Islands) can be advantageous to certain travelers.