Here’s 10 Reasons Why I LOVE Older Cruise Ships (and Why You Should, Too!).

The cruise industry today seems obsessed with building the biggest cruise ships afloat, each boasting their own absolutely mind-blowing onboard facilities. What if I told you that it’s sometimes beneficial to overlook these floating modern giants and turn your attention to the older ships in the fleets? That’s right - forget the water parks, the drop slides, the aqua theatres, the rollercoasters, the ropes courses, and just about everything else that you can imagine… When you look past these attractions and think about the older ships out there, you might find a few surprises!

In this post, I’m going to tell you about why I love cruising on older cruise ships, and why I think everyone should try them for a future cruise, rather than instantly dismissing them in favour of their more modern counterparts. 

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I often get asked questions like ‘do I prefer older or newer ships’, and ‘which would I recommend to someone thinking of booking a cruise’? The honest answer? There are benefits to both old and new ships, and it really will come down to what you want to get out of your vacation experience, and also what you want the onboard experience to look and feel like.

Before we get started, don’t get me wrong - I’m going to tell you about the positives of cruising on older ships in this video, but there are also some aspects that you need to keep in mind that could be considered negative. On older cruise ships, you’re inevitably going to find some signs of wear and tear, you’re probably going to have shower curtains in your bathroom, you’ll have much older lighting and decor styles in your cabin - at the end of the day, you’re on a ship which has been getting used every day for years - of course some areas might be looking a little more tired than on other ships.

That said, it’s certainly not all negative… Let’s get started!

So many people think about only cruising on the newest cruise ships out there, but there are so many positives to older ships. Here’s Iona, one of the newest cruise ships from P&O Cruises, docked in Stavanger in Norway. © Fraser at Sea

1. Older Cruise Ships Can Offer BARGAIN Cruise Fares!

There’s no denying that older cruise ships are usually priced at a much lower level than their newer counterparts. I recently cruised onboard one of the newest ships from Celebrity Cruises, and we docked beside one of their oldest ships at one of our ports. I did some research to see how much it would cost to book a cruise on that older ship, and I was amazed to learn that passengers on that ship had paid HUNDREDS less for their cruise, despite the fact it was visiting pretty similar ports, and the cruise length was more or less the same.

Let’s look at an example from Royal Caribbean. In the below examples, I’ll offer you prices for a 7-night cruise from Barcelona in July 2027. The two ships being compared are Legend of the Seas (which launched in 2026) and Mariner of the Seas (which launched in 2003). The older ship isn’t going to have a lot of the facilities that the new ship has onboard, but the pricing might just get you thinking…

To confirm, the ports that these ships are visiting are different, but there are countless examples out there like this!

Here’s how much a 7-night cruise from Barcelona could cost onboard Mariner of the Seas.

Here’s how much a 7-night cruise from Barcelona could cost onboard Legend of the Seas.

In the above example, you could secure a basic inside cabin onboard the older ship for less than £900pp, but the newer ship is going to cost you around £600 more! When you look at other categories of accommodation, it’s quite frightening to see that you could book a Suite on the older ship for about the same price as a Balcony cabin on the newer ship.

When you think about your add-ons for your cruise, you’re often much better value to cruise on the older ships in the fleet with added drinks and dining packages, than you would be to purchase a ‘cruise only’ fare on the newer ships.

So, why is it so much more expensive to cruise on the newer ships? Easy - the whole world wants to experience the newest ships and innovations as early as possible. My advice on this one is to wait a year or two, and then the pricing of the newer ships usually drops quite significantly - you might just save yourself a small fortune…!!

2. Older Cruise Ships can Feel Much More Traditional than their Modern Equivalents.

This is a very personal one - some people love it, while others don’t. I really enjoy cruising on traditional ships - there’s something about them that makes me think of the past, and I love to imagine how incredible they must’ve been when they first launched.

On the older ships, you often find traditional-feeling main atrium spaces, often complete with sweeping staircases coming down into the middle of the room, perfect for showing off your formal night outfit(s). Features like this often aren’t on the newer ships, as I guess many cruise lines tend to prioritise these spaces for revenue-generating facilities instead of the more grand open space.

For me, there’s just something incredibly charming about the main atrium spaces on the older cruise ships - here’s an example from onboard Rhapsody of the Seas, one of Royal Caribbean’s oldest ships at the point of writing this post! Impressive, isn’t it?!

The Main Atrium onboard Rhapsody of the Seas feels incredibly traditional when compared to her newer fleetmates. © Fraser at Sea

3. Service Often Feels Better, or ‘Elevated’ on an Older Cruise Ship!

The cruise industry is famous for the level of service that you’ll receive on the ships. The crew that work on these ships are absolutely fantastic, but the reality often is that service can feel slightly elevated when you cruise on an older ship.

There are a few reasons for this. First, you can often find crew who have completed lots of contracts focus on the older ships, and there are also crew members who request to return to the same ship contract after contract, because they enjoy working on there. In this example, you’re going to encounter a much more engaged member of staff, who will inevitably deliver better customer service as a result. I’ve cruised on ships before where some crew members have completed over 10 contracts on that one ship, and they absolutely love it - it’s like their second home and they know it so so well.

Another reason why service can often feel elevated on a smaller ship is that a smaller ship will carry less passengers than a larger ship. As a result of this, the onboard crew are more likely to remember your name, your favourite drink that you order when you visit their bar, or maybe even the fact that you love dining at a table with a good view out of the window. From your point of view, you’re going to be more likely to recognise crew members around the ship (as there aren’t as many of them!), which will usually allow you to build a better degree of rapport with those onboard.

Balmoral, a smaller cruise ship from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, docked in the sunshine in Italy. She carries around 1,100 passengers, making her much smaller than many other ships out there. © Fraser at Sea

4. Many Older Cruise Ships Feature the most Popular Facilities from the Newer Ships, Thanks to Upgrade Programmes!

Did you know: cruise ships are usually upgraded around every five years? These upgrades are sometimes more focussed on the ‘behind the scenes’ aspects of the ship (like crew areas, the engine room, or maybe even what’s beneath the waterline!), but others focus on the onboard passenger experience.

I was really surprised when I took a cruise onboard Navigator of the Seas, one of the older ships from Royal Caribbean which has undergone a significant ‘amplification’, or upgrade. As a result of this upgrade, she now has many of the features that cruisers love from the newer ships, including upgraded pool decks, the FlowRider surfing simulator, an ice rink, and so much more! I wouldn’t have expected to find half of her facilities on a ship of that age!

Cruise ship upgrade programmes can breathe so much new life into them - in some cases, it can feel as though you’re cruising on a brand new ship if you’re lucky enough to cruise relatively soon after the refit is completed.

My point here - if you’re considering paying extra to cruise on a newer ship due to one or two particular features, do your research to be sure that the older ships don’t also now have those features onboard!

Navigator of the Seas isn’t a new cruise ship, but she does boast lots of the amenities that cruisers enjoy from her newer fleet mates. © Fraser at Sea

5. Older Ships can Offer a More Relaxing Cruise Experience!

You’re going on a cruise vacation, meaning that you probably want to relax, right?! Well, cruising on an older ship might be the perfect way to do just that!

When you cruise on a newer ship, the first few days onboard can often feel hectic, with everybody rushing around the ship to try and see or experience everything that they can in the short time that they have onboard. On the older ships, there usually won’t be as many facilities, which in turn often forces passengers to relax a little more.

Another aspect that can make older cruise ships feel more relaxing is the reduced up-selling. Think about it - if you’re cruising on a ship with 10 up charge restaurants, a go-kart track, a 4D cinema, an ice bar, and whatever else you can imagine, of course the crew will be required to up-sell experiences to you. If you’re on an older ship, then there will still be a degree of up-selling, but there are far fewer opportunities available!

Cruising on an older ship with less up charge venues onboard? Well, you can probably look forward to less up-selling as a result! © Fraser at Sea

6. Cruises on Older Ships can Offer More Port-Intensive Itineraries!

When you cruise on the newer cruise ships from the large cruise lines, you’re probably going to find one or two sea days on a typical seven night cruise. These days allow the cruise line to have all of the passengers on the ship spending money: at the bars, trying their luck at the casino, shopping in the onboard shops, relaxing with a spa treatment - you name it, there are lots of ways to spend money when you’re on a cruise ship!

On the older ships, due to the fact that there are less facilities onboard, cruise lines tend to prioritise delivering more port-intensive itineraries. This can sometimes result in you taking a cruise that has no sea days! In my case, I cruised onboard Norwegian Pearl, one of the older ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet, and we visited a different port every day of the cruise!

There was enough on the ship to keep us all busy in the late afternoons and evenings after we’d left port, but it was really great to be in port every single day of the cruise. On this point - if you’re considering travelling a distance to take your cruise, you might like the idea of being able to ‘tick off’ more ports, and maybe therefore more countries, while on your trip! If so, don’t write-off cruising on an older ship!

I took a cruise on Norwegian Pearl, and we had NO SEA DAYS on the itinerary! © Fraser at Sea.

7. Older Ships Can Offer Much Better Views than Newer Ships can!

Okay, this one might sound strange, but stay with me and I’ll explain…

Many newer cruise ships are built for a world of people who want to cruise, but don’t want to be reminded about the fact that they’re on a ship. I know so many people out there who choose to cruise on the modern megaships due to the fact that ‘it doesn’t feel like they’re on a ship at all’, which is a feeling that I don’t personally share.

When I cruise, I want to be out on open decks that offer clear views looking out to sea, or sitting in restaurants that have huge glass windows looking out over the ocean. I don’t want to be sitting on the ‘inside’ of the ship constantly, or in venues that have tiny windows that I struggle to see out of.

I’ve cruised on so many newer cruise ships over the years, and it can be difficult to know if you’ve even left the port if you’re not outside, or sitting by a window. On the older ships however, you’re usually able to tell that something’s going on, as you’ll feel a slight rumble underfoot or you’ll see movement from a nearby window across the room.

To me, most of the older cruise ships ‘feel like ships’, and this is why I love them. That said, I can also completely understand the other end of the argument.

Here’s an example of a modern cruise ship. MSC Meraviglia boasts some very impressive indoor spaces, with very little visibility of the ocean outside. © Fraser at Sea.

Meanwhile, here’s one of my favourite views onboard Balmoral. Traditional railings with almost fully uninterrupted views of the ocean beyond! © Fraser at Sea.

8. Older Cruise Ship Cabins can be Bigger and More Unique!

As the cruise industry has grown in popularity over the years, there’s been a natural shift towards squeezing as many cabins onto ships as possible. Think about it - it makes sense to deal with the huge spike in demand by building larger ships that are able to accommodate more passengers.

When you cruise on a new ship, it’s likely that your cabin will be identical to hundreds, and sometimes even thousands, of other cabins. On the older ships however, this is likely to not be the case for a number of different reasons.

One example I’d offer you here would be the cabin that I cruised in while onboard P&O Aurora, a cruise ship that launched back in 2000. Aurora was historically a family-friendly ship, but P&O Cruises made the decision to change this a few years ago. As a result of this change, the kids club was removed from the ship, and new passenger cabins were installed in its’ place. I then booked one of these cabins to try it out, and I was delighted to realise that the solo cabins in this space were actually solo balcony cabins!

This is a great example of how you can sometimes get better or ‘quirkier’ cabins on the older ships - they’re well worth looking out for!

P&O Aurora, a cruise ship launched back in 2000 features solo Balcony cabins, a cabin grade that many newer ships don’t have! © Fraser at Sea.

9. The Entertainment Around the Ship can Sometimes be Better on an Older Cruise Ship.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll already know that I absolutely love the theatre when I cruise. I always really enjoy having my evening meal and then going to the theatre to watch a show - it’s one of my favourite ways to spend an evening on a cruise ship. I really need to stress with this particular ‘benefit’ of cruising on older ships - what I’m referring to here is the entertainment around the ship, and not the offering in the main theatre.

It’s usually the case that cruise lines will invest more money in the production shows on their newer cruise ships. The theatres on the newer ships will often be fitted with much more impressive kit and technology to deliver performances that the older vessels would simply struggle to, or be unable to.

The entertainment that I’m referring to here is what you experience as you walk around the ship in the afternoon of a sea day, or in the evening. Think about the music acts that you’ll find entertaining you in the onboard bars, or maybe even poolside on a sunny afternoon. In my experience, these musicians are often better on the older ships. I’m not sure of the reason for this - could it be that the theatre often doesn’t offer the same ‘wow factor’ as the newer ships, and they therefore aim to make up for this with some of the performers elsewhere? I don’t know the answer - it’s anybody’s guess!

The entertainment offered by the newer and older ships can sometimes really differ… © Fraser at Sea.

10. Older Cruise Ships are Often Smaller, and can Therefore Reach Ports that the Newer and Larger Ships Can’t!

This one’s simple - you’ve booked a cruise to see places. Do you really want to be docking in ports that mean you then have to take a 30-50 minute shuttle bus into the city centre, or would you like to simply walk down the gangway and be in town?

If the latter sounds like your ‘ideal’, then you might want to consider cruising on an older and smaller cruise ship!

I really hope you’ve enjoyed this post. If you have, then why not click into the below video next? In this video, I share with you some of the reasons why you should consider cruising on a SMALLER cruise ship - this one might just surprise you! While you’re there, please remember to click the ‘subscribe’ button over on YouTube - this massively helps me to reach more people with my content!

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